Moon Blood (COMPLETE)

Chapter Fifteen: A Flattering Chase

Hettie was, annoyingly, a very pleasant host.

Standing at an impressive six feet and eleven inches, Neil couldn't deny that she was an incredibly beautiful woman. He couldn't even begin to determine her exact age: probably somewhere between eighteen and twenty five, and all the assets to prove it, too.

"So who's going to tell me parents I'll be missing for a month?"

"Teenage boys run away all the time. Don't worry, you'll be back tomorrow morning anyway, with Betsy watching you. Just know that she will be your personal protection from those thieves just in case they try to steal you again."

"For the hundredth time: I wasn't stolen! You stole me!"

"Now don't you worry about semantics, I have it all figured out."

"Stop patronising me!"

She laughed. This woman had the gall to laugh at him. At least they had the decency to unshackle him, and he sat rather awkwardly in their extravagant parlour.

Worlds apart from Ruby's shed, this was an entire country estate full of lush, soft furnishings and windows that reached wall to ceiling. The dark night painted the tall walls in a deep pitch and robbed the house of any and all colour. Neil was perched on the edge of a very luxurious and well-stuffed couch, threaded with gold and even accented with tassels. Tassels! Neil had never seen cushions with tassels before.

Beside him sat the smaller woman with short hair that Neil had seen chasing him just a few weeks ago, presumably Betty. He could recognise her from her scent at least, but he'd never seen her in this form before. He tried to watch her from his peripheral vision in a subtle way, but all he achieved was aching eyeballs.

She said nothing.

"A new moon has passed, but we have our dear boy with us. Four weeks will pass by in the blink of an eye. Dear male, what is it that you wish?"

Hettie stood over him, bending to meet him at eye level. Neil flushed but he refused to look away.

"I want to go home."

"This is not good enough for you?" In an overly dramatic gesture, she presented the grand parlour to him as if Neil hadn't seen it. "This is your home now, my dear."

"Wrong. I'm going home."

Hettie stood, and raised an eyebrow at him. "I'll tell you what. It might be fun to play a game. For how long can you run, pup? You look fit enough to run a fair distance. Wolves aren't good at sprinting, but we do like to chase."

In an instant, she disrobed and her clothes hit the floor. Her lupine form stood where she once had. Black and beautiful, her green eyes still shone out and watched him with a ferocity that made him quiver.

It's well known humans are the best creatures at pursuing, but what about you? Neither human or wolf, but something firmly wedged in the middle. The same as us, but also not the same at all. Males are once in a generation for us. You are truly beautiful, pup, and I only wish for your happiness.

He hated it. Neil hated how flattered he was by her compliments. He'd rarely flirted with girls ever since he'd noticed that their differences were attractive to him, and now, when faced with one who was showering him with attention, he dried up. He burnt crimson as she pulled his t-shirt over his head and pulled his trousers to the floor, leaving him stark naked. Any protests were swatted away by her warm but firm hands. Her compliments had left him somewhat drunk, and being undressed so tenderly by someone, left him reeling.