A Winter Moon Read online

  A few days after Ross had found his apartment, he invited Johnny over to see that place. Johnny had rushed through his last class of the day, practically stammering over his explanation of equations to his students. He didn’t seem to be as stern as he usually was and the students noticed, a bit wary about his suddenly lenient nature. When the bell rang for dimissal, he calmly watched everyone leave and then slowly packed his bag, taking deliberate motions as he put away his planner and teaching notes. Getting to his car was a bit of a hassle; in hi reverie he had almost forgotten how to put one foot in front of the other! But he managed to pick up the pace when he thought of Ross.

  The drive to Ross’s place seemed to take forever, school traffic taking up much of the roads as he made his way to Sol Apartments. Upon arriving, he began to shake uncontrollably and had to focus before climbing the stairs to the studio apartment. Ross was waiting for him with a small bouquet of roses and a bottle of white wine, commenting that he hoped it wasn’t too early in the afternoon for them to have a glass. Johnny accepted the plastic cup gratefully and began to look around the tiny living space Ross had acquired.

  “It’s nice,” Johnny said while looking out the window. “You can see downtown from here. At night, it must be absolutely gorgeous when all the lights come on.”

  Ross nodded, rubbing the back of his neck nervously as he sipped his wine. When Johnny had made it over to the kitchen where the calendar hung, Ross intercepted the teacher with his lips. As a result, he clumsily spilled his cup of wine on Johnny’s pants and suddenly pulled away to apologize. Smiling, the kind teacher said it was fine and reapplied his lips to their original meeting place; a succulent taste of sweet wine and anticipation hot between their tongues. Ross absorbed the feeling of his warm mouth, his tongue probing through parted lips to explore the flesh hidden inside. He wanted to swallow all of Johnny’s secrets, imbibe every bit of his life and understand what drove him to be so passionately charitable. It inspired him to want to do more with his work, to do work that made an impact instead of just making money.

  As they both fell to the ground in a heap of affection, they each reached for fabric to loosen and belts to unbuckle. Hands searched in a frenzy driven by heated desire, searching for bare skin to grip and clothing to remove. Their naked bodies rushed into each other on the tile, overwhelmed by the pressing excitement of discovering unknown territory. Johnny drank in the beautiful landscape of Ross’s chest, the curve of his muscles chiseled into his skin, and shimmering with sweat from the heat between them. Johnny’s body was akin to a Greek statue, his skin softened by the light of the afternoon filtering through the half open window. In awe of his beautiful form, Ross ran eager fingers over Johnny’s chest and side, down to his thighs where they lingered before dipping between Johnny’s legs to feel the hot rod standing at attention. Johnny gasped as Ross stroked the length of his shaft, gripping a little harder with each stroke.

  With joy glimmering in his eyes, Johnny watched as his beautiful new lover took charge of his erection gleefully. Ross wrapped his thin lips around the engorged skin, caressing the throbbing rod that begged for release. His own wand pulsated with anticipation, hoping to be relieved soon by Johnny’s delicious lips. A charge of excitement rushed through Johnny’s torso, the succulent sensation of Ross’s lips eliciting uncontrollable bucking. As his hips rolled into his lover’s mouth, a rush of endorphins flooded his pelvis and radiated outwards into each limb, causing him to twitch and buck harder. Ross took this opportunity to suck in long strokes, trailing his tongue over the head of his lover’s delicious rod as it throbbed between his lips. Within moments, Johnny’s delectable cream coated the inside of Ross’s mouth, his eruption followed by moans of contentment and encouraging phrases.

  Ross was overcome with accomplishment as his lover spurted into his mouth the sweet nectar he had been wanting to taste since they met. After swallowing every bit of it, he looked up to look at his new beau who was so absorbed in the climax that his eyes were pinched shut. Ross reached up to cup his face and planted his lips to Johnny’s, which were frozen in a state of ecstasy. The sensual touch brought Johnny back down from his high and they continued to kiss in the midst of their sweaty mess. Smiling sweetly, Ross suggested a shower to which Johnny excitedly agreed. They retreated to the other end of the room, and washed together in the refreshing warm water. As the sun set in the distance, the two of them curled up on the futon and rested, feeling a deep satisfaction that permeated their bodies.

  Chapter 3

  The early morning air caused a shiver to run down Johnny’s spine as he made his way up the concrete stairs to his classroom before the bell rang. As he settled in his desk, the bell signaling first period rang and his students began filing into the classroom. He looked around while taking roll, noticing that two of his students were missing. Marking his sheet, he raised one eyebrow with curiosity. Mark and David never missed a class as far as he could remember, so this would be the first time to mark them absent. He began to set up the activity for the period, outlining different equations they would be studying for the weekend. Before the period was over, he wrote on the whiteboard the date and their homework for the evening.

  Most of the day was set up much the same, different classes coming and going through the day, and finally ending when the last bell rang at 2:50 PM. Johnny checked his phone. It had been a couple of weeks since he and Ross started dating, but the past couple of days had been relatively silent. Eyes glued to the screen of his phone, he didn’t notice the student who had approached his desk.

  “Mr. Christensen?” asked a young woman with dark hair and bright eyes. “I have a question about our homework.”

  Johnny looked up to smile and greet Samantha, whom he had known for a few years. Her knowledge of math and algebra was extensive and he always enjoyed having her in his class.

  “Of course, Samantha. Ask away,” said Johnny while putting down his phone.

  As they discussed Samantha’s question, Johnny kept peering over at his phone to see if there was any response. He wondered Ross had his phone on right now. There was a chance Ross had become occupied in one of his jobs and wasn’t able to check his phone right away.

  Satisfied with Johnny’s response, Samantha thanked him and then gathered her books to leave. The sudden silence pierced Johnny’s ears and he realized how much he hated being left to his own thoughts. Maybe it was just the noise of the day seeping under his skin, but suddenly being deprived of the sounds of people made him feel void.

  Still having no luck with Ross’s phone, Johnny packed up his things and decided to stop by the market to pick up some fresh fruit and roses for his new boyfriend. He knew it would be much appreciated, especially since Ross had been working so hard with his new freelance job. His apartment was beginning to look more welcoming, especially with some new furniture and a brand new television to fill the silence of the room. As he drove up to the apartments, a sinking feeling settled into his gut that made him paranoid. What if he wasn’t home?

  Johnny quickly shook the thoughts from his head and ran up the steps to the apartment, excitement running his paranoia into the gutter. While knocking on the door, thunder growled from the sky above, accompanied by dark rain clouds. It wasn’t uncommon for the Florida whether to change suddenly, and he had grown accustomed to the bipolar mood of the Sunshine State. Still, the sound of thunder made him cringe as he pulled his coat a little tighter around his neck. The rain would bring humidity which would make his clothes stick together. The resulting sweat would make him freeze as the temperature dropped later in the evening and he grimaced at the thought of having to deal with it.

  As thunder rattled the sky, Johnny knocked again, hoping perhaps the thunder had muffled his earlier attempts at getting Ross’s attention. Was he even home? He tried peeking through the small window, but the curtains were drawn. Perhaps he was out on an assignment and would return soon because of the rain. The least he could do was answer the phone to affirm his safety, but
it seemed he wasn’t apt to do so.

  After another rumble, the rain began to pummel the concrete heavily, signaling Johnny to leave the fruit and flowers on the door step with a loving note. He ran back to his car with his coat pulled up over his head, trying to keep the cold rain from running down his sweater, failing miserably as droplets trickled over his neck.

  Shivering, Johnny started his car and sat for a moment while the rain pattered hard against the metal roof. Where had Ross gone? On the way back home, Johnny considered how much he didn’t know about Ross. There was a bit of a mystery about the freelance photographer, something very alluring and slightly daunting that made Johnny want to learn more. The attraction was magnificent, the mere scent of Ross’s cologne igniting a fire within his pelvis almost immediately. It was as if the aura emitted was a spell or a siren, luring Johnny further into the depths of the dark sea beneath the supple skin. Lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t realized he already arrived at his apartment where he lamented its emptiness. One of the things that struck him during his deep thinking was the calendar in the kitchen. The 22nd, two days prior, had been highlighted in red, making him think perhaps it might have been an important event. But everything else on his calendar was so neatly outlined in simple black ink. What was so important about the 22nd of November?

  Johnny arrived back home, and locked the door behind him. He studied his own calendar, on which he had circled the day he met Ross. It was such a beautiful evening and he recalled fondly how they had chatted on his porch. The apartment seemed so quiet now and he felt trapped, wondering how he would relieve the tension in his gut. He reminded himself that Ross would return his call soon and that he shouldn’t panic. Everything would be just fine. He just had to occupy his thoughts before they got the best of him.

  After grading a few papers and eating something from the fridge, he felt better and relaxed into the cushions of the couch for the evening news. The storm outside was still ravaging the area, the news pulsing with flash flood warnings for all areas in Palm Beach. It wasn’t long until Johnny’s eyes grew heavy and he sank further into the couch as sleep took over his exhausted mind.

  Morning came quickly, the sound of the alarm blaring from the room cutting through the darkness of Johnny’s dreams. He wasn’t sure what it was he’d been dreaming, but it mustn’t have been particularly pleasant, as his body was soaked in sweat. Rising slowly from the cushions, he ran to the room to shut off the incessant alarm. Back in the living room, the news was still humming through the television speakers, this time describing the damages from the storm. Johnny raised the volume and studied the screen, listening to a report of a body having washed up from a nearby river.

  “The identity has yet to be determined, but specialists are on their way to discovering...”

  He closed his eyes for a moment of silent prayer, sending thoughts to the families of the victim. After shutting off the television, he headed for the shower but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

  Looking at his watch, he wondered who would be stopping by this early. He hadn’t checked his phone yet, so he wondered if perhaps Ross might be on the other side, apologizing for losing his phone or accidentally destroying it during one of his photography jobs. Peering through the spyhole, he saw Ross on the other side. Relief washed over his body as he whipped open the door. Shock took over the relief as the vision before him settled in, the torn and tattered clothes of his sweet artist a frightening sight. Blood caked the places where his clothes were torn and he appeared to have been completely drenched by the storm. Ross began to fall forward and Johnny caught him, dragging him into the apartment while pummeling him with questions about where he had been and what had happened. Ross could barely speak, appearing somewhat dehydrated and quite possibly defeated by whatever had attacked him.

  “Sweetheart, what happened?!” cried Johnny as he laid Ross out on the couch. “You haven’t answered your phone for two days! What’s been going on?!”

  The shouting seemed to bring Ross out of his daze and he groaned, feeling too weak to speak. Johnny retreated to the kitchen to get a glass of water to help him get hydrated enough to tell him what had been going on. Panic settled in his gut as Ross began to speak, overwhelmed by the fear of what he might hear. Had he been cheating? Was he peddling drugs? Should he expect squad cars to show up with their blue lights blaring through the heavy rain?

  “Sleep,” Ross whispered. “I need to sleep.”

  Ross shut his eyes and collapsed into the cushions where Johnny had just been, snoring lightly under the sound of the storm still whipping about outside. Disappointed and now wrought with paranoia, Johnny stood to take in the full image of Ross beneath him. The ripped clothing appeared to have been made by claws, a chilling sight to imbibe as there were no known wild animals in the city. Johnny shook his head suddenly, trying hard to remain calm over the persistent voice that begged him to call the police.

  No, Johnny thought. I have to take care of my lover.

  Pushing the panicking voice into the deep recesses of his mind, he began to collect first aid supplies in order to attend to what seemed to be gouges made by a gigantic cat. The four marks over his thigh were surface wounds, but deep enough to warrant heavy bandaging. The whole process took an hour and Johnny studied the sleeping face of his lover, hoping that this wasn’t some gang attack or mob hit. He just met this beautiful man not even a month ago. Losing him as quickly as they met would traumatize him, maybe even scar him forever. With great effort, Johnny pushed all these paranoid thoughts from his head and simply curled up with his wonderful artist who snoozed heavily despite the storm. It wasn’t long before Johnny fell asleep as well.

  Chapter 4

  Johnny had never seen someone sleep for such a long time. He still hadn’t woken by 10am the next morning. It was a Saturday, and normally he would go to the food kitchen to volunteer, but he did not want to leave Ross. He called Sara, and asked to be excused for personal reasons. Johnny had put in a lot of time at the kitchen and had never asked for time off before, so Sara granted his request.

  Ross slept for ages. Johnny caught up with some housework, and read quietly for a while, checking on Ross to make sure he was okay from time to time.

  At around 4pm, Johnny wondered if he should try waking him. As though reading his thoughts, with a loud snort and a yelp the tattered man before him suddenly sat up with wide eyes.

  “Ross, are you–”

  “I need to eat,” said Ross. “I need food and water. Please.”

  Without hesitation, Johnny went to the kitchen and made Ross a sandwich, which he ate quickly. After that, he heated up the spaghetti from the previous night, a frozen pot pie, and even a set of pork chops and potatoes. Johnny watched with fascination as Ross devoured every bit of food that was placed in front of him. After swigging the water as if it were the drink of the gods, he placed the empty cup on the table and folded his hands together.

  “I’m about to tell you something that might seem strange or impossible,” Ross began. “But it is the truth. I care deeply for you and I don’t want to hide anything at all.”

  As Ross paused, Johnny regarded his words with cautious curiosity, eying his boyfriend as he began to go into the lengthy explanation of his condition.

  “I am a werewolf,” said Ross. “As an orphan, I have no family to speak of save for one man who taught me how to control the beast inside. Every month, I must disappear for three days deep into a forested area in order to avoid the general public. Hiding is my only salvation from being hunted and destroyed.” Johnny’s face drooped towards the ground. Ross said, “I realize this is a lot to accept all at once and it seems totally unbelievable, but it’s the truth.”

  Speechless, Johnny wiped his mouth hard while trying to find a way to express the utter shock sitting in his gut.

  “You’re a werewolf..?” he asked weakly.

  Feeling faint, he sat in one of the kitchen chairs and stared at the wall. Ross stood carefully from the couch a
nd glided across the room, placing his hand gently on Johnny’s shoulder. He didn’t move.

  “I knew it was weird you had circled the 22nd, but I didn’t ever suspect anything like that...” said Johnny. “This might take some time.”

  Pulling away from Ross’s touch, Johnny went into the bedroom where he hid briefly, the storm pummeling against the walls of the apartment building. He ran his fingers through his hair while nervously pacing around his bed, wondering what he was supposed to do in that moment. As he did this, Ross stood on the other side of the door, waiting patiently for his boyfriend to calm down. He traced the wood of the door with his fingers and stared at his knuckles, the battered bones appearing frail under his human skin.

  It was such a strange switch, staring at his human form after being a monster for nearly 12 hours. He had hid in the woods beyond the town, somewhere outside of the city while he was the beast and then returned before the moon fell later in the night. Appearing outside Johnny’s apartment was not his intention as he recalled his beastly brain heading for his own abode, but he must have subconsciously wanted his boyfriend after the stressful events of changing between forms over the course of three days. It wasn’t long before the door flew open and Johnny allowed Ross into the room where they curled up on the sheets together.

  “I can’t imagine how you must feel,” Ross said as he ran his fingers over his boyfriend’s collarbone.

  “It feels like I lost you and now you’re back,” Johnny explained, his voice cracking a bit from behind the pillow. “Do you ever kill anyone?”

  The question was anticipated, but always a painful one to answer because Ross never intentionally killed anyone in his wolf form. Still, it was difficult to answer knowing that he might have – in the wild throes of primal passion – torn someone to pieces.