Under the Blood Moon by Jenny Garcia (golden son ebook txt) 📕

“Niki, can you feel that?” I look over at him “Feel what Travis?” He lies on his side facing me, lifts his hand and touches some bare skin on my hip where my shirt has rolled up. “That. Can you feel that…pulse of… I don’t know how to explain it other than electricity.” The air is taken from my lungs as I absorb and pulsing desire I am getting from his gentle touch. I close my eyes and let it take over me. I feel his hand lift off my hip and he places it on my cheek. “You can feel it can’t you. I can’t believe this is happening. Bonding at 18 is so rare.” My eyes snap open “Bonding what the hell does that mean?” he takes his hand off my face and sits up quickly. “Nothing Niki forget what I said.”

“No Travis, tell me what that means. Please” He runs his hands through his golden hair. “Niki I can’t tell you. Not yet anyway. You wouldn’t believe me.” Titling my head to the side I say, “Try me.” There is a long silence and he lets out a sign “No Niki. I don’t want to talk about this. It’s not the time.” I am not going to argue with him. This is just annoying. All those feelings of desire have by snubbed out by annoyance, at least for the time being.

***

            I hear my mom calling us for dinner from the front porch. Travis and I are still sitting by the lake in silence. He refuses to tell me what “bonding means” so I am refusing to talk to him. I know it is childish but I can’t help it. I want to know.

“Niki, come on its time for dinner.” He nudges my shoulder trying to get me off the shore. I am really not that hungry but I know my mom would have a cow if I didn’t have dinner with everyone on the first night that we are here. I stand up and brush the sand off of my pants. I start to walk past Travis and he grabs my arm. Passion is pulsing through his touch and my knees get weak. He pulls me gently to him and puts his hand on my back. God I want to lose control on him but there is no way that I can allow it. I don’t love him and I am not going to fall for his tricks. Every man is the same. They say that they love you and then they leave you with a broken heart. He starts to brush my back. “You have sand on your back.” I try to wiggle out of his grip and he tightens “Just stand still Niki your being a pain in the ass.” My mouth drops open “What the hell makes you think that you can talk to me like that? Let go of me!” He looks at me with annoyance grabs the side of my face with both his hands and tries to kiss me. I pull out of his grip and slap him as hard as I can in the face. As soon as my hand touches his face I get a quick vision. I see the island from my dream, glowing and alluring. I am floating towards it and I see Travis on the shore waiting for me. I don’t why but he is there for me. The vision ends.

“What was that?” I shout at him. “Why are you trying to kiss me? Do you know how rude and creepy that is? I have known you for one day and you think that you can try and kiss me.” He is not phased by anything that I say or the slap that I laid across his face. He is just looking into my eyes. “What are you staring at!” He runs his hand through his golden hair and lets out a gentle sigh. “Niki, did you see something?” How does he know that? I am not going to play this game. There is no way that I am going to tell him anything about myself. I turn on my heels and walk towards the house. My curiosity gets the better of me and turn back around to Travis “Why would you think I saw something Travis? How would you possibly know something like that without me telling you? Will you please tell me what is going on?!” He takes a step towards me and puts his hand on my mouth. “Shh, please stop yelling I don’t want them to hear us!” I stop screaming at him and let him explain. “Niki…you are special. My mom says that you have a…gift. It’s a gift that is important to our culture. You were destined to become the most powerful Mystic of our realm and race.” All I can think is he is crazy but there is something in his eyes that is making me believe him. His hands are still on my shoulders and I am in shock at what I am hearing. I am a Mystic? What the hell is that? “Niki, if you want to know everything then we need to go somewhere else where I can tell you. But for now we need to go inside and eat. If my mom knows that I am telling you this she is going to freak out. Will you please come inside and just wait a while? I promise I will tell you everything that you need to know.” I look at him in his beautiful emerald eyes and for some reason I find myself trusting him. I nod my head and he puts his arm around my shoulder and starts to walk me to the house. I push his arm off; he is making staying away from him very hard when he touches me.

            We get up to the house and Denise is standing on the porch staring at Travis an evil glare. Her arms are crossed and her fingers are tapping on her arm. “Well what were you two up to?” Travis looks at her then the ground. “Nothing mom, just hanging out and talking.” He shoves his hands in his pockets and pushes past Denise walking into the house. Her evil gaze turns to me her emerald eyes stare right into mine. No words are spoken but I get the message that she doesn’t want Travis to be alone with me. That just makes me want to more. She turns on her heels and walks into the house with her nose turned up. I walk up the stairs with an uneasy feeling building in my stomach.

Travis is sitting at the dinner table and his leg is bouncing under the table. There is something that is making him uneasy. I walk to the table and pull out the log style chair. I sit right next to him and place my hand on his leg under the table. Immediately it stops bouncing. He looks at me and his eyes seem to sparkle. I lean into his to whisper into his ear and I catch that alluring cologne of his. God it drives me nuts. “Travis, Relax.” I move away from him and we again catch eyes. He gives me a playful wink and places his hand on top of mine under the table. What am I doing? Why am I being so nice to him? Remembering myself, I rip my hand out from under his and place it on the table. He does the same. I can see his face out of the corner of my eye and sadness is written all over it. I look at my mom “Mom, what’s for dinner?” she pulls out her chair and sits down. “Well we have steaks, baked potatoes and salad.” I am so hungry I can hear my stomach growling. “That sounds good.”

My dad brings the food out setting everything in the middle of the table. “Dig in!” He says with excitement. We all begin to grab food and place it on out plates. Travis grabs a steak and so does Denise. Denise doesn’t look like a woman who can finish a whole steak. She is so thin and dainty. I grab some steak, a potato and salad and begin to eat. “So Niki how is school?” Denise is starting a conversation with me for the first time since she has been here. “Umm it was ok. I graduated so I’m done for now.” She takes a bite of her steak and chews. Then looking at me again she asks “So are you seeing anyone?” I feel the stab of heart break in my chest. I see Travis in the corner of my glaring at his mother with anger. “No Denise I am not seeing anyone.” I throw a glare to my mother hoping that she would get the hint to change the subject. She gets it and jumps in “So Niki, are you going to show Travis around the forest tomorrow, maybe go for a swim?” I look over at Travis who is staring at his plate eating with a smirk on his face. “Well Mom I haven’t really thought about it” I throw a smile at Denise “but yes I am going to show him everything.” I hear Travis contain his laughter. He knows that his mother doesn’t want me around him and watching her squirm is something he enjoys…clearly. Denise gives me a fake smile “That’s nice dear.” How can she not like me she doesn’t even know me? Her son is the one that is following me around and throwing moves on me. She is acting like I am going to steal him from her. I don’t understand mothers sometimes. The rest of dinner was silent. The only sound was forks and knives on plates.

Dinner was over and there was a sigh of relief from everyone. I stand up from the table and stretch my arms up to the ceiling. My shirt lifts and I can hear Travis let out a quiet grown. I like having this effect on him. It gives me a feeling of…power. I turn around and begin to head down the hall when I hear Denise “Niki what is on the back of your neck?” I instantly begin rubbing the back of my neck feeling for a bug. “What is it! Is it a bug!? Get it off!” Travis gets up from his chair and moves my ponytail away from my neck. He whispers under his breath “Oh my god.” I turn and make eye contact with him and he shakes his head and whispers “Don’t ask here, not now.” I look past him to Denise and she is beginning to stand from her chair and walk over to me. “Let me see it.” She pulls me so hard I almost fall over. “Oh my god. How long have you had this?” she turns me around holding my shoulders so tightly it hurts. “ I have no idea what you’re talking about. What is on the back of my neck? Will someone please fill me in?”

My mother stands and walks over to me looking at my neck. I feel her fingers running over my skin and a chill runs through my body. “Mom please tell me what it is.” She turns me around and brushes a loose piece of hair behind my ear. “Well Honey I don’t really know how to explain it. It looks like a crest of some kind.” I have never been more confused in my life. “Well do you know what it means?” Denise cuts me off and stands between us “I need to talk to you Michelle, now!” I push