Exclusive Excerpt from Moonwish:

Creed placed me carefully in the bed we shared and went to the restroom, giving me time to wonder. About many things. Like how could this be real? How could my boyfriend heal me with his mind? What had I just witnessed? It was one thing for Creed to bite me when we were in bed, but this? And how freaked out was my uncle right now? 

That thought made me chuckle as Creed opened the door. He was shirtless in a pair of lounge pants, and it’s purely possible my eyes deceived me, but he looked incredible. When I first saw him naked, I’d noted how healthy he looked, like he’d stepped out of a late ’70s/early ’80s Playgirl magazine, minus the mustache. I wondered if he’d ever had one? But back to his physique—it was exceptional. He was the picture of health, until he’d disappeared. Those three weeks he’d been gone, he’d lost weight and muscle mass, and his skin had gone from peachy and freckled to sickly pale.

Now, he glowed. His arms and legs were toned, as if he’d been working a physically demanding job, not doing exercises at the gym. 

He slid into the bed next to me and rested his chin in his hand. 

“Are we doing this now, or can I convince you to sleep?”

“After that? Are you serious?”

He exhaled and fell onto his back, his breath minty fresh. 

“You brushed your teeth? Is it because of… what does it taste like? I mean, I’ve tasted my own blood, but—”

“We’re doing this now.” While he tried to look put out about it, he had a hesitant smile on his face. “Before you ask, are we okay?” The look of vulnerability in his eyes had me curling myself around him.

“We are more than okay,” I said, drawing my fingers along the side of his face, feeling his delicious stubble. “Have I not made it clear how amazing you are? How much—”

“Having a learned ability does not make me extraordinary.”

I pulled back. “No, it doesn’t. Not by itself. The sum of you—body, spirit, abilities, knowledge, wisdom, love, and soul—are the things that make you beyond extraordinary. Creed.” I forced him to meet my gaze. “I fell in love with you before I knew what you could do. Always remember that.”

He reached tentatively for my hand at his cheek, and he covered it with his larger one. His eyes drifted shut, and he lay there taking deep breaths. I thought he’d fallen asleep, but moments later he gasped and his eyes flew open. He covered his mouth and chuckled.

“What’s funny?” I asked him, holding him tighter. 

He held up an arm, and I saw the hair standing on end as he laughed again. 

“What’s going on?”

He turned to me, his amber eyes sparkling with mischief. “Remember how I said the pheromone affected folks differently?”

“Yeah?”

“It seems someone is working off some serious energy right now.” He sucked in another breath and placed a hand on his upper chest, letting his fingers drape over his throat. His body relaxed into the mattress, and he smiled mischievously.

“Working…? Oh, fuck, you mean jerking off!” I burst out laughing, but Creed placed a hand lightly over my mouth and shushed me. “Who is it? Can you tell who it is?”

“I refuse to divulge that information. Along with consent comes confidentiality, my love.” His back arched off the bed, and he moaned softly before settling back down. Like he’d just had aftershocks. “I’ll never tell.”

“You’re absorbing their energy? Right now? What does it feel like? To you?” 

“Like lying on warm sand, a cool breeze playing with my skin and hair, the lull of the surf putting me into that fully relaxed state. Sometimes taking in energy makes me aroused, but more than that, I feel the swell in my cells as they grow stronger, waiting to be told what to do next. Lying in wait until they’re needed to serve another.” He nestled his face into my hand and sighed again. “What did it feel like for you? Earlier? I’ve never done it like that before.”

“When you passed your healing to me earlier, it felt almost like going under nitrous oxide, minus the giggles. You know what’s happening but you’re outside of your body. Totally calm. Happy.”

“I can see that.” Creed rolled onto his elbows and smiled down at me. “Doing an Exchange with others is nothing like what we experienced when we had sex and I took from you. I figured you would want to know. It’s not an inherently sexual act, drinking blood. I don’t feel aroused when I take from Mr. Fletcher.” That visual made us both laugh. “Seriously, the pheromone isn’t like a sex potion or anything, although to some it can feel like arousal. Like someone out there certainly experienced. But I wasn’t, it doesn’t…”

“Thank you for telling me, but I wasn’t worried. You’ve been so upfront and honest about everything. I don’t worry. Like I said. Next time I want to go with you to the strip club though.”

“Or you can strip for me. Dance for me. We won’t have to leave the house.” He ran his hand down my side, over my hip and then over my fairly diminished ass. I wondered if he was disappointed in how I looked now, scrawny, muscles all atrophied from weeks in bed. 

“We will have to, though. I’m not enough.” I swallowed hard, struggling to accept my weakness. “To keep you sustained. I’ll be okay with that. We’re gonna work it out.”

He kissed me gently, a light brush, a soft nudge, and we rolled together, our legs tangling. 

“You are everything to me, Roman. You are my reason for staying on this ride. I’ll get what I need, do what I have to, so I can be with you for as long as we have.” His smile slipped. “Even if it means drinking that bag of blood the doctor brought. I’m sorry—”

“Baby. Don’t ever apologize to me. Not for doing what you need to do to survive.”