afraid,” he told her.
“How very practical,” she agreed, and they both started to laugh. Andros rowed for shore.
She wasn’t a selkie. Not a water nymph or a mermaid. She must be something else.
He brought her to a steakhouse for their next date. He stuffed his mouth with meat and watched her push her salad around her plate.
“Not much of a carnivore?” he asked her.
Serena smiled at him quizzically. “That’s a rather unusual question, Andros.”
He swallowed and then grinned, his teeth sharp in the dim lighting. “I don’t mean it to be. I love a good steak. I could eat one every night. But you ordered a salad. Does meat make you feel...unclean?”
Her laughter wasn’t mean at all, and Andros mentally checked off his list. She wasn’t a werewolf. She wasn’t a golden dragon or a vampire. She didn’t seem at all menacing, so nothing predatory. He tried one more question.
“Do you ever feel like life is eternal? That you’ve lived eons already and have a couple thousand more to go?”
She sighed. “I do feel that way sometimes. I get very weary.”
It really wasn’t a very good question. Immortality applied to most of the Otherkind. Still, he had asked and she had answered, and that was a very good thing, indeed.
That night Andros had a dream. He and Serena were walking through the forest. She was a daughter of the moon, stars shining in her dark hair and eyes. She wore a long white dress and her hand was resting on the ruff of Andros’s neck.
Andros realized he was padding by her side on all fours. He glanced down and saw soft brown paws. He twitched his ears and slashed his tail through the air. He sniffed and could smell the anticipation emanating from Serena’s pores.
She stopped suddenly, knelt down and rubbed her face into Andros’s fur. “It’s nearly time, my love,” she murmured. Andros whimpered and licked her ear, leaving red stains on her white skin. Blood. His mouth was full of it and it invigorated him. He raised his muzzle to the moon and howled.
The next day he was unusually quiet. Serena slipped her cold fingers into his.
“Are you all right?” she asked him.
He bit his lip, tasted blood, and thought of his dream. He found it exciting.
“Serena, do you ever feel that...we’re more than we seem? That we could peel our skins away and find something wild and animalistic underneath?”
Her eyes told him everything he needed to know.
“That’s a very deep thought,” she said. “You’re treading on dangerous territory.” She was teasing, but he could feel the truth was threading through her words. Of course it was. This wasn’t something that she could speak about openly. If she did, the enchantment would be broken, and she would have to go back to wherever she came from. That’s why she chose to speak to Andros in dreams. That’s why she chose to let him in on the secret that he was an Other, too. Moon and Wolf. Luna e Volk . Perhaps he never would have figured it out on his own. The thought made him shudder.
He had to let her know that he understood. That he was ready.
“It’s a full moon tonight,” he said casually. Serena’s face softened.
“I know. I’ve been looking forward to it.”
Of course she had. “Would you like to do something special?”
Her eyes glowed.
Andros picked her up after dark. It was a long drive out of the city and to the forest, but it would be worth it. At first he was disappointed Serena was wearing a dark dress instead of the white one from the dream, but it made her creamy skin even more luminous in comparison. Besides, she wouldn’t be wearing it for too much longer, anyway.
“I’m very glad to be here with you,” she said, and dropped her hand lightly on Andros’s thigh. “I think that tonight will be very memorable.”
He couldn’t drive there fast enough. Finally he found the clearing, a place that he remembered from years ago. He parked the car, got out, and opened the door for Serena. She stepped
“How very practical,” she agreed, and they both started to laugh. Andros rowed for shore.
She wasn’t a selkie. Not a water nymph or a mermaid. She must be something else.
He brought her to a steakhouse for their next date. He stuffed his mouth with meat and watched her push her salad around her plate.
“Not much of a carnivore?” he asked her.
Serena smiled at him quizzically. “That’s a rather unusual question, Andros.”
He swallowed and then grinned, his teeth sharp in the dim lighting. “I don’t mean it to be. I love a good steak. I could eat one every night. But you ordered a salad. Does meat make you feel...unclean?”
Her laughter wasn’t mean at all, and Andros mentally checked off his list. She wasn’t a werewolf. She wasn’t a golden dragon or a vampire. She didn’t seem at all menacing, so nothing predatory. He tried one more question.
“Do you ever feel like life is eternal? That you’ve lived eons already and have a couple thousand more to go?”
She sighed. “I do feel that way sometimes. I get very weary.”
It really wasn’t a very good question. Immortality applied to most of the Otherkind. Still, he had asked and she had answered, and that was a very good thing, indeed.
That night Andros had a dream. He and Serena were walking through the forest. She was a daughter of the moon, stars shining in her dark hair and eyes. She wore a long white dress and her hand was resting on the ruff of Andros’s neck.
Andros realized he was padding by her side on all fours. He glanced down and saw soft brown paws. He twitched his ears and slashed his tail through the air. He sniffed and could smell the anticipation emanating from Serena’s pores.
She stopped suddenly, knelt down and rubbed her face into Andros’s fur. “It’s nearly time, my love,” she murmured. Andros whimpered and licked her ear, leaving red stains on her white skin. Blood. His mouth was full of it and it invigorated him. He raised his muzzle to the moon and howled.
The next day he was unusually quiet. Serena slipped her cold fingers into his.
“Are you all right?” she asked him.
He bit his lip, tasted blood, and thought of his dream. He found it exciting.
“Serena, do you ever feel that...we’re more than we seem? That we could peel our skins away and find something wild and animalistic underneath?”
Her eyes told him everything he needed to know.
“That’s a very deep thought,” she said. “You’re treading on dangerous territory.” She was teasing, but he could feel the truth was threading through her words. Of course it was. This wasn’t something that she could speak about openly. If she did, the enchantment would be broken, and she would have to go back to wherever she came from. That’s why she chose to speak to Andros in dreams. That’s why she chose to let him in on the secret that he was an Other, too. Moon and Wolf. Luna e Volk . Perhaps he never would have figured it out on his own. The thought made him shudder.
He had to let her know that he understood. That he was ready.
“It’s a full moon tonight,” he said casually. Serena’s face softened.
“I know. I’ve been looking forward to it.”
Of course she had. “Would you like to do something special?”
Her eyes glowed.
Andros picked her up after dark. It was a long drive out of the city and to the forest, but it would be worth it. At first he was disappointed Serena was wearing a dark dress instead of the white one from the dream, but it made her creamy skin even more luminous in comparison. Besides, she wouldn’t be wearing it for too much longer, anyway.
“I’m very glad to be here with you,” she said, and dropped her hand lightly on Andros’s thigh. “I think that tonight will be very memorable.”
He couldn’t drive there fast enough. Finally he found the clearing, a place that he remembered from years ago. He parked the car, got out, and opened the door for Serena. She stepped
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