Blood Moon (Moon Books) by M.J. O'Shea

agree.
    * * * *
    PC the lycan lived in an old brick building in the middle of the East Village. I’d always loved the Village, felt like I could almost hear the Beat poets of the past sitting around in coffee shops, effortlessly cooler than we could ever hope to become. It felt different than usual, though. Didn’t take a genius to figure out why. After the fight with Grandfather Dearest and Noah’s assurances that assorted vengeful Harpers were hot on our tail I had every reason to feel uneasy.
    I gripped Noah’s hand tightly when we got out of the car. I didn’t like the fact that I felt uncomfortable in what was essentially my own neighborhood. It seemed like every dark corner held someone watching us, ready to report our whereabouts to good old Grandpa Harper. I was more nervous than I had been at any time that afternoon. I probably would have felt better if I had Noah’s old hockey stick in my hand. I supposed that’s why we were going to visit the lycan—to get protection. Didn’t make me feel much better.
    “Zack, baby, calm down. They can hear your heart beating from Chinatown.”
    “They?” Suddenly I was even more nervous.
    He chuckled quietly. “I didn’t mean anyone in particular. It was a figure of speech.”
    “I can’t help it. I’m a little freaked out. How do we know that none of these people work for your grandpa?”
    He pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “We don’t. I don’t recognize any of them but that doesn’t mean anything. I didn’t recognize any of his employees in the bar that night and there was obviously someone there watching me. There’s nothing much we can do about it anyway. As far as they know we’re going to visit a friend and then leave. Which is true.”
    “Okay. My tough vampire boyfriend will protect me anyway, right?”
    He grinned and then his smile softened. “I’d protect you with my life,”
    It made shivers go up and down my spine. I rubbed my head against his shoulder then followed him into the building in front of us.
    Of course Noah’s friend had to live on the top floor of a building with a broken elevator. By the time we got up there I was panting and starting to perspire in the un-air conditioned swelter of the stairwell. Next to the unruffled and cool Noah I felt like a sweaty pig. He grinned at me and brushed his lips across my damp forehead then took my hand to lead me down the hall. When we reached the fifth door on the right, Noah stopped and raised his hand to rap quietly on the antiqued wood.
    I could hear footsteps on the other side and the door was cracked open cautiously before being thrown wide. I was very surprised by the guy on the other side. He didn’t look a day over seventeen. He was small and lithe and I couldn’t even imagine there was a big brawny wolf existing somewhere inside of him. I had to admit that when I heard ‘werewolf” I was expecting someone more along the lines of Hugh Jackman and not the twerpy little kid in front of us. Goes to show what Hollywood does to our perceptions.
    “Noah!” he exclaimed, coming out of the apartment and giving Noah a huge brotherly hug. Even I, who thought there wasn’t anyone in the world hotter than my boyfriend, had to admit there were no intentions in that hug. PC was just like a sweet little...puppy.
    “PC, this is Zack. My boyfriend.”
    “You mean Zack-Zack. This is—”
    Noah nodded grinning. “This is him. Zack, PC.”
    I smiled and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” I didn’t forget for a second that I was actually meeting a real live were—I mean lycan. I wondered if I’d ever get used to all of it.
    “How did this happen, Noah?” PC asked gesturing at me.
    I was surprised that he didn’t wait until I went to the bathroom or something to start talking about me but I loved the fact that Noah had obviously told him all about us.
    “We ran into each other a few weeks ago,” he answered pulling me close and smiling down at me.