only among the humans that we are reticent. I don’t have to
shift for you now. We can do it when you are more comfortable with the idea, or
not at all.” Micah shrugged his massive shoulders, completely at ease.
“No, it’s not that.” Carly looked from one man to the other
and clasped her hands in her lap. “As a scientist I’m fascinated but as a
woman, I’m scared. I don’t think either of you would hurt me, but I can’t help
but be just a little scared of the whole situation.”
Tony smiled and put his hands over hers in her lap and Micah
leaned forward slightly. Micah kept his eyes on her face as he spoke. “We know
you are scared of us, Doctor. We can smell your fear and we can almost see it.
Shifters, at least many shifters, can see your aura as clearly as they see the
color of your hair.
“When you’re afraid, your aura shimmers with a different
color. What you have to understand is that none of us would ever intentionally
hurt a human who means us no harm.”
“As I said, intellectually, I know that. It’s the emotional
part of me that’s having trouble with this.”
Carly’s voice relaxed but the rigidness in her shoulders
told him a different story. Tony moved his hands up to soothe the tension away.
Softly stroking from her neck down to her shoulders, he coaxed her to lean into
him a bit. He fought back the urge to nip at her skin only because he knew
Micah understood who Carly belonged to. Her soft sigh let him know his massage
was helping.
“We’re far enough from a full moon that we can all control
our thoughts and actions, Carly. Most of us retain the ability to reason as a
human even when the moonlust is strong. Some few must give in to the pull of
the full moon, but many of our lines have developed past that. The older a
shifter, the longer they’ve been shifting, the stronger their control. Micah
and I come from long lines of shifters, so our control is very strong. We only
shift when we want to, never involuntarily.” Tony kept his voice quiet. He
watched her carefully to see what effect his words were having. Curiosity struggled
with the fear that was still there.
“Moonlust? I’ve never heard it phrased that way.” Carly
turned her head slightly, narrowing her eyes.
“Shifting is powerful. It is intense and emotional for all
of us. Moonlust is what we call it when the urge to shift tugs at the animal in
us. My kind have walked among you humans for thousands of years. There are
tales of the first shifter being a human just like you who was enchanted by a
sorceress. She punished him for daring to love another woman. Even though the
initial spell bound my kind to the moon, we’ve managed to evolve. Just like any
other species, Doctor. We changed our ways to answer the challenges of a
transforming world. Now some of us still lose control at moon’s lust—what most
call the full moon. But those are mainly the young ones who haven’t learned
discipline.” Micah never took his eyes off her face as Carly nodded slowly.
“I think I would like to see you change.” She paused. “If
that’s not a rude thing to ask? I guess I don’t know shifter etiquette. Can I
trust you both to let me ask baby questions without offending you?”
Micah nodded slowly as if approving her choice then stood.
He started to undress. He took his shirt off. Carly tried to observe him with
medical curiosity as he let her take in his chest and the muscular form of his
abdomen and arms as well as the tattoos on his arms. Micah had the head of an
eagle tattooed on his right biceps and a tribal mark of some sort on his left
shoulder.
When his hands moved to his waist, she dropped her gaze to
her clasped hands. It felt different in her own home. She didn’t want to get
that intimate with Micah. Now Tony had been different. Her stomach flipped as
she remembered Tony’s physique. Tony noticed the movement and grinned up at Micah.
Micah just shook his head and continued to undress.
“Do you have to
shift for you now. We can do it when you are more comfortable with the idea, or
not at all.” Micah shrugged his massive shoulders, completely at ease.
“No, it’s not that.” Carly looked from one man to the other
and clasped her hands in her lap. “As a scientist I’m fascinated but as a
woman, I’m scared. I don’t think either of you would hurt me, but I can’t help
but be just a little scared of the whole situation.”
Tony smiled and put his hands over hers in her lap and Micah
leaned forward slightly. Micah kept his eyes on her face as he spoke. “We know
you are scared of us, Doctor. We can smell your fear and we can almost see it.
Shifters, at least many shifters, can see your aura as clearly as they see the
color of your hair.
“When you’re afraid, your aura shimmers with a different
color. What you have to understand is that none of us would ever intentionally
hurt a human who means us no harm.”
“As I said, intellectually, I know that. It’s the emotional
part of me that’s having trouble with this.”
Carly’s voice relaxed but the rigidness in her shoulders
told him a different story. Tony moved his hands up to soothe the tension away.
Softly stroking from her neck down to her shoulders, he coaxed her to lean into
him a bit. He fought back the urge to nip at her skin only because he knew
Micah understood who Carly belonged to. Her soft sigh let him know his massage
was helping.
“We’re far enough from a full moon that we can all control
our thoughts and actions, Carly. Most of us retain the ability to reason as a
human even when the moonlust is strong. Some few must give in to the pull of
the full moon, but many of our lines have developed past that. The older a
shifter, the longer they’ve been shifting, the stronger their control. Micah
and I come from long lines of shifters, so our control is very strong. We only
shift when we want to, never involuntarily.” Tony kept his voice quiet. He
watched her carefully to see what effect his words were having. Curiosity struggled
with the fear that was still there.
“Moonlust? I’ve never heard it phrased that way.” Carly
turned her head slightly, narrowing her eyes.
“Shifting is powerful. It is intense and emotional for all
of us. Moonlust is what we call it when the urge to shift tugs at the animal in
us. My kind have walked among you humans for thousands of years. There are
tales of the first shifter being a human just like you who was enchanted by a
sorceress. She punished him for daring to love another woman. Even though the
initial spell bound my kind to the moon, we’ve managed to evolve. Just like any
other species, Doctor. We changed our ways to answer the challenges of a
transforming world. Now some of us still lose control at moon’s lust—what most
call the full moon. But those are mainly the young ones who haven’t learned
discipline.” Micah never took his eyes off her face as Carly nodded slowly.
“I think I would like to see you change.” She paused. “If
that’s not a rude thing to ask? I guess I don’t know shifter etiquette. Can I
trust you both to let me ask baby questions without offending you?”
Micah nodded slowly as if approving her choice then stood.
He started to undress. He took his shirt off. Carly tried to observe him with
medical curiosity as he let her take in his chest and the muscular form of his
abdomen and arms as well as the tattoos on his arms. Micah had the head of an
eagle tattooed on his right biceps and a tribal mark of some sort on his left
shoulder.
When his hands moved to his waist, she dropped her gaze to
her clasped hands. It felt different in her own home. She didn’t want to get
that intimate with Micah. Now Tony had been different. Her stomach flipped as
she remembered Tony’s physique. Tony noticed the movement and grinned up at Micah.
Micah just shook his head and continued to undress.
“Do you have to
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