Page 59 of Forbidden Moon
The man smiled, tipping an imaginary hat.
“Same here, ma’am. May I help you with those?”
Perdy handed him the small duffle bag.
“Evan gathered up some clothing and toiletries for you to use since you weren’t able to bring your own. Let us know if there’s anything else you want. Chances are, someone here has it!”
“I will, thank you. Jonah and I were looking for something to eat, and whatever you’ve got there smells good!”
“I’ve brought you a double portion of my biscuits and gravy, along with other things. If you have any special food requests, leave a note for me in the empty basket.”
Perdy made a beeline for the kitchen, setting the food down on the counter. Jonah stood up from the table and pulled her into a hug. She drew back to give him the once over and smiled.
“How are you feeling, sweetheart? I’m sure RJ has been taking good care of you.”
Both men blushed, having awakened early to Jonah’s keening need. They’d only emerged from the bedroom a short time ago, just long enough to get cleaned up.
“A little tired but so relieved to have my mate with me. It’s not at all like the other times. We, uh, gathered up the linens and left them in the bedroom.”
“Wonderful! I’ll get those and leave the two of you alone. If you’re busy at mealtimes, I’ll put things away in the fridge for later.”
RJ dug into the basket while Jonah set the table. Frenetic sex tends to use up a lot of calories, and both men were running on empty. As Perdy walked past with the laundry, Jonah got up and followed her out to the front steps for a quick confab.
“Please tell Evan and Donna thank you for taking care of us last night. Is Ben angry?”
Perdy shook her head.
“No, honey. He was upset yesterday when he found out, but Ben’s one hundred percent in your corner now. We’reallgoing to help you secure your mate. If anybody slips up, Evan or Jack will help with RJ’s memory, OK? Now get back in there and love up your man!”
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DOMINIC RAISED THEbinoculars, thankful for clear weather and no construction workers. Scaffolding continued to block the best views, but that didn’t stop him. He scanned the Preserve’s shoreline for movement, hoping to catch some activity. Their usual schedule changed recently, leaving him to guess who, when, and where he might see something. He’d even come to recognize a number of the men’s faces and could only speculate on what they might do if they caught him.
The patrols no longer used the particular spot where he’d seen the most action. He noticed them walking about or even meeting up to talk, but none of them ever shifted. Something caused a change, and it both intrigued and frustrated him. Did they suspect someone was watching and were now being more careful? Possibly, though they couldn’t know who or they’d be pounding on his door!
Dominic shuddered at the idea and put the binoculars down on the end table. Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea from the start. Nobody would believe him unless he had evidence, and he wasn’t going to endanger himself to get it. He hit the kitchen to refill his coffee cup before sitting down at the computer. Strange Things gained new readers every day, some curious, most skeptical, many ridiculous. It seems there were all kinds in this world, even those who weren’t quite human.
He began scanning through a host of messages, welcoming newcomers, and answering questions. His latest post was a response to several inquiries about exactly where the shapeshifters were living. He’d refused to reveal the location, and some called him out for it. Halfway down the page, his mind skittered to a halt.
A new reader named “YooperTrooper” left a response earlier this morning. Only the residents of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula used the peculiar nickname Yooper, and Dominic’s heart nearly stopped as he read the message.
>YooperTrooper:Nice try, Birdman, but we know where you are and who you’re watching. Since you don’t have the balls to get the evidence, we’re gonna get it for you. And then we’re going to take care of these freaks. Pay attention now. Never know what you might see!
A handful of comments followed, including one from his best fan.
>Majestic Sky:I fear you have attracted a dangerous follower. I certainly hope the threats are not real. Have your actions already put these people, and yourself, in danger? As I advised before, Birdman, leave this situation alone before tragedy strikes!
Shit, shit, shit! How did this happen? Dominic jumped up from the chair and began to pace the faded living room rug. He needed to think this through before acting. There were several options; ignore it, answer it, or delete it. One thing he couldnotdo is take it seriously, as it would only encourage whoever this was. No, not worth the risk. Talking to Majestic Sky might help, but he didn’t have any contact information. Damn!
The threatening messagecouldn’tbe real. No one knew his identity or where he lived! Thismustbe a stupid attempt to scare him into revealing more information. Well, he wasn’t taking the bait. Best to get this over with and forget about it. He hurried back to his corner office and fired up the cheap printer. When it was ready, he printed off YooperTrooper’s message, along with the handful of comments, and then deleted it all from the site.
Hands shaking, he filed it away and shut down the computer for the day. He’d taken the only action he could think of, and while it felt like the right thing to do, a nagging fear remained. What if YooperTrooper reallydidknow who the shapeshifters were? It wouldn’t surprise him that someone else figured it out. After all, the place was huge, and people were living all around them.
Could Majestic Sky be right about having placed them in danger? If something happened, would he be to blame? If only he’d never started the blog in the first place!
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WALTER DENALI’S HOMEoffice, Window Rock, Arizona
