Lying In The Moonlight
There’s something I need to tell you…
The words burnt on the tip of my tongue but couldn’t come out. I watched him from across the room, thumbing the ring around my finger as he laughed and joked. The blonde had a predatory smile. Her hand caressed his raising the bile in my gut until he pulled away.
The nausea remained. It had been there all day.
I closed my eyes and wished it wasn’t.
It was always like this before. I’d passed it off as ‘time of the month’ or travel sickness or anything else until now. Why had he decided it had to be tonight?
I twirled the ring again, glancing helplessly down at the white moonstone. This would be our undoing. I could feel it. The back of my neck prickled, hairs dancing to attention. I lifted my eyes to Garrison’s hungry gaze.
He smirked, dipping his teeth back behind his lips. I was the only one who had noticed the true nature of the casual kiss he’d secreted against his guest’s throat. She smiled, complaining about the heat with a paled complexion. A moment later, she was slumping into a chair, flapping a napkin in front of her face.
Poor mortal. She had no idea.
My nostrils flared seconds before his spidery fingers danced along my shoulder. “Such a pretty ring,” he muttered. “But I wonder how long your collar will last. We both know you’re too wild for him.”
“Stay out of this.”
The words were almost a growl, reverberating in the taut air between us. I could see my fiancé making his way through the crowd towards me. Garrison needed to be gone before he reached us. The vampire’s tongue was as sharp as a snake’s.
Handle with care…
I couldn’t just tell him. My thumb ran across the smooth silver metal of the ring. It was likely that tonight would be the first and only time I would wear it and already I was attached to the beautiful piece.
“You look sad…”
I met his eyes, sensing Garrison’s pernicious presence had faded away. Strong fingers grazed my cheek. I breathed in his scent as he plucked a loose hair from my skin, tucking it with tender sensitivity behind the catch of my ear.
“I need a word, love.”
I nodded. I did too, but it wouldn’t be what he thought.
We stepped outside to the balcony, bathed in creamy moonlight. I glanced at the pearlescent stone on my hand and focused my energy on that. Luna would not take me tonight. Not yet.
“I’ve been thinking…”
My heart stopped beating, but only for a moment, skipping instead into a hightailed rhythm. He could finish with me right there. He could end it and I’ll never get to tell him.
“This nausea… Is there something you need to tell me?”
His gaze penetrated me with all seeing intensity. My heart bleated he must know my truth, but my brain told me not to be so stupid. Instead of answering, I held my breath.
“Are you pregnant?”
I closed my eyes and heard myself utter a foolish lie beneath the light of my mistress and the gaze of my lover.
“Yes…”
Don’t forget to check back tomorrow [Saturday 8th October ‘11] for the #GhoulsGalore flash fiction challenge entry, too!
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Well played. Some secrets are tough to share.
Ooh, I smell trouble brewing. Nicely done.
Thank you for all your lovely comments. =)
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Nausea associated with the lycanthrope's lunar changes? An interesting twist, also wonder about Garrison. Great air of mystery to this whole piece. Also love the focus on the moonstone ring, which in another context I would have expected to be diamond so the difference in stone was a rich detail.