Full Moon Rising

Chapter 10


Xander tensed and wrapped his arm protectively around Nathaniel’s waist, pressing him firmly against his body as Jean Claude glided into the room like a dark cloud. Nathaniel looked at the brunet in confusion but didn’t resist. Xander was glad that the young man didn’t fight the tight embrace because he wanted the wereleopard close.

Years of living in Sunnydale had made Xander wary of the undead. He had seen too many of his friends killed by vampires to make him feel otherwise. Vampires made him nervous. Sure lycanthropes made him nervous too, but the hyena part of him could sense a kindred spirit in them. Vampires were different. Unnatural.

To be fair Jean Claude was nothing like the vamps that swarmed around the hellmouth like flies to honey. It didn’t take long for Xander to realize that not all vampires were the same. St. Louis vampires were stronger and faster than their demonic versions and more importantly they seemed to posses a soul or something like one. But Xander found it difficult to quail the instinct to stake first and ask questions later. This wasn’t Sunnydale and his first knee jerk reaction would probably get himself killed or arrested.

He knew that he couldn’t trust Jean Claude or Anita. Jean Claude was a vamp and in his mind that automatically made him evil. But he couldn’t understand why he hated Anita so much. He barely knew the woman but for some reason he really really didn’t like her. It probably had something to do with the fact that she shot him or maybe it was the way she treated Nathaniel as if she and she alone had the right to boss him around.

Xander narrowed his eyes. Nathaniel was his and the sooner the bitch realized it the better. Then Xander’s eyes widen in surprise at the sudden virtuosity of his feelings towards the wereleopard. When the hell did that happen? He guessed it was a recent development since he had only known Nathaniel for less than twenty-four hours. He gazed thoughtfully at the young man’s soft features, slim body and hard muscles and decided that it wasn’t a completely disagreeable notion. He was definitely attracted to Nathaniel and Xander could easily see himself falling for young man even if he was a guy.

Jean Claude studied Xander as if he was an insect on a dissecting tray. “I have never heard of a lycanthrope with the ability to resist the call of the moon. If you allow me to enter your mind I may be able to determine if a beast lurk underneath your skin.”

Xander jumped up from the bed and slowly back away from the encroaching vampire. “No way! You’re nuts if you think I’m going to let you anywhere near my brain. Dracula was enough. Thank-you-very-much.”

Jean Claude’s gaze grew intense and Xander’s felt himself falling into brilliant blue depths.

“What are you doing?” whispered Xander in trepidation.

“Calm yourself,” whispered Jean Claude hypnotically and Xander’s body immediately went limp.

“Why have you come to St. Louis?” whispered Jean Claude and the command echoed in Xander’s mind.

He couldn’t seem to fight the compulsion to answer and his lips were moving before he realized he was speaking. “To get away. It was getting too hard to fight the violence, the urge to kill. I was afraid I would hurt someone.”

“Have you ever hurt some one?”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever killed?”

“Yes, but that was different.”

“What do you mean?”

“They weren’t human. They were demons, vampires.”

“Vampires. How many?” snapped Jean Claude impatiently.

“I don’t know. A lot.”

“Are you working with the Human First?” interrupted Anita with barely concealed animosity. The last thing they needed was a bunch fanatics taking the law in their own hands and breeding a new species of lycanthropes to hunt down vampires.

When Xander didn’t answer Jean Claude repeated the question.

“No.”

“Are you a vampire hunter?”

“Hell no, Buffy’s the Slayer.”

Jean Claude’s eyebrows arched in surprise. A Slayer. They were rare and secretive creatures. Only demons, vampires and very few humans knew of their existence. How in the world did this boy come across a slayer?

“And what are you?”

“The sidekick.”

The vampire shook his head. “No, you are much more than that mon ami. What are you?”

Xander gave him a blank look as if he didn’t understand the question. “Human?”

Jean Claude lifted a single fine eyebrow. Was the boy being purposely obtuse? He shouldn’t be able to lie to him under the thrall unless he truly believed he was still human. “No I think you are something else entirely. Tell me what are you?”

Xander blinked and a fine tremor began to course through his body.

He’s resisting thought Jean Claude. “I ask you again, what are you?” said the vampire firmly.

Suddenly Xander’s body grew still and Jean Claude saw something stir and unfurled in the boy’s mind, something ancient and dark. It didn’t quite feel like a beast but it was wild and untamed.

His eyes blazed green and the blank look on the brunet’s face changed as his wide mouth stretched across his face, drawing his lips into a smug smile.

Anita hissed under her breath and pulled out her gun with one smooth practice move.

Xander shivered like a wet dog and Jean Claude fell back in surprise as something abruptly shoved him out of the boy’s mind.

Xander blinked in confusion as his eyes turned back to their normal brown. “Uh sorry. I think I nodded off for second there. Um what were you saying?”

Xander wasn’t a fool. He knew exactly what the vampire tried to do, something that made the hyena eager for the taste of dead flesh. It wasn’t the first time a vampire tried to put the whammy on him, but he thought it was best to act dumb and play along until he could figure out what was going on. He was sure he could take the short chick and maybe the werewolf on his own but the vampire was another story.

“What happened? What did you see?” demanded Anita as she rounded on Jean Claude.

“I’m not sure ma petite. I’m not quite sure what he is. But I know someone who may know.”