Full Moon Rising

Author Note: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! You have no idea how much I enjoy them. Sorry it took me so long to update but I just don’t have the time to write anymore.


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Chapter 6


After a long, hot and thoroughly enjoyable shower Xander and Nathaniel dressed and climbed into Xander’s blue Nova. Empty soda cans and Twinkie wrappers littered the dash broad of his car, evidence of several months of traveling on the road. A wooden cross with praying beads dangled from the rear view mirror and hula girl ornament jiggled manically on the dash board.

They listened to the low hum of the car radio in awkward silence as Xander made his way down the deserted neighborhood streets. Neither of them knew what to say to each other and the silence was deafening. This was what Xander hated most about one night stands the awkwardness of the morning after. How do you start a conversation with someone you just had mind blowing sex with? Xander racked his brain for something to say but he couldn’t think of anything clever or witty. He was never good at this and he usually in up saying something asinine. He was use to letting his girlfriends do all the talking and Anya and Cordelia never seemed to run out of things to talk about, but Nathaniel seemed like the quiet type and he didn’t look like he was going to start chatting anytime soon.

Xander glanced over at his young lover. The wereleopard had his face turned away from him, staring outside the darken window. Nathaniel seemed nervous. His body was wound up tight and he shifted uncomfortably on the vinyl seat with his hands folded tightly in his lap. Xander could sense the wereleopard’s apprehension like a persistent prickle on the back of his neck, causing his beast to pace back and forth in agitation. Xander sighed and placed his large hand over Nathaniel’s and squeezed gently. The wereleopard turned his head away from the window and looked up at him with a confused frown on his face.

“You’re okay there?” asked Xander in concern.

After a brief moment Nathaniel relaxed his grip and laced his long slender fingers with Xander’s. The older boy’s hand was warm, but rough with calluses along the pads of his fingers, harden by long hours of manual labor. The small bit of comfort that Xander offered eased Nathaniel’s fears a fraction, but didn't erased them completely. He dreaded the confrontation that was sure to come when he got home. Anita will not be happy with him and he also feared her reaction towards Xander. He was something new. New things made Anita nervous and she tended to shoot things that made her nervous.

“Yeah,” he lied as he gave the older boy a shaky smile. But Xander was not fooled and he pulled the car over to the side of the road so that he can give Nathaniel his full attention.

Once the car had come to a complete stop Xander turned around in his seat and took in the wereleopard’s drooping shoulders and nervous appearance with knowing gentle eyes. “Come here,” whispered Xander tenderly as he opened his arms wide. The wereleopard quickly closed the small distance between them and scurry across the seat into to the older boy’s welcoming arms. Nathaniel laid his head on Xander’s broad shoulder and closed his eyes as he relaxed into the man’s warmth, allowing Xander’s presence to calm his shaky nerves.

“What’s wrong?” asked Xander as he petted his hair soothingly.

“It just that Anita is going to be so mad with me,” sighed Nathaniel weakly.

Xander hugged the younger man closer. “Don’t worry. I'm not going to leave you to face the firing squad alone, not when it was my fault that you’re out past curfew. I’ll go in with you and explain to them that it wasn’t your fault, that it was all a misunderstanding.”

Nathaniel’s body tensed and pulled away to look at him with wide panicking eyes. “No Xander! They won’t understand.”

Xander mistook Nathaniel’s concern for his safety for fear and drew the trembling boy back into his embrace, tucking the boy’s head underneath his chin and resting his cheek on top of his head. “Then we just make them understand,” said Xander with resolve. There was no way he was going to leave the wereleopard to fend for himself. Nathaniel was his and nobody was going to hurt the wereleopard as long as he was around to stop them. But before Xander could finish that thought his mouth was filled with the warm wet tongue of a very horny wereleopard. He gave a surprise muffled cry when Nathaniel swung his leg over his waist and straddle him, settling his full weight on Xander’s lap causing the his head to fall back hard against his seat as Nathaniel leaned forward to thrust his tongue deeper into his throat.

Nathaniel was shocked by the protective tone in the older boy’s voice. Xander really did care about him, despite the fact that they had only met a few hours ago and the fact that Xander was so concern for his safety made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Xander was so sweet and brave that Nathaniel didn’t quite know what the older boy saw in him, but he was grateful for the comfort that the older boy offered and he was happy to express his gratitude to the handsome young man.

Xander eagerly responded to the kiss as he wrapped his arms around the smaller man’s slim waist, pulling him closer. He could feel the boy’s persistent arousal pressed against his own and it felt wonderful. The ex Scooby was slightly amused that just hours ago the presence of another man’s arousal would have totally freaked him out, but now nothing could be further from the truth as his hands roamed eagerly up and down the wereleopard slender body.

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Anita absently played with gun as she paced the full length of the living room. Damn it. There was only a few hours left till dawn and they still haven’t found Nathaniel yet. They had lost his scent right outside the club and with no leads to Nathaniel’s whereabouts it was highly unlikely they will find the wayward wereleopard anytime soon. The longer he was missing the less likely they will find him safe and unharmed. Anita was running out of options and half of their search party would be dead to the world in a few hours. Anita hated to admit it but she was beginning to get desperate. She was tired, her head hurt and frankly Jean Claude’s and Richard’s constant bickering was beginning to get on her nerves.

“Ma Petite please calm down I’m sure that Nathaniel is well,” said Jean Claude reassuringly as he sat leisurely in the armchair, the very pinnacle of calm. His warm silky voice caressed Anita like velvet and for a moment she allowed his voice to do its magic, soothing her frazzled nerves. Normally the dark vampire was a comforting presence, but his relax state were infuriating in the wake of Anita’s torrential emotions. Just once she would like to see Jean Claude lose it, just to prove to her that he was fallible and did indeed have emotions. Just once she would like to see him cry in frustration or scream in anger, anything was better than this perpetual coolness.

“You don’t know that. How can you be so calm when Nathaniel is out there god knows where doing god knows what? On second thought you’re a vampire you’re always calm,” spat Anita with bitter sarcasm.

Jean Claude stood up fluidly from his chair and placed one cool hand on Anita’s shoulder stilling her nervous movements. “Please don’t mistake my sense of decorum for lack of sincerity. We are all worried about Nathaniel, but please put your weapon away. You are not helping matters by making everyone nervous.”

Anita was just about to argue that point when suddenly all the shifters in the room grew very still and looked straight at the front door. Jason cocked his head to the side as if he was listening to something Anita couldn’t hear. “Someone’s coming,” whispered Jason finally. At the werewolf’s quiet declaration everyone took defensive positions around the windows and doors while Anita garnished her weapon and flick the safety off with practice ease.

Anita held her breath in anticipation as the lock clicked and the door swung slowly open. A rush of relief swept over her tense body at the sight of Nathaniel’s sweet face. But the moment was short lived as her eyes fell onto the tall dark stranger standing close behind him. The man, no, boy fitted Jason’s description alright but she didn’t expect him to be so young or look so…so normal. Anita found it hard to believe that this was the same guy that supposedly kidnapped Nathaniel from a crowded club and somehow knocked three shifters to the ground without lifting a single finger. The boy didn’t look at all dangerous and he certainly didn’t appear to be anything but human, but Anita didn’t dare let her guard down and kept her gun trained on the spot right between his eyes. Jason had also said that the guy seemed completely human too until he turned feral on them.

“Whoa! Nate when you said they would be worried you weren’t kidding. Now I see why you don’t like to stay out too late. Do they always bring out the heavy artillery when you stay out past curfew?” asked Xander as his wide eyes darted nervously around the room, taking a mental note of the number of shifters and vampires, and finally allowing his eyes to rest on small woman with the very big gun pointed at his head. The number of supernaturals made him nervous. If things got ugly he would have hard time getting Nathaniel out.

They were all staring at them with varied degrees of annoyance on their faces. Anita looked worried and a bit disappointed, while Jean Claude just looked amused, but Richard’s stormy face was down right hostile and Nathaniel tried his best not to fidget under their collective gazes. He was a little bit surprise to see everyone there. Nathaniel had held on to the slightest bit of hope that everyone was already asleep so that he could sneak in and avoid the confrontation that was sure to happen between Anita and Xander. “Hi Anita,” whispered Nathaniel sheepishly.

“Where the hell have you been?! I was worried sick,” asked Anita angrily as she lowered her gun to her side.

Nathaniel bowed his head repentantly as he blinked back tears. He didn’t mean to cause so much trouble and make Anita worry about him. He tried so hard to be good and make her happy by being less submissive, but it was so hard and sometimes he fell back into old habits. “Sorry,” sniffed Nathaniel sadly.

“Sorry. Is that all you have to say after we spent all night looking for your worthless piece of ass while you were getting fucked. But what do you expect from ex drug addict and whore. I can still smell the filth on you,” sneered Richard in disgust.

“Shut up Richard I’m handling this,” said Anita as she placed her hands on her hips. Ever since the break up Richard had been hostile to everyone. She had tried to be understanding and sensitive to his pain since she was the one that caused it in the first place but she was getting sick of his attitude.

“Yeah you’re handling it alright. The next time one of your fuck toys goes missing don’t bother calling me. As far as I’m concern he deserves whatever is coming to him.” By the time Richard had finished saying those hurtful words Nathaniel was in tears, but he didn’t say anything because they were all true. Now Xander knew what he was and he would probably never see him again.

Everything stopped as raw energy flooded the room and the air crackled like static electricity before a lightening storm. A low menacing growl rolled like thunder throughout the room and vibrated all the way down to the gut. Almost as one they turned to face the source of the great dark power and shudder at the sight of a very angry young man with glowing green eyes.

“Oh Fuck!” shouted Anita as she quickly lifted her gun and pointed it at the dark stranger who suddenly didn’t seem so harmless anymore.


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