Chaos Rising: Dawn of the Hybrid

I - Growing Shadows

"Kiss me," I whispered to Michael's ear as I laid my back against the softness of his white-cushioned bed. My eyes drank the sight of him as he climbed on top of me. His dark hair fell and cast a shadow over his eyes. The moonlight filtering through the window of his apartment made him look like he was glowing with an unearthly radiance. It made my heart beat faster.

"Are you sure about this, K?" he asked, his voice deep and sultry. His right hand found my face, and electricity ran down my body as his skin made contact with mine. He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear as he leaned his forehead against mine.

His scent drove me wild. It wasn't the smell of rain and burned sugar that I was used to, but it still had the same effect on me. He smelled like soap, salt, and sweat. Nothing out of the ordinary, but I knew it was his. That made it special. Ever since my wolf senses disappeared, a hollowness formed inside my chest. It was a great loss, but it was a reminder of how much I loved Michael. "I'm sure," I said.

Without another thought, he drew his mouth closer to my face, his eyelids shutting as he did. Warm, wet lips pressed against mine, and I felt an intense heat blaze inside me. It was scorching, but I did not feel any pain. It was the good kind of burning.

I arched my back as I returned his kisses, drawing all my emotions, putting everything that I felt into the moment that we shared. I was almost afraid to shut my eyes, thinking that when I opened them again, he would disappear. The terror of losing him gripped me so hard that I lifted my back off the bed and wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him closer.

My soft moaning answered his pleasured cries as I felt the weight of his body against mine. I would like to think that I was stronger than ever and that the heaviness of his sculpted body didn't bother me, but I knew it was his doing. Despite the Angelic strength that resided in his muscles, I was sure he was restraining his desire so as not to crush me with his weight.

But I wasn't the fragile girl I was when he first met me.

The same Heavenly graces that flowed through his veins coursed through mine, too. If not more. I could handle his desire.

Abandoning all thoughts, I pushed him away from my body. He gasped in surprise, opening his eyes as he did. I held onto his hazel stare with a look on my face that said, 'trust me.' Or so I hoped. I didn't want to look disfigured in my attempt to be sexy.

His mouth gaped open as though he would say something, but I drew my index finger over his lips to shut him up. He did. With one swift move, I rose from under him and pushed him down the bed. He didn't complain as I climbed on top of him and kissed him like I was some desperate loveless woman.

Blood was rising to my head as my heart pumped harder and harder. I was thankful that the lights inside his apartment were off, or else he would have seen my face was as red as a plump tomato. A soft cry escaped his lips as I broke the kiss, and he stared at me, his face looking like that of a lost boy's.

To answer the wonderment that plagued him, I drew my fingers to my waist. They found the hem of my blouse and pulled the stupid fabric off of my body. A breath later, my bra was on the floor.

His eyes widened like marbles as my bare chest loomed over his face. Despite the thick shadows, I saw the slight flaring of his cheeks and the movement of his throat as he swallowed. His gaze swept from my face down to my exposed navel and back up to my eyes.

He knew what I wanted.

Not wasting another moment, he took his shirt off. I would have laughed at the fact that it was the fastest I'd seen him, but I could not blame him. I was on top of him, half-naked, offering my wholeness for him to take. If I were him, I would have done the same, probably even faster.

He sat up and wrapped his arms around me. His thick, corded muscles felt hot and hard against my bare skin. Warm wetness spread on my neck as his tongue dragged across from my throat to my collarbone. He cupped his hands on my breasts, and it sent unfamiliar sensations screaming throughout my nerves.

My head arched back as Michael did what he did with my body. I didn't know what he was doing; all I was certain of was that it felt good. Insanely good.

Sweat streamed from all my pores, and I felt drenched. However, they did nothing against the scorching heat of the moment. I closed my eyes, and colors exploded behind my eyelids. One second I was on top of his body, the next, I was under him again as he took back the control.

I let him.

My legs felt my jeans and undies leave as Michael took them off me and threw them to the floor. I opened my eyes and saw Michael in all his naked gloriousness. I swallowed hard. He was kneeling on the bed, his legs spread at an angle. His eyes were hungry as he took in everything that I was. Even in the darkness, I saw his throat move as he swallowed hard. For moments that felt like an eternity, he just knelt there, motionless, as though he could not believe what was in front of him.

I was burning with desire. One more second that he was away from me, I knew I would explode.

I had to act.

Beckoning him closer to me with my left index finger, I drew my legs apart. Faster than I could blink my eyes, all hesitation fled Michael, and he pounced on me like the hungry lion that he was. He crawled up my body, and our lips met again. My hands found his hair and I lingered in the feeling of softness against my fingers. I could not explain how I felt. The wetness of his lips caressed my neck, and I realized that I had never been more thirsty for anything in my life.

"May I?" Michael asked, his voice a soft and deep whisper in my ear.

"Uhuh," I replied in between kisses, wishing that I didn't sound like a dying frog.

As it turned out, Michael did not mind. He didn't stop, nor did he waiver. He continued to kiss my neck until his lips were against my collarbone. Michael's hands moved from my breasts to my thighs. He parted my legs and eased his body between them.

A cry erupted from my throat as I felt a sharp pain flare between my legs. Michael started gently. He moved like the lapping of small waves against the shore. The pain that I felt soon faded away and was replaced by an unfamiliar sense of pleasure. His body moved in synchronized harmony with mine. We were two different beings. Two separate souls. But at that moment, we were one.

Indescribable euphoria sang in my nerves as I felt him. Really felt him.

There were no words to describe what was happening. Every emotion, every sensation, was blown out of proportion. Everything felt wet, hot, and hard. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to choke my loud screams of bliss.

My eyes rolled to the back of my skull as all my senses failed me. My heart wanted to burst. Like a masterpiece in an orchestra, the moment rose to a crescendo. My strength left my muscles, and I felt like I melted under Michael's body. I was breathing fast and shallow breaths, and for a moment, I thought my lungs were burning.

Opening my eyes, I looked at him. He was as breathless as I was, though his hazel eyes seemed to glow. Like beacons in the darkness. His warm breath blew across my face as he spoke. "I love you, Kaylene Summers."

"It's Strongheart now," I replied with a weak smile as I wiped the sweat off his brows. "I love you, too, Riverwax," I said, teasing him.

He let out a chuckle as he rolled off me to the side. He closed his eyes. And just like that, he fell asleep.

I would have been mad that he drifted off so easily, but I just smiled as I stared at his ridiculously incredible features. Tracing my finger over his pointed nose, I wished that things would remain like this forever. I will not lose you again, Michael, I thought as I laid my head over his chest to listen to his heartbeats. Heart full, I closed my eyes and succumbed to the call of dreams.

-0-

A weight leaving the bed roused me from my peaceful slumber. Stirring, I peeled my eyelids back, expecting to see rich sunlight flooding the room of Michael's apartment.

But sunlight wasn't inside the room, and neither was Michael.

It was still dark, and the lights were still off. Confused, I pushed the comforter away and sat up on the bed. "Michael?" I asked, but no one answered. Determined to figure out what was happening, I reached for my smartphone on the bedside table.

A white light so bright it made me wince flooded my face as my phone turned on. I looked at the top left corner of the screen to check on the time. It's two in the morning. Where could Michael have gone?

The steady marching inside my chest threatened to increase its pace. Taking a deep breath to calm myself down, I rose from the bed. As I scooped my clothes from the floor, I noticed Michael's shirt and jeans were already gone. If he got up for a quick snack, I knew he wouldn't bother to dress up. Intrusive thoughts danced inside my head; I pushed them back as I clothed myself.

After sliding into my blouse, I went toward the wall and flicked the switch on. A bright yellowish light filled the room. "Michael? Where are you?"

The echoes of my own words answered me. I held my phone up and sent a quick text message to Angel boy's phone. I waited for a few minutes, but when I received no response, I walked forward.

He wasn't in the kitchen. Neither was he in the bath.

A nameless anxiety crawled from the small of my back to the nape of my neck. I felt all my small hairs stand on end. Where did he go? Crazy ideas swarmed my thoughts, and I did my best to keep them at bay. I knew Michael wouldn't leave for no reason.

What if someone took him away while you slept, K?

I frowned at the thought as it was absurd. No abductors would bother clothing their naked victims. I wouldn't bother clothing my naked Michael. However, still, the feeling that something was off shook me.

I tied my hair into a ponytail and took one of Michael's hoodies from his closet. I was no longer a werewolf, which meant I would feel the air's temperatures just like any regular person. August is one of the warmer months in New York, but the Big Apple is famously colder than the rest of the universe at any given time of the year, so I wasn't taking my chances.

Moments later, I was outside the room and was running down the stairs. My Chuck Taylors squeaked against the floor as I hurried past the empty halls of the three-story apartment. All of the other rooms in the building were padlocked from the outside, meaning Michael wasn't in any of them.

Icy night wind fingered my face as I stepped outside. Gramercy Park was quiet despite it being near the center of the City. A few cars drove by, their lights flashing in and out of view as they further into the road. Across the street, a couple was walking, hands in each other's as they made their way to wherever they were headed. I looked away.

An audible sigh left my lips as I decided to walk down the sidewalk. The public parking was near, and I thought I would check if Michael's motorcycle were there. Drawing the jacket's hood over my head, I half-walked and half-ran down the block. My heart sank when I saw Angel boy's ride parked still among a sea of bikes, chained to a concrete post.

The nervous fluttering of my heart rose to my throat; I swallowed hard before I choked on it. I checked my phone and, still, Michael hadn't replied. I contemplated sending a text to Jason, but I knew he'd be dead worried about me, so I abandoned the thought. I placed the phone back inside my pocket.

"Witch," an unfamiliar female voice said from behind me.

My instincts took over, and I felt power blaze forth from my eyes. I turned around, hands burning with white flames, expecting to see who spoke.

But no one was behind me.

Quickly, I doused my mage fire and swept my gaze around. A wave of relief washed over me as I realized no passers-by saw me blatantly use my powers in public. As if by a great irony, I was also worried that there was no one around. "Who's there?" I muttered under my breath.