"I am a what now?"
He looked completely befuddled. He didn't believe it. Werewolf? Him? There was no way.
While yes, werewolves were objectively the best supernatural creature to exist — his opinion, don't mind him, he really liked them — that didn't mean he could be one.
Probably had something to do with him being a dog person. Michael didn't like them much; he much preferred cats or bats for some odd reason.
"I didn't stutter," she said calmly, taking another bite out of his damn apple.
Once more, food he bought that she was eating.
"How could I possibly be a werewolf? I am not a hairy ball of fluff."
Luna's gaze landed on him. She looked... bored. Genuinely bored with his shenanigans.
"You cubs are always a hassle."
Did she just call him a cub?
As in a newborn child?
He was in his twenties, for fuck's sake. Twenty-four, to be exact. Final year of his major — one he chose purely for the money and nothing else.
"I am 23. I am no cub."
She looked at him like he'd just proudly announced he was two years old.
A mouse scurried across his apartment floor.
James froze.
Oh how he hated those fuckers. He swore he had a system set up to make the mouse go away, but clearly that shit wasn't working.
"So not only stupid, but poor, I see," she said flatly when she noticed it.
"I am not that broke, dammit!"
He tried to yell, but his voice came out... softer. Subdued. Like he was talking to a superior.
And not a girl who had invaded his personal space and was currently using his shit however she saw fit.
She showed her teeth.
And now that he could really see them — her canines were far sharper than normal.
Not only that, but her pupils were round like a wolf's, and the part that was supposed to be the white of her eyes had turned pitch black, as if swallowed by a black hole of pure darkness.
The way her eyes faintly glowed made him shudder as she looked down on him, evaluating him like merchandise.
"This is a waste of my time."
Her voice was cold.
She bared her canines fully.
Something he was not used to.
Her teeth looked normal — except for the fact that she had eight sharp canines ready to tear through flesh.
Usually vampires had four.
Two top, two bottom.
She had four at the top.
Four at the bottom.
"Listen here, cub," she said, stepping closer.
An overwhelming pressure crashed into him, heavy enough to make his chest tighten.
"You are no longer human. You are a werewolf now."
She said it like gravity. Like math. Like something that didn't care if he believed it.
"Usually the change takes a full month. I was planning on having you drink wolfsbane and visit the shaman of our tribe to undo the process... however, what I didn't expect was for you to be such a premature cub."
James felt like he was being mocked.
"Strip."
"I beg your pardon?"
There was no way in hell he heard that right.
"I didn't stutter."
Her voice sounded like law itself. Like obedience wasn't optional.
He felt his body submitting to her will.
He gritted his teeth. She came into his house, uninvited, and now she was ordering him around like she owned the place?
His eyes begin to turn red, this was royally pissing him off.
"What abou—"
He didn't get to finish.
His shirt was suddenly gone.
He blinked.
Wait—what?
She began examining his body, hands hovering, eyes sharp. She even leaned in to smell him. Her gaze shifted as if she'd activated some kind of X-ray vision, studying muscles, bones, structure — checking how he ticked.
Meanwhile, he was confused as hell.
"Where did my clothes go?"
He turned and saw them on the floor. Pants. Shirt. Everything.
He was standing there in black boxers.
Not the good kind that hide your brothers.
No — the tight ones.
The ones where anyone looking could tell the exact measurements of your shit.
His face went nuclear red.
He tried to cover himself.
Too late.
Luna's finger pressed against his chest.
"..ah... hm—"
He tried to speak. Nothing came out.
"What day were you born?" she asked, studying him.
"Huh... I—"
It was really hard to think with her this close.
"Answer me," she said calmly.
"Can I please wear something? I don't feel comfortable being naked," he said weakly.
"What is there to be uncomfortable about? It's just your skin."
She looked bored.
"And frankly, there is not much to look at."
OUCH.
That went straight for his soul.
Hearing a girl say that wasn't great for the ego.
Though she didn't mean it cruelly. She was a warrior — Viking, Roman type. Tattoos of honor, constant battle. Nudity wasn't sexual to her.
His emotions were just... weird to her.
She tossed him a towel.
"Here. If you want to hide your dagger so much."
DOUBLE OUCH.
Calling his Excalibur a dagger hurt his pride in ways he couldn't articulate.
"Now. Your stuff is hidden. When were you born?"
She stared at him, gauging truth.
Once he was properly covered, he finally spoke.
"I was born February 29, 2000. At 12:00 AM. Eastern Standard Time."
"So you were born during a leap year."
He nodded.
"Yeah... I usually celebrate my birthday in March, though."
She sighed heavily.
"What was the moon phase?"
"Oh. I remember. It was like... a blue moon."
She stared at him.
Blank. Silent.
"I see," she said flatly.
Noticing how weird she looked, he frowned.
"Is there something wrong?"
"How are you still alive?"
He blinked.
"Hm?"
"How do I say this in a way your human mind would understand..."
She paused.
Then snapped her fingers.
"To the supernatural world, you are an exotic treat. Every single one of your organs and cells can be used in some type of ritual."
"Huh?"
He looked like someone had just told him he was about to be locked in a room with Diddy.
"We should have detected you sooner," she muttered.
James jumped back.
"My organs are staying inside me. Nobody touching them."
"I suppose since there are hunters nearby, they could hide your presence," she mused.
"But still... your kind is quite rare."
"I beg your finest pardon? The fuck you mean my kind?"
Yeah. Saying "your kind" to a Black man wasn't it.
"Blue moon leap year baby," she clarified.
She continued calmly,
"Well, this is manageable. As long as you don't also possess gold blood, this will be fine."
The way he looked away — guilty — made her freeze.
"You are serious right now?!"
She looked genuinely baffled.
"How have you not become a vampire blood bank by now?"
She was truly confused.
"I am beginning to fear for my life," James said honestly.
"It is a miracle you made it this far," she replied calmly.
She studied him, then nodded.
"That would explain your rapid transformation. Your body was overflowing with lunar energy. My bite merely tilted it."
He blinked.
"Think of it like a girl being on her period," she continued, "but in your case, you were always in ovulation, and my bite fertilized it."
"That is an odd way to put it."
"It helped you imagine it, didn't it?"
She waved a hand dismissively.
"Hey! Why am I the one being ovulated? Couldn't you try something else?"
"I am a werewolf. I don't get periods."
He paused.
"Wait—what?!"
She stared at him like he was an idiot.
"I am a warrior. Having a period where I am weakest is a flaw. Unlike humans, we do not have that."
He thought about it.
Did this have something to do with God cursing Eve? And since Luna wasn't human, she didn't fall under that curse?
Wouldn't that apply to all supernaturals?
"I see?"
He kept those thoughts to himself.
"So... if werewolves exist, vampires do too?" he asked.
"Those bloodsuckers? Yes."
She looked annoyed just mentioning them.
"You don't seem to like them."
"They are parasitic leeches who act as if they are more important than everything."
Okay. Message received.
"Cool... so like... when are you planning to leave?" he asked carefully.
"Are you trying to kick me out?"
Her brow furrowed.
"Oh no, me? I would never," he waved his hands defensively.
"Never even dream of it!"
She didn't buy it.
"You seem busy and all. I just didn't want to hold you in this shitty house any longer."
He smiled innocently.
She glared.
"I suppose you are right."
She stepped closer.
"Before I leave—"
She tapped his forehead.
"Remember."
The moment the word left her lips, his eyes rolled back, and memories came flooding in all at once.