Midnight Moon (Jonah's Secret)

By Heather Mar-Gerrison

When Leona Larson first sets eyes on Adam she has a weird feeling that she has seen him somewhere before.
Adam is instantly intrigued with her too and very soon asks her on a date.
His brother Jonah is not happy about the match and warns him against going out with her as he definitely recognises her and he realises that she is a Shape-Shifter that they almost killed a few years earlier...
Leona is unaware of the danger she may be in until her friend, Janey tells her all about her gift that she was not even aware she possessed.
Leona starts going out with Adam, but soon finds herself thrown together with his darker, more dangerous brother when events take a turn and she finds that she must work with Jonah to save Adam's life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heather Mar-Gerrison
• Release date: Sep 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465770875

Heather Mar-Gerrison

I love to write M/M romance and as a sucker for a HEA, you're guaranteed one in my books. #happyheatherafters

Book preview

Prologue

I wish I was a cat. Then I would go out hunting moths and owls like you, Leona stroked her pet cat, Ruby, who was purring none-stop and rolling over for Leona to tickle her tummy. It was a bright morning and Leona was supposed to be getting ready for school but, as was usual, she was finding anything to do other than get ready.

Leona laughed. You’re funny, she stroked the cat a bit more, then flung back the bed covers and padded her way to the wardrobe in search of her uniform.

Ruby looked at her and meowed.

You’d like me to? asked Leona. Well maybe I will!

The cat eyed her curiously, then turned and padded silently out of the room.

Okay see you later, Leona called after her, before realising that she had answered the cat without even realising it. She said she’d see me later, she thought absently.

The next evening, Leona awoke with a start. She felt very warm and cosy. She stretched and yawned and eyeing the bedside clock, saw that it was a little after two o’clock. She wasn’t in the least bit sleepy and felt inexplicably flexible and ready for a run in the darkness. She also realised that she could see everything in her room as though it were daylight; she glanced back at the clock. It hadn’t occurred to her when she’d first looked that she could also make out clearly her watch and the book she had been reading before she turned her light out. Weird, she thought. Maybe the clock’s stopped... but that can’t be right because it’s still dark.

Sitting up, she realised that she was not sitting as she normally would, and what was that tickling her thigh? Looking down she realised with a jolt of horror that her legs were covered in fur and she had a tail. She also realised that she was only just a bit larger than Ruby.

Ruby was sitting on the end of her bed looking at her with her glowing amber eyes.

Well, this is a bit of a surprise. She mewed, drily. So, are you coming out with me or staying here all night?

Leona’s shock had worn off and she heard herself purring. It was as if she’d always known this was possible and was just waiting for the right time to change. Let’s go. She giggled.

A few nights later, she had gotten used to waking up as a cat. As was usual, Ruby was patiently waiting for her on the end of her bed.

Tonight however, she had woken up and was surprised to find that she was still in her human form. Ruby jumped lightly off the bed and on to the floor and turned, waiting for her mistress.

Leona climbed out of her warm bed and padded after the cat. They made their way to the back door and Leona unlocked it.

Ruby immediately ran off into the night. Leona took off after her at a run, holding up her nightdress. She skipped across the stepping-stones to meet Ruby on the other side of the brook that ran behind her house. I can’t keep up with you Ruby! She exclaimed loudly, panting slightly.

Ruby purred. She loved it when Leona came with her into the woods. She turned and eyed Leona. You can change now, we’re out of sight, she mewed.

Leona’s eyes glinted green in the moonlight before she closed them and felt the now familiar thrill of changing once again into a cat of the night...

It was a perfectly clear night and the moon was full, bathing everything in silvery light. Leona and Ruby were exploring a particularly dense area of the woodland, and the moonlight wasn’t much help here. Suddenly Ruby pulled up short. Leona, not so much cat as human, crashed into the back of her. Ruby hissed at her to be quiet.

What is it? Leona asked in a whisper, suddenly afraid.

It’s a human, Ruby mewed, "– or at least he looks like a human – but the smell is all wrong, she added. He’s headed this way. Run Leona!"

Ruby took off as fast as lightning. Leona followed as best she could, but her senses were more human than cat and although she could see well enough in the darkness, she just wasn’t as quick.

She stumbled through the undergrowth, catching her paws on clumps of grass and broken twigs. She winced at every sound she made, knowing that she simply wasn’t as quiet as a cat should be.

The human was catching up with her with every step she took. Her breathing was becoming laboured and she could feel herself slowing down even though every fibre of her being was screaming for her to carry on and willing her onwards. In horror she felt his hands clamp around her body and she froze. Just what was he going to do to her?

She opened her eyes and found herself staring into the eyes of a young boy – probably around the same age as herself, maybe a little older; it was hard to tell when she was in her cat form. He looked every inch a normal human boy. But then he smiled and his teeth were not normal for a human boy. The canines were definitely far too long and there were traces of blood on his cheeks. His hair was all over the place – she squinted up – it would be either black or dark brown – again she couldn’t distinguish the colour in the darkness and her eyes in cat form couldn’t make out the colours well enough anyway. She did register that the hair was simply too dark for the paleness of his eyes. They were almost transparent.

Leona had never really believed that vampires existed. She liked to scare herself silly with her storybooks, but she’d always considered them just that – stories. She was beginning to realise that she would have to re-consider her beliefs though – because she was staring into the face of what could only be described as a vampire. She clamped her eyes shut again, disturbed because as afraid as she was, she couldn’t help noticing what an attractive face he had.

She waited for the end that she knew without a doubt was near.

After a few moments she heard the boy sigh and then she felt herself being lowered to the ground.

Run along, cat eyes. He murmured as he placed her gently on her feet. He gave her a little push towards the cover of the bushes.

Heart beating wildly, she ran for cover. She turned and caught sight of him again. He was clearly hunting prey. So why had he let her go?

She watched in horror as the boy caught Siren, one of her wild-cat friends, and killed her with a flick of his wrist. Leona was unable to move, frozen in terror.

Her eyes met with the boy once more. He looked as though he was about to approach her again when she thought she heard an owl hooting from a distance and watched with relief as the boy turned abruptly and ran in the opposite direction. She was left alone, shaking and terrified in the woods. She was very grateful for that owl hooting. It had probably just saved her life. The sky changed from inky black to a pinkish gold, but still Leona remained exactly where she was sat, rooted to the spot, unable to move, such was her terror.

Only after Ruby had come back to find her, would Leona finally move. What happened child? she asked.

Leona finally looked up as she heard Ruby’s soft purr, Th-That boy – the human one – he was no human, Ruby – h-he was a vampire and he k-killed Siren, b-but he let me go. She replied shakily.

A vampire? Ruby asked. And he let you go? How very strange. She sniffed the air, as if checking that the coast was clear and it was safe to move her, It will probably be best for you not to run with the wild ones again...

Leona took Ruby’s advice and had not changed since. Ruby became just her pet again until her dying day, rather than her best friend and confidante. Leona’s memory faded over the years and she forgot all about being a cat of the night...

*

Hey Mum, The young boy crashed through the kitchen door and stood excitedly in front of his impossibly young looking mother, "I caught a cat earlier – but she wasn’t really a cat – I could tell, He sounded very proud of himself for working that out. – She was a girl!" His eyes were round with surprised excitement at his find.

What did you do? His mother asked warily.

He kicked his toe against the kick-board of the kitchen cupboard, I dropped her and frightened her away – I didn’t think it would be right to eat her. He bit his lip and looked up at his mother, wondering if he’d done the right thing.

She was visibly relieved, Oh, what a good boy you are, well done. She ruffled his dark unruly hair. But I think it’s time we moved on anyway – your brothers might not be as careful as you are and we have to keep this little girl safe. Do you think you could go and start packing up your stuff?

The young boy sighed and nodded, sure it was something to do with what he’d told her. Why did he always have to be so damned honest? And moving – again? It wasn’t like it was something he wasn’t used to, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. Every few months – a year if they were lucky – they had to move on; make new friends, start new schools and invent new reasons for why they’d moved.

Humans, he had found, were incredibly inquisitive creatures and they always asked where new starters were from. He liked it here – it felt like home somehow... nowhere else ever had.

Chapter 1 – Back again…

Bags I the front bedroom! Adam flashed a cheeky grin at his brother as he jumped out of the car.

Whatever. Jonah said with a sigh, shaking his head and turning off the engine. He climbed out of the car. Shading his eyes against the early afternoon sun, he turned towards the house. It was a large and impressive building, Home, sweet home. He mumbled under his breath, looking up at it.

Doesn’t look much like things have changed around here, does it? Adam looked around cheerfully.

No. I guess not. Jonah frowned glancing around, I really loved living here... Looking up at the house now, he found that he couldn’t really place what he had loved so much about the place – maybe it wasn’t so much the house...

Did you? Adam flashed him a surprised look. I can’t say that I really remember it all that well. Adam sauntered off to meet his mother and youngest brother, who had just pulled up in front of them.

I do, Jonah murmured, as he opened the boot and heaved out his bags, I remember everything...

His mother opened the door and they all trouped inside. I guess it could do with a little airing. Mrs Byrnes said apologetically, looking around at the cobwebbed hallway.

Oh, I don’t know – looks quite fitting for a family such as ours. Jonah commented drily.

Ha-ha! His mother said, swatting the back of his head playfully. Now, why don’t you all go and check out which rooms you’d like?

I’m definitely having the one that looks out over the street. Adam shouted, beating Jonah to the stairs and running up ahead of him.

Jonah turned to his youngest brother, Oscar – which room?

Any, Oscar shrugged, I really couldn’t care less. He looked miserable. Jonah felt sorry for him. It wasn’t easy moving around all of the time and Oscar was so very shy. It was hardest for him.

Jonah nodded and followed Adam up the stairs. He looked into each of the rooms and decided that he’d been happy enough with the attic room when he’d been younger. He could probably get used to it again. He climbed the second set of stairs. On the floor below, Oscar headed for his old room.

Jonah looked around the huge attic room. He realised with some surprise that it was actually bigger than he’d remembered. His gaze took in the narrow single bed over on the far side of the room. Well, that’ll have to change, he thought with some amusement. I need a much bigger bed these days.

He moved over to the window. It was difficult to open and he struggled for a few minutes before it would budge. Years of weathering had swollen the wood in the frame. He peered at it and frowned. His mother would no doubt have him climbing a ladder in the not too distant future, rubbing it down and repainting it.