Contents
Cover
About the Book
Title Page
Moth: By Karen Mahoney
First Chapter From Falling to Ash
Also by Karen Mahoney
About the Author
Copyright
Moth (Short Story ebook)
Moth
by Karen Mahoney
THEO WAS LATE. He was the one who had summoned her in the first place, saying it was oh-so-important, and yet he couldn’t even be on time.
Moth growled, shifting her gaze to the moon so she could enjoy the cool rays as they bathed her pale skin. Moonlight was her favourite thing in the world – apart from brown eyes on a good-looking guy. She pulled her sunglasses down onto the tip of her nose and surveyed the alley, wondering what the hell had happened to Theo. She tapped her foot impatiently, enjoying the clicking sound the steel toe-caps of her boots made on the sidewalk, and admired the pure white skin of her slender arms as she stretched them above her head. It wasn’t like she’d ever been much for tanning, even before she became a vampire. She could still walk in daylight, but that would change over time – eventually, even SPF 50 wouldn’t be enough.
Pushing the cheap plastic sunglasses back into position, she leaned against the back door of Subterranean and wondered why they couldn’t have met inside the club. It was ten-thirty on a Saturday night – the place would be crawling with vampires and she hardly ever got out of her apartment. It might even be cool to hang out with others of her kind, something she hadn’t been allowed to do much of. Yet. But the man who’d turned her – the Master vampire of Boston – didn’t give much thought to how lonely Moth had been these past few months. He usually only cared about keeping her hidden away, like a dirty secret.
And then Theo was there, sliding out of the shadows and gliding toward her with the cat-like grace she was so familiar with. His beauty never failed to take her breath away, even though she hated the knowing gleam in his eye as he touched her cheek in greeting.
Moth glared from behind her shades. ‘You’re late.’
‘And your manners aren’t improving.’
‘Maybe you should just send me to one of those fancy finishing schools in Europe.’
Theo raised his dark eyebrows and grinned his wicked pirate-smile. ‘Now there’s an idea . . .’
Moth pushed the sunglasses up onto her head, balancing them among the thick black waves of her long hair. She knew that her silver eyes would be glowing brightly in recognition of her Maker, but she couldn’t bring herself to show him how happy she really was to see him. He hadn’t earned that from her, not since That Night – not even a year had passed – when he’d stolen her innocence and made her a monster.
He reached out for the shades and snatched them before she could stop him. ‘Why are you wearing these ridiculous things?’
‘My eyes keep glowing and the contacts hurt.’
‘You haven’t been feeding again.’ Theo’s tone was filled with reproach. ‘If you had, you wouldn’t have this problem.’ His eyes were currently the gray of a rain-filled sky, his vampire nature hidden behind almost two centuries of rigid control.
Moth glared. ‘I’ve fed more than enough.’
He sniffed. ‘From blood banks. It’s hardly the same thing.’
‘You said you wouldn’t push me on this.’
‘I haven’t pushed you on your eating habits at all. Perhaps I should start.’
She scuffed her boot on the ground, deciding that a change of subject might be a good idea. ‘Why are we standing out here, anyway? Why couldn’t we just go inside?’
Theo leaned against the wall and pushed his hands into the pockets of his custom-made jacket. His black hair was just a little too long, the curls brushing his collar. The few people who had seen them together initially took them for family, which amused Theo. He liked to pretend she was his little sister – it gave him a sick charge.
Just as Moth began to wonder if he was going to answer at all, he met her eyes. ‘I wanted you to see the place.’
She frowned. ‘You mean you wanted to torture me by showing me something I can’t have.’
Theo pressed a hand to his chest. ‘You wound me, Moth. I am showing you something that you can and will have – if you do a job for me.’
‘A job? Theo, you said I could start meeting more of the Family, now that I’ve proved I can . . . control myself. This isn’t fair.’
‘Life isn’t fair, my lovely.’ His eyes were like stone, his mouth unsmiling. ‘Even I have orders to follow.’
‘But you promised,’ she said, hating herself for showing weakness; for whining. She wrapped her arms around her middle, as though she could hold back the pain that began to gnaw at her belly. Being around Theo always made her feel hungry.
‘Doesn’t helping me make you happy? You’re always saying how bored you get – how ready you are to be outside.’
Gritting her teeth in an effort to stop the angry retort that threatened to burst free, Moth tapped her foot and waited.
Her Maker smiled. ‘It’s something very special – something to finally ensure that my youngest fledgling won’t endanger the Family. A task.’
‘A test, you mean.’
He shrugged. ‘A challenge.’
All the sneaking around during the months since her turning, and now he wanted her to do . . . what?
‘What could I possibly do to prove I’m a good little vampire? This is just an excuse.’ He was probably just messing with her head.
His eyes grew wide and mock-innocent. ‘An excuse? For what?’
‘I don’t know, but you’re not happy unless you’re controlling everyone around you.’
Theo’s face hardened and Moth felt the answering tug of power in her chest. He owned her, body and soul – if she still even had a soul – and she hated him almost as much as she loved him. Right now, maybe she hated him more.
‘Be grateful that I care more for your welfare than your manners, child. Now, listen to me. Here’s what I want you to do . . .’
All this trouble for a stupid funeral urn?