by R. L. Weeks
He finally lifted his head, but he was clearly unimpressed as he flopped his furry chin onto his front paws and peered up at me with disinterest.
I set the glass of water on the dresser and crossed to the side of the bed opposite where he lay. “Shoo, get down.” I waved my hands at him but got no response, so I slowly climbed onto the bed and approached his backside. “I don’t care what you are, you’re filthy, and you need to get. off. my. bed.” I accentuated each word with a shove to his back. My efforts were futile.
The two-hundred-pound behemoth refused to budge.
I flopped back against the headboard with a loud exhale. “Fine. Have it your way. I’m too cold and tired to fight you for it, and I suppose there’s enough of room for both of us, although you seem to take up more than your fair share. Just know that if you get bugs in my bed, I will gut you while you sleep.”
The furry mutt let out a huff, and I made for the bathroom to tidy up before slipping under the covers. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept with someone else in my bed, man or beast. As much as I liked my solitude, I was surprised to find myself comforted by his presence.
Merlin had reassured me the wolf was safe, and he no reason to lie.
The wolf spun around in a circle to resituate himself and plopped back down just inches from where my hand lay. I watched my fingers in the soft moonlight as they rose and reached for his thick white fur. He didn’t move as I ran my hand along his coat. It was softer than I would have expected, and I slipped my fingers into the warmth of his fur.
“Whatever you are, your coat is really very lovely. And I’m not sure I’ve ever seen eyes with such an amber glow,” I said with a yawn. “Beautiful, really. Even those nasty teeth of yours were impressive. I can’t imagine being stuck in the body of a dog. Of course, maybe you’re just a dog. I would think that if magic had turned you into a wolf-dog, Merlin would have been able to find a way to turn you back. If there is anyone who could undo a spell, Merlin could. Likely you’re just a dog acting as my jailer, and I’m the only one who’s stuck. You’re probably not even awake, and I’m lying here rambling to myself like a mad woman. It would be fitting. That’s what everyone thinks, that I’ve lost my sanity. Fortunately, I don’t care what they think.”
I pulled my hand back to tuck beneath the covers, but my bedmate rolled closer as if asking for more.
“You want me to keep petting you? Aside from fussy and stinky, you’re needy too—just lovely,” I groused before continuing to stroke the wolf lazily. “I don’t know what it is Merlin expects you to accomplish here, but it’s not going to happen. I can guarantee he’s got something up his sleeve—you don’t know him like I do. That man is always scheming. All my life I’ve tried to get a step ahead of him, and not once have I succeeded.”
In the quiet room I listened to his steady breaths, and the rhythm lulled me deeper into the murky waters of sleep.
“So many times I’ve debated telling him my reasons for everything. They all think it’s just my hatred for Guin that motivates me; that I’m some kind of monster. They don’t know. No one does. I would tell Merlin and ask for his help, but I know what his answer would be, and I cannot accept that. He would keep me from what I must do. The uprising, the attacks, none of it was truly about Guin. Don’t get me wrong, I would gladly see the bitch dead, but … ” I murmured under my breath sleepily as my heavy eyelids dropped shut. “The real reason for it all is the cauldron. I must … get my hands … on the cauldron.”
I snuggled closer to the warmth beside me and fell into a peaceful sleep where my mind drifted from one pleasant dream to the next. When I found myself in strong masculine arms, I held firmly to the comforting sensation. I lay strewn across a broad chest, encircled in protective warmth. The man’s breath ghosted on my forehead, and I lifted my face so that my lips could seek out the firm lips of the man beneath me.
The fog of sleep slowly dissipated as our lips touched, and I became aware that the man in my bed was not a dream. With a gasp, I jerked back and scuttled off the bed, arms and legs flailing animatedly.
The man didn’t pursue me as I had expected.
Halting my retreat, I stopped at the bedroom door and flipped on the light to reveal a primitive-looking man in my bed.
He sat upright, long hair and beard covering most of his face, but I could see his rounded eyes clearly.
Amber eyes.
“It can’t be,” I whispered. “Was this some kind of joke between you and Merlin?” The tirade forming on my lips fell short as I took in his stunned expression. Through his unguarded, vibrant eyes, I could clearly read his astonished disbelief.
He was just as shocked at his transformation as I was, probably more so.
He ignored me completely as his eyes darted around the room before scanning his own shaking hands held out before him. His skin was youthful—smooth and taut over rippling muscle. Yet his dark hair bore streaks of white, something normally foreign to the ageless Fae. He had retained a touch of his wolf. The white strands of hair through his dark mane were striking.
A single barked laugh burst from his chest, and our eyes were drawn together again.
He bound from the bed in my direction, and I held my hands out to keep him from coming too close, but my effort was futile. It occurred to me I could fight him. After all, I was well trained in many forms of combat. However, his boyish exuberance was disarming, and I allowed myself to be swept up in his arms. He lifted me up against his chest, swinging me around in circles with a delighted rumble of masculine laughter.
“Too tight, I can’t breathe,” I groaned out as the room spun around me.
He instantly stopped and set me back on my feet. “Sorry, I got a little carried away.” His golden eyes shone down at me with a joyous excitement that was foreign to me.
The reality of his truth struck me. “It wasn’t a trick. You really have been stuck as a wolf—only now you’ve been freed. How? Why now?” I asked breathlessly.
His eyes flashed at the reminder of his suffering, and guilt settled over me at mentioning his torment in the long-awaited moment of his freedom. “The Red Caps,” his raspy voice offered. He cleared his throat, his voice nearly gone from lack of use. “They placed a curse upon me. I thought there was no undoing it, I had given up hope of ever being a man again.” His mouth lifted in a smirk, which was somewhat hard to see under the heavy beard. “But I’m free now.” He lowered his face, and before I could stop him, he licked the length of my right cheek.
“Ugh! Stop that!” I wiped at my wet cheek and stepped back out of his reach.
The man looked at me with a sheepish grin. “Sorry, again—I’m just so excited. I’ve been a wolf for a very long time. Some behaviors will take time to adjust.”
I narrowed my eyes at him angrily, but then realized that he was naked—breathtakingly, magnificently naked.
As a Fae woman who needed sex to charge her magic, nudity and intercourse were everyday facets of life. Which is why it was so surprising that I felt my cheeks flush at the sight of him. Agitated at myself more than uncomfortable with his appearance, I spun around to face the window, but his naked form reflected back at me off the glass. “You need to put some clothes on, surely you haven’t forgotten that much. Then you need to leave.”
With soundless steps, he closed the distance between us until I could feel the heat from his body against my back. He leaned down until his lips were near my ear. “You’re just upset I know your secret.”
I gasped with outrage and whipped back around. “How dare you? You filthy mutt, I’ll kill you,” I bit out viciously, but he wasn’t affected in the slightest.
A wide grin spread across his face. “And how will you do that? With your impressive magic, or perhaps that tiny knife you wielded at me out in the forest?”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been treated with such insolence. Rage and indignation bubbled to a boiling fury in my veins as my hands gripped into fists so tight my nails sliced in
to the soft skin of my palms. “Get out. Go tell your master everything you’ve learned, and leave me alone.”
My treacherous companion stepped closer until he was a breath away from me and lowered his face toward mine. “The name is Knight, and I’m not going anywhere.”
The End
To be continued June, 2019 in book 5 of The Fae Games Series…
A Diamond in the Rough
By William Joseph
Chapter 1
A disheveled teenage boy and his dog look up at a hovering car from Vagabond Alley before it takes off into the polluted neon-lit sky.
“C’mon Abu, let’s go home,” the boy says, patting the dog on the head before wrapping his sewn blanket even tighter around himself.
Abu barks, wagging his tail several times as he follows the boy further into the alleyway, moving around the other homeless and misplaced.
They continue through the alley, passing through several large open tents and turning down a few steel and chain linked fence corridors before coming to a stop at a small empty shipping container with a plastic tarp over the entrance. The boy pushes it aside, allowing the dog inside before he enters next, lowering himself because there was only enough room inside to crouch or sit.
A siren blares off in the distance and soon a few cars speed over the alley, the echoes from their engines vibrating the structures below.
The boy stares up at the sky, letting out a sigh as rain drips through a crack above the entrance. He shivers, pulling the plastic tarp across the doorway before shifting himself over slightly to get away from the water. Once comfortable, he reaches over and pats Abu on the head, listening to the random shouting from the apartments in the buildings all around them.
The city was chaos at night. Once the hot blazing sun was set, and most people were out of work, that was when the city of New Agrabah came to life. The nightlife boomed. From nightclubs to restaurants and late night entertainment, for those who had money, the city bared endless possibilities for them. For those of the less fortunate, scrounging for scraps of food in the gutters of the market, or trying to pickpocket in the downtown area was really the only highlights that they had. While sometimes rewarding, the danger was always prevalent. From the constant patrols of guards of New Agrabah's Sultan Police Force to the violent gangs who ruled the streets, every night was survival of the fittest and could be anyone's last if not cautious.
Soon the boy began to doze off; the chaotic noises of the city his lullaby.
***
Suddenly the boy was awoken by the sounds of screams and people running.
“They’re here! Run!” someone shouted just outside.
The boy stared through the tarp in a half daze, watching as dozens of feet ran by and bright lights began to reflect off everything. A second later a hand came through and pulled the tarp aside, the face of a familiar alleyway friend peering inside.
“The Sultan’s Police Force is here. Run Aladdin, run!” he shouted before he took off.
Aladdin looked over at Abu who was quick to follow him outside. Standing out in the open now and staring in the direction of the entrance to the alley, Aladdin could see dozens of cars with flashing lights and the Sultan’s Police arresting and tackling people, beating a few who resisted or were in hiding.
Amongst the screams and Abu barking, Aladdin watched in horror as one of the members of the police force noticed him standing there. He shouted at him not to move and pointed his nightstick at him, beginning to slowly walk towards him before Aladdin and Abu took off running further into the alley.
The officer gave chase, trying his best to keep up with Aladdin who knew the maze of the alley like the back of his hand. He jumped over and in between the makeshift structures, the officer only getting close a few times before Aladdin managed to outmaneuver him by sliding under or through something just in the nick of time all the while shouting at Aladdin to stop.
Abu was always right behind Aladdin, running on the ground and even causing the officer to stumble and fall at one point as Aladdin climbed up a wooden pole to a fire escape. The officer tried to climb up after, but he wasn’t nearly nimble or light enough and the pole snapped, sending him crashing down into the top of a tent and landing on someone’s bed made of newspapers.
The officer struggled to get out until a few others caught up and aided him. He then stared up at Aladdin who sat atop a tall wall with a big smile on his face before jumping down on the other side and disappearing out of the officer’s view.
Aladdin stared at the wall for a second before he whistled; catching his breath as Abu suddenly crawled through a small hole at the base of the wall and joined him on the other side. Abu’s tail wagged and he barked several times at Aladdin as they rejoiced in their harrowing escape.
Suddenly a siren went off nearby and Aladdin looked down at Abu.
“Let’s go, boy. I don’t want to wait around for any more of those goons to show up.”
Abu barked once, following after Aladdin as he exited a short alley and came out onto the sidewalk of a not so busy street.
Aladdin was tired, unsure about when it would be possible to go back to the alley to get some sleep. He was used to the Police Force showing up, but lately, it was becoming a twice a week spectacle. They knew the alley was full of the homeless, but there were thieves and other miscreants hiding amongst them, and they would often take shelter after a crime out of hopes of blending in with the rest of the unwanted. Once the Sultan’s Officers would get who they were searching for and leave, or turn the place over and come up empty-handed, life would slowly trickle back into Vagabond Alley, but one always had to be on their guard and ready at a moment’s notice to flee. For now, Aladdin was just going to have to spend the night on the move, or, if he was lucky, find another suitable place to stay low where he could get some rest until he could return home.
The streets were not as full as Aladdin thought they would be. Perhaps the rainstorm was keeping people inside, but he also realized that he wasn’t in the more populated area of New Agrabah anyway, but rather a few miles from the Market and Business districts.
Just then his stomach growled, and Abu’s ears flinched before he barked at Aladdin to let him know that he was hungry too.
“Okay boy, let’s try and find some food.”
Abu barked several more times.
“Where should we go?” Aladdin inquired before an idea came to mind. “The marketplace is only a few blocks away. Let’s head there.”
Aladdin led the way, Abu close behind with his tail wagging. They walked to the end of the street, turning onto one of the city’s main avenues before cutting through a small alley that he and Abu had to squeeze through a fence to get through. Once out the other end, they were now in a small parking lot across the street from a bustling night club. Aladdin walked towards the sidewalk and came to a stop just shy of entering the street. He then stared up at the big neon flashing lights of the Golden Scarab before looking down at the long line of well-dressed people standing out front waiting to go in.
“Watch it kid!” a man shouted as he bumped into Aladdin and almost knocked him over in the process.
He was dressed in a shimmering black and gold suit with a beautiful woman on each of his arms. They walked across the street and cut ahead of the entire line, walking right up to the door. One of the bouncers in gold jackets and sunglasses outside took one look at the man and stepped aside, allowing him right in without question or a single word.
After staring in amazement at some of the expensive cars dropping off who Aladdin could only imagine were important people, his stomach grumbled again. He then looked over to Abu who was sitting beside him before patting him on the head and continuing down the street in the direction of the market.
A few blocks later and Aladdin could hear the bustling of the market place. The traffic in the road had also increased immensely, and he was sure to be careful when he and Abu crossed over and stood at the foot of the market’s entrance.
<
br /> At night the market was closed, but there were still plenty of people congregated around and searching for scraps of food or goods left behind while several stands were still in the process of closing up shop.
Abu began to sniff the ground and headed off in one direction while Aladdin went in another, examining every crack and corner he walked by to try and find anything of use.
After about twenty minutes of dodging other scavengers and even a mugging going on in a nearby staircase, Aladdin could hear Abu’s barks coming from the other side of the square. When he finally found Abu, he was scratching and trying to dig at something that was just out of his reach.
In between two steel bars of a fence and lying just a foot below the edge was a large loaf of bread still in its package. Suddenly filled with excitement, Aladdin lowered himself to the ground and stuck his arm in between the bars. He tried to reach down to grab the bread, and after a few tries, he was successful, being careful as he brought it back up as not to drop and lose it accidentally.
“Jackpot!” he said to Abu as he ripped open the bread and examined it.
Abu did a little spin and then jumped up on his hind legs, barking joyously into the air.
Chapter 2
Aladdin tore a big chunk off the bread and tossed it to Abu who wasted no time in devouring it. Aladdin then pulled the wrapping down a little as his eyes grew big and he tore a big chunk out with his mouth.
“It’s still fresh!” Aladdin mumbled with a mouth full of food.
Suddenly there was the sound of quickly approaching footsteps.
Aladdin turned only to catch a glimpse of two older boys who were drawing near. They came to a stop a few feet away, looking back and forth between Abu, Aladdin, and the bread he was holding.
“Give us the bread,” one beckoned, motioning with his hand while raising the other and revealing a knife. “Nobody has to get hurt.”