by Haley Weir
“Yeah, you’re right. We’re actually going to egg his brother’s car today.”
“And you wonder why people of this town don’t like us?” Destiny muttered.
“What?” Jenny asked. “People here don’t like you?”
“You haven’t noticed?”
Jenny sipped her tea and shook her head. Destiny and Sapphire shared a strange look, but didn’t elaborate. They changed the subject to the new book Destiny suggested for the book club.
CHAPTER SIX
A week later, Dorian stepped out of the elevator at Michael’s loft apartment, excited about his upcoming date with Jenny. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, even though the dreams had stopped. Brock and Michael were bickering as usual when he came into the kitchen. Dorian grabbed a tumbler of scotch and plopped down on the long sectional at the center of the open floor plan.
It never failed to surprise him that Michael had chosen to be celibate. He was the first of them to shift and after it happened, he never dated. Michael didn’t want to get another person involved in his curse. Dorian didn’t see it as a curse, but he didn’t see it as a blessing, either. It was…a complication.
“So, what’s this all about?” Michael asked.
“I’ll talk about it when Anders gets here.”
As if on cue, Anders McKinney sauntered through the door still wearing his scrubs. “I was forced to operate on Sapphire White today,” he hissed. “Apparently, walking in a straight line and not stepping into a massive hole is too complicated for her to accomplish. There was even eggshells in her hair. Luckily she was already sedated by the time I stepped into the room.”
“I knew it!” Michael shouted. “I knew she did that to my car.”
Brock snorted happily a few feet away and didn’t even try to muffle his laughter. Dorian noticed him picking bits of eggshell out from under his fingernails and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “What’s the whole feud between you about anyway?” Dorian asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m furious right now. Just talk to us about this issue you’ve been having and we’ll discuss it later.”
Michael paced while the others sat on the sofa, waiting for Dorian to come clean about his problems. “Since the day of my first shift, I’ve been having these…horrific dreams. It’s always the same one, the same images over and over. And it’s always the same woman, screaming out as she’s burned alive. The redhead from my dreams is the same woman from my nightmares. It’s Jenny.”
“Wait,” Anders demanded. “You started having recurring dreams since and you didn’t think to tell us? Did you not wonder if it has anything to do with our…our uniqueness?”
“Of course I did, but I thought the dreams would eventually go away.”
“They haven’t?” Anders asked.
“Not exactly. Instead of me seeing her die in a fire, I’ve been able to rescue her and,” Dorian paused to clear his throat. “Then she burns in a different way. A way that leaves me aching when I open my eyes.”
“Dude, gross,” Brock laughed. “Don’t want to hear all of that.”
“What does she look like?” Anders questioned, ignoring Brock as usual.
“She’s…succulent.”
Dorian laughed as the three other men in the room began to sweat. Brock’s eyes bulged out of his head and Anders, the other celibate member of their group, stood up to pace with Michael. Dorian had used that word on purpose, for “succulent” was their code word for everything they desired about a woman. Men their size, averaging a near seven-feet-tall with a good two hundred pounds of muscle on their broad frames, required more plush to their women. Soft, lush curves appealed to them more than swimsuit models ever could.
“So, you can now see why I’ve been a little out of sorts lately.”
“You went from seeing this Jenny person burn in a fire to seeing her in a more intimate way. I’m surprised you’re still sane,” Anders said. “Years of this must have been torture. What do you think changed?”
“Well, she’s here in Haden Springs obviously. Maybe her proximity had something to do with it, but I’m just in shock that she even exists.”
Brock scratched at his neatly trimmed beard and asked, “Why would you have these dreams and not us? I’ve been waiting longer than all of you to fall in love. Dorian wasn’t even looking until his dreams changed and the two of you are practically nuns. I’ve had dates, I’ve put in the work, but I don’t get the girl?”
“Just because you don’t get his girl, doesn’t mean you don’t get a girl,” Anders replied diplomatically. “Maybe this is a sign that we should be paying more attention to the things that make us unique, even in the group, instead of just what makes us similar. We all could have some sort of sign that came with the first change, but we chose to ignore it—”
“What about the fire that killed her in the other dreams?” Michael interrupted. “Instead of focusing on the woman, we should look at the danger his dreams imply. The fires in the mountains and in the forest are getting more frequent. What…uh, this might sound strange coming from me, but then again…maybe not. But, what do you guys know about soulmates?”
No one answered, but Dorian felt his own face twist into one of disbelief. “You mean...you believe in all of that? Like two souls coming together as one sort of thing?”
“I do, in a way. My work has made self-love and romantic love into a science. With algorithms, we’re able to calculate compatibility and make the entire experience run more smoothly with the services we provide,” Michael explained to the group. “But if I’m able to determine variables and percentages on something as complex as the concept of love, then I can’t be certain that nature doesn’t have its own algorithm for such things.”
Dorian considered Michael’s words and turned to Anders. “When we all moved here to Haden Springs, your theory on why this happened to us was that evolution had chosen it’s new ape. You said that nature works in patterns and that science still struggles to understand things that simply cannot be explained. What if both of you are right?”
Anders furrowed his brow, but nodded. “We are one of the unexplainable patterns in nature, a new branch of evolution. And what? The next step in that pattern is triggered by a soulmate? Is that what we’re contemplating here?”
“If all of that is true, why is Dorian experiencing it in a way that might be different than the rest of us?” Brock asked Anders.
The doctor shrugged. “Who knows for certain? Perhaps it’s genetic, perhaps it’s driven by individual needs to mate, sort of like a biological clock for women. But we can’t be certain and I think that’s the point. Some mysteries aren’t meant to be solved, gentlemen.”
“So, just roll with the punches?” Dorian asked.
“If he gets a soulmate, then I want one,” Brock grumbled.
Michael rolled his eyes. “That’s sort of the point of a soulmate. Everyone is said to have one. Eventually, the universe will make sure that you find one another. Or, I can speed up the process and narrow down the odds.”
“How are you going to do that? Aside from Jenny, the only women in town are ones we already know,” Brock complained, but Michael shook his head.
“That’s not true. I had three other new applicants this week.” He made a show of counting heads, pointing out that the number of women who moved to Haden Springs was perfect for the number of guys in their friend circle. “The odds are already in our favor.”
Brock winced. Dorian caught it, but no one else did. Anders and Michael stepped off to the side to look at Michael’s new architectural plans for KDA, so he moved over a seat and jabbed Brock with his elbow. “What is it?”
“One of the new applicants is Sapphire.”
“And?”
“And she’s friends with the new singer down at the Blue Velvet Room. Jenny and Sapphire are two of the four women, which means, if we’re right, one of us might be her mate,” Brock muttered. “She and I are just friends, there’s never been anythin
g else between us. But her other two options can barely stand to be around her.”
“Michael, I can understand, but Anders doesn’t even know Sapphire. Not properly anyway. The only reason he doesn’t like her is because of her feud with Michael. Maybe…”
“They could get to know one another?” Brock chuckled. “Right. I could just imagine an unemployed, purple-haired hippy and a nerdy doctor walking down the aisle to get married. Beautiful.”
“You’re sarcasm might come back to haunt you when that happens. Besides, her hair color isn’t always purple. Yesterday it was orange. If there are two other women, that means one of Jenny and Sapphire’s friends might be your soulmate,” Dorian pointed out. “You might be closer to finding love than you think, man.”
He saw the hope in his friend’s eyes and felt good about it. Dorian and the others finished their drinks and plowed through a mountain of takeout before they went their separate ways. He wanted to keep his distance, but he drove past the bookshop that Jenny said she and her friends hosted their book club. It was hard to imagine her reading romance novels and talking about her feelings when she admitted to not believing in love.
But what if it was just a defense mechanism? Dorian wanted to get to the bottom of her anger, to learn the things that hurt her so that he never did anything to upset her. When he arrived at his house, he pulled into the garage and entered in through the kitchen. Dorian had just dropped his keys on the counter and settled into his favorite chair to look through Jenny’s survey when his phone rang.
“I know it’s your night off, but there’s another fire. There aren’t enough EMTs tonight; three people have already been injured. Time to bring out the beast,” Brock ordered. Dorian felt his stomach clench and roil with nausea. He clambered to his feet and jumped back in his car.
The drive to the forest took too long. He pulled over on the side of the road and started to run, pulling off layers of his clothes as he went. Dorian jumped through the air and shifted into his bear. Sleek fur covered his muscles as he dashed toward the tree line, letting out a loud roar. He could smell the fire long before he saw it. A motor home was tuned over on its side and caught between two trees. Dorian could tell that it had tumbled off of a small overhang and slid down the side of the hill.
The fire, however, wasn’t started by the crash. He didn’t have time to thoroughly search the area. There were people screaming inside. Dorian attacked the side of the motorhome and tore through the metal as if it were an aluminum can. He then ran away before the sight of a mountainous bear could frighten them further. By the time everyone was out of the inferno, the firefighters had successfully battled the other fire on the opposite side of the forest and arrive to tend to the injured.
Dorian rushed toward the river and shifted back to his natural state. His entire body felt as if it was burning from the inside out. The shift required adrenaline, which was why he started with a run. Though Kodiak bears and humans have similar body temperatures, the change caused a fever to linger for a few hours after the change. Like any bear feeling the heat, Dorian took a quick swim in the river to cool himself off.
His body trembled. “You’ll be alright,” he told himself. “The entire anatomy of your body was torn apart and put back together, but it’s no big deal.” Dorian knew his little pep talks were silly, but hearing the sound of his voice was what reminded him that he was still human.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The sky was streaked with grey and orange as beams of light peeked through the clouds. Raindrops pattered against the windowpane as Jenny sat at her vanity combing through the waves of her hair, humming along to the music streaming out from the record player. She pressed the answer button on her phone and heard Tilly’s voice.
“Tonight’s the big night. Are you going to confront him about the other woman?”
“I have no choice,” she responded. “If I want to avoid what happened between Zach and I, then I need to do things right. I’m not expecting a fairytale, but if I’m going to put in the effort, I want to know that it won’t be wasted.”
“Smart girl. Have you read the new book yet?”
“No, not yet. I’ve barely even glance at the cover,” Jenny admitted. “Why? What’s it about? And no spoilers!”
“If you’d look at the cover, then you would know it’s a steamy romance book.”
“Most of the books we read are steamy romance books. What’s the difference?”
“Well, it’s about shape shifters. Not werewolves or dragons: bears. Gorgeous men that turn into big bears to protect their families,” Tilly sighed wistfully. “It’s very intriguing. You should start reading it.”
“Maybe I will,” Jenny said while reaching over to touch the bracelet Dorian had given her. “Bears seem to be a common thing here in Haden Springs.” A memory jolted into her brain. “By the way, what was Saph and Destiny talking about when they said the townspeople don’t like them?”
“Not just them, but all of us. The people here don’t like newcomers. I don’t know why, but it’s not really any of my business.”
“Don’t you want to be liked in the town you live in?”
Tilly laughed. “My students like me and that’s all that matters. I keep to myself and it serves me well. It’s Sapphire who can’t seem to stay out of trouble.”
They finished their conversation and Jenny hung up. She stood up in her silk robe and flicked through the dresses hanging up in her closet. The black dress was safe, but the white dress would bring out her tan and the color of her eyes more, so she went with white. Jenny tightened her corset and fastened her guarders before shimmying into the snug dress that formed nicely over her body.
“Ashley Graham, eat your heart out,” she snickered; referring to the plus-sized model people often compared her to. Once her heels were on, Jenny was out the door with her clutch purse and her keys. The drive the restaurant was quiet, she didn’t want to listen to music or talk on the phone. Jenny needed to gather her wits and think about how she would approach Dorian about the other woman.
The valet took her keys and she sat at the reserved table, expecting Dorian to have already been waiting. She was a bit early, but not so much that she should have arrived before him. Jenny crossed her legs and accepted a wine menu to start. She ordered a nice red wine for the table and tasted a small selection of reds before choosing her favorite. Her eyes wandered around the room, but she tried to remain comfortable.
The restaurant was nice. Candles lit the center of the tables for intimate lighting, royal blue curtains graced the windows, dark wood provided a sense of comfort, and elegant gold embellishments throughout the space completed the aesthetic. Jenny sipped her wine and glanced at the menu, but she began to worry when Dorian still hadn’t arrived twenty minutes after their scheduled date.
It was no secret that the fire station had been battling fires all week, but she hadn’t gotten a text from the agency letting her know that the date had been canceled, so she waited a little longer. An hour later, she gave up and offered their table to a different couple. Jenny was disappointed.
Valet brought her car around and she drove home with a heavy heart. It hurt being stood up. She pulled into the driveway and parked the car. Jenny got out of the driver seat and walked toward the front door, but stopped in her tracks when she looked up.
Dorian sat on her porch with his head hung low, his clothes torn to shreds, and his body covered in soot. She tried not to stare, but even disheveled the way he was, Dorian was beautiful. Jenny’s concern overtook her anger and she hurried over to him. He shook his head when she dropped to her knees, but she brushed his hair back from his face. “What happened?” she asked.
“People…died. I-I couldn’t go out like this, so I waited for you to get home. It’s a small town, I only had to ask a few people…but…” Dorian reached behind his back and held out a box of pizza and a bottle of wine. Jenny climbed to her feet and helped him stand. She unlocked her front door and ushered him inside.
&n
bsp; Dorian stood awkwardly in the living room as if he didn’t want to touch anything in fear of sullying her home, so she took the items from his hands and set them on the coffee table. Jenny pressed a hand to the center of his chest and forced him to sit on the couch. As long as he was comfortable, she didn’t care if the house got dirty.
She walked into the bathroom to grab a first aid kit and a few damp rags to clean him up a little. For a moment she stopped what she was doing and just stared at her reflection in the mirror. Sapphire’s words ran through her mind and Jenny flinched. She shouldn’t have gotten upset with him. His job was dangerous and anyone with a brain would have concluded that something had gotten in the way of their date.
The Ice Queen has a heart?
Why had she chosen to villainize him instead of considering other possibilities?
***
He watched her disappear around the corner and had to shake himself. When Jenny walked toward him after exiting her car, his heart rate nearly sent him into another change, but his body was exhausted. Even with the sadness in her eyes, Jenny Owens was a beautiful woman. That white dress should have been illegal with the way it conformed to the shape of her mouthwatering figure.
Dorian sat up straighter when she came out of the bathroom in a pair of black yoga pants and a white tank top with her hair pulled back into a bun. He wanted to toss her on the floor and have his way with her, but fought his urges in favor of behaving like a gentleman. Jenny sat on the table, slotting herself between his knees and swiped at his face with a damp rag. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
Neither of them spoke. Dorian sat perfectly still with his hands clenched into tight fists on his thighs as she cleaned him up. Cuts and scrapes marred his face, but he barely felt the sting when she dabbed them with alcohol, for he was lost in her eyes. Dorian finally reached out and brushed his thumb across her cheek, hating the streak of black that dirtied her beautiful skin. “I’m sorry,” he breathed in the small space between them. “About ruining everything before it barely even started.”