by Jennie Dah
‘Fuck you.'
I walk over to the sink and open the cabinet above the mirror. Inside it is all kinds of supply. I grab the hair dryer and a spare toothbrush brushing my teeth quickly and then set about drying my hair. Takes a while but when it finally dry I sag in relief. I remember now why I go to the salon to get it done. My arms are so sore. I set the dryer back and circle my arms around hopefully it’ll get some circulation back.
Now about my clothes. I pick the discarded clothes off the floor and neatly fold them before dumping it in the wastebasket in the corner. I wrap the towel tighter around me and listen closely before opening the door. I poke my head out and the bedroom is empty. I really don’t want to face him right this minute. I come out of the bathroom and head for the other door.
I push it open and see shelves lined with clothes. Shiny drawers and one wall dedicated to just footwear. There are several piles of shoes arranged in an orderly manner on gold painted shelves.
Whoa! I step inside ad close the door softly looking around in awe.
This man owns a lot of shoes. I go over to the drawers and pull one open. Thankfully it contains t-shirts and I grab one. I open the next one and close it back up. Nope, no socks. I open the next drawer grab a pair of boxer shorts.
It’ll give me enough coverage without actually touching anything intimate. I pull the towel off and quickly change into the shirt. It hangs down to the top of my knees and I pull on the boxers too rolling it up a few times to keep it on my hips. I look down at the shirt and even though it isn’t all that big, it keeps falling off of my shoulders. If this shirt fits me like this and that man is as huge as two mahogany trees combined then it’s definitely time for me to lose some weight.
I pull it to one side baring one shoulder, covering the other one and look around for something to cinch the waist but I see nothing.
Shoelace!
I go over to his shoes and pull a lace out of a sneaker. Looks expensive too. I shrug unconcerned and tie it around my waist pulling my braids over to my bared shoulder. This will have to do, I think with a sigh and head downstairs.
I don’t have any shoes but hopefully Nicholas can help me find a pair in my size. I’d have loved some time to snoop but I’ve been up here too long and it’s rude to snoop. Whenever the house owner is around and there’s a chance you might get caught, hold off until you’re absolutely sure there’s no one home and then go crazy.
I look around as I head for the stairs, counting five other closed doors that I’m assuming might be bedrooms too. Maybe one might be a bathroom. I quickly descend the stairs and gasp at the beauty of the place.
It’s an open floor plan. There’s the living room where you can see the kitchen and the dinning room and two more doors that I don’t know what they might lead too. There’s even a fireplace and a shelf against the wall lined with books. The earthy tone of the furniture blends spectacularly with the décor of the house making it feel homey. It’s looks like it been built for a family.
I turn around in a circle with a look of awe. I turn around at the sound of a door opening and see some men pour out of the room on the far side of the house. Nick is the last one to come out pulling the door close behind him.
Three men all stare at me as if they’ve never seen a woman before much less a black one. One in particular has a stricken look on his face his eyes darting around. What’s with him? I shrug. I smile really big and skip over to them.
“Hi,” I hold out my hand to the closest one and he takes it pumping it lightly. “I’m Celia.”
“Michael,” he says with an amusement dancing in his eyes. I like him. He’s almost as big as Nick but he’s taller as if that’s even possible. In fact they all look huge and for the first time I feel shorter than my 5’7 frame. What do they feed these men?
“I’m Robbie,” the one with the lighter hair pushes Michael out of the way to take my hand. He pumps it enthusiastically and I slowly pull my hand away from him. Ookay.
“Stop frightening her. Move,” the third guy with a slightly smaller build than the rest with lovely warm brown eyes comes forward shoving Robbie out of the way. Shoving people must be a thing among this men. One can see the easy friendship between them.
“Logan,” he says with a charming smile, turning my hand to press a light kiss to it. I look over his shoulder at the guy who looks like he’s in pain and move towards him.
“Hey,” I smile brightly at him. “And you are?” I ask when he doesn’t say anything and his expression changes to one of surprised confusion. Why’s he looking at me like that?
“Charlie.”
“Nice to meet you Charlie,” I say while holding up my hand. His hand clasp mine but his eyes doesn’t leave my face. I smile even more brightly at him. My smile grows bigger when I look up to find Nick looking at me with an intense expression, an almost smile tipping up the side of his mouth. My face heats at the reminder of what happened earlier.
“Nice shirt,” he walks over to me and tugs at the front of the shirt.
“Sorry, I hope you don’t mind. I didn’t have anything else to wear,” I shrug. “And I don’t even have any shoes—”
“Here, these are for you.” I look down at the beautiful pair of black suede sandals in Michael’s hand and reach for them.
“How did you know I needed sandals?” I asks already putting them on and they fit perfectly. “They fit perfectly too.”
“I had a feeling,” he says with an amused smile.
“Thank you,” I say politely. “I love them.” I look back at Nick and he nods gratefully at Michael before turning back to me with a little smile.
“Owen is asking for her. We should get over there before he goes to the council,” someone says from behind me.
The smile drops from Nick’s face and my smile deflates in reaction. Did I do something wrong? And then it hits me that their voices sound familiar. Where have I heard them before?
Yes! Last night during my failed escape.
“You’re the guys from last night. Oh my God. How did I not realize that before,” I say excitedly.
“Well—”
“Oh right, that’s because you were rude to me last night. I was just trying to be nice but you guys couldn’t get away fast enough,” I sigh dejectedly. “I get it though. People are always trying to get away from me. Once my grandfather asked me to come along with him into town and we saw a snake on the way but I hissed at it and it went away because I knew Grandpa Mawuli was afraid of snakes but he run after that snake to get away from me after. I didn’t understand but Nanaga said it was nothing so I should forget but most of the children I play with also stopped coming around me and I had to spend all my time in the forest by myself.”
They all look at me sheepishly and I wave Logan off when he goes to speak. They all look properly chastised and I wish I could laugh it off and say I was joking but people ignoring me like that really is a thing with me.
“It’s fine. All is forgiven, you don’t need to apologize to me. Let me tell you about the time that Nanaga caught me sneaking out of the house—”
“How about we get going?” Charlie says loudly clapping his hands together. My eyes snap to him but he’s already heading out the door. Michael laughs loudly and squeezes my shoulder before following after him. The rest follow with small smiles and a little shake of their heads. What?
“Did I say something wrong?” I ask turning to Nick in confusion.
“No you didn’t,” he chuckles softly, the sound travelling to my chest. I smile shyly at him and go to follow the others but he tugs on my arm stopping me. I look up at him and he cups my cheeks placing a lingering kiss to my lips.
Oh. I could really get used to this. Then the doubts starts flooding my mind. What if he doesn’t want anything to do with me after he’s done with me? What if this is just some game to him?
I've lived all my life waiting for something worth fighting for, am I ready to throw all that out the window along with my values and self-re
spect?
Everything my grandmother taught me, am l willing to forget all that just to warm some man’s bed for a night? Granted he’s a gorgeous man but still, am I?
“Nick—” I start to say but he presses a finger to my lips, shaking his head.
“We’ll talk later.” He looks down at me his expression open his eyes asking me to trust him. I nod my head slowly after only hesitating for a few seconds. I don’t know what it is about him but something inside me trusts him.
“Come on, let’s go.” He nods his head without taking his eyes off of mine. I tug softly on his arms and then we head out the door into the sunlight.
Chapter 6
NICHOLAS
I look down at Celia as she takes everything in her eyes sparkling and her face lighting up every now and then. I try to figure out what it is about her that makes me lose my mind around her. This morning wasn’t planned. I’d woken up to find her wrapped around me.
Thankfully, the merge had dissolved. I don’t understand how she managed to find my bedroom though. The room I’d put her in had been very far down the hall with a few doors separating my bedroom from the rest of them. Her face had been buried in my neck and the puffs of soft warm breath hitting my skin had almost driven me crazy.
Then she had started moving the leg she had thrown over my hips. Being the red-blooded man that I am, my dick started responding to the soft caress. I cursed underneath my breath and tried to move her legs but she moved in closer and her soft breast brushed against my arm with every breath she took. I’d thought she was doing it on purpose but then her mind had gently brushed mine and I’d sensed it that she was still asleep.
And then she’d woken up and looked at me with that look like she wanted to eat me for breakfast and I’d almost attacked her then and there. When she had started asking me who I was, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured down my back. I panicked when she said she was leaving and I jumped on her and spun her around much like I’d done last night.
I felt terrible when she got dizzy but that seemed to fix her and she remembered me. What had that been about? She gotten in the shower and I thought I might change and wait for her downstairs but Dorian had texted me and the surprise had made me sit on the bed.
He’d left the island about two and a half years ago and no one has heard from him since and suddenly out of the blue he’s coming back? I don’t know how long I’d been there before she came out of the bathroom in that towel that wasn’t doing much to hide anything.
And then everything happened so damned fast I’m not sure when I had gotten off the bed. Damn, that kiss is still playing out in my head. I hadn’t beep planning on marking her today but I just lost control of my senses for a few seconds there.
And the guys had shown up suddenly and we had to get to the Meeting Hall. I had to mask my scent so they wouldn’t know what’s up but they’ve been giving me suspicious looks that makes me think that they suspect something has happened.
I wonder what’s going through her mind now. Never before have I wanted to know what a woman was thinking but with her it like I have no control over my senses anymore.
I look at her now and the animated joy on her face makes me feel ten times lighter than I have since the that day. I shake my head to get rid of the feelings the memory of that day evokes in me. Not today.
She grabs my arm occasionally when she sees something that makes her laugh drawing my attention to it too. I smile at her the joy on her face infectious.
Preparation for the big show at the end of the festival has everyone rushing around. Her eyes light up at the colorful decorations lining the street and the houses along our path. There are a few cars on the main road ahead but those will be parked for the festival soon. For someone who’s in a strange place she’s quite relaxed.
I wonder if anyone explained things to her. She did see Owen first. I feel my brows pull together in a frown. What is Owens’s fascination with her? I look back at her but her eyes are already on me. The smile on her lips drop at my expression.
“What’s Owen’s fascination with you?” I growl down at her. I don’t mean to but the feeling of primal possessiveness surging through my system won’t let me behave like a half decent human with her.
“Who?” she says distractedly looking at a couple of kids play in the grass. She looks back at me with a smile.
“Owen,” I say slowly this time in an effort not to sound like a brute. She shakes her head in confusion.
“I don’t know anyone by that name.”
“How are you even this relaxed? Shouldn’t you be freaked out that you’re in a place where you know nobody? For all you know, you’ve been kidnapped to join a secret group of people who turn into animals,” I say in confusion. The last part might be true but I don’t get how she’s not freaking out. Most of the newborns take time to actually accept it.
“I’m just grateful that I can still breathe. I’ve been asleep for seven months. Makes you view things a little bit differently. I just want to enjoy and live my life, even if it’s in a strange place I know nothing about. I actually think it’s cool if people here can turn into animals,” She answers with a shrug.
Seven months? She’s been in a coma that long? What is she? Most shifters just take a few days for the change to happen. So why was she in a coma for seven months? And how did she bond herself to me without a shaman present?
“How did you do it? I’m just curious. It’s not that I’m mad or anything. It’s just no one can without the help of a shaman,” I say and she stops in her tracks and turns to me. She cocks her head to the side and study me for a long while.
“What are you talking about?” She asks her face a mask of confusion.
“What I mean to say is, what are you?” I clarify.
“For someone as beautiful as you are, you are fucking crazy,” she tuts with a shake of her looking at me sadly. Then her face lights up like she gets it now.
“Ahh, you got me. Is this kind of like a prank thing you do to newcomers?” she asks with a laugh.
Oh God, no. No, no, no, I can’t do this. Has no one explained things to her? I grab her by the hand and drag her with me to the Castle. I breathe in relief that I didn’t teleport us there like I’d usually do when it’s just me. This isn’t for me to explain.
I drag her by the arm towards the Castle and take the elevator to the Meeting Hall. She tries to pull her arms away from me but I tighten my grip and she gives up with a huff.
We enter the room and Owen is out of his seat before I can close the door. He rushes across the room to us and he doesn’t even glance in my direction, he is solely focused on Celia. His nostrils flare as he get closer to us and he sniffs the air around her and his eyes shift to reveal his wolf.
What the hell? His eyes widen as he stare at her bared shoulders. I look at her shoulder to see what has his attention. There’s a slight discoloration on her shoulder which wouldn’t be a course for concern but the bite marks at the arch of her neck is. Oh. I still can’t believe I lost control like that. Celia steps into me and grip my bicep. I look down at her but she staring at Owen with a quizzical expression.
I feel my heart warm that she’s not trying to cover up the mark I left on her.
“You had no right,” Owen finally turns to me straightening to his full height. I’ve still got a few inches on him but it doesn’t deter him. Why the hell is he acting so out of character? “You know the rules. No one touches her until she’s bonded. You took advantage of her,” he growls at me his eyes burning in outrage. I push Celia behind me in case he loses control of his wolf in his anger.
“Get her out of here,” I say to no one in particular but knowing she’ll be taken to safety.
Michael moves in my periphery and then something crashes behind me. I jerk in alarm worried something has happened to Celia. I turn to her and she standing with a hand on her waist, foot tapping a fast rhythm on the floor shooting everyone a withering look, her pose challenging.
<
br /> The vase of flowers that has been sitting on the table is now broken into pieces on the floor. I look around the room to see the same look of surprise on everyone’s face.
“If you’re done measuring your dicks, can I have something to eat please and then one of you better start explaining why the fuck I was in a coma for the past seven months and where in the fucking hell I am,” she snaps.
Everyone jumps to attention at her words. My stomach knots painfully at neglecting to feed her.
“I'll go get you something to eat really quick,” I say already turning around and heading for the door.
“No, I'll get the food,” Michael says brushing past me as if the hounds of hell were on his heels, already out the door.
“I’ll get some water.” And then Charlie is also gone.
“I’ll go get someone to come clean up the glass.” Then Logan is gone too. Fucking pussies.
“I’ll just stay over here in the corner then,” Robbie says nervously. What the hell is wrong with everyone? I look around in confusion but I don’t find any answers in the wall. I look back at Celia and she smiles softly at me.
“Start talking,” she says sharply pointing a finger at Owen.
She walks over to one of the chairs around the table and settle in. She leans back and relaxes into the chair. I head over to the window and stare out at the sky and then down at the street.
“Talk,” she says and the softly spoken word feels as if it has been yelled daring anyone to refuse to obey. I jerk around in surprise to stare at her. I’ve only heard that when I was a little boy and my mother was being protective of my dad.
Whoa. Siren? That can’t be right. It’s not possible. How is she even alive? I stare at her in surprised awe. She must be one hell of a strong person to survive this long. There’s also a chance I might be wrong.
Owen moves closer to her as if in a trance. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
“Umm… uh I was in class and there’s a pain in my neck,” she rubs her temples as if it taking a lot for her to remember that.