by Dalia Wright
He went to knock on the door when a voice called out to him. It was one of the younger chefs, a boy who called himself Fabio.
“Hanging out with your girlfriend again?” asked Fabio.
“What do you mean ‘again’?” Arturo asked.
“Nothin man, slip of the tongue. So are you really dating that chick? I saw her downstairs with you the other day. Man, she’s hot.”
“Fabio, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be cooking something?”
Fabio leaned closer to Arturo, motioning him to do the same. Arturo had no idea what was going on. He felt like he was in the twilight zone.
“What?” Arturo asked, rolling his eyes. Fabio and the other chefs were always acting so weird around him. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something was always off about them.
“The boss says to watch your back. He doesn’t care that you’re of the Emerald bloodline. Bring the girl in the jungle again, and you’re dead.”
“Excuse me?” Arturo asked. “You’re one of them? One of us?”
Fabio shushed him. “He knows what she is. You need to lay low for a while, alright?”
Knows what she is? And what exactly is she? Arturo thought to himself.
“Alright man,” he said.
Fabio walked down the opposite end of the hallway towards door 17. He banged loudly, whining until a girl with enormous eyes swung the door open and dragged him in by his collar. Arturo whistled.
He knocked on Laura’s door, expecting her to be ready. Instead, she opened it with just a towel on.
“Hi,” she said, blushing. “Um, come in. Come in, I need to talk to you about something.”
Arturo shrugged and followed her into the room. Laura didn’t speak for a few seconds, tightening her towel around her chest. One false move and Arturo would rip her towel off in seconds. She couldn’t let him know she wanted him. God, he was such a pain.
“Um, so, I talked to my cousin earlier. And I know this is going to sound weird, but I’m a shifter. A panther shifter, like my grandfather. And you.”
“What?” he said.
She took a few steps back, hoping he wasn’t mad at her. It wasn’t her fault; Esmeralda had been the one keeping it a secret.
“Are you…okay?” Laura asked.
“That’s incredible!” he exclaimed. He lifted her into his arms, her towel falling partially off. Laura placed his arms around his neck. She leaned in to kiss him and at the last minute he said,
“No way girly, not until you admit that you like me.”
“You are being so ridiculous!” she exclaimed.
He dropped her on the bed, tossing her towel onto the floor. She covered her chest, suddenly feeling exposed. Closing the space between them, he climbed on top of her, pinning her arms down.
“Say it,” he cooed in her ear, biting her earlobe.
“Ah- fine. I said fine, I like you. Now it’s your turn.”
Instead of answering, he kissed her. They writhed like that for a few minutes before Arturo got off, exclaiming that they had dinner reservations. Too stunned to protest, Laura rolled off the bed and began to get dressed.
Chapter 7
Before exiting the room, Arturo scoped out the hallway. Finding Fabio gone, he motioned for Laura to follow. She shrugged her shoulders, asking him what was going on. He hissed at her to keep silent.
They ran down the hall, taking the back stairwell. Laura didn’t ask Arturo what was going on. She trusted him. She could tell something was going on, but it wasn’t worth the risk to ask him. She would wait until they got to their destination. Part of her wanted to turn back and head to the hotel’s restaurant. She was so hungry she could eat an entire horse and then some. But risking leaving Arturo wasn’t worth it. They exited on the bottom floor, running out into the backyard.
Arturo motioned for her to continue following him. They ran across the lawn, Laura kicking her heels into the tall grass so that she could meet his pace. They entered the woods, kicking up dirt as they went. The jungle swallowed them whole, the dark limbs of the trees waving in a warm wind. He led her towards a clearing in the middle of the jungle.
“What are we doing here?” she finally asked.
“I’m going to teach you how to shift,” he said, flashing a grin at her.
“What?” she asked, incredulous.
“Yep. Now you’re new at this, so I’m going to teach you how. For me, my father tossed me into the nearest forest for a week and forced the transformation out of me. I don’t want to do that to you. Plus I don’t know how I could stay away from you for a whole week. So. Ready?”
“Sure.”
He took her into his arms, dancing her slowly in a circle.
“What are we doing?” she giggled.
“I’m helping you to become in-tune with all your chakra spots. There are specific locations on your body that become synced up when you shift. Kind of like with marital arts, you have to be completely in-touch with your entire body. So just follow my lead and I’ll teach you how to do it.”
They picked up dancing again, Arturo twirling her in a wide circle. The more they danced, the more Laura could feel different parts of her body become illuminated. She thought back to an exercise she did back in high school. She was in a senior year psychology class, and her teacher taught her how to meditate by imagining a blue light on her forehead. She was supposed to imagine the light flooding throughout her body, purifying every part. Dancing had a similar effect. Instead of a blue light, she felt red and orange.
Her muscles became illuminated and overly tawny. Just like Arturo, she felt her muscles expanding and contracting. He dipped her low, causing her to laugh. Their foreheads touched and she felt her eyes begin to glow. Suddenly, an intense hunger took over her.
“Let me go,” she said.
“Laura?”
“I said let me go,” she growled, pushing him against an enormous palm tree. She felt hunger tear apart her entire body as her skin swapped out for fur. It was painful at first, and she noticed blood leaking out from several places that didn’t shift properly.
Her jaws were large, and heavy. She swung her head back and forth a few times, getting a feel for her new body. Just when she thought she was getting the hang of her body, she heard claws touching dirt.
“They’re here,” Arturo said.
“Who?” she asked. It surprised her that she was speaking telepathically with Arturo.
She hadn’t noticed it the day the panthers attacked, but they could all speak to each other from within their own heads. She figured it made more sense that way. The mouth and jaws of a panther were too expanse and it would be incapable to master any kind of vernacular that way. At least not without some complications.
“What is she doing here?” one of the elders asked.
“She doesn’t belong,” hissed another.
“She is with me,” Arturo said. “And you all need to leave. Since when do the panthers of the jungle band together?”
“Since we learned there is another of the Emerald bloodline walking our forest.”
“This girl?” he asked incredulously. “She is not related to me.”
“It’s okay,” Laura said to him. “I can handle it.”
Cana stepped forward, walking around Laura. It didn’t matter that this woman, this female shifter, was trying to intimidate her. In panther form, Laura felt unstoppable. She felt capable of anything.
“Get out of here,” Laura said. “Quit bothering Arturo. He doesn’t owe you anything.”
Cana stepped closer, her jaws inches away from Laura’s.
“Or what?”
“That’s enough!” called a voice. A familiar voice.
Laura whipped around. “Esmeralda?”
Immediately, Cana backed away. She recognized Esmeralda as one of the Ruby bloodline, an ancient bloodline stretching back hundreds of thousands of years. One of them had been killed recently, right? Now who was it? An old man?
“She’s with u
s,” Esmeralda said. She was fierce in human form. She didn’t even need to transform to threaten the others. “I want to hear you say it. That you won’t touch either of them ever again.”
Cana hissed, tossed her head around. “Fine.” She repeated what Esmeralda asked of her. The other panthers backed away, leaving Laura and Arturo to themselves.
“Thank you,” Arturo said. He introduced himself to her, leaving Laura to figure out how to transform back into a human.
When she finally did, she emitted a shriek into the jungle. The other two whipped around to make sure she was okay. They saw her naked body, chest heaving up and down.
“What’s wrong with her?” Esmeralda asked.
“She’s going to be fine, Arturo. Give me a hand, let’s get her back to the hotel.”
They lifted her body from the ground and began the long walk back to the hotel. At some point between the jungle and the hotel, Laura drifted off into sleep.
Chapter 8
When Laura next woke up, she noticed she was surrounded by golden light. She leaned up on her elbows, looking around the room sleepily.
“What happened?” she asked.
“You’re awake,” Arturo said. He was sitting in the corner, flipping through a book. “You fell asleep after shifting. It’s probably going to happen the next few times you shift. It’s just because you’re new at this.”
“Really? Hey, where’s Esmeralda?”
“She’s downstairs getting you something to eat. Meat, preferably. In fact, you should probably eat meat for your next few meals just to quench your hunger. It might get really intense. Once I almost ate a human child.”
“Jeez,” she said. “Imagine how normal my life would be if I hadn’t shifted.”
“Actually, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened involuntarily to you. But it doesn’t matter. I’m just happy you’re feeling okay. And how is your whole revenge plan going on?”
“Oh, that,” Laura muttered. She wasn’t sure how to tell Arturo that she hated herself for the first few hours that Esmeralda told her about her shifting abilities. She spent a decent amount of time thinking it over in the shower wondering what would happen if she just avoided shifting. And then she had her answer— it would happen involuntarily.
Luckily for Laura, she felt much better now. Transforming out there in the jungle was the most intense and beautiful experience she’d ever had. She felt that she could smell, hear, and see everything at a far more intense level. Even the stars looked brighter, at least what she could see of them. It hadn’t even scared her when the other panthers showed up. In fact, it further cemented her belief that she would make peace with the other shifters.
As if he could read her mind, Arturo launched into an explanation about what happened with her grandfather. Apparently it wasn’t a rebellion, just one of the panthers that had gone rogue. He said that Esmeralda could explain it in more detail when she got back upstairs, but for now, it was just the two of them.
“When do you think she’ll be back up?” Laura asked, suddenly feeling a burst of energy.
“She said at least half an hour, why?”
Laura pushed Arturo onto the bed and climbed on top of him. This time it was her turn to hold her hands above his head. He smiled, his eyes flashing wildly.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I want you to say it,” she said, moving her hips back and forth. He moaned, moving his hips against hers.
“I like you,” he said. “Happy now?”
“Not those three words,” she whispered, biting his neck. She dragged her teeth down his neck, leaving red marks.
“Oh, those three words,” he joked, flipping her onto her stomach.
They made love like animals, their cries of pleasure keeping Esmeralda from re-entering the room. She stood in the hall, eating a handful of French fries. She figured it was best to leave them alone for a few minutes.
He bit her back, ran his hands up and down her torso. She was smooth all over, her hair smelling of something sweet, perhaps jungle fruit. This time she felt herself close to climax. It hadn’t happened before, for she was so nervous that she could barely think about it. Right as she was about to climax, she leaned back into Arturo. They finished at the same time, collapsing onto the bed as if they’d just run a marathon.
“Say it,” she whispered.
“Say what?”
“Tell me you love me.”
“I love you.”
She laughed, dragging her fingers down his stomach. “I love, too,” she responded.
Noticing that their moans of pleasure had died down, Esmeralda decided to knock on the door. They gouged the duvet over their bodies, greeting her with sheepish smiles.
“Don’t worry lovebirds, I’m not staying. I’m just dropping off your dinner.”
The scent of food caused Laura to drool. She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling the first waves of an intense hunger flowing over her. Arturo noticed and he grabbed the plate from Esmeralda. Laura ate the entire steak within seconds, not bothering to use a fork and knife.
“Wow,” Esmeralda said.
“Don’t you remember your first time?” Arturo joked.
She smiled. “I sure do. Listen, I’ll be back in a few hours. I’m going to book a room and then grab a drink. You take good care of my cousin, or I’ll kill you,” she said with a wink.
“Don’t worry, I’m in it for the long haul,” Arturo responded.
As soon as Esmeralda left, Laura kicked the blankets off.
“What are you doing?” Arturo asked.
“We’re dating, right? Like you’re not going to leave me anytime soon?”
“No, of course not. Where is this coming from?”
“I’m still starving. Let’s go hunting together. I assume I’ll faint again, so I wanted you to accompany me. You know, just in case.”
“I’d like nothing more,” he said, taking her hand in his.
They snuck out the back door and bound into the woods, their hearts feeling wild and hungry. They felt at ease with each other. At last, Laura’s vengeful heart was subdued, and Arturo finally found someone he could call home.
*** THE END ***
Once Upon a Mail Order Bride
Harriet & Alex
By: Stephanie Hunt
Chapter One
Harriet Milestone pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders, as she observed the group of people within her periphery. She’d initially thought that her uncle had more friends than this. Friends usually come to show their respects at funerals, but not many were at Uncle Victor’s.
As far as she could remember, the old man was a kind, warm-hearted person who cared for many people, whether or not they cared for him. When he’d taken ill three weeks ago, many people had come to see him, and to offer her an encouraging word or two.
Where were all those people now?
“Victor, I know it’s not a good time now, but could I borrow one of your thoroughbreds?” A neighbor had asked him this on his death bed. At the time, Harriet was angry, and thought to send them all out of Uncle Victor’s house, but she knew all too well that the man would have reprimanded her for it.
Having lived with him for over fifteen years, she knew that he would not approve of her turning anyone away.
“Be kind, always, my sweet girl,” he’d said before he took his last breath. “That way, kindness will always come back to you.”
Right.
“Harriet?”
She whipped her head around to look at Francine Hayes, her best friend. “Huh? What did you say?”
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Francine asked.
“Yes, I’m fine.” Harriet glanced in Pastor James’ direction and realized, finally, that the man was done speaking. Her uncle was almost completely put away and people were slowly withdrawing from the graveside.
“Are you ready to go inside?” Francine asked. Harriet forced a smile and nodded. Together, the two girls strolled to the large,
two story house that belonged to her uncle. Victor Milestone had no other family but Harriet. That meant that whatever was left behind was hers.
She was grateful to him, not because he left her a huge house on a massive farm, but because he was the only parent she knew. He was everything to her.
Harriet’s parents had passed away so long ago, she hardly remembered them. Uncle Victor had often told her that she was the feminine version of her father. Tall and slender, with bright, hazel eyes and waist-length red hair.
She got almost nothing from her mother. Almost.
“Harriet, dear,” a voice called. “I’m so sorry for your loss. It must be really difficult or you.” Harriet resisted the urge to scowl at the woman. After all, Mrs. Fray was a nice lady, and she did attend the funeral.
“Thank you, Mrs. Fray,” she replied. “I appreciate the condolences.”
“Of course, child. And if you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to let me know. I’d be happy to help.” Harriet’s mouth curved upwards. It was a genuine smile in response to genuine help. Why was she being so bitter and resentful toward these people? They did nothing to her, or to her uncle.
Take it easy, Harriet. You’ll get through this.
More than ten people greeted her before she actually made it to the kitchen. The maids were already inside sharing the meals.
“Where do you think you’re going, young lady?” Hadassah, one of the maids, asked. “Please take your rest. You’ve done enough already.”
“It’s okay, I’m happy to help. Besides, sitting around won’t do much for me.” The room went quiet and all eyes glued to her. Every pair was filled with pity. Harriet despised those looks. She pursed her lips and moved toward the counter to help share the meals. Francine followed suit.
“Did you see that ridiculous hat that Mike was wearing today?” Francine blurted. It was one of her heroic attempts to change the subject in awkward moments like these, which usually resulted in dire failure. Nevertheless, Harriet smiled, grateful for her effort.
“I did,” Harriet replied. “It had no business being on his head, with a suit as sharp as that.” Francine erupted into giggles, but ceased laughing when footsteps approached. The girls turned in unison to see Douglas McIntosh, one of the richest men in all of Baltimore, Maryland. He was also a friend of Victor’s. In fact, the two used to spend a lot of time together, especially at the latter part of Victor’s life.