by Sy Walker
On the eve of her wedding she couldn’t be happier, and with a final glance at her dress hanging on the screen she blew out her candle ready to dream of her lover. This time tomorrow she would be in his bed and they would be properly joined as man and wife. In her dreams she was in the little Kirk of St Andrews awaiting her love, but he did not come. Instead, her brother appeared, the dear departed Michael. It had been so long since she had last dreamed of him. He was running towards her with his arms flailing and shouting something at her but she could not hear him. He was getting nearer and his movements were becoming more anxious until he was almost upon her.
“Run, run as fast as you can. RUN”
She sat up with a start. Someone was in the room with her, she could hear the breathing. An arm suddenly caught her by the neck and was holding her head onto the pillow. Her eyes opened widely’ it was Gertrude, and she was smiling as she brought up a small glass vial to the girls lips.
Beatrice struggled and let out a cry as the acrid smell of deadly nightshade hit her nostrils.
As the vial was pushed to her lips the door burst open and Thomas was at her side pushing passed Gertrude and hardly noticing his sister. Her face was ghostly in the candlelight.
“My love, what on earth is the matter?”
Beatrice could hardly speak and her heart was fluttering like a bird. “I think she was trying to poison me?”
Thomas looked around puzzled. There was only his sister in the room. Shining his candle towards Gertrude’s face he was shocked to see the look of hate in her eyes and in her tightly clasped hands a glass vial.
“What’s happening Gertrude?” he swung around to face her.
Gertrude was visibly shaking, her eyes large and white in the candles glow.
“You can’t love HER Thomas, I was meant to be your wife, to look after you. I have looked after you for all of these years. You belong to me.”
Thomas looked bemused and shook his head slowly.
“But you’re my sister?”
Her eyes lit up with a maniacal glee. “But that’s not so Thomas. I am only your step sister. Your mother had a friend who died in childbirth and promised on my mother’s death bed that she would look after me as her own. They told no-one and soon everyone accepted me as Lady Selkirk. Your mother only told me as she lay dying on her own death bed”
Thomas looked visibly shaken and sat down on the bed.
“So you see, we too can be married as I am not your sister by blood –my darling Thomas”
Gertrude rushed to him with open arms but as she reached him he stood up and pushed her away, repulsed by her sudden show of affection.
“Stop this Gertrude; I am going to marry Beatrice”.
Laughing she approached him again “But I love you Thomas, you are mine. We can be together at last.”
Thomas pushed her away once more and this time she fell to the floor.
For a moment all was quiet until she stood up again and smiled at the couple.
“But what about your little secret Thomas? What about your other life?”
This time she had his attention.
“She doesn’t know does she? DO you think she will still love you when she finds out? I will look after you Thomas; I love you”.
“But I don’t love you Gertrude, not like that and I never will. You are my sister and that is enough,” his voice was low and desperate.
For a second or two Gertrude looked straight at her brother as his words began to sink in; almost triumphant. Then her face began to slowly crumble into one of utmost sorrow. Raising the glass vial to her lips she poured the foul liquid into her mouth before Thomas could stop her. For a moment she stood erect and defiant before the poison started to take hold and she started to gasp for breath, her hands on her chest as if in pain. It didn’t take long for the potion to do its worse and within a minute she was lying stone dead on the floor.
Thomas went to her in sorrow, carefully lifted her with his arms, and carried her away down the hall.
When Thomas returned he sat back down on Beatrice’s bed with his head in his hands.
“Thomas, I am so sorry,” Beatrice touched his arm gently.
Grabbing her by the waist he pulled her close. “That nearly was you Beatrice my love; I nearly lost you,” and he wept into her shoulder.
Picking her up in his arms he carried Beatrice to his bed chamber and laid her on the bed. Stepping to the window he opened the curtains, letting the brightness of the full moon wash over the room.
“I need to tell ye something, show ye something. Gertrude was right, I do have a secret and it is only fair that ye know before we are married”
Moving to the bed he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. “If ye do love me, promise me that ye will not be afraid, whatever happens.”
She looked into his deep brown eyes and promised.
“Beatrice, do you love me no matter what, no matter whom or what I am. Do you trust me?”
It was a silly question.
“Yes my darling, I love you and trust you no matter what”.
Without taking his eyes from hers he drew her firmly towards him, pulling her into his strong arms. The heat was already rising from him and it spread across her, moistening her skin beneath her thin cotton night shirt.
“Never be afraid of me Beatrice, whatever happens. I will never hurt you, ever.”
Bending his head slightly towards hers Thomas started to kiss her face, softly at first, soft gently kisses lightly skipping over her face that made her body weak, and she leaned further into his arms for support. His strong arms pulled her even closer and she could taste his masculinity in the air, a tang of salt and something else, something wild and fresh. His kisses became harder as he found her mouth and her soft lips yielded to his passion, his tongue exploring, pressing down into her.
His large hands delicately found the soft material of her nightshirt and pulling it up, his fingers found the soft flesh beneath. She sighed as his hands moved upwards, slowly stroking her skin until he reached the soft flesh of her pert breasts, the nipples hard and firm beneath his fingers. She had never been touched like this before and as he gently squeezed her yielding breasts a tremor of pleasure coursed through her body.
“Are you alright?” his voice was throaty, full of desire against her ear.
Beatrice nodded as his mouth found her neck and started kissing her as his hands pulled up the nightgown and lifted it over her head.
Thomas stood back a little way to admire her nakedness, and Beatrice wrapped her arms around herself, feeling suddenly bashful under the gaze of this handsome man.
“You’re beautiful,” he smiled gently at her before pulling her to him again.
This time his mouth found her breasts, his hot lips sucking on her small nipples until she could hardly bear the pleasure, and when he started to push her down onto the soft bed she did not resist. She wanted him as much as he needed her. She could feel his long fingers slide up towards her inner thigh and instinctively she let her legs relax, allowing him easy entry. He brushed over her soft mound and she let out a small moan of anticipation as his fingers slid gently into her soft, moist recesses. Beatrice moaned with pleasure as his agile fingers slipped inside her, she had never been touched so intimately before.
Now kneeling at her side, Beatrice looked up into his face, now a mask of desire. Parting her legs slightly he lowered his mouth onto her, his tongue quickly licking into her wet folds and moving slowly over her wetness. She arched her back as waves of pleasure flooded her body as he flicked his tongue lightly over her. When it seemed almost too much to bear Thomas stopped, kneeling once again before her. This time he started to remove his clothing, his hands shaking with pent up desire. First he removed his shirt and standing up began to unfasten his breeches, his ardor already discernible in the bulge of the material.
Beatrice had never seen a man naked before and Thomas looked perfect in the moonlight and now undressed he joined her on the bed
, covering her with half of his body whilst supporting his weight with the other half. He stretched out her arms above her head and she could feel his hard cock against her leg, hot and throbbing. It felt thick and long and her body ached to have him inside her. Shifting his position she felt his weight upon her, his large manhood poised and gently pushing at her.
She was a virgin, had hardly kissed a man let alone been penetrated by one, and the thought slightly frightened her. She braced herself as his large cock pushed at her opening. She felt a dull ache as his girth stretched and tore into her. Arching her back she moved onto him and with one firm push he was inside her.
There was a slight stab of pain as his flesh tore at her virginity, but this was quickly replaced by a feeling of pure passion as she felt him throbbing inside her. He moved gently at first, but soon his thrusts became more urgent and she was lost in the rhythm of their lovemaking, her eyes closed. A wave of ecstasy pulsed through her as Thomas’s shouts and moans reached a crescendo and he came with a loud shudder.
Deep in her bliss Beatrice did not at first notice the changes in Thomas. His sexual moans had turned to a deep growling sound, his arms gripping her against the bed. Half opening her eyes she looked into his face, his eyes were different, now amber and burning with a deep, animal fire. Backing away from her, Thomas stood, naked and magnificent in the moonlight. His body was changing, a dark hair now covering his skin and his face changing, morphing, the nose more dominant, the arms filling out, the fingers no more but replaced by paws and claws. The full moon rose high above their heads and Beatrice could see quite clearly that Lord Thomas Selkirk had turned into a bear.
Her body shook with fear, suddenly the air had become cold, but she remembered what he said
“Never be afraid of me that is all I ask, whatever happens. I will never hurt you, ever.”
Beatrice looked at the bear hardly believing her eyes, yet this was Thomas, the man that was Thomas was somewhere deep inside. She looked at the eyes, now changed, but she trusted the creature, trusted him.
The bear waved its great paws at the orb of the moon through the window, growling at the clear sky. Its grunts became louder, sharper as if the animal were in some sort of pain and calling out into the night for help. Then all was still again.
Beatrice watched in amazement as the beast began to wither before her eyes until Thomas was finally restored to her once more, falling onto the floor once the transformation was complete.
Running towards him she hugged the limp form of Thomas to her chest, he looked dazed, as if coming out of a deep sleep.
“You saw?”
Beatrice nodded, “But I still don’t understand”.
Thomas sat up, recovering, finding his voice once more.
“It is said that my family were once cursed by the forest witches for taking their lands and the legend has it that every first born son will be cursed with the blood of the bear. Whatever the truth about my ancestors there is some dark magic at play that turns me into a bear on the onset of the full moon, especially when I am in a state of heightened emotion”
Beatrice breathed deeply, trying to take in the details of the strange story, she only half believed him even though she had seen the transformation happen right in front of her very eyes.
“Is there no cure?”
Thomas smiled at her, shrugging his shoulders. “I have learned to control my inner bear to ensure that the beast doesn’t take over completely, that some of the man, some of the essence of who I truly am remains inside to control the animal within. Gertrude knew about this and tried to help me with her potions. Unfortunately it seems she wanted to control me too”.
He stroked her face softly with his fingers, the tips barely brushing her soft skin.
“Can you still love me after all you have seen tonight?”
She could scarcely believe the events of the evening. It all seemed unreal now in the peace and quiet. She was sorry for Gertrude, but if Thomas hadn’t stepped in, then it would be her body now lying beneath that sheet.
She didn’t need to answer; her eyes were shining brightly as she wrapped her arms around him.
The couple stood close together and looked out at the moon. It had been a long night and their future stretched out before them; unfettered by the past.
Tomorrow would be a new dawn on an old world. THE END
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Silver Wolf
Chapter 1
“Get out! Take your comic books and your stupid video games and get the hell out of my house!” Jana had reached her breaking point. She had had enough of coming in second, and playing mommy to a thirty-three-year-old man-child.
“Come on, Jana. You don’t mean that. I love you, baby.” Charlie begged. He didn’t want to leave. He had nowhere to go and no job. He ducked as Jana hurled a shoe at his head.
“Love? I don’t want your kind of love! Love means putting your dirty laundry in the basket, not next to it.” She picked up a pile of the said laundry and dumped it out the window. “Love means pulling your weight, like I don’t know, getting a damn job.” She stepped up toe to toe with Charlie, only inches from his face. “Love means, I’m not your mother. I’m your partner and your equal.” Her voice dropped several decibels, not much louder than a whisper. “I don’t want to raise a grown man. Get. Out.” She didn’t budge. There were a few close calls over the course of their five-year relationship, but she always backed down and reconsidered. She’d talk herself out of it by rationalizing his bad behavior. It wasn’t like he was abusing her, but she was unhappy and fed up, and If she didn’t get rid of Charlie now, she’d likely kill him for sure.
“Jana, please. Let’s talk about this.” Charlie’s big brown eyes watered and went puppy dog. Despite his parasitic tendencies and beta personality, he really did love her. On some level she knew and appreciated that, but love wasn’t enough.
Jana stepped back and stared down at her shoes. She was tired. The kind of tired that had soaked into the marrow of every bone, and added a five-hundred pound weight to her shoulders. “We’ve talked enough. I don’t want to go around with you on this again. Your promises mean nothing and I don’t trust you to follow through with anything you say. It’s over, Charlie.” She maneuvered into the kitchen and grabbed his keys off the island. The Stormtrooper keychain dangling in front of her removed any lingering doubts she may have been having. She unhooked the house key from the bunch and handed the rest to her now ex-boyfriend. “Just go.”
Charlie took his keys and watched Jana sulk into their bedroom– her bedroom now – and lock the door. She had managed to use everything he owned in there as ammunition against him, so he had no reason to go in; except to try and keep her. “Jana?” he said with a knock. “Jana, don’t do this. I can be better. I swear.”
“He said for the umpteenth time. I don’t want you to do better, I want you to go.” Jana curled up on her bed and shut down. For the better part of five years she begged, yelled, bribed, discussed, tolerated, and wore herself out trying to get Charlie to participate in their lives, but he wouldn’t. Starting out, Charlie was an up and coming graphic designer. He showed a lot of promise to the firms around Seattle, but as Jana climbed her own career ladder, and made more money as the real estate market righted itself, Charlie decided he didn’t have to work as hard; and then to not work at all. He got himself a mistress – his precious Xbox – and decided he didn’t want to be an adult anymore as he lost himself in a world of computer generated make believe.
The sad irony was, it was his child-like nature and immaturity that drew Jana to him in the first place. Charlie was fun. He had an amazing sense of humor, didn’t take himself too seriously, and was a ton of fun in the sack; at least in the beginning. There was a warmth and charm that Jana really liked, and eventually grew to love
about him. Most of the first year with Charlie was wonderful; she just couldn’t figure out what happened after that.
The relationship turned her into someone she hated. Jana always saw those women out and about who would get bent out of shape at their boyfriends or husbands and for a long time, she had gone out of her way to avoid that kind of behavior. Now, she understood how those women wound up that way. Most of them weren’t born shrews and ice queens, but after a gradual wearing down process by the man-children they chose to partner with, they transformed into shrieking harpies with no patience.
Jana remembered being fun once upon a time. There was a time in her life when she was rarely angry to the point of screaming, and now she was tired of being angry and anxious all. She could handle stress in one part of her life, not all parts. She missed the relaxed, carefree side of herself, and she missed having sex– scratch that, she missed having good sex. Once playful romps with Charlie had turned into a lazy event that made her feel like Charlie was obligated to sleep with her occasionally because that’s what couples were supposed to do. She had stopped seeing the point after a while since Charlie made her feel as though she was no more important than a flashlight to him. The frequency had also dropped off to once a month or less. On the rare occasion she even felt attracted to Charlie, he was usually too busy arguing with twelve-year olds online to be bothered with her double-ds wrapped in lace.