by Gina Kincade
“Wait the never ask about twin?” Cassidy asked. “I remember when I moved here a few years ago, I asked Derek about him when I ran into him at the store. He got this weird look and said I was never to speak of him again.”
“Yeah,” Zoe said quietly. “He was my best friend growing up. I was always expected to marry Derek, I’ve been asking myself off and on for a long time now why I was going to commit myself to him. Seeing him and Brent again made me realize that I was with the wrong twin.”
“Thank goodness you’ve come to your senses,” Cassidy said. “Although for your sake, I hope that Liam isn’t as much of a dick as his brother.”
“No, they are complete opposites,” admitted Zoe. “You’re the second person I told and I’ve gotten the same reaction from both.”
“You know that I love you right?” Cassidy asked her.
“Yeah, I love you too,” Zoe replied. Cassidy was the sister she’d never had.
“Good,” Cassidy smiled. “Let’s get to work.” She said when she found a parking spot at the station. Going in they went to the empty unit that was waiting for them. Hopping inside they buckled up and drove to the Saginaw Heights mall.
***
“Take him for x-rays,” Brent ordered the orderly. He came in when he heard about what happened at the mall, knowing that they would need some extra help. Fucking drunk drivers. From what the first responders had told him, a guy driving drunk had slammed into the Crawling Bugs pizza place at the mall.
Crawling Bugs was always filled with kids and their parents. It was the place to hold kid parties with its costumed characters, pizza and arcade like games. It being a Saturday night, was packed. So far he’d taken care of three kids, thankfully they had minor scrapes and bruises.
Going to the entrance of the emergency room, he thought of the other night with Zoe and Liam. He was anxious to go back to Ravana, all these humans being stupid to each other made him want to scream. Ravana wasn’t perfect, but it was much safer. Especially for the women.
Any man that thought of hurting a woman had his genitals cut off, no anesthesia. Cheating on someone was enough to cast them off the island. Ravana was a pansexual community, there was no reason to go behind someone’s back and lie. You want someone? They want you? You fuck them then go back to your mates. Most of the time, your mates were there with you.
Even though she had the look of a good girl, Brent knew that Zoe had a sexuality inside her that had yet to be explored. He relished the idea that he and Liam were going to awaken her to the pleasures of the flesh. He couldn’t wait to watch her lesbian initiation.
Watching someone lose their same sex virginity was one of the most erotic things he ever witnessed. He remembered the first time he did it with Liam. Neither one of them had a clue what they were doing. Which explained why he lost control and converted Liam by accident. But instead of freaking out, Liam embraced his new life. He loved being able to shift, especially when he changed into his dragon form.
Brent was thrilled that Liam picked the same two animals as he was. He wondered what animals Zoe would choose. She would make a hot as hell wolf, and an even sexier dragon. But it was her decision to decide. It was something that she’d talk to the Goddess about.
His heart smiled when he saw Zoe come in with a stretcher, accompanied by the same woman she’d seen with her before. He believed her name was Cassidy. “Hey Zoe.”
“Hi Brent,” Zoe smiled at him. “Our patient is little Tommy Burns. He appears to have a broken femur, and possibly a concussion.”
“Thanks,” Brent told her. “Bring him to examination room four.”
“Okay.” They followed him into the room and transferred him over to the bed.
“Where’s his parents?”
“They should be here any minute,” answered Cassidy. “They chose to drive. If it were my kid you’d believe my ass would have been riding in the ambulance.”
“Thanks, and I share your sentiment,” Brent acknowledged. Something about Cassidy made him like her. He could tell that she was maybe not as human as she appeared to be. He’d be willing to bet she was a witch.
“Can I talk to you a minute?” She asked when Zoe left to greet Tommy’s parents.
“Sure.”
“Take Zoe home with you.”
“What?” Brent couldn’t believe what he heard. Did Zoe tell her?
“I know what you are,” Cassidy told her. “But I also see that you love her. I hope Liam feels the same otherwise I will skin you alive and hang both of you on my wall without remorse, if either one of you hurt her.”
“How do you know what I am?” Brent asked her.
“You know what I am,” Cassidy told him. “I saw the recognition in your eyes. But Zoe doesn’t know. I’m only here because it’s a requirement that I have to work with humans for five years before getting to go back to my home.”
“You’re from Tempura.” Tempura was the neighboring island of Ravana. It was run and controlled by women. The men that lived there were there for mostly breeding purposes. The goddess of Tempura deemed men too unreliable.
Time had shown the women of Tempura that while most men were good, there were a lot of them that felt because they were born with a cock that they can take whatever and whomever they wanted. The consequence for sexual assault there was even more severe than on Ravana.
Tempura and Ravana and other neighboring universes, were created by the gods and goddesses of the universe.
“Yes, I’m from Tempura,” admitted Cassidy.
“What do you know about Derek?” Brent asked her.
“He’s cheating on her with at least four different women, and engaged to at least one of them. The one he’s engaged to, lives in another state. He’s a sleaze ball.”
“Don’t worry we’re leaving in a day or two,” he assured her.
“You need to claim her sooner than that,” Cassidy told him.
“What?” Zoe and Brent said at the same time.
“Zoe I didn’t hear you come in,” Cassidy told her.
“Obviously,” Zoe replied. “What’s going on?”
“Be ready,” Brent told her. “We’re taking you after your shift is over.”
“What is going on? How do you know Cassidy?” asked Zoe.
“We just met,” answered Brent.
“Don’t lie to me,” Zoe told him.
“We’re not lying,” Cassidy said to her.
“Than what is going on?” Zoe started to tap her foot.
“It’s Derek,” Cassidy admitted. “I believe he’s going to try and kill you if you go through with the wedding.”
“How do you know?” Zoe asked.
“I can’t say how I know, you’ll think that I’m a total freak,” Cassidy replied.
“We’ll talk after our shift is over. You’re my best friend, there isn’t anything that you can tell me that will make me love you any less,” Zoe told her.
“Zoe?” Brent said. “Come here.” Brent almost found it hard to breathe when she walked towards him. A wary look on her face. It’s time to start making his claim in front of everyone. Gods and Goddesses he loved this woman.
“What do you want?” She stared up at him.
“This,” he framed her face and kissed her. She immediately leaned into him and kissed him in return. Her hands going around his waist, he relished the feel of her hands sliding under the scrubs he wore. “I’ll see you after work. Be careful.”
“Okay and you too,” Zoe kissed him one last time before leaving.
Chapter THREE
Zoe stepped in the shower at the station and sighed. She was exhausted. It had been a long two days. When not on a call her mind was all over the place. What kind of secret was Cassidy hiding?
She’d met Cassidy Graves shortly after starting college. They were both in the paramedic program at Saginaw State University. They instantly hit it off and had been friends ever since. After training they both made it their mission to not only work at the same statio
n but eventually become each other’s partners.
There was always something mysterious about Cassidy. When she went home on vacation she never said where home was. She wore her hair pulled back when on duty, but when off duty it was glorious dark hair that hung to her waist. Her eyes were a gorgeous almond color, with skin the color of a deep sun tan.
She thought about what Cassidy had said about Derek trying to kill her. She knew that he didn’t really love her, but kill her? Why? It didn’t make sense. But nothing she’d learned over the past few days made sense.
She knew Derek didn’t like Cassidy either. It had always been a bone of contention between them. Derek objected to the fact that he knew that Cassidy was a lesbian. He kept asking Zoe if she’d tried to make a pass at her. Something she never really thought about until the last couple of days.
After Liam and Brent had dropped her off at her parents’ house, she went to her computer and looked up the word pansexual. When she read the definition her jaw dropped. Did they expect her to be with other women? Truth was she thought about it once in a while. What woman didn’t? She would be willing to try, for them, but what if she didn’t like it? Would they still expect her to be with women if she didn’t want it?
If she was going to be with another woman, she wanted her first time to be with someone she knew. Not a stranger. She knew that Cassidy found her attractive. She’d said it often enough. Normally it was said in a joking way. But some part of Zoe knew that if Zoe told Cassidy yes, she’d be naked in minutes.
Stepping out of the shower, she put on her clothes and went into the room she shared with Cassidy. Their beds had already made, her stuff was packed. She looked around the station and thought about the possibility that she could possibly not be coming back. She loved working as a paramedic. She wondered whether Ravana needed paramedics.
She knew without a doubt now that she belonged with Brent and Liam. The last few days proved that to her. She spent most nights thinking of nothing but them and what it would be like to be able to change into a wolf or something. But she meant what she had, that she needed to end things with Derek first.
“You okay?” Cassidy asked her.
“Yes and no,” Zoe sat on the bed for a minute. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. But I know we need to talk. I want to know everything that you’re hiding. You’re my best friend, I won’t love you less if you suddenly admitted that you were a card carrying witch and that you have your own broom. “Oh shit. I was just kidding.”
Cassidy’s face had turned a pale white. All the color draining from her face. “I know. Can we go to my place and talk?”
“We can start talking in the car,” replied Zoe.
“I don’t know where to start,” Cassidy said once they were in the car.
“The beginning.”
“I’m a card carrying, broom riding witch. I’m from a place called Tempura. It’s actually near Ravana,” replied Cassidy.
“You mean like you have actual powers? How freaking cool,” Zoe said excitedly. “Can you do something? I don’t care what.”
“You mean you’re not freaked out?” Cassidy looked at her.
“I assume that if you’re from this place called Tempura and you know about Ravana that you know what Liam and Brent are?” Zoe asked.
“Yeah, I know,” Cassidy admitted.
“After they told me that their kind existed, I started to wonder about the other stuff,” confessed Zoe. “Can I ride your broom one day? Or is there only room for one? And you still haven’t shown me any magic.”
“Zoe Whitaker I love you,” Cassidy started to laugh.
“Good I love you too,” Zoe said. “So does that mean when I go to Ravana, I’ll get to see you occasionally? If you’re from another place, why are you here?”
“Yes, we can see each other if you’d like,” Cassidy replied. “The reason why I’m here is that the women of Tempura have to go to this dimension to work with humans for five years. It’s a way for us to keep tabs on the humans. We work with the gods and goddesses. Ravana is very pansexual as I’m sure they told you. But Tempurians are not.”
“You’re lesbians?” asked Zoe.
“Yeah for the most part. We have men there but we are in control. We use them when we need to reproduce. Although there are some within our colony that like to be with men and women. But unlike this dimension, it isn’t a big crime or sin,” explained Cassidy.
“You mention dimensions. How many dimensions are there?” Zoe asked her. “I know I’m asking a bunch of questions, feel free to stop me at any time.”
“I don’t mind answering them whatsoever,” answered Cassidy. “There are seven dimensions, each with islands or continents similar to earth. I'm from the sixth dimension, so is Brent.”
“Brent and Liam explained about the whole Noah’s Ark thing. To be honest I never bought the whole one boat thing,” admitted Zoe.
“You’re right. There were several ships,” confirmed Cassidy. Noah, his brother James, Pantheon the Goddess of Wiccans, were the heads of the different religions were also in charge of the ships. They were in charge of recreating Earth once the rains had stopped. “
“Mean James in the King James bible James?” she asked.
“Yeah the guy who wrote his version of what happened. There were other books written, but those were destroyed. The people on James ship were some of the worse. They created the lie that said men were supposed to rule the Earth.”
“Oh wow,” Zoe commented.
“Yeah,” agreed Cassidy. “Zoe? You know that going to Ravana there is a strong possibility that you’re going to be with women and men?”
“Yeah, I’ve done a lot of thinking about it,” Zoe replied. “I wanted to talk to you about that.”
“Me?”
Zoe told her. “I don’t want my first time to be with a strange woman that I don’t know.”
“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?”
“Maybe,” admitted Zoe. “Would you object?”
“No,” Cassidy replied. “I'd be honored.”
“Really?” Zoe got excited.
“I've wanted you for a long time,” Cassidy told her. “You have to be mated to Liam and Brent first.”
“I'll ask them if they don’t mind.” Zoe promised. “What’s it like? Having sex with another female?”
“It’s hard to describe,” replied Cassidy. “Once you try it, I’m betting that you’re going to love it.”
Zoe’s stomach dropped when Cassidy parked in front of the hospital. This was it. She was going to end things with Derek Barnes. She was more nervous about his reaction. She had a feeling he wouldn’t be taking the news very well.
“I'll wait for you.”
“Thanks,” Zoe took a deep breath and sighed and exited the car.
She was not looking forward to talking to Derek at all. He always treated her like she was an airhead, and even when she’d say something he’d just about pat her on the head. Hearing giggling she turned her head and her mouth dropped.
Derek’s pants were down around his ankles and he had some girl pressed against the tree. That had to be painful on the boobs, was her first thought. “Dr. Barnes you better hurry up and come, my break is almost over,” the girl urged Derek.
Zoe just stood there with her arms folded and waited. Wow, he certainly had a lot of stamina she thought. With her it was you blink and missed it. Finally she heard a groan, which usually signaled he was about to come.
Sure enough, he stepped away from Ms. Tree Hugger and pulled his pants up. When he turned around he froze.
“Busted,” Zoe said.
“Zoe, I can explain. I was helping her,” Derek lied.
“What get tree bark burn? I wonder if that’s a thing,” she asked him. “I hope you used a condom.”
“No, he doesn’t like them. Said they’re not comfortable,” The girl turned around. Zoe recognized her as Natalie who worked on the third floor.
“Really? That�
�s interesting,” commented Zoe. “He always wears one with me, said one can never be too careful. But I don’t have to worry about that anymore, he’s all yours.”
“Zoe wait,” Derek grabbed her arm. “Don’t do this. It didn’t mean anything.”
. “Everyone told me that you were cheating. But I thought I’d give you the benefit of the doubt. Shows what a dumbass I was. But I’m not anymore. We are through.”
“He wouldn’t have to fool around if you weren’t so uptight,” Natalie told her.
“Is that what he told you?” Zoe rolled her eyes. “He used to tell me that anything beyond the standard missionary position was for women who are sluts. Said that as the future mother of his children that I had to be respectable.”
“Really?” Natalie looked at Derek. “Is that what I am to you? A slut?”
“Look Zoe, let’s go somewhere we can talk,” Derek told her.
“No,” Zoe answered. “That’s all we’ve ever done is talk. Every word out of your mouth has been nothing but lies. I’m leaving now. Do not contact me again.”
“Are you forgetting that we have an engagement party in a couple weeks?”
“No, but you did or you didn’t care,” Zoe replied. “We’ll make it easy. You contact your side, I’ll contact my side and bam, no issue.”
“I suggest you think this through,” Derek said. “It’s obvious you’re emotionally unstable at the moment. I know once you think about it, that you’ll forgive me and go ahead with the wedding.”
“Do I look stupid to you?” Zoe asked him. “Natalie? Do I look emotionally unstable?”
“No you look like you’re pissed off. Derek why not let her go? We can be together like you said you always wanted.” Natalie said to him.
“Do you honestly think that if he married you that he would stay true to you? Once a cheater always a cheater,” Zoe asked her. “I’ve heard from several sources that you’re not the only one. Apparently there are some in other places.”
“Zoe who’s been telling you these things?” It was then that he saw Cassidy in the car watching everything. “I see. You’re aware that Cassidy only told you those things because she wanted me and I told her no,” Derek lied.