I kept walking, my eyes in search for red hair and a red coat. I turned a corner and realized that I was at the sports bar. My eyes glanced over to the other side of the street and I saw her. She was upset this time and walking with heavy feet. I felt a brief sense of relief until I heard the roaring engine of a bright yellow Jaguar as it barreled up the street. The guy in the driver’s seat didn’t seem to be paying attention to the road and he was swerving all over the place.
I acted before I could watch what would happen. I created a portal quicker than I ever have before and jumped over to the other side of the road. Just as the driver veered to the right and jumped the curb, I grabbed Melina and jumped just as quickly to my place in Midtown. We appeared in my foyer and she was frozen against me. Her hands clutched my coat with a death grip and I held onto her tight, my arms wrapped around her as we both recovered from the shock and rush of adrenaline that the near death experience brought us.
“Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay,” I said and Melina nodded her head woodenly against my chest.
“We just teleported…we teleported and you saved my life,” she gasped with blind shock in her voice.
“Yeah…I told you I was here to save you. But I’m not going to leave you Melina. I love you and I want to be with you,” I said.
Melina pulled back a fraction and she looked up into my eyes with her wide blue ones. She studied my face for a long moment as I looked back at her with sincerity.
“I was just scared that…I was just scared that you would leave me once you managed to save me, that we’d amount to nothing,” she said with a shaky voice. I shook my head no.
“I have never told another woman that I love her before, apart from my mother. I don’t say it to you lightly. I do love you Melina and I want to be with you,” I said earnestly and she gave me a watery smile.
“Good…because I love you too,” she said and I smiled from ear to ear.
“Are you sure?” I asked her and she laughed, but then nodded.
“I’m sure,” she said and then I picked her up and twirled her around in a circle before I set her down and pressed my lips to hers. The reality of my having saved her set in and I grew ecstatic.
“You’re alive! We’re here together!” I said enthusiastically. She giggled as she wiped her eyes of unshed tears.
“We are, all thanks to you…I’m sorry I made it difficult though, I shouldn’t have left Jayden’s apartment. I should have stayed inside,” she said with a sniffle and I hugged her again.
“As long as you’re here now, as long as you’re here,” I said.
*****
Melina and I teleported back to Jayden’s place where we had dinner and he gave her the scarf he’d made. Melina absolutely loved it. I respected his ability to make her smile.
After dinner I didn’t want to take any chances. I teleported back to my apartment with her and she sat down in the living room with a ton of questions for me.
“So…how long have you been able to time travel?” she asked curiously. I shrugged.
“I was always able to do it; I just didn’t know how until it just…happened. Same thing with teleporting. I was always able to make the little cracks in time, I just didn’t realize it or hone in on it until I was thirteen,” I answered.
“Can your parents do it? Do they know about you?” I shook my head.
“They have no idea…though sometimes when I think back to my childhood I think my grandfather was able to do it. He was always off on ‘business trips’. He always said that I was special, too, that I was just like him,” I said. Melina’s eyes widened a fraction as she took in the information.
“Well not even your parents know, I guess I can’t be too mad at you for not telling me before,” I chuckled.
“I don’t think they would take it well at all. I never told anyone because I was scared of becoming some lab rat, or worse,” I said. Melina nodded thoughtfully and she got up to walk into the kitchen for ice cream.
“So…if we had a baby boy then he’d be able to teleport and time travel like you?” Melina asked cautiously.
“Now that you mention it…my grandfather only had two girls and my mother’s sister only had daughters. And I’m the only child of my parent’s.” I said. “Maybe it’s some weird trait passed on to boys in our family.”
“Interesting,” she said. I watched Melina scoop out some ice cream into a small glass bowl, then put the carton of chocolate ice cream with cookie and brownie dough back into the freezer.
“So what do you think about all this, really?” I asked her. She shook her head.
“I think I’ve overcome the shock and I’m coming to terms with it. After all I’m a little bit stuck with you,” she said as she ate a spoonful of ice cream.
“You’re stuck with me?” I asked and she smirked.
“Well yeah, it’s not like I’m leaving you. I love you, and you did travel back in time to save me from dying so we can be together. Right?” I smiled. She was right. Though I hadn’t fully realized it at the time that’s exactly why I went back.
“You read me like a book. What can I say, it was love at first sight for me,” Melina laughed and I watched her finish her ice cream. I wanted to make sure she was done before I threw her over my shoulder and took her to my bedroom. Melina giggled the whole way over and I plopped her down onto the bed.
“I’m so glad it’s Friday, because I don’t think I’ll let you out of here for a long, long time.” I said. She quirked an eyebrow at me.
“Is that a promise?” she said and I smiled devilishly before I attacked her with tickles. Her laughter turned into moans as I pressed the bulge in my pants right against her core and nibbled on her neck. I pushed her sweater up and then kissed the soft skin of her stomach, waist, and hips which were moving restlessly under my hands. I unfastened her jeans and then pulled them slowly down along with her panties. When her clothing hit the floor I spread her legs and then put my mouth against her slick folds.
Melina’s hips moved restlessly as she rubbed herself against my mouth. I flicked my tongue against her clitoris relentlessly and she tangled her fingers in my hair as I worked her towards orgasm. Melina came swiftly and she shuddered as waves of pleasure coursed through her.
We undressed each other quickly. Neither of us could wait to be lost in the other. I spread her legs and then pushed myself into her sweet, warm depths. She clenched and squeezed around me impatiently and I grit my teeth as the pleasure shot through my cock and up from the base of my spine all throughout me.
“Uhh,” I breathed and she squeezed me again. I groaned and began to move, thrusting into her until she was calling out my name. We both came together.
I wasn’t sure how it could have gotten any better with Melina, but it had. As we lay beside each other, spent, I whispered to her.
“So do you want to go to Italy tomorrow after your rehearsal?” I asked and she looked up at me strangely. I gave her a pointed look and realization dawned on her face.
“Wow, this is crazy…we can actually do that,” she said and I laughed at her expression.
“Yeah, we can go wherever you want to go, you name it,” I said and she grinned.
“Then let’s go to Italy tomorrow, I’ve always wanted to see Rome,” she said just before she pulled my head to hers for a scorching kiss. I groaned and she broke the kiss to look at me questioningly.
“Kissing me like that won’t get us to Italy; we might have to sleep in tomorrow instead,” I said, and she smacked my lightly on the chest.
“You know, this means I get to pull out my bucket list of places to visit and you have to take me to each one,” she said. I smiled.
“Yes,” I said.
The End
Bonus Story 4 of 40
Command of the Dragon
Arielle hummed a melodious hymn to herself softly as she absent-mindedly brushed her fingers across the tall, tangled wildflowers surrounding her. Her head was tilted back, letting the cool b
reeze of the early autumn night caress her face as she focused on the dazzling lights of Ansuul, the floating, shining city, which hung high above the rising moon. She watched a plane lazily fly away from the twinkling skyline, its flashing wingtip lights winking back at the luxe cityscape.
“Arielle!” cried the voice of her haughty older sister, echoing from the shadowy valley below. “Arielle, come down here, now!”
“I have to go,” Arielle said in a fierce whisper to the three small glowing fairies that swirled around her. She peeked around the corner of her secret, shaded nook etched into the hillside to see if the Dragonruu guards were paying attention.
The stout, twin Dragonruu guards shifted their heavy feet and snorted nonchalantly. They stood in their fully shifted dragon form at the gates of the twisting pathway that led up the side of the mountain to an elevator-like tube. They were there to stop any human who dared try to pass the gates to gain access to the lift that separated Ansuul and Denbyshire. Ansuul was the floating, glittering city where the fierce and far-advanced race of Dragonruu conducted their fast-paced lives; while Denbyshire was a smaller city nestled in the valley, where humans resided entirely separately from Ansuul.
Her hidden grotto was Arielle’s refuge – it was the highest point in Denbyshire, and allowed a fantastic view of Ansuul’s majestic skyline. Every time she made these late night voyages, it was always a serious risk. There was always the possibility of being seen by the ruthless guards, who always guarded the gate. Humans, and Dragonruu for that matter, were not supposed to wander out this far into what was known as the ‘Outlands’.
Ansuul and Denbyshire were in closest proximity to each other here in this wretched region. Only the fairies, witches, or cursed beasts, who had once been experimented on and dumped by the cruel Dragonruu, roamed the Outlands in eternal purgatory. If she were caught in the Outlands, the best Arielle could hope for was to be reported for misdemeanor behavior, which meant being forced to perform punishing deeds for the Dragonruu. At worst, the guards could chase her down and ravage her on the spot, if she managed to provoke their volatile nature so.
Arielle darted through the swaying, tall grass warily, soon catching up to her sister and their family’s horse, Annabelle. Caroline, the oldest sister out of the five girls, swiftly picked up Arielle’s light body by an arm, swooping her onto Annabelle’s back behind her.
“You missed vocal rehearsal AGAIN, Arielle. Not only is Ms. Hollingway furious, but she notified Mom and Dad this time! You’re NEVER going to make your way to Ansuul!”
Caroline’s threat hurt worse than the throbbing pain in Arielle’s shoulder from where she had grabbed her. She shifted in the saddle uncomfortably without replying, as Caroline heeled Annabelle’s loping canter into a gallop.
She looked over her shoulder woefully, yet still feeling mystified, as Ansuul’s neon lights began to fade out of sight. Arielle had a stubborn nature, and her grandiose dreams certainly reflected that. Her awe and wonder of the great Dragonruu race was shared among all human citizens of Denbyshire. But, Arielle yearned for more; she wanted to see humans become truly accepted among the Dragonruu, coexisting with them peacefully in both cities. But, the Dragonruu remained relentless in keeping their race pure and separate from humankind. They did not dare, nor care, ever to accept a human among their own kind as an equal. In fact, they only used the humans’ talents for entertainment purposes only.
Though the Dragonruu males and females were genetically modified into aesthetic perfection that always captivated the imperfect humans’ attention, they lacked inner beauty. They had no empathy, could not express compassion, and were unable to love. Thus, they were fascinated by both the frailty and range of emotions humans possessed and could portray through singing, dancing, or acting. However, the boundaries between the two races remained quite impermeable. Things had been that way ever since the Dragonruu’s wayward spaceship crashed upon Denbyshire’s shores over a hundred years ago.
The Dragonruu in that spaceship instantly knew upon their unplanned arrival that they had intruded onto a world they could easily rule over. Though they looked like beautiful human beings on the outside, possessed extremely high levels of intelligence, and had advanced sensory systems, they held an innate, dark secret: each Dragonruu was able to shape-shift quickly into a fierce, fire breathing, clawed and scaly dragon form, one that easily garnered the agility and strength of a thousand men to one. The Dragonruu’s ferocity was undeniable, and the human ancestors quickly ceded their land over to the beasts after a quick and brutal defeat. The sinister beings enslaved the humans and capitalized on their abilities and talents to invest in the construction of a newfound and permanent kingdom that would reside high above.
For the next generations of humans, some detested the Dragonruu and lived bitter lives with secret plans of some newfound form of vengeance. Others, like Arielle’s family, learned to accept the way things were and abide by Dragonruu law. Many families had built up a business rapport with the Dragonruu, who allowed civil exchanges of goods, and invited the most talented humans to perform in Ansuul. Rules were very strict and punishments were savage, so most humans lived in giddy fear and awe of the mesmerizing and intimidating Dragonruu. They often worked their entire lives just for a slim opportunity to be invited to play in the lavish kingdom Ansuul.
Arielle’s mother and sisters were seamstresses by day, sewing fanciful and original gowns that Dragonruu females sought out as novelty items to wear to big events and galas. Arielle’s father was a farmer – half of the profits he made from harvesting his crops and exporting them abroad were kept for the family, while the other half of the profits were collected every Friday evening at Twilight by the Dragonruu, during their regimented and precise once-a-week interaction with humans.
The Dragonruu were free to do as they pleased when they entered Denbyshire. They could overtake a family’s house and throw a wild party, vandalize stores or steal from homes, and some of the sadistic dragon men even picked young, female human virgins to take into the woods in order to have their way with them. Other more refined and dignified Dragonruu were interested in pursuing humans in business matters only. Accountants would collect half of all humans’ weekly earnings; talent agents would scout at weekly auditions for talented humans to back up to Ansuul to perform there.
Arielle finally twisted back around, gingerly holding tight to her sister’s slender frame as Annabelle galloped onwards towards their brick two-story home on the farm. Two of Arielle’s sisters had once been invited to personal callbacks by Dragonruu talent agents, but had been eliminated in a final round upon the agents’ final decisions. However, the girls were still awarded heavy amounts of prize money, which afforded the family to live in the modest home, as well as buy a horse and build a barn, which greatly aided in their father’s profession as a farmer. Arielle’s parents used most of the money they were allowed to keep to send their daughters to a performing arts school which specialized in vocals and theatre.
Caroline, the oldest of the five girls, was a senior; Olivia and Erika, who were identical twins, were juniors; Angela, the fourth child, was a sophomore, and Arielle, the youngest, was a precocious freshman at the prestigious school. It was clear in the first practice session to Ms. Hollingway, the school’s stern and competitive vocal coach, that Arielle’s voice not only outshone her older sisters’, but the entire freshmen class. Ms. Hollingway was blown away with Arielle’s natural talent and was eager to fine-tune her skills to help her land an audition. Ms. Hollingway knew Arielle would triumph over the other girls and be plucked from the group easily.
Arielle couldn’t help but steal one last glance back over her shoulder at the lights of Ansuul before black tree branches obscured them, as Annabelle pounded down the dirt pathway into the thick and spooky woods. Arielle dreaded the conversation with her parents and Ms. Hollingway. How could Arielle ever reveal her true dreams to anyone but the field fairies? She loved to sing, and she was confident in her nature-given talen
t, though she had a shier, more thoughtful demeanor than her sisters; Arielle was often lost in deep thought. She was also a very smart girl, and always curious.
She heard through the fairies that the jazzy facade of Dragonruu show business hid a somewhat dismal future for young human talent. Human performers were harshly treated as objects only, and not always celebrated in the magical way the human population was tricked into believing. The desired and “celebrated” human talent, once they were accepted into Ansuul, constantly vied to keep up their popularity to enjoy the rewards and riches. But bound by contract, they were never allowed to return home, as they were too valuable to the Dragonruu. Those performers who had grown weary from being hustled about from show to show by their pushy and greedy agents and had faded from the spotlight, usually tended to somehow mysteriously “disappear” in the big city, and their friends and families never heard from them and about their adventures in Ansuul ever again.
Arielle believed in the gossip from the travelling fairies she had befriended in the Outlands, and she refused to be marketed as a mere object. If she ever had her chance at fame in Ansuul, she dreamed that she would somehow teach the Dragonruu equality and acceptance of the human race. And, a secret fantasy throbbed deep within her young and spirited soul. She wondered, would it ever be possible for a human and Dragonruu to fall in love? She knew better than to voice her wonderings and desires to any other human. Even daring to think such thoughts was considered taboo. Dragonruu fed off the emotions elicited within them from human performers, like a recreational drug. But once the show was over, the feeling faded. They too, knew deep down that they were incapable of ever loving a human, and even each other, for that matter. It was awkward and uncomfortable for the Dragonruu even to bring up the subject of “love”. They only mated with their own kind for procreation, or divulged in lusty encounters with each other or the poor hapless humans back in Denbyshire for sheer physical pleasure.
Two Wolves For Lizette Page 16