by Ava Frost
“Marry me.”
Natalya turned her head, very slowly. Rhys relaxed his grip on her and she would have fled again simply from confusion, but he took both her hands and went down on one knee.
“We’d have to be apart again for just a little while, while we arranged for licenses and permission,” he began softly, speaking low and urgent. “But I want that to be the last time we’re apart. I love you, Natalya. Stay with me. Marry me.”
Earnest brown eyes watched her face, ringed with wolf yellow just around the pupil. Search as she might, she saw nothing but kindness and intensity in the gaze of her wolf.
“I love you,” she told him, and knew it to be true.
Gently, he tugged her down to her knees and engulfed her in his arms, to let her know he would never let her go again.
I will love and nurture my wandering wolf, she swore to herself. He will never have to search again.
Chapter 8
They married six months later. The ceremony was small but open, as neither of them had any friends to invite. Natalya left Russia, at least for the time being. They would worry about renewing her green card when the time came, but that time was not to be today.
She stood in the bathroom, half-dressed on her way to a job interview in the city. Rhys waited outside for his turn, neither of them wanting to be distracted on such a busy day. But before she left, there was something she wanted to check before leaving. A thing she’d been meaning to check for the past several weeks, but had been putting off in favor of adjusting to their new life together.
The slender box lay open and empty on the countertop, the stick in her hand as she watched first one blue line develop, and then, faintly, the second.
Her hand went over her mouth, disbelief and wonder surging up to strike her heart. With her other hand she gripped the edge of the sink until the waves of emotion passed. In their place, she found only excitement.
“Are you going to stay in there all day?” Rhys teased her from outside the door, unaware of what she was doing. A smile broke out across her face, and she opened the door to show him that very soon they would welcome someone new into their life together.
THE END
Dragon Heat
Chapter 1
Samantha peered at the house at the end of the road. Well, it couldn’t be considered much of a road. It was more like…. The driveway to a very large and insanely expensive mansion. She stood outside of the gates, pulling a loose thread off of a pair of old, frayed jeans. ‘If I had known that Mr. Weber lived in a mansion and not a house like a normal person, I would have dressed up.’ She thought.
She started to walk up the path. She got to the gate and tapped the buzzer. The speaker box attached to the brick wall on the gate crackled to life.
“Yes?” The voice that came out sounded wrinkly and formal.
“Hello? I’m Samantha Marshall, the student from Wesley College? I’m interning under Mr. Weber?”
“Yes…. Follow the path to the main house.” The box sizzled out and the gates opened up with a loud creak. Samantha gripped her purse tighter as she walked up the path. It felt colder the closer she got to the front door.
When she was only feet away from it, two large doors pounded open. A frail old man in an argyle sweater and black pants appeared in the doorway. “Miss Marshall?”
“Yes!” She said, shaking off the eerie feel of the manor. She rushed forward and took the old man’s hand in hers. “Mr. Weber! I’m so incredibly excited to meet you, I’ve heard so much about your work and your theories on dissociative identity disorder, and I just have so many questions!”
The old man’s lips curled into a warm smile and he squeezed her hand. “Oh, how sweet. Young lady, I am not Mr. Weber. I’m Mr. Weber’s housekeeper. I was just letting you in.”
“Oh! I apologize, what’s your name?”
“I’m Kenneth Neal. Please follow me, and I’ll take you to Mr. Weber.”
*******
Garrett peered over the staircase. Kenneth was leading Samantha through the entrance to the sitting room. Garrett snacked on a piece of string cheese in his hand as he watched them walk through his home. ‘I would have had time for a full lunch if Samantha hadn’t been so early. Maybe she’s one of those type A personalities.’ He sighed and the tip of his index finger swelled into a fiendish claw, he diced the rest of his cheese in small chunks and popped it into his mouth.
He watched her hips sway as she walked, she probably didn’t even mean to do it, but she had perfect round hips, and a shapely bottom. Her cleavage peeked out just a bit from her V-neck t-shirt, but he did have the absolute best view in the house. He smiled to himself. ‘This will be one of my most exciting internships. Maybe I’ll be dropping off a generous donation at Wesley.’
“I’ll be down in just a second!” He hollered as he took a deep breath and examined his fingers and arms. ‘No scales, no claws I forgot to put away. Good.’ He walked down the spiral staircase.
Samantha had taken a seat in an older style of armchair. The chair had a red velvet material, but it was still relatively comfortable. It’s not like she’d be complaining about any part of her stay while she was completing this internship. Studying under Garrett Weber was an honor, but this would also be one of her last few credits to complete the semester and graduate as a legitimate phycologist.
The stairs creaked and Mr. Weber entered the room. He was taller than she’d expected, and if one wanted to be crass, he was much hotter too. His hair was an auburn color, and it was mostly neat but a few curly ends kissed the back of his neck and his forehead. His skin was sun kissed and looked smooth. ‘I’m surprised he had the opportunity to get a tan at all, he’s in this dreary house most of the time.’ Samantha thought. The living room didn’t allow very much light into the room. There was a single window and thin curtains were drawn on it.
Samantha stood up and walked over to him. Not wanting to feel embarrassed as she had earlier, she waited for him to extend his hand. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Mr. Weber. I’ve already met your housekeeper, Kenneth.”
Mr. Weber grinned, and his smile was uncannily gorgeous. Perfect and straight white teeth with no hint of overbite but obvious sharpness reflected to Samantha. He grabbed her hand, his hand shadowing hers significantly, and bent down. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Samantha.” He planted a kiss on her hand.
Samantha ran a hand through her wavy bundle of burgundy hair. “Oh, the same to you, Mr. Weber.”
She held his stare for a moment; he had the darkest eyes. He straightened back up, but continued to hold her hand in his.
“You don’t have to call me Mr. Weber. Garrett is fine. I won’t be offended, I promise.” He winked, and Samantha inwardly panicked. ‘Don’t over think it, I would hate to see my face right now- I probably look like some idiotic giggling girl.’
“I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping, Samantha. Follow me. Kenneth, can you get something to eat prepared for her? It’s a long car ride from Wesley.”
“I’d love to.” Kenneth said dryly, as he hustled off.
‘The kitchen must be somewhere in that abyss.’ She thought, as she just barely peeled her eyes off of Kenneth’s disappearing shape and followed Garrett up the stairs.
They walked down a long and carpeted hallway and at the end of it, Garrett unlocked one of the doors. “This is where you’ll be staying. Let me or Kenneth know if you need anything. I figured that we could start our research tomorrow after a good night’s sleep.”
For him to be as large as he is, his presence is oddly comforting.’ Samantha nodded. “Okay. I’m really looking forward to working with you… Garrett.” His name on her tongue tasted like ice cream.
Garrett smirked and leaned forward just slightly. “Oh, I’m looking forward to working with you. If you need anything, I’ll be next door.” He pointed to the room adjacent to hers.
“Oh, okay.”
He lingered for a moment with his unrelenting stare, and then he open
ed the door to his bedroom. She couldn’t see anything inside, there was just darkness. He disappeared inside of it.
Samantha walked into her bedroom and shut the door. ‘I’ll be sure to need something.’
Chapter 2
The sun light cut through the thin curtains in Samantha’s bedroom and she lifted the thick duvet off her. Her fingers fanned her skin, as her arms pulled her into an upright position. ‘It feels like I’ve been sleeping for an eternity.’ She thought, rubbing the corners of her eyes.
Samantha glanced around the room and took it all in one more time. ‘How does he have a room this exquisite in his home and use it as a spare?’ The ceilings were almost as high as the ceilings in the hallways of her high school. The walls were painted a soft coral, and paintings of what Samantha presumed to be Garrett’s ancestors hung from two opposite walls of the bedroom. The floors were hard wood, and appeared to be recently installed. ‘Or maybe they have been here the whole time, and this house is just crazy well kept. Does Kenneth do this all by himself?’
She whipped her feet over the side of the bed, and hesitantly stepped onto the floor. Samantha caught a glimpse of herself in the vanity that was just a stone’s throw from the bed and giggled at the sight of herself in an oversized comic book t-shirt, and nothing else. Strands of burgundy shot out of her head at crazy angles.
She took a seat in front of the vanity, and gently tugged her hair tie down the rest of her hair. She fluffed it, and reached over to her backpack and pulled out a bright blue brush. She raked it through her hair, and put it back in her backpack. Her fingers grazed her phone. She took it out and sent a text to her Mom: MADE IT TO MR. WEBER’S HOUSE SAFEY. IT’S LESS OF A HOUSE, AND MORE OF AN OLD STYLE MANOR. WILL YOU FILL YOU IN ON THE DETAILS LATER.
She put her phone away and tugged on a pair of dark blue jeans. Samantha replaced her t-shirt with a form fitting sapphire blouse. As she turned around to check herself out in the mirror, three sharp raps rang out from the door.
“Y-Yes? Mr. Weber?”
“Garrett is waiting for you in the garden. His appointment for the day is starting soon. He wanted to make sure that you were awake.”
“Yes, thank you. Give me a few seconds and I’ll be down- Kenneth, where is the garden?”
“I’ll be outside of the door when you’re ready, I’ll take you there.”
Samantha jogged to the bathroom connected to the bedroom, and then jogged back into the bedroom to retrieve her toothbrush. She scrambled back into the bathroom, and braced herself on the oval shaped bathroom sink. She scrubbed her teeth and her gums bled, toothpaste was splattered on the counter and basin.
‘I’ll tidy that later.’ She promised herself, as she whipped the door open. Kenneth stared at her on the other side of the door expectantly. He gave her a small grin and said, “Let’s get going. Follow me.”
Samantha nodded as he took her back down the stairs and through the impressive chef’s kitchen. The temperature was still climbing but her skin immediately warmed up when the sunlight kissed it. Garrett could be seen in the distance, sitting inside of a gazebo. He sipped coffee from a glass as he stretched his long legs out on the shade-covered bench.
Kenneth informed her, “There he is. He’ll give you a full tour of the garden. Let me know if you need any refreshments.”
‘I doubt that I will let you know, Kenneth. I’d sooner die of dehydration and hunger before I ask for anything in Mr. Weber’s home.’ She thought, and smiled warmly at Kenneth as he walked back to the house.
Samantha walked down the path to the gazebo, and when she was less than ten feet away, Garrett grinned and scooted over. “Good morning, Samantha! How did you sleep?”
“I slept well, I’ve never slept like that before.” She replied.
He offered her the coffee that he had been sipping from. “I wish I had known that you were already up and dressed, I would have invited you to breakfast.”
Samantha took a polite sip of the coffee; Garrett drank his black. “Oh, it’s fine. You and Kenneth are being much more hospitable than you have to be.”
He grinned, and his pearly whites were captivating. Her brain felt foggy, as her eyes focused in on them. ‘Oh no, come back to life. Don’t look like an airy idiot on your first real day here.’ His skin seemed incredibly smooth, and an alluring fragrance drifted from him.
“Oh, loosen up. Kenneth and I are just like you, don’t let all of this fool you. I was lucky enough to have a successful enough career to keep up the expenses of my family’s estate.”
“So, there’s a person in there?” Samantha teased.
“I’m incredibly interesting when you get to know me, Samantha. I have… layers.” He smirked and pointed forward as a petite young lady marched up the path to the gazebo. “That is Laura Harts. She has dissociative identity disorder, and she’s a lovely young lady. However, I met with her earlier this week, and she introduced me to her other persona, Michaela Ridges- who is a singer on Tuesdays and a nymphomaniac.”
“That girl is a part time nymphomaniac?” Samantha wondered, as Laura approached and offered them a shy smile. “Good morning.”
Garrett welcomed her onto the bench, and she took a seat, careful to stay to herself. Laura’s fingers fidgeted and she simply let them fly.
“How are you feeling today?” Garrett asked.
“Pretty good, Garrett. You’re talking to Laura right now.”
“Oh, I know. You don’t think I recognize all of you by now?” He replied.
Laura’s cheeks turned the cutest shade of pink and Samantha’s eyes flickered between the patient and Garrett. Laura pointed at Samantha. “Who is she? I’ve never seen her here before.”
“Samantha is my student. She’s a very bright young woman, and she’s here to learn how to help more people like you.”
“And Michaela.”
“Yes, Michaela also. Do you want to walk around the garden today, Laura?”
She nodded and he allowed her to lead them through the small maze of overflowing greens. Rosebuds and tulip heads craned their neck out to greet the trio. Samantha’s mouth fell open as she took in all of the scenery, missing crucial notes of the conversation going on between Garrett and Laura up ahead.
“So, things feel a little better today. It’s a good day. I think I can come off of the meds soon, Garrett.” Laura insisted.
“We’ll talk about it in a few weeks, I see that you’re having a very good day. Are you still going to try to return to classes?”
“I’m thinking about it, I don’t know. I don’t want to be too overwhelmed when I’m doing so well….”
Samantha inhaled a gulp of floral scented air and observed the conversation between Laura and Garrett. ‘This is my first dissociative patient. It looks like she won’t need treatment for much longer.’
“Michaela is hosting a party this weekend, Garrett. Would you and your student be interested in coming?” Laura looked over her shoulder at Samantha, and smiled, letting the tip of her tongue peek through her teeth.
‘Maybe not.’
Chapter 3
Samantha ran her hands along her notes, all splayed out on her desk in her bedroom. Garrett and Kenneth had insisted that she use their study, so that she wouldn’t have to work where she slept, but it didn’t sound appealing.
‘Not to mention, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands to myself. Not only does Garrett review his notes in there, but I bet the room is absolutely exquisite. It’d be too distracting today.’ She thought, as she highlighted Laura’s name at the top of her notes. She had missed more of the session than she would have preferred, having lost valuable pieces of the conversation to ogling Garrett and the garden.
Kenneth’s soft knock rang throughout the room, and she sighed as she double-checked herself in the mirror. She tucked a flyaway strand behind her ear and opened the door with a manufactured smile. “What’s up, Kenneth?”
“Dinner is up, Samantha. We will be eating in twenty minutes. Do you like
crab and steamed vegetables?”
“I’ve been living off of ramen noodles and microwave sandwiches until now, crab sounds excellent. I’ll meet you both down there?”
Kenneth nodded and shuffled away, down the spiral staircase. Samantha returned to her notes and after sorting them for a few moments, she shrugged. “Well, I’ll have to make sure to get my questions in with Laura sometime this week. I’ve got a while.” She mumbled to herself. She jumped to her feet and rooted through her bags. She pawed at the balls of clothing until a hint of purple silk caught her eye. “I love this blouse...”
Samantha slipped out of her studying clothes and carefully put on her blouse that perfectly framed her breasts. Olive colored mounds were supported perfectly as the rest of the blouse fanned out. She pulled on a dark pair of slacks, because a dinner with Garrett is still a formal dinner. She dug in the bag again and pulled out her curling iron.
Samantha made quick work of making small burgundy curls that framed her face. She rolled a deep plum color onto her lips and slipped into her favorite pair of black flats.
Her hand grasped the brass door handle, and she took timid steps down the stairs. The combined chatter of Kenneth and Garrett floated out of the dining room as she made her way to the table.
Garrett had dressed down in a simple button up shirt and dark colored jeans. Kenneth sat across from him as the last china plate was set onto the table. Kenneth reached into the center of the table and spooned the crab stir-fry into three separate bowls, and passed them around the table.
“Good evening, Samantha! You’re going to love Kenneth’s dish tonight. You look phenomenal.”
Samantha adjusted herself in the dining chair. “Thank you, Garrett. So, if you don’t mind my askin-
“I assure you that I don’t.”
“What do you do in your down time? When there aren’t any more patients?”
Kenneth chuckled and his fork scraped against his bowl as he tried to scoop up a big cut of crab. “Someone minored in journalism.”