The Mistress of Black Grove Manor (20 page)

              “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 us,” 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.

Harriet didn’t know what to think of him. He was vague with her most of the time, so vague, that she could hardly form an opinion of him.

“Mr. McIntosh,” she said, turning her whole body to face him.

“Hello, Ms. Milestone,” he answered. “I trust you are feeling much better today.” The man’s piercing blue eyes bored through her, though not with much emotion.

“Uh, yes sir, I’m fine, thank you.” She glanced down at the plate in her hand. “Would you like something to eat?” She held out the plate before him. Mr. McIntosh eyed the plate with pursed lips, and then brought his eyes back to her. The sternness in his eyes told her that she’d done something wrong, though she couldn’t figure out what.

“Aren’t you forgetting something, Ms. Milestone?” he asked, his voice deeper than before. Harriet’s mouth fell open, but nothing came out. She could feel her cheeks turning crimson from sheer embarrassment. She glanced at Francine, who looked just as confused as her.

“Ms. Milestone,” Hadassah called. “Aren’t you forgetting? Mr. McIntosh doesn’t eat cheese. He’s lactose intolerant.”

Harriet’s eyes went wide in surprise. How could she have forgotten this? Mr. McIntosh had always drilled it into her head whenever he came over to have lunch with Victor.