Paranormal Curves (BBW Collection) (4 page)

“What do you mean again?”

“I’m sorry, I have to go.”

I fall silent. I don’t know what to say. This can’t be true. I feel anger rushing through my heart. I feel my eyes stinging as tears began to flow.

“GET OUT.”

“Rowena, I’m sorry. This is what I’ve been telling you last night! This is why we can’t be together!”

“I said, GET OUT OF MY APARTMENT!”

“I’ll always protect you, remember that!” Daniel says, as he picks up his clothes. He looks at me one last time and transforms into a fly and flies past my window.

All those insects in my window. That was him.

***

“Congratulations Rowena! Daniel! You’ve done very well, the investors liked your work very much! They even doubled their investments, this is good news! We have to celebrate!” Mrs. Chang exclaimed. She’s practically dancing to herself now. We are at the meeting room a few weeks after Daniel transformed into a fly and flew past my window.

Mrs. Cheng was so happy because our project sold well, she did not even notice the awkwardness between us.

I spent the entire day concentrating on working on the new project assigned to me, and listening to Riley talk about this guy he met at the bar.

After work, I decide to walk home alone.

“Do you want to get coffee or dinner?” I hear Daniel’s voice behind me.

I don’t say anything. I don’t get him at all. I don’t get our relationship. We are worst than a roller coaster ride.

“Rowena, you can’t keep ignoring me forever.”

“And you can’t keep following me forever” I snap back at him.

“Im sorry. okay? But you know why I’m doing this. You know why we can’t- why we can’t be together!” Daniel yelled suddenly, unable to conceal his feelings anymore.

“Don’t think I don’t know that Daniel! I’ve been telling myself that for the past few weeks and still I can’t get you out of my mind! You say, you don’t want to be with me but here you are following me and asking me for dinner? or coffee? I don’t get it!”

“I just want to protect you Rowena!”

“Protect me from what?!”

Daniel falls silent and I take the opportunity to walk away. I can’t take it anymore.

I walk faster enough and I pray to God for him to stop following me. I finally reach my apartment. The moment I close the door, I cry my heart out.

Its so unfair. Why can’t I get the one I want? Why?

That’s when I hear someone, by the window.

“Stop right there.” I say, getting my bat, ready to strike at Daniel.

But instead, its not Daniel that I see. Its another man. 

“Hello Rowena. Long time no see.” He says, his voice sending shivers through my spine

“Who are you? What do you want from me?” I say, holding my bat tighter.

“Just an old friend. You probably don’t remember me anymore.” He says.

I realize, he does look familiar. I do know him. He was a bulky man, with white sleeveless shirt. He was handsome, but the evil look in him would make any person cower.

“What are you doing here?”

“Stop right there Harold!” I hear a voice behind me, its Daniel.

“What a pleasant surprise Daniel!”

“Who sent you here?” He asks.

The guy laughed. “Do you really have to ask that? I know you know the answer to that question Daniel. It was stupid of you to come here again Daniel. You know it won’t be long that we’ll find out about this.”

“Sierro.” Daniel said.

Sierro. Who is he? I feel like an idiot, watching them both circling around each other.

And when I blink my eye, I see a wolf where the man stood. “You’ll be a nice snack.” he says as he launches at me.

We hit the wall hard. I feel my head throb with pain. The last thing I see is Daniel transforming into a wolf himself. I know because he’s color is different from Harold. And then I see no more.

***

I dream of my husband.

I dream of the first time I saw him.

I was in the local cafe, writing for my book when I saw him with what seemed to be his best friend. I stared at him for a long time then, he was so handsome and perfect. I order another frap just to get more time, so I could stare at him more. I notice that wherever he and his best friend goes, they never fail to grab everybody’s attention. They are the definition of swag. Right now, both of them seem to be staring at the group of girls a few tables far from them. I realize then, who am I to want him? Look at me, I’m not even fit for the pants I’m wearing, how can I say I’m fit for him then?

Days pass, I notice that he and his best friend kept coming there more often, so I come there, just as much. Not a month later, I make friends with him. I find out that his name is Daniel and that his best friend is named Harold. We became friends and talked about all our dreams. I told him I wanted to be a writer. He’d told me he wanted to be nothing else but happy.

We had so many shared interests, music, books, you name it all. But Daniel had had a girlfriend then, her name was Elaine. She was tall and slim and perfect. She was fit for him and she was so in love with him, I could tell. Who wouldn’t be in love with him? She was also just as nice, and we became friends too. Not for long, the two of them broke up. I didn’t know why, but whatever reason it was, I never saw Elaine again.

A few months later, we finally became more than friends. It was the best days of my life. At first, Harold was nice enough to hang out with us. But sooner he’s coming with Daniel became less frequent. And then, before  he had asked me to marry him, he showed me his true nature. I was afraid at first, but I love him so much that I’m willing to take the risk just to be with him. And then we got married. No one of our friends and family came to our wedding. I have no family, I’m an orphan, and I didn’t make any lasting friendships. Daniel’s family didn’t approve of me, because I was human. They see me as a threat.

The first few months of our marriage we’re a bliss. We rented an apartment in Manhattan, new york. I continued my writing, while he did illustrating. At last our dreams came true.

I was writing, and he was happy.

But one night, after all the caution that we’ve done, Harold found us. He attacked Daniel. He paid a warlock to wipe away my memory of him.

When I wake up, I’m at the hospital.

The temperature is much warmer than I’m used to. I am sweating.

Where’s Daniel? It was the first thing I thought of. I remember everything now. I want to tell him that, about our past, about our first few months as married couple. I remember that now. I’ve accepted him for who he is, but he’s clan, the Wolf and Shape shifter folks, they don’t trust me because I’m not like them. And that’s why they made me forget him. Those dreams I had, they weren’t dreams. They were memories.

I see Daniel as he enters my room, he’s carrying food. He runs to me immediately when he sees that I’m awake.

“Rowena, you’re awake now!”

“Daniel! honey, I remember everything now. Everything about us.”

“I’m so happy. For a moment I thought I’ve lost you forever.”

“Daniel, what happened to you after they wiped my memory?”

His expression became grim. “They tried to wipe mine as well, they tried to marry me off with Elaine. But I remembered you not long after. I managed to escape before our marriage.” 

“What happened to Harold? Where are we?”

“Don’t worry now Rowena. We’re far away, they won’t catch us here yet. I defeated Harold, he got away just in time before I could kill him.”

I remember now, Sierro and the pack, they’ve been hunting us down because they disapprove of our marriage.

“What about Mrs. Tsu? Did she notice the mess we’ve made in the apartment.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve managed to pay the local warlock and he cleaned the place for us. Your bills are already paid.”

“Thank you. but… Where are we? Its warm in here. Are we in a different country?”

“Shhh, rest for now, Rowena. I will answer your questions when you are healed.”

“But--”

“Don’t worry, we are safe for now, my love.” Daniel says.

End of Book 1

Belonging to the Alpha Bear

The water of the pool shimmered under the light of the warm sun.  The leaves of neighboring trees rustled from the soft breeze, lulling the last days of summer into a gentle fall.  She sat at the dining table, staring out the window, longing to enjoy these precious last days.  No weather was more perfect than the end of summer.  Warm enough to enjoy but not so hot it was overwhelming.  It was the perfect way to say goodbye to the season of fun, vacation, and breaks.  Even for the working world, summer seemed to hold a certain charm, an enchantment over employees.

That is, over everyone except Mira.  She had never been the biggest fan of summer.  Though she did not particularly enjoy the weather, she found it bearable.  It was the madness associated with it she disliked.  Everyone’s enchantment with the season also turned them into raging lunatics - the same lunatics responsible for the worst event in her personal memory.  She sighed and repositioned her left arm, forcing herself not to think of it.

She flinched as a small, shooting pain went through her left shoulder with the movement.  How unfortunate she could not enjoy the only part of summer she truly enjoyed.  The very end of summer held the perfect weather, perfect amount of sun, and the calming of the people.  It was when she could best enjoy what she most loved to do: swimming.  She pictured herself out by the pool in her brand-new bathing suit.  She adored it but had no chance to use it yet.  She still remembered the day she purchased it, a rare occasion on which a male employee helped her. 

She had instantly fallen in love with the bathing suit and quickly noticed it would suit her body.  She looked around for an associate and found only one: a tall, blond man who had been staring right at her.  She felt her face flush.  It was the kind of piercing stare you just knew held interest.  He was not her type but it was not below her to feel flattered.  Especially in a world where everyone smaller than her was considered the epitome of beauty, it was great when a dashing young man chose her.  She knew it had something to do with her confidence.  She, for the most part, did not feel any less beautiful as a result of media play.               

She had a beautiful face and she was well aware of it.  With her lightly bronzed complexion, clear skin, forest green eyes, she knew her features were striking.  She loved her body, categorized as “big” and all.  She was curvaceous.  She had large, rounded breasts that didn’t sag or look suffocating.  She had a firm behind and great, shapely legs.  Personally, she thought she had a killer body.  Though many might assume she disliked her large frame or belly that wasn’t flat, this was not the case.  She did not mind any aspect of her body; save for any negative attention it might draw.  Who were these people to criticize and attack her?  How did it affect their lives? 

She gave the male associate a small smile and he immediately walked over to her.  “May I help you?”  She pointed at the bathing suit and said, “Yes, I would like to try on that model please.”  He nodded, asked her size preference, and immediately went to retrieve it.  When he brought it back, she wasted no time in trying it on in the closest dressing room.  It was perfect, like she knew it would be.  She took it off, got dressed, and stepped out.  She immediately noticed the disappointed look on his face – he had definitely been hoping she would model it for him.  “It’s great!  I’ll take it,” she said happily.               

Then, as she made her way to the exit after paying, it happened.  She failed to notice the trail of a long gown a previous customer had carelessly left out.  She tripped and hit something hard before landing on the ground, the majority of her weight an impact on her left arm.  She could not help the cry of agony escaping her lips.  She knew something was seriously wrong, this was not the regular pain associated with a fall.  Her associate ran over to her, almost frantic, but could not get a word in over her cries.  She did not even notice when she was hauled off to the nearest emergency room.

And so, she was unable to enjoy her favorite time of the year, with her arm in a sling.  She had dislocated her shoulder and the healing was slow going.  She stared longingly at the pool.  Finally, she had enough.  She decided to throw on her bathing suit, with as much pain as it might cause, and at least sit out by the pool.  There was not a single person out there and the weather was too enticing to ignore.  About 20 minutes, a lot of pain, and a lot struggling later, she was closing up her door and walking out to the pool.  Just as she stepped inside the pool area’s gate and reveled in being the only one out there, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye.  She subtly gritted her teeth and looked over.  A tall man was making his way over to the pool.  At least, it seemed he was.  He caught her looking at him and flashed a small but entirely charming smile.

She gave a weak smile and nod, her head filled with too many thoughts at once.  On the one hand, she was upset he might come to ruin her solo time at the pool.  On the other hand, there was something intriguing about him she could not ignore.  She also was taken aback at her noticing anything about him at all, anything other than a possible interest in her.  She actually noticed him, even if very slightly at first.  This had not occurred in over a year.  She shook her head again, forcing those thoughts out of her mind.  She stood still, debating whether to stay or head back to her apartment. 

“How’s it going?”  She suppressed a small shiver upon hearing the man’s raspy voice, directed at her.  She was unsure if it was because of his actual voice or because of his presence.  A presence she wanted to believe was unwanted.  Still, she was not rude.  She angled her head toward him and replied, “Alright.  How’s your day?”  He stretched, threw off his sandals, and said, “Getting a lot better now.”  She raised a questioning eyebrow.  Surely, it had nothing to do with her.  That wouldn’t make any sense and she was not that much of a narcissist. 

“I’m just looking forward to relaxing,” he continued, “Seems like you won’t be getting too much of that.”  Mira turned to him, eyebrow still raised.  He nodded toward her sling.  She let a small groan escape her throat.  “Your therapist any good?”

Her eyes widened, “Excuse me?”  That was a pretty personal question.  Aside from that, she found it a bit insulting he would just assume she routinely visited a therapist.  She did, but that was beside the point.  “Your physical therapist?  Helpful or not so much?  It can go either way, really, depending on experience and patience. 

She breathed out and noticed how tense she was.  She registered it and, immediately, confusion flooded her again.  She was unsure why she was so tense.  She convinced herself it was because of his unexpected presence and her panic at his mention a therapist.  She relaxed after he clarified physical therapist, after all.  She noticed him staring at her expectantly and, at this point, slightly bewildered.  “Oh, well, I stopped visiting him a while back.”  He pursed his lips slightly.  “I know, that’s bad.  He wasn’t any good and I never bothered to look for another.  I’ve done exercise on my own but it’s not nearly as good as a professional.  I guess it’s my own fault it’s healing so slowly.”

He nodded in understanding more so than agreement.  “It can be discouraging, I get it.  Well, if you’d ever be interested, I can help you out with that.”  He clamped his mouth shut and looked down.  It was quick and short; he wasted no time in gathering his friendly face and looking right back up at her.  She did, however, notice it.  What was that about?  Did he not want to help her after all?  As if reading her thoughts, he said, “Well, my name’s Delv.  I live in the complex so just let me know if you need some help.”  With that, he hurriedly put his sandals back on and left the pool area.

It was hours later; Mira was back in her living room, showered and dried.  She sat on her couch, staring back out onto the pool.  She had spent a relaxing hour there, after Delv left, just soaking her feet.  She didn’t think about him or his offer during that time.  She just let herself enjoy the breeze, the water around her legs, and the best she had felt all summer.  Plus, she couldn’t deny her happiness at finally wearing her bathing suit.  She wasn’t frivolous, by any means, but she did believe in taking happiness from even the small things.  She had learned to appreciate every thing and every moment in life.  Rather, life had forced her to learn the lesson. 

She sighed and opened the small drawer of the end table next to her, pulling out a covered picture frame.  Holding her breath, she removed the small cloth covering the glass over the photo.  There they were, happy as ever, never imagining this photo was taken on the precious, last days of his life.  She thought they would wear those smiles forever, together.  She never worried about betrayal or their love falling apart.  She much less worried about other drivers taking it upon themselves to break them apart.  How naïve she had been.  A teardrop hit the surface of the glass, splattering on contact.  Then another.  She quickly wiped her tears away and cleaned the glass before covering it.  She couldn’t even feel the pain in her shoulder anymore; all she could feel was the ache of his absence. 

She forced herself off the couch and stepped outside.  The sky had a dusky glow and the breeze was still about.  She started to walk in the vicinity of her department, needing to clear her head.  She shut her eyes and began deep-breathing exercises while standing under a tree.  She was only broken out of it by the sound of footsteps, which, incidentally, belonged to Delv.  “Twice in one day, what are the odds?”  She gave a small laugh.  “Especially going from never having met before,” she replied.

He stopped in front of her, dazzling smile and all.  “Well, I only moved in a couple days ago.  Might have been strange if you saw me walking around here before then.”  He could have practically winked after saying it.  She smiled again, this time a bit wider and more genuine.  She could not deny there was something interesting about him.  More than that, there was something about him that made her stomach churn.  She was unsure if it was good or bad, she couldn’t tell.  In this light and proximity, she couldn’t fail to notice he was an attractive man.  She concluded he was definitely older than her.  It was not his gray-streaked hair that gave away his age; it was his mature facial features.  His demeanor.  But he also gave off a bright, youthful energy.  Perhaps this was his draw; the divine mixture of maturity and youth people can only aspire to. 

“So, do you ever spend any time actually in your apartment?”  She laughed at his question and ability to break a long silence.  She shrugged and began to slowly walk away from him.  “Care to join me on a walk?”  She asked this looking over her shoulder.  It had definitely come out a lot more seductively than she intended.  She didn’t let it faze her.  He smirked and nodded, taking a long stride to meet up with her.

“So, what are your hobbies aside from loitering around the apartment building to talk to strangers?” 

“Excuse me, I believe you talked to me first.”

“Ah, that’s right.  I approached you both times.  Damn, can’t hold it against you then.  Or maybe I can.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’d say the second time ‘round was your turn.”

She gives out a breathy laugh.  He is so easy to talk to.  It’s refreshing.  “I invited you to walk with me.”

“I guess it makes up for it.  So, what brings you out here?”

“Just needed to clear my mind.”

“Oh?”

She slows her pace and bites her lower lip.  It’s so smooth to talk to him she didn’t even realize the answer she gave.  She invited questions.  But she processed his response.  It was inquisitive but not pushy.  It was an open invitation to do or say whatever she felt comfortable with.  He had extended a helpful, even caring, hand without expecting anything.  Not many people could pull all this off with one, monosyllabic word.  She turned to look at him and her stomach churned once again.  Right at that moment, the light hit his eyes and she gasped before she could help it.

That was it; she finally knew why she felt what she did around him.  It was definitely not a good churn.  His eyes were strikingly similar to Kevin’s.  Her lip trembled and she had to look down, away from Delv’s eyes.  She couldn’t bear to look into them, not when it made her think of looking into Kevin’s.  Those perfect, striking eyes she could never possibly see again.  She didn’t notice the silent stream of tears staining her cheeks. 

“Hey, do you need me to walk you back to your apartment?”

She was pulled out of her heartbreaking trance by Delv’s gentle question.  He was indeed kind.  He knew exactly how to be sensitive, not to pry but show he was available if needed.  How could he accomplish so much with so little?  And how could he be so caring with someone he barely knew?  She nodded and began to slowly walk toward her apartment with him by her side.  The entire walk was silent.  She stopped in front of her door and looked up, still avoiding eye contact.  “I’m sorry, I must seem-“