by C. L. Parker
Kerrigan wasn’t sure which sensation she should concentrate on, his kiss or his touch. When he reached her hip, he kept going lower, the heat of his hand pressing against the naked flesh of her thigh and then behind her raised knee. He cupped her knee and pulled her toward him so that it was hitched over his hip.
She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her throat. Her lips parted to let the sound out, and Dominic seized the opportunity, slipping his tongue inside to greet hers. He was minty fresh, as usual, and she couldn’t resist letting go of her self-consciousness about proper hygiene as she tasted of him freely. Her fingers wound into the hair at the nape of his neck. She pulled him closer as he tilted his head to the side to allow her better access.
Dominic rolled so that he was hovering over her, allowing more of his body to press against her with his weight. Kerrigan’s hand wandered down his muscular back, and when she reached his ass, she swept her hand over the supple curve and cupped it in her hand, pulling him closer. It was when his arousal came into contact with her center that he hissed and pulled away, severing the kiss and the moment.
“Goodnight, Querida.” He smiled down at her with a smirk. He really wanted to spoon with her, but he was afraid that forking would be the first thing that came to mind. So, he had to turn away to get his traitorous body under control before he even attempted to snuggle with her.
Kerrigan followed his lead and faced away from him with a disgruntled huff. He was always the one who started warming things up between them, and he was also the one who always stopped them before either one of them could gain any sort of satisfaction out of the other. It irritated her to no end, but aside from throwing herself at him, only to be met with rejection, she really had no other option than to let him set the pace of their physical relationship.
For now, his friendship and the occasional shared kiss was enough. Because at least he was there.
“It’s okay, Kerrigan,” Dominic’s voice was meant to be reassuring and comforting, but she wasn’t comforted at all.
“No, it’s not. He’s dying. I can sense his internal injuries.” Kerrigan sobbed uncontrollably while trying to wipe her tears away with the back of her hand. Her desperation was palpable. “How can I be expected to save an actual human being if I can’t even help a poor, defenseless puppy?”
Dominic and Kerrigan had been working on chipping the flaking pieces of paint off the side of the house in preparation of giving it a fresh new coat when the sound of squealing tires drew their attention away. An asshole driving way too fast while talking on a cell phone and drinking his morning coffee had been too busy multitasking to see the little puppy trying to cross the road. The puppy paid for the driver’s mistake, but he wasn’t dead. Yet.
Kerrigan had convinced Dominic to bring the near lifeless puppy around to the back yard, so she could attempt to put her Light to work and try to save him, but she was failing miserably. Dominic admired her relentless pursuit, but he knew she would never succeed if he couldn’t get her to calm down enough to be able to find her inner sanctuary.
The pup lay between them. Matted fur that was once white was tinged yellow with filth and hung low in his eyes. He was struggling to hold onto his last breaths, obviously in pain. His side rose and fell in rapid succession with his labored panting while his tongue hung limply from the side of his mouth.
“Okay, look at me,” he said, taking her face in his hands to force her attention away from the puppy and on him. “Me, Kerrigan, look only at me.”
She nodded her acquiescence as much as she could through the grip he had on her face.
“Good. Now, close your eyes and concentrate on the sound of my voice.” Kerrigan did as he asked. “Breathe in and out, slowly.”
When she had done what he said a few times he continued in a low voice, “Encuéntrame, Querida. Find me. What do you see?”
He watched the lines on her face furrow in concentration, her eyes moved back and forth as if she was searching.
Her voice was frantic. “Nothing! I can’t see you!”
Dominic leaned in so that his lips were grazing hers and whispered, “I’m there. I’m always there. You just have to find me.”
He placed a gentle kiss to her lips. Kerrigan saw a flash of light pass before her eyes, carrying her through time and space until she was in her sanctuary. She was still in the middle of the garden, but it was different, as if it were part of another world. She spun around in a circle, the vegetation and trees a mere blur. She searched for him, for Dominic.
She stopped abruptly when she heard a ghost of her grandmother’s voice saying, “Nothing is as it seems.”
The garden was still, not even a hint of a breeze stirring the air around her, but she heard the wind coming from one point behind her. It sounded so out of place that she whipped around to seek out the source.
There was an old, majestic oak tree that stood proud and tall in the center of the garden. Its trunk was broad and sturdy, strong enough to withstand the tests of time. Limbs dipped and curved, some hanging low to the ground while others stretched to the highest heights. Luscious green foliage crept along the knotty wood like a second layer of skin, the deep crevices of the bark were like veins beneath the surface that spanned across the massive tree and climbed like ivy along its limbs.
There could be no doubt. This was Dominic.
Wind whipped through the dark green leaves, calling out to her in a whisper to come closer. In her mind’s eye, Kerrigan moved toward the tree and knelt at its base. She placed one hand on its trunk and the other on the root that led beneath the ground. She could feel the pulse of life that ran beneath her fingers, hear the cadence of existence rustle through its limbs, and smell the deep musk of time that came from its roots.
Kerrigan’s eyelids opened slowly, the familiar pale blue shining back at Dominic as he smiled in wonderment. He would never get used to being in the presence of something so wholesome and pure.
She placed one hand on the dog’s crown and the other on its side. Closing her eyes again, she took deep breaths. Dominic watched as a shimmer of light, which would have been undetected by anyone who didn’t know what they were seeing, flowed from her fingertips and disappeared into the pup’s fur.
Beneath her fingers, she could feel the pup’s skin warming, the cold hand of death loosening its grip. A fluttering heartbeat grew stronger with each passing moment, and she could sense what she could only describe as essence surging beneath her palm.
A few moments passed. Kerrigan felt something warm and wet on the side of her hand. She opened her eyes and moved her hands only to be suddenly attacked by a little ball of fur eager to make her acquaintance and express his gratitude for saving his life.
“Whoa! Somebody’s feeling better. Huh, little man?” Kerrigan laughed. The puppy jumped onto her chest and lavished her face with wet kisses.
“I think you have an admirer,” Dominic chuckled. “And as pathetic as it sounds, I think I might be jealous.”
The puppy lunged at the sound of Dominic’s voice and began bestowing an equal amount of affection on him as well.
“Hey! Don’t be stealing all my puppy lovin’,” Kerrigan pouted and then moved closer to Dominic so that they were shoulder to shoulder.
The pup bounced back and forth between the two of them, trying to give each of them a thorough tongue bathing on every inch of exposed skin he could find. Kerrigan laughed and hugged him to her while Dominic scratched behind the dog’s ear.
Kerrigan’s voice went from happy to sad all at once. “I guess we better go see if we can find his owners.”
Dominic held the pup’s face up to look at him. “Well, he looks like a mutt, and he isn’t wearing a collar, so I’d venture a guess that he’s a stray.”
“But what if he gets hit by another car, or starves, or…or worse? What if he doesn’t have anybody to love him?”
The sound of her voice nearly broke Dominic’s heart. The woman was already attached to the pup and rightly so. She
had just saved its life.
Pictures of Kerrigan sleeping alone flashed across his mind. She had taken him up on his offer and had been sleeping in his bed every night over the last couple of weeks. Sometimes she got up and slipped back into her own bed before he was scheduled to arrive home from “work”, and sometimes she just remained in his bed. He had made it part of his routine to shower and change into his pajamas after his transformation and before he climbed into bed with her so that there would be no more questions regarding his true whereabouts when he was supposed to be working.
Regardless, it tore Dominic up on the inside to watch her hug his pillow close when they both would have preferred it to have been him. He thought that the puppy might be an acceptable alternative, so he made the decision for the both of them.
“We’re going to keep him. We can hang up posters, and we’ll watch the paper, but if no one steps forward to claim him, he’ll be yours.”
“Ours,” Kerrigan corrected him. “He’ll be ours.”
“Did you hear that, puppy?” Kerrigan cooed in that voice people only use to talk to animals and babies. “You get to stay here with us. I’m going to be your new mommy, and Dominic’s going to be your new daddy. Yes, we are.”
The puppy went crazy, licking and pawing at the both of them while giving little barks of excitement. All while his tail wagged furiously behind him.
“We should probably name him,” Dominic said. “What name do you think suits him?”
They sat there playing with the puppy as they both tried to come up with a suitable name they could agree on.
“How about Milagros? It’s Spanish for miracle,” Dominic offered.
“Yeah, Milagros,” Kerrigan agreed. “Millie, for short.”
Dominic rolled his eyes at her. “You can’t name him Millie. That’s a girl’s name.”
“So? Dogs don’t know the difference between boy and girl names, Dominic. Do you, Millie?” she cooed at the dog again, earning a bark of satisfaction and another lick on the cheek. “See? He likes it already.”
Kerrigan stood from the ground. The puppy hopped into Dominic’s lap, landing on his crotch. Thankfully, the puppy weighed next to nothing, or he would’ve been doubled over in pain.
“Come on, Millie,” Kerrigan called to the puppy and he bounced after her. “Let’s go get you cleaned up and find you something to eat.”
Dominic groaned at her insistence as he raised himself from the ground, knowing he was already overruled on the subject. The pup would forever be called, Millie.
Millie had only been officially living with them for a few hours and already he was spoiled rotten. Kerrigan had given him a bath and cut up little pieces of hotdogs for him to eat until they could make a trip to the store to buy more appropriate dog food. The girls were fawning over him as if he was a baby, and Millie was eating up the attention.
With the hubbub around their latest addition, Dominic hadn’t noticed how pale Kerrigan had become or how weak she seemed to be. When he finally did, he took Millie from her and handed him to Gabe, scooped her up into his arms, and carried her back out into the garden to deposit her onto the chaise lounge. They only had the advantage of a now waning sun at their disposal, but he had to try to get some of the Light’s energy back into her.
“Jesus, Querida.” Dominic’s voice was laced with worry as he knelt beside her. “You have to tell me when you get like this.”
She tried to act like it was no big deal. “I’m fine, Dominic. I’m just a little tired.”
“You can’t just blow this off like it’s no big deal. It is a big deal, and you need…”
“I need you to stop being such a worry wart and get up here with me,” she said, patting the place beside her.
Dominic huffed in resignation, but joined her on the lounge chair anyway. He put his arm around her, so her head was nestled into his shoulder and her cheek was pressed to his chest.
“I should have known something that strenuous would take a toll on you.”
Kerrigan could hear his heartbeat beneath her ear, strong and loud. She looked up at his face and saw the muscles in his jaw flexing as he gritted his teeth and stared straight ahead. The tendon in his neck was taut, and she followed its sharp line down until she could see the beginning of their twin mark peeking out just under the collar of his signature black T-shirt. He was upset with himself, but she really didn’t think he needed to be. She was stronger, even if he couldn’t see it for himself.
Intent on making him feel better, just like he always did for her, she reached a hand up and slipped her fingers under the collar of his shirt to caress the smooth texture of the scar that marked him and bound them together. Dominic’s eyes closed, and his head rolled back to rest against the chair. A muffled moan reverberated through his chest, and his breathing became deeper and slower. After a moment, his heart had settled back out to a normal pace. All traces of tension seemed to have been erased.
“Better?” she asked with a hint of a smile to her voice.
“Much. But I’m more concerned about you. How did you do that anyway?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve been curious about our twin marks for a while and thought I would try to touch it and see if it would do anything. I guess it’s our button, so to speak.”
“Our button?” Dominic chuckled.
“Yeah, you know, like our reset button or whatever.” She shrugged.
“Hmm, I wonder what would happen if…” he started, but didn’t finish his train of thought.
“What?” He had piqued her interest.
“Nothing.” Dominic shook his head. “Looks like the sun has turned in for the night. Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s get you inside,” he said, lifting his arm from under her and forcing her to sit up so that he could stand.
He offered his hand to help Kerrigan stand, and she took it. She wanted to check on Millie and take a bath anyway. Plus she knew it wouldn’t be long before Dominic would need to get ready for work. She hated it when he left, but felt comforted by his bed. Since she had been sleeping in his room, the nightmares had stayed away.
Once inside, she gathered her things and went to the bathroom to run a hot bath to soak in. Millie lay curled into a ball on the white rug in front of the tub. His newly cleaned, cotton white fur made it nearly impossible to tell where he ended and the rug began, but his little black nose was a pretty good indicator.
Kerrigan sank into the claw foot tub, letting the steamy hot water envelop and relax her through to the bone. Within moments she heard the familiar sound of Dominic’s guitar drifting down from his room, and it comforted her further. She closed her eyes and listened to his playing as she cleared her mind. For once, she didn’t think about the nightmares or what they meant. She didn’t think about her grandmother’s death or the cryptic messages she had left behind for her. And, she didn’t think about the responsibility that had been thrust upon her like the weight of the world bearing down on her shoulders.
For once, she thought of nothing at all.
“Kerr Bear!” Gabe’s high-pitched voice screamed from the hallway, followed by three loud bangs against the bathroom door. “If you ain’t found the damn ‘O’ by now, bitch, you ain’t gonna’. Now get the hell out of there! I’ve got a date with Mr. Bubbles.”
Kerrigan’s eyes shot open, and she looked around, confused. She sat up, causing the tepid water in the bathtub to slosh over the side. A dollop or two landed on Millie’s still sleeping form below and roused him. Apparently, she had joined him in peaceful slumber. She lifted her hands to her face to examine them, her fingertips wrinkled and waterlogged.
“Kerr Bear!” Gabe shouted again.
“Keep your granny panties on! I’ll be out in a minute!”
Gabe gasped. “How dare you! You know it’s my time of the month.” She heard the unmistakable sound of his footfalls as he stomped off down the hall and slammed his bedroom door.
Kerrigan laughed
at his tantrum and stepped from the tub, drying herself with the towel and wrapping another around her hair. When she finished her nightly routine, she left the bathroom, Millie hot on her trail, and went downstairs to grab a sandwich. She found Dominic kicked back on the couch in the living room asleep.
She knew he had to be tired. The man worked all night, seven days a week, and only got in about five hours of sleep every day before he was up and about, helping her around the house or trying to get her trained for God only knew what. She did her best not to disturb him and sat with Millie in the recliner to watch some television. She had planned to wake him up in time for work, but when the old grandfather clock in the dining room began to chime its descent to eleven o’clock, Dominic shot up from his position, looking at her all wild-eyed and in a panic.
“What time is it?” he asked. He squinted at his watch to answer his own question.
“Relax, Dom. It’s just going on eleven.”
Dominic’s rigid body sank back. He ran his hands through his hair in relief and back down along his face to brush across the scruff on his perfect jaw. “I guess I better go get ready for work then,” Dominic said with a stretch before he stood and went upstairs.
He was gone about a half hour later, and Kerrigan made her way up to his bedroom, as had become customary. She had to pick Millie up to carry him up the stairs since his little legs were too short to make the climb on his own. Once they both settled in, it didn’t take long for Kerrigan to drift off into a peaceful slumber.
It was sometime in the middle of the night that Dominic decided to go up and check on Kerrigan. As soon as he reached the top of the stairs, Millie’s head popped up and looked right at him. The pup started making some sort of noise that was a mixture of a whine and a little growl. Apparently, while no one else could see Dominic, Millie could.
