“I can’t imagine what sort of stress you’d have living in a place as nice as this,” said Akala. She cracked the sugar on her crème brûlée with the back of her spoon and scooped out a sumptuous portion of the creamy indulgence hidden within. It was perfectly balanced, and she licked the spoon completely clean before diving in for another helping.
“That’s nothing for polite conversation after such a nice day with you,” replied Nashoba, smiling and sipping at the small measure of scotch he’d poured himself. He leaned over and scooped a little of the crème from her pot, foregone forgone his own personal serving. “I’m really very happy that you didn’t leave. I can’t help but imagine what your first impression of me must have been.”
“It’s not like that.” Akala toyed with her spoon. “I thought you an attractive and genuine person when you picked me up at the airport, I just didn’t know how to get through to you, or if I ever would.”
Nashoba pushed back his chair and came to stand next to her, offering his hand. “I want you to come see something.”
Akala took his hand and let him lead her upstairs to what looked like the master bedroom. She was about to protest and suggest they go back to their dessert to get to know each other a little better when she realized he was leading her through the room to the upper deck that extended out from his room. Through a sliding glass door were two comfortable wicker chairs with pillows and a wool blanket to guard against the chill of the night. Two glasses and a bottle of white wine sat chilling on a table between the chairs, and a telescope stood at the railing nearby.
“More of Haley’s plan?” asked Akala when she saw all that awaited her.
“No,” Nashoba’s voice was soft, almost embarrassed to admit it. “This was my doing. Here, let me adjust this for you.”
Nashoba put his eye to the telescope and twisted several of the knobs before stepping back to offer her a turn at the eyepiece. “Saturn is closer to the earth tonight than it has been in years. You can’t normally see the detail on the rings with a telescope like this, but for a few nights right now it’s just possible.”
“Wow, it’s incredible. I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Akala stepped back and took the glass of wine he offered her. “I wouldn’t have guessed you as an amateur astronomer.”
“I have a strong affinity for the night sky and the mysteries it yields,” he said. “You could say it has a certain pull on me.”
They sipped at their wine and stared out at the twinkling stars in silence. Akala felt her heartbeat accelerating, and she decided that she would allow herself something more than just an interesting story. Nashoba had shown himself to be a thoughtful and caring man, and she couldn’t deny that she hadn’t met anyone like him before. It was weird and uncomfortable to think about all of this leading so quickly to marriage, and so she did her best to set that aside for the night when she turned to look into at him and saw that his eyes were already upon her.
“I should really like to kiss you right now,” he asked, his stiff formality coming across as sweet and endearing.
Akala tilted her chin towards him and met him halfway, her heart swelling with the soft pressure of his lips and the feeling of his hands pulling her towards him. She kissed him in return, one hand on his firm muscled chest, the other slipping around to his back. Any resolve to not fall into bed with him fell away in an instant when his tongue parted her lips and danced playfully in her mouth, and she stepped back there on the balcony to unzip her dress and let it fall to her feet. There, under the light of the moon and the stars, she stood half-naked before him, waiting for his next move.
And move he did. Nashoba swept her up in his arms, kissing her passionately and letting those kisses roam over her cheek and to her neck, down her shoulder, and to the delicate swell of her breasts. He slipped her bra strap off her shoulder and pulled away at the light material guarding her now stiff nipples, laying a trail of kisses around her flesh before licking and teasing at them with his mouth.
Moaning in delight, Akala reached behind her back and undid the clasp of her bra, letting it fall away before running a hand through Nashoba’s hair while he worshiped her chest and torso with his mouth. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the railing of the deck as he kissed his way past her belly button, his fingers rolling down the edge of her panties while his lips and tongue delved to that most private of areas between her legs.
When he’d pulled her underwear down to the ground, Akala spread her legs to him, lifting one foot and placing it on the arm of the wicker chair to give him complete access to her sex. She was happy she’d taken care to trim back the normally unruly tuft of hair between her legs, and she shuddered with pleasure when his hot tongue pressed against her swollen bud, sending electric tingles throughout her body. Her body clenched involuntarily, and within minutes, he had her squeezing her hands in his hair and pulling his face into her as he licked her to a frenzied climax unlike any she’d ever known.
Nashoba wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stood up to kiss her, his lips and tongue tasting faintly of her sex. Akala tore at his clothing, lifting his shirt up over his head and hastening to get him out of his pants. Soon they were both completely naked there on the deck, his manhood hard and needy where it pressed against her belly.
Akala sank to her knees then and smiled up at him before licking him from base to tip. She circled forefinger and thumb around the base of his cock, and opened her lips to him, sliding her mouth downwards to suck gently while pulling back away. Nashoba’s hand ran through her hair while she sucked at him, and she felt it clench gently in a way that told her she was bringing him to the same level of excitement that he’d done to her.
“Not yet,” he growled, guiding her back away from him.
He snatched up the blanket and laid it out on the deck before grabbing the pillows and throwing them down as well. Nashoba then sank to his knees in front of Akala, lowering her onto her back with her head upon one of the soft pillows. She spread her legs to him and he positioned himself between her, his lips falling to meet hers as his manhood pressed into the folds of her sex.
Akala whimpered softly as he pushed his way deep inside her. She clutched him tight to her and wrapped her legs around him, her lips and tongue taking every bit of pleasure from his that they could get. She felt so hungry for his body that she cried out with abandon when he moved his hips, his cock stretching her wide and stroking against her inner pleasure center in just the right way. Not once did she care to think about whether anyone might see or hear them out on the deck like that, so caught up in their lovemaking was she.
Nashoba grunted with the exertion of his movements, and the noises of his passion broke something loose inside of Akala. She quavered beneath him, her wet pussy clenching in time with the waves of pure erotic pleasure that crashed over her. She cried her pleasure out into the night, digging her heels against the backs of his legs, her hands and nails clutching at his bum and back as she pulled him hard into her.
In the midst of her wild climax, she felt him pulse as he spilled his seed inside of her. He grunted like a wild animal, pushing hard into her in long solid thrusts until he’d spent the last of his energy and could do no more than lie on top of her, kissing at her shoulder and neck.
After a long silence where they simply held each other and traced their fingers along each other’s skin, Nashoba rolled off her and grabbed a tea towel that had been wrapped around the wine bottle. He handed this down to Akala with a chagrined look on his face, and looked a little uncomfortable as she used it to clean the seed that had spilled out of her when he’d withdrawn.
“Sorry about that,” he said. “I guess I should have asked or warned you…”
“Don’t be sorry.” Akala smiled. “I would have stopped it if it was a problem. There’s no risk of anything unexpected happening.”
Nashoba smiled and sat back down beside her. He saw Akala shiver a little as the sweat from their exertions cooled in the night breez
e, and he leaned forward to snatch up the other blanket.
“Thanks,” she said. Akala curled up next to Nashoba under the blanket, nestling into the crook of his arm and relishing the heat of his body. “I didn’t expect things to end up this way when I set out with you this morning.”
“To be completely honest, neither did I. For all Haley’s skill, I didn’t know if she could undo the awkwardness I’d laid out between us.”
“My dad was in the navy, and we must have moved fifteen times before I was old enough to go off to college and do my own thing. Each time we moved, I was stuck with having to go out to find new friends and to figure out who was worth getting to know, and who was best avoiding.” Akala looked up at Nashoba who tilted his chin down to meet her gaze. “I guess you could say I’m an excellent judge of character, and there was something I saw in you right from the beginning. You hide so much of yourself away, even still, but there’s a goodness in you that shines through. It was that light that made me stay.”
“Well, I’m glad you did.” Nashoba kissed her on the forehead.
Akala snuggled tighter to him and closed her eyes. She thought she ought to return to her room at the B&B, or at least go inside and sleep in a proper bed, but she felt warm and safe, and within minutes was fast asleep.
CHAPTER SIX
Gravel crunched under the truck’s tires when Nashoba pulled into the B&B to drop Akala off shortly before noon. Their morning had been long and leisurely, the two of them lingering over breakfast before sharing a shower and then falling into bed together once more. After yet another shower, Nashoba had told her he had some things to take care of, and offered to bring her back to her room to change and relax with Haley. He’d joked that Haley would be more than a little curious to find out how the date had gone, and sure enough, the woman was there waiting just inside the door when Akala pushed it open and slipped inside.
Akala helped Haley prepare a simple lunch, and they ate together while Akala recounted the day’s adventure with each little stop along the meticulously planned treasure hunt. Haley beamed with happiness to learn that her cousin had finally managed to open himself up a little, and not much needed to be said about the fact that Akala had spent the night and the better part of the morning with Nashoba instead of back at the B&B. Haley made a few suggestive comments that caused Akala to flush red with embarrassment, but it was clear that Haley thought it a perfectly natural thing to talk about.
When the lunch dishes were cleared away and Akala had been shooed out of the kitchen despite her insistence on helping with the cleaning, she went out back with the intention of walking out through the meadow again. She drifted down the back steps and into the garden, hardly making it past the edge of the B&B’s back yard before seeing a figure standing on the path in front of her.
“You reek of sex,” he sneered, stalking towards her and causing her to walk backwards in fear.
Akala recognized him as the man from the viewpoint. He’d told her to get off his land, and now he was here trespassing on Haley’s land.
“You were supposed to be here for me,” he snarled. “Do you think it’s okay to run around and fuck whoever you want?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Akala looked over her shoulder and angled her body towards the B&B. There was no sign of Haley and she wasn’t sure if she could cover the distance before this obviously crazy man caught up with her. “I came here on the invitation of Nashoba Half-light. I don’t know who you are, or what you want from me.”
“I should have known Nashoba would do anything to bring a clean mate into the pack.” The man spat on the ground and took a step towards her.
This was enough to send Akala into a full panic, and she turned and sprinted towards the house as quickly as she could, yelling Haley’s name as she ran. Risking a look back over her shoulder, she saw the man walking slowly behind her, falling back but still following in her direction.
Akala reached the back stairs and almost fell on her face when she tripped over the bottom step, but she flung her hand out and caught the railing at the last second, hauling herself up and into the door that she pushed open with a frantic twist of the handle. Once inside, she slammed the door behind her and saw Haley standing there with dish-gloved hands and a confused look on her face.
“Someone is chasing me,” Akala shouted. “Call the cops. Call Nashoba!”
Haley turned and ran to the phone, her fingers dialing a number while she watched the back door with anxious eyes. Akala risked peeking through the tiny window set next to the door, and she saw the crazed man standing there staring back at her, a frightening grin set on his face.
Akala checked that she’d thrown the deadbolt on the door and then went to stand near Haley. As she approached she heard the tail end of a conversation, and it only served to confuse her even more.
“—back quickly,” Haley said into the phone. “It’s Justin and he’s acting crazy. He thinks Akala is fair game and is trying to claim her. Hurry up.”
The sound of a vehicle speeding into the driveway and slamming on the breaks announced Nashoba’s arrival not more than two minutes later. He pounded on the door until Haley ran to unlock it for him, and he swept into the house stalking towards the back door at the same instant that Justin kicked it open, splintering the door frame where the lock had failed to keep it shut.
“You have no right to be here,” said Nashoba, his fists balled in anger and his body in a defensive stance.
The intruder bared his teeth. “You would speak to me of what I have a right to do or not do half-blood? You may claim leadership over our tribe, but you’re no true leader to me.”
Akala was confused at what she was hearing, and it was made stranger still by the fact that Haley had named this man Justin as though she knew him. Haley stood back with caution, but she didn’t seem nearly as afraid as Akala thought she should have been after a man had just kicked her door open.
“Justin,” she said in a calm voice. “This isn’t like you. Can we please talk about this calmly and rationally?”
“Stay out of this, sister,” he replied. “It’s bad enough that you support our cousin in this, but I won’t have you stand in the way of my claiming what is rightfully mine!”
If anything she’d heard had shocked her, it was nothing in comparison with what Akala witnessed next. The hair on Justin’s neck seemed to stand on end, and his shoulders broadened and morphed before her eyes. The man ripped at his shirt, tearing it clean off his body as a fine layer of fur sprouted from his skin. He continued to change shape, shifting into the form of a dark black wolf, his pants and other clothes tearing to shreds and falling to the side.
The man-wolf lunged towards them but was intercepted mid-air by another fierce looking wolf. It took Akala a moment to piece together the clues of Nashoba’s missing presence and his own torn clothes scattered on the floor before she realized that he too had changed his physical form to that of a large silver wolf. The two beasts growled and tussled with each other, fangs bared and jaws snapping towards one another as they collided and danced back out of harm’s way again. A lamp was knocked over and smashed into a picture frame, and at one point, the wolf that Akala was pretty sure was Nashoba was thrown into an antique chair that broke into pieces. It was only after a strong hit from Nashoba that Justin was thrown out the back door where they continued to fight in the garden, tearing up a flowerbed as they rolled about and snapped at each other.
“Stop it!” screamed Haley. “Justin! Nashoba! Please stop fighting!”
Akala was mortified at what she was seeing, and she wanted desperately to run away as fast as she could. She wanted to jump in Nashoba’s truck and not look back all the way to the airport, but something held her there and drew her out the back door a step behind Haley, watching as the two wolves continued to fight.
The silver Nashoba wolf kicked away from the darker wolf, sending it sprawling on its back and whimpering at being overpowered. The silver wolf then morphed
into the naked human form of Nashoba, who stood his ground while the darker wolf regained its feet.
“That’s enough,” said Nashoba. “Get out of here and never return to this place.”
The black wolf snarled a challenge, but seemed to think better of it and sprinted from the garden, its tail disappearing between the tall grasses of the meadow trail.
Had it been the darkness of night with a full moon overhead, Akala might have convinced herself it was some dream or food poisoning, but there in the bright midday sun, it was all too stark and too real to be disbelieved. No matter how she turned it over in her mind and tried to make sense of it, there was no denying the fact that two men had just turned into wolves right before her eyes. The way Haley had reacted, or rather, not reacted, was as clear an indication as any that she knew of the power these men held.
Akala thought back to only a few hours earlier when she’d been sitting atop Nashoba, riding him in the throes of passion and letting him spill his seed inside her. She’d kissed him and been happy to be with such a genuine-seeming man, and now she saw him standing naked in the garden, his body marked with cuts and scratches, his clothes lying destroyed in a pile in the house.
It was enough to make her stomach turn violently against her, and she buckled over, stabilizing herself on the railing while she breathed deeply to keep from throwing up. Haley reached out a comforting hand, but Akala brushed it away, finally finding her feet and the ability to run back inside and up to the safety of her room.
CHAPTER SEVEN
No one stomped up the stairs after her or pounded on her door while Akala hastily threw her clothing into her bag. She rushed into the bathroom, collected her various toiletries, and then dumped these too into the top of the bag, not caring if they were properly packed or not. Her only goal was to get out of this place that wasn’t even named on a map, and she still had no idea of how she was going to do that.
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