ROMANCE: Paranormal Romance: The Valley (Book One) (Fun, Sexy, Mature Young Adult Vampire Shape Shifter Romance)

by Charlotte Swanpol

  “This is impressive,” I said. Outside, the horse was galloping at top speed. The owner said that this used to be a winning race horse back in its prime. Not only did the carriage go fast, but it was quite cushioned, and I barely felt any of the bumps.

  “Only the best for you,” Ashton said. We held hands during the trip, which didn’t take too long.

  When we made it to the train station, there was still a few minutes until it took off. Ashton bought me a ticket, and I got more funny stares.

  “Why is he with her?” one onlooker asked.

  Before I could cuss them out, Ashton led me into the train. We were directed to first class, where I sat in its luxury seating. Soon, the train took off.

  As I looked out of the window, my former life slowly fading, I turned around to face Ashton.

  “People already don’t like us,” I said.

  “I know, I know. They’re probably already printing the story in the presses, trying to discredit me.” He then smiled, twirled his mustache, and said, “I say, let them! I’ve had deals that were more controversial than this.”

  I made a nervous chuckle, but I did wonder what was going to happen. For now, I enjoyed the train ride. It was one of my first rides ever, and I wasn’t going to let public opinion soil that for me.

  After the train made its stop, we got out, took another carriage, and went across a field. The carriage then made a stop, and we got out. I gasped at what stood before me.

  I’ve been around some decently-sized plantations in my town, but this one put those to shame. Ashton’s estate was a mansion, constructed from the finest brick. A steel gate surrounded the estate, with horses and cows populating the fields. A few farmers were tilling the land and feeding the animals.

  We entered through the gate, and we soon made it to the house. He opened the door, and we walked inside.

  The foyer was big enough to live in. As we entered, two maids, who were skinny white women, greeted us.

  “Good afternoon, Master Ashton!” they said in unison. As we passed by, they turned around. I caught a glance of one of them, and her stare seemed like a stink eye.

  I guess they were mad that a big, beautiful, black woman was stealing the show. Oh well. You girls get busy cleaning, because I’m going to be here for a while.

  The next few hours were spent introducing me to the house. Every time I thought we were done, he showed me a room I didn’t think existed. Cellars filled with barrels of aged wine. A room dedicated to fencing. He even had a large pond in the back of the estate, complete with a boat.

  The final spot was his bedroom. “So, what do you think?” he asked.

  “This place is amazing!” I declared. “I don’t know how you’re ever bored.”

  “I guess the grass is greener on the other side,” he said. “I like the quieter life, while you want a life of excitement.”

  I snickered. “I guess we can have the best of both worlds now.”

  The next few days were a bit of a culture shock. I would get up and head towards the kitchen, only to be told the kitchen was off-limits. Instead, the chef, a portly man, would come out and deliver a feast. Whenever I saw something was dusty, such as a vase, I looked for a rag to clean it.

  When I came back, however, the vase was spotless.

  Instead, Ashton would pamper me. Every day was a new adventure for him. The first night, we went for a carriage ride across the town, where we ate at a fancy restaurant. The second night, he took me across the pond, and even let me feed the fishes. The fish would grab the food and then swim along happily in their own little chorus.

  The fourth morning, I saw Ashton, holding a paper with all his might. He was about to tear it into pieces, but I intervened.

  “What’s going on?” I asked him.

  I looked at the paper. It was one of those tabloids those yellow journalists published. Although the paper was underground, it still had impact, as seen by Ashton’s sweating.

  Chapter 4

  Is Ashton in a Relationship With a Negro? it read. I skimmed through the article, and my own blood began boiling. It was mostly a collection of accounts from people who saw us. Even the chef at the restaurant we ate at was interviewed.

  “Who cares who I date?” Ashton declared. “That’s none of their business.”

  I sighed. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”

  “My stocks can crash, that’s what. People may refuse to want to deal with me. You’d be surprised how backwards the other tycoons are.”

  I sighed. “Could you just deny it? I can stay here, and we can keep this a secret.”

  He shook his head. “Not at all. There are too many eyewitness accounts, and in America, that’s all you need to prove someone’s guilty of something.”

  “You could just say you’ve broken up with me.”

  The idea of him having to resort to that did seem a little stupid, but I understood the way the game worked.

  “Nope. America doesn’t forget. Even if I claim it’s over, they’re never going to forgive me until I step down. The world hasn’t changed too much since the witch hunts.”

  “Then, what should we do?” I asked.

  He straightened his mustache. “As an entrepreneur, I know it’s all about risks. You have to make investments that may go nowhere, make deals that could bite you in the back, and do things that make you seem like a horrible person. For this case, it’s no different.”

  “What’s your idea?” I asked.

  He sat there, stone-faced, for a few seconds, before he looked up. He grinned. “Admit to it, and flaunt it. Try to change minds instead of fight against them.”

  How could anyone think this man was bad? To a jealous peasant, I got why, but he was such a nice and honest person if you get past all the rumors and gossip.

  “I’m going to send a telegram to my public relations man. Tell him that I want to have a meeting, outside my home, mind you, to tell everyone about my rumored relationship.”

  And so he did. I spent the day around the ranch, taking care of my animals that were recently sent here, while Ashton finished up negotiations.

  “In two days, the speech should happen,” he said.

  My heart started beating fast. Now that I thought about it, I was about to become a public figure. Some may hate me, others may see me as a hero, and there may be some who would want me dead. But there was no turning back.

  The next few days went at a slow crawl, and I felt numb for a bit. I wasn’t even interested in the great sex we usually had. The wait for this speech to happen was torturous. Then, it finally happened.

  On the day of the speech, I looked outside. There was already a crowd outside the gates. Well, it was more like a mob. The bodyguards kept them from climbing over the fences, but I still feared them.

  However, my man walked out dressed like the dapper individual he was. He gave me a cream-colored dress, and I put it on, feeling like a young princess. We walked outside the ranch.

  I never witnessed a crowd so wild as this one. A few members of the mob even had pitchforks and torches, completing the angry mob cliché. Despite their thirst for blood, none were climbing the gates… yet.

  Ashton stood behind the gate, and the crowd yelled his name. Then, he shouted. His booming voice filled the air, causing everyone to quiet down for a second.

  “I can e-“

  “Explain yourself!” A muscular man screamed.

  “I was about to,” he replied. “Anyway, before another savage interrupts me, I can explain myself. As an oil tycoon, I want my business to deliver the future of America straight to everyone’s doorstep. To do so, we’ll have to unite as a species.”

  “All we’ve known over the years is war, war, war. We fought against the British, which was justifiable, but we also fought against ourselves, too. North and South battled, and for what? More bloodshed, just because both sides disagreed with each other?”

  The crowd stopped talking. It seemed like playing to their emotions was work
ing.

  “The truth is, humanity will always fight each other over the littlest of things, and find reason to resent another side. Currently, our resentment is against the coloreds, who some see as undeserving of citizenship.”

  “They are!” A man yelled, and the crowd cheered.

  “You say that, but underneath our skin, we’re all human. And if we want to go forward as a species, we all need to play our part and set aside our differences. The rich, with their money and commanding presence, need to join with the poor, who have work ethic and will get the job done. America needs to unite with other countries, regardless of if they disagree how the country is ran. And all races need to join hands as the revolution continues. If we all put our mind to it, we can create a new world that’s accessible to everyone and has almost as much luxuries as the heavens above us.”

  The crowd stopped jeering and listened keenly. Looks like Ashton finally got them to be on his side. But what did this digression have to do with him dating me?

  He soon answered that. “The powerful and the political can influence the masses, even if the masses claim to resent them. A man hates a politician, but if the politician says to go to war, the man will grab his musket and put on his uniform. A man hates the rich, but will buy the products the rich have to offer. I’m not meaning to brag, but I can sway you all like wind to a tree. As I’m dating this black woman, I’m setting an example for you all. I’m telling you that she’s just like me, and we’ve seen past our skin color and appearances. She’s poor, I’m rich. We don’t care, and that’s because we see into each other’s hearts.”

  The crowd didn’t cheer, but they didn’t jeer, either. It seemed like Ashton dropped an interesting bit of wisdom that would take a long time for the crowd to digest. For some, it wouldn’t digest at all, and for others, it may take a few months. But soon, the crowd started to break up, and Ashton looked at me, smiling.

  “That was amazing,” I said.

  Ashton nodded. “My mother always did say I was a good speaker. I could talk my way out of punishment any day.”

  We walked back into the mansion and soon into the bedroom. Then, Ashton rubbed my hair. I blushed.

  “I love you,” he said to me. “You’re more than just an example I want to show people; you’re a person with a heart of gold, and I can’t wait to build our future, and the future of America, together.”

  As he said this, I held back the tears. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his waist. This heartfelt moment soon transitioned to kissing, with us on top of each other.

  As our clothes fell off, Ashton gave me a grin. “There’s something I wanted to try,” he said.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “My maids never wanted to do it to me. They said it was gross. Have you ever tried putting your lips around a man’s manhood?”

  I shook my head. “Isn’t that sodomy?” I asked.

  “That’s what the ones in control want you to think. But even the preachers are sexual deviants.” He let out a chuckle.

  “Well, we can always try.”

  He stood up, and I got on my knees. I looked straight at his penis, and it took me a few minutes before I built up the courage to wrap my lips around his dick. He tasted, what a shock, like a man.

  But I couldn’t contain myself. I soon had the penis deep inside my mouth, giving it light sucks. Ashton reeled his head back, started panting, and then he uttered my name.

  “Let me try something else, too. Lie on your back.”

  I did so. He then stood over me, but he faced the opposite direction. What was he trying to do? I looked up, to see his penis slowly dip into my mouth. I began sucking it again, and then I felt something above my thighs.

  It was his tongue. It licked around my vulva, and then teased the hood. I pulled the cock out of his mouth for a second to gasp, and then continued sucking once I got used to him burying his tongue deep within my insides.

  A burst of electricity circled around our bodies. This man, Ashton, knew how to get me off. I was a slobbering mess down there, and I was able to get Ashton off, too. Just as I was about to reach my orgasm, Ashton pulled away to let out a moan.

  As he did that, I felt something warm invade my mouth. Its flavor was strong, potent, and the crazy part of me actually enjoyed it. As it filled my mouth, I swallowed each load.

  He pulled it out and finished eating me out. An explosive orgasm soon emerged from my loins, and when it was all over, both of us were lying on his bed, a panting mess.

  “Damn,” he said. “I don’t get why more people don’t want to try that. One thing I will try to teach people is to be freer with their sex lives. I believe, that if there is a Lord above, he wants us to enjoy ourselves and each other, as long as we don’t hurt another person.”

  I never thought about it that way. Instead, they always told me that God had unreasonable restrictions against sex, and pleasure in general. I liked this new way of thinking, though.

  I looked to Ashton, and as he was lying on his back, I noticed his penis was still erect. I licked my lips without even knowing it. His speech gave me a second wind, and I had a plan.

  I stood up, inched my away above Ashton, and then lowered myself onto his penis. My pussy, soaked from the last orgasm, swallowed up his cock.

  “This is something I created,” I said. “I want to ride you like a horse.”

  I gave him a sly grin as I bucked my hips and rode him at a steady pace. Ashton relaxed himself, making light pants, as he realized that I was taking over. Under me, our bodies were making lewd, squishy noises as he went deeper inside of me. My big, beautiful body worked up a sweat, along with Ashton, who looked like he was in heaven.

  As I was stirring myself up, I knew it was time to take it to the next stage. My hands slammed on his muscular chest, and then I sped up, riding him even faster. Ashton shouted, and then succumbed to my wonderful body. The bed shook, and I could hear the maids staying away from our room as we screamed. I couldn’t believe my luck. This man was mine. All mine. He could pamper me, have sex with me, and be there for me when I needed him to be. Life was about to get a whole new level of interesting.

  He soon reached his climax, screaming my name. I did as well. We came together, my juices mixing with his as he shot his seed deep inside me. I fell off him, lying down, and started panting.

  The sex was incredible. I wondered how many positions, and other ways to have sex, we could discover. For so long, I thought there was only one way to have sex, which was to do it in a missionary style. But this man, and his way of thinking differently, unlocked my mind. I could see myself having sex with him in so many more ways.

  It was like my perverted thoughts were a Pandora’s Box he opened, and I was eager to see what was inside. But for now, I was exhausted, and so was he.

  We lied there for a few hours, basking in each other’s love, our brains trying to figure out what happened. When we got the energy to, I turned over and started cuddling this loving man.

  “Ashton, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” I admitted, tears coming out of my eyes.”

  He looked at me, rubbed my frizzy hair, and said, “And you’re the best thing that’s happened to me.”

  “Better than striking oil?” I asked.

  He let out a chuckle. “People may hate me for saying this, but yes, better than striking oil. Money can buy you a lot of things, but it can’t buy you love. It only attracts vain women who only want you for your money.”

  I laughed. “I mean, money is a plus, don’t get me wrong, but I love you for you. If you were poor, and was the same person, I’d still love you, honestly.”

  We exchanged sweet nothings for a good while before he stood up. After we were done talking about our love, we took a hot bath together. Afterwards, we made love some more, which killed the point of us taking a bath. But did we care? Hell, no.

  Epilogue

  And that’s how a lovely man such as Ashton came to be mine. He kept his word, and as the
years passed, our loved stayed strong. And his speech, the words he made up on the fly as a mob was trying to break into his estate, seemed to have an impact.

  Over the next few years, the world began changing. The video camera allowed us to go to the movies and watch moving pictures. Our estate soon had electricity that allowed us to have a much easier life. We soon drove around in automobiles.

  And even though there was a lot of work to be done, I saw my people slowly beginning to integrate with his. I don’t know if Ashton’s speech had anything to do with it, but I’d like to think so!

  For Ashton himself, his business boomed. With the automobiles, he had even more of a reason to find and sell oil to the people. We soon started a family, and together, we promised to make this country into something unbelievable as the 20th century began. Together, humanity would settle our differences and go forward. At least, that’s what I hoped. Who knew with humans? We were so unpredictable.

  But whatever would happen, we’d be there to go with the flow or change the direction.

  The End

  Back to Table of Contents

  A Slave’s Tale

  Anastasia Miller

  A Slave’s Tale

  Chapter 1

  From the first moment she glimpsed at the Jackson Plantation, Lucinda knew her life as she knew it was over. Not entirely convinced that this was a good thing, she kept whispering to herself, “It gon’ be betta here. It gon’ be betta.” She took a deep breath of the thick Tennessee air and sighed, considering her cracked and weathered feet as she walked. Six days she had been walking, barefoot, to her new home; after those six days, she barely winced when a breeze brushed her cotton shift against the week-old tears in her back. For six days she walked away from the torturous Master Sanders and his ranch, toward what she hoped would be, at the very least, an indifferent master; one who didn’t care if she sang, as long as the cotton got picked. A Master who, she really hoped, would be the fabled ‘gentle’ kind. Though it was a fantasy she often entertained, she stifled a bitter laugh – she wasn’t free of Sanders yet. The rough, dusty rope, wearing deep welts into her wrists, went slack as the horse-drawn covered wagon attached to it reached its destination.