“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.
“F-forgive me, sir,” she stuttered. “I completely forgot about that.”
“I can see that,” he snapped, much to her surprise. He took a deep sigh before continuing. “But I guess since you’ve just lost your dear uncle, you must be a bit disoriented.”
“Something like that, sir.”
“Very well. I do have a few things to discuss with you, but I will give you some time to get over your grief first.” Harriet locked eyes with the man, curiosity suddenly eating at her.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Like I said, Ms. Milestone, I will not interrupt your time of grieving.”
“It’s no interruption at all, sir. I can handle it, whatever it is.” A million thoughts rushed through her mind at once. She considered that perhaps Victor had entrusted this man with some great news to tell her only when he passed. She was desperate to know what that could be.
A fleeting smile appeared on his lips. “Since you’re so anxious to know, I will tell you, but not right now. Tomorrow I will pay you a visit and discuss things with you.”
“Tomorrow sounds great, Mr. McIntosh!” She grinned from ear to ear, excitement getting the better of her. The man narrowed his eyes at her, though not in a reprimanding way.
“I shall be on my way then,” he said. “Ladies, have a great evening.”
“Will you not eat with us?” Harriet asked.
“Not today. I must be on my way. See you tomorrow, Harriet.” He gave her one last smile and walked out of the kitchen. Harriet watched him go, wondering what his fleeting smiles meant. He’d never smiled at her before.
“I wonder what the big news could be,” Francine mumbled.
“I don’t know, but I guess tomorrow I’ll know what it is.” With that said, the girls added the plates to trays and began serving to the guests.
For the rest of that evening, Harriet’s mind was occupied with thoughts of the upcoming meeting. The unpalatable thought came to her that her uncle had not willed anything to her, however, she slapped it down immediately. There was no way that Victor would leave her high and dry with nowhere to live. He loved her dearly, and wanted only the best for her.
That night, Harriet laid in bed for hours, with her eyes wide open. Sleep was hundreds of miles away from her. When she couldn’t bear it anymore, she threw the duvet from off her feet and stormed off to the room that used to be Victor’s.
She jumped into the center of the bed, just like she normally would when Victor was alive. Since he wasn’t in the room, she took one of the pillows and hugged it tightly, as she would him. It hardly did her any justice. She threw her hands above her head, and that was when she felt some kind of paper lying where the pillow had been.
Harriet sat up immediately and turned on the bedside light. The illumination revealed a sealed envelope with her name on it. The girl grinned broadly as she tore the letter open.
By the time she reached the middle of the letter, she was crying happy tears. Victor expressed how much he loved her, and how he was proud to be her guardian for all these years. It was all so beautiful, so touching, so…wait.
Harriet’s mouth fell open.
“What?” she yelled. “Is this a joke?” She rubbed her eyes and read the most shocking parts of the letter again.
…a merchant…a son who is about your age….is interested in marrying you… take him up on the offer… deserve to be happy… coming for you soon…go with him…
Every drop of blood drained away from her face. “No.”
Chapter Two
Alex Rivers placed the horse back in its stable and strolled into the house, hoping that everyone had retired to bed already. Much to his disappointment, his father and his cousin, Dillan, were sitting in the living room together, having a drink. He forced a smile when they looked up at him.
"Hey son," Alexander Sr. called. "Where have you been? We had to eat dinner without you...again."
"Sorry, dad," he answered, sliding the hat from his head. He strolled to the kitchen and collected a drink before joining the men on the couch. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep? Don't you have a trip tomorrow?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." Alexander stood to his feet and stretched. "I shall take my rest now. I'll see you boys in the morning." He shuffled the two head of dark brown hair before ascending the stairs.
"You know," Dillan started, when his uncle was out of sight. "You should really start to think about your father, instead of moping around all the time."
"Please don't start with that, cousin. I'm not interested." Alex threw himself backward and took a sip of his drink.
"You ought to be interested," Dillan said. "Your father is worried sick about you. You haven't had dinner with him ever since Aunt Verna died. I understand that you're hurting, but you have to realize, he's the only parent you have left. Consider one like me who has none. You should be grateful."
Alex said nothing, because there really wasn't much to say. Dillan was right. He always was. He'd been quite unfair to his father by shutting him out, yet, he could not help it. He'd rather not be at home at all, whether or not it caused his father any hurt.
Dillan stood to his feet. "I'm going to bed myself. Good night." Alex watched Dillan walking away, and he felt this pressing urge to beg him to stay with him a while. How confusing was that? He'd convinced himself that he didn't want to be around anyone, and yet, he was hoping that someone would
stay with him.
He drank the last of his drink and strolled to his room, the emptiness in his heart growing with each step.
***
The light of day slowly began to peek through the windows, and Harriet had still not gotten any sleep. She could not believe that her uncle wanted her to go to the west and live with a man she didn’t even know. And the worst part, she was to marry his son. What was Victor thinking? He knew all too well that she had no interest in marriage at such a young age.
Harriet didn’t usually disobey Victor, but this was one time when she would have to do that. She wasn’t going to leave her home and go to the west to live with strangers. She didn’t need a man in her life to make her happy.
She crawled out of the bed and dragged herself to the kitchen. Hadassah was already up and making breakfast. “Good morning, Harriet,” she chirped. “Would you like some coffee?” Harriet nodded in response and flopped down on one of the stools. She threw her head on the counter and groaned in misery.
“Is everything alright, dear?”
“Fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Where’s the coffee?”
Hadassah placed a large mug before her without any further questions. Harriet felt a pang of guilt for dismissing the woman’s concern like that, but she was not going to admit it. Hadassah was only a few years younger than her uncle, which made her old enough to be Harriet’s grandmother. Though she was staff, Harriet had always tried to show her the utmost respect, but sometimes she failed.
“Thanks,” she mumbled under her breath before taking her first sip. Hadassah returned to her post and continued working. When Harriet was through with that mug of coffee, she ordered another, and then another, until she felt strength coming back to her.
She returned to her room, showered, and then sprawled out on the bed, her hands and feet parted. She glared at the ceiling, having remembered what her uncle did. That merchant could show up any time to take her to Oregon.
“What am I supposed to tell him?” she mused out loud. “Reject his offer, of course! Why would I leave my wonderful home to go to Oregon to marry a boy that I don’t know? I’d be crazy! I’m sorry, uncle, but I cannot grant you this wish.”
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