by J G Jerome
I hold her there for a moment kissing her deeply and thumbing her turgid nipple. I pull back and drive into with more force, and Solange moans her approval. “Take me hard, my Lord. Use me!”
I hold her right leg up as I continue to fondle and fuck her. She pulls me closer, and raises her left leg off the ground to lock ankles behind my ass. We make love urgently, as though the end of the world was near. As we both reach our bliss, I lean into her and devour her mouth as we both ride out our spasms and slowly sink to the tiled floor.
Finally we stand, kiss, and scrub each other down gently one more time. I turn off the water and wrap Solange in a fluffy grey towel. I tell her, “I love you, Solange. More every day.”
She looks over her shoulder and smiles hugely with wide open eyes. “I love you too, Jack. I don’t know what you’ve done to me, but please don’t ever stop.”
I kiss her before telling her, “If I’m breathing, I’m loving you, Solange.”
She squeezes my arms that are wrapped around her.
She smiles shyly and a little lilt of the islands appears as she says, “Get yourself dry, my beautiful man.”
I towel off, brush my teeth, and run an electric razor over my face while Solange combs out her hair.
I remark as I watch her brush her curly locks until they are relatively straight, “I swear, Trina gets more tangles than you do.”
Solange nods sagely, “My hair is more coarse than Trina’s. Hers is thick, but mine is almost twice as thick. It doesn’t knot as easily. Fortunately, I think it’s still soft. Plus, I think there is enough European influence in my DNA to let it fall more like loose curly locks than standard African hair like Sowie’s. We’ve compared hair notes a lot over the years. She keeps hers short because it’s just so much easier to care for.”
I pull on some boxers, jeans and a grey t-shirt. I’m still pretty warm from the workouts and shower, so I skip pulling on a shirt for the moment.
I walk out to find Solange back in her cocktail dress from last night. She sits on the couch and pulls on her stockings carefully, but leaves her shoes off for now.
I wrap her in a hug and caress her lean, strong back. Linking my fingers to hers, we walk to the kitchen and start making breakfast. Persimmon is on watch on the counter. I wave, and she flashes us a huge smile.
Without letting go of Solange’s hand, I open the fridge. I pull out eggs, bacon, cold cuts, cheeses, yogurt, and a couple of cartons of berries. I’m famished, and everything sounds like the right recipe for breakfast. I pull out some left-over roasted broccoli & cauliflower, an onion, celery, three avocados, some tomatoes, and a carton of mushrooms. The fridge is pretty close to empty. I may have inadvertently lied to Acorn last night. I grab a couple extra sticks of butter, and then I close the door. I open the freezer and pull out a full and a half loaf of artisan bread to thaw. That’s the last of the bread. I close the freezer door and look into Solange eyes. She’s staring into my soul. She pulls me into a gentle, wet kiss and tells me, “I think we’re going to need our hands free, my Lord.”
I smile and kiss her one more time before releasing her. “Will you start by cleaning and draining the berries?” She nods and roots around finding a colander and a paring knife. I put a skillet on the stove and get the bacon started on a medium heat before I start another skillet heating with some butter and EVOO in it. I chop up the onion, two stalks of celery, mushrooms, and left-over veggies. I throw the onions and celery into the skillet with the butter and oil, and cover them to let them brown.
I turn the bacon and then get a bowl out for the avocados. I cut them, pop the seeds out, and dice them in the shell before squeezing the fruit into the bowl. I finely chop some more onions and some for the fresher leaves from the celery until they look granulated. I toss those in with the avocado, chop up a couple of tomatoes complete with juice. Then I add a pinch of kosher salt, about ¼-teaspoon of Aleppo Pepper, a pinch each of black, white, and cayenne pepper, a liberal dash of garlic powder, and the juice of half a lemon. I stir that all up and then let it sit while I flip the bacon again and pre-heat the oven to 400F.
I get another bowl out of the cupboard and start pulling out eggs as Kristina joins us. She is wearing a short flannel plaid lumberjack shirt in her size, but hanging open in Trina’s style. She grabs my water glass and drains it, then refills it and takes over for me cracking eggs into the bowl with a quick kiss on my lips and a smile.
I stir up the onions and celery and add the leftover veggies. I lower the heat and cover them. Then I put the bacon on a plate covered with paper towels and put a lid on it before turning the heat to low under the bacon fat.
It the meantime, Kristina has crawled up on my counter to pull down dill and dried chives. We toss some of those into the dozen eggs in the bowl with some garlic powder, Aleppo pepper, black pepper and salt. Kristina whips the shit out of the eggs while I wrap the bread into foil and stuff it in the oven with a five minute timer.
Tiphanae arrives and asks, “May I help?”
I nod, “Sure, sweetie. Can you figure out how we’re going to seat seven of us for breakfast?”
She smiles brightly, “It will be my pleasure, my Lord.”
I point to the appropriate locations as I say, “Plates & bowls, flatware, glassware. Thanks, Tiphanae.”
At that point, I split the grilled veggies between the two skillets. I boost the temperature on them both to medium high, and then ladle the eggs over the veggies. Kristina mixes them together in one skillet while I do the same on the other. I ladle about two tablespoons of water into each skillet, cover them, and turn to the avocado.
Solange reports, “All done, Jack.” She has a nice bowl of mixed blueberries and strawberries.
I ask, “Did you drizzle some agave nectar on those?”
She nods with a grin, “I’m not very good in the kitchen, but I remember my mother putting sugar on them. I thought this might be better.”
I compliment her, “Good idea, sweetheart.” Kristina reaches up to kiss her cheek as she fondles Solange’s tushy. The ladies giggle, as Solange breaks away to carry the fruit and yogurt to the table.
Tiphanae is getting plates down, and Kristina points at the small bowls next to them. “Those too, Tiphanae. For the fruit and yogurt.
The timer goes off as Christie, Marisol, and Charli arrive. I pull the bread out of the oven, and Christie retrieves the bread basket from the pantry. Charli asks, “How did you know that was there?”
Christie replies with a grin, “Jack did let me eat that weekend he knocked me up! Bread and cold-cuts for breakfast were the other highlight other than the mind-blowing sex!”
Charli swoons, “A whole weekend alone with Jack! You’re so lucky! I think Trina is the only other one that has had more than a day alone with him.”
Christie gets a distant smile on her face, “It was lovely! I didn’t want to leave! Unfortunately, I saw that if I was selfish and stayed with him, he would never make the connections with the Winter Court he needed to make. He wouldn’t be ready to face the Dread Lord. But I did squeeze every last moment of pleasure from him that I could.”
Christie looks to Charli as she wraps the bread in a towel and places it in the basket and says, “I think we’ll find a way for him to spend alone time with each of you. It may not be necessary, but it is a treat all of you would enjoy.”
“Oh yes, please,” gasps Marisol. Charli laughs as she points at Marisol and says, “What she said!”
At this point the eggs are set. I flip them onto a plate and drop some Boursin cheese on top and cover them with the skillet lid. Then I do the same to the other skillet-full.
Leaving those to melt, I mash the avocado into guacamole, stir it, and hand it to Christie to put on the table.
Tiphanae says, “My Lord Jack, you may wish to plate over there. I’ve got seven place settings and chairs, but it’s a tight fit.”
I look up. Everything is just right. I tell her, “Great work, Tiphanae. I didn’t plan for mo
re than four at the table when I bought it, so getting seven around it is quite a feat. I’m lucky I have enough place settings and chairs for everyone.”
Marisol and Tiphanae shuttle plates over while I serve up the eggs and bacon. Kristina and Charli make coffees while Christina grabs the bottle of OJ from the fridge and pours. I break the last serving of bacon and eggs into three smaller portions and slide one in front of Persimmon.
She pipes up with a “thank you, Jack” before digging in with a little spoon she pulls out of her bag.
Everything is plated, and we are just getting settled in our seats when I hear a squeak from Persimmon. I launch to her and follow her finger with my eyes to the iPad screen to see a tall, fit woman and four big, burly men exit the elevator and march towards my door.
Solange slides up next to me. She smirks and says clearly, “Wolf Shifter’s Bitch is here.”
I hear a knock and then a warm contralto voice says, “I heard that, Solange.”
Solange laughs, “I figured you would, Chelsea. Just a second.” She looks around to confirm that everyone is ready.
She looks at me and says, “It should be fine, Jack. Chelsea and her clan are genuinely good people.” Then she whispers into my ear, “Just stand behind your chair and look regal, Darling.”
Solange nods to Tiphanae, who then opens the door. The tall woman stands in the doorway. Her eyes find mine and don’t let go. I cross to the door and extend my hand, “Hello. I’m Jack Jerome. And who might you be?”
She smiles warmly and gives me a manly handshake, “Chelsea Mansfield. As Solange stated, I literally am ‘the Bitch’ of the Wolf Shifters in the Americas. It’s a title for the head female whereas the Alpha is normally the head regardless of gender. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jack.”
She grasps my hand in her other and holds on tightly before she sees what she’s doing. Her eyes bug, and then she releases my hand. I wave her in. “Please come in, Chelsea. You and your party are welcome here.”
She steps inside, and two of the men follow her in. The other two take up posts outside the door in the hallway. Tiphanae closes the door.
Chapter 16 - Trina Meets the Trees
(Jack’s property north of Cottonwood, Arizona)
Trina opens her eyes to find her little group surrounded by trees. Daphne is also stirring as they reluctantly release their hold on each other’s hands and take in the sights.
Cholley is sitting quietly inside their embrace watching an ethereal woman sitting about ten feet in front of him in a ‘half-lotus’ seated pose. Keeping his eyes on the newcomer, Cholley tells Trina, “I don’t think she is a danger, Princess. She walked up and took that position shortly after the two of you went into a trance.” He turns to look at Trina and says, “It was the strangest thing. I could see you both here and feel your arms around me, but I could tell you weren’t here, too. Your body was here, but you were gone.”
The ethereal woman speaks with a clear soothing voice, “Why are you on the Lord’s property?” She has lean, soft limbs, a long neck, generous breasts, and a narrow waist that flares to her curvy hips. She is sitting on the ground with her hands resting gently on her knees.
Trina gets up and walks to stand before her. As the young woman looks up at her and starts to unfold, Trina drops to her knees into deep seated bow. She sits back up into a seiza position and says, “Hello. My name is Katrina ab Koran Mac Laughlin. I am my Lord’s concubine. I welcome you here in the name of the Green Lord. Please call me Trina.” She bows again.
The young woman shifts her position to match Trina’s with a smile. She bows and returns to seiza. “Hello Trina, I am Meriam. No other names, just Meriam. It is my honor to meet you. I come to enter service of the Green Lord. Can you take my oath?”
Trina tells her, “Meriam, I am not able to do that. However, I know that the Lord is very welcoming. I have not known him to turn anyone away. I’m sure he will welcome your service. You don’t smell like a human, a Sidhe, an Elf, or a Dwarf. Please tell me about yourself and how you manage to make the trees move,” Trina finishes with a smile.
Meriam’s laughter tinkles in the air like bells. “Trina, I know your name. I’m certain you probably suspect my nature. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a nymph. There are a variety of different types of nymphs; I am a dryad. I am the living spirit of a tree embodied in a woman. By the way, I will need to plant my seed to grow my tree, in which I will live, rest, and recuperate from being out in the world.”
“I have with me thirty-two hamadryads, which are basically nymphs that are also trees. It’s a subtle difference, but important. They move as people, but stop to sink their roots into the earth to feed, rest, and rebuild. I also have with me a water nymph, or naiad.”
She pauses for a moment before continuing, “We were concerned when we first felt the Lord in mid-September. I understand through the wind that all of the nymphs in the planet sensed him about the same time, and our joy was palpable. Then we sensed he was putting his roots in the desert, and we became concerned that he might be in an inhospitable location. We hitched a ride on a truck to Flagstaff right before Thanksgiving, but he was gone when we got there.”
Trina nods, “My Lord entertained his family in a rented house in Sedona over the Thanksgiving weekend. We had a lovely time, and only two members of our family couldn’t be there. He flew to Connecticut the following Monday.”
Meriam nodded, “We felt pulled to this land the following week after we lost his trail. We set up down in the dry creek bed, and Cassandra, our naiad, was able to pull ground water up into a spring that bubbles out to ensure we can survive. We discovered that the Lord had chosen a nearly ideal oasis for us.”
Trina smiles and beckons her companions. Daphne kneels to her left, and Cholley sits loosely to her right. “Please allow me to introduce my sister-concubine, Daphne, and my long-time friend Cholley, who also seeks to enter the service of the Green Lord.” Daphne gets up and hugs Meriam. Meriam is surprised, but happy. She gives Cholley and then Trina a hug, too.
She holds Trina for a moment and looks at her. “Trina, that facial tattoo looks painful. Why did you get it? It’s not a very positive message.”
Trina shakes her head, “It is painful. I didn’t ask for it. I was attacked essentially for being bonded to my Lord. He hasn’t seen it yet. I fear he will go on a rampage when he does. Unfortunately, my natural Sidhe rapid healing isn’t going to do much as long as the living shadows are in my flesh. I’m hopeful, Jack can pull them out.
Meriam purses her lips for a minute and then slides her hands down Trina’s arms to hold her hands. She says, “Trina, I can use the living shadows. One of my grove, Jana, is an elm hamadryad. Hamadryads consider living shadows a blessing from the Unseelie. Jana’s pretty old and needs to seed a new tree. The complication is she has root rot disease. She can’t seed a new tree with the disease; it will follow her to the new tree. The living shadows can enter through her roots, chase down the disease spoors and protect the new seed from the disease. Once the seed is mature, she withdraws into the seed, and I plant it in a place that will allow her to thrive. The living shadows get to consume the diseased remnants of her current tree, chasing it down into the soil and consuming it all, effectively eliminating all trace of the disease in the soil. At that point, Jana’s roots could stretch right through the formerly infected soil and never be touched because the shadows are that effective.”
Trina weeps, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I left some in a bottle in the Sedona compound. Will my tattoo have enough to help?”
Meriam hugs her and smiles, “It’s plenty, Trina. They are alive. They grow! A small drop would work. You have enough in your skin to really get things going quickly.” She looks back behind Trina, “Jana, would you join us?”
Trina, Daphne, and Cholley look to their left. There are so many trees around them that it’s difficult to tell where Miriam is looking. Slowly, a majestic tree shrinks into the shape of a human - the branches
merge and shrink into arms, braids of hair, and facial features emerge. Slowly, the being makes its way towards the quartet gathered in the middle of the grove. One of the branches appears to have formed into a twisted cane that the figure uses to assist her locomotion. She comes to the clearing, and Trina notes that she looks like an old crone with her cane. She has pronounced buck teeth and a patrician nose.
Meriam says, “Allow me to introduce Jana Elm. Jana, these worthies are Daphne, Trina, and Cholley.”
Jana smiles and says, “Hello dears. I’m afraid I look a fright. Between the disease and my age, I no longer look very much like a nymph.”
The Sidhe ladies each hug her, then Cholley hugs her and asks, “Would it be alright if I helped you stand, dear lady?”
Jana squints at him and then smiles. “I would be honored to have the support of such a distinguished warrior.” Cholley blushes.
“Jana,” Meriam begins, “Trina has been tortured by being tattooed with living shadows. I think she can help you, and you can help her. Are you willing?”
Jana’s mouth gapes in surprise. “Oh what a blessing! Lady Trina, may I take your living shadows from you?” she asks with hope dripping from her voice.
Trina hugs her again, “I am grateful to you for the offer, Jana. I willingly gift them to you.”
Jana kisses her uninjured cheek and says, “Just lay down on the ground, dearie. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Trina quickly lays down at Jana’s feet. Holding tightly to Cholley, Jana picks up her left foot and places her toes onto Trina’s tattoo. Slowly small root hairs extend from Jana’s toes and probe the tattoo. The root hairs throb as they pull on the living shadows. At first, the shadows resist, but suddenly they get the idea that there is more opportunity in Jana’s offer. The root hairs absorb the shadows and penetrate into the wounds left by the dremel while sucking out all remaining remnants.
