TIA'S MATE (Shifters of the Bulgarian Bloodline Book 1)

by Dalia Wright

  They got up and he motioned for her to follow him down the hall. She walked slowly so she could look at all the photographs, which included an aging Japanese man and a baby. Some of them had cherry blossom trees and other frames were empty. He led her to a small room at the end of the hall, which contained a twin size bed and green curtains. The light was soft and dim and her eyes adjusted easily.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said.

  She merely nodded, dumbfounded at his kindness. She was a complete stranger and he was letting her into his home without question. When he came back he gave her a clean pair of pajamas and a t-shirt. “Thought you might need these,” he said.

  “I don’t know how to thank you,” she said. “I’ve never been treated this way before.”

  Instead of responding, he reached out a hand and touched her cheek. His fingers paused right above her eye, which was slightly swollen.

  “Be sure to ice that.” And with that last comment he was gone, walking down the hall towards the isolation of his bedroom.

  Chapter 3

  Kazuma could barely sleep that night. He couldn’t stop thinking about the rescued vixen sleeping just down the hall. He tossed and turned in his bed, frustrated that he was even attracted to her. It wasn’t like him to feel for women this way. He generally slept around, giving girls fake names and numbers whenever he traveled for competitions. It was easier this way, to sleep around in silence and solitude. It meant no one was ever knocking on his door or calling him, begging him to come back to them. It also meant he was completely isolated.

  On those rare occasions that he found himself wanting affection or attention he generally tended to head towards the bar to pick up girls. The bars were always packed and it wasn’t hard to meet a pretty tourist who was in the business of avoiding her boyfriend or her family. The last girl he’d picked up was named Rose and had been from Oregon. She was in Florida to visit her family members for her grandmother’s birthday and had stopped by the bar for a release. She told Kazuma that she hated her family and had moved across the country to avoid them.

  “So why are you here?” he’d asked her.

  “Why is anyone here? To drink of course.” Kazuma and Rose had gotten filthy drunk that night, stumbling back to his place at three in the morning to have sex on the kitchen floor. When he woke up the next day he found a halo of flower around his head with a number scrawled in cursive. Without giving it a second thought, he wiped the flower away and proceeded to forget about Rose.

  It didn’t do him well to remember all the names of the girls he’d hooked up with. The list went on and on but Kazuma didn’t care. He wasn’t about to commit to anyone; especially not now that he was an accomplished MMA fighter. He needed to commit to his craft, his body, the fight. He had a lust and a drive for fighting, building his muscles bigger and better until they could endure the sharpest of blows. Just last month he’d been hit in the jaw from an opponent and hadn’t felt a thing. It wasn’t until his coach was congratulating him that he even noticed the blood dripping down his chin.

  It was too bad the punching bag was in the living room. If it were in here, Kazuma would at least be distracted. But alas all he had was a small French window leading to the outside world.

  Fishing around in his drawer for a vanilla cigar, he opened the window and hopped onto the windowsill. It was surprisingly clear even though it had rained three inches that day. His front lawn was soaked to the bone with water and there were scourges of mosquitos making love between the blades. Kazuma saw the moon was out, felt strangely like howling at it, then stopped himself. He didn’t want to wake Ally, who’d had a worse night than he.

  He vowed right then and there that if he ever saw her boyfriend again he would put him in a grave. Men who beat their women were the scum of the earth. They took out all their anger and frustration on the only people who tried to love them unconditionally. Kazuma would never hit his girlfriend, though he had no problem fighting his opponents. He wondered, briefly, what the difference was. Was all violence the same, bad and crude, or was his different? He had been trained in an ancient art form and that had to count for something.

  When he fought, it was as if his mind and spirit were one. Merely spreading his legs into a fighting stance aligned all the cells in his body, instantly causing a sense of calm to befall him. Perhaps, if Ally tried to stick around, he’d teach her how to fight. It wouldn’t be that hard. She already had a heart turned black from all the beatings, she’d make the perfect fighter.

  So lost in his thoughts was Kazuma that he didn’t notice Ally entering his room. She’d learned to walk quietly, like a church mouse, because of John.

  “Hi,” she said, startling Kazuma. He dropped his lighter on the ground and cursed under his breath.

  “Hey,” he said quickly. “What’s wrong? You can’t sleep?”

  “No, I’ve had insomnia since I was a kid. Whenever I couldn’t sleep, I’d grab a flashlight from the kitchen, hide under my bed, and read until it was time to go to school. The guidance counselors thought I was being abused because the bags under my eyes were the color of grapes.”

  “Mmm,” Kazuma said, taking a drag on his cigar. He noticed Ally’s hair looked even lighter in the moonshine. She had a nice collarbone, and there were two freckles on her neck that looked like a vampire’s kiss.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  Kazuma wrinkled his brow. He’d never had anyone ask him that question before. He wondered, briefly, if it was a trap.

  “I’m good,” he said. “Just a bit worried about you, I guess.” He blushed the moment after he said it, afraid that he’d crossed some line. But Ally only smiled and tilted her head to the side like a golden canary as if to say, thank you, I appreciate you.

  “You can sleep in here, if you want,” he said sheepishly. “My bed is pretty big. I mean I don’t want to impose or anything, but—“

  “No, don’t apologize. I’d love to sleep in your bed with you. It helps me feel less alone when there’s a warm body next to me.”

  He nodded, understanding her completely. He couldn’t decide if what they both needed was a dog or each other. Warm body or not, Kazuma still didn’t want to trust her completely. He reminded himself for the millionth time that day that it was dangerous to care too much. All people left in the end, no matter what.

  “So,” she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. He stubbed out his cigar and hopped off the windowsill.

  “Please,” he said.

  There was something strangely intimate about the way they moved around each other to make way on their way to the bed. At one point her hand brushed against his, causing him to mumble,

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” she responded.

  They climbed into the soft bed, the blankets folding around them like a warm sea. She turned onto her side, letting her hair fan out all over the pillow. Kazuma turned towards her, enraptured by the waves of bright wheat that cascaded on his pillow. He’d smell it later, after she’d left, and think of her.

  They promptly fell asleep, waking in each other’s arms. Kazuma realized Ally had folded herself into his arms and was sleeping there peacefully, like a cub. He had to restrain himself to the fullest extent in order to not get turned on. All he wanted to do was flip her onto her back and ravage her until she begged for mercy. But he held back, knowing she was in a relationship and that it was as complicated as they got.

  Kazuma decided it was best to close his eyes and fall back asleep. He woke to the sound of Ally calling out his name.

  “Hmm?” he mumbled, opening his eyes for the second time that morning. “Oh sorry,” he said, sliding his hands out from around her. He hoped it wasn’t too obvious that he was blushing, but she was really close to his face and he couldn’t stop thinking about touching her cheeks.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “It was kind of nice.”

  He smiled and asked her if she wanted some breakfast.

  “Absolutel
y,” she said. “I’m starving. I hope you don’t mind I’m still here. Can I stay for a few extra hours before going back home?”

  “You can stay for as long as you like,” he said.

  He’d somehow forgotten that he’d gone to bed without a shirt on. Suddenly self-conscious, he threw on a plaid button-up shirt.

  Kazuma lifted pots and pans out of the cabinets and proceeded to prepare bacon, eggs, and pancakes. He found cooking eased his mind and soon enough it was like the whole world disappeared. It was just him and his egg whisk. Ally told him she was going to take a shower but he didn’t hear her, as he was too focused on pouring the correct amount of milk into a ceramic bowl. He whistled while he cooked, which was a bad habit of his. Back when he was dating, his ex-girlfriends would complain about the whistling, telling him it was weird or annoying. But when Ally came out of the bathroom in a towel and sat at the island, she didn’t seem to mind. She remained silent until Kazuma placed a stack of warm pancakes in front of her.

  He fished in the fridge for a bottle of syrup and two containers of blackberries. Next he handed her eggs and bacon, and finally an empty glass for orange juice.

  “This looks incredible,” she said. “I’ve never had someone cook for me before.”

  “He doesn’t like to cook?” Kazuma asked, referring to her boyfriend.

  “No, John likes to eat out. He claims that cooking gives him a headache and as a result isn’t very good at it.”

  “That’s a shame,” Kazuma said, taking a seat in front of her. “Cooking is the most important part of my day.”

  “Why do I get the feeling that’s a lie?” she teased, raising an eyebrow.

  “Okay so maybe working out is one of the more important parts of my day, but I need to eat a big breakfast to fuel up before the gym.”

  “When are you going to the gym today?”

  “Probably after breakfast. You can feel free to hang out and watch some TV if you want. I’m preparing for a fight a few weeks from now and I need to be physically fit for it.”

  “You fight?” she asked, her eyes becoming wide with wonder. “John fights too, or at least he says he does. Lately I’ve been thinking he’s more into the drug scene but I have no way of knowing for sure.”

  “If you’re not careful, you could get caught up in that. You better be sure that if the cops ever raid your place, you aren’t around.”

  Kazuma’s tone changed to serious the moment she brought up John and the fact that he might be a dealer. He had no patience for people like that. If one couldn’t earn money after an honest day of work then there was no point.

  “You’re right, I should really leave him,” she said. “I just don’t know how yet.”

  “Well you’re here, aren’t you? That’s one of the first steps—actually leaving the apartment.”

  She placed her round face in her hands. Kazuma couldn’t believe how cute she was for such an older woman. “I suppose you’re right. He’s probably going mad right now wondering where I am. But as long as I can stay here for a bit, I shouldn’t have to go back to him. I just need to find a way to get on my feet again.”

  “Well be my guest. I’ve been looking for a roommate. You can stay as long as you like, though you should probably find a job soon so you can gain some financial stability.

  She smiled and winked at him. “How are you younger and wiser than I am?”

  Kazuma smirked. “I guess I’m just more experienced than you.”

  “More experienced than me?” she asked, tossing a piece of pancake at his face. “Don’t make me blush.”

  They spent the rest of breakfast joking around with one another until it was time for Kazuma to head to the gym. He grabbed his weights and saluted goodbye to her before disappearing into the muggy day.

  Chapter 4

  The second Kazuma left the apartment Ally promptly fell asleep on the couch. She hadn’t gotten much shuteye the night before, as Kazuma’s body distracted her. At some point during the night, when he was deep in REM sleep, he’d tugged her closer and wrapped his arms around her. She hadn’t wanted to wake him up by protesting, and eventually found that it was comforting to feel the warmth of his body. His chest was so muscular that it practically made her drool. John had muscles, but he was pale and stubbly. When they had sex, Ally would close her eyes and pretend he was someone else.

  She fell into a series of dreams that involved her running away from someone on a beach. She had no idea who was chasing her; only that someone was after her. There were jagged rocks at the end of the beach and Ally knew that if she could only reach them, she’d be able to jump off and avoid her pursuer. She finally woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. It was John, probably wondering where she went. She let the call go to voicemail, hoping he would get the message that she didn’t want to talk to him.

  But John didn’t leave a voicemail. The second she didn’t answer he picked up and called again. By the time lunch rolled around, he’d called twelve times. At last, he left a voicemail.

  “I’m not mad baby, but you need to tell me where you are. I bet you’re just over at Macy’s place having a real good time ‘cause I know my girl ain’t no slut. You better not be off with any men or trust you me I’ll have it in for you. You know I love you. Call me.”

  Ally shuddered at the sound of his voice. Without even trying to he sounded so menacing. She knew if she wasn’t careful he’d find her and give her a beating that would send her to the hospital.

  Macy was one of the only friends Ally had that John was okay with. She was a year older than Ally and had hair the color of a honey bear. Her skin was light brown and she had freckles all over her face. Macy had been dating one of John’s friends for a while, but they’d broken up when he cheated on her with a gaggle of strippers.

  Macy and Ally hung out together whenever John allowed it, smoking 45s on her porch and shooting the shit. She normally hated to smoke, but did so to relieve the stress of unemployment.

  “You should really leave him,” Macy said once. “You could both do a lot better.”

  Ally always ignored Macy when she talked like this. She spoke not only of Ally’s physical status but of John’s as well. She often joked that John needed to get his hands on a real woman, and that if Ally tried hard enough he’d probably stop hurting her so much.

  Always the pacifist, Ally ignored Macy. She figured her friend was only saying those things because she cared, not because she was secretly in love with John. Little did Ally know, she had a whole lot of chaos coming her way.

  Hours passed by before Kazuma got back home. She was still full from breakfast around four in the afternoon, and hadn’t even thought about lunch or dinner until she heard him turning his key in the door. She’d been in the middle of observing a dark green alligator hanging out in his backyard when the front door opened.

  “Honey I’m home,” he joked in his deep voice. Ally laughed and told him to come over to the window.

  “Isn’t he cute?” she asked, pointing to the alligator

  “Ugh, that thing is the bane of my existence. I swear it’s always in my backyard when I least expect it. One of these days I’m going to take a shower and it’ll be right there with me.”

  “It would be kind of cute to have a pet alligator, don’t you think?” Ally asked.

  “Woman are you out of your damn mind?” he asked.

  Ally laughed, tossing her thick hair back. She liked the way Kazuma looked at her, like he wasn’t quite sure if she was real or a figment of his imagination.

  He cleared his throat abruptly and told her he was going to take a shower.

  “Okay,” she called out. “Then we should probably figure out what we’re going to eat for dinner. I’m starving.”

  “We’ll go to the supermarket when I get out. And Ally? Wipe that smug grin off your face, I can feel you laughing form here.”

  “You caught me,” she said, chuckling. “I figured you’d be more of a farmer’s market type of person.”
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br />   “There’s nothing wrong with eating right,” Kazuma said. “At least I don’t look like a doughnut.”

  “What did you just say to me?” she called out, tossing a couch cushion at his back.

  “You do not want to start with me,” he said.

  “Why, are you scared I’ll win?”

  He dropped his clothes to the ground, picked up the cushion, and whipped it at her. Ally ducked, the pillow barely grazing her hair. She grabbed another cushion and hit Kazuma straight in the face.

  “Oh my god,” she said, covering her mouth as she fell prey to a fit of giggles. “You look so angry.”

  “You’re about to rue the day you hit me in the face with my own couch cushion,” he said, hopping over the couch to tickle her.

  “No stop, I’m so ticklish!” she shrieked.

  “Oh yeah?” he responded, digging his hands into her ribs.

  “Okay, okay,” he said, easing up for a minute. He was straddling her, and she found her heart had started to beat outside her chest.

  “Um,” she said quickly but whatever words were left were extinguished when he bent down and kissed her hard on the mouth.

  Chapter 5

  The next thing she knew, Ally’s hands were all over Kazuma’s neck and his face was buried in her chest. She arched her back towards him, loving the way their bodies fit together so perfectly.

  “We should move,” he whispered, tickling her ear.

  “Where?” she asked, breathless.

  He chuckled, arching his back to pick her up and carry her to the bedroom. Ally placed her hands around his neck and looked up at Kazuma. His hair was getting long, and it fell in front of his eyes every so often. She thought it was adorable the way he had to shake his hair aside in order to see.

  When they got to his room, Kazuma tossed Ally on the bed and climbed on top of her.

  They continued kissing passionately, steaming up the windows with every bite and suck. Outside, it was down pouring again. Ally was used to this, as she’d been living in Florida her whole life. She’d come to love the wind and the rain, even the thunderstorms.