by Ruby Forrest
Hanna- Gale glanced at the keys, steeled herself, and walked up the front. Unlocking the gate, she shut it behind her and walked through the garden. She had been reassured that electricity still worked, flowing to the house, just as water did. Her uncle had kept it all running.
If she took over the next payments, she’d be fine. A little sliver of anxiety found its way up her spine at the mention. She wasn’t sure how she was going to pay for that, but she would have to find a way.
Commuting would be hard, so she’d need to find a job here, or something similar. But that was for later. For now, she wanted to have a good look around. Her heart caught in her chest as she pushed the key into the lock and turned it. It gave easily, opening up and letting Hanna- Gale inside. She shut the door behind her as she fumbled for a switch. She flicked it on, and her eyes widened. She took in the sight of her uncle’s home, no, her home. And it was incredible.
Chapter 2
Hanna- Gale wandered around the halls of the house, feeling the wonder dance at the edge of her vision. It was stunning. Opulent wasn’t the world. Great sweeping staircases connected the stories, paintings seemed to line the walls, rich and classic. The carpeting beneath her feet was soft as could be and the hardwood was polished to a glorious shine. It was everything that Hanna- Gale could have hoped for and more.
Everything was furnished with period pieces and the décor didn’t look like it had been shifted. Unlike the outside of the house, the inside was in absolutely perfect repair and it made Hanna- Gale smile to see the beauty of it all. She could tell that dust had been gathering, but what else did she expect in an old building like this? Especially if no one had lived in it recently. A good dusting and sweep and the house would sparkle like new.
Electricity might be used to power the house, but it was still lit with chandeliers. Hanna- Gale never dreamed that she would have a house like this. A nagging doubt in her stomach told her that this was far too big for her. She could probably just live in one wing of the house and still feel like she was living in a mansion. Each wing seemed beautifully self-contained with a personal kitchen, lavish bathroom, lounge room, dining room and several beautiful bedrooms.
Hanna- Gale felt like she was stepping into an impossible, impossible dream. She could never have imagined stepping into such luxury. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that she was dressed in a simple black dress and heels. She had a touch of makeup and jewellery on, and she had thought she looked very polished when she stepped out.
Now, in the midst of all of this, she felt terribly underdressed, like she hadn’t even put any effort into her appearance, which was the furthest thing from the truth. Hanna- Gale was still feeling a little giddy as she sank into one of the couches and stared at the draping curtains, the glorious, unlit fireplace, and the hardwood pattern that swirled beneath her.
She sighed in satisfaction, an odd sense of peace coming over her. It was almost like coming home. She’d never liked the people here, never felt connected, and yet, just knowing that this was where her late father had once grown up, made her feel like she needed to hold onto this house and take good care of it.
It was comforting in a strange sort of way, even though Hanna- Gale didn’t yet know what she was meant to do with it, or with all this space.
Her peaceful and comfortable musings were interrupted sharply. The sound of footsteps echoed in the upper rooms, thudding down the house in an eerie sort of way. Hanna- Gale froze from her place on the couch. It was growing a little bit late- Hanna- Gale had just planned on staying here for the night.
She swallowed and shifted, slowly standing up as she looked around, trying to find a weapon that she might be able to use to fight someone off. Worry sparked in her stomach. It might be nothing- the old creaking of a house she didn’t really know that well, animals on the roof that seemed to sound like footsteps.
It didn’t mean someone was in the house. She needed to get rid of such a silly notion. Hanna- Gale swallowed hard and glanced around again. The thud of heavy boots echoed through the house and Hanna- Gale jumped. There was someone here, someone in the upstairs, probably the east wing. She could hear the footsteps, the opening and closing of doors. She had only just got here and already someone was in her home!
She shuddered, feeling sick and angry. How dare they? She found a heavy looking candlestick and gripped it in both hands, determined not to let anyone see how scared she was. She was shaking as she walked towards the staircase, holding her weapon outstretched. This was crazy.
She hadn’t seen a single soul when she was looking through the house before and she thought that she had checked every room. It must have happened when she went downstairs. But why? Why now?
Everything seemed untouched, even the finery, so why did someone choose to break in the moment she entered the house. She swallowed her anxiety back, holding the candlestick tighter in her hands. Her phone was in the pocket of her dress and she considered phoning 911. She took a deep breath. She would phone 911 if there really was an intruder.
She might just be paranoid, all alone in the huge, lonely house. All alone. Or maybe not as alone as she had first thought. Hanna- Gale crept up the stairs slowly, wincing as they creaked beneath her feet. She turned, slowly moving towards the east wing, where she thought she had heard the footsteps coming from. Swallowing, she steadied her candlestick and started opening doors.
She didn’t look threatening, but she hoped it would work out. She didn’t want to think about what might happen if whoever it was started to fight back in earnest. She swallowed, feeling a little sick to her stomach. Almost there.
Hanna- Gale flung open the door to the east wing lounge and froze. Someone was there. He had his back turned to her and Hanna- Gale found herself backing up. He was huge, strong muscles rippling beneath a leather jacket. Tall and broad and well built. She could see the black of his hair and the curving insignia of a huge snow leopard that took up most of his jacket.
Hanna- Gale couldn’t breathe. If he tried to hurt her, she would have no hope. She tried to sneak back, to leave and phone the police, but the floorboards creaked beneath her feet. When the man began to turn, Hanna- Gale thought she might die of fright.
She clutched the candlestick tighter and wondered how fast she could really run in these heels.
Chapter 3
When he turned around, Hanna- Gale knew that she had been caught out. Her eyes widened as they met his. An intruder. A man who she was terrified of, just because he had entered her house without permission. But he was so striking.
Dark eyes that seemed to flash and dark hair that was perfectly styled. A heavy leather jacket rested over a sharp white t-shirt and blue jeans. He wore heavy boots that looked like motorcycling boots. Hanna- Gale’s heart fluttered, her words caught in her throat. He was big and broad and strong and she felt herself drawn to him even as she was trying to back away.
He had an unnatural sort of beauty, like it shouldn’t be allowed, like this wasn’t something that should be possible, and yet here he was. And she suddenly felt out of place, like he belonged in this house more than she did, even though she owned it.
She was quickly snapped out of her thoughts as he smirked, confident and comfortable, even though he’d been caught. A thrill of fear moved through her.
“I’m Casey. Nice to meet you.” He moved towards her slowly, predatory steps and Hanna- Gale backed up, “May I ask who you are?”
Hanna- Gale couldn’t find her words for a moment, before she frowned, a dark look, “I own this property. I suggest you leave.” Her words were strong and cold, but her hands were still shaking on the candleholder and she suspected that that probably mitigated the effect.
Casey chuckled, a low, dangerous sort of sound, “Leave?”
He looked her up and down and Hanna- Gale suddenly felt very naked around him.
“You’re new to this city, aren’t you?” He smirked.
Hanna- Gale swallowed, the nagging
feeling in her gut telling her that she was missing something very important here. Casey just seemed amused, like this was something funny, instead of being a very serious matter of trespassing.
“That doesn’t matter. This is my house and you’re trespassing.” She tried to keep her voice even, but it wavered. Casey’s face darkened, eyes flashing as he took a few leisurely steps forward, Hanna- Gale had nowhere else to go, so she stood her ground.
“Listen, sweetheart.” His voice was low, smooth and deep and it made Hanna- Gale shiver despite herself, “I might be trespassing in this house, but you are trespassing on our turf.” He eyed her with a dangerous sort of look.
“Your turf?” She blurted out. Confusions swirled around Hanna- Gale’s head, making her feel sick and uncertain about everything all over again.
He laughed again, the darkness chased from his eyes as he shook his head, “Damn, you really do not know anything about this city.”
He pointed to his leather jacket, “Red Snow leopards.” He looked at her intently, “It’s our turf.”
A biker gang. The realization hit Hanna- Gale like a ton of bricks and she shuddered. She was evidently in their area and they were not taking very kindly to that fact. Hanna- Gale felt a little shaky, unsure what she should do next. She didn’t know what to say and she most definitely had not expected this when she came into the house today.
Hanna- Gale swallowed and stared him down, “Well, it’s still my house.”
He frowned, “Look…this has been our turf for years.” His voice was low, “So I recommend you get the hell out and go back to wherever you came from, sweetheart. You do not belong here.”
She frowned and narrowed her eyes at the challenge. He was terrifying, but this was her house, her father’s childhood home and all she really had left of him. She wasn’t giving this up because some gang was running around outside.
“I’m not interested in your gang.” She looked him in the eye, “I do not plan on interfering. But this is my family’s home and I’m not just leaving it.” Hanna- Gale turned, determined to get out of this situation. She needed to phone the police if he didn’t leave.
She still didn’t feel safe around him, threatening her like this. She only got a few steps when she felt his hand close around her wrist. Shock and anger jolted through her. His hand was big, easily encircling her wrist and holding her in place. It didn’t hurt, but she couldn’t pull away either.
She whirled and glared at him, “Let me go!”
“Then get out of here.” His voice was low and threatening and Hanna- Gale felt fear tingle through her.
Hanna- Gale whirled around, the candlestick cracking down on his arm. He yelled in surprise and let go of her. He was a huge guy and that wouldn’t have been more than a warning shot to him. A blow like that probably would have snapped Hanna- Gale’s arm in two.
He rubbed his arm as if he had bumped it and glared at her, danger in his eyes, “You’re not playing smart.”
Hanna- Gale fumbled for her phone, racing to the top of the stairs. This time, he didn’t grab her, although he did follow her in slow, steady steps.
“Get out of my house or I’m phoning the police!” She dialled the number with shaky hands, ready to push the call button.
Casey glared at her, before he chuckled and shook his head, the dark clouds fleeing from his eyes, “You’re interesting, Hanna- Gale.” A tingle shivered up her spine- she hadn’t told him her name.
“I’ll let it go for tonight, but be assured I’ll be back soon.” He sauntered past her, Hanna- Gale backing up as he did, not wanting to get caught in his path. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, eying her up and down with a devious smirk, “Watch yourself.”
Then he walked out of the door like he owned the place and Hanna- Gale was left shaking and wondering what the hell had just happened. And what she was meant to do about this gang that wanted her out of her own home.
She sank down, sitting at the top of the stairs and wondering what was going to happen next. 911 hung, untouched, on her phone.
Chapter 4
The snow leopard stood, proud and tall. Hanna- Gale could see him standing atop the mountain, surveying his domain. He was so proud, and standing so tall. Hanna- Gale couldn’t help but admire him, couldn’t help but see majesty in his stance, in the way that he looked over his people, over the millions scattered across the earth.
Somehow, even though she could not see them, Hanna- Gale knew that there were millions down there, millions around the world who were aligned with this magnificent creature. She felt like her breath had been taken away from her in a sudden rush, in a beautiful rush of air and breathlessness. She bit her lip and took a deep breath, feeling the sensations catch in her throat and tighten in her chest, an ache that she could not let go of, an ache that was lingering in the background and refusing to let go of her.
She loved it, loved watching this creature, watching the muscles that bunched beneath his skin, watching the rise and fall of its breathing and the ways his chest tightened and relaxed, expanded and contracted with each breath. He looked so powerful standing there, so strong towering above everyone, a force to be reckoned with, someone who should not be messed with, or argued with. There was a magnetism about him that Hanna- Gale could not ignore. There was a strength that rippled through him, a power that she could not deny, something about him that was drawing her closer and closer and closer.
She could feel the way that the air seemed to ripple around him and it touched something deep inside Hanna- Gale. She felt a freedom, a longing, and an ache that she had never felt before and did not know what to call it. It was something that was calling her to him and she could not turn away. Something about his eyes as he stared out into the distance.
It was a mysterious force and Hanna- Gale didn’t know how or why it was working on her, didn’t know what to do or what to say or how to act. She shuddered, feeling herself move, as if in a trance. One foot moved a step forward on its own, tentative and hesitant. Then the second foot followed, stepping into the unknown, stepping into a world that she had never before experienced, or even heard about.
Her body seemed to be moving on its own, stepping out into the great unknown, stepping out into something new and strange and different in so many ways. She didn’t know what lay ahead, and she didn’t know what was waiting for her. But Hanna- Gale stepped forward, one foot at a time, moving out into the unknown, with no one but herself to offer guidance, no one but herself to help her move forward, move onwards.
And yet, she had to move, had to move forward and keep going, had to keep moving until she found the place where she needed to be. And she had a feeling, a feeling deep inside of her, that she was meant to be here, meant to move towards the snow leopard that was standing so proud on the mountain, who was watching over everyone with such strength and dignity and grace, who was not about to quit or give up or move away. He was strong, he was confident and she needed to be by his side.
She needed to get to him. She took a step, moving closer and closer, approaching him faster and faster, feeling the breath on her skin as she gasped, her breathing coming in short, sharp pants as she ran towards him, ran towards him and felt the pressure on her skin, on her body. She felt the ache in her chest as she approached and got closer and closer.
The snow leopard turned around, fixing his eyes on her, those beautiful, yellow eyes that seemed to stare into her soul, seemed to stare into her very mind and capture her with the intensity, with the way that he wouldn’t look away, the focus, the breathless way it made her feel, the tension that caught in her chest and left her gasping and shaky and wanting to be closer already.
The draw to him was spiritual, was more intense than anything that she had ever felt before and she could not turn away. She could not turn away from this leopard, this creature with such strength, the creature who would guide her, keep her safe and bring her the type of fulfilment that she had been craving and needing and
wanting for the longest time, that she had been so desperate for, for the longest time. She needed it, ached for it, wanted the fulfilment and the purpose in her life, and wanted to feel whole again.
She needed this. As she approached, it hit her all over again. The snow leopard stood, proud and tall. Hanna- Gale could see him standing atop the mountain, surveying his domain. He was so proud, and standing so tall. Hanna- Gale couldn’t help but admire him, couldn’t help but see majesty in his stance, in the way that he looked over his people, over the millions scattered across the earth.
Somehow, even though she could not see them, Hanna- Gale knew that there were millions down there, millions around the world who were aligned with this magnificent creature. She felt like her breath had been taken away from her in a sudden rush, in a beautiful rush of air and breathlessness. She bit her lip and took a deep breath, feeling the sensations catch in her throat and tighten in her chest, an ache that she could not let go of, an ache that was lingering in the background and refusing to let go of her.
She loved it, loved watching this creature, watching the muscles that bunched beneath his skin, watching the rise and fall of its breathing and the ways his chest tightened and relaxed, expanded and contracted with each breath. He looked so powerful standing there, so strong towering above everyone, a force to be reckoned with, someone who should not be messed with, or argued with. There was a magnetism about him that Hanna- Gale could not ignore. There was a strength that rippled through him, a power that she could not deny, something about him that was drawing her closer and closer and closer.
