Shades of Pink

by 33 authors

  She was shocked! She couldn’t fathom what Kemp meant. Why would she be the one constant in Prudence’s will?

  “W-what do you mean?”

  He looked at her over the paper, “I mean, you have been the only one she has kept in her will. There was no one else she trusted to handle any of this business. I know you have an awful lot of questions, in light of this news, but let me get to reading the will and I’m sure most, if not all, of your questions will be answered.”

  He turned his attention to Mandy, “Ms. Hasscal, why don’t you get us all some water while Ms. Stacey and I start the proceedings?”

  Mandy nodded once and stood, moving around the kitchen like she belonged there. When she opened the fridge for some bottled water, Catriogwyn saw that it was well stocked. All kinds of different food and beverages were piled on the shelves, from sub-like sandwiches to a case of beer.

  Kemp cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him where she saw him turn on a recorder, “Let’s begin. This is the reading of Ms. Prudence Stacey’s Last Will and Testament ‘To my Great-Niece, Catriogwyn, I leave everything. This includes the house the reading is being held in and all the items therein. It also includes my most prized possession: my custom made tiara with the pink rhinestone placed in the middle of the setting of diamonds. You may do whatever you like with the property and the items therein but I must insist that you keep the tiara.’ She has included this letter along with the time in question.”

  Kemp pulled a beautiful diamond encrusted tiara with a pink rhinestone set right in the middle. Catriogwyn’s breath caught in her throat as the sunlight reflected off that shimmering pink jewel.

  She held out a shaking hand to accept the amazing piece of jewelry, but Kemp handed her the letter first, explaining, “Your Great-Aunt insisted that you read this before laying a finger on the jewelry.”

  She accepted the letter and asked, “Can I read it when I’m alone? I’d like to have some time to process the fact that my Great-Aunt has left me everything she owned. But I must insist on taking the tiara with me to my hotel room.”

  Kemp nodded while asking, “Do you have any ideas on what you’d like to do with the estate?”

  She shook her head, “Not at the moment, but I’ll add it to the ever growing list of things I need to take care of.”

  Kemp nodded in understanding, handed her a copy of the will and the deed for the property, as well as the tiara. They shook hands and all three of them headed to the front door.

  * * *

  CHAPTER 10

  Catriogwyn was sitting at the table in her hotel room, looking at the letter with her name written on the envelope in Prudence’s handwriting, trying to decide if she wanted to read it. The tiara was sitting on the table next to her right arm, seeming to pulse with a power only she could feel.

  Finally, she made the decision to read the letter. She had so many decisions to make that this one seemed to be the easiest. Her hands shook violently as she opened the envelope and unfolded the piece of paper.

  My darling Catriogwyn,

  I know the secret you’ve been keeping all these long years. I know this comes as a shock to you, as you’ve been keeping it for so long, but I wanted to let you know. I’ve known for quite some time why you wouldn’t visit as much as you wanted. It must be so lonely for you to be what you are and not be able to reach out to someone. Everyone in this town thinks the same about me but, Catriogwyn, I wasn’t lonely.

  You mustn’t part with the tiara, no matter what you do. It’s vital that you understand this! The tiara isn’t just a piece of jewelry, it’s special. I really don’t care what you do with the house or the possessions inside it but this one possession must remain with you. Oh, it must seem like I’m rambling, and maybe I am, but it’s important that you understand.

  The tiara is special. You’ll see just how special in good time, but please remember to be careful what you wish for.

  Love,

  Prudence

  Catriogwyn set the letter down and picked up the piece of jewelry. Just like back at Prudence’s house, the pink rhinestone shimmered in the light.

  How can a piece of jewelry be special? Certainly it has sentimental value but I don’t think that’s what Prudence meant. ‘Be careful what you wish for,’ I wonder what she meant by that?

  There was a knock at the door while she was trying to figure everything out. Setting the tiara back down on the table she stood and looked through the peephole. Seeing Dominic standing in the hallway in front of her door, she smiled and opened it.

  “Hi, Tiger. I wasn’t expecting to see you until tonight.”

  She stepped aside so that he could join her inside of the room.

  After she closed the door he pinned her with one arm on either side of her.

  “That was the plan but I couldn’t wait that long to see you and it seems that I have some free time between deliveries.”

  He leaned down and captured her mouth possessively with his own, kissing her hard. She nipped his lower lip, causing him to moan and push his lower body to hers.

  “So, you decided to swing by here and get a little tail between deliveries? What would you have done if I hadn’t been here?”

  The look that crossed his face showed that he hadn’t even thought about that possibility.

  Great, just what I was afraid of happening. He’s completely addicted to my Succubus side. From here on out, I’m going to have to be very careful with him.

  She stoked his cheek, giving him a passionate kiss as she tried to get him to move enough for her to step away from the door. He seemed to get the hint because he moved back, tugging gently on her hand.

  “Let’s go finish this conversation in bed.”

  He gave her a wicked smile, making her wonder what he had in mind. He stopped tugging on her when he saw the tiara on the table.

  “Hey! What’s this? Where did it come from?”

  He picked it up, turning it over in his hands, “Wow! This looks expensive. Is it yours?”

  Her heart constricted in her chest, afraid he was going to drop it. She snatched it from his hands and set it back on the table.

  “Yes, it’s mine, Yes, it’s expensive and I would appreciate it if you’d leave it alone.”

  She looked at him and realized the best thing she could do for him was to make him leave and check herself out of the hotel. She could move into Prudence’s, house until she decided on what to do.

  “You know what Dominic, I’m really tired and I’m getting a headache. I think you should just leave.”

  She cringed inside at the hurt look on his face but she knew, deep down and from years of experience, that this was the best thing for him. It would keep him alive.

  “Well, if that’s what you really want, I guess I’ll go.”

  He didn’t say anything else. Just gave her a longing look and then walked to the door. She had walked with him and when they arrived there, he tugged her into his arms.

  “Are you sure that’s what you want? You really don’t want me to stay?”

  She gave a short nod and opened up the door, pulling away from his embrace, “It really is what I want, Dominic. Take my word on this, it’s safer in the long run for the both of us if you just go now.”

  She gave him a gentle push out the door and closed it on his astonished look.

  * * *

  CHAPTER 11

  Catriogwyn hurriedly gathered all of her belongings and then called the front desk to let

  them know that she was checking out, right this instant. She wanted to be gone before Dominic decided to act on the addiction, like so many others she’d tried to save, and ended up just as dead.

  The front desk made sure to let her know they understood and she hung up with them to finish getting her things together. She checked the hallway through the peephole before opening the door.

  She gripped her bags tightly as she made her way to the elevator. Pushing the ‘down’ button, she waited.

  I
should have known this would go south. When will I ever learn that it’s never just a sip?

  The elevator dinged, bringing her attention away from her brooding. She stepped into the small compartment, pushing the button for the first floor.

  She only stopped for a moment, long enough to drop the keycard at the desk in her rush out the front door. She threw her bags in the back of her rental car, climbed behind the wheel and burned rubber as she peeled out of the parking lot with one goal in mind: Prudence’s house.

  * * *

  Arriving at her destination, she parked the rental in the sorry excuse of a driveway, climbed out, dragged her bags out of the back and headed up the stairs to the front porch. It was only after she got to the front door that she realized Kemp had never given her the house keys.

  Cursing under her breath, she dug through her overnight bag searching for her cell phone. Retrieving it, she dialed the offices of Kemp and Evans, Esq. praying they hadn’t closed yet.

  “Thank you for calling Kemp and Evans, this is Mandy. How can I help you?”

  She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, “Mandy, yes, this is Catriogwyn Stacey and I really do hope you can help me. I’ve decided to stay at my Great-Aunt’s house for the remainder of my visit in Wilshire. But, um, it seems that I never received the keys. Can you either bring them to me or have them sent by messenger? I’m at the house right now.”

  She stopped talking to catch her breath, hoping beyond hope that the answer would be ‘yes’.

  “Of course, Ms. Stacey! I’ll be right there with the keys. And may I just say that I think your staying there is absolutely fantastic!”

  Catriogwyn sighed in relief, “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re such a life saver!”

  They said their goodbyes, with Mandy promising to be at the house with the keys in five minutes. Catriogwyn hung up, returned her phone to her bag and waited.

  Mandy was true to her word and at the house in five minutes. She handed the keys over and left, with some excuse about getting back to the office. Catriogwyn didn’t care, she just wanted to get into the house, take a small tour and maybe have a brief respite where she didn’t have to worry about someone being hurt or losing their lives.

  She put her bags in the huge living room, taking the tiara out of her suitcase. She’d just sat down on the antique couch when there was a knock on the front door. She couldn’t imagine who it could be, so she was taken completely by surprise when she opened the door to find Dominic on the other side.

  “Dominic?! What are you doing here? How the hell did you even find me?!”

  She was exasperated. How could he have found her so fast?

  “I followed you. Why are you running, Catriogwyn? You know as well as I do that we have a connection. Why are you ignoring it?”

  He’d pushed his way into the house, slamming the door behind him, and stalked her through the living room. She’d been expecting this, though not to this caliber, which is why she’d left the hotel. She held her hands up, trying to get him to calm down, only to realize she was still holding her Great-Aunt’s prized possession.

  “Look, Dominic, what we had was fun but I told you early on that I wasn’t looking for a relationship. Now, I have some things I need to do and I’d appreciate it if you’d leave.”

  Dominic sneered at her while trying to snatch her wrist.

  “Who are you trying to fool? We’re great together and you know it! And I know you’re just as lonely as I am. Now come here!”

  He tugged on her, none too gently, trying to pull her into his body.

  “Stop it, Dominic! I’m serious! Get out! There’s nothing more between us than great sex and I’ve called even that off.”

  He tugged on her harder and she was afraid that she was going to have to use her supernatural strength to get her point across.

  “Come on, Catriogwyn. There was so much more than great sex and I’m not ready to call anything off yet. Let’s talk about this! Please?!”

  He’d gone from being angry and right to pleading. She hated it when the men groveled for her to continue a relationship with them.

  “Dominic, please. You need to leave. Walk out that door and forget you ever met me. I promise you’ll be better off if you do.”

  His face contorted into an ugly mask and he grabbed at her again.

  “Damn it, Catriogwyn! Listen to me! I’m not going to give you up that easily!”

  She moved out of his path, gripping the tiara like a weapon, “Dominic, I wish you would just stop and hear what I’m saying!”

  There was a blinding flash from the tiara and Dominic froze mid-step. Not sure what happened, she moved around him. She came up close and looked into his eyes. They were vacant.

  “What the hell?!” she muttered.

  “Your wish is my command, Catriogwyn. I’ve been waiting for you to make a wish since we met on the airplane.” She jumped at the sound of the deep voice coming from behind her.

  * * *

  CHAPTER 12

  She spun around to find out who else was in the house. Her jaw dropped when she saw Demetrio Pirozzi standing in the middle of the living room.

  “Demetrio! What are you doing here?”

  She was in total shock as he slowly made his way to her.

  “I’m the final surprise that Prudence was giving you. One that she obviously couldn’t write into her will. But, she left you the tiara and the letter which was the best she could do. You see, the rhinestone is where I live, unless you decide otherwise.”

  He’d been making his way to her throughout his whole speech and took her hands in his once he’d reached her.

  “What would you like me to do with him,” he said, nodding in Dominic’s direction.

  “I’d like him to forget he ever met me and leave,” she answered with no hesitation.

  He nodded once, dropped her hands and touched Dominic on the shoulder. Together they walked to the door, with Catriogwyn trailing behind. He gently pushed Dominic out the door, closing it behind him and returning his attention to the Succubus/Vampire Hybrid he’d been told to take care of.

  “Done,” was all he said as he took her hands again.

  She shook her head, “This isn’t safe for you. I-I’m not safe. For anyone.”

  She was sure he could hear the hurt and loneliness in her voice when she spoke but she was too tired to pretend anymore.

  “I’m a Genie, Catriogwyn. Prudence stumbled upon me some time ago and has been keeping me company until I could meet you. It’s a shame she died before she could see this day. You can’t kill me. I’m mostly spirit-made energy. Your Succubus, as well as your Vampire, will be able to live on me alone. I’m the one you’ve been waiting two hundred and thirteen years for. You’ll never be lonely again.”

  She cut off a sob as she stared at him, this Genie, in disbelief.

  “Really? Then I insist that you don’t return to that rhinestone and we give this theory of yours a try.”

  He smiled at her, his eyes smoldering, as he lifted her off her feet and carried her to the couch.

  “Well, if you insist,” he told her with a small chuckle before he claimed her lips with his own.

  ~~~

  DJ Shaw belongs to the part of the Unseelie Sidhe that lives in Albuquerque, NM with her husband, The Vengeance Demon, Terminal, the beast who stole her heart, and together they have spawned five children. They also own an Ocelot and four Hell Hounds. She loves to write about the experiences of her Dark Brethren, and some of her own. Please enjoy some of her adventures. You can contact her and sample some of her work on these pages:

  www.facebook.com/WiccanLies

  DIRTY STRATEGY

  Eden Summers

  Living with two gorgeous men shouldn’t be a hardship. But when your mind is constantly clouded with lust and your heart gets involved, it may be better to cut and run.

  Can Heath and Drew use their powers of seduction to convince Miranda to stay before she leaves for good
?

  ~~~

  CHAPTER 1

  “I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna do it.” Miranda Jenner shook the nerves out of her hands and strode down the hallway, her shoulder length hair still in a tangled mess from sleep.

  “You’re gonna do what?” Her roommate Heath stepped out from the bathroom and caused her to grab her pajama-clad chest.

  Shit.

  “Umm...” She focused on the carpet, not daring to glance his way when only a fluffy white towel covered the bottom half of his athletic body. “I need to speak to you and Drew.”

  “About?”

  She peeked up at him from the corner of her eyes and her stomach filled with a thousand excited butterflies. The glow from the skylight above highlighted the stray droplets of water in his close cropped blonde hair and speckled over his wide shoulders and chest. “I just need to speak to you both before you leave this morning.” She averted her gaze. “Meet me in the kitchen when you’re...dressed.”

  His cheeky snicker followed her down the hall and into the open kitchen area.

  This was the reason she had to move out. She’d been their little house bitch for the last eight months. She did the cooking and laundry and in return Heath and Drew paid her share of the rent. Their arrangement wasn’t her problem though. The twenty-four-seven buffet of all-you-can-visually-defile-man-candy was her issue. She couldn’t spend another week fantasizing about them from every corner of her mind. It was time to move on.

  “Morning, gorgeous.”

  She released a pained sigh, then pasted on a smile. “Morning, Drew.”

  He sat at the dinner table, a bowl of cereal and the latest sports magazine in front of him. He wore a tank top with his football team’s many sponsors emblazoned on the front, his built arms on full display. She internally sobbed knowing she wouldn’t get to enjoy the sight of them for much longer.

  “Bad night? You look tired.”