Wruin (Brothers Of The Dark Places Book 1)

by Miranda Bailey

  “It must be.” I eyed the gaudy jewel, too large to fit into a ring but maybe a necklace. “They’re all so, big!”

  “What are you going to do with them all?” Holly wasn’t being greedy, just her normal curious self.

  “I have no idea. Don’t you need a, what are they called, fence? Yeah, a fence to get rid of jewels?” I made a face at the jewels, not sure how to go about finding such a nefarious fellow.

  “I think, and this is just my opinion, but I think we leave them here until we know more. I’m sure you can just take them to a jeweler and sell them, I don’t think you need a fence. You’re going to be taken advantage of, though, if we don’t do this carefully. Is there anything else in here?” She dug her hands around, and pulled out another box.

  “Oh, another surprise!” I said as I took the box she offered to me. “A passport.”

  I paused to look at the information page. Currently valid, but for the United Kingdom.

  “I’m American, why do I have a British passport in my name?” I looked over at Holly, confused.

  “If they do like we do, then you have British citizenship as well, dearie. Your mom was English, after all.” She grinned at me and wiggled her eyebrows.

  I cracked what was likely the first smile since Mom had passed away. “You’re right!”

  Wow, I could travel to England, with no visa, no immigration, just go and do my thing. I’d always wanted to visit Mom’s homeland, but she had never wanted to go and I could never afford it. Which made me wonder, why had Mom kept these jewels hidden when we’d been so poor my entire life?

  “You don’t think? Surely she didn’t steal these?” I asked, worry suddenly filled me.

  “Your mom? For fuck’s sake, Abi, not likely!” Holly laughed and dug around in the box once more. “There’s nothing else. What do you want to do?”

  I stared into the box, fascinated by the brilliant shine of so many colors at once. I pulled up a handful and slid the jewels into the pocket of my coat.

  “Let’s close it up for now, and then we’ll come back later, when we know more.” I gave her a smile that wavered a little as I thought about the next step. “Let’s see what these letters say over some roast beef at the diner shall we?”

  “Sounds like a plan!” Holly put the boxes back where they belonged and we let Mrs. Brewster know we were leaving.

  “I’ve transferred the details of the box to your account already, Abigail. Leave the box as long as you like.” She gave me a gentle smile and Holly and I both waved as we left.

  A few minutes later we were in the diner next door, soft drinks in front of us and dinner on the way.

  “Where did your Mom get $50,000 to give to me, Abigail?” She asked after a few moments of reading.

  I looked up from my own reading about a “small cottage” on some property in England, my head spinning at the possibilities.

  “What? I guess from the same place she got the jewels? I have no idea. Maybe it came from her parents? They left her some property in a place called Dorset in England. And a...oh my God, look at this. How many zeros is that?” I asked, passing the paper from the stack the lawyer had given me over to Holly.

  “Nine? I, wow, that is really hard to count. Especially with that 59 in front. What’s that in American money? More or less?” She took out her phone and her eyes nearly popped out of her head after a few moments.

  She’d opened up a webpage and found the currency conversion tool. I nearly fainted when she showed me the screen.

  “What? That’s mine? All of that? Is mine?” I was certain my heart almost came to a stop.

  “Billions? You’re worth billions?” Holly looked around as she did that screamy whisper thing that’s not nearly as quiet as people think. “Why was she hiding you in this hellhole then?”

  “I don’t know.” I shook my head, scarcely able to take it all in. “Why would she?”

  “Keep reading.” She pointed at the papers in my hands.

  I shuffled them until I found her letter to me.

  “My darling Abigail,

  I write this with the knowledge that my time left is short. There are a million things I want to tell you, but I know that only a few things really matter.

  First, you must live a life of quiet, do not seek attention for yourself. Your father is still out there somewhere, and he is a very dangerous man.

  Second, your father is the reason I have hidden all of this from you. He is not a very sane man and I fled from him before your birth. For a long time he hid his true nature from me, but once I saw it, I knew I could not let you be near him. Ever.

  Third, you must go to England and find a man named Wruin Hayder. He was my childhood friend and I trust only him. If he can be found, he can help to keep you safe.

  Lastly, I hid all of this money for a reason. When you live a life of flamboyance, people notice. That was dangerous. Your father would have looked for me in that world. He wouldn’t look in the sheltering mountains of Appalachia. I have hidden you and now, to keep you safe, I must send you to the place that could be the most dangerous for you. Please, heed my words...always remember that your father still hunts for us both. If he finds you, it may cost you your life, my darling.

  You were given my surname at birth, not your fathers, and your passport, is valid, though I had to do a bit of finagling over the years to keep it current. Use everything I have given you wisely, my dearest girl.

  I know you must be heartbroken, Abigail, it hurts unimaginably just to write this with the knowledge that you’ll only ever read it after my death. I beg you, use the money sparingly and please, find Wruin. He is the only one that can help. I love you always, my darling. I sacrificed it all for you. Please, keep yourself safe. Find Wruin.

  Your loving mother,

  Doreen”

  I sat back after reading the letter aloud to Holly. That didn’t really help at all! Go here, but don’t do that. Do this, but don’t go there. What was she talking about?

  “I thought my father was dead.” I said at last. I saw Holly, her dark brown eyes just as confused as mine, and wondered how we were ever going to unravel this tangled mess.

  “Do you have a passport?” I asked, knowing I didn’t want to do any of this without her.

  “Wait, you’re not really considering going over there to find some geriatric puzzle solver are you?” Holly leaned over the cheap diner table to grab my hands. “Why would you do that? Especially if your dad is such a bad guy your mom hid from him for 20 years!”

  I gazed at my friend, unsure of what to do. It struck me just how lovely she was with her short, dark, hair and her little elven nose. We were both compared to elves and fairies often, though we definitely were not related. We just had similar features.

  “I think I should go and look at this house, at least don’t you? I mean, we’ll never have to work again, will we? I’m a...” I hunkered down over the table, my hands clasping at hers tightly. “I’m a billionaire!”

  Her eyes went wide, the almond shape rounding out as it finally hit us both.

  “We can go anywhere…,” she said, her voice trailing off as the possibilities opened to her.

  “See anything…,” I joined in, as I leaned back in the booth-style seat.

  “Do anything...” She replied, her voice was filled with wonder.

  “Buy anything...” I slid down in the booth a little.

  “You can pay for your dinner and leave me a nice tip, that’s what you can do Abigail Vaele.” A laughing voice interrupted and I jumped a little.

  “Oh, thanks Connie. This looks great.” I gave her a huge grin and Holly and I both dug into the roast beef with roasted vegetables the waitress had brought to us.

  Holly and I kept looking at each other as we ate, one of us would giggle, then the other, and we’d try to go back to being serious. We did that until the food was gone. We paid and went to the local grocery store.

  “Chocolate cake, coffee ice cream, salted caramel ice cream, two
bottles of that pink wine stuff you like, and a box of plastic spoons. We’re good right?” Holly loaded the groceries into my car and we got into the car a little while later.

  “I think we have to go, Holly. We, not me. We. I can’t do this alone.” I looked over at her as she got in, the car already dark. It got dark so early here in the winter time.

  “I’ll find out what I need to do to get my passport then. Can we at least wait until after Halloween to go? I can’t miss that. You know it’s my favorite holiday.”

  “I doubt you’ll have your passport by then so shall we look at flights for early November, then?” She drove us home carefully, the light traffic making it a simple drive on the winding road.

  “That sounds great…shit!” She slammed on the brakes as she approached the road that led up to our house. There, standing just beside of our mailbox, were six great big wolves. Two were black, one was gray, and the rest were a reddish shade or brown.

  They just stood there, their canine eyes shining in the headlights.

  “What do we do?” Holly asked quietly, looking over at me.

  “Blow the horn?” I responded, and turned back to look at the wolves. I didn’t know we still had them here!

  Holly pierced the night air with the sound of the car’s horn but the wolves just stood there, looking into the car.

  The black one tilted up his head and howled, while the others sank down on their front paws. When the black wolf stopped howling the others stood and left, leaving Holly and I confused but glad they were gone.

  “Maybe I’ll have some of the crappy wine of yours!” Holly spoke up, her voice trembling.

  “Yeah, I knew we should have got three bottles. What the hell was that?” I wondered aloud.

  “I have no idea, but let’s make sure the doors are locked tonight. I know West Virginia has some strangeness to it, but damn. That’s got me freaking out!” Holly drove us up the holler to the house, and without a word, we both dashed for the trunk, then carried our bags into the house at a run.

  Holly took the bags into the kitchen, but I stayed at the door for a moment. I watched the areas where the motion detector lights were for a long time. Nothing happened; no wolves or other woodland critters appeared. I guess my nerves are just too wound up, I said to myself, and went into the kitchen. They weren’t really bowing to me, were they?

  Dreams are funny things, sometimes they start at the beginning, and you’re aware of time, that things are happening and, even if they don’t make sense, you know why those things are happening. That night, I went to bed, a little tipsy from the wine, and still a little freaked out from the wolves, but soon fell asleep.

  The part that didn’t make any sense was that I found myself in a cave. A very dark cave lit only by a fire. Where was the smoke going, I wondered. When a man’s firm fingers pressed into my hip, I didn’t question who he was, how he managed to get a soft bed of furs into the cave, or why I was on my side, bare-ass naked.

  I just pushed back into him and moaned in surrender. “Touch me more.”

  His fingers slid around my hip, down the valley where my thigh met my body, and further...down into the center of the throbbing heat between my thighs.

  “There, oh yes, right there.” The words came out on a shivered breath as pleasure made my back arch, pressing my bottom deeper into his cradling hips.

  “You’re so hard! Let me touch you.” The mystery man did not speak, or move to face me, he just pressed deeper into my folds.

  I felt powerful muscles, heard a pleased rumble as he kissed my neck just below my ear. I longed to see his face, to hear his voice, to feel him within me, but he would only touch me.

  I became aware of a scent, a scent that made me ache even more, a scent that made me hungry for his mouth, for his touch. My hips started to roll against him as his scent filled my head, desire now a storm that blew away my thoughts.

  “So close,” I murmured to him, my hands reaching for his skin. Warm, silky heat met my palm, and I clenched at the skin as something deep inside of me pulsed at last.

  A low growl filled the ear, vibrated my ear drums, and made my head spin as the world became a dark place where only he and I existed, where only pleasure existed.

  I woke up in a sweat, my heart raced and I could barely catch my breath. What was that? Who was that?

  Brushing it off as a stress induced sex dream, I rolled over and went back to sleep. That smell lingered in my nose though, far more than just a memory.

  4

  Wruin

  Her dream woke me from my own rest and I rolled over in the bed I’d chosen as my own. My body was aroused, hard for her as she sighed in my mind. She was probably totally unaware that she’d even made the mental connection with me, probably oblivious to the way her cry of pleasure made me groan as I took myself in my hand.

  I watched her in my head, the way her ample, pert breasts jutted out as she arched her hips into me made my mouth water. I slid my hands down over her hip, as she begged for more. I wanted to turn her over and plunge into the wet heat I found between her thighs, but I waited. I only wanted to be inside of her when she was really with me.

  In my world, my hand stroked at the thick length of my cock, the blood pulsing within making me ache.

  “Abigail.” I whispered aloud when her scent came to me, and almost drove me mad with desire.

  My hand gripped at my shaft tightly, my fingers familiar with the pace that would get me where I wanted to go. Faster they flew over the thick head as she began to slither in front of me in the world she’d created for us.

  I nearly spilled into my own hand when she groaned out again, her words almost too much of an invitation to resist.

  “Let me touch you.” She said the words so prettily, so breathlessly that I wanted to bite her neck in gratitude. I laughed and kissed her neck instead. Her passion was rising and she wanted me as much as I wanted her.

  My beautiful queen, her dark hair trailed down her back and pooled between us. I inhaled deeply, learning her scent. She was such a small woman, but shapely, and so naturally sensual.

  My need to know her completely was almost overwhelming, but I stayed in place. She would be here soon enough.

  Instead of shifting and flying to her, I stroked myself, and went back to our connection, using it to call her to me.

  My fingers moved between her silky wet folds until I found her entrance. I slid two fingers into her, testing her. Fuck, she was so tight!

  I had to stop my self-pleasure as I felt her on my fingers, her silky juices easing my glide into her inner sanctuary. She was so untried, so new, and I knew that when I finally sank into her I would have to use all of my control not to lose myself in her.

  I used my palm to press into her clit as my fingers delved into her walls. I let myself fall completely into her mental world, a world where the soft globes of her bum encased my aching cock, a world where her hips writhed and she rode my dick with the soft flesh of her ass.

  “So close!” She cried out and I had to agree. I was right there with her, the softness of her bottom encasing my length too good to ignore.

  Next time, I promised myself. Next time it would be real, and I would let myself sink into her totally. For now, I just wanted to get her off on my hand. I bit into her shoulder as she shuddered in my arms, though I don’t think she was aware of it, my teeth didn’t break the skin. We just came together, one at last as she climbed to heaven and I spilled my hot cum over her ass in shuddered jets.

  The connection was broken just as I reached the height of my pleasure. A phone rang in the early dawn.

  “Oi, mate. I have a load of builders out here, we’re supposed to redecorating the place. You gonna let us in or what?”

  “Yes, of course. Give me just a moment, please.” The renovations had begun, then. The house now dilapidated and long neglected would now be ready for my mate to come home. I just had to give her time to get here.

  5

  Abigail

&n
bsp; “There’s our luggage!” Holly ran to the moving belt hauling suitcases, bags, and what I’m fairly certain was a surfboard, around for passengers to grab. I found mine, a large rolling case with stickers all over it, and struggled a bit before I finally got it off the platform.

  Some of the other passengers looked at me like I was crazy for having such a huge case, but I didn’t know how long I was going to be in England for and it was cold. Sweaters took up a lot of room, even with the luxury of vacuum bags! I grinned at Holly as she took her much smaller case and we made our way out of the airport.

  We made quite the pair, her in her tight black slacks, her wool knee length coat, and her sleek black hair and me with my bright blue yoga pants, a long sweater of the same color, and my hair in a messy bun on top of my head bouncing around. I’d dressed for comfort, not glamour.

  We soon found ourselves outside, wondering where the taxi was that we’d arranged. I finally spotted an elderly gentleman with our names on a sign and grabbed Holly’s hand.

  “He’s there.” I pointed, and we were soon in a car, riding along wet streets through a rather dismal looking day.

  The weather didn’t matter to us though, as we were soon gazing out of the window in wonder as we rolled through damp looking but quaint villages and along a beautiful coastline. We had just passed a sign that read Durdle Door and were trying not to giggle over the name when the driver spoke up.

  “Would you like to see it, ladies? It’s quite fascinating, really. It looks like a dragon has just gone down to the water to have himself a bit of a drink.” The kindly looking man gazed at me through the rear view mirror and I smiled back at him.

  “That sounds wonderful. Yes please!” I knew we were both exhausted, but it felt like it would be somehow disloyal not to have a look at the old rock formation that I was sure looked nothing like a dragon at all. It was probably just a lump sticking out of the water.

  The driver slowed down and then pulled into a parking lot and pointed down at the beach. “That’s our dragon then.”