by Lori King
Ten minutes later I realized he saw the pork chops, gravy, and mashed potatoes all-together as one side dish, with the broccoli casserole as another side dish, and the buffalo steaks the entrée.
“There’s no way I can eat this much.”
“Then you’ll have leftovers to eat later.”
I took a sip of my water as I watched him take a drink of his wine, and I rolled my eyes at him as I lifted the elegant wine glass and brought it to my lips.
The first impression wasn’t great, but as the cool liquid slid down my tongue and I swallowed, I closed my eyes to savor the taste. And then I opened them as I felt warmth in my stomach. I took another sip, and the warmth in my stomach seemed to blossom out to the rest of my body.
“Wow.”
“Mmmm. I think a half a glass may be all you need, but I’m glad you like it.”
“What, you insist I try it and then limit me?”
“Just tonight. I have no idea what’ll happen between us later, but I want you sober for it.”
“I thought you were getting me drunk to take advantage of me,” I teased.
He reached for my wine glass and pulled it out of my reach. “Never, Destiny. I will never take advantage of you.”
I was immediately sorry for my words. “That came out wrong. I was teasing — I know you won’t. You’ve proven yourself too many times for me to have said that. I’m sorry.”
His eyes closed a brief second before opening, and he met my gaze. “Thanks for that. I need you to trust me. It’s important.”
“I do. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.” I shook my head. “Families who homeschool are closer than the ones who don’t. I love my family, I’m close to my mom, and yet we lost some of it after I was kidnapped, and…” Kirsten had made me feel better about saying I was stripped naked and then cut with a knife as they carved symbols all over my body, but I still stopped before finishing my sentence. Zeke knew what’d happened without my having to tell him again. “I think I grew up in ways I wasn’t supposed to that night. Or, maybe I should’ve grown up years ago, and my parents kept me from the ways of the world. I’m glad they shielded me as long as they did, but now…” I sighed, unsure of how to word what I wanted to say. “I’m ready to grow up, but not with just anyone. I’m so glad you were in the woods this year for Halloween, and I think it would’ve been okay if we’d kissed and… stuff, before now, but I understand why you wanted us to spend time getting to know each other first.”
He put my glass back in front of my plate, and sat back and looked at me a second. “I never imagined I’d fall for a human, much less one so tiny, but I think I fell for you last year. You’d gone through so much, but you were so strong. Maybe it’s the homeschooling, but I’ve never met someone as young as you with such a sense of who they are.”
“Why not a human? Do you think we aren’t as good as you? Some kind of racist or… species-ist thinking?”
“No, but the rules about who can know about us are pretty strict, and I never wanted to be in a relationship with someone I couldn’t be honest with.” He took a bite, swallowed, and added, “Also, I’ll have to be extra-careful with you. Humans break so easily, and you can’t just change and heal if I get rough with you. It’ll be okay, though. My lion wants to protect you and keep you safe. I don’t worry about us hurting you by accident. He won’t let me.”
When I was younger, I believed everything my parents told me about God and Jesus as if it were absolute truth. As I’ve grown older and branched out in my studies, I’m no longer so sure. It isn’t that my faith is shaken, it’s that I’m not as judgmental as my parents. I knew in my heart I wasn’t evil last year, and yet my parents were terrified I’d been tainted by evil. Their reaction altered my entire world view and made me think perhaps everyone — and everything — they proclaimed as evil might not be.
So now, I told Zeke, “My parents would likely be convinced you’re evil if they knew about you, and listening to you talk as if there are two beings in your body has given me pause a few times.” He started to speak, but I held my hand up. “Let me finish, please. I need to say this. You took care of me last year, and then this year you went out of your way to not take advantage of me, even when I practically begged you to.” I don’t want to be one of those people who constantly quotes Bible verses, but it felt right in this instance. Still, I didn’t quote the whole thing, just the pertinent parts. “Matthew tells us Jesus said, ‘Every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit … Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’” I shrugged, embarrassed to have quoted it, now that I’d said it. “You do good. Even as an attorney, you use your lion’s senses to decide who you should defend and who you shouldn’t. You have a moral code and you mean to do good. You aren’t evil. Neither is Nathan, or Aaron, or even Abbott the vampire.”
He caressed my cheek, and his finger pushed a stray bit of hair away from my face. “You’ve had a lot of stuff hit you at once. I think you’re doing a fantastic job of dealing with it.”
I shook my head. “After all the dreams about half-humans and half-beasts, knowing they were real was almost a relief. It meant I wasn’t crazy, and the fact they saved me from the true monsters is a testament to the fact they… you, aren’t evil.”
“My sister doesn’t know I’m a lion. She knows I was abducted and held prisoner, but we don’t talk about it. She and her kids are coming to swim tomorrow. Her oldest daughter is your age, and I don’t know if she’ll be here or not, but the younger ones will.”
“Isn’t it too cold to swim?”
“The pool’s heated. I turned it up a few days ago so it’ll be warm enough for them. I generally keep it around eighty degrees if it’ll just be me swimming, but I crank it up for humans.”
“Should I leave before they arrive?”
“No. I’m hoping you’ll stay and meet them. Swim with us. Have dinner with us.”
“You want me to meet your family?”
“I do.”
“I didn’t bring a bathing suit,” I hedged.
He gave me a bashful grin. “I have a privacy fence. Nothing says we have to wear a bathing suit tonight, when it’s just us.”
The doctor and nurses had to see me naked in the hospital, but only little pieces at a time, and no one had seen me undressed since. I haven’t been swimming this summer because there’d be no way to hide my thighs, chest, or feet. Still, the thought of swimming outside — naked — in the dark with Zeke wasn’t entirely bad, and I looked down as my face went hot again.
He chuckled. “I bought you a bathing suit a few days ago, just in case. It’s a two-piece, and those are easier to guess at since I only needed to get the how-big-around part, and not the how-tall part, too.
“I’ve never worn a two-piece.”
“Well then, it’s about time you did. If you won’t be comfortable in it tomorrow, then we’ll run out and get you something else in the morning, but I hope you’ll be good with it tonight.”
“A bunch of people saw my wounds at the hospital, but the football player’s the only person who’s seen them since they turned into scars.”
“You know I see you, right? I appreciate the fact you’re beautiful, but it’s who you are on the inside I’m attracted to. I look forward to seeing the beginnings of the tattoo on your chest, and I’ve seen a little of your forehead when I brushed your bangs aside to kiss it. Your scars don’t define you, but they’re part of who you are. If I care about you, I care about all of you.”
I took another drink of wine and decided he’d had his finger inside me that morning, and I’d been in his shirt and no underwear all day. I’d survive a two-piece bathing suit.
“Yeah, okay. I mean, I want to see it before I agree to anything, but I’m not saying no.”
And maybe if I was in a bathing suit, he’d do things to me again. We’d kissed a lot today, and he’d held me, and kissed my neck, but nothing else. There’d been lots of touc
hing. He’d taught me self-defense stuff after breakfast, we’d watched Netflix a while, and then we’d cooked together. He’d had his hands on me at every opportunity, and he encouraged me to touch him and hug him whenever I wanted, too.
And I liked touching him. Not just because he has this incredible rock-hard body, but because it means he’s allowed me to. It’s like I’m one of the special people, someone he wants around, someone who has the right to walk up and touch him for no reason without asking.
The best part? His smile when I do. It’s like he’s happy I’m paying attention to him.
“Can I ask why you have such a goofy grin? Is it because I bought you a bathing suit?”
His question brought me back to the present moment, and while I wasn’t sure I could completely explain it, I wanted him to know it wasn’t just the bathing suit. “I’ve enjoyed my day with you. I like this.”
His eyes softened and his smile went crooked. “I’ve loved our day, too. It killed me to walk away from you last year, but you were underage and you needed to pull your life back together with your family.”
“I get it, but I’m glad circumstances pulled us back together, and I’m really glad I had my dad’s flashlight so I could see your lion.”
We finished our dinner, though most of mine went into the refrigerator to eat later. The bathing suit looked like it would be thin shorts on the bottom and a decent amount of coverage on top, but the shorts were so short it felt like half of my bottom hung out.
I stared at myself in the mirror. Bizarre symbols burned into my thighs, a single large complex image carved into my stomach, and dozens of small almost hieroglyphic figures on my chest. The tattoo would eventually make them into something else, but for now, it was stark black ink and white scars.
My head tilted forward and I looked at my feet. I’d worn long shorts and cropped pants most of the summer, with sporty sneakers to cover the scars on the tops of my feet. My ankles were white against my tanned shins, and I once again wished I’d been anywhere but the grocery store last Halloween. The van had been parked beside my car, and they’d pulled me inside and driven away without anyone seeing them take me.
I took a breath and came out of the bathroom. Zeke had a super-tall brick fence around his pool and it’d just be the two of us. He was going to see my scars eventually; it was better it happen now with a bathing suit on, instead of later when I might be naked.
He didn’t ignore the scars, as I’d figured he would. Instead, he put his palm over the one on my stomach. “I can’t imagine how bad it must’ve hurt. For me, seeing it reminds me of how strong you are.” He traced part of the tattoo. “This, too. You’re taking control, no matter how much it’ll hurt. It’s your body, and you’ll decide how it looks.”
I had no words, so I hugged him, and he hugged me back.
I dove straight into the water off the diving board, figuring if it was cold this was the only way I’d be able to get in. He’d been right about the water temperature, though, and I’d forgotten how much fun it is to swim when the water is warmer than the air.
I’ve often wondered what would’ve happened if I’d taken my phone outside and answered when my dad called. I hated lying to my parents, but there was no way I could explain why I needed to spend the weekend with Zeke. I’d talked to them that morning and made stuff up about the sightseeing my friend and I were doing in Knoxville, and how we might drive to the mountains and hike later.
When my dad couldn’t get me on my phone, he logged onto our cellphone provider’s website to see where I was, and saw the signal in town.
Thank goodness Zeke and I weren’t having sex when he showed up, though with Zeke’s hearing and sense of smell, he’d have probably known when my dad arrived, no matter what we were doing.
He heard him pull into the driveway, and he went through the house to see who it was. By the time I put jeans and a shirt on and made it to the front room, my dad was inside with his gun pointed at Zeke.
“Dad!”
“Get your things and let’s go, Destiny Faith.”
Until my abduction, I hadn’t told my parents ‘no’ about anything since I left toddlerhood. I’ve carefully picked my battles over the past year, but I knew there was no way I could back down to him on this.
“I’m sorry I lied, but I’m not doing anything wrong. I know you won’t see it that way, but I’m staying, and I’ll see you and mom tomorrow evening.”
My dad looked from me to Zeke, and I could see by the look in his eyes he planned to pull the trigger. It was as if I heard scripture in his head — the man who lies with her shall die.
My parents and their friends are prepared for the apocalypse. Or, better stated, the time period before the rapture, when they’ll have to hold strong against the government and society for a few years until we’re all carried away. They’ve trained, and they have armories set up with enough ammo to defend us for years.
However, my dad is human, and Zeke isn’t. Zeke moved fast, but not as fast as he could’ve. I guess he knows what he can explain as human, versus what would seem inhumanly fast. Nevertheless, in the blink of an eye he had my dad’s gun out of his hand, and my dad on the ground, face down.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Sir. I love your daughter and we’re trying to figure some things out. I understand you want to protect her, but you can’t walk into my home and draw down on me.”
No one said anything for several long moments, and Zeke stepped away, popped the magazine out of my dad’s Smith & Wesson M&P forty-five, ejected the round in the chamber, and set the unloaded weapon on a table behind him.
My dad stood slowly, his eyes on Zeke as he asked me, “What do you know about him, Destiny? I thought he was an attorney, but he’s had serious training.”
“He worked his way through college and law school as a bodyguard. He’s had lots of training in how to disarm the bad guys so he can protect his people.”
My dad glanced at me, looked back to Zeke, and finally looked to me again. “You need to find a place to live, Destiny Faith. I’m not sure I know who you are anymore, and I can’t let your actions influence your siblings’ choices. It’s bad enough you haven’t gone to church in a year, but I’ve been following the preacher’s advice to give you time and let you come back on your own.” He shook his head and turned to the door. “If you want your things, you can get them after four o’clock tomorrow. If you haven’t gotten them by Monday morning, we’ll give it all to charity.”
I was speechless, but Zeke spoke for me. “I’m sorry this is your decision, Sir. I’ll have a truck there tomorrow to get her things. I hope you and your family will keep communication open with your daughter. Destiny needs her family.”
He walked to him and offered his gun back, but not his magazine or the bullets.
“No, Zeke,” I warned. “He’ll have another mag on him. We’ll have to get his gun back to him later, when he’s calmed down.”
My dad gave me an angry look as he spun on his heel and went out the door.
“I knew he had more ammo on him, and figured it was another loaded magazine,” Zeke told me when my dad had pulled out of the driveway. “I wanted to see if he’d draw on me again, or take it and leave, but it’s good to know you were looking out for me.”
The air went out of me as I realized I’d further alienated my dad when I didn’t have to. I moved to the kitchen to sit. I’d mostly dried off, but my wet hair was in a ponytail, and I didn’t want to get his good furniture wet.
“I’ll have to take on more private lessons if I have a hope of affording an apartment, but I guess it’s time. You once offered I could stay with you until I could find a place, is the offer still open?”
“You can stay here indefinitely.” He sighed, cursed under his breath, and walked to me to take me into his arms. “I need to make a few phone calls. I’ll take some friends from Drake Security with me tomorrow, and I’ll arrange for someone from the Sheriff’s Department to wait at the street and make sure eve
ryone behaves.”
I shook my head. “Bringing the police will make him mad, but I don’t blame you. There’s no guarantee he won’t be loaded for bear when we show up tomorrow.” I sighed again, and stepped out of his arms. “I’ll get your mop and take care of the water you dripped on your hardwood floors, then I’d like to get back into my bathing suit and swim some more.”
Zeke stared at his feet a good five seconds before looking up. “Your dad has really bad timing.”
Somehow, I knew he’d just altered whatever plans he’d had for the night, and it ticked me off. “Don’t you dare change your mind about whatever was gonna happen tonight. I’m still the same person, making the same decisions. I promise I won’t do something I wasn’t already planning to do, but I need you to promise me you won’t back off because of this!”
He shook his head. “I’m going out on the deck to make a few phone calls while you get the water off the floor. We’ll talk about the rest of our night when I finish.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he shook his head again. “I need a few minutes, Destiny. Let me handle the logistics first, and then we’ll talk. I promise.”
9
Zeke
It took me fifteen minutes to make arrangements for everyone to meet just off the interstate on the way to Destiny’s house tomorrow, so we could pull in as a united front. I also called my sister and told her something had come up and we’d have to reschedule.
Aaron promised he’d have an officer there for us, to be sure everyone minded their manners.
And now I was worried Destiny might have sex with me to ensure she’d have a place to live, but thank goodness my lion made me see some sense. She’d wanted me for weeks and I’d put her off. Also, she’d made a promise not to do anything she wasn’t already planning to do, and I smelled truth when she said it.
