by Kiana
The Wolves of Arnoux Manor
Volume 1
Kiana
The Wolves of Arnoux Manor
Copyright © 2018 by Kiana
Published by Mz. Lady P Presents
All rights reserved
www.mzladypresents.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales or, is entirely coincidental.
Contents
1. Cara
2. Cara
3. O
4. Lystra
5. Cara
6. O
7. Lystra
8. Anton
9. Cara
10. O
11. Lystra
12. O
13. Lystra
14. O
15. Cara
16. O
17. Cara
18. Malice
19. Lystra
20. Anton
21. Cara
1
Cara
I couldn't contain my laughter. I held on to my stomach as I gasped for air, but the sensation wouldn't stop.
“I told you not to wear those damn shoes!” I said, reaching out for the air around her.
“It wasn’t that funny, Cara.” Oh, that was an understatement. I thought as I listened to Lystra’s tale of her most recent date.
“He didn't even help you up?”
“Yeah, after he stopped laughing at me.” I laughed even harder.
My ass was starting to hurt. Lystra was clumsy. So much so that she fell down an entire flight of stairs after greeting her date at the local hipster bar Breslin's. She landed flat on her back with her legs in the air. Did forget to mention she was wearing a dress?
“Ok, so you fell for him.” Lystra narrowed her eyes at me before tossing a throw pillow in my direction.
“I have scars!”
“I’m sorry. All jokes aside, will there be a second date?”
“Amazingly, so yes. He said I didn’t trip like most girls.” Tears began to form in my eyes as I held in my laugh.
“Oh, fuck you, Cara.”
I let it out, and now my lungs and my ass hurt.
Ok, I know I’m coming off as an asshole, but I’m really not that bad. My name is Cara James, and Lystra Anderson is my best friend and has been since the second grade when she put her fist in Kelly Parker's face for taking and breaking my glasses.
Lystra though gravity challenge is the bravest and smartest person I know. She stands up for the underdog and does it like a savage. I love that girl. Then there's me. I am creative, graceful, and at times an asshole, but it works for me.
“At least the man has a sense of humor.”
“I know right. Cara, he is so different than any man I ever dated. He's protective, kind, smart, and dedicated.”
“Dedicated?” She nodded her head rapidly.
“He and his friend run this program for kids. They have tutoring, sports, and all kinds of stuff. Oh, and he doesn’t just run it. He coaches the kids too. He’s really passionate about the kids, Cara.”
“Sounds like a real dream, Lystra,” I said sarcastically.
A guy that nice was bound to have some issues somewhere in the mix. I’m a strong believer that no one is perfect, but I’m not bitter about it. I respect people who are upfront about their flaw. I hated when people tried to hide it. Then I end up getting all emotionally involved and can’t walk away. If you tell me up front that you ain’t faithful, cool. I can’t fuck with you, but I will respect you.
“Why did that sound like it was laced in sarcasm?”
“Because it was. If you want to celebrate this week’s dreamboat, go ahead. Just do it without me,” I stated, returning my attention back to my garlic parmesan popcorn.
“This one is different, Cara. I feel it.”
“It’s been a week!”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s crazy, but I know this man is going to change my life.” She grabbed a handful of my popcorn and then sipped at her wine. I didn’t know it then, but she was absolutely right. We were about to go down a path we couldn’t return from.
Let me explain...
Eight days later
After the date from hell, Lystra wanted a bit of a backup plan, so she decided to bring me along for drinks when she met up with Anton. What she left out, at least until a few seconds ago, is that he was bringing someone too.
I do not like being set up on dates. I have had no problem find the fuck boys and married men in this booming Metropolis, so why should I trust that someone else could find me a “good man”? Spare me, I’d much rather be at home painting and listening to 90s hip-hop.
Still, I have duties as a friend. So instead of enjoying my Friday the way I wanted to, I grabbed my freak ’em dress out the back of my closet pair it with some badass heels and waited for Lystra to get ready. A shower, deodorant, some lotion, and lip gloss are all I really need. Lystra, however, has a much longer process. She had to bathe in lavender water, air dry, and then lotion up and then do her hair. After 45 minutes of applying flawless makeup, she did a mini photo shoot in her outfit choices of the night. After finally choosing the right dress, she was ready to go.
By that time, I was already asleep.
“Cara, come on! Wake up!”
“No, let me sleep!”
“You promised me!” Frustrated, I got off the couch.
“You said you were going on a second date, not us,” I said, adjusting my yellow, backless skater dress. My black and lavender ombre tresses were pulled high above my head in a cascading ponytail.
“I know but after talking to Anton and O—"
“What kind of a name is O?” I cut her off.
“The kind his mama gave him. Don’t start, Cara!” she snapped.
“I’m not starting anything. I’m just saying—"
“The same bullshit you do before you meet any guy. You come out the gate hating. Cara, I really like this guy. Please, please, be nice!”
Again I’m in a city full of cheating men and lying little boys whose only goal in life is to fuck anything they can stick their dick in. Be nice for what?
“I will be civil,” I said as we finally left out the door.
“Wait, did you call a Lyft?”
“What do we need a Lyft for? Ether is a ten-minute walk from our apartment,” she fussed.
“Boo, do you see these shoes? Does it look like I'm about to walk anywhere?”
“Ugh, you so damn extra!” she snipped, but she ordered a Lyft.
When we arrived at Ether, Lystra’s demeanor totally changed. She became shy, and schoolgirl-like the minute that she saw Anton. We made our way over to Anton. He and his friend were waiting at the base of the stairs leading to the dining level.
“Hi, Anton, this is my girl Cara. Cara, this is Anton.” He hit me with a head nod. That when I took notice of the man next to him. Dressed casually in a black long-sleeved top that showcased the mass of biceps he called arms, stood O.
“I’m glad you two could make it. Cara, Lystra, this is my man O.” Like a synchronized swimmer, we both waved awkwardly.
“Alright y’all ready to eat? This place has the best steak in town.” Anton confessed. Lystra looked nervously at the stairs.
“You know, I’m not really that hungry. Let’s go have a drink.” Anton smiled. It was like he could read her mind. He knew after her last embarrassment that she wasn’t fucking with them stairs. She grabbed his hand and pulled him through the crowd before he could protest.
&nb
sp; “So I guess that leaves us. You want to eat?”
“Sure,” his tone was flat and gave me the impression that he wanted to be bothered even less than I did.
We made our way upstairs and were seated right away.
“Ok, my name is Monica. I’ll be your server tonight. Can I start you guys out with some drinks?”
“Nah, I already know what I want. Steak. Rare. Steamed Vegetables on the side,” he commanded. She never even handed him the menu.
“Ok, and you miss?”
“I’ll have the same, only medium and with fries.” The waitress disappeared with our orders.
“I’ve been here before. Anton is overselling the steak.”
“Oh ok. How long have you and Anton been friends?”
“Feels like centuries. I’ve known Anton since he was a pup.” The saying was a little weird but to each his own.
“What’s that under your nails?” he said with his nose turned up. I looked down at my hand, and I had red paint stuck under them. Some days no matter how many times I washed my hands or body, I still found splashes of paint on me.
“Oh, it’s paint,” I said, putting my hands in my lap. He no longer looked disgusted, but I still felt embarrassed.
“So you’re an artist?”
“Yes!” I said proudly and a little too loud. “I’m sorry. I’m just very passionate about my art.”
“You good. It's nice to hear that in your voice. Most people don’t get to follow their heart. They get stuck in these 9 to 5's then look up one day, and they’re old and exhausted with nothing to show for it.”
Lord, I hope this man has a job. I thought to myself. He laughed, but I wasn’t sure what it was at.
“What do you do?” I might as well start the elimination process. He smiled again.
“I own a waste management company. What did you paint?” It was an appreciated change of subject. I mean, what could you really discuss about garbage?
“I’m creating a mosaic portrait of Beyoncé. I’m only using tones of red and white. I’ve been working on it for a few weeks. It’s a little difficult when you limit your color range, but I think it’s going to be great! Are you even listening?” I say, noticing that his eyes hand wandered into the crowd of dancing people.
I turned around and saw several women twerking in the center of the dance floor. Everyone had their phones out recording the ratchetness. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to O. His glare was pensive, almost deadly. The ass shaking didn’t entertain him. I retraced his stare. He was looking at a man at the bar. The man was rubbing the throat of a small woman. Suddenly, he looked up in our direction. It frightened me. He made a hasty exit out of the club.
When I turned around, O was digging in his pockets. Anton was next to him, but Lystra was nowhere in sight. How the hell did he get here without me noticing?
“Lystra went to the ladies room. She said to meet her downstairs at the bar,” Anton assured me.
“We have to go.” Anton nodded in agreement. O left money to cover the bill and dodge out without so much as a goodbye.
And to think she thought I was going to be rude.
I made my way downstairs just as Lystra was walking up to the bar.
“Ready to go?” I said with an attitude.
“Yeah, I didn’t expect Anton to leave so soon. How was O?”
“He was nice, but they left so fast. We barely made conversation,” I said as we made our way out of the club. I would have loved to talk to him more, but something told me that he wasn’t really feeling me that much.
“I’m sorry, Cara.”
“It’s ok. I just want to get home and out of this uncomfortable ass dress.” A loud crash startled the both of us. The alley just ahead of us let off a series of loud crashes. Someone was clearly fighting.
“Don’t you hear that?” I narrowed my eyes at my best friend. Here she goes with that hero shit again. I was ready to shut that shit down ASAP.
“Yes, it’s the sound of me minding my damn business. Let’s go.”
Lystra ignored me and took off down the alley ready to fight like she wasn't dressed in a sparkly blue mini dress. I rolled my eyes as I ran after her. We were well into as we came upon the noise only to find a well-dressed man knocked out. He looked like the guy from the bar. Did O and Anton come out here to jump him?
“I’m going to call an ambulance,” Lystra said, pulling out her phone.
“Is he breathing?” She followed up. The man’s chest wasn’t moving at all. I shook my head no.
“Do you think he's dead?” I asked fearing the worse. I’d only ever seen a dead man once before. I walked into the wrong ER room when Lystra broke her ankle. People turn yellow when they die not blue or gray. They also swell. It’s not a pretty sight.
My question was answered as he lifted himself up without even bending his knees. He attacked Lystra, and I began to beat at him with my purse because I knew I had brass knuckles inside of it.
I then realized my brass knuckles would be of better use on my hand. I never leave the house without them. I slipped them on when we finally managed to push him off of her. She was bleeding. We both attacked him. Just as I pulled my metal covered knuckles from his face, I saw his pearly white teeth were…sharp.
“What the fuck?”
“Aaaaah!” Lystra screamed.
A very, very big dog had her by the ankle. In that millisecond, I left myself open to Mr. Sharp tooth. He wasted no time pinning me to the ground. He opened his mouth wide and hissed. I hit him in the eye with my knuckles. It fazed him a bit. Another big ass dog tackled him off of me.
I laid there in shock as the big black dog jumped over me and joined his partner in fucking up Mr. Sharp Tooth.
“Yeah! HELL YEAH! GET “EM!” I yelled, getting up.
My hand hurt like hell. I made my way over to Lystra who seemed unconscious. I looked up in just enough time to see the two dogs literally rip the man in half. I was surprised to find that it sounded more like glass breaking. Still, what kind of dogs could tear a person in half?
Heavily panting, the dogs stared down at the corpse and then each other. I began to pull Lystra away hoping that I could move us in case them hounds were thinking about dessert. As I moved her, the brown one barked at me loud as fuck. It made me fall flat on my ass. He jogged up to me, and I just knew this would be the last thing I’d see before I died. The black wolf came up behind its friend, and I could see that he was significantly larger. They were clearly wolves, which meant we were so fucked.
When the brown wolfed huffed, it blew my hair back. He bent down to Lystra’s face, and I hugged her tighter. He whined and then licked her face. He sniffed around her neck and Lystra stirred a little. He began to pull at her with his mouth. It was leaving marks.
“Bad dog!” I regretted the words as soon as I heard them.
The black wolf growled, and I fell back letting go of Lystra. The brown one pulled her up and somehow tossed her on his back. I reached out for my friend, but the black dog steeped between us. Remembering what the two of them did to Sharp Tooth, I stepped back. The beast’s nozzle was only centimeters from my face. He huffed and then blinked. His eyes were golden, unnaturally golden. I let out a slow breath.
When I exhaled, I became lost in his eyes. My hand went up into his fur. I saw things. I was with a man, but his face was blurred. I seemed happy, but the next vision was of myself. I was on the floor of a damp, dark place. I was in so much pain, both physical and emotional pain. When the wolf inhaled, I could see again. He was shaking his head and all the mass of fur around it. He growled at me again. Black wolf pounded his paw on the ground and returned to his steely glare.
“Sleep,” a baritone voice wrapped itself around my ears, and I fell into a thick black fog.
2
Cara
I reached to the side of my bed to turn my cell phone alarm off. I needed to get up and get ready for work. I pulled back the heavy duvet and let my feet touch the cold hardwoo
d floor. I stood to my feet and stretched. When my eyes fully opened, I stared at the caged window and began to wonder where the fuck I was. The windows were all barred. The room though elegantly decorated in brown and gold was unfamiliar. I hoped over the bed and to the door. The room was all mahogany wood. The barred windows didn’t provide a lot of sunlight. The room was lit by the flower shaped wall sconces every few feet or so. A giant wall until made of the same wood held only a 40-inch TV.
My dress was gone. I was wearing a white V-neck t-shirt and what seemed to pewter blue scrubs, like something they gave you in a hospital or a prison. Taking in the room again, it seemed a bit too lavish for a prison.
It didn’t matter. I had no idea where I was and wouldn't be able to function until I knew. My survival instincts kicked in, and I began to search for a way out. On the left wall was a door. There was a tiny window, but it was barred as well. I pulled at the doorknob, and it was locked. I began to beat on the doors. I saw another door in the corner. I opened it only to find a small windowless bathroom.
“Shit!” I yelped in frustration. I ran back to the first door and began beating it again. My anxiety was building because nothing was changing.
“Let me out! Where the hell am I?” I got no response. I ran back to my cell phone. I called Lystra. I got no answer. I called 911.
“911 what’s your emergency?” a calm baritone answered.
“I’m stuck in some weird place, and the doors are locked. Help me.”
“Ma’am, do you know where you are?” he continued. His voice sounded so familiar.
“No.” I cried.
“Relax, take a deep breath. Can you do that, ma’am?” I nodded my head forgetting he couldn’t see me.
