by Keya Jay
***
“Wow boss you look dressed to impress,” Ash whistled the next morning as she watched Ryder approach.
“I hope you didn’t wear anything you care too much about because today is the day you meet my Bēlua,” Ryder announced.
“Is that her name, what does that even mean?” Ash asked as she fell in step beside him.
“Bēlua means monster and no her name is Skylar.”
“You call her a monster, why? Umm sir,” she quickly corrected.
“I don’t call her a monster she calls herself one, and the name seems quite fitting if I do say so myself,” Ryder said as they exited the tunnels.
“Are you going to let her hurt me?” Ash asked her voice pinched with fear.
“It’s not about what I let her do, she doesn’t listen to me,” Ryder said through clenched teeth. “But that will soon change,” he promised as her house came into view.
“Whatever you do don’t upset her,” he warned before opening her front door and stepping into her living room.
“You know those things there,” Skylar said motioning toward Ryder’s hands with the hand she wasn’t using to keep the towel on her head in place, “they’re used for more than punching you know, you should try knocking sometime.”
Ryder could hear Ashley’s gasp from where he stood.
“What is that?” Skylar asked referring to Ashley.
“I’m a who honey,” Ash corrected.
“Well I don’t know if you’ve noticed but this isn’t Whoville honey,” Skylar mocked.
“Can you pull your claws back just a bit?” Ryder asked her.
“This is my house if you don’t like it…”
“LOOK!” he hollered above her, “WE’RE NOT HERE TO BITE, CALM DOWN!” he barked.
“No need to yell, if my mother wakes she’ll be upset,” she said though her voice was calm her eyes screamed in warning.
“It’s 3 in the evening what is your mother still doing sleep?”
“ASH SHUT UP!” he yelled knowing good and well that Bēlua was ready to chew her head off.
“Yes sir,” Ash said bowing her head slightly. Skylar looked at Ash like she was crazy.
“Girl you better pick your head up aint nobody down there,” she said to Ash, when Ash didn’t listen Skylar looked over at Ryder.
“You must be out of your God forsaken mind if you think that’s the kind of hold you’ll have over me. I think you’ve got enough dogs on your leash and you will not be adding another so you best forget it,” she said as she turned around and headed toward one of the doors down the hall.
“Now I see what you mean,” Ashley whispered as she slowly lifted her head. “But I don’t owe her my respect so I will not be biting my tongue around her…uh sir.”
“It’s your death wish,” Ryder said as he walked over toward one of the couches.
“Take a seat,” he told her without bothering to look in her direction.
“Ok so now to whom do I owe this visit?” Skylar asked as she came back into the living room, hair all done.
“I told you I was coming,” Ryder reminded her.
“Yea but you never mentioned Cousin Itt,” she said as she sat on the arm-rest of the couch they were sitting on. Ryder hated the fact that he had to literally look up at her in order to address her.
“Well I had to get someone to teach you obedience.”
“I told you I’m not going to be prancing around like a bitch in heat around you, you must be crazier than I gave you credit for.”
“Well at least let me properly introduce the two of you. Skylar,” saying her real name seemed so foreign on his tongue but still he continued, “meet Ashley and Ashley meet my Bēlua Skylar.”
“You’re not my owner,” she hissed.
“Not yet I’m not,” he said with a devious smile.
“Non in perpetuum,” [not ever] she jeered in a different language.
“Ita certe videmus,” [yea, we’ll see] he retorted.
“English? Can someone speak it please?” Ash asked.
“Your master is going to be soooo very disappointed,” she said to Ashley. “And when I don’t become the little lap bitch he wants me to be he’s gonna take all of his anger out on you,” she said as if Ryder wasn’t still sitting there which infuriated him even more.
“Ash leave,” Ryder demanded. Ryder could see Skylar’s nervous smile as Ash got up off of the couch.
“Don’t you want witnesses? I think it’d be in your best interest if she stayed,” Skylar said with clear amusement.
“Now Ashley!” he barked. All he could see was red and it was more than just a color.
“You don’t like your life do you?” he asked threw a tightly snapped shut jaw.
“Truthfully? No I don’t if I could serve it to you on a pretty little platter I would,” she said showing more interest in her hands rather than their conversation.
“So this is how it’s going to constantly be between us?”
“Are you going to keep forcing me to be obedient cause if so then yes.”
“I can’t help it,” he growled.
“Maybe you’re just not trying.”
Oh she didn’t know just how hard he was trying; if he weren’t trying there’d be pieces of her lying around everywhere.
Ryder ran his hands through his hair and sighed before getting to his feet.
“I’m taking you to dinner be ready by 7,” he announced before heading to the door.
“That’s not considered trying.” Ryder stopped at the sound of her voice. He turned around slowly to face her and she was wearing a stupid grin on her face.
“What do you mean?” he asked while trying to keep his voice in check.
“Exactly what I said that is not trying, you can’t just demand I come to dinner with you, you have to ask for my company…like you want it,” she said her smile growing brighter, it somehow didn’t belong on her face and he so desperately wanted to rip it off.
“Will…you…come to…dinner…with me?”
“You mean like on a date?” she asked teasingly.
“You’re pushing it,” he growled causing her to laugh. She slipped off of the couch and began walking away.
“I WANT AN ANSWER! “He roared at her retreating backside as she moved farther and farther away from him.
She looked at him over her shoulder with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.
“I’ll think about it,” she said before she disappeared.
She was pushing every single last one of his buttons.
Ryder swung her front door open so violently hard it came off of its hinges. He walked out of her house and tried to line the door up perfectly before walking away. He’d fix it later—maybe.
