I felt like kicking myself the moment I formed that thought.

“Funny I never thought of doing this earlier,” Marc mused aloud, looking away from the view outside his window to glance at me. “Hey, how come you never invited me down to your woodsy hideaway?”

I laughed. “Sorry, just didn’t occur to me that you’d be interested. I mean, a city slicker like you choosing to hang out in the mountains?” I shook my head. “I felt you were into more exotic, certainly much less rugged locations.”

“Thanks,” he muttered, not sure whether I was joking or not. I sent him a grin to show that I was. “Trust me, Dane, I’m all rough edges, even beneath my designer suits and clothes. I just never get the chance to show it around you. Maybe I figured you had enough rough edges for both of us,” he said, and this time it was my turn to look his way doubtfully. He had that huge, infectious grin of his on his face, and I grunted out a laugh and managed to scowl at the same time. I knew people figured he was the “pretty boy” of our pair, and I was the big bully, tough and unyielding.

Well, in a way it was good that we evened each other out, and it was working well so far, both for our business and friendship. Opposites attract and all that.

We got to the cabin in good time. It was barely six o’clock and the sun had faded, but it was still bright enough to see that everything about the place was intact, and as beautiful as ever. As we got down from the car, I did a cursory check of the surroundings, using my heightened sense of hearing and smell to make sure all was safe. I sensed no intruders around, not even the lone wild animal. It was all quiet and peaceful.

Marc was staring about him with pleased wonder, like he’d never seen real trees or mountains before. There was a breathtaking view of towering rocks just behind the cabin, and the huge, spreading trees which marked the clearing around us were beautiful, too. I felt an instant peace now that I was here, in the open spaces, free from the concrete mass. I could tell Marc felt it, too.

“Wow,” he said on a low breath, twisting round to get the whole view. I hid a smile. He was just like a kid again, enjoying his first taste of real freedom. I slapped him on his back, laughing.

“Enough time to nature-gaze tomorrow,” I told him. “It gets really chilly soon, let’s take our stuff in and get settled.”
Half an hour later I had the fire flaming reassuringly in the hearth, giving the living room a nice, well-lit glow. I’d shown Marc a room, and he’d already commented how everything was well stocked and modern, not the rustic cottage he’d imagined at all.

“Not that I’m disappointed, I assure you,” he said. “I could do without my cable TV and Blackberry for a day or two, but all other creature comforts are necessary to my survival.”

“Sure, okay,” I chuckled. We’d put on warmer clothes, and got down to making some dinner. Nothing fancy, but we had some exquisite wine Marc had brought along to go with the meal. It would take him to think of a detail like that.

“Great cooking, Marc,” I said appreciatively, since he’d done most of the real preparation. I polished off my last morsel with relish. “Didn’t know you knew your way around an oven. I wonder what other tricks you’ve got up your sleeve?”

I was half-kidding, and as he came to take my empty dish to the sink, he flashed me a wicked grin. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he murmured, but before I could reply, he’d gone back to the sink to finish up the washing. I decided to look around the house one last time, make sure everything was locked safe.

We spent the rest of the night talking and finishing off the rest of the wine as we both sat in front of the fire.

“Wanna tell me about her?” Marc said suddenly, after a few minutes of silence as we sat staring at the crackling flames.
I grunted, glancing in his direction. He was half-lying on the couch opposite, hands hooked behind his head. His eyes were half-hooded as he looked at me. I suddenly wondered why he suggested this trip in the first place. Sure, we were close, and he must have felt I needed a break, but for a moment I began to appreciate that Marc was more than just a great friend; he really cared.

The thought cooled off the anger I had initially felt at his question.

“I thought the whole aim of coming here was to get her off my mind?” I retorted, stretching out on my own couch, the effects of the superb wine starting to work on my system, relaxing me. I hadn’t felt so at peace in weeks.

“Well, I figured maybe, talking about it would help,” Marc said, shrugging. “I never really knew how you two met.”

I was staring into the fire again, the red, yellow and blue hues flames almost mesmerizing to watch as they blazed. At Marc’s words I was thrown back almost two years ago, to the first time I saw Malyssa.

Opposite a campfire on a hot, moonlit night in the forests of Western Africa.

Back then, I had a pack. I still did, but they’d all stayed back in the Niger Delta after that holiday trip that changed our lives. Me, Tyler, who was my beta, and a couple of other pack-mates had decided to go camping in the wooded hills the region boasted of. I’d originally come to the state to overlook some major pipeline maintenance issues, and my company had got the contract to handle the project in the oil-rich Nigerian state. The temperate climate was great, I loved it the first two weeks I got there.

Tyler, a doctor, ran some kind of medical mission which had also brought him to the area, one deeply ravaged by environmental pollution and the youth insurgency protesting against the wealthy multinationals.

Camping with us was our guide, a Nigerian, Koko Wills. We were talking and laughing over our supper when we noticed four or five figures entering the clearing.

Being the alpha, I was already on my feet, fists balled and teeth bared as the shadowy forms moved into the light and I saw that there were two women and three males. I took a hard sniff in the air and I suddenly realized who they were.

“Another pack,” Tyler said, coming to stand next to me, also on his guard. My eyes never left the intruders, who all seemed to be locals. We’d heard of the rampant kidnapping of expats, and we sure hoped this lot weren’t even thinking of it. They’d be sorry if they did, I didn’t care if they were also were-shifters or not.

“At least one of them’s not a werewolf,” I muttered, as my gaze fell and stayed on the woman in the centre. She was slim and tall, almost Amazonian in her stature, and very beautiful, from what I could see in the flickering firelight. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, and easily stood shoulder to shoulder with the other three men with her. In contrast, the second woman was far smaller, looking almost dwarfed by her companions.

The tall woman had no wolfscent, which meant that she was human. And yet, as our eyes locked for a moment, I knew there was far more to her, something different about her. Even from across the camp, her essence pulled me, confused me. I blinked to break the spell.

“Koko, ask them what they want,” I said calmly, not shifting my gaze from the group. I heard the guide clear his throat somewhat feebly, then started to speak to them in the native dialect, till the tall woman lifted a hand.

“Don’t worry, we speak English. And we’re not here to hurt anyone.” She said this while looking directly at me, and I frowned, wondering if she somehow knew what I’d been thinking, about kidnapping.
Koko seemed to heave a sigh of relief, before rushing forward to shake hands with them. “Are you all from the neighbouring Erovie community? My name is Koko, I’m a native of Agueri, not too far from here. This is Dr. Tyler King, and Mr. Dane Douglas.” He spoke quickly, his tone friendly as he introduced us and the other members of our pack, who stood in a protective half circle just behind Tyler and me.

“I’m Malyssa Ibori,” the woman said, stepping away from her group and walking up to Tyler. He was African-American, and just as towering as me – though as she stood next to him, there was hardly much of a difference. He was quite handsome, and though he was dark, he could never be mistaken for a local, especially once he opened his mouth and spoke in his deep, vibrating American timbre.

“It seems I know you, Dr King,” she added speculatively. “You’re with the Theogood Mission, aren’t you?”

Tyler frowned in surprise, nodding. “Have we met? I think I’d have remembered.”

She smiled, and I couldn’t help thinking what that tilt of her full, luscious lips did to my insides. Up close, she was captivating, her skin toffee-toned and smooth, almost mirrored in the moonlight. Her hair was pulled back from her beautiful face, and her eyes were wide, bright brown jewels. Cheekbones of a model and a cute nose gave her looks even more character, but my gaze was drawn to her invitingly curved mouth, lifted in that small sexy smile. My admiring gaze travelled down her slim, shapely frame clothed in well-fitting khaki pants and a clinging black tee shirt. Her bound breasts were full and strained against the light fabric. Flowing from her small waist were round, shapely hips, ending in long legs and feet encased in boots. Damn, she was hot. Hottest thing I’d seen in a while.

My strong sense of smell picked up her scent: it was all fragrant and fresh as green leaves, easy to register, hard to forget.

“No, I’ve never had the honour,” she was saying to Tyler. “But I’ve heard the good things you’ve been doing with the mission at Agueri.”

“Thank you,” Tyler said with a slight bow, and I could tell he was checking her out, too. I could almost hear him thinking to himself that he’d certainly like to “hit that”. I felt my fists clench in annoyance.

“Just what do you guys want?” I asked, my attraction to her making me sound brusque. She turned her gaze on me and there was that pull again, like a magnetic force drawing us closer. I tried not to look below her chin to the enticing swell of her shirted breasts.

“We saw the fire, heard voices, and came to investigate – and to warn you. There’s been some strange happenings in the area this past forty-eight hours. One or two locals gone missing,” she replied, her eyes narrowing as she added, “You guys know anything about that?”

I blinked into focus, distracted by the cultured clip of her tongue. I’d been too preoccupied by the attractive accent to really listen to her words. One could tell she was well educated, and she really stood out from many of the other female indigenes I’d met during my visit. I was intrigued.

“Huh? No,” I said at last, as her question registered. I turned my attention to the other four of her group. They looked suspicious, even disbelieving. I hid a scowl. They knew we were a pack, too. Could it be that they believed we were behind the disappearance of the locals? I added, for emphasis, “We know nothing about it. We’ve been on this trail for two days, checking out the sights. We’ll be headed back to town tomorrow.”

“Good idea,” she nodded, her eyes flickering for a moment to Tyler and the other pack-mates. Sizing us up, I felt. “It’s not really safe out here for…foreigners. Next time, just stay in the main town. For your own good.”

“We can take care of ourselves, trust me,” Tyler said in his deep tone. I had to bite back a smile as I felt his hackles rise. Tyler was one bad beta; my most trusted pack mate and one of my best friends. He was just the kind of guy I’d want around on a remote African trail with a set of local were-shifters to worry about.

“Oh, I’m sure you can,” she murmured, swerving smartly on her heels to walk away.

“Hey, why don’t you stay a bit, share a bite with us. There’s plenty for everyone,” I invited aloud to her retreating back, admiring the toned curves of her bottom in those clinging trousers. The slight sway in those hips was maddening. I sure as hell loved to see her go, but hated that she had to leave…

She threw a glance back over her shoulder at me, a small smile curving her lips, and I could almost swear once more that she could read my mind. The flames of our campfire danced in her lovely brown eyes. “Thank you, Mr Douglas. I’ll probably take you up on that offer someday. Not tonight, I’m afraid. Goodbye.”

She reached her waiting group and they walked away from the camp, disappearing into the shadows of the forest which surrounded us. When they were gone, I heard Koko let out a nervous laugh, apologizing to us for the intrusion, explaining something about the communities running local vigilante groups, where volunteers acted to provide security for the villages at night.
“The government of the state doesn’t really do much for them out here, so they tend to protect themselves the way they know how. Strange they had women with them, though,” Koko mused, shaking his head as he went to take something from his tent.

Well, there might have been two women, but it was obvious to me that I’d had eyes only for one. Malyssa. I couldn’t recall her other name. They were far from our camp now, I could tell. But Tyler and the rest still stood around, on guard, just in case.
I couldn’t seem to get her off my mind, felt almost tempted to trail them, follow her scent and find out where they stayed. But I knew that was risky; I could be discovered and that could cause trouble for both our packs. We didn’t travel all the way across the world to pick a fight with the local wolfpack. And yet, I couldn’t help remembering her parting words, almost like she felt we’d meet again. Damn, I hoped so.

“That was weird,” Tyler commented, finally lowering to the ground beside me. “Imagine running into another pack down here? And the Malyssa woman…” He fairly smacked his lips, saw my face, and then laughed humorously. “She’s trouble, Marc, I can tell. She’s got that “thing”… she’s no ordinary chick, trust me. But I’d still hit that.”

I shook my head and chuckled to myself, for correctly guessing earlier just what Tyler would say. I wondered if she was attracted to him. She’d certainly turned a smile on the beta. But then, she’d smiled at me, too.

Stop being an idiot, Dane, I told myself suddenly, angrily. Crushing on a chick was something I hadn’t done in a long time. And certainly not on one I’d just known a matter of minutes – and was probably never going to see again.

So why did I dream of her that night?

It was a long, heated dream. Or fantasy, judging by the length and grandness. I was sleeping in the open air, the way I liked it out here in the warm weather. I closed my eyes and opened them – and she was standing above me, tall and willowy and totally naked. How I could have known what she looked like underneath her clothes was beyond me. I guess I had a vivid imagination. But she was beautiful, every dark, curvy inch of her. I pulled away the top of my sleeping bag and invited her in…

*****Thanks for reading! Will try to post more regularly; cheers to everyone who sent messages, this is a busy time of year for me! Much love, Marya.******

“You’re sending me away?” she breathed, eyes widening for a moment. “But Dane…”

“Malyssa, go,” I told her. I think she understood now that I meant my words. She did not plead with me, but there was a sad quality to her small nod as she drew back, fading off more and more with each step, till she was gone from view – gone completely.

The next day I made a call. It was some sort of medium, an acclaimed expert on spiritual arts. She’d been recommended by a close friend. I’d been putting off going to her for weeks; somehow, I’d been reluctant to sever the final ties, always hoping…

But now, after last night, I knew I had to do it. She came by the house, a petite, pretty woman, dressed more like she worked in a bank than someone who handled spirits. Her suit was very smart, striped, the skirt a demure knee-length. At least, she looked capable, which was enough for me. I just wanted it done – and quickly.

She asked me some questions, little details that she’d need in order to properly execute her task. She asked me what I wanted kept out. I told her; a witch.

“Ah, not a ghost,” she said, scribbling thoughtfully in a little pad.

I frowned. “No, she’s very real. She’s just…very good at showing up. Sometimes I may not even get to see her, but I’ll know she’s here.”

“That’s strong witchery indeed,” she murmured, her pen moving faster now. She looked up at me for a moment. “You do know, of course, that I can only hold her away from the house. As long as you’re here, she can’t reach you or come to you. Outside of these walls though, I have no power over that.”

“It’s okay,” I said, wondering if I could still stop this from happening. If it was too late to tell her I had changed my mind. I had to force myself to continue the sentence normally. “She never approaches me when I’m outside the house.”

“Then her powers are tied to this place, limited. Makes the job a lot more simple, though.” She chewed thoughtfully on her pen, looking up at him for a moment. “Are you sure about this, Mr Douglas? Once performed, it can’t be undone. She’ll be cut off forever.”

This was my chance. I’d apologize to the kind woman for wasting her time, and agree I wasn’t ready yet. If I had felt even a shiver of Malyssa’s thoughts, reaching out to me, I would have stopped it all. But she gave me nothing. Her silence was complete.

2

It wasn’t so easy to get into another relationship. Not that I could call what Malyssa and I had had a “relationship” – but then. In any case, I found that women didn’t interest me. My work, and play, were centred on things that kept me too busy to even think of her too much. And it made the simple act of dating seem such a task that I avoided it as much as I could. I was rich, extremely good looking, I knew. I could have anyone I desired. However, I couldn’t find one woman whom I felt could stir that emotion within me. Their beauty, their witty conversation, even their practised, confident advances…they all left me cold.

I guess my friends felt a little sorry for me. Marc, my business partner, tried to hook me up with a few of his lady friends. Sometimes we all went out together, me and Marc and some new girl of his and the blind date they’d set up for me. And after the dining and dancing I’d have to take her back to my place. Or hers. But the night usually ended the same way; I’d stop in front of her house, thank her for a nice evening, and say goodnight. She’d try to insist and invite me up, but I’d regretfully demur. I’ll drive off home, somewhat relieved it was over.

“It’s her, isn’t it?” Marc said one afternoon, at work. We’d just wrapped up a major deal; our company handled large-scale oil and gas pipeline constructions. Our latest project was worth hundreds of millions of dollars; we’d hooked a major multinational contract and it was supposed to be our big break. Apparently, Marc noticed I wasn’t as freaked out as I should be.

“What do you mean?” I asked, rising from the desk and going to the window. The skyscraper that housed our offices overlooked the other towering buildings of uptown Montana. A city of hectic days and restless nights. I figured I could do with a proper break soon. Go to my cabin in the mountains, deep in the woods. Where I could hunt and run free. Maybe then, I could get her out of my system.

“You know what – who – I’m talking about,” Marc said, coming to stand beside me. Marc Jakobs and I had been friends for a long time; ever since we’d met fresh out of university. We both had a Bachelor in Construction Engineering Technology, had the same interests in sports and the like. It was normal that we’d gravitate towards each other. We’d worked a bit for a few civil construction companies, before deciding to start up our own company four years ago, when we were both thirty. Our drive and determination had built it into the leader it was now in the field.

We were both successful, unmarried. He was really a great guy, and women really found him attractive; I think he got even more female attention than I did, thanks to his constant charm, the big smile he always had on his good looking face. I was more of the dark, brooding kind. Women went a lot for that, but it seemed they also liked humour and a sunny personality to go with it. I didn’t pretend to have any of those, so I was glad there was someone handsome and personable like Marc around to deflect them, somewhat.

“Malyssa,” he said to me, clearly. He knew about her, of course – at least, the bits I’d let him know. He thought she was just some woman I’d dated some months ago who’d dumped me or something. He certainly didn’t know about her being a witch – or that I was a werewolf. That was one secret of mine I’d never let him into – mostly for his safety, I reasoned.

I felt his hand fall on my shoulder, give it a reassuring squeeze. “She’s making you lose your pleasure…in everything. In life. What ever you guys had – it sure must be toxic for it to affect you this way. Dane, I’m thinking, maybe…”

“Maybe, what?” I asked, swivelling round on him a bit angrily. If he was suggesting another night out, or some wild party with a few of his girlfriends again, I’d…

“That we should take a break. Just go off somewhere for a few days, do some fishing, knitting, anything,” Marc joked, a big grin breaking over his face. “Away from all this tedium of work, breathe some fresh air for a change. And we won’t bring along any women if you don’t want to,” he added, and I realised he’d probably read my mind about the girls.

I sighed deeply. “I was thinking the same thing a minute ago. You know, I have this place in the woods my dad left me..”

“Then that’s where we’ll go,” Marc said promptly, snapping his fingers. “We’ll pack up for the few things we need; lots of booze, some gourmet food, maybe a few DVDs.”

I hesitated. I’d never taken anyone with me to the cabin before. I only go a few times in a year anyway, very briefly; a day or two. Usually when the bloodlust gets to the point that I’m not safe around people; one night’s hunt would slake my needs, and I could return to the city. With Marc along though, it might not be so bad. It really was a great location; very remote with no other dwelling for miles, a nice pond for swimming or fishing if we liked. When my dad was alive, he’d had the place fitted with every comfort, so we wouldn’t need much except, as he’d said, some beer and what ever else we’d like to eat. The idea was looking more appealing by the second.

“Yeah, let’s go for it. This weekend. What have we got to lose?” I said, shrugging. Marc nodded, said it would be great. He was grinning so wide, that I found myself smiling back.

* * * *

I liked that Marc knew when to talk, and when to just fill the space with calm silence. The two hour drive into the Rocky Mountains was more pleasurable than I’d imagined. We rode in my new Range Rover, the latest addition to my expensive fleet of automobiles. I wasn’t that much of a “worldly”, ostentatious guy, but I worked hard for my money and liked to spend it on things I enjoyed. Marc felt the same about it too, though he spent his own stash on other kinds of expensive toys. And women, of course. He loved to spoil them, surprise them with his generosity. Said he just loved to see their faces when they opened that box of the perfect diamond necklace, or what ever fancy bauble he had got them. I didn’t get it though, not really. I always thought you had to do those special kinds of things only for that special woman. But then again, Marc didn’t have any one special.

Like me. Officially single, unattached. Alone. I wondered if I would ever find love again. Or if somehow, Malyssa would come back to me…

***Please visit Enblazen if you like to see the prequel to this story! To be continued…

“Forgetting is in the mind, and that’s easy,” he drawled, eyes narrowed to merciless slits. “But forgiving…that’s something from the heart. And I don’t think I have the heart to forgive you just yet…”

Welcome to a brand new title, “From The Heart”. Soon, we’ll begin the story of Feyi, young, beautiful – and almost about to lose everything she held dear… And Lanre, the man she had once hurt so carelessly and cruelly…

Feyi Daniels had been a very, very bad girl…

She was running as fast as she could. Really fast. Which was saying something for a woman with wings on her feet. But blast it, those wolves were faster…

Mayden should have known it was a mistake to try to steal from the Wolfe brothers. The fearsome, lethal trio…but the temptation has been too great. As it had been with the Loest clan weeks ago. She had easily escaped them, but this time, she couldn’t be sure of the outcome…

“You can’t escape – so stop trying,” a gruff voice, almost a growl, informed her from close behind. The wind carried the words easily over to her, and she shivered. She knew who that was. Drake. The largest – yet fastest and strongest of the brothers. Forbidding, dark, powerful… She heard the sounds of trees whizzing past, blending with the pounding of running feet. Not looking behind her to see just how near they were, she instead, focused on the uneven path ahead. The bridge of light…leading straight to the Land of Day. She would be safe there. The brothers couldn’t chase her there. Just a few more yards -

Mayden literally didn’t know what hit her. A split second after she caught a shadow moving from the corner of her eye, she was practically toppled by a large, hairy object, so heavy she felt almost flattened by its weight as she fell back to the ground. Gasping in shock, she stared up into feral green eyes of the werewolf. Only half-aware of what she was thinking, she told herself she recognised it was Drogan, cunning and sleek. He must have taken a detour to surprise her from the side… Great move, she thought, which was the last thing she did before all went black.

* * * *

“Looks like you throttled her,” Drake said with accusation as he reached Drogan’s side. Moments later, they were joined by Dune. None of them were even panting or out of breath. The three wolves, in varying shades of black and brown, stared down at the figure lying on the leaf-strewn ground. The only sign of movement were the soft, feathery wings at her bare ankles, still fluttering as if in useless flight. Her face was turned away from them, revealing the arch of her neck, at which a pulse beat erratically beneath her honey-coloured skin.

“Hardly,” Drogan replied, his russet fur receding as he straightened into human form, flexing lean, muscled legs. “But damn, she gave us a hard run.”

“You need to be fast to be a thief,” murmured the youngest, Dune, as he bent beside the prone figure. Like his name, his own fur was a deep sand brown, and he too was transformed swiftly, his hand gently prying open the soft palm of the faery woman. Out tumbled the three stolen seeds.

“Not fast enough though,” he added, his touch ever light as he took hold of her chin and examined her face critically. High, delicate cheek bones, arched brows, full, pouting lips. Her eyes were shut tight but he knew they’d be a deep, fall-in-and-sink hazel, fringed by a curtain of thick, long lashes. Her hair was a tangle of dark curls and leaves, and he tried a strand between his fingers. Soft. Just like her body looked, swathed in a light wispy gown which hid yet hinted at her undeniable womanly charms. How could someone so lovely be so bad, Dune wondered.

“Quit ogling Miss Lightfingers, Dune,” Drake growled. “We’ve got our stuff back – let’s head home now.”

“What, and just leave her lying here?” Dune asked, surprised, as he looked up at his two brothers.

Before Drake could reply, Drogan spoke up. “She stole from us, Dune. She’s lucky she’s still alive. She’ll wake up with a biting headache, but she’ll be fine.”

“Drogan’s right,” Drake said, his broad chest heaving as he brushed off the last of his midnight-dark fur. Chasing the faery had been a brief, sweet rush. He could have caught her easily long ago, but had decided to distract her while Drogan made to pull his surprise. She deserved far worse than being left unconscious and alone in the woods, he decided. Skinning her would have been much more ideal…

“You know the Loest brothers are after her,” Dune was saying, straightening and facing his two elder brothers. They were basically alike in many ways, except maybe the colour of their hair. Drake with his wavy black mane and massive shoulders – Drogan built on leaner muscles, his own hair with a reddish glint in its dark locks. Dune was the youngest but by no means the least, just as formidably structured as the other two, though the playfully tousled length of his golden brown hair, reaching past his shoulders, gave him a somewhat “pretty” boy look his brothers teased him about constantly.

“Then let them have her,” Drake shrugged, already turning to stride off. “She deserves it and more for the havoc she’s caused these past weeks. It’ll be a lesson to the rest of her thieving kind.”

Dune went after him, his hand biting into Drake’s arm for a moment before his elder brother twisted round. Dune sighed, dropping his hand. “I know she’s bad…but she’s doing it for a good cause.”

“Yeah, she’s one heck of a Robin Hood of our age,” Drogan mocked. “But she’s still a thief. Don’t be fooled by her soft, alluring beauty, Dune. There’s a sting to her sweetness, I assure you.”

Drake was holding Dune’s gaze. “Just what do you suggest?”

Dune paused for a second, then, “We take her back with us.”

The other two were already shaking their heads. “She’ll only try to steal from us again once our backs were turned. Or murder us in our beds,” Drake said with anger. “Stop thinking with your cock and leave her be, Dune. Wolves don’t mess around with faeries, alright? They’re bad news.”

“So are vampires,” Dune said, trying not to feel offended that Drake thought he had any amorous intentions. Mayden was a beautiful faery, but that was farthest from his mind. Truly.

“It will be nightfall soon; think what could happen if any of the Loest brothers found her helpless, lying here. There’s no saying what they’d do,” Dune protested.

“Probably boil her in oil, winged-feet first,” Drogan said with a chuckle. Though as his eyes fell on the still senseless woman, he felt his humor slip. He really must have been too rough with her, he realised. She was still out cold. A twinge of remorse settled in his stomach as he glanced Drake’s way for guidance. The Loest brothers were a rough bunch, more blood thirsty than most other vampire clans Drogan knew of. If they found her…

“Uh, Drake. Maybe we should, you know, not leave her here. We could tie her up, keep her locked up or something, but..out here in the woods…,” Drogan said, lifting his bare shoulders expressively.

Drake swore loudly, running a hand through his thick black hair. “She’s not even awake and yet she’s cast a spell on you two!” He snapped with a deep sigh. He regarded the figure on the ground. Why didn’t she wake up? Was she faking it? Drogan hadn’t really hurt her so bad, he reasoned.

“Look,” he said reasonably, “She’ll rouse in a few minutes, dust herself off and make away to her little faery cluster. We need to be heading back home. We have our own pack to protect, to worry about. This faery will only be extra trouble.”

Dune’s light brown eyes flashed with anger. He’d never defied Drake in anything, but this time, he was amazed at the eldest’s callousness. Drake hardly trusted or believed in anyone – he was known to be ruthless, unforgiving. Their enemies knew well not to cross him if they could help it. But this was a helpless faery maid. What harm could she do?

“I’m not leaving her here, Drake,” was all Dune said, before crouching and scooping her easily in his arms. For a faery she was far from feather-light, but her weight didn’t bother him. With his wolf strength, Dune knew he could easily carry her the long distance back to their dwelling.

Drake opened his mouth, dark bristles rising as he watched his youngest brother begin to walk off in the direction of home, but Drogan’s hand on his shoulder made him pause.

“Hate to say it, but Dune’s right. We may be werewolves, but we’re not beasts, Drake. We can’t leave a defenceless woman lying alone in the forest. Knocked down by one of us, too. Look, I’ll keep an eye on her, make sure she’s no trouble.”

Shrugging off Drogan’s hand, Drake snarled, “You’d better. If she tries to trick or steal from us again, I’ll make herwish the Loest brothers got her.”

Drogan bit back a smile, nodding solemnly as Drake went after Dune. Drogan then took one last look around. There was nothing but trees and the animal sounds of the forest. The night was falling fast though. This was vampire territory; they would do well to be far away from it before full dark. Those were another kind of folk that didn’t mix well with wolves…

TWO

Mayden turned in her sleep and moaned, stirred awake by the biting pain in her arm. Her eyes blinked open to find she was in a semi-dark chamber, lying atop warm, light skins strewn on the sturdy bed. The walls were bare, and a simple chest stood against the near wall. There was a window, but it was drawn by thick curtains so she couldn’t be sure if it was open or not.

She tried to sit up, but felt her head spin for a moment. A loud groan escaped her this time, and she fell back. The wrath of Nature upon those wolf men! She swore vengefully. That clumsy Drogan may have crushed a bone or two. Her body felt like it was on fire.

The door opened, and in came one of them, bearing a glass of water. She looked up sharply in suspicion, then relaxed somewhat when she saw who is was. Dune was the most…approachable of the brothers – if anyone ever got dumb enough to approach a werewolf. His fine hair was tied back, and there was a look of concern on his young, handsome face. And yet, the power radiating from his body was undeniable. Heat, strong and heady, seemed to vibrate from his athletic-looking frame. They were usually bare-chested, but he seemed to have donned a shirt for her benefit. She told herself she felt no inner regret at this: the men had virile and distracting enough bodies to turn any normal woman’s head. However, Mayden was too sensible for that, or so she tried to convince herself.

She waited for Dune to speak first, watching as he placed the glass on the nearby chest. “I heard you stir, and brought you something to drink,” he said, straightening. He saw her rub reflexively at her shoulder, and his eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry you’re hurt. Drogan doesn’t know his own strength sometimes.”

“I think the same could be said of all werewolves,” Mayden murmured, though she winced as her fingers touched another sore spot. Seemed her whole left side was a mass of pain.

“Let me take a look,” Dune said, and before she could stop him, he’d leaned forward and gently pulled down the sleeve of her dress, enough to show the colourful bruise spread over her creamy skin. He scowled. “That must hurt, a lot.”

“It looks worse than it really feels,” she told him quickly, trying not to stop breathing when she felt his fingers, long and nicely formed, skim over her shoulder. His touch, though light, was very warm. And yet it made her shiver.

Mistaking it for a shudder of distaste, Dune drew back at once, his hand falling to his side. Just then, the door opened again and this time it was Drogan, who came forward, viewing the scene speculatively.

“Looks like I didn’t kill you, after all,” were his first words as his eyes went to the figure on the bed. She drew her knees up to her chin in a defensive stance, though there was a mask of pain twisting her beautiful features.

“Yes, I’m alive, barely,” she said coldly. “I trust I wasn’t brought back here so you guys could finish the job.”

Drogan’s humorous smile disappeared. “We’re not going to hurt you. And I’m sorry I was rough with you – I actually thought you’d be made of sterner stuff – faery though you are.” His green, piercing gaze lashed over her body, and she tried not to squirm. In this room with two powerful werewolves – though now in their human form – was not a calming prospect. In fact, it was a dangerous set-up indeed, in many ways…

“You’re safe here – so long as you don’t try anything stupid, like try to steal from us again,” Drogan said. “Drake doesn’t trust you one bit, but I promised him that we – Dune and I – would see to it that you behave. You’ll probably be laid off for a day or two…”

“Day or two?” She repeated, looking from one man to the other. “I can’t stay here. I need to be back with my folk – they’d be worried about me..” As she spoke, she tried to hustle out of the huge bed, only to cry out softly as the pain in her left arm jarred considerably.

Both brothers moved forward at the same time, but she shrunk away from them, biting her lip on the pain wracking her body. “You brutes! Don’t touch me.” Tears sprung unto her plentiful lashes, and the two brothers glanced at each other, wondering if it was the best time to remind her she was the culprit here? The little matter of the theft hadn’t been brought up, yet.

“You’ll be fine,” Dune assured her. “Nothing seemed broken. I’ll get you something we can apply to the bruise, then we’ll bind you up. If you rest and not try to move about, you’ll be out of here in no time.”

“I hope so. Being stuck in a lair with you three is the last thing I want,” was her cold reply, as she dashed the tears from her cheeks with her other hand.

The two brothers looked at each other, then back at the woman on the bed. She’d lain back down, and had now turned her face to the wall.

Drogan shrugged and left the room, and Dune lingered for a moment longer before he too, left.

* * * *

Drake shook his head from where he stood in the open doorway of the study, as from across the hallway, he saw Dune appear from the faery’s room, used bandages in his hands. Minutes later, Drogan went in, carrying a tray laden with food.

So it had been since she’d been brought back with them the day before. His two brothers waiting on her hand and foot. She was a common thief – though a beautiful one, and Drake had no interest in being drawn into her net. Soon she’d be strong enough and then she could leave so they could return to their normal routine.

Sighing angrily, he retreated back into his study, shutting the door behind him. They lived a simple life here in the woods, away from the city lights and crowds. Here they could run and hunt free, surrounded by their own small yet powerful pack. Even now, with winter coming on, there was a lot to do. As the Alpha clan, he and his brothers had the responsibility of seeing to it that even here, in the cover of the forest, their kind was safe from both their natural and human enemies. And they didn’t need to be distracted with the job of playing nurse to a criminal minded faery woman.

Mayden

They knew her to be of the Cluster of Cinnamon, a group of faerys living deep in the Land of Day. They’d emigrated from their far away continent of the Sun centuries ago, to find a home among the other faery folk. They stood out with their dark, compelling beauty, knowledge of sorcery, and their cunning ways. They’d more or less made themselves the guardians of the lesser nymphs, providing for them through mostly any means – including theft from the more “affluent” inhabitants of their otherworld. It was a dangerous life they lived – but perhaps she thrived on such danger.

And she was dangerous indeed.

Drake knew enough about women – of any species. He’d had his share of them, and knew enough that they belonged far away from the men, where they couldn’t do much mischief. He and his brothers lived well enough without the presence of one in their home. They hunted, cooked and lived simply. If he ever had a need there was Sheya, a high-born she-wolf whose bed was always open to him. She lived among another pack not far from their abode, and there were other females as well who had served same purpose for his brothers. No, women were never a problem for the Wolfe clan. Which was why they didn’t need to be so now.

Oh, he knew the signs. With Dune, at least. The young man seemed quite taken with their prisoner/patient, Drake could tell. Dune was hardly in his mid-twenties in human years, and seemed to still have a fascination for anything with soft thighs and doe eyes. The sooner that faery thief got well and left, the better for all of them….

****Hope you enjoyed my little bit of Paranormal Erotica; thanks for reading and enjoy the festive season!****

He was cold, cruel and unforgiving…how could she ever trust him?

From The Heart
When Feyi Daniels loses her father in a plane crash, it is to find that she and her mother are left swimming in debt. They could lose everything: their home, their high society status, their peace of mind…
And the only one who could help them was Lanre Vaughn. But he detested Feyi with a vengeance – literally. He still hadn’t forgiven her for humiliating him two years ago – and now he was hell bent on getting his revenge…

I
On the day of the meeting with the bank, Feyi decided to go for a modest, understated look. Her suit, though stylish, was a dark, somewhat severe grey; the skirt’s hem just skimming her knees. Her hair was wrapped in a formal knot, and her makeup was light, just enough to conceal the deep circles beneath her eyes…

Weeks of crying and worrying about the future had taken its toll, and yet nothing could detract from her natural, refreshing beauty, the honeyed glow in her skin still evident even beneath the slight frown which creased her forehead almost perpetually the past few days.

Ever since the appointment with the bank manager had been arranged a week ago, Feyi had hardly stopped thinking about what the outcome would be. Short of begging, she knew she was ready to do anything to ensure that her family didn’t end up losing all that her father had ever worked for. There had to be a way out, she prayed, getting into her car and driving to the bank.

At exactly five minutes to eleven a.m., she stopped in front of the imposing structure which housed the huge bank head quaters, and already, she felt wracked with nerves.

Taking a calming breath, she finally made her way into the expansive, luxuriously fitted reception area. Minutes later, she was directed up the lift to the top floor, where she found a secretary seated behind a glass desk, who looked up when Feyi appeared.

“Good day,” Feyi said with a light smile, though her palms already felt a little sweaty. Gosh, she was so uneasy inside…the next hour or so would decide, most probably, her fate – and her mother’s, as well.

Saying a small inward prayer, she went on, “My name is Feyi Daniels, and I’m here to see…,” she checked the card her lawyer had given her, “Mr Lanre Vaughn.”

The secretary returned her smile, her tone professional as she didn’t bother to check her appointment book before saying, “Welcome, Miss Daniels; my boss is expecting you. Please give me a minute while I inform him you’re here.”

“Thank you,” Feyi breathed, almost grateful for the few more seconds’ reprieve, as she settled into one of the plush seats lining the outer office area. As the secretary spoke on the intercom, many thoughts suddenly began to fly through Feyi’s head. What if he decided he couldn’t see her today? What if he couldn’t help them after all? What if…?

“Mr. Vaughn will see you now,” the secretary broke into her frantic thoughts, and Feyi rose, thanking her once again as she mentally squared her shoulders. Walking on somewhat shaky legs, she headed for the door the secretary pointed out to her.

Stay positive, Feyi, she told herself. Everything will be fine…

And yet, the deep, almost gruff voice telling her to “come in” after her light knock, did nothing to ease her fears. Entering the cool, ultra-modern office, Feyi’s eyes were drawn at once to the desk, expecting to find a thick-set, greying and kindly-faced man seated there. But the figure rising from the chair was nothing like she’d envisaged…

His lean, athletic-looking frame was sheathed in a fashionably tailored dark suit, obviously expensive. Her gaze flew over the broad expanse of his chest and well built shoulders then up to his face – and then she sucked in a painful breath.

He was dark and powerfully good looking, with piercing brown eyes in a face which was all hard planes and square, manly features. He was also fearfully familiar – and in the next moment, she realized who he really was, who he had to be. Her heart sunk, and her first instinct was to dash out of the office. But his next words stopped her.

“Miss Daniels? How good to finally meet you at last. Banjo told me all about your situation, and I’m very sorry for your loss. Please take a seat and let’s talk,” he said, his tone easy and courteous, a friendly smile on his handsomely chiseled face.

Feyi could only gape at him for some moments in disbelief. Was it credible that he hadn’t recognized her? She’d been a bit younger when they’d first met, but it hadn’t been so long ago. And she certainly didn’t think she’d changed that much…

He was looking quizzically at her, and Feyi felt compelled to sink into the chair he indicated, too thunderstruck to do anything else. What cruel fate was this, she mused with dismay, that would make the only person who could help her, the one man who should hate her most in the world…?

But then, if he really didn’t remember her at all, she reasoned with a shivering hope, then she didn’t have anything to fear…

“You seem…uneasy, Miss Daniels,” he was saying, his aristocratic, timbered voice tinged with concern. “Is everything alright?”

She nodded hastily, as she gathered up as much composure as she could after such a rude shock. She could barely meet his penetrative gaze, and forced herself to say as normally as she could, “Yes, I..I’m fine. I was just, well, expecting someone…a bit older,” she finished somewhat lamely, though it was the truth, in a way. Lanre Vaughn seemed quite young for a bank vice chairman.

With each second that passed, she fully expected him to suddenly point an accusing finger of recognition at her, and then the game would be up. But nothing happened. So far…

“Well, I’m sorry you’re disappointed,” he said with a faintly humorous smile, and Feyi tried to convince herself it wasn’t all just an act. No one was that good at faking…

Continued…

“Abae..why can’t you trust me? Give me a chance? I swear I’d never hurt you…”

“Weren’t you taught never to make promises you can’t keep?” she murmured, a half-smile teasing her lips. He looked so earnest, his tone persuasive, bordering on forceful…she could tell he was a man not used to ever asking or pleading anyone – especially not a woman – for anything…

“I’m being serious here,” he told her, a slight frown joining his thick black brows. “Abae, four years ago you didn’t give me an opportunity to really get close to you. I’m asking for one now. Let me into your life; let me be there for you, love you…”

“You’re already asking too much,” she said with a sad, heavy sigh, all humour gone now as she pushing away from him. “It’s getting late, Lucas; I never planned staying this long. I need to leave now so I can pick Jonnie up from my mother’s.” Turning, she began to walk away.

He followed her. “I’ll take you.”

“Really, Lucas…”

“You can’t stop me,” he informed her, his tone cold. He took her hand, and Abae had to grit her teeth. She knew they’d been the centre of attention all evening, and she inwardly decided not to give onlookers any more fodder for gossip. Not that she really cared, but then, common sense dictated that she keep up some decency. So she decided not to argue with him. Not saying a word, she glanced around for Rukky.

Abae found her with her new man-friend, chatting and laughing in a private corner. He was whispering in her ear and Rukky was giggling.

“You’re ready for us to leave?” Rukky looked up to ask as Abae reached her, reading the look on her friend’s face. Abae saw the hint of reluctance in Rukky’s own expression, and felt guilty for thinking of wanting Rukky to come along home with her.

“Actually, I do want to leave – but you stay on and enjoy the party. It’s only just heating up, apparently,” Abae said with a teasing smile at the couple, who looked totally into each other right then. “I’m going to get Jonnie; I told Mom I won’t be late.”

“But I couldn’t let you leave on your own…,” Rukky was saying, half-rising, till Abae shook her head firmly.

“It’s perfectly okay; Lucas has offered to take me,” she forced herself to say naturally, and to her friend’s credit, only an eyebrow was lifted to show her surprise at Abae’s comment. Abae knew she’d have a lot to explain when next they saw…

“Take care you two,” she smiled at them both, before heading for where she knew Lucas would be waiting for her, at the front of the house.

She stopped abruptly when the svelte figure of Moniq appeared right before her.

“Leaving? Good,” the woman said, taking what could only be described as a “battle stance” in front of the surprised Abae, as she added with spite, “Because you’ve pooped the party up enough already.”

“Lucas must think so too,” Abae said sweetly, as she made a quick recovery, adding, “Since he’ll be leaving with me.”

“Hold it,” Moniq snapped, gripping Abae’s arm with her claw-like fingers. “I don’t know who you really are, or what you’re up to…but if you’ve got any designs on Luke, you’d better forget them.”

She spared a moment to eye Abae disparagingly. “And I don’t give a damn what you may have had with him in the past; he’s not up for grabs. Many have tried to take him from me, and failed. I made sure of that.”

“Is that a threat?” Abae asked in a conversational tone. She could almost not credit her hearing; was this mental woman actually warning her off Lucas?

“Take it as…friendly advice,” Moniq replied, smiling thinly. “It’s been my duty to make sure that Lucas stays happy, and that includes keeping him from unwanted elements like you. I’d like to say I’ve been doing well so far.”

“You think so?” Abae murmured, finally deciding to rise to the challenge. “In that case, I’m sure you’ll soon be looking for a new job. Excuse me.”

And before Moniq could find a reply to that, Abae flung the woman’s hand off and strode back into the house, past the open front door to find Lucas waiting beside his car.

“For a second I was beginning to think you’d snuck off with your new admirer,” he said with a small mocking smile, as he held open the front passenger door for her.

“Ha ha,” she muttered, still smarting from the unexpected confrontation she’d just had. It was almost like something from a soap opera, she felt – a very bad one. She wished now that she’d taken the time to give the catty Moniq a few more choice words…

“You seem preoccupied,” Lucas said, as he drove off the grounds, making for the address she’d given him earlier. He sent her a tender glance which, despite herself, made her chest tighten. Blast it, she was twenty-seven, not seventeen. She wasn’t supposed to be getting butterflies in her belly still, not with just one look from him. Feeling annoyed at her feminine weakness, she looked away, focusing instead on the streets they passed by.

“I’m kind of hoping that maybe, you’re actually considering what I said earlier,” he went on, his tone just as gentle as his look had been. “You know, about giving me a chance with you.”

“Oh, I think you’ve got your hands full already,” she quipped instantly, and heard him chuckle.

“You mean Moniq?” he said with deep humour, but when she tossed her head huffily, he let out a sigh.

“I’ll admit, she’s been more than an employee to me…but that was back then. Now I’ve made it a point to keep things strictly business; she’s my P.A., that’s all. And she’s a damned good one too. P.A., I mean,” he added with a smile, when she sent him a dark look.

“She seems to take her…role very seriously, though,” Abae said with dripping sarcasm. “I’ve just been given “friendly advice”, as she termed it, to stay off her territory: you.”

“Abae, if you’re regarding Moniq as competition, don’t,” he told her, and she grunted.

“In her own case, it’s the other way round!” was her snappy reply. “I couldn’t care less what she means to you; she seems to think there’s something going on between us.”

“Isn’t there?” he asked quietly, stopping at a red light, and she turned to meet his gaze. He continued, “I want to woo you, court you – do all those things I would have loved to do if you’d let me all those years ago.”

Chewing on her lip in consternation, Abae looked away from the mesmeric warmth of his eyes, knowing with all her heart that she couldn’t even dare to consider his request…did he even know what he was asking of her, the risk to her peace of mind?

“Sometimes, you’ve just got to trust what you feel deep in your heart,” he said, as if reading her inner turmoil. “And hope that in the end, it turns out for the best. Because I never stopped caring about you, Abae. Can’t you stop loathing me for just long enough to admit the same to yourself?”

I don’t loathe you, she thought painfully, keeping her gaze averted as she tried to sort her jumbled emotions. It was four years later, but the reasons why they could never be together hadn’t changed. And there was one particular reason he still didn’t know of yet, Abae told herself, as he finally stopped them in front of her mother’s house.

He turned to her for a moment in the dim silence of the car, a deep sigh escaping him. “Abae, can’t you think back? Remember the time when you loved me, brief though it was? When you wanted me so much that everything else was blanked out, forgotten?”

Abae stared back at him, somewhat irritated that he’d chosen to remind her of her foolishness; how she’d let nothing else matter but what they’d thought they’d felt for each other. And it wasn’t fair…

“Oh, but my memory returned soon enough,” she replied stiffly. “Face it, Lucas: we went too fast. And I’m not about to make the same mistake again.”

“Abae…”

But she’d unlocked her door and was stepping out, mumbling that she’d be right back. Striving to forget the intensity she’d gleaned from his face and voice, she went and rang her mother’s doorbell. The tinkling sound of music echoed in the evening air.

Moments later, the door was opened and her mother appeared: a middle-aged, slim and still pretty woman – though with a hint of fragility about her. She smiled in welcome at her daughter.

“Did you have a nice time at the barbecue, dear?” she asked.

“It was fine,” Abae sighed. “How’s Jonnie?”

“He fell asleep half an hour ago, after I gave him a light snack.” Her mother’s eyes seemed to shift upwards to somewhere beyond Abae’s shoulder. “And who’s this?”

Abae turned to find Lucas had walked up to stand behind her, and she tried not to roll her eyes. She should have known he’d never wait patiently in the car.

“This is Lucas, mom. He came with me from the party,” she said reluctantly.

“Good evening, ma’am, it’s an honour to meet you,” Lucas said, taking the older woman’s hand with gentle warmth, adding respectfully, “Now I think I see where Abae gets hers lovely looks from.”

“He’s charming,” Abae’s mother said wryly as an aside to her daughter, a trace of pleasure imn her voice. “Come on in you two.”

As she led them through the small hallway and into her cosy sitting room, Abae couldn’t help sending Lucas one more angry glance, before saying to her mother, “I’ll go up and get Jonnie.” And then she disappeared from the room.

Lucas turned to find Abae’s mother looking intently at him. “Oh, excuse my manners. Please, make yourself at home. May I offer you anything?”

“Nothing, thank you,” he said, taking the seat she offered, trying not to shift a bit in discomfort as she sat right opposite from him, her gaze never wavering from his face.

“Have you and my daughter known each other long?” she asked, hands folded on her knee.

Lucas paused, not sure how much he should divulge. He could already tell, from Abae’s previous glares, that she wasn’t happy he’d tagged on into the house.

“It’s been..quite some time,” he said carefully. “Actually, Chuma Henshaw was a close friend of mine. Do you remember him?”

She nodded, some sort of realization dawning on her face. “His death affected my daughter greatly. Thankfully, their son has given her much strength, a reason to carry on.”

Lucas frowned. “Their son? Ma’am, Chuma died more than four years ago. I believe Jonnie is barely three…”

“Oh no, no,” she said with a firm shake of her head. “You must be mistaken. Jonnie is four – at least, he will be in a week or two. I should know; I am his granny.” She smiled.

Lucas was finding it hard to control his expression. “Of course. I’m sorry. Abae must have been devastated, losing the father of her child before it was even born.”

The older woman sighed. “It was traumatic time – but she’s borne it all well. Now she has a great job with a petrochemical firm, and fends well for herself and her son. I just never understood why she refused to seek any support from Chuma’s family.”

Shaking her head, she went on, “She works so hard, and never seems to have time to really meet someone nice, so she hasn’t been able to find another father for her son. But trust me, Jonnie has never lacked love and care.”

“Of course not,” Lucas agreed, his voice somewhat strained. Just then, Abae came into the room, the sleeping Jonnie in her arms.

“He’s out like a light; I couldn’t bear to wake him, so I’ll have to take him home like this.” She looked from Lucas to her mother, wondering what they’d found to talk about. He rose from his chair and came up to her.

“Here, let me take him,” he said, and there was a strange note in his voice that made her look quickly up at him, but his eyes were fixed on Jonnie. Carefully, she transferred the sleeping boy into his arms, noticing how easily Lucas cradled the not-too-light weight in his strong, capable hold. Abae stole one precious, lingering moment in looking at the two of them together: father and son…

Her heart ached for a second as she wished on what could have been – what a perfect little picture they would all have made. Lucas and her, passionately into each other, and their son, a product of their love.

But their love had been forbidden..

“Lucas is dropping us off home,” she told her mother as they kissed goodnight. “Thanks for taking care of Jonnie. I’ll call you tomorrow, alright mom?”

Her mother nodded with a smile. “Goodnight, Lucas. I hope we’ll see again soon.”

Lucas returned her farewell before carrying the sleeping boy out to the car. He placed Jonnie carefully along the back seat. Abae got in on her side of the front passenger seat, and he soon joined her behind the wheel. They both sent Abae’s mother, who stood watching in the open doorway, one last wave, and then they were off.

They rode in silence for several minutes, and, secretly surprised, Abae sent him a quizzical glance. She’d half-expected he’d want to continue with the conversation they’d left off earlier, but now she shivered slightly at the dark, brooding look on his face as he kept his eye – and attention – on the road.

Had he given up? she wondered; had he, like many of the other men who’d wanted to be a part of her life in the past, decided that a son involved was just too much excess baggage?

Once again, she contemplated telling him the truth, and wondered what his reaction would be. And now, with her son – their son, sitting right behind them, wasn’t it the perfect time?

But Lucas didn’t look like he was ready for revelations at the moment. In fact, he said not a word till he stopped them in front of her flat, and offered to carry Jonnie in. Abae didn’t think he’d listen if she refused, so she let him lift the sleeping boy into his arms and walk with her to the front door, which she unlocked.

“Seems Rukky still isn’t home,” she said softly, not wanting to wake the boy. “Look, why don’t you let me take Jonnie and..”

“No, let me,” he surprised her by saying, adding in a no-nonsense manner, “You go make us some tea or something. We need to talk.”

He wasn’t waiting for her own opinion in the matter, as he brushed past her with Jonnie still draped gently on his arms.

“His room-”

“I’ll find it,” he said shortly, and Abae sighed in frustration, watching him go up the stairs and feeling a dread till she stamped it down and went obediently to the kitchen.

If there was ever the perfect time to tell Lucas about Jonnie, it was now, she mused, placing the tea bags in the pot. Right then, he was tucking his own son into bed and didn’t know it..,

Something fluttered in her heart: a dream, a hope. It would really be wonderful if she and Lucas managed to work things out…

“Managed to get him into his pyjamas and into bed without him making a stir,” Lucas said as he strode into the kitchen several minutes later.

Abae smiled, handing his a cup of tea. “You know, you sound pretty capable, for an amateur. You can’t have had much practice tucking little boys in…”

He didn’t smile back. “When I said we needed to talk, Abae, I didn’t mean chit-chat,” he said in the most chilly tone she’d ever heard him use, and she watched as he put down his half-empty cup to face her.

Looking curiously up at him, she realised for the first time that he was seething. His next words told her why…

“You never did tell me the name of Jonnie’s father.”

“Abae..why can’t you trust me? Give me a chance? I swear I’d never hurt you…”

Continued..

She could still see the scene of the burial, a week after Chuma’s death. Lucas had stood on the fringe of the small crowd gathered at the freshly dug grave. Abae was standing across from him, close to Chuma’s family. All she had been able to think about was Chuma, and how he must have suffered in his last moments. There had been the mind-bending images of his youthful, handsome face engulfed in merciless flames, and there had been nightmares…

She looked up from her punishing thoughts to find Lucas’s gaze on her, and she shivered involuntarily. They hadn’t seen or spoken since that day he’d come to her on campus. And now, as their eyes met, she saw her own raw, torn emotions mirrored on his face. He seemed to be reaching out to her with his heart, but all she could show him in return was the self-loathing and guilt she felt. He’d winced visibly, his skin drawn tight over his features. Unable to pity him, she looked away, eyes blinded by tears…

And at the end of the quiet reception which followed, at the Henshaw home, Abae had just finished speaking with the bereaved parents, trying to give as much comfort as she could. They thanked her vaguely, too buried in the pain of losing their first son, to return the gesture by trying to give the now lean, pale-faced young woman the comfort she too needed.

Abae had been about to leave, and it was as she stepped out into the flower-filled hallway that she heard a familiar voice call to her from behind.

She turned to find Lucas had followed her, and she found herself backing away, all but gasping out, “Get away from me.”

“Abae, I simply want to…,” he began earnestly, but she hit at his outstretched hand.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” she half-cried, thankful they were alone in the quiet hall. “Haven’t I suffered enough?”

And then she broke down into pitiful sobs, unable to fight him as he slowly, gently gathered her into his arms, his voice soothing as he petted her.

“I’m sorry, Abae,” he whispered brokenly into her hair, “I’m so sorry…”

She’d longed to melt against him, to fully accept the solace he seemed to be offering. He was such a solid trunk of reassurance, his embrace warm and giving. How could something feel so right, yet be so wrong?

She finally had to force herself to go rigid, and willed her voice to be as cold and unresponsive as she pushed away from him. “Please, Lucas…I really want you to leave me alone. I mean it. I don’t..I don’t wish to ever see you again. All you’ve ever brought me was pain, and confusion…I’m not going to let you eventually destroy me, too.”

For a long, long time afterwards, Abae would always remember the shocked, devastated look that crossed his face at her finalistic words. She turned and walked out the front door, and he didn’t stop her. She never saw or heard from him again – until now.

“Oh, Lucas,” she murmured on a sigh, her eyes misting over at the painful flashback. When, six weeks after the funeral, she’d discovered she was pregnant, she’d felt a mixture of dismay and shock. She hadn’t known which way to turn, and hadn’t dared to tell her mother, not till several months later.

She’d debated for a long period with herself about contacting Lucas, but every day, she kept postponing making the call…till she finally decided that the baby was hers, and hers alone. She didn’t think she could stand a man in her life right then, and certainly not Lucas, a constant reminder of how low and cheaply she’d sunk…

Thankfully, the pregnancy did not interfere too much with her studies. She managed to graduate with average grades, before returning home with her seven month old pregnancy.

Her mother was devastated to find out about her condition, and like every one else, suspected the baby was Chuma’s. Abae had been too much of a coward to tell her the truth. At last, her mother came to accept it all, and managed to support Abae through those last harrowing months before the baby was born.

She fell in love with Jonnie the second he was placed in her arms. And although she could tell that he looked very much like her, with her dark eyes and pert nose, Abae could still see his father in his very facial structure. She’d also adoringly examined his little baby fingers and toes, and they’d been just like Lucas’s, nicely shaped and well formed.

And she gave him all the love she hadn’t permitted herself to give his father, glad now that here was someone now, that she cold love freely and without guilt or shame.

And yet, hardly a day had passed those first few years that she hadn’t thought of Lucas, hadn’t missed him. Every night, even with the nightmares, there had always been a moment of sweet and aching remembrance of that stolen night in his arms, his heated words of love and his even more scorching caresses and thrusts…The pain, and yes the pleasure of the past: the memory of one was just as unforgettable and searing as the other.

Bumping into him again, after so long, was definitely fate, Abae decided. He was back – but was he back into her life?

He’d said it; Chuma was long gone and there was nothing really stopping them now – if that was what they both wanted, they could be together…

She let herself think of the question Rukky had asked her just minutes ago. About still loving Lucas. Abae had been honest when she’d answered that she didn’t know. How did one go about falling out of love with a man like Lucas? She may never tear her heart free from him, but at least, she could keep her will, and stay out of his way for sanity’s sake.

That was because one thing was certain: he still had the power to hurt her; always had, probably always would.

But only if I let him, she thought grimly. And that was the last thing she was willing to do.

* * * *

Several weeks passed, and that day, Abae was doing her best to convince Rukky that she couldn’t accompany her to the “barbecue” hosted by Rukky’s boss.

“Ple-ease Abae. This is the first time he’s asked me to a personal event. It’s taking place in his home and I didn’t want to refuse him. and since he said I could bring someone along…”

“But Jonnie…”

“Can stay with your Mum,” Rukky suggested promptly. “It’ll only be for a few hours, Abae, and it’ll be fun. Nice food and drinks in a relaxing atmosphere. The weather’s great for it. I really like my boss and I wouldn’t want to offend him by not coming. Because I’m certainly not going alone.”

Abae sighed deeply. “Oh, very well – if you’re so certain you absolutely can’t go without me,” she gave in with little grace.

Rukky merely hugged her gratefully. “Now…let’s find something smashing for us both to wear tomorrow…”

* * * *

After dropping Jonnie off with her mother the following evening, they both took a cab over to Rukky’s boss’s palatial Island home. Abae was pleasantly surprised to find that the warm, elegant woman who let them in was his wife.

“You seemed to have forgotten to mention he was married!” Abae whispered accusingly to her friend, who grinned.

“Oh, did you think this was a romantic hook-up? Unfortunately,” Rukky sighed theatrically, “Mr Andrew Nsofor is a very respectable and happily married man. And this isn’t some evening escapade, just one of his little yet quite famous family barbecues. Now smile, here he comes.”

“Ah, you made it, Rukaya,” the dark, good-looking and stoutly built man said as they were shown out to the paved, tree-lined courtyard, a circular swimming pool glimmering in the background beneath the early evening lights.

“Glad to see you, you look great,” he added, beaming, as Rukky thanked him. He turned a curious glance on Abae. “And who’d your lovely companion?”

Laughing, Rukky gladly introduced them. Her boss may be married, but he was ever the charmer, as he made sure they were shown to a comfortable sitting area of the beautifully designed courtyard.

“This is so cool,” Rukky commented approvingly as they looked around them. The antique-styled lamp posts dotting the corners gave off a romantic light, and the air was fresh with all the colorful flowers planted in the bushes. Several other guests had already arrived, and there was cool music of a jazzy kind coming from discreetly placed speakers.

“Yes; it’s a lovely place your boss has here,” was Abae’s reply, as she sipped from the drink the waiter had served them. Not too far away, she spotted their host, Andrew Nsofor, now wearing a cute white apron and matching hat, working busily on the smokeless barbecue grill. And she couldn’t help but smile…

“Abae?”

Oh.No…

She drew in air sharply at the sound of her name, the voice recognizable enough, and there was hardly the need to turn around to know who it was – who it had to be.

“Lucas,” she worded out with difficulty, a hand lifting to cover the pulse which had begun to flutter at her neck. She found him standing there, dressed casually in a dark pair of slacks and navy blue Polo shirt, the color flattering his chocolate-toned skin and accentuating his wide, muscular chest and lean torso. Jolted, she mechanically shook the hand he held out to her.

“Excuse me,” Rukky chipped in, her face incredulous as she watched them both forget to let go the handshake for some moments, and she was unable to stop herself from turning to him with, “Hold on, are you the Lucas? Lucas Ike-Thompson?”

He smiled wrly, his hand finally dropping Abae’s, as he turned to Rukky to reply, “I can see you must have heard a lot about me. I’m almost reluctant to ask whether they were good or bad things.” His tone was sceptical.

Sidestepping that remark, Rukky held out her own hand, and they shook firmly. She could understand a lot of things now that she’d seen him in person. There was something lethally magnetic about him, not just his physical looks, but the very essence of manliness he let off.

It would be hard, Rukky decided, for any sane woman to consider resisting him if he chose to make her a target for pursuit. Such woman certainly wouldn’t be resisting him for long. Suddenly, Rukky felt somewhat sorry for her friend. If Lucas decided he wanted Abae back, Rukky wasn’t sure how far Abae’s willpower would take her this time…

“My name is Rukky, and I’m Abae’s room mate,” she said with a smile.

“Ah..Abae mentioned you. Nice that we get to actually meet,” he said, nodding slightly.

Abae seemed to have recovered enough to blurt out, “Lucas, what are you doing here?”

He cocked a thick, dark brow at her. “I happen to be good friends with Andy, the host. I’m also his lawyer. Trust me, it’s really a surprise to find you here.”

But Abae was shaking her head in disbelief. It seemed too much of a coincidence that he was here. Fate just kept playing cruel tricks on her… How on earth, she wondered, was she ever going to forget about him, if he kept popping into her life?

“Well, Rukky works for Andy,” she muttered, forcing herself to speak normally. “That’s why I happen to be here; I came with her.”

“And now probably wished you hadn’t,” he said with a twist to his lips. “It’s funny but I, too, never expected to see you again. But this is the second time in like as many months that we’ve run into each other. Maybe fate is trying to tell us something.”

His words made her flinch, especially as they so closely echoed her earlier thoughts. Rukky let out a mild cough, and then, to Abae’s dismay, excused herself and walked off.

“Don’t go,” Lucas said quietly, as she too would have fled seconds later. His hand had reached out to hold hers in a gentle grip, and as calmly as she could without drawing attention, she shook off his hold.

Her eyes were defiant sparks as they met his. “I remember asking you to stop bothering me,” she snapped, incapable of keeping her cool. Seeing him once more had really shaken her, though she tried to hide it. Could he be right and somehow, destiny was throwing them together again? That was ridiculous.. If anything, they needed to be kept as far as possible from each other…

“We may happen to find ourselves here at the same event, but can’t we simply ignore each other?” she added on an angry note.

“No. Having you even within a hundred feet…I couldn’t ignore you if I tried,” he said simply, then glanced down at the glass of punch in her hand. “Aren’t you going to drink that?”

“Don’t try and change the subject,” she snapped, glancing around at the other revellers who seemed unaware of the charged bubble she and Lucas were in. She desperately sought some kind of avenue of escape but found none.

He was regarding her with warm appraisal. “You look very beautiful this evening, Abae. As always. I guess motherhood agrees with you.”

Seeing he was bent on conversation, Abae merely sighed, unable to think of a civil response. It was true that she’d taken extra effort than usual with her appearance that night – mostly for Rukky’s benefit. She wore an elegant, strappy top in alluring purple, with equally chic, slim-fitting black pants and a pair of stiletto heels to vamp it up further. Her low hair cut was styled simply, going perfectly with her light make up and jewellery. His compliment was sincere, she knew, but she wasn’t about to let it go to her head. Instead, she buried her nose in her drink and took a long sip.

His next words made her wince. “I don’t think there’s a father around,” he continued in a casual tone. “Or is there?”

Abae shot angry eyes up at him. “You know, you really should learn to mind your business. I’m not your problem, Lucas; I never was.”

She saw him scowl darkly. “We were lovers once. Doesn’t that count for something?” he muttered bitterly, and as she turned impatiently away, he sighed.

“Wait – I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have brought that up. Look…we’ll forget about the past if that’s what you want. Lord knows I’m no fan of digging up ghosts…” He cut off, then suggested in a gentle tone, “It’s a really nice evening and we should both try to enjoy ourselves. How about it?”

Abae paused, then shrugged, thinking to herself that she had been looking forward to a good time. That was before Lucas had shown up, of course – but he was right, they might as well relax and not let a very good party go to waste…

And although she kept telling herself she wasn’t happy to see him, she couldn’t help feeling secretly flattered that he kept mainly to her side all evening. She soon found herself to be the envy of most of the other ladies around who could hardly keep their eyes off him.

Abae had to admit he looked gorgeous; his clothes were obviously expensive, and well fitting, moulding to his tall, lithe frame like a lover’s jealous hands. He was as handsome as ever, dark and with a ready smile he flashed at her often enough to get her softening towards him with every passing minute. And he had eyes only for her.

With effort, she found herself actually relaxing enough to enjoy his company, his attention…perhaps it was all the good food, drinks and music, but he soon had her smiling and laughing at his humorous anecdotes and comments. How easy it would be to like him, she realised – if she let herself. But she daren’t. They’d gone past the stage of “liking” long ago…

“Luke! So this is where you’ve been hiding…”

Abae was making Jonnie some breakfast in the kitchen when Rukky, her flatmate, returned from her weekend at her parents’, early that Monday morning.

“Welcome back, Aunty Rukky!” the little boy said happily, as he skipped from his stool to hug the tall, reed-slim woman. Rukaya Ali was what one could call somewhat “funky”, with her cherry-dyed short dreadlocks and her model figure always brightly attired in some local fabric done in modern styles. Her dark-skinned face was always sunny and becoming, and Jonnie adored her.

“Glad to be back, Jonnie boo,” she said warmly, kissing his forehead. “I hope you didn’t give your mommy any trouble?” And the little boy shook his head firmly. “Good, good! I brought you a present; show you when you’ve had some breakfast.”

Jonnie nodded enthusiastically, climbing up once more to be seated at the table, where his mother had placed a plate of food in his place.

“Hello, Rukky. How’re your folks?” Abae greeted with a smile, as she handed her close friend and flat mate a steaming cup of coffee. They’d known each other for about four years now. Abae had been looking for a place to stay when there was just not enough room for her and her one year old son at her mother’s small home. She’d needed to be on her own, anyway, and since Jonnie was now old enough she’d got a steady job. At last, she’d found Rukky, who had at that particular time been staying in this big flat alone and had wanted someone to share the space and rent. From then on, they’d become fast friends.

“Thanks, everyone’s fine, Abae, and send their love,” Rukky replied, as she gratefully sipped the hot brew. Her eyes looked worried as they ran over Abae’s face. “You seem a bit shattered, Abae. Are you alright?” And when the other woman shrugged tiredly and sighed, Rukky asked gently, “It’s those nightmares again, isn’t it?”

Of course, she knew all about that. About everything. Abae had needed someone close to her own age to confide in, and a few months after they’d become flat mates, Abae had told her what had happened between her and Lucas – and of course, Chuma.

At last, Abae nodded. “The first one in like months,” she said, putting a glass of milk in front of Jonnie, rubbing his head fondly as he promptly took a sip from the warm liquid. Her eyes were pained, though, as they met Rukky’s.

“It was as terrible as ever,” Abae continued. “I’m just so glad that Jonnie is such a heavy sleeper, or he’d have really been frightened by my screams.” She shook her head, biting on her lip in consternation.

“I’m sorry to hear they’re back, the nightmares I mean,” Rukky said gently. Over the years, and especially during those first few months Abae had moved in with her, Rukky had had to go into the room and shake her friend awake during nights when Abae’s blood-chilling screams echoed through the flat.

“But, what could have brought them back?” she asked Abae, a frown marring her pretty face. “I mean, after so long..”

Abae let out a deep, weary sigh, before glancing her son’s way, saw he was still busy eating, then tugged her flat mate to the other end of the kitchen, saying on a whisper, “I saw Lucas.”

Rukky gasped. “My God, when?”

“On Friday,” Abae breathed. The whole thing was still a shock to her, even now. “We ran into each other at the mall. I..he brought me back home.”

“Good grief – you let him?”

“He insisted! You don’t know him, Rukky. Very hard to stand up to. Besides, I was so sure he didn’t recognize me. Never knew he was just putting up an act…. Anyway, he didn’t come in.”

“So, he didn’t see Jonnie?” Rukky sighed with relief, till she noticed Abae’s expression.

“Well…no; that particular day, Jonnie had been with my mother. But..the next night, he came by, demanding to know why I didn’t come to his party-“

Rukky threw her hands up in confusion. “What party?” It was becoming obvious she had missed a lot over the weekend she was away..

“The one he invited me to, that day he dropped me home,” Abae explained wryly. “I mean, as if I would ever think of going. For one, I had to pick Jonnie up from my mother’s, and besides…how on earth did he expect me to attend? Seriously?”

Rukky nodded understandingly. “He was crazy to expect you to. After so long, and after all that happened…So, so, he came around again – then what happened?”

Abae told her.

Rukky’s hands were on her cheeks. “Gosh! He saw Jonnie?” she exclaimed in as low a tone as she could manage, aware the boy in question was just yards away. “Did he suspect anything?”

Abae shrugged. “Maybe at first..but when he asked how old Jonnie was, I made it seem like he would be turning five this year, when actually he’s going to be six.”

“Wow,” Rukky sighed, running a hand through her cropped locks. “So, he still doesn’t know the truth. Do you think he’ll show up again?”

Abae seemed to shudder with half-dread, before she said shortly, “I hope not!” Then she put a somewhat shaky hand to her forehead. “If I see him again, Rukky, I.. I honestly don’t know what I’ll do. I’ve already let him kiss me – “ Her voice broke off as she recalled that brief, piercing pleasure she’d known in his arms just two nights ago. If they came face to face again, there was no way she could guarantee it wouldn’t happen one more time…

Rukky was regarding her closely. “Do you still love him?” was her gentle, yet direct query.

Abae looked away, wondering what Rukky must have seen on her face. Her eyes fell on her son, and her heart ached. “I don’t know, Rukky… It’s just that, every time I look at Lucas, I feel such pain, and guilt. I don’t think that’ll ever go away.”

“Abae, you know you simply can’t keep blaming him – or yourself,” Rukky said in a sensible tone. “I don’t mean to sound callous about Chuma; it was sad the way he died, and maybe you loved him in your own way… But you have to admit, to yourself at least, that Lucas made you feel..more. And okay, maybe you two should never have taken things as far as you both did that night, but tell me…would you have continued dating Chuma if he’d never had that accident?”

Abae sighed. She’d always known the answer to that. “No, Rukky. I fully intended to break it off with him after Lucas and I had..”

And then she shook her head angrily. “But that makes it feel all the more terrible! Don’t you see, Chuma trusted me, Rukky, believed I was different from all those other girls he’d known, who chased after Lucas. The fact that I turned out to be far, far worse makes me want to crawl into a hole and die every time I remember how easily I…” A ragged, deep sigh escaped her. “I feel like I let him down horribly.”

Rukky put a hand on Abae’s shoulder and squeezed, her touch compelling Abae to look up at her. “Chuma was your boyfriend, Abae, not your husband or something. You’ve got to stop feeling so bad about it all or it will ruin your life. Chuma’s been dead six years. Why can’t you just let it go?”

“I wish I could,” Abae whispered, staring into space for a few moments, before blinking out of her daze to realise that Jonnie’s glass needed refilling. Going over to pour him some more milk, she ran her eyes adoringly over her little boy, who looked up from his meal with a smile at his mother.

He twisted her heart in knots with that smile.

Nightmares weren’t the only things she’d retained from that one night of passion, Abae told herself sadly as she put the container back in the ‘fridge.

As if reading her mind, Rukky came to stand bedside her, asking softly, “Are you going to tell him about his son?”

Abae sighed. “That’s the same question I keep asking myself,” she murmured. “In the beginning, when I found out about the pregnancy, he was the first person I wanted to ring up…but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t face him again. It hurt enough just knowing how reckless and foolish we had been, without the extra load of realizing he’d left me with more than a shattered heart.”

“And now?” her friend pressed.

“And now…I ask myself if I’ve truly been fair to him.” She scrubbed tiredly at her temples. “I know he has a right to be told, I’m just too petrified what he’ll do when – if – he finds out.”

“Well,” Rukky let out at last, “It’s your decision, Abae. I just.. I hate to see you suffer still. There’s been enough pain in your life already. I think you deserve at last, to be happy.”

How right Rukky is – about the pain part, at least, Abae thought, as Rukky left the kitchen to go prepare for work. Abae alone knew just how much she had been through. The self-condemnation, the guilt… Six years ago, there had been no one to confide in, to help her get through the trauma. Chuma’s parents were wrapped up in their own grief, and her own mother, an invalid at the time, was in no position to understand her daughter’s pain, or how to assist her through the devastation of losing Chuma. That had left just Lucas; he’d been the only one who’d wanted to be there for her, but she’d turned him away.

She could still remember the last time she’d ever seen him, a week after Chuma’s death, at the scene of the burial….