AFRICAN AMERICAN ROMANCE: A Thug to Remember (Hood Alpha Male Pregnancy Romance) (African American Urban Contemporary Short Stories) (58 page)

That thought spurred at him and with a burst of energy he sprang to his feet. He threw Langda off of his back and heard him hit hard against a tree before turning to see that the man’s neck had been twisted at a bad angle. Langda slid down the tree and lay crumpled on the ground.

Tate did not have the energy to shift back into his human form. He was going to have to take the chance of going to Shandra in his current wolf form. He slowly began limping through the park, making sure that he stayed in the shadows. He knew if anyone saw him covered with all of that blood they would shoot him for sure. A regular bullet would not kill him, but in the condition that he was currently in, coupled with the wounds he already had…well.  It might take him a very long time to recover.

Shandra was in her apartment waiting for what seemed like an eternity. She had cleaned up and taken a shower to try and keep her mind off of what she had seen. She reminded herself that Tate said he would come to her and if he said he would, then she had to trust that he would.

While she showered she had thought about what a strange night it had been. She wondered what would have happened between her and Tate if the man and those awful looking monsters. She could not imagine what they would do to Tate but she had faith that he would find a way back to her.

For a while she had debated with herself about calling the police. Finally she decided not to. What would she tell them? She would think she was just being crazy.

Accalia had called twice for Shandra but she was afraid to answer. She had even banged on the wall so hard that it made a picture fall. Shandra was as quiet as she could be and even turned off all of the lights so that Accalia would think that she was not at home.

Suddenly there was a thud against the door and Shandra turned toward the sound. Quietly and slowly she began making her way to her door. Before she reached it there was another thud and she began to shake. She had never heard a sound like that before and all she could think of was Tate struggling to knock.

Without even thinking she opened the door and fear flowed through her as she saw a large white wolf with its fur covered in blood. In shock, she looked down at the wolf and suddenly she saw the most beautiful blue eyes. The eyes that were exactly like Tate’s. The wolf stepped toward Shandra as if it were asking permission to come into her apartment. She stepped to the side and let it in, quickly closing the door behind it.

As she turned to look at the wolf she saw that he had laid down on the floor and was struggling for breath. Blood was pooling on the tile next to it and she knew it needed help. Without even questioning if it was the right thing to do she quickly gathered all of her medical supplies and went to work. After she had the wolf cleaned up and had bandaged a few spots. She lifted its face. She could see the gratitude and love in its eyes.

Shandra did not leave the wolf as it went to sleep, but cleaned its fur over and over with a wash cloth gently. She could not explain what the connection with the wolf was but she knew there was one. She fell asleep laying on the floor next to it, petting it’s flank.

Suddenly Shandra could feel a hand sliding down her arm. She jumped up, afraid that someone had come to harm the wolf. What she saw had her rubbing her eyes and shaking her head. She thought she was dreaming, but sitting in front of her was Tate.

He did not have any clothes on. He was only wrapped in a towel. “I used your shower,” he said, smiling down at her. “I hope you don’t mind. I thought maybe you would want to get out of the floor and into your bed.”

Shandra sat up and looked around, “Where is the wolf?” she said, terrified that someone had taken it. As she looked at Tate she saw the cuts behind his ear and across his stomach and her eyes widened. Those were the exact places she had tended to the wolf.

Tate stood and reached out his hand for Shandra to take. She took it and stood. Tate could see the confusion on her face, but all that mattered was that he was with her. “We can talk about it all in the morning,” he whispered as he kissed her on the neck.

Tate led Shandra down the hallway to her bedroom and as she entered, she could tell that he had already been in there. The blankets were pulled back, the fan was on and there was a glass of water next to the bed. All of her candles were lit and soft music was coming from her stereo.

She turned to look at Tate and found that he was standing much closer than she had expected. He met her by pressing his lips against hers and gently pushing her backwards toward her bed. As Shandra took a few steps back, she could feel the edge of the bed bump against the back of the thighs. She finally felt safe and even though she did not know if she were awake or if she were dreaming she was happy that Tate had found his way back to her.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around Tate’s neck. He quickly began to remove her pajamas that she had changed into. She found herself wishing that she had put something much sexier on but she was more worried about Tate when she dressed than anything. She wore a simple white gown that had lace around the neck and nothing more.

As Tate pulled the gown over her body, he looked down at her and dropped it on the floor. He could see the fear in her eyes, fear that she were not good enough, fear that he would not love her body and most of all fear that this was not really happening.

“I am here,” he said, wrapping his arms around her once again.

She could feel his tight muscles against her body and his skin against her breasts made her purr. She looked up at him and bit her bottom lip. “Prove it,” she said with a smile.

That was all that Tate needed. He pushed Shandra down on the bed and began rubbing his hands up and down her body. First, he grabbed her breasts and flicked at her nipples with his thumbs. He could already smell that she was becoming wet and even though he did not want to rush, he wanted to taste her and feel her. He wanted to hear her moan his name and scream in pleasure.

Tate allowed the towel to drop from his waist and climbed onto the bed. He positioned himself between her legs and began kissing her nipples one at a time. He would kiss them, then flick them with his tongue before taking them into his mouth and sucking hard on them. Shandra was loving everything that he was doing to her and began letting out small moans as he teased her body.

He moved his head down her length and began kissing across her stomach. Shandra moved her hands to hide herself from him. She wanted to hide all of her fat from him, but he took her hands and pushed them to the side then continued to kiss down her body.

As he moved lower he pushed her legs further apart before pushing his face down between them. She could feel his tongue on the outer lips of her pussy, teasing her. Shandra let out a moan as her body tingled with excitement.

Tate slid his hand between her legs and parted her lips before flicking her clit slowly with his tongue. Each time he would pause for just a second, making her want more, then he pressed his mouth onto her pussy and began licking feverishly. Shandra wiggled under Tate’s grip moaning out his name as he worked on her clit.

As he continued to suck and flick at her, she could feel his finger pressing against her entrance. It had been so long since she had felt a man inside of her just the idea of him, pressing his finger into her, made her cum. All of her muscles tightened and she held her breath. Tate did not stop but continued to lick her clit and pushed his finger inside of her causing her to orgasm once again before the first one had even stopped.

He could feel her pussy walls pulsating against his finger and imagined how wonderful it would feel wrapped around his already throbbing cock. He slid his finger out of her and added another. He would have to take his time when it came to putting his cock in her and he wanted to stretch her a bit before trying to force himself inside of her tiny hole.

Tate pumped his finger in and out of her while he sucked hard on her clit sending her over the edge once again. This time when her breathing slowed, he slid his fingers out of her and raised his head. Tate climbed up her body, kissing her as he went until their faces met. He kissed Shandra gently, allowing her to taste her own juices in his mouth as he lined his cock up with her entrance.

She could feel him, pressing his hips into her hard trying to gain entrance to her body and even though it took a few tries, he finally was able to push the head of his cock into her. Slowly he began pumping his thick cock into and out of her pussy pressing his cock further and further into her with each thrust until he was completely inside of her.

Shandra had never been so completely filled before. She had never experienced such pleasure from having a man’s cock inside of her.  She threw her head back as Tate pumped into her faster and faster, pushing himself to the edge. As he felt her pussy walls tightening up around his cock he lost all control and filled her with his cum.

As Shandra tried to gain her composure, she heard a deep growl come from Tate and he slammed his cock into her once more before stopping and looking down at her. It was just like watching a wild animal. Tate took ahold of Shandra’s wrist and raised it to his mouth. Shandra only watched, unsure of what he was doing.

Two pointed teeth slide out of his mouth and puncture her wrist.

She didn’t feel any pain. Instead she felt euphoric. Every part of her body felt as if it were being awakened. She didn’t dare to move, knowing that the slightest movement would sever her vein.

Tate slid his teeth out of her wrist and to her amazement, it instantly healed, leaving two large scars the size of his teeth. Tate bent down and kissed her hard. “Now, you are mine.”

Tate slid his cock out of her pussy and lay in the bed next to her. Shandra was still uncertain whether she were awake or asleep. She felt as if she had been drugged or maybe dropped into an alternate reality.

She laid her head on Tate’s chest, making sure that she stayed away from the stitches and looked up at him. “Where is the wolf?” she asked, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it from him.

“Here,” he answered.  “Here with you in your bed.”

“What are you?” she asked him. No matter what he was she was still going to love him, but there was a part of her that had to know.

Tate took a deep breath and sighed. “A werewolf.”

Shandra placed her head back on his chest without saying a word.

“My family is going to be angry when they find out that I mated with you and not Accalia,” Tate began to explain. “See, I am the prince of my pack, and I was supposed to mate a purebred like myself but I couldn’t do it.”

Shandra listened to what Tate was saying as she fought to keep her eyes open.

“We may have to run, Shandra.” He placed his hands on her head and lifted it up, forcing her to look at him. “I need you to hear me. We may have to hide in the woods or run far away from here. I can’t promise you that we will have everything we need to survive, but we will have each other.”

Shandra had never thought about Tate in the way that Accalia had. She had thought about him as a man. To her he was not a prince, he was not rich, he was just a man that she loved. “It does not matter to me what we have, or don’t have, or where we have to go. I will go where you go. No matter where it is I will follow you. I don’t care about possessions,” she reassured him. “I only care about being with you.”

Tate felt better, but there was so much more that they needed to talk about. Tate decided that he would leave that for the morning. Shandra needed her sleep. She’d been through so much, been so brave about it all. He knew it would be difficult for her to understand that at some point she would have to be changed and he hoped that if they did have to leave, she would feel the same way.

Tate understood that saying something and doing it were often two different things. That night Shandra lay in Tate’s arms safe in her apartment for the last time ever. When she awoke, she was in a car and Tate was at the wheel.

“What’s going on?” Shandra asked.

“They are coming for us,” Tate said, looking at Shandra. “You were exhausted and I could not wake you so I just took you.”

“You took me,” Shandra’s eyes widened. “Where exactly are you taking me?”

“As far away as we can get on this tank of gas and then we will have to go even further,” Tate began. “Accalia told the police that I kidnapped you and that you are in danger.”

Shandra thought about what was going on. He had, in a sense, kidnapped her. She had never agreed to go with him or had she…? She thought about the previous night but it was all a blur. She looked down at her wrist and rubbed her hands over her wrist, where there should be a scar, but there wasn’t.

“Tate,” Shandra asked. “What is going on? Am I in danger?”

“The only danger you are in is from Accalia,” he said, looking sad. “You will remember what happened, this is the effects of the mark. Shandra, I am in love with you. You believe that, right?”

Memories started to flood her mind as she thought about the previous night. Flashes of wolves and Tate making love to her. “The werewolves will kill you if they catch us,” Tate said as he took her hand.

“Then we better not let them catch us,” Shandra said, looking back at the man she loved.

THE END

Taken by a Thug

It was the weekend but Aubrey had no time to relax.  Come Monday, she would be starting the practical leg of her coursework and any preparations she needed to get through that had to be done in these next two days. 

She sat at her desk early on Saturday morning trying to get a checklist done, thinking hard of everything she needed to do before Monday morning.  But she was drawing a blank.  The only things she could think of were already done.  Was it possible she had already finished preparing everything during the week?  It seemed unlikely but she also knew she was far too detail oriented and organized to have waited until the last moment. 

She sighed and stood up, walking over to the kitchen to prepare her morning coffee.  As she rummaged through her pantry deciding what to make for breakfast, she ran through a checklist in her mind.  She had her outfits ready, all her presentations were done, she had gathered all necessary information, and she had sent out every email and form there was to send.  She had even driven to and from the base location she would be reporting to every day to be sure she knew how to get there and to have a clear idea on how long the commute would be.

So it seemed she had gotten everything in order and she only had a nagging feeling of needing to get more done because it was in her nature.  She decided on an omelet so she pulled out three eggs and some veggies, washing and cutting them before cooking everything.  As she stood watch over the sizzling skillet, she ran her coursework through her mind. 

She had not missed any assignments and nothing was due in the near future.  All efforts were being focused on the practical leg of the coursework and she had already gotten everything ready for that as well.  Aubrey was as ready a student and future counselor as could be.  But she felt something off, something she decidedly tried to ignore as she cut up her omelet and ate it piece by piece accompanied by her piping hot mug of coffee.  She took her time over breakfast in an attempt to savor it but her mind was too full of thoughts about the upcoming week.     

“It’s normal to be nervous and preoccupied with it,” Mila, her best friend, casually mentioned later that afternoon over lunch. 

Aubrey had called her in a panic, a downright state of an almost meltdown, and Mila had succeeded in soothing her over the phone but thought it would be a good idea to get together anyway.  So she picked up some sandwiches from Aubrey’s favorite deli and brought them over with a couple jumbo pickles and some raspberry iced tea.  It was the perfect lunch and Mila made sure Aubrey would enjoy it without constantly freaking out about Monday.  “It’s a big step, really.  And you can’t know what to really expect.  I mean, this isn’t something you’ve ever done before.”

Aubrey nearly spit out the bite of pickle she had just bitten off.  She hurriedly chewed and swallowed it before gasping out for air.  “Is that supposed to be helping?”

Mila burst into laughter and replied, “I guess I’m not doing as good a job as I did earlier.” 

She took a gulp of her drink and set her glass back down gingerly on the coaster resting atop the table in front of her.  “Really though, just take a breath.  You’ve prepared for this to the max and I’m confident you’ll be great!”

“I wish I shared your confidence,” Aubrey muttered as she poked the bread of her sandwich.  Mila groaned and rolled her eyes.  “I know, I know.  Okay.  I did all the preparations beforehand so now I should really try to relax.  I have a big week ahead of me.”

Mila raised her glass and the two cheered to that before finishing up their meal while chatting about more trivial matters. 

They ended up joking and laughing so much Aubrey’s cheeks hurt.  She had not had that much fun in so long given how busy she was with school.  She had always been swamped in schoolwork even throughout her undergraduate studies but graduate school was on a completely different level.  She was driven, very much so, and she was so close to earning her Master’s degree she could practically feel that hard-earned piece of paper between her fingers. 

But she was all too aware there was still quite a ways to go before she earned it and she had to prove herself more than she ever had in the past.  But if there was one thing she was confident in was her perseverance.  For the time being, it was nice and very welcome to actually spend the afternoon with a friend and just have some relaxed fun. 

They cleaned up the trash and Mila wiped down the table, knowing how neat and clean Aubrey liked to keep her place.  They then settled on the couch and flipped through the movie guide for something to watch.  Aubrey was really grateful to have a friend like Mila who she could call during her worst moments and always count on to help her through it. 

It was also great to have such a close friend who could come over without scheduled plans and they would end up just spending the day together and having such a great time.  She did not think it was altogether that common or easy to find and she wondered how she got so lucky.  In fact, she often wondered how she got so lucky in life despite the odds being against her.

“You aren’t lucky, you’re blessed and you work hard,” her mother had always scolded her. 

Her mother had always been Aubrey’s number one supporter and had inspired in her the confidence necessary to be successful.  What she did count as luck was being born and raised in a decent neighborhood thanks to the hard work of her parents.  Though she was not the only person of color in her district growing up, she vividly recalled still being very much in the minority in addition to being the only non-Asian and non-Latino person of color. 

On her first day of school, she had come home completely confused as to why everyone looked so different from her but she soon came to realize it did not negatively impact her life.  It was not until she began taking sociology classes in high school that she was exposed to the harsh realities many other people of color had to face in different parts of the world, even in the same city as her.

“I feel so sheltered,” she confessed to her mother one day.  Her mother always listened so patiently to everything Aubrey had to say and never failed to answer any of her questions.  Her mother went on to tell her, in great detail, about her own experiences growing up. 

Aubrey’s mother had grown up in a neighborhood and environment completely different from her own.  She had grown up in the type of place where crime rates were high, income was low, and most people ended up living in that same cycle rather than getting out and bettering their lives.  “When I met your father, we both wanted a family.  We both knew that was not the kind of life we wanted for our kids.  So we worked harder than you can imagine to get out of there and here we are.”

Learning about her mother’s experience in such great detail and coming to the full realization of how privileged she was to have lived in a better neighborhood and attended school in a better district, Aubrey knew what she wanted to do as a career.  She wanted to give kids who felt they had no other options hope and help to better themselves. 

“You just need one person to believe in you,” her mother had once told her.  And Aubrey firmly believed one person’s support could really boost a person’s confidence to help them succeed.  She wanted to let kids of rough neighborhoods know there were options and they deserved to make that choice.  So she was earning her Master’s in a sociological field of study to work with the youth from disadvantaged areas.  Come Monday, it would be her first day out in the field. 

Mila tapped her on the shoulder and waved a hand in front of her face.  “You there?” 

Aubrey smiled sheepishly and nodded.  She turned her attention back to the television and the two settled on a comedy they had wanted to watch when it was in theaters but were unable to due to Aubrey’s hectic school schedule.  She willed herself not to think about the upcoming week and focus instead on the movie and having a good time with her best friend. 

It was nearly ten pm when Mila finally said goodnight and left Aubrey’s place to go back home.  Aubrey finished tidying up, keeping the television on for background noise and still working not to focus too much on her upcoming practical coursework. 

“That is going to be
all
you focus on for the next few months so give yourself this free weekend,” Mila had advised her before heading out.  Aubrey knew she was right.  If she thought school had consumed her life up until now, she had a feeling she would soon think that was easy compared to what was coming up. 

She walked into the bathroom and took time with her facial scrub and brushing her teeth, thinking of pleasant things to calm herself and clear her mind of her responsibilities.  She was the type of person to focus entirely on what she had to do and neglect anything else that included relaxing and fun but she knew that was something she needed to put a stop to.  People had always been concerned and said it was not entirely healthy but now she wanted to help the youths from her assigned neighborhood, she wanted to be in top shape for it.  And that included being happy and well rested. 

She stared at her face in the mirror for several minutes until she was zoned out with a clear mind.  She walked slowly to bed and crawled in, pulling her comforter over her body and feeling completely at ease.  She would not have thought she could feel this way just a couple nights before the big day and she felt even more grateful for having such a great best friend.

“Come on,” Mila pleaded over the phone with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice.  “This is probably the last time I’ll be able to drag you out for ages anyway,” she said quite convincingly. 

Aubrey groaned.  She was not really in the mood for such a big, social brunch event but she knew Mila would be thrilled if she actually went.  Plus, her best friend had actually made a really good and valid point.  There was no telling when Aubrey would actually have the time or energy to go out like this again.  Besides, after how well Mila had handled the situation yesterday Aubrey felt this was the least she could do.  “Fine, I’ll go.” 

Mila practically squealed out of glee on the other end of the line and promised to pick Aubrey up so she would not have to worry about driving or parking. 

So Aubrey walked into her bedroom and rummaged through her closet to find an outfit.  It was an outdoor event and it was springtime so she thought one of her nicer sundresses would be ideal for the day.  She settled on one of her favorites she rarely got to wear and pulled it on. 

She really loved how the pastel colors contrasted against her dark skin but not as much as she loved how it draped over her curves.  She was of a small frame and quite thin and fit, but that did not prevent her from having an hour-glass type figure with full breasts and firm, round butt.  She slipped on her favorite wedge sandals, which happened to look great with the dress, and pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail. 

She had just finished getting ready when her phone buzzed with a new message from Mila who was now downstairs waiting for her.  Aubrey grabbed her purse and phone before heading out and down to the parking lot.

“Wow,” Mila said with shining eyes, “You look so pretty!”  She flashed a bright smile before shifting the gear of her car and pushing down on the gas pedal.  They zoomed off in the direction of the event. 

Aubrey knew where it was located but she had never actually been there.  It was a community garden type of place and she had always admired the photos and glimpses she caught of it but had never been given a reason to attend any event held there.  This actually gave her some excitement for the afternoon and she was silently grateful, once again, for her best friend.  She always managed to convince Aubrey to do things she was not particularly keen on but ended up loving.  At the very least, she ended up being glad for the experience even if it was not something she would ever want to do again. 

“How did you get invited to this?” Aubrey said a bit absentmindedly as they pulled into the long driveway of the Cheshire Gardens and Halls.  As soon as they passed the security gates, she was completely wowed by how beautiful the place was.  Even the shrubs and flowers lining the driveway were perfectly arranged with a very relaxing aesthetic.  It was unlike any other place she had ever visited and the perfect location for a spring brunch party. 

“Do you remember Dot?  We ran into each other last week and grabbed some lunch.  She invited me and a friend!”  Aubrey hummed to indicate she had heard Mila but was too busy admiring the surroundings to continue the conversation. 

They pulled into an open, round parkway and she almost drew in a breath at how astonishingly beautiful it was.  There was a large fountain in the middle with beds of flowers around it and neat, little path leading up to the center.  She had known it was a beautiful place but she could never have guessed it was
this
gorgeous.  It made her wonder how the rest of the place looked if even the driveway and parkway were this lovely.  A valet driver stepped up to the car motioning for Mila and Aubrey to step out.  They stood and looked admiringly at the main entrance of the grand lobby before walking toward it.

“Have you been here before?”

“No.  I had the chance a couple times but I had to miss those events,” Mila grimaced.  This was exactly the type of place she loved to be and these were the types of events she most enjoyed.  She ran with a very specific circle of people but, somehow, managed to not be at all snobby.  If anything, Aubrey often came off as being the snobby one of the two.  She knew how annoyed Mila must have been to have had to miss those events but at least she was here now, by a completely random twist of fate.