The Look: Alpha Male, Feisty Female Romance (67 page)

"I'm going to sting his ass," she said to herself.

And so here she was, back in her old life, trapped in the same situation when the story began. It wasn't just knowing a man physically that she yearned for, but that piece of her soul which was missing, that unending longing to know the secret, forbidden aspects of the guy that no one else saw, no one else sees, and no one else will see. She was trapped in her body, unable to truly know what it felt like to be someone else. How could he not understand that? How could he not see the cruelty of giving her a taste of him without staying? He had left an emptiness in her so deep she could barely find the will to continue with life. What's more, she finally realized, it was his appearance that had tricked her. She was broken and alone.

That feeling of being watched overcame Ava again. A voice from behind her spoke.

"Hi Ava."

Ava turned to find Bastian standing next to her. His weakness and frailty seemed more pronounced than ever, second only to the softness and heartbreak emanating in vibes from his soul. Had it not been for this keen perception on Ava's part, she'd never really given Bastian the time of day. Something told her to listen and that he was a safe confidant, although he lacked any remote chance of being romantically involved with her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I just had a rough night of sleep."

"There's...something I'd like to share with you if you don't mind."

"Honestly, I'm running behind today and if I don't make enough in tips to get my rent paid, I'll be screwed."

"Madam I wouldn't push this if it weren't so important. There's something I need to tell you."

"What was your name again?"

"Bastian."

"Bastian: please leave me alone, or I'm going to have Mitch throw you out permanently..." Ava turned to continue her work in the back of the tavern, as Bastian called out to her in desperation.

"You're not the first he's done this to."

Ava stopped.

"Who are you talking about?"

"Julian. I know him."

Ava stopped; finally, she knew her gut was right. There aren't many worse feelings than knowing the paranoia that had plagued you for months. It was official: Ava had a stalker. "Were you following me last night? I'll have every one of the men in this establishment beat you senseless."

"I wasn't following you. He's..."

"He's what??"

"...my brother."

Ava covered her mouth in shock.

"Come with me..."

CHAPTER VI

The sun was falling into a dusk among a cold, gray sky. Ava and Bastian walked along the edge of a lake, toward what he'd confessed was the direction of his own cottage in the middle of the forest.

"My brother is a witch. He uses young women who seem vulnerable and weak. He came to you last night, because he could see your sadness and fear."

"I'm not afraid."

"You are. Of being alone and abandoned by your peers and your parents. You're also angry."

Ava felt now that she wasn't being watched anymore, but something more than that--like Bastian could see into her soul. She tried to pretend being unfazed.

"You don't know me, Bastian."

They arrived at his home. It was a dreadful, broken down place; if a human being could be encapsulated by a home, this house would most definitely belong to Bastian. Ava could see his weakness in the shutter barely hanging on the wall. She could smell the fruity decay of his scent in the dried food of his kitchen. She could see the sadness of his soul in the weeping willow overlooking his cottage.

"Well this is my place. Come on in."

As Ava stepped through the place she found herself capable of the most magical stirring in her heart. The home, even though this was the first time she had seen it, seemed altogether familiar, warm, and comforting. Bastian, for the first time, looked her in the eyes.

"I can see your sadness and loneliness," Bastian said.

Ava could not meet his gaze.

"You used to cry yourself asleep at night, because you felt no one was there for you. Your parents have given you up for dead. Your supposed friends are moving on with their lives, having children, marrying the love of their lives, going on picnics, with sandwiches and apples. But you--you're all alone."

"How can you know this much?"

"Because I love you Ava. I'm your soul mate. I can see past your exterior, into your soul, and I know you're hurting. But what I want you to know is that I'm hurting too. I'm sad too. And that means you're not alone."

Ava, for the first time in her life, looked inward. She could see her emotional organs rearranging, and her entire life suddenly came into focus. She had seen Julian at face value and taken that as all there was to him. The fullness of a personality--its ugliness and prickliness--almost never shows itself on the first impression.

Ava took a second look at Bastian. His appearance was changing. His pock marked skin was slowly clearing up. His drooping eyes started coming back to life. His feeble posture righted itself. He was transforming. Bastian beamed.

"It's working!"

"What's working?"

"The curse cast on me by my brother is lifting. Julian said the only way it could be broken was if I could find someone to love me."

By now, like a photography coming into focus, Bastian's body was that of a completely different person. What remained was a man with dirty blond hair, brown eyes, and a large strong head. His skin was dark tanned but clean. His hands were long but beautiful. His calves bulged from his legs, and his feet were shaped like that of a French model. Youthful was his appearance, the direct opposite of his prior state of affairs. His lips were full and rosy. He placed a single kiss on Ava's lips. A warm tingling sensation radiated from her mouth out to the rest of her body, not just her nether regions this time. Her soul took a few steps into deeper waters, and she felt more whole and complete than she could remember. All the sadness and separateness melted away, and she was home.

She stared at him, dazed and mesmerized, and he went over and got down on one knee, and laid his head on her knees, completely still. Ava was numb and shocked, and looked down at his beautiful hair on the back of his head, feeling his face pressing her thighs. In all her burning anxiety, she needed to feel the softness of his face on her hears and the tenderness of his lips.

And he looked up at her, locking her gaze with his doe-like eyes. Her heart called out to him. From her soul flowed the protective, everlasting yearning over him, and she answered him with permanent loyalty. He was without a doubt a very nervous lover, trembling as if he'd never made love before, completely focused on her, but at the same time, painfully aware of his surroundings--the warmth of the fire by their bed, the soft rocking of its frame, the howling of the wolves in the forest, the soft and purring wind, and even all the stars in the sky, twinkling softly with harmonious permission. She could meet him only partway at this point. Once he knew that he lay quiet and calm, very calm. She placed her hand softly on his head. Peace.

CHAPTER VII

The bedroom was quiet, save the soft, crisp crackle of the fireplace. A moose peered into the window of Bastian's cabin, where he lay on his bed with his one eternal love. Ava looked up at him.

"Are you a warlock?"

"What would you think if I said yes?"

"Do you have any powers?"

"I used to, before my brother placed a hex on me."

"How did it happen in the first place, if you were both equal in power?"

"I'm not sneaky like him. And power corrodes your soul."

"I mean, why didn't you fight him?"

Bastian stopped. "I guess I was ashamed of my kind. I thought maybe I could ignore it and pretend I was normal, and then everything would be okay. Now it's obvious that that's not true. Maybe I should just be more cautious about how I use my powers."

Ava thought for a second. "Would you be able to take him if he showed up right now?"

"Maybe..."

There was a moment of silence before a loud knock shook the front door of Bastian's cabin. Ava stole a glance at her lover, whose eyes were glowing with the golden spirit of a lion. She looked down at her thigh, where she found a dark blue mark in the shape of a bite. The mark burned ice-cold, and Bastian got up from the bed…

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EXCERPT

The door opened slightly and Stetson was standing there, large and hulking and mountainous. Stetson stepped into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. He was wearing a blue work shirt, long-sleeve with a sweat-soaked bandana around his neck. He took his black hat off and laid it on the night stand.

He stopped for a second.

“I'm sorry. Don't tell my brother what I did please. Nobody knows about me,” Carter said.

“Carter I don't trust people. I lost my lady to another guy. She was the only lady I ever knew. I been burned too many times. Don't you dare burn me too.”

“What have I done?” Carter said, panicked.

“Nothing yet.”

“I'm sorry I did that. I just couldn't help it.” Carter tried to go on but Stetson stopped him. He grabbed Carter's hand and placed it on his package, large and bulging through his jeans. His hand was practically on fire, and Carter himself was near the point of having a heart attack at this point.

“What do you mean man?” Carter was shaking. Stetson locked eyes with Carter and kept them locked while he unbuttoned his teal-colored dress shirt. He breathed through his nose in soft, consistent intervals. Stetson's torso was massive even when he sat on Carter's twin bed, his chest folded over onto his stomach, leaving a small roll of the smallest amount of fat as he bent over to pull Carter's shirt off. Then he got up and locked the bedroom door. Things were about to get serious.

“I thought you were straight.” Stetson ignored him as he sat back on the bed. He looked away from Carter for a second, and it was clear to Carter that Stetson was having second thoughts. Carter's fantasy had become reality and it was all about to fall apart. Even though this was practically the scariest moment of Carter's life, next to the incident with the Nash-Gibson gang, he could see that his own nervousness was getting the best of him and if he didn't act now, it would be too late. It was time to man up and take charge of the situation, or he'd miss the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have sex with a straight guy who'd never been with a man.