Sherry clutched her purse tight and pulled down her dress.
She was dressed in an off-shoulder red dress, that reached just below her bottom.
The Agency Car dropped her off in front of a huge gate. She was supposed to be by herself from there.
She hesitated before hitting the doorbell.
" The payment will hit your account even before you get out of his gate, "
the words of her friend Rosey rang in her head. Her hands immediately reached for the bell this time.
She straightened up. There was no more room for hesitation.
The gates flung open.
" Hello, I ... "
she opened her mouth to state the purpose of her visit. Then she realised there was no one there. She stepped in. What greeted her was a garden. As soon as she took a few steps inside, the gate closed behind her with a thud.
Startled, she dropped her purse.
" Damn! "
she cursed under her breath before picking it up.
She walked further inside.
The further she went the darker it got.
" Why is there no light? "
she wondered as she almost fell again, stumbling over the stairs that lead to the rooms inside.
" Damn! "
Sherry cursed again.
She almost felt like turning back and running at any moment. But then again, the money. She needed it badly.
Sherry felt her way inside.
" STAND RIGHT THERE! "
A voice from nowhere send her a sudden command.
"Okay! "
she lifted her hands immediately as if she was surrendering.
" You can take your hands down. "
Sherry followed the command once again without any question.
" Okay! "
She obeyed, very docile.
" Come and stand in the middle of the room! "
This was the third command.
Sherry tried to look around.
" Umm, sorry but where is the middle? I cannot see anything. "
She wasn't sure if she was supposed to ask the question.
A light lit up, like a spotlight a few steps from where she was standing.
" Thank you, " she bowed as she took her steps and stood under the white light.
" STRIP"
This was the command for the fourth time.
" Okay! "
her voice barely left her voice this time.
She just realised the job she had come for had begun.
She reached the side of her shoulder with trembling hands when suddenly the fifth command came her way.
" STOP! "
She stopped immediately. A little relieved at that.
She watched as a pair of crimson eyes approached her direction from the dark.
Sherry gulped. Was she seeing things?
"Sherizad? "
The voice asked her with a tone of surprise mixed with shock.
She was taken aback. Only her father addressed her that way and only when he was having an attack.
She could not say anything this time. But looked at the eyes as it slowly came forward with a face.
A face she had never seen, yet it immediately felt like home.
" SHERIZAD! "
It called again before a pair of hands rushed towards her face and cupped it into an affectionate embrace.
" It's you. It's you. "
Those eyes glistened as they hovered over her like one who was thirsty and was looking at a river.
The man reeked of alcohol. Was he even in his senses?
But his eyes didn't glint intoxication in them. It looked like it was in too much pain.
His hands were shaking. His lips trembled. Sherry watched him caress her tresses that lay loose on her forehead.
She had never thought a man's touch could have ever been so appealing.
He moved his hold on her. This time holding Sherry's neck with one hand as the other hand slipped behind her hip.
He pulled her to himself.
His scent.
The moment she breathed it in, Sherry felt like she was close to orgasm.
Which was absurd. She didn't even know what that feeling was like. She had not done anything with anyone before this. Not even kissing.
She was that weird girl. Her only soulmate was Sarah and the bugs and the bees.
But what was this sensation that she was having? It felt like it was making her heart limp.
Then he tore her away from her pleasure trip, away from himself. They were again standing face to face with each other.
Sherry could see there was a story in those deep blue eyes, which she had probably mistaken for crimson.
At that moment all the lights in the room came back. It wasn't a room. It was a suite. Huge.
The man suddenly pushed Sherry against the wall. Her head hit against it a little with his force.
She was just trying to hold her tears when he started what seemed like wiping the make-up away from her face. His fingers vigorously rubbed against her eyes, eyebrows, lips and cheek.
She had not put a lot of it but whatever she had, now it was all spoilt. Sherry didn't mind though. Her make-up was part of her service towards him. He was entitled to it for tonight. It was part of what she was selling.
He looked around frantically for something.
Before Sherry could react he pulled a jug and emptied its content on her.
It was cold. Sherry shivered.
The man fetched a towel immediately and started rubbing Sherry's face. Until he was sure every bit of her make-up was successfully removed.
" He could have just mentioned that with the Agency. What a waste of product and effort. "
Sherry thought and after he was done.
" Sherizad! "
He was again cupping his hands around her face.
"It's you? "
"What was he trying to confirm? "
Sherry still kept wondering, " An ex-girl friend perhaps or was it a dead wife? "
The man pulled her on his chest once more.
As soon as he did Sherry's shivers went away. She was still wet. But it was somewhere else. The feel of his skin was giving her jitters. She could not help but slowly lift her hands and wrap them around his muscular shoulders.
" My dear husband, I know we haven't exchanged the vows but in my heart you have and always been the one and only one. I don't know how you will be able to explain this to all those waiting at that stadium. I don't know how you will cope with what I am about to say. Just know that this is not another betrayal. I love you. I am not leaving you. But I have to go now. It's not something in my hand. Take care of yourself. Take care of our new pack. I promise I will return. Wait for me to come back. So for now my dear Ryan, you are the deputy Alpha. You are in charge."That was what she sent me. My mobile phone crashed on the floor as I ran towards my car. I ran straight home. The limo was still standing in front of the gate. Rose was waiting there with a smile but it faded as soon as she saw my face. " Ryan? Why are you here? What happened? "She rushed inside as she saw me dart in without answering. I broke into the room where her scent was still coming from. "Sherry...... S
I couldn't believe it had already been months and what was more unbelievable was the fact that Rose was my bride's maid. I mean, I didn't want to hold onto anymore grudges. I told Ryan to sort things out with his father as well. We both went together to ask for his blessing before our wedding. "This one seems like a changed girl, my boy. You better be careful. " He had jokingly said, or was it a joke at all? I was indeed a different species at the moment. Not the weak human who had caught his eye. " You look stunning. I think I should keep an ambulance ready for Ryan. "Rose joked. She had done all the wedding preparations by herself. She had even helped me with deciding the dress. A very unique design. A high neck, see through courset dress with a very light weight trail. It had some pearl detailing on the veil that I was wearing and it matched the set that I was wearing as well. " Thank you for everything Rose. I know it must have been hard for you.... "" Oh, don't mind. It w
I knew I wasn't thinking very straight but there was nothing else that could be done. We had just buried two of our best friends. There shouldn't be any more burial from our side. Besides, if what Midnight said could be taken into account, there were many werewolves from Helo's end who were mere puppets. They needed to be protected as well. I head-on battle would only result in more innocent casualties. " Are you sure you want to do it this way... "Ryan's breath over my bare shoulder made me shiver from within. I was putting on my war costume. Just like old days. " This is the only way.... "I resumed putting the weapons into their respective places. But he turned me around. " You know I never contradicted you. I did everything that you asked me to do. Your way. "He pulled me closer and burnt his gaze into me. " Listen to me carefully Sherizad. I paid a very heavy price for that obedience last time. Don't you even think of leaving me this time. " He shook me with feral inte
"So what is it you are willing to give for your friend to live"Helos laughed hysterically. He knew Midnight or Sarah, whatever you called her by, had no power over him. She was merely a slave bound to him by claws(clause of contract written in blood) but he hated that she was steadily slipping out of her grip. There she was, her hands blackened with the stain of collecting all those innocent souls. Yet she was unhinged by her own pain. She was begging Helos to spare her friend Sherizad. She was begging him as he drank one dark blood after another , replenishing his strength. "Anything... Anything that you want. I can bring you Ryan. I can give you his head. "" Silence little rat head! If his head was all I wanted , didn't I have better opportunities than this? "Midnight was desperate and she flung herself at his feet, her face landing right on the ground. Helos laughed. Then placed his feet above her ear. He pressed so hard that her head cracked a little. Midnight didn't scream.
" Sherry! Thank God! Thank God you are back! "My eyes were open but my view hadn't yet adapted to the new light conditions. But I could feel Ryan's tight and warm embrace around me. He was crying. He was crying as he was hugging me. I felt one hand around Ryan's back and my other hand was holding something hard. It was the hilt of the dagger that I had pierced myself with. " I am so sorry. I am sorry about what Beck did to you. I am sorry I couldn't stop him. I am sorry I couldn't save you both... "I could slowly see everything around me. I was on Ryan's lap, still on the road in front of my building. There was a small crowd in the back and I could hear the distant sound of the ambulance and police car blazing. I saw Beck's lifeless body lying just beside me. His hand almost touched mine as I tried to get up. I pulled Ryan's ear close to mine and whispered, " Take us out of here Ryan. It was no one's fualt. I remember everything now. I will tell you everything. It's was all prep
It felt like I was falling down a glass tunnel. I could see glimpses of my life, flash across it's mirror-like surface. It was as if my life was playing before my eyes but in a reverse model. I could see the incident with Beck, my moments with Ryan, the days spent before that, me getting kidnapped, my first meeting with Ryan, my struggles with my dad, my miserable college life, followed by my school days. It kept going back and back till I saw myself as a baby in my dad's arm, in the same cave where he was murdered. And the moment that flashed after that were those of me getting taken away from my mother, who was lying unconscious in a hospital. Beside her was a man, who held her hand fondly. Definitely a spouse or a partner. The father of her child who was getting elated and was being congratulated for becoming a new father. So, the man I loved my whole life as a parent, was my kidnapper? Luckily, I wasn't in a state to feel any emotions and it was much easier that way. It was s