The Tempering Novels & Stories

Tina pushed her bottom lip out in a pout, crossing her arms over her chest as she paused in the opening to Skylar's cubicle and watched as Skylar sat down and wiggled the mouse to wake her computer screen. Skylar ignored Tina's pout and opened the available placements memo from that morning. Mostly more accounting firms, law offices, and a couple big companies looking for mailroom temps. Skylar stopped scrolling and clicked on one of the placements. She knew it must be the one Tina was talking about because she heard an excited squeak behind her. Banscroft Empires. Looking for a temp placement for CEO James Banscroft's personal secretary. Skylar quickly clicked apply and said a quick prayer

I walk out my office to the print machines, where Coldren and the woman who had the cat from yesterday, Elizabeth, are standing. She has her brown hair in a high pony tail and a black suit with a pencil skirt. Coldren is wearing a white shirt, black tie and pants, a standard. "Oh sorry, the printer jammed for some reason." She says. "Yeah, because this printers a loud of garbage." "Every printer jams Coldren. Anyway, do you know how to fix it?"

Her bones became denser and her hair grew back as a cloud of pale blonde around her head. She reacquainted herself with her old limbs before sitting up. She stared up into the canopy of trees above her and tried to map out where in the forest she was. The Forest of Torment was given its name for it gave illusions to those miserable enough to get lost inside. The forest could see deep into someone’s soul and find their worst fears and torture them with it until they either died or went insane.

"I promise you. I won't. I'm here to take care of you. I won't touch you. I won't hurt you. I'm just here to warm you." He began to gradually, willingly, take off his leather jacket. He lay it on the cold cave ground a few feet away from her. He took off his woolen shirt next, exposing himself to the frigid air only in his tank top, his bulging muscular chest now bare. "What. what are you doing?" she trembled to ask. "My temperature is higher than yours," he told her, his voice calming. "My Alpha metabolism. I have the ability to produce heat. I'm going to do that for you. Without actually touching you. Without forcing anything."

Just… there. “You’re shaking,” he whispered. “I know.” He kissed the top of my head, then my temple, then the corner of my mouth. The kiss lingered, turning slow and deep, his tongue brushing mine like he was trying to taste every fear I couldn’t say out loud. I melted into it, fingers curling into his shirt, pulling him closer because right now his mouth was the only thing keeping me from falling apart. When we finally broke apart, both of us breathing harder, he rested his forehead against mine.

He rubbed his palms trying to calm his temper. “If you can’t strategize to expand your business then you’re not ready to build your company, you’ll definitely remain an underrated shadow designer” Teyena heaved a sigh of fear . “Dad won’t like this, come on, aren't there other promo tools we could use , I mean ... .the radio station, something outside the creative industry or……” Jerome cuts in annoyance placing both hands on the desk.