They both chuckle.
“Your secret is safe with us,” Red assures me.
“But this is Lello we are talking about,” adds Ned. “He will find out.”
I groan and cover my face with my hands. They are right. There is no escape.
“Is Pink home?” I ask. If gossip is going to get out, I want to spill everything with my best friend first.
“No, he went off somewhere with Monty for the day. Antique Fair or something,” says Ned.
“Okay, thanks,” I say before running away up the stairs and to my room.
Being sad about Pink spending time with his husband is ridiculous. It’s the natural order of things. People do not hang out with their besties all the time once they are married. Nevermind the strain my going on the run put on our friendship. Spending a long time apart is a challenge for any kind of relationship. But there is not a single thing I can do about that.
I shove all thought of it from my mind and concentrate instead on getting changed as quickly as I can. As soon as the tee shirt is over my head and last night’s clothes are safely in my laundry basket, I let out a sigh of relief.
Then I stand silently in the middle of my empty room. Now what?
Now what do I do with myself?
I don’t have a husband. Or kids. Or a job. Hell, I don’t even have any hobbies. It’s pathetic. As well as ungrateful. I should besinging from the rooftops that I’m free. I’m no longer a sex slave. No longer a product of a breeding program. No longer hiding from the Paranormal Council. I should be ecstatic. It should be enough.
With a heavy sigh, I flop onto my bed.
Finding your feet and forging a new life takes time. Everyone says that. I was set back by going crazy and nearly allowing the fey into the world. That’s why I’m behind my friends. Even though they’d all reassure me that I’m not behind at all.
I sigh again. I could tidy my room. Or I could check the rota and see if anyone needs a hand with their chores. I know I’m up to date with my share, but it would give me something to do.
My gaze flicks to the laptop on my desk. I could do a few more job applications, I suppose. Even though the constant rejection is getting a bit tiring. Though, what else do I expect? It’s not as if I’m brimming with skills and qualifications. It is a damn miracle I ever got the call center job, and they aren’t going to take me back or even give me a reference after I disappeared without a word.
Well, now I’ve thoroughly depressed myself. Why can’t I focus on happy thoughts? Like Flyn and the amazing night I just had. Sleeping in his arms was more wonderful than I ever could have imagined.
And that ridiculous, over the top breakfast? That’s a memory to cherish forever. I’m quite sure that Flyn is just that lovely. Exuberant and full of life. He would have gone overboard for any guest, I’m not special. But my oh my, is it nice to close my eyes and pretend that I am.
Fantasizing that Flyn likes me so very much that he wants to make me an amazing breakfast, makes me feel all warm and tingly. So why not? Pretending someone loves me might be the closest I ever get to the real thing. I can enjoy it while I can.
I take a deep breath and relax against my pillows. I’m feeling sleepy now, but that’s okay. Drifting off to pleasant thoughts about Flyn sounds like a great plan. And naps are always nice.
My thoughts drift. They turn to that goodbye kiss that explosively turned into so much more. Just thinking about it is making my cheeks burn, but there is no one here to see, so it’s fine.
I really don’t know what came over me. That passion. That need. Thathunger.It was exhilarating. I’ve never felt anything like it. I didn’t even know it was possible. Is that what a healthy sexual appetite is supposed to be like? Is that what I have been missing out on all my life?
My eyes close. Images swirl and scatter. Thoughts of Flyn float away. Colors coalesce. I drift through mist and suddenly I’m somewhere new.
It’s a clearing in the woods. A beautiful summer day. But the grass is too green. The trees too gnarled and ancient. The sky is too vivid.
Brightly colored birds and butterflies flitter and sing. Wildflowers dance in the gentle breeze. In the shade of the trees, toadstools gleam a bright red.
It’s beautiful. And it feels like home. A feeling I have never experienced before, and now that I have, I know I will ache for it forever.
My lungs fill with fresh, sweet tasting air. I want to sing. To dance. To glory in this wondrous place.
But before I can move, a pair of glowing eyes catch my attention. They are loping through the trees and heading straight towards me.
Goosebumps erupt over my flesh.
A large tawny-colored wolf trots out of the shadows and right up to me. I blink and the wolf changes. It shifts shape, and now there is a young man before me. He has long chestnut brown hair, brown eyes and curling horns. He is naked, but that seems as natural as the woods.
