The Cowboy Who Strolled Into Town (18 page)

Chapter Ten

Bloody Hell

Rex had the advantage, Diesel knew that. The space was too small for him to avoid any harm to Sonya, one swipe too close in such close quarters would be enough to do damage. Diesel roared and Rex roared back. Diesel jumped at him, trying to drive Rex out of the room, in to the hall and away from Sonya but Rex feinted to the right going straight for Sonya on the bed. Sonya screamed and bolted off the bed. She ran through the hall and Diesel heard the front door slam.

‘Clever girl,’ he thought and lunged at Rex who was glowering at him.

It was a bloody mess. Their claws caught in the mattress and feathers congested the air, Diesel bit in to Rex’s forepaw, sinking his teeth in, realizing just in time that he’d left his own neck exposed to Rex’s teeth.

Rex pushed his mighty shoulders in to Diesel and Diesel went flying in to the hall. Rex crashed in to the front door splintering the wood. Rex roared in to the night and Diesel ran after him his heart pounding with adrenaline and fear for Sonya.

But Sonya was nowhere to be seen. His pickup truck was parked alone in the drive, Sonya’s Buick was gone. Diesel sniffed into the pickups open passenger door and saw that the dash was gaping open.

‘She took the gun,’ he thought elated. He sniffed for the rank smell of Rex and caught his scent upwind. Rex must have chased after her and Diesel ran in the same direction. Rex was stronger than he had anticipated but Diesel was faster. Low hanging branches were easy points to propel himself off of while Rex darted from trunk to trunk losing precious momentum.

Diesel could see his silhouette under the branches and he jumped on Rex just as they made it in to a clearing. The rolled on top of each other, finding balance and slashing their claws at each other’s throats; Diesel raked a hunk of fur off of Rex’s haunches and Rex sliced off part of Diesel’s right ear.

“Hey!” the tiger and the panther came to a sudden halt. Sonya stood at the edge of the clearing brandishing the gun he had given her earlier. She was wearing a red leather jacket and navy blue shorts that must have been lodged somewhere in the back of her car. The tops of her breasts peaked out from the jacket like two halves of a perfect pearly moon.

“Hey, moron!” she called again, “Yeah you, you stupid hunk of rapid meat! You want me?” she said opening her arms in an invitation. “Come and get me you bastard!”

Diesel hardly had time to grab at Rex before he darted full speed at Sonya. Sonya stood her legs shoulder width apart, her shoulders pulled back and her arms raised. She took aim, Rex darted right, darted left and then sprang on her.

Diesel heard a gunshot, the sound of two bodies colliding and the sickening thud of a skull hitting the hard ground. His heart stopped. He padded forward cautiously, the heap that was Rex and Sonya strangely still in the moonlight. Diesel growled in the back of his throat, his hackles raised.

Rex’s shoulders began to rise and fall and Diesel made to charge. Sonya grunted and pushed the body of Rex the weretiger off of herself, blood staining her breasts and her face.

“Son of a bitch,” she said pressing her hand to the valley between her breasts, “I think he broke my ribs!”

Diesel, still a panther, his fur glimmering under the moonlight licked the blood off of her, nuzzling his nose in to her skin. Sonya ran her hand through his pelt, her fingers soothing the cuts and bite marks that had drawn blood. Diesel breathed deeply, reigning in his adrenaline as he prepared to leave his panther state. The fur, the claws and the teeth were all gone, the blood, the bite marks and the scars remained.

“What do we do about the body?” Sonya asked her eyes wide and fearful. Diesel knew the feeling, the annihilation, the guilt that arose when you killed a fellow man for the first time, even if it was self-defense.

“We leave it to the woods,” Diesel said. “The laws around here are simple; he who dies in their Shifter state is left for the woods. Ahawi, the Canibas settler of Shifter Grove, was very clear. The woods need the spirits to harness its magic, to keep the fine balance between man and Were.”

“That sounds oddly beautiful,” Sonya said looking down at the tiger that was Rex, a large black blot of blood spreading through his fur like ink through paper, the orange turned a rusty brown, the mud caked in his coat flaking off in the hot summer night. “He deserves that much.”

“You were fantastic,” Diesel said hugging her close, “A lot of women lose their head in these situations. You were amazing!”

“I had a great coach,” she said smiling in to his chest.

“Let’s get you to the hospital,” Diesel said and picked Sonya up in his powerful arms.

Chapter Eleven

Happy is as Happy Does

Sonya walked in to the Pig Out diner on flashy high heels and a bright orange halter top. She wore cream Aladdin pants and her signature red lipstick. She knew all eyes were on her and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

She’d been coming to the Pig Out once a week for the past four months now. Sleazy McGee knew her order by heart: eggs sunny side up, coffee black two sugars, and a waffle with the works. Sleazy also remembered not to stare at her breasts for too long. No one wanted a run-in with Sheriff Wake.

Sonya had made friends in Shifter Grove, friends she would regularly meet in Pig Out. There was Larry’s Werefox wife, Samantha. Larry hadn’t been too happy about their friendship but Sonya liked to see him roast in her presence. There was Wereflamingo Clause and of course Werebear Kathrine.

Sonya ran the local veterinarian hospital in Waterville an hour’s drive from Shifter Grove; she laughed that while she took care of people’s animals her boyfriend policed the others. Life was finally looking up; she’d met a man who had surpassed what she had expected him to be at first site. Imagine telling your grandkids that you met your one true love on Craigslist?!

The thought of grandkids made Sonya blush.

“Hold the coffee, Joe,” she said to Joe ‘Sleazy’ Barton. “I’m trying to cut down.”

She felt a very small grateful nudge in the region of her belly and it made her grin like an idiot. The diner door swung open, the first draft of spring air came inside with the smell of pinecones and fresh grass.

“Hello, beautiful,” Diesel said landing a kiss on her cheek and signaling to Joe for his morning coffee, “Your friends aren’t here yet?”

“There running a little late,” Sonya said blissfully stretching her legs. “But I don’t mind, I get to keep you to myself for a little bit longer.”

“I’m all yours,” Diesel grinned.

“Not for long,” Sonya pouted. “Pretty soon you’ll be ignoring me and giving all your attention to someone else. You’ll grow tired of me but never of them I just know it!”

“What are you talking about?” Diesel said confused by the turn of the conversation. “I can never get tired of you.”

“You will,” Sonya teased, her eyes sparkling. “I can bet you will.”

“You’re crazy!” Diesel said rolling his eyes in mock annoyance.

“No, I’m pregnant,” Sonya said. “There’s a difference.”

Diesel was shell-shocked and Sonya was afraid that he wasn’t happy with the news, that he didn’t want children; but then she saw the tears in his eyes, the wide grin that broke on his hopelessly handsome face and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“I never thought I’d be this happy,” he finally said, taking her hands tenderly and kissing them. “You make me so happy Sonya!”

“And you me,” she said. “But if it’s a Werefrog we’re abandoning him at a farm in Kansas!”

“How about a Werecow?” Diesel teased.

“No, a Wereleopard!” Sonya said touching her belly protectively.

“Weresquirrel?” Diesel asked and Sonya hit him in the arm.

Diesel chuckled and put his hand on top of Sonya’s, both their hands sending a clear message to the baby and the world beyond; this was their happiness and they would go to any lengths to protect it.

The End.

Mated by the Alpha Billionaire

(Russian Billionaires of the Dmitri clan series)

By Riley Moreno

Chapter One

The Horrible Date

“Hmmmm, what should I wear to work tomorrow? Maybe my tight black skirt which shows my curves perfectly, a white blouse and black heels.

But then again maybe I should opt for my boring loose navy blue skirt, as lately I really don’t like how that pervert married boss of mine, Mr. Smith has been staring at me lately! ”

After small bored sigh, Natasha then returned her attention back to her date. And yes that’s right, Natasha Camille Walker was actually on a date and busy thinking about what she was going to wear tomorrow for work!  Not that she was a workaholic but seriously who could blame her?

The blind date set up for her by her crazy black girlfriend Monica, with a special emphasis on the word crazy, was just higher up the scales when it came to being horrible.

When Monica had unexpectedly brought him to her house and introduced him to her, he had seemed totally normal even flashing Natasha a charming smile.

And heck when Monica had added that this attractive well fit black guy, was a Doctor, Natasha had been totally hooked and quickly agreed to a date. Compared to the kind of guys she usually dated usually plumbers, wrestlers, gym instructors etc. this guy was like winning a lottery.

So while grinning like an idiot, she had quickly rushed to her room and changed into one of her best dresses and driven here for their first date.

And now in this well-lit, lively pub restaurant instead of them enjoying and having a perfect date, as soon they sat by one of the tables in the hidden corner, Simon her date opened his mouth. This just horribly ruined it for her from that moment!

And now he was talking nonsense about abortion, a topic initiated by him of course, answering his own questions and not even giving her a chance to speak.

‘’ I have mixed feelings about abortions. On the one hand, I'm all for killing babies, but I hate giving women a choice.”

What the hell? Was this guy actually a real doctor?

And damn he was so sexy with his mouth closed shut!
   Natasha then thought to herself almost groaning in annoyance.

Even that well-muscled underground wrestler whom she had once dated was so much interesting than this guy, at least he was a man of few words. Sadly the wrestler wanted to acquire his own concubine and Natasha was a one man, one woman kind of person not concubine material, so it did not work out between them. 

Once this date was done with, she was so going to kill her best friend Monica for doing this to her. 

And yes even though alarm bells were already blaring loudly about this guy not being the one for her, she was actually not going to end this date quickly.

Because sadly instead of going back to that lonely house of hers to spend another night with her fridge's rasping compressor for company, she just needed some human companionship even if it was HIS kind of company.

Maybe she should just do as Monica always chided her to do, to lower her standards a little bit and she would be married by now and not be lonely.

“Are you into fitness? ’’
Mr. I like hearing only my voice talk
, finally decided to include her in the conversation.

Shut up Simon!
Natasha was about to rudely tell him now realizing where he was going with that question. Just because she was not like those skinny girls and had curves in all the right places, did not give him the right to even dare judge her. It was her body not his.

Luckily the waiter then came to ask for their orders.

"Get whatever you want, it's all on me tonight." Simon then said and it was the only good thing she had heard from him all night. She even decided she was going to order the most expensive thing to pay him back.

Deciding she also truly needed a beer, to still get through this date, she told the waiter to bring her some after Simon ordered salad for himself.

After hearing her order for beer, Simon looked her in utter disapproval after the waiter left and opened his mouth again.

“Did you know there are female hormones in beer? You drink a lot of beer you get fatter than you already are, cry a lot, talk too much, don't make sense, and can't drive a car. ‘’

Deciding that she now already had enough and no one had the right to insult her like this by calling her fat! And wasn’t he the one talking too much, and not making sense, instead of her?

Natasha quickly stood up from her chair, and did what her hand had been itching to do from the very moment spent with Simon and his big mouth...she slapped him. And the impact was loudly satisfying as her hand met his cheek leaving a bright big red mark.

‘’You are one of the worst dates ever!” Natasha then said to him as he sat there looking at her stunned. Luckily there were sited on a corner unseen by everyone.

Just as she was about to leave and now feeling bad for overreacting, he then snapped out of his shock as he saw the waiter bringing their order.

‘’And before you leave, I was joking and not even planning to pay the whole bill, can you leave your own half. “He then said out to her just as she was about to leave while rubbing his burning red cheek.

And now she no longer felt even bad for slapping him, he totally deserved it. What kind of man brought a woman to a date, joked about paying it and expected the woman to pay in the end.

Was he really that stingy? Even some handsome low paid plumber she had dated, had paid for their food on the date.

Before she could slap the bastard a second time, she instead walked away from him.

As she left the pub restaurant while still seething mad she was glad to hear some men hooting and whistling at her trying to get her attention as she did look hot after all with her hour glass figure.

As she went to the car park to her car she then realized that she had forgotten her car keys and her purse at the table.

Dang it! She thought and turned to go take it.

But the scene that greeted her was truly comical.

Her now ex-blind date, was sitting there with his hand under the table, moving around while the other hand held a phone with a picture he was intensely staring at and making moaning sounds.

It so cannot be what I think he is doing.
Natasha thought to herself wondering whether to laugh or be disgusted.

OH BUT IT WAS as dear Simon was now busy touching himself, masturbating while looking at her Facebook picture on the phone. It seems her stupid photo looked to be turning him on too much than the real her!

Noticing her, he stopped stunned and had the guts to actually look embarrassed.

‘’Um it’s not what it looks like?’’

He first said and she just looked at him silently.

‘’But since I paid for your food too, you sort of owe Me.’’ he then continued after regaining his momentum, now looking at her expectantly while pointing to his pants wanting her to give him a blowjob.

Before she could end up getting arrested for murder for throttling someone, Natasha silently and quickly took her purse which had her car keys inside and left in a hurry. All she wanted to do was to be as far away from that creep as she could. 

Monica was so going to get it from her!