Banner: Mist
Genre: Supernatural Romance
Rating: M for language and sexual content
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: This one-shot was entered into a contest on the Tricky Raven site where it won the Tricky Raven's Choice award.
The video on vimeo
We were allowed to write a Twilight wolf pack story or an original one and I chose an original. Here is the one-shot in its entirety:
Abigail flipped to the next page and continued reading. It was the latest book in her long list of books to read. She was a supernatural girl all the way, but the genre could change from science fiction to horror or fantasy to romance. Currently, she was reading a romance book which was part of one of her favorite series.
This one had a shape-shifting wolf as the hero. A hero whose characteristics seemed to make her drool. Tall and broad shouldered, with enough muscles to hold her tight to him, but not too much to make her want to puke. She had never gotten into bodybuilders with limbs like tree trunks and veins that stuck out all over the place. Instead, she preferred them to be like gymnasts or dancers, muscles that were sleeker, yet still noticeable.
But what got her the most about this character was the fact that he was so humble and tended to like his women on the curvy side. The woman he was falling in love with wasn’t your stereotypical blonde bombshell with an hourglass figure. Instead, she was a shy woman with curves that would fit into a Lane Bryant ad.
Oh the way he treated that woman, like she hung the moon he howled at. And when he touched her, he worshiped her. The way their lovemaking was described took Abigail’s breath away and left her body feeling empty and frustrated.
Yep, it was official, she was jealous of a fictional character.
Why couldn’t men like that exist in real life? Okay, so it was a bit farfetched for the man to be a werewolf, but still! She wanted a hunky man who wasn’t full of himself. A hunky man who didn’t want the perfect woman on his arm, yet was willing to treat his woman like she was his world.
Abigail’s last boyfriend had seemed to fit that mold, until three months in when she decided to surprise him at his apartment. That was when she found out that he liked those hour glasses too, plus he was unrepentant for cheating on her with the skank.
Sighing, she set her book on the coffee table and looked around the living room. It was getting late and she knew she had to get up for work the next day. She would rather stay home to read her book instead of going to the mundane, dead-end job that she had. In fact, she would rather lose herself in her books than deal with the nothingness that was her life these days.
Pursing her lips against her dismal thoughts, she stood up, gazed longingly at her book then forced her body to walk towards her bedroom.
###### ###### ######
Abigail stepped into the clearing deep inside of the forest wondering why she was there and not asleep in her bed. At first, she thought she was alone as her eyes swept over the lush grasses that filled the area until her gaze collided with a set of amber eyes. Those eyes were surrounded by the thick grey and white fur that marked the typical grey wolf, yet unlike most of those, this one was about two times the size since it appeared taller than her five foot six frame.
It sat on its haunches just looking at her, yet she wasn’t afraid. Something in its gaze seemed to call to her, making her feel both calm and welcomed. Smiling at the beauty of the wolf, she took a few small steps towards it before slowly going down to her knees. Placing her hands on her thighs, she watched as the wolf tilted its head in curiosity.
“Hi,” she said, in a soft voice, so as not to spook it. “I’m Abigail. What’s a gorgeous wolf like you doing out here all alone?”
The wolf’s ears twitched as its tongue lolled out, almost as if it was happy over her words. She glanced around the area, looking into the trees trying to see if there were more out there.
“Are you really alone? I thought wolves lived in packs.”
It lowered its head at that, whining softly. Something in its demeanor made her feel like the wolf understood what she was saying. It made her respond to him as if she was really having a conversation with it.
“Oh you poor thing! Well, don’t worry, I’ll be your friend…if you want.” She held out her hand towards it and was pleasantly surprised when it slowly ambled towards her.
She didn’t move until it nudged her hand with the top of its head, letting her know it was okay to touch him. She took her time, slowly running her hand over the head and down its neck and shoulders a few times before scratching behind its ears. When she did that, the wolf closed its eyes and somehow the look on its face seemed as if it was really enjoying what she was doing.
She chuckled quietly. “You like that, huh? I can imagine that it feels good.”
It huffed at her before settling itself at her side, curling slightly to place its head in her lap. Her smile bloomed as she continued to pet the wolf, feeling as if the two of them had known each other for a while.
They remained that way for a few hours while she quietly spoke to him about anything that came to mind and he answered with huffs, yips and other subtle sounds as if he was having a conversation with her. When she grew quiet again, staring down at the way her hand looked trailing through his thick fur, she sighed.
“You’ve been great to talk to and I know I’m sounding ungrateful, but I sort of wish you were human so you could talk back to me.”
The wolf’s eyes moved to look up at her for a moment before it lifted its head to give her cheek a lick. She laughed as it stood up, then sauntered away from her. At first she thought it was leaving until it stopped and turned back to face her.
Then, in the blink of an eye, its form rippled and appeared to flow down into the ground before the rippling form returned. Only this time, instead of the long length of a wolf, it appeared tall in height until the shape resembled that of a human. When the ripples fell away, where the wolf once stood there was now a man.
A very naked, handsome man.
Abigail sucked in a breath, but couldn’t tear her eyes away despite that fact that she had never been that comfortable with nudity. His body was exactly like the kind of man she had always envisioned when she read her books. Tall with muscles that weren’t bulky in any way. Instead they were leaner, those of a runner yet you could see the strength in them. His hair was a bit long in the back and shaggy in a dark brown shade.
She kept her eyes from traveling down past his chest, but still continued to stare at him unabashedly. The man himself, stared at her until she realized that his eyes were the kind of brown that almost turned amber when the light hit them just right. She knew without a doubt that she was looking into the eyes of her wolf.
It’s a dream, she reminded herself. And in my dreams I can make my fantasies come true. Knowing that, knowing that she had nothing to fear from this man, she smiled at him.
“Hello,” she said. “I’m guessing you can turn into a wolf.”
He smiled at her and once more she sucked in a breath. Gosh he was handsome and that smile just made him more so.
“Yes,” he replied. “Hello Abigail.” He took a step towards her, holding out his hand. “My name is Eric.”
“Eric,” she breathed.
He nodded as he continued to move closer to her. “I hope you don’t think I’m too forward, Abigail, but would you mind if I kissed you?”
She smiled. “Oh, I don’t mind at all.”
He grinned as he came to a stop in front of her. As he leaned down, she rose to the balls of her feet so that their faces could be close together, yet just as his lips touched hers…
She woke up.
###### ###### ######
Abigail shut the door, then leaned against it with a sigh. She had just survived another horrible day at work, then had to deal with a crazy driver that seemed to think he owned the two lanes that made up the highway between her job and home. By the time she had entered her neighborhood, she was feeling disgruntled and frazzled, among other things.
As she slipped out of her pumps, she closed her eyes and mumbled, “What I wouldn’t give to be able to go away somewhere for a while.”
She felt all twisted inside, tired of dealing with the idiots of the world. She would give anything to forget the craziness of her job and the monotony that was her life for a while, but she knew she couldn’t afford to take the kind of vacation she dreamed of.
With a hefty sigh she pushed off of the door, deciding a light dinner, then a good long soak in the tub was in order for the night. As she went through the motions of making dinner, she tried not to let the dislike of her job weigh her down. It was hard though, because she was so tired and worn down so much that she couldn’t always fight off the thoughts that went through her mind.
Finally she finished eating her dinner, then went to soak in the tub while reading the book she had been into for a few days now. As she let the hot water wash the horrible day away, she couldn’t help but feel angry at the woman in the story for running away from what she thought was the perfect man for her.
How could the woman be so thick as to not realize just how much the man loved her? Even if he turned into a so-called monster, he had never once mistreated her or hurt her in any way. Yet when he finally told her what he was, she ran away, instantly forgetting all of the wonderful times they had spent together. Abigail might have understood it more if he had changed into one of the fearsome half-man, half-wolf creatures from the movies, but he changed into a wolf! How was a wolf, a canine, so scary especially when it didn’t even growl or charge after her?
Shaking her head at the stupidity of the woman in the book, she set it aside to finish her bath, thinking all the while that if it had been her in that situation, she wouldn’t have treated the poor man that way. As she got out of the bath and began to prepare for bed, she smiled to herself. At least in her dreams she never treated Eric that way.
Unlike the woman in the book, Abigail wasn’t afraid of the wolf who came to her in her dreams. Each night that she had dreamed of him, they had gotten closer, making her once again wish that her dreams were real.
In her dreams she got to romp in the clearing with the wolf, chasing each other for a while before sitting down to wait for him to shift into the man. Then, she would talk to Eric as he listened to her telling him about her day. She had finally experienced that kiss with him and they had progressed to doing even more things together after that.
With a smile, she curled up beneath the covers, looking forward to what her dreams would bring. She knew that her dreams had become her escape from her mundane life, she knew that her dreams were the only things that kept her going.
###### ###### ######
Abigail stepped into the clearing to see the man, Eric, waiting for her. Laughing in greeting, she immediately ran into his waiting arms. He caught her without a problem, swinging her around before pulling her tight to his body so that he could lean over to give her a kiss hello.
When they were both breathless, he lifted his head and grinned down at her. “I missed you, Abby.”
She smiled up at him as she ran a hand down his chest. “I missed you too, Eric.”
He captured her hand in his and lifted it to place a kiss on her palm. “What would you like to do tonight? Play with my wolf? Talk some more? Maybe we could take a walk in the forest.”
She let her eyes roam over his chest for a few moments before giving him a wicked grin. Her behavior in her dreams was so different than in real life since she was never as straightforward or as wanton as she was feeling at that moment. “Hm, that all sounds good, but there’s something else that I think would help me relieve the tension after the horrible day I had.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “And what might that be?”
She leaned her chest into his, loving the feel of his naked skin against her cotton gown. “I want to feel your skin against mine. I want to feel you inside of me.”
She watched as the pupils of his eyes widened to the point of almost erasing the irises. “Are you sure that’s what you want, Abigail?” His voice came out as a soft growl. “Make certain because once we start, I won’t be able to stop.”
She slid her hands down between his legs, curling her fingers around his length. As she began to stroke him, she pressed her lips against his chest and murmured her answer. “Oh, I’m positive, Eric. I want you to take me. Make me yours tonight.”
She was thankful it was a dream because he didn’t try to talk her out of it anymore. Instead, he let out another louder growl before gripping her ass to lift her against his body right before his lips crashed onto hers in a kiss that literally felt like he was devouring her. She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her as she wrapped her legs around his waist when he began to take a few steps forward.
Even though it was a dream, it still amazed her that he could carry her with little effort. Sure she had curves, but hers were slightly more than average while the rest of her looks were so average that she was often overlooked.
With plain, shoulder length brown hair that she often wore in a bun, and ordinary brown eyes that were sometimes hidden behind glasses, Abigail blended into the background wherever she went. Add in the nondescript, simple clothing and her quiet personality then it was no wonder she was mistaken as a wallflower.
Yet in her dreams she could pretend that her plainness was attractive, just like her dream guy, Eric, was making her feel while he held her in his arms.
When he lowered her to her back, she let out a gasp at the plush softness she suddenly felt. Turning her head to the side, she took in her surroundings. They were no longer in the clearing of the forest that was the usual setting of her dreams. Instead, they seemed to be in a modern cabin which still had the feel of being cozy and rustic.
The bed they now lay on was king-sized with a thick comforter in a southwestern pattern that repeated throughout the rest of the room. The frame of the bed was made out of natural wood, just like the rest of the furniture and accessories in the room.
Before she had the chance to figure out if that was the only room in the cabin, he once again took her lips in his as his hands began to roam over her body. She quickly forgot about her surroundings, focusing instead on helping him divest her of her clothes since he was already naked.
When she lay bare and spread out beneath him, he leaned back on his knees to stare at her. She smiled at the hungry look in his eyes as they roamed over her body.
“Beautiful,” he whispered as his hands began to caress her legs.
That word, combined with the way he looked at her and touched her, made her feel more desired than she had ever felt in her life. His hands and mouth made her body come alive. Every caress, lick, stroke, nibble, fondle, kiss, tug, suckle, tease, flick, glide, taste and slide had her writhing under his ministrations.
He took his time pleasuring her body, making her so pliant and mindless that she couldn’t concentrate enough to return the favor. It didn’t matter in the end though, because her pleasure only added to his. By the time he thrust inside of her, she was already on the edge and so was he. Somehow they both managed to prolong their pleasure, losing themselves in their passion for each other and the heated kisses they shared.
Then, when she finally experienced that glorious moment of ecstasy for the first time ever, her body seduced his to join in. Somehow she was vaguely aware of his explosive release even while she still rode out her own high.
Later, when they still clung to each other as their sweaty bodies cooled down and endorphins still pinged inside of them, Abigail couldn’t stop the words from tumbling past her lips.
“I love you.”
She felt him stiffen for a few moments before he lifted his head to look down at her. “You…love me?”
She blinked away the shock of her words as she once again told herself that it was her dream, so she could say what she wanted.
Nodding, she smiled up at him. “Yes, Eric. I love you.”
A smile lit up his face as he responded in kind. “I love you too, Abby.”
She giggled until his face turned serious. “If you ever loved me, then you’re never too far.”
Just as she wondered what the heck he meant by that, she woke up to the sound of her radio, vaguely aware that the voice was crooning that phrase over and over again.
###### ###### ######
Abigail set her suitcase down just inside the cabin’s front door. Looking around, she couldn’t help but smile wistfully at what she saw. The cabin looked similar to the one that had appeared in her dreams with Eric over the last few months. It was those dreams that had finally prompted her to take a much needed vacation from work.
When dream Eric had mentioned that the cabin was a rental somewhere in Tennessee with a view of the Smoky Mountains, she had begun to do some research online until she had found something that looked similar to it. Eventually she had gotten the courage to rent one for a week as she planned her stay which she hoped would prove that she wasn’t going crazy. How else could she explain how her subconscious knew that these cabins existed?
Even though she knew she would never meet the man of her dreams, at least those dreams had made her decide to explore the world outside of her small hometown. Sure, she felt like she was getting even closer to Eric in her dreams since they seemed to spend time talking or making love, among other things. It had gotten to the point where she had begun to feel like he was real, so much so that she finally decided to look up the cabins to prove to herself that all of it was a figment of her imagination.
Standing in the cabin now, she knew it hadn’t been just a dream. Somehow her subconscious had known that the cabins were real.
Ignoring the feeling of apprehension, Abigail took her suitcase to the bedroom where she changed into something more suitable for her first day there. Once she was dressed and refreshed, she left the cabin and drove her rental car into the small town for a bite to eat.
The moment her eyes landed on the very familiar name of a bar which dream Eric had mentioned, she pulled into the parking lot and stared at the building in disbelief. She remembered one of the conversations she had with Eric where he had lauded the food and atmosphere of the bar, saying it was his favorite place to go when he was in town.
Unable to believe it, Abigail got out of her car and sauntered through the front door where she was greeted by a hostess who asked her if she wanted to be seated at a table or at the bar. Once she was shown to a table, she looked over the menu then placed her order with a waitress.
While she waited for her meal, she looked around the place, taking in the décor and the occupants. As her gaze traveled over the people at the bar, her eyes landed on something that made her blink in astonishment.
There, sitting at the corner of the bar facing towards her was none other than Eric. When her brown eyes locked with his amber ones, she knew it was really him. She watched as he gracefully slid out of his chair, then began to lope towards her like the wolf he had been in her dreams.
Approaching her table, he took the seat next to hers before reaching out to touch her cheek making her inhale sharply.
Glancing around to make sure no one was listening or watching, she leaned close to him and whispered, “You can’t be…”
He smiled at her. “I am real, Abigail.”
Her eyes widened at that. So, he knew her name and she was certain that his name was Eric without having to ask. Yet in the dreams he had been so much more and she wondered if she dared to ask.
Swallowing her trepidation, she asked, “Are you…um, are you also a…a…”
He leaned closer to her so that his lips brushed against her ear. “Yes, Abby. The dreams were real. Everything you learned about me in those dreams is real.”
She sat back with a gasp. “They exist and you’re one!”
He nodded, confirming that he did indeed turn into a wolf at will. She couldn’t help but smile as she leaned in once more to whisper conspiratorially. “I had hoped that they were real! After all, they do say that most myths and legends are somewhat based on truths.”
He chuckled at that before his expression turned serious. She waited patiently for him to say whatever was on his mind and when he finally did, she could hear the trepidation in his voice.
“Did you mean it, Abby? What you told me in the dreams? How you…feel…about me?”
As his eyes searched hers, looking for the answers, she reached out for his hand. Giving it a gentle squeeze, she answered him. “Yes, Eric. I do love you.”
The smile that had always taken her breath away bloomed over his face and in his eyes. “I love you too, Abigail.”
They stared into each others eyes for a few more moments until the waitress brought her food out. When the waitress asked him if he wanted anything, he placed his order before waiting until she had walked away. After that, they kept the conversation light, not wanting an audience for the conversation they knew they needed to have.
It wasn’t until they sat in her rental car outside of the bar that he finally told her the truth. “I’ve been searching for you all this time, Abby, but nothing in the dreams told me where you were. As time went on, I began to spend so much time wondering if you would ever love me like you did in the dreams. I wondered where you were and if you were safe. I wondered if you thought of me when you were awake and if you wished you were with me like I wished you were. I wondered if you wanted me the way I wanted you.”
He sighed. “And then, when I couldn’t figure out where we were in the dreams, I thought if I mentioned this place, you would come here somehow. I’ve been waiting for weeks Abby, I almost thought you wouldn’t get the hint.”
Abigail smiled through her tears. “Oh Eric, I’m so sorry that I kept you waiting for so long! It took me a while to find the cabins online and then when I did, I had to get the courage to come here because I couldn’t figure out how my dreams would know about this place when I’ve never seen it before.”
He nodded as he leaned over to place his forehead against hers. “It’s okay. You’re here now…but you have to know,” his eyes flicked up to hers, “I love you so much! And now that I have you, I’m never letting you go.”
She grinned. “I know. I love you too, Eric. I won’t ever let you go either.”
And from that moment on, Abigail and her wolf were never too far away from each other.
The End
