Serial Story: Under His Wing, Part 9
This story is presented weekly in draft (unedited) form. Enjoy!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 9
The low murmur of voices gradually brought Katie out of what felt like a long, restful slumber.
“We should have moved her to a bed. That couch is hard as a rock.”
“I can’t touch her - I told you. The connection is too much. She feels it too, and she doesn’t like it.”
Zariah’s gentle laugh drifted through the room. “It’s time you felt that connection again, Thomas. You just haven’t felt it in so long you don’t know how to handle it. And the fact that she’s responding to you is a good thing. Promising.”
“You know I don’t want...that. I have no desire to leave this place. You should choose someone else to help the girl.”
“She is your destiny, as I told you yesterday. Whether you accept it or not is up to you, but there is no one else to help her. Do not forsake her, Thomas. Katie needs you.”
Katie opened her eyes to dispell the dream, blinking against the strong sunlight spilling into the room and over her face. She wasn’t sure why she’d left the blinds open the night before. Normally the street lights would keep her up if she didn’t.
Swinging her legs down to sit up, she frowned at the rich maroon velveteen under her fingers. Not her bed. She stood, swiveling to take in the couch from last night and beyond that, Zariah and Thomas standing by the desk across the room.
Staring back at her.
Katie shook her head. “This isn’t possible. It’s just a dream, right? I need to wake up - I have work, and a life and...”
Zariah came forward, her robes making her appear to float though she had to be walking. Didn’t she? Sympathy played across her face as she stopped several feet away, clearly avoiding Katie’s personal space.
“It’s not a dream,” she said in that lilting pixie-voice. “It’s understandable that you’d think so, considering everything that’s happened to you. But I can assure you, you’re safe, and we’ll help keep you that way.”
Looking for the door, Katie started toward it. “I just need to go home. Just walk out the front door, go home, and get into my own bed. Then I’ll be able to wake up, and everything can go back to normal.”
She went out into the wide hall, relieved to see a staircase close by and jogged down to the main foyer she remembered from the night before. The front door was just a couple steps away. She grasped one of the huge iron handles...
“Stop.”
The deep, male voice filled the room, an authoritative tone that gave her - and probably anyone else within earshot - pause.
Katie looked up to see Thomas and Zariah leaning over the railing at the top of the stairs, watching her. Zariah put a hand on Thomas’s arm.
“Let her,” she said, her eyes never leaving Katie’s. “She needs to see for herself.”
“I’m supposed to protect her,” Thomas growled low, the animal sound making Katie shiver.
Zariah’s lips curved up in a small smile. “Just as you have to choose her, she has to choose you. Those are the rules.”
Katie turned back to the door and pulled, finding it heavier than she remembered. When she finally managed to open it a couple of feet and looked up, she gasped.
Peter grinned, leaning casually against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest.
“It’s about time,” he said, reaching for her. “I knew you couldn’t stay in there forever.”
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 9
The low murmur of voices gradually brought Katie out of what felt like a long, restful slumber.
“We should have moved her to a bed. That couch is hard as a rock.”
“I can’t touch her - I told you. The connection is too much. She feels it too, and she doesn’t like it.”
Zariah’s gentle laugh drifted through the room. “It’s time you felt that connection again, Thomas. You just haven’t felt it in so long you don’t know how to handle it. And the fact that she’s responding to you is a good thing. Promising.”
“You know I don’t want...that. I have no desire to leave this place. You should choose someone else to help the girl.”
“She is your destiny, as I told you yesterday. Whether you accept it or not is up to you, but there is no one else to help her. Do not forsake her, Thomas. Katie needs you.”
Katie opened her eyes to dispell the dream, blinking against the strong sunlight spilling into the room and over her face. She wasn’t sure why she’d left the blinds open the night before. Normally the street lights would keep her up if she didn’t.
Swinging her legs down to sit up, she frowned at the rich maroon velveteen under her fingers. Not her bed. She stood, swiveling to take in the couch from last night and beyond that, Zariah and Thomas standing by the desk across the room.
Staring back at her.
Katie shook her head. “This isn’t possible. It’s just a dream, right? I need to wake up - I have work, and a life and...”
Zariah came forward, her robes making her appear to float though she had to be walking. Didn’t she? Sympathy played across her face as she stopped several feet away, clearly avoiding Katie’s personal space.
“It’s not a dream,” she said in that lilting pixie-voice. “It’s understandable that you’d think so, considering everything that’s happened to you. But I can assure you, you’re safe, and we’ll help keep you that way.”
Looking for the door, Katie started toward it. “I just need to go home. Just walk out the front door, go home, and get into my own bed. Then I’ll be able to wake up, and everything can go back to normal.”
She went out into the wide hall, relieved to see a staircase close by and jogged down to the main foyer she remembered from the night before. The front door was just a couple steps away. She grasped one of the huge iron handles...
“Stop.”
The deep, male voice filled the room, an authoritative tone that gave her - and probably anyone else within earshot - pause.
Katie looked up to see Thomas and Zariah leaning over the railing at the top of the stairs, watching her. Zariah put a hand on Thomas’s arm.
“Let her,” she said, her eyes never leaving Katie’s. “She needs to see for herself.”
“I’m supposed to protect her,” Thomas growled low, the animal sound making Katie shiver.
Zariah’s lips curved up in a small smile. “Just as you have to choose her, she has to choose you. Those are the rules.”
Katie turned back to the door and pulled, finding it heavier than she remembered. When she finally managed to open it a couple of feet and looked up, she gasped.
Peter grinned, leaning casually against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest.
“It’s about time,” he said, reaching for her. “I knew you couldn’t stay in there forever.”
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
No comments have been added yet.
