To say I'm falling is an understatement
You're the apple that Eve so craved.
Adam Barnes,
Apples
“Shit a brick!” Sunny exclaimed as she ripped the terribly outdated phone from her brother’s outstretched hand.
“What?” That was the only thing Altan could bring himself to say. She was worse than Katie sometimes. Katie was a fifteen-year-old girl who was Changed into a werewolf at age ten, she lived with Rhys when her father petitioned him for her membership. She came over to Altan’s almost every day and he was extremely fond of her. He had always wanted a daughter.
“Hello!” The voice his Sol used was a complete one-eighty to the sarcastic tone he was familiar with. It was formal and adult sounding. He hated it.
“Is this Shinydin Redfeather?” A man asked from the other side, he sounded bored. Altan turned and looked at Jacy. He mouthed ‘Shinydin’ to him and raised his brow. Jacy just shrugged and shook his head.
When Altan turned back to the cougar walker he choked on his breath. Her face was pulled together and her lips pursed in annoyance. She so rarely made such a face he almost savored it.
“It’s pronounced Shaan-deen, but you can call me Sunny.” She said politely, although her face told a different story.
“Sunny? Really?” The voice said Sunny’s eyes went dark.
“Yes, Sunny, it is the English translation of the Navajo word sháńdíín meaning sunlight.” She replied to the same polite and smooth tone as before. Altan sat up and furrowed his brows. Idiot humans thinking English was the only language spoken in America.
“Alright, Sunny.” He said her name with mocking and Altan almost took the phone from his mate to give the little cretan a taste of wolf. “The office has been informed that you are dropping your classes?”
“Oh, no sir. I am transferring to online courses.” She corrected, her face pulled into a particularly nasty scowl.
“Why?”
“A personal matter that shall remain as such. My question is if my scholarship will cover my switch.”
“Yeah, it will. You’re a dance major.”
“Yes, I specialize in ballet.”
“How are you gonna take dance class online?” He asked. Sunny sank down into one of his couches and threw her feet up on the coffee table as if she knew she’d be there awhile.
“I am a first year, I still take intro classes.” She explained, comically rolling her eyes at him.
“Oh. It says here on your application that you live on the Navajo reservation. Why are you in Montana?“ Altan felt a brush of cold go by his arm, he furrowed his brows and touched the spot. What?
Something is in the room. Something we cannot smell. The wolf growled, its attention solely on the posser of its heart. He was all logic and feigned cool detachment until he touched her skin. Then something not only stirred in him, but it took over his thinking. The rest of his world became an unimportant blur that was banished into the far recesses of his mind. The only thing that mattered was touching her more, kissing her mouth, her stomach, her breasts.
Focus. There is a threat to Mate. That snapped Altan back into reality. How could one woman have such control over him in such little time? It is a soul bound. The purest of mates. The wolf explained. Of course, it would know, it was the one who chose the kitten.
“Are we not allowed to move? It’s called a reservation, not a regulation.” Sunny said plainly, eyes dark with distaste. Jacy let out an embarrassingly loud laugh and shook his head. Altan smiled and took a sip of his now cold tea then coughed at the foul taste. Damn waste of good roses.
“Oh, yes. Sorry. Well, that’s all I need to know. You should be switched over in a couple of days. Bye!” The man babbled then hung up. There was a pregnant pause until the twins burst out laughing at the same time.
“Oh my god. Reservation, not regulation. Sunny I love you.” Jacy wheezed, hand cradling his abdomen. Sunny was smug as she looked at him.
“Not so bad if I do say so myself.”
“I am getting the impression that this is not your first ignorant human?” Altan asked, going to the sink to rinse his cup. It was nine thirty-three and Altan was already wishing he was still in bed. With our Little Kitten. He added. Man, he was whipped and only on day two.
“Nope. If I had a nickel for every time I was called exotic I’d be richer than…. A rich person. Damn, I’m bad at this.” She frowned and then glanced quickly to the left. Altan was even more confused at the small quirk of her lush lips as if she was told a joke and then was told to be quiet.
“The only reason we are exotic is because Chris ‘I’m Directionally Challenged’ Columbus decided to kill off ninety percent of our people.” Jacy deadpanned. Altan was amused, Charles, who was raised by his mother’s tribe never acted like this. Charles who was alive when it was three dollars for a scalp never acted like this.
“Has someone really called you exotic?” He questioned, sitting gracefully into a side chair. It was terribly uncomfortable and if he was honest, ugly as sin. He had no idea why he only had grays in his house. He guessed it was because he had no reason for color.
“Yep. I always get cast as the minority. Like I was here first, you cretans.” Sunny scowled and put her face into her palm. They were quiet for a time, Altan trying to gather up the gal to ask if Sunny wished to see his gardens when the phone rang again.
“I got it.” Sunny remarked before flipping open the device with such ferocity he could picture a mountain lion ravaging a deer. He felt pity for the person on the other side of that phone. “Sunny’s house of STD testing, if you are calling about your results please press one, if you are calling to plan a test please press two.” She chirped, snuggling back into her seat.
He liked her posture, a stance only made when a predator, and that was what she was, was completely safe. Altan felt warmth coming from deep within, like a burst of sun. He tilted his head and gazed at her. Such a little, fragile thing. A predator with a prey’s heart was his mate.
“Oh my god, Sunny! I told you I got that cleared up!” Snapped a high pitched, scratchy voice. Sweet Allah that sound grated on his ears.
“God, it’s Lola.” Jacy groaned and plopped down beside his sister.
“Did you now? And here I thought you said yours was resistant to drugs. Congrats!” Sunny quipped, eyes sparkling wildly. What it would be like to only have a taste of that fire, of that light? So long was Altan in the dark, so long he longed for the soft glow of the sky. Here it was, sitting on his sofa, looking at him with reckless abandon. At that moment, with that infectious laugh of her billowing out of her succulent mouth, Altan gave up and let himself succumb to her.
“You’re a bitch.” The girl, Lola as Jacy so helpfully pointed out, was not a fan of Sunny. Looking at Sunny’s face he could see it did not bother her.
“Awe, thanks that’s really sweet of you.” She purred, her pink tongue touching her teeth. Altan excused himself to the kitchen before he could make a scene. He busied himself cleaning up breakfast while keeping one ear on her conversation.
“So, why are you not at practice? Did dancing get to hard for you?” Lola cooed, ice dripping from every word. With a rag in one hand and a china cup in the other, Altan made slow work of his dishes.
“Hardly, I had a family emergency that needed my immediate and undivided attention.” Sunny explained and judging by her tone it was not the first time. “Not that you care. Why are you calling me? To gloat?”
“Of course, why else would I grace you with my presence?” Lola said.
“Because you are a terrible human being and have literally nothing better to do was my guess.” Sunny remarked, holding out a hand and examining her chipping fingernail polish. Altan observed that one nail was broken down to the cuticle, defensive wounds. Her knuckles were bruised too, why hadn’t he noticed this before?
Ignoring the rest of their dumb conversation, though by the attention his wolf was paying to it appeared Sunny was winning; he expected nothing less, Altan bent over to pull his first aid kit out from under his sink. He had two, one in his bathroom and one down on the guest floor. Where Jacy was sleeping. Altan didn’t know why he put Sunny so close to him, her room was across from his.
“Ho-la, I mean Lola, hush up and go back to your tanning bed. I have better things to do than listen to your voice.” Sunny tilted her head, a pink-tipped lock floated into her eyes. Altan moved to brush it away but Sunny just blew a breath, quite a few actually, until it fluttered out of her sight.
Altan held up the band-aid and pointed to her finger. It was just them in the room, Jacy had left some time ago, outside it seemed like, so when Altan slowly lifted her hand he felt no shame from her. He scented the air and only smelled Sunny’s scent mixed to one of seawater, which meant interest and curiosity.
“You wish you were a good as me.”
“Not really, though I will begrudgingly admit you are a great dancer, maybe if your personality matched, you wouldn’t be so alone. Later!” Sunny hung up before Lola could finish her rage scream. “Sorry ‘bout that. She’s cray.”
“Seems like it.” He remarked, taking the wrapper off of the bandage.
“What’s that for?” She asked, crossing her legs and patting the seat next to her. Altan looked up and glanced between her and the empty spot, looking for confirmation. He slid in slowly, as not to spook her when she nodded.
“Your finger, it is injured.” Sunny’s brows dipped and her gaze went to the finger in question.
“Wow, it is. I didn’t even feel it.” Surprise colored her features as she tilted her left hand back and forth to examine it. Altan gently reached out and grasped it. Taking her index finger and holding it still, he wrapped the bandaid over the chipped yellow nail. He brought it to his lips and laid a soft and slow kiss to the fabric.
“Better?” He asked, finger still near his mouth. He took sick joy in the blatant arousal painted on her face. Good, this will be easy if she is willing.
“Yeah, but you didn’t have to do that.” Her deep voice was breathy and sensual. Altan grazed his lips down her palm until he reached her wrist and placed a heated kiss there, letting himself linger on the hot skin. This attention caught on the small arrow tattooed there in black ink. The rune for protection.
“Says who?” He asked, eyes never leaving hers. Sunny took in a deep breath and licked her lips.
“No one, it was just a general suggestion. One you use when you don’t want to be fussed over. I’m chill man. Bandage whatever tickles your peach. Floats your goat, I mean boat… sorry.” She was babbling, like a brook. It was cute. Altan was leaning forward, to kiss her, and got her lower jaw instead when the phone rang again. He sighed and left his head tucked in her neck, inhaling her rain and blossom scent. “Hello?” She croaked.
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