Chapter 34
Creatures of the Dark Series
As the sun set, Caturix slipped out of the window and vanished. Shemika felt a pang of loss as he disappeared around the corner of the building. She watched him leave from her window, her chest tightening with longing to follow him.
Before he left, they had talked about âthe dayâ. As much as a man like Caturix could, anyway. The day Shemika had won in a bet. A full day with Caturix all to herself. Twenty-four hours.
It had to happen in the next few days. Lyosha believed she was down with the girl flu and didnât expect her to join any meals. Caturix agreed quickly, confirming Shemikaâs assumption. He thought their day together would be spent in bed like the previous ones, but he was mistaken.
She had heard rumors that Caturix had visited the human town before. When she asked him, he confirmed it without hesitation. It was a long time ago, he added.
She yearned for a full day in the human town, to experience all the things she had always wanted to do but knew she would never get a chance to in the future. She wanted to dine at a human restaurant, go shopping, dance at a club, and stay at a human hotel. Just once.
As a little girl, she often dreamed of escaping Vale and venturing into the town. She would fabricate a story about her family and get adopted by a human family. She was certain that her mother, Mileva, would never come after her. Even if Mileva did, Shemika would deny their relationship and Mileva wouldnât have any proof that Mika was her daughter.
But Shemika never ran away. Once, during a heated argument, she threatened to run away and get adopted by humans. Mileva just laughed bitterly.
Mileva told her that as a lycan, if she ever shifted and was seen, she would be imprisoned and experimented on. If she ever ended up in a hospital, they would discover she wasnât human from her blood and healing abilities, and she would be locked up and experimented on.
So, Shemika never tried. But she still fantasized about it. She imagined a loving new mother with a warm smile, who would cook for her and ask about her day. A mother who would hug her, something Mileva never did.
She daydreamed about a beautiful new house with a wrap-around porch, a garden full of flowers, and friendly neighbors. Human men wouldnât be able to overpower her with her lycan strength, and they certainly wouldnât smell her heat. She would have been so happy, she convinced herself.
Caturix was reluctant to take her to the human town. He warned her that Nikandr was on patrol and would pick up Shemikaâs scent in no time. Everyone in the pack knew about Nikandrâs interest in Shemika. Caturix even cautioned her to steer clear of him. He had heard that Nikandr had pleaded with Lyosha to give him the she-wolf, but Lyosha had refused.
After much persuasion, Caturix agreed to take Shemika to the town. He said he would figure out how to mask her scent but made her promise to behave and return without any fuss.
Shemika didnât plan to pack an overnight bag. She wanted to go shopping as soon as they got a hotel room. Initially, she was concerned about money, but Caturix assured her that he had enough for any unexpected trips to town. He often went to town to get torture devices and anything else Lyosha wanted.
Caturix said he would have to get Lyoshaâs approval for the trip. Lyosha might be suspicious of the timing and the need to spend the night in town.
Shemika was buzzing with excitement as she paced around her room. She still had to stay put, as her lie wasnât up yet. Even her heat wasnât completely over. The worst of the heat had passed, at least. She was grateful, or at least she thought she was. She despised her heat; there was no reason why she would want to still be in heat.
Caturix promised to return the next day and let her know if they could go to town. It all depended on Lyosha and whether Caturix could devise a way to transport Shemika through the woods without the border patrol detecting her. Shemika certainly didnât want to be peed on, which was Caturixâs first suggestion.
She paced so much she was sure she had worn a path into the carpet. She was restless for many reasons. The trip to town was just one of them. She wished she could see Caturix whenever she wanted, and she certainly wanted to.
She longed to wake up next to him, share every meal, and talk about everything under the sun. She wanted to sit in his office while he tortured prisoners and watch him work. She wanted to retire to one apartment and sleep with him.
Eventually, she forced herself to stop pacing and check the fridge for food. She had forgotten to eat, too preoccupied with thoughts of Caturix.
It wasnât that she didnât have enough food. If anything, she had too much. Her fridge and freezer were packed. There were too many choices. She didnât have enough stomachs for all the food he brought her. Almost every day he brought more, and if she didnât have room for it, he would accuse her of not eating enough.
Finally, she closed her eyes and grabbed something to eat. That way she wouldnât have to think about anything. Her mind was already filled with thoughts of herâ¦Caturix. Whatever he was to her.
He was something, all right. A tall, handsome man, but dangerous. Like a seductive glass of waterâ¦with arsenic in it. But also he was sex. So a tall, sexy shaped glass of water with arsenic in it. Goddess, what was wrong with her? Why did she get so flustered thinking about him?
It wasnât like he was her first crush. They had had sex multiple times, seen each other naked. So why did she blush at the thought of his naked body? Why did the idea of his face between her legs give her a pleasantly sick feeling in her stomach?