Page 42 of Welcome Home
The ice pack I was still hugging to my pussy, hits the flood with a thud breaking the standoff. My husband’s hand settling on my waist, tugging me behind him. “Hello father.”
Oh, my fucking god.
Rachelcontinues to scowl at us, the kind of look that’s distinctly paternal. A disappointment you feel in your bones and he’s not even my dad.
Or human.
“I see you’ve gone out of your way to ignore every lesson, every rule I ever instilled in you. By the goddess, you’ll see us all hunted and burned.” She-hesnaps, pushing his way inside. The door slams when his father’s growl joins his, creating a symphony of malice so strong it makes my skin crawl.
I sink into Vosz, fighting the urge to cower entirely behind him. “I would never say anything. I- I know what you all are, and I don’t care. I love-“
“You-“ He cuts me off only to abruptly be cut off by his son.
“Why are you here, father?”
“To clean up your mess, of course.”
Vosz scoffs. “And what of your political aspirations at the white house?”
“Taken care of.”
“The fucking white house?” I squeak.
They barely glance at me as I try to wrap my mind around monstrous creatures controlling our government, remembering making fun of a lizard people theory just a few years ago when it made its rounds on social media.
Holy shit.
They speak to each other for a few moments more. What was a heated conversation turns more relaxed by the time my mind comes back from its little vacation. I stare up at his father before flashing him a smile. Not the one Oliver taught me, but my smile. “Welcome Home, neighbor.”
The edges of Rachel's mouth tip up before the amusement is wiped away. Vosz giving me an affectionate squeeze before lifting me possessively into his arms. His father shakes his head, wringing a hand down her painted face before heading towards the door. He doesn’t speak as he leaves, on his way to insert himself into Rachel’s life. Poor Dennis. I think he quite liked the peace and quiet.
“You handled that well, my love.”
“Things are about to get a lot more messy, aren’t they?”
“I fear we would get bored otherwise.” He jokes nipping at my neck playfully. I wince slightly as he turns me, letting me wrap my legs around his waist as he retrieves my forgotten cooling pad on the floor. “You should never open the door for strangers, by the way.”
“Why? The strangers I meet just let themselves in any way. Plus, I’ve got monsters on my side.”
He laughs, brushing his nose against mine. “That you do, Cora Dear.”
Epilogue
Follow You - Imagine Dragons
Voszsixyearslater
The frigid air feels wonderful against my true skin, Cora’s laugh pulling me closer to her. It’s been a little over a year since I’ve taken a skin. When I’d made my list, moving to the middle of nowhere in the Appalachian Mountains wasn’t on them but as my sweet Cora soon found out and proceeded to abuse there is nothing, I won’t give her. Building her a cabin in the middle of nowhere was a no brainer. As much as I like to tease her newfound spoiled rotten behavior, it was her wide eyes when she told me she wanted to live with me, not a skin. She wants to grow old and walk around with her monster somewhere where neither of us would have to pretend again.
It was perfect, but everything that comes from her is.
Cora’s shoulder length black hair is tangled as she dodges left, playing keep away from Wolf, a near feraldogwe found starving to death out here the second month. She insisted on having him, wolf-dogs aren’t known for their good temperament, the first time he nipped her I nearly killed him. Her soft assuring hands and pleas for the beast of a dog were the only thing that had me removing my hand from its wide neck. It took her months of sitting outside with pieces of dried meat to get the damn thing to even come near her. My smile isn’t really a physical one but more of a feeling as she trips tumbling to the ground. Wolf stops running with the stick, trotting over to check on her.
Another monster she tamed.
“Dinner is ready, my love.”
Her breath leaves her in tiny clouds, her small frame hidden behind puffy jackets, her full cheeks flushed. She’s beautiful. She gets more so every year.
