"Alright then." Wolf turned toward the guy with slick black hair. "It's on Vick. I've officially been given permission to kick your ass."
Ella watched with rapt attention as Wolf stood, and pulled off not just his leather jacket, but the tank top he wore as well.
Oh, wow.
The sight of Wolf short circuited her brain. In that moment, Ella knew god was cruel. No benign deity would torture her this way. Why did well-built men have those muscles at their hips that pointed straight toward their crotch?
"Like what you see, Princess?"
Before Ella could respond, Wolf swooped in and gave her a peck on the cheek, then sauntered into the middle of the yard. Her hand flew to her cheek. Ella felt the tingle of his lips against her skin. The warm sensation instantly ignited her gift and the picnic table started rattling. Ella kicked it to cover up the anomaly.
"Ow, crap," Ella yelped. The pain in her foot distracted her and the table stopped its seizure.
An excited roar rose and Ella glanced over to see the fight had begun. The crowd hadn't noticed her slip, since they were watching Wolf and Vick circle each other.
Ella watched the men go at it, but after a few blows were traded, she couldn't stomach anymore. She hadn't lied. She wasn't squeamish about the sight of blood. It was the sickening thud of flesh meeting flesh, that she found disturbing.
Ella couldn't help what she did next. She moved in close and projected her quirky gift toward the brawling duo. When Vick threw a punch that was certain to strike Wolf in the nose, Ella mentally deflected it, sending Vick staggering to the side. It took a lot more effort than she expected. There was something about the men that made them harder to move. It was a sensation she'd never experienced before.
"Drink a little too much," Wolf taunted.
"Fuck you," Vick growled.
Ella liked Wolf, and they had called a truce, but the man admitted he liked to antagonize her. In fact, he'd done a pretty good job of it. It was only fair to return the favor, particularly since he was being so cocky.
Wolf lashed out at Vick, and Ella slowed his motion just enough, that Vick was able to dance out of the way, laughing as he did.
"Who's drunk?" Vick countered.
The men then went at it with increased aggression and mounting frustration. Ella found after her initial interference, she wasn't as effective at keeping them from beating each other to a bloody pulp.
Maybe you're exhausted, Ella reasoned. She'd never used her gift as much as she had the last few days, intentionally or unintentionally.
Vick struck Wolf in the ribs, but Wolf caught him in the head, opening a nasty gash in Vick's brow.
Ew, I can't watch this. Ella cringed as she drifted behind a taller biker, and waited it out. Boxing was obviously not her thing.
When the fight was finished, Wolf and Vick headed toward her. They didn't look too beat up, considering they were just brawling. Vick shook his head looking perplexed.
"I don't know. There's been some truly bizarre shit going on lately," Wolf mumbled back. "Hey, Ella, there you are. Are you ready to head home?"
Crap they noticed. She probably shouldn't have tampered with their fight.
"Yeah. I think I've seen enough to put some ideas together," Ella replied.
"Just let me clean up."
Ella trailed Wolf into the clubhouse. The overhead light glistened off his sweat covered torso. His shoulders were incredibly broad, they practically spanned the hall. He had muscles that Ella didn't even know were possible. A bead of moisture ran down the valley of his spine. Ella paused as she followed its descent, suddenly struck by what she saw.
Wolf's back was covered with a giant tattoo, or was it a series, created by a single artist, worked together over time. Ella tilted her head as she panned the living artwork. The designs were done in all black. The way the artist laid down the ink, it looked fluid and smoky, like watercolor on paper. The execution, mixed with the depicted scenes, created a slightly macabre but breathtaking backpiece.
The silhouette of the moon and forest, contained several vignettes. One fascinating scene was the image of a man, climbing out of the mouth of a wolf. But the one that caught Ella's attention the most, was of a couple. The man, with a head of a wolf, was clutching a scantily clad female. His mouth was open, teeth bared, poised to devour her. It screamed raw hunger, and dark desire. Ella stilled her hand before she forgot herself and reached out.
"What's up?" Wolf turned and looked back at her, as he grabbed a towel near the sink.
"What?" Ella almost blushed. She'd been caught in the act of gawking.
"You touched my back." Wolf grinned.
Ella's eyes widened. She actually hadn't touched his back, at least not with her fingers.
Stupid curse.
"Oh, sorry. I was admiring your tattoo. It's really good," Ella stammered, trying not to turn pink.
She couldn't say she hadn't touched him, so the truth spilled out before she could think of a better excuse.
It's really good. Ugh. Seriously, Ella. You were just waxing poetic a moment ago, and that's the best you come up with.
"I can't take credit for it, but I do appreciate talent and beauty when I see it." Wolf affixed Ella with that unnerving gaze, that sent the butterflies in her stomach aflutter.
"Oh," Ella squeaked unintentionally. "Well, the artist is talented," she attempted to recover.
Wolf smiled then washed up and took her home. Ella did her best to keep her hands still, as she gripped him, sitting on the back of his growling bike. It was hard to ignore the way his skin heated her hands, or the way his abs rippled beneath her fingertips. She tried to concentrate elsewhere, but his scent worked its way into her psyche as she pressed against his back. If that wasn't bad enough the rumble of the motorcycle beneath her, sent vibrations to unmentionable places.
When Wolf pulled up at the apartment Ella hopped off the bike and hurried to her door. She was at the end of her rope. It wasn't her gift so much, as it was the building desire she felt.
"Thank you for the ride. I had fun, and have a lot of good ideas," Ella called over her shoulder, as she made it to her door. "I gotta let Wolf, I mean Wright out. Goodnight." Ella smiled as she quickly let herself into her apartment.
"Goodnight, Ella," Wolf chuckled, as she shut her door.
Ella leaned against her door and closed her eyes.
God you're such a freak, Ella.
4 Purple Unicorns
Ella
Ella leaned into the mirror as she applied her lipstick, then smacked her lips.
"Not too shabby. What do you think, Wright?"
Wright yipped hearing his name, while she examined her reflection. Ella felt almost normal the last few days, or whatever normal was for her. Since the party her curse had behaved, even when she thought about Wolf kissing her cheek. It was like she'd burned off all her extraneous energy with her recent outbursts.
Ella wandered out to the living room humming a tune. She grabbed the binder she'd been working on for the Clubhouse, then grinned as she also put the decoy into her shoulder bag. Not only was she excited, as usual, when she showed off a design to a client, but she was eager to see Wolf. Try as she might to remind herself he was off-limits, she couldn't seem to get it through her thick skull. So, Ella gave up and just enjoyed the infatuation.
There was a knock on the door and Ella jumped up.
"Coming," she hollered.
Wright ran toward the door, barking his fool head off. Ella grabbed him before opening it.
"Oh good, you've got Killer safely corralled." Wolf smiled cheekily at the pup.
"I think you're safe with those boots on. Besides you're reformed aren't you, Wright. No more ankles for you." Ella bounced her mutt.
"It's alright. I brought a peace offering, just in case." Wolf held a bone out to Wright. "If you want this, you need to share Ella."
Ella snorted.
Wright was salivating as he followed the bone being waved in his face. Ella sat him on the floor and Wolf tossed the treat.
"Quick, let's go before he figures out I've duped him." Wolf quickly ushered her out the door. "You look good." He glanced Ella up and down.
Ella looked at Wolf and nearly doubled over laughing. He had a breast cancer survivor t-shirt on that read, ‘Yes, they're fake. My real ones tried to kill me.'
"Thanks. You look pretty good too," she choked out.
Wolf grinned that sexy smile, that always made Ella freeze, like a deer in headlights.
"Char likes buying me horrible t-shirts. She decided this one served dual purposes, charitable and embarrassing."