"Secrets can only lie in the dark for so long..."
Martha Dévolla had always been a fiery, uncontrollable, ambitious girl since she was young. When her teachers told her to sit still, she leaped about. If the rain poured heavily on her picnic plan...
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THE EARLY WINTER sun peaked through tattered curtains of the Dévolla household. Martha was comfortable here, snuggled in the middle of an expansive chest. Bare and toasty warm to the touch, she felt more than comfortable. Against the harsh blow of her air conditioning, which fluttered strands of her messy dark brown mane. Much like a lion cub, she purred in content.
Stirring from her sleep, she was refreshed. Her brown eyes were glazed over with the nights dreams. The sound of her voice was akin to swallowing cotton balls, thick and slow.
She took this time to gaze at Sam in her bed, once again. Martha figured she'd always savor the little moment everyday if she could. The serene expression marring his features were smoothed over by her fingertips. They tickled his prickled facial hair and the underside of his nose. His russet skin was practically glowing under the sun rays.
Martha was enchanted by this man. Half man, half beast; she didn't know which part of his she got most. Looking back, there were moments when Sam Uley would never, in his carefree behavior, confess such strong emotions so seriously. The boy she knew in high school wouldn't profess his desires to her grandfather and vow to take care of her till his dying days.
The Sam she knew before would live in the moment, not try to plan out the future. And maybe, this manifestation had been for the better. Sam, though he was mostly strong and serious, blank faced and guarded – he was thoughtful and observant, sub-servant to his community and people. The wolf within him didn't create a monster, it honed in the best parts of Sam.
His large, boa constrictor of an arm wrapped around her frame like a thick band. Even in his sleep, he was hugging her to his chest. Martha adjusted her leg, her thigh sliding off his torso. Burrowing her head in his neck, she inhaled his woodsy scent and instantly felt at home.
She didn't regret what happened last night... and again in the early morning. There was no taking back how she felt about him now, nor would she want to.
"Sam," Martha murmured, brushing the unruly strands of his inky black hair. He would need a hair cut soon, she thought.
The giant man was out cold. His whole body moved with his deep inhalations and drowsy exhales. Hell, it moved her petite frame, too. She wondered if he ever dreamed or if it was just blackness behind those lids. "Sam, I'm hungry..." She tried again, pursing her lips as he tightened his grip around her.
He grumbled something in the plush of her pillows, the words coming out more unintelligible with each syllable. She lightly rolled her eyes and ran her hands down his bare body. Starting from his broad shoulders, she carefully slid across the smooth flesh, till she reached the waistband of the borrowed sweatpants he tugged back on. Twirling the draw string around her finger, she made sure her nail was lightly scrapping against his sensitive skin.
