Ms. Zetta smiled warmly at him and leaned her elbows on the table. “I’m a businesswoman, sheriff, I don’t have much time for courting, besides. . .” He felt something wrapped around his ankle, but he paid it no mind for the fear of breaking the spell. “It would take someone truly special to catch my eye.”
His heart hammered so fast in his chest he was almost afraid it’d stop as the next question came up from his mind. “Have you been courted before, Ms. Zetta?”
“Technically, no.” Her mouth shrunk down into a firm line, and she turned her eyes towards the people roaming the streets. “Though I was engaged once to appease my parents. . . I can’t say that ended very happily for any of us since my parents won’t speak to me for breaking it off.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be.” She waved it off and sighed. “I knew what I wanted in a mate, and much to my parents chagrin Alvester was not the man I wanted.”
Wesley felt himself pale at the name and whatever hope and confidence he had was squashed down. Alvester was a very rich Teifling, one of the richest men in Ottilie, with red skin and wicked black horns that gave a different type of meaning to a red devil. He had enough at the bank to keep Ms. Zetta off her feet if she wanted, but with her being the go getter she was he doubted she’d live a pampered life very often.
Wesley recalled seeing Alvester’s tail wander over here a time or two before, but he was away on business expanding his company and wasn’t due back for another three months; if Wesley had any luck Alvester would stay wherever he was and out of Ottilie. He wasn’t a bad man, but he certainly was a determined one and did not like taking no for an answer very well. He could only imagine how well things ended between them.
The graze of gentle fingers gracing a soft circle across his knuckles broke him out of his thoughts and back to the strange turn of conversation with Ms. Zetta. “You all right, Sheriff? You look like ya got something on your mind again.”
“I’m all right, Ms. Zetta.” He threw on a quick smile and turned his hand up to catch hers in his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Did things. . . end well between you two?”
“Hardly.” She scoffed and chewed the inside of her left cheek. “Ever try saying no to a man who’s used to getting’ his way one way or another?”
“Not on the same intimate level as you, but regrettably yes.” His mind went back to the governor of Luneburg and how things ended up for him. Had he gone anywhere else but Ottilie, maybe he wouldn’t be so grateful, but the way things have been for him the past few months, he couldn’t help but feel a little thankful towards the bastard.
She chuckled mirthlessly and sighed. “Looks like your story didn’t end particularly well either.”
Wesley nodded his head in agreement and looked her over. “Do you mind me askin’ why Mr. Vines wasn’t the man you were looking for? I know it’s very forward of me, but I’m certain with his estate and money he’s got everything a woman would ever want.”
“He’s got plenty of assets, but he doesn’t have everything a woman could want.” She sighed as she slumped in her chair and withdrew her hand from his. He mourned the loss of her touch and laced his fingers together to keep from reaching across the table to touch her again. “For all the money he makes, he doesn’t have the time to spend it with someone.” Her nose wrinkled and she glared off in the distance. “Besides, I grew up with him and know all his dirty secrets, he’s more like a brother with a bad temper to me than a life mate.”
Wesley marginally relaxed to hear this, but something still bothered him about the whole thing. Why would her parents not speak with her after breaking off the engagement with Mr. Alvester Vines? Surely if they knew how their daughter felt they wouldn’t push such a relationship upon her. Then again, things weren’t so dissimilar amongst humans, money was what made it in this world, not love.
As curious as he was to know more, it wasn’t his place nor his business to pry, but the hints of jealousy nipping within him wanted to know further details and how he could make himself better by comparison.
“I can tell your curious.” Ms. Zetta quipped and picked up her coffee.
His cheeks burned in shame, and he rubbed the back of his neck to remind himself it wasn’t his place to pry. “I don’t wanna pry.”
She lazily sipped her coffee. “Might as well, everyone else in the town practically knows.”
“But do you want me knowing about it, Ms. Zetta?” He cocked his head to the side and the surprise on her face was enough to squash away the jealousy within him. “I can stay ignorant of it if it’ll make things better for ya.”
“You’re too kind, Sheriff, but that won’t be necessary.” Her smile was kind, but he could see the trepidation in her eyes. “There just aren’t many Teiflings here in Losenia and my parents considered Alvester and his family an excellent choice of a match for me, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t force myself to do it.”
Her mouth fell into a self-depreciating smile as she kept her eyes focused on the coffee in her hands. “My parents were lucky enough to be one another’s soulmates when they were matched together, and while Alvester is handsome, charming, and rich, I feel nothing towards him. No matter what Alvester tries to say I know he doesn’t feel anything towards me either, he’s just wanting to go through with things for the extra money my own parents’ estate would bring him.”
“Surely not!” He banged his hand on the table in indignation on her behalf.
“No, I’ll admit Alvester’s not that bad.” She giggled and he caught sight of those dimples again. “No, he’d much rather get his hands on the records of the staff my parents’ had.”
“Why would he want the records?”
“There was a maid he was obsessed with, she used to play with us, but for some reason or another they got rid of her.” Her brow furrowed and she frowned. “I can’t say I remember where she went or what happened to her, but a part of me feels like that might have been his mate. . .”
“Why would your parents get rid of her then?” He asked aghast and nearly knocked his cup of coffee over.
“You are a sweetheart, ain’t ya?” She gave him a sympathetic smile and drooped in her seat. “The maid was a human, one both my parents and his own would not have approved of.”
“Would that matter if she was his mate?”
“It shouldn’t.” She growled lowly and he saw a tremor pass over her. “But I’m afraid money sometimes has a despicable way of changing the view on things.”
Wesley nodded in grim agreement and they both sipped their coffee in silence as they watched the town pass by one another. His eggs had grown cold, and his biscuits would taste great for lunch later, but he knew he needed to head back before Zarod came looking for him. Forcing down the eggs and washing them back with coffee, he rose to his feet.
“I should probably get on, Ms. Zetta. Zarod and I gotta go on patrol here in a bit.”
“Already?” Her head turned in the direction of the town square where the clock was, and she hissed out a curse. “So it is, I should probably get back in the kitchen and finish making breakfast before the miners get here.”
“Your breakfast was lovely, as always, Ms. Zetta.” He dared to grab her hand as he slid his hat on his head. Her eyes widened and her cheeks darkened as she smiled up at him and squeezed his hand back.
“Well don’t go too far without Zarod’s biscuits, we can’t go making him pset after he lets you come over and spend a little time with me.” She patted his hand before releasing it to retreat inside. “I’ll only be a minute!”
She could take hours and he’d still wait on her and make Zarod wait too. He felt another piece of him go with her as he stood on the porch and took in the sight of the bustling town. He could practically see the miners coming up over the hill and hauling ass to get to The Hidden Wisp for their morning meal. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but he felt a strange sort of storm coming. The clicking of her heels on the wooden floors had Wesley turning to see her carrying a large brown paper bag filled with biscuits. The smell of them alone was enough to make him hungry all over again.
“I threw in a few extra for him so he can’t complain about how long it took ya to get back to the station.” She smiled up at him and he swore he felt her tail graze his leg.
“Zarod will appreciate this.” He hefted the bag in his hands and looked up into her eyes. “Thank you, Ms. Zetta.”
“It’s no problem, Sheriff.” There was a twinkle in her eye and a dimple in her smile as she tucked a hair behind her ear that tugged on his heart strings and made him want to linger a little longer. However, he really did need to get out on patrol, and he would never hear the end of it from Zarod if he didn’t get back to the station sooner. Tipping his hat off to her, he turned to leave when her tail wrapped firmly around one of his ankles.
“Oh gods!” She hissed and instantly released him and turned her face away as it deepened three shades of purple. “I do apologize, I – I don’t know what got into me. My tail, it’s got a mind of its own sometimes –”
“No harm done, Ms. Zetta.” He reassured her as he patted her shoulder. “Did ya need something before I left?”
Her eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed like an indecisive prairie dog. “I – I, well, um . . .”
She rubbed her cheek, squeezed her eyes shut as she took a deep breath and looked up at him. “W – Would you be interested in having dinner with me?”
He almost dropped the bag of biscuits.
“I – I was thinkin’ I could close up early one night, and you could come on over a – and we could have dinner together. . .” She continued and her tail wrapped tightly around her ankle. “If you’d like that is.”
Her words hit him like a cast iron skillet that left him blinking several times as the words registered in his brain. A proper sentence hadn’t quite formed and the only thing that came to his mind was, “Yes.”
“Really?” She beamed and her tail loosened its hold on her ankle and wagged happily behind her.
He felt breathless and nodded his head to get the blood flowing to his mind. “Yes, I would like that very much, Ms. Zetta.”
“How does six o’clock Sunday night sound?” She clapped her hands together and the laughter from the miner workers grew louder.
“Sounds like a date.”
Those dimples appeared in her cheeks again and his heart was happier than a June bug in spring.
“See ya later then, Sheriff.”
Ms. Zetta sent him off with a wink and by the time he made it down the stairs of her porch and back to the station the whole mining crew was already devouring her next batch of biscuits and coffee. The determination that fueled him to get everything done had him working double time that week and it felt like everything that could go wrong did. A fire caught in the mines which resulted in getting the Dragonborns to go in and rescue the miners and help keep the tunnels from collapsing. Since it was one of Alvester’s mines, he sent over an associate to assess the damages and reimburse the families. A Mothman that was drawn to the lights on the machinery almost lost his wings to chase after the pretty lights. Other than the fires in the mines, the damage was minimal and by the time Sunday rolled around Wesley was exhausted.
Wesley was on his third coffee that afternoon when Zoran stood in front of his desk, arms crossed and a frown behind his tusks. He blinked tiredly up at him and took a sip of his coffee to hide his yawn. “Need something, Zoran?”
“For you to take a break.” Zoran harumphed and snatched the paperwork in his hand away from him.
“I will, right after I finish readin’ over the reports.” He frowned at his green deputy.
“I’ll finish these up, Wes.” Zoran clicked his tongue and tapped the papers on his shoulder. “Don’tcha got something planned with Zetta tonight? You been talkin’ about it nonstop all week.”
“You know I have dinner plans on Sunday –”
“Today is Sunday Wesley.”
He almost fell back in his chair as his head whipped around to the calendar. “What?”
“I knew you were staying up late again. Zoran shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “When’s the last time you actually slept?”
“Two, may three nights agooooooo –” Wesley broke off in a long yawn and his body was betraying him. “But I been fine.”
“Gods above and below, give me strength.” Zoran huffed and rolled his eyes. “Take the rest of the afternoon off, Wesley.”
“What, and leave you with all this work?” He gestured to the stacks of paperwork layered on his desk. He blinked several times as he looked at the stacks; he was certain he had already read over and worked a few of these up. Sitting up he rubbed his face in his hands to try to clear up the fog in his brain and felt his eyes growing heavier by the second.
“I’m better at the paperwork anyway. Besides, it doesn’t look like you remember what you have and haven’t read.” Zoran scoffed as he started organizing the stacks of paper. “All the more reason you need to take a break and rest.”
“But – ”
A knock came loudly from the door followed by the soft clicking of a woman’s heels. “Hello?”
Wesley would know Ms. Zetta’s beautiful voice anywhere. Her purple face poked around the doorway and Wesley wanted to run and hide. He knew he looked rough, hadn’t shaved in about two days, hair was a mess, and he and no doubt there was a stain or two on his shirt.
“Howdy, Zetta.” Zoran chortled as he bent and greeted her with a side hug. “What can we do ya for?”
“Oh, well, I came by to see the sheriff.” Her white eyes turned on him and Wesley wanted to just melt inside. “That all right?”
“No problem, ma’am.” Zaron saluted her and walked out of the room faster than sinners in church. The moment Zaron was gone Ms. Zetta walked on over to him with dimples in her smile. He pulled on the collar of his shirt and cleared his throat.
“You wanted to see me, Ms. Zetta?”
“Yes, I wanted to make sure our dinner plans for this evening were still on for tonight.” She looked him over head to toe and he saw worry developing with the crease of her brows. “You feelin’ all right, Sheriff?”
“Fine, fine, just a smidgeon tired, but nothin’ for ya to worry about none.” He dragged his hand down the back of his neck and swallowed down a yawn.
“I was worried I was too forward with you when you didn’t stop by this week. . .” She laced her fingers together and her tail twisted around her ankle.
“No, not at all, I like you and your forwardness Ms. Zetta. Really, I do.” He reached for her hands and her cheeks burned about three shades darker as he did so. “In fact, I’ve been pulling in extra shifts to make sure nothin’ would stand in the way of this evening.”
“Careful now Sheriff Wesley.” She breathed hotly as her tail unwrapped itself from around her ankle and slithered over to his ankle. “Those are some mighty fine words to be saying before we’ve had a proper meal together.”
His brow furrowed as he couldn’t understand her meaning. Had he said something wrong? He knew he was tired and if he wasn’t careful, he’d say the wrong thing, but he didn’t think he said anything bold or forward.
“Maybe you oughtta take a nice nap before this evenin’, hm?” Her hand reached up to his cheek and his eyes fluttered shut as he unconsciously pressed his cheek into her warm palm. Soft, dainty fingers caressed his cheek and whiskers and if he didn’t have his hand on the desk he surely would have slumped forward on top of her.
“You been working to hard, Sheriff Wesley.” She tutted softly as her other hand came up to his other cheek and he felt the weight of the world lifting from his shoulders. Mighty strong woman with mighty strong powers held him as though he were something precious.
“I had to.” He hummed as his hand came up and held her wrist, pressing her hand further into his right cheek. “Had to make sure I could make it on time tonight.”
“Now ya gotta rest up so I can entertain you properly, Sheriff Wesley.” She chuckled and slowly withdrew her hands from his face and retreated towards the door. “Until then.”
He almost whimpered at the loss of her touch and nearly fell flat on his face by the time Zoran came back into the room. Zoran had a knowing look in his eyes and bit back a smile as he crossed his arms. “You still got that cot in your office for the late nights, or you think you can make it back to your house, Wes?”
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you’re enjoying the story so far, please remember to leave a like, comment or review, but most importantly reblog!
Much to his surprise, Ottilie managed to behave itself long enough for Wesley to get a decent nap in his own bed that afternoon. By the time four o’clock rolled around he had slept so hard and so well that he could hardly remember where he was and what day it was. Catching a glance of himself in the mirror he saw he was as scruffy as he felt and knew he needed to remedy that immediately. Tossing the blankets aside and stretching all his limbs out, his body demanded that he never sleep on the tiny cot in his office ever again. After spending a week on the tiny cot in his office, having a real bed to sleep in made a world of difference and a world of good. He had worked so hard to get as much work done as possible to limit the possibility of an interruption that he hadn’t taken proper care of himself, and he felt it all the way down to his bones.
Work around Ottilie never stopped, for her or for him. Since Ms. Zetta was the only one that had a proper dining facility, as well as proper bedding accommodations for the late travelers, the Teifling lady hardly ever rested and always stayed busy. The fact she was willing to close early, even on a Sunday, practically declared how serious Ms. Zetta was taking this dinner; and Wesley would not disappoint. He’d be there early and dress nicer for her than he ever did for the two times out of the year he attended church. If the Tiefling lady was willing to make time out of her busy schedule for him, he would only present her with his best for her.
In a blur of motion to get going he showered, shaved, put on his nicest faded blue button down that he normally wore to attend the morning service, slid into his cleanest pair of blue jeans, and tucked his feet into worn brown leather boots. Running a comb through his hair and double checking himself over, he had about thirty minutes left before the meal, but he would be there early and sit on the porch if necessary so Ms. Zetta could finish getting ready if she needed. There weren’t many good things his mother taught him, however, waiting on a lady to finish her own preparations of any kind was one of them.
A long time ago back in Luneburg Wesley had the privilege to court a few of the ladies in the higher social rings, however, none of them could ever hold a candle to Ms. Zetta. He would never deny the human women’s talents, minds, nor beauty, but no matter how hard he had tried, none of the ladies in Luneburg ever captivated his attention. He’d seen many from tall, short, thin, thick, blonde, red, and brunette, but none of them were particularly impressionable nor remarkable in kindness like Ms. Zetta. Maybe it was the fact they were human and unimpressive in their own chemical design, though if he were more honest it was the way the socialites looked down on everyone, even within their own class without an ounce of kindness in their words. Ms. Zetta wasn’t like that, not at all.
When he first came to Ottilie it was Ms. Zetta who welcomed him as warmly as the mayor and Zarod. While Ottilie was a multi-species community and everyone who was hospitable was welcome, there were many who had not taken kindly to a human taken over the position as sheriff of Ottilie when they all believed Zarod deserved it. In all honesty the Orc had deserved it and if Zarod wasn’t so damn stubborn he’d have already signed over the position and would have swapped roles if necessary. However, both Zarod and the mayor were determined to keep him on as sheriff and refused his proposals to switch positions at every turn. After about a month in and Wesley proving himself as worthy of the title as he could, most folks accepted him, though he was neither blind nor deaf to the ones that refused to accept him. No matter who he spoke with he always made sure to keep a smile on his face and a calm countenance about himself. Afterall, kindness was the best weapon to wield to figuratively kill people. No matter what they all said, nothing any of them could say would be half as bad as what others from Luneburg could say to him. The best way to learn how to keep a smile on your face was to stick around socialites who gossiped like geese and clucked like hens about everyone and had no problem in airing out everyone’s dirty laundry at a poor fool’s expense.
Ms .Zetta was never like that, though, she brought over dinner dishes nearly every night, always asking if he liked it while trying to peek behind him to see if he’d actually eaten it or discarded it. He knew she was just doing it to be polite, but her feeding him almost every night helped put a better image of himself towards all the town and soon others had slowly accepted him. Things between Wesley and Ms. Zetta remained cordial and polite for his first month in Ottilie, but their relationship changed about a month ago. It was pure chance, or fate if he dared to be romantic, Wesley left his revolver in his drawer when he and Zarod were supposed to go on patrol when he walked by The Hidden Wisp and heard shouting. A needy Whiptail Lizardman who wanted to court Ms. Zetta but was not particularly keen about keeping his hands to himself despite Ms. Zetta’s obvious rejection and refusal and had the woman pinned against the wall. Ms. Zetta was never a damsel in distress as she was able to keep him back with her tail for the most part, but he’d heard the undeniable fear in her voice when she shouted for help.
Wesley had acted without thinking, tearing into the restaurant, and snatching the Lizardman by his tail to pull him off Ms. Zetta. Fists were thrown, blood was drawn, and if it weren’t for the Lizardman’s tail nearly strangling him Wesley wouldn’t have had to headbutt him unconscious. He’d heard the cocking of a revolver as Ms. Zetta held a pistol in her hands, pointing it at the unconscious Lizardman with wide eyes and surprise when she saw Wesley the one walking away from the fight. Zarod had come in shortly after and helped arrest the Lizardman and Ms. Zetta took care of his wounds and even made them better with some of her home cooking.
Wesley was not as strong as an Orc, but he could handle himself better than most of the nonhumans gave him credit for, and after surviving a tussle with a Whiptail Lizardman, he gained the respect of most of the town, but especially Ms. Zetta; and her opinion of him mattered more to him than town as a whole. A part of him knew better than to think that way, but he knew the moment Zarod wanted to become sheriff he’d have to step down or else deal with a riot. The people of Ottilie were good people, but they were ones to stick close to their kinfolk and those they knew better than some human guy like him. But that was all right, it meant there was good in this town, and they would stick together through thick and thin even if they decided they no longer wanted him running the town anymore; Wesley could only hope that Ms. Zetta would still want him around.
On his way back into town, the orange sun was setting over the tallest spire of the church and making the whole indigo desert shift into more vibrant hues before the moon came up. The whole town slowly settled down for the night with gentle fires crackling in their cookstoves, children played while the adults laughed inside their homes, and the essence of the day ending wafted over him with the rich scent of thyme mixed with good home cooking and made his stomach rumble in anticipation for Ms. Zetta’s meal. He was pleasantly surprised to see none of the usuals lingering outside The Hidden Wisp, and it was very odd with how quiet it was.
When all the work was done for the day, everyone wanted a drink and went over to the Hidden Wisp for Ms. Zetta’s fine food and entertainment but tonight it was so quiet that not even the crickets wanted to play their songs. There was no piano music, no loud laughter, nor bright lights inside The Hidden Wisp. When Wesley stepped on the porch, he heard the rushed clicking of heels on the wooden boards and Ms. Zetta uttering things to herself as she moved around inside. Glancing at the clock on the face of the church, he saw he had another fifteen minutes before his dinner with Ms. Zetta, he couldn’t tell if she was ready for him yet and decided to wait on the porch. However, as he turned to sit on the steps, the flurry of her shoes facing across the floor and the creaking of her front door made him freeze. He turned and saw Ms. Zetta’s white eyes peeking through the curtains, wide and alarmed. Ms. Zetta gasped as she opened the door and looked him over.
“Y – You’re early.”
“Yes.” He whipped off his hat and cleared his throat as he gestured to the porch stairs. “I was gonna wait on the stairs here to give ya a few more minutes. It sounded like you weren’t quite ready.”
“That’s thoughtful, but there’s no need.” She smiled at him and opened the door to reveal her beauty. Wesley felt his stomach tighten at the sight of her in a dress that looked as though it were made from the soft blue rays of the moon and was glad his hat was in his hands. Ms. Zetta wore high collared dresses with long sleeves she kept rolled up because they were easy to work in, but this dress made of moon beams was the entire opposite. The soft puffed sleeves sat off her shoulders exposing the creamy lilac skin of her shoulders and bosom and the sweetheart neckline revealing all that she normally hid with a silver chained moon drop pendant nestled just above the crevice of her bosom. Her luxurious curls that he wanted to run his fingers through were pinned back around her horns to reveal she wore matching moon droplets at the end of each of her horns.
She was so beautiful it took all his self-control to keep his hands tightly locked around his hat to keep from drawing her to him so he could taste her berry painted lips. Wesley was always a man in control of himself, and for Ms. Zetta and all her moonlit loveliness, he could continue to be that man in control. She had enough men throwing themselves at her that he refused to be one of them, even if she did nearly drive him wild.
Ms. Zetta giggled as her lilac hand reached under his chin to close his mouth. “Careful Sheriff, you might catch flies. It’d be a terrible thing to happen before you eat some of my cooking.”
Catching her hand, Wesley pressed a chaste kiss on the curl of her fingers and held her there. “Forgive me for being starstruck, Ms. Zetta, I couldn’t help it, my heart simply wasn’t prepared for your loveliness this evening, but I assure you I will enjoy anything you make, Ms. Zetta.”
Her cheeks darkened and he heard a soft gasp pass her lips as she smiled up at him. “Wooing a lady before dinner is dangerous, Sheriff.”
“Wesley.” He gently corrected as he took a brave foot forward and twined their fingers together as he looked at her. “If we’re to have a proper dinner, wouldn’t it be better to call me by my name, Ms. Zetta?”
Her eyes widened and within their starry depths he felt a white-hot fire growing behind them as her tail traced around the toe of his boots. “Only if you’ll call me by mine, Wesley.”
His throat was dryer than the desert and desperate for the lovely glass of water before him by hearing his name on her pretty lips, but he managed to wet his mouth enough to respond. “If that’s what you want, Zetta.”
It tasted like sin on his tongue but came out like a prayer as her tail threatened to wrap around his boot again. Zetta’s chest rose and fell with her deep breath, and she pulled him inside. He nearly lost his breath again when he passed the threshold. A table for two with folded napkins, her best china and silverware, and candles all aglow sat in the center of the room waiting on them. Zetta’s heels clicked against the floor and helped pull him into motion as she led them over to the table with their fingers still twined together.
“What I want, Wesley, is for us to enjoy a proper meal together and then we will see where things go.” She laughed airily, but he could tell she was just as nervous as he was. “I hope it’s not too much.”
“No, not at all, its lovely.” He followed her to her seat and was prepared to pull it out for her when she turned and looked at him.
“You think you can open the wine while I get dinner?”
Her tail gently shoved a bottle of white wine in his hands before it swished happily behind her as she retreated off into the kitchen. As his hands worked the stopper into the wine cork, he noticed she’d even adorned her tail with the same moon droplet decorations. She was a woman with an eye to detail and he found he would love nothing more than to study the art she presented him with. The wine opened with a hollow pop just as Zetta reentered the room carrying a plate in each hand and a basket of rye bread with her tail.
“I hope you like fish.” Her melodic voice was lit with joy and shyness as she joined him at the table. “I made a black bean potato au gratin with salmon.”
When she set the plates down on the table, he immediately recognized the black beans, potatoes, and fish, and it smelled heavenly. His stomach growled as he poured the wine into the glasses she provided on the table. “I reckon I’ll like anything you make, Zetta, even if I can’t pronounce it as prettily as you.”
“Then let us dine, Wesley.” Her smile was bright and inviting and for once he wanted to forgo dinner to sample her lips; but Wesley was a gentleman and that was exactly what he’d give Zetta. Zetta was a Tiefling with horns and a tail with a hard life in a hard place working hard all the time, if there was any woman in Ottilie that deserved soft it was her.
Wesley pulled her chair out for her and caught the sweet perfume of the pitcher’s leather flower, one of the climbing vine flowers from her garden in her hair as he pushed her chair forward. He took his seat across from her and felt as though a different sort of spell had somehow been cast. The candles were all aglow and lit her eyes with a fine warm gold color that he couldn’t help but admire. Zetta’s food was always impeccable, but it was especially delicious that night and the white wine she paired with it was perfect.
“It always makes me happy when a man eats everything on his plate.” Zetta hummed happily as she sipped her wine. “Makes me feel like I’ve done something right in life, even if it’s just from working in the kitchen.”
“You do plenty right, Zetta.” Wesley wiped his mouth on the cloth napkin and set it beside his nearly licked clean plate. “Besides your cooking you’ve got one of the biggest hearts that I’ve seen in anyone in a long time.”
Her smile made the corners of her eyes crinkle and put dimples in her cheeks, but her shoulders slumped. “You’re too kind, but I doubt that’s true. Afterall you’ve only known me a few months, ask anyone here and they’ll tell you about my temper.”
“Even without experiencing it firsthand, Zetta, I know plenty about your temper.” He chuckled as he recalled all the times she had to physically throw a drunk out of The Hidden Wisp when they were getting too ballsy. Many received a nasty tail lashing from her and sent home crying to their wives or crying for their wives to forgive them for having to pick them up.
“But the way you treat everyone, no matter who they are, what they are, or what they look like, you do plenty right to those around you in Ottilie. I see the way you give the kids an extra treat when they dine in with their mothers and the way you treat the elderly, the way you treat everyone equally and with the same level of respect. You do plenty right.”
“Well, give it another month and I’m sure you’ll change your mind.” Her smile shrank into self-depreciation as she set her glass back on the table and sighed as she fisted her napkin in her hand. “Many others have.”
“Well in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not like others.” Feeling brave he reached his hand across the table and held it. Her eyes snapped up to his and he didn’t dare look away. “Ask me again in a month and I promise my opinion will stay the same. I’m not planning on going anywhere anytime soon and I want to see all the good you do, Zetta.”
Her beautiful white eyes stared back at him in surprise, searching for any trace of a lie as her tail coiled tightly around his calf and Wesley hoped he could feel the truth in his words. The Tiefling lady before him was a one of beauty, kindness, and a temper to scare any badger off if they dared to set fire to her business or hurt her workers. He knew her kindness came from experience, as much as he hated to think about it, probably bad ones. Tieflings, especially females, were as beautiful as they were rare for their magical abilities and strength that could challenge any Orc should it be required, so any that were held in captivity were very prized and often lusted after. While she came from a loving home with two parents, he had no doubt she had some sort of trouble in her past that kept her nicer to folks that didn’t deserve it.
“Tell me, Wesley.” She didn’t blink, but somehow her eyes changed, and he felt the loneliness within her soul calling out to his own; or maybe that was just her tail. “What do you see in me?”
Beauty transcending all others to grace the earth for his unworthy soul to behold; a warm hand that knew how to mend and tend with care as well as throw a mean left hook; strength unlike anything he could ever hope to achieve because he was born a human with different luxuries and privileges that were unfair to others; the embodiment of love put into everything she did, her food, her songs, her words; a woman he wanted to have and hold and treasure and hoped she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. All these things and many more ran through his mind, calculative in the way he wanted to say it all, but instead, his heart answered faster than his brain could, and it was breathless to get the word out.
“Everything.”
He never felt like such a fool before until he saw her brow pinched in disbelief and her smile falter as she bit her lip and shook her head with a different smile. Zetta’s smile was polite, but sad and her dimples were gone. “Surely not. When you’ve lived in Luneburg all your life. Surely there was another lady that caught your fancy.”
She tried to withdraw her hand from his, to retreat from him, and he held her hand tighter. Her eyes went wide as she looked up at him and his heart spoke louder than his brain again.
“I mean it, Zetta.” He wasn’t sure why he whispered to her when he would shout atop the church’s steeple for the world to hear his adoration for her. “It doesn’t matter that I’m from Luneburg, I’ve seen as many pretty faces as I’ve seen ugliness from the city, and nothing I’ve seen compares to you, Zetta. I know you’ve got enough suitors here to have your pick of the lot if you really wanted, but I’m not just interested in a beautiful face, I want to get to know you, to get to know your heart, Zetta; if you’d let me that is.”
Her pupilless eyes stared at him and it was only her tail wrapping tighter around his leg that let him know she was at least considering him.
“Then what about me?” Her words were a whisper, but he caught the fear in them. “Say you get to know my heart, what happens, Wesley?”
He leaned across the table not daring to break eye contact with her. “Whatever you want. You can keep me, get rid of me – ”
“I don’t want to get rid of you.” Her tail squeezed tighter, and he was certain he was losing blood flow to his toes, but he didn’t care. “I just. . . I just can’t be expected to do things most women would do.”
“And what is it most women do, hm?” His mouth tugged up in a smile as he placed his other hand, palm up in an invitation to her. “Cook, clean, have babies? I won’t expect anything like that from you Zetta unless that’s what you want. All I want to do now is get to know you more.”
“You say that now.” She shook her head and her tail loosened slightly and he watched something pass over her as she tried to pull away again. “What’s goin’ to happen when the busy season kicks in by the end of the summer and I won’t have time for you? I have a business to run, Wesley, I won’t always have time for you.”
“And I’m the sheriff where most of the town will call me to pull men out of the mines, I won’t have as much time for you as I would like either.” He gave a half shrug, and finally allowed his brain to do some of the talking. “I will give you all the time I can.”
She shook her head in disbelief and Wesley feared he saw tears welling up in her eyes.
“Why?”
“You’re worth it, and if you would have me, I will give you anything you’d ever want.” He brought her lilac hand to his mouth and brushed a chaste kiss there with all his honest feelings pressing into the veins of her fingers. The faint freckles along her body almost seemed to glow as her face and neck darkened a shade of purple and her throat bobbed with a hard swallow.
“That’s a bold statement, Wesley.”
“And one I would do whatever I could to fulfill.”
The dimples returned to her cheeks, and she placed her other hand in his as she placed her hand in his. Her plump lips tugged up in a smile and her tail wrapped around his chair to pull him closer. “Well then, I suppose I could at least give you a fighting chance; if you think you’re up for it that is.”
“I’ll take what I can get.” The table was small enough to where all he needed to do was lean over for a kiss, and with that inviting look she was giving him and her tail creeping up his leg, he almost fell into temptation. As if a string tightened between them, their faces drew closer together, until their foreheads touched, and the tip of Zetta’s tail slid into the belt loop on his hip. His heart hammered like horse hooves in his ears as he closed his eyes and was ready to take the plunge for a kiss when the doors flew open.
“Zetta!”
The force in which they pulled apart from one another was enough to throw his chair back and nearly throw him out of his chair. They both turned to see the strawberry haired witch with green eyes, Ms. Ruby Rose standing panting and disheveled with blood staining her dusty pink dress.
“Ruby?” Zetta stood to her feet and rushed over to her.
Ruby looked from Zetta to Wesley as he recovered himself and got to his feet and shook her head with wide eyes. “Zetta, are you – ”
“What happened?” Zetta shook her head and her tail whipped out behind her. “I wasn’t expecting you for another few days.”
“Lemnos was hot on my tails.” She bit her lip and looked from Zetta to Wesley. “I’m so sorry, I wouldn’t have barged on in here if it wasn’t an emergency –”
“Ruby, honey, it’s fine.” Zetta cupped her face and looked her over. “Who’s hurt?”
The look of defeat on the elemental witch’s face as her face crumpled with tears and sagged against Zetta. “All of them.”
“All right, we’ll get them taken care of.” Zetta reassured her and glanced over her shoulder. “Think you can help us out, Wesley?”
Wesley wasn’t sure what was going on, but he nodded his head all the same and straightened up. He was a man of his word and if Zetta needed help with something then that’s what he’d do.
“What do I need to do?” He searched her pupilless eyes and felt his heart tug at the relief in her eyes as she patted Ruby’s back then squared her shoulders.
“We need to bring them inside, get them fed and washed up.” Still dressed in her finery, Zetta’s mindset went from fancy dinner to caretaker immediately. “You help Ruby bring them in while I get a meal ready for them. Gods know they’ll need it.”
Nodding his head, Wesley followed Ms. Ruby Rose out to her wagon and could hardly contain himself at the sight of the people she brought. Orcs starved thin, moths with tattered wings, trembling goblins, and a harpy missing half its feathers. Even after living in Luneburg for most of his life, nothing could have prepared him for the sight of them. They were slaves and weren’t treated right. Wesley’s hand clenched into a fist as his mind dared to ponder what sort of treatment these folk underwent and watched an orc child tremble.
“Don’t be scared, Sheriff Skye is here to help.” Ruby soothed as she held her hands out to reach for the trembling child. “He’ll protect us, don’t ya worry now.”
While Wesley wasn’t particularly pleased to have had his dinner plans interrupted, he would have never forgiven himself had he not done something to help these folks. Bending down to the child’s level he managed to smile and held his hand out.
“Ms. Ruby here is right; I won’t let anything happen to y’all while you are in my town. Now let’s get you inside.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you’re enjoying the story so far, please remember to leave a like, comment or review, but most importantly reblog!
Florenzetta "Zetta" (F Tiefling) & Wesley Sky (M Human Sheriff)
“Now Ms. Ruby, if you don’t stop apologizing, Zetta’s gonna get upset with both of us.”
He shushed her and handed a handkerchief over for her to wipe her eyes. Wesley quickly learned of Ms. Ruby’s escapades of freeing the enslaved people from Luneburg and other cities and bringing them all the way to Ottilie and even father to Cloteal Canyon. She was a tiny thing with high emotions and a big heart, Wesley could hardly see her doing this long term, but from Zetta’s own mouth she’s been doing this for almost a decade. After bringing in thirteen new tenants, all severely dehydrated and injured, feeding them, and putting them all to bed, Ms. Ruby Rose would not stop apologizing to Wesley for interrupting the date.
“Sheriff Skye, I promise next time I – I’ll knock rather than just barge in like a bull, I promise I will!” The tears streaming down her face pulled at Wesley’s heartstrings with all the guilt she kept showing him with her sincerity.
“You bringin’ in all them folks was a lot more important.” He tried to reassure as he patted her shoulder. “There will be other times for dates.”
“B – but, you don’t understand! Zetta doesn’t ever go on dates, Sheriff Skye. And I mean never ever.” Ms. Ruby shook her head, and her strawberry curls shook with her as she wiped at her eyes. “She hasn’t gone on a date since Alvester courted her, and that only happened because her parents forced her.”
“Don’t be givin’ me a big head now, Ms. Ruby, I can’t take full credit for the evening since it was Zetta that asked me to dinner.” Wesley tried not to let that boost his pride or confidence too much, be he found himself looking up as Zetta walked out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a dish towel.
Ruby’s mouth fell open as she looked from Wesley over his shoulder at Zetta. “Zetta asked?”
“Better close your trap or you’ll end up catchin’ flies, Ruby.” Zetta hummed as she came to stand beside Wesley, and he felt her tail tap the back of his calf.
“Is it true, Zetta?” Ruby rushed over to her and grabbed her hands. “You asked Sheriff Skye to dinner?”
Zetta cut him a look before her cheeks turned a deep shade of purple and she coyly looked away from him. “Hush, now, Ruby, don’t go blowing this up.”
“Goodness gracious you did!” Ruby gasped then squealed and bounced on her toes before throwing her arms around Zetta’s neck and jostling the poor Tiefling lady around. “Zzeetttttaaa!”
“Hush it Ruby or else you’ll go and wake them all up.” Zetta hissed as she shook her head out and held the girl out at arm’s length.
“Oh, I wish the Order of Lemnos would just leave me alone!” She shrilled and stomped her foot. “Nobody would’ve gotten hurt otherwise and I would have been here a week sooner so this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Don’t go sayin’ that now. You couldn’t have known they were coming, Ruby.” Zetta clicked her tongue and wiped at the tear stains under Ruby’s green eyes. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”
“I’m just glad I was able to get all of them out of that camp.” Ruby huffed as she looked down and clapped her hands to her hips. When she looked back up again, she waggled her brows at Zetta. “Did you kiss him yet?”
“Ruby!”
Zetta tried to cover to girl’s mouth with her hands, but a fit of laughter bubbled out of the strawberry witch and she merely hugged Zetta. Wesley felt his own face turning a few shades darker and could hardly believe what he heard. While he very much would like to kiss Zetta, he never would have demanded such a thing. His heart raced faster than centaurs at the thought that just maybe Zetta liked him almost as much he liked her, but quickly pinned that thought for another time. If the Order of Lemnos were running amuck trying to start another Salem witch trials, then that mean the Orion Hunters weren’t that far behind.
“Let me be happy for you.” Ruby gushed and looked over Zetta’s shoulder at Wesley. “Now you be good to her Sheriff Skye, my sister here might be tough on the outside, but she’s all kinds of ooey gooey on the inside.”
Wesley tried not to be too surprised by the elemental witch calling Zetta her sister, but he couldn’t help but blink in surprise.
Zetta huffed as she managed to free herself from the shorter elemental witch. “That’s enough outta you, Ruby. Not to mention you’re filthy and you stink.”
“There’s no need to be rude just ‘cause you want a goodnight kiss, Florenzetta.” Ruby winked at Wesley, and he was certain it was on fire because she burst into another fit of giggles almost immediately as she barely managed to escape Zetta’s tail from pushing her away.
“Go on, get on!” Zetta’s face and neck were a deep shade of purple and from Ruby’s laughter she had no shame nor regrets for what she said. “I swear if she wasn’t my sister, I might really snatch a knot in her head sometimes.” With a huff, Zetta turned and looked at Wesley. “Please pay her no mind, she just really knows how to get something stuck in my craw.”
“Actually, I think I wouldn’t mind paying a little bit of attention to her words.” Wesley chuckled as he gently caressed her cheek and allowed his thumb to trace the seam of lower lip and letting it rest in the dimple of her chin. “A goodnight kiss sounds mighty nice. . .”
Her eyes went wide, and her cheeks fanned a deeper shade of purple as her tail latched onto his ankle like a vice.
“I – Is that a demand?” Her lips parted and a pink tongue darted out to wet her lower lip. “Or a request?”
“Neither if that isn’t what you want.” Wesley paused, his eyes searching hers for some sort of sign that he was misreading things, that he presumed that Zetta would merely do as Ms. Ruby teased her when she didn’t want to. “I’m a patient man, Zetta. I will not take anythin’ you do not freely give.”
Wesley let his hand fall and was resolved to walk away, to act on his word when, Zetta’s tail pulled him closer, or maybe she moved closer to him, he wasn’t quite sure, but her plush purple lips were on his and he wasn’t going anywhere. Her nails scraped along the nape of his neck and threaded into his hair while his hands had befallen her waist to keep himself at bay. He felt himself going breathless as she pulled away and pressed her forehead to his leaving him panting and craving another kiss.
“You might be a patient man, Wesley, but I certainly am not.” She bit her lower lip and smiled at him before pecking a quick kiss to his nose and pulling back.
“Can’t say it hurts my feelings none.” The corner of his mouth tugged up into a smile and he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and tucked her hair behind her ear.
Her laugh was a melody to his soul that carried him all the way home that night and sang him a lullaby to sleep to. Wesley only wished it would have carried him through the next two weeks after that. Between the new tenants recovering in town before their trip to Cloteal Canyon and the train full of new humans moving to Ottilie, there wasn’t much time for Wesley to see Zetta. He managed to pop over for breakfast twice and help her set up tables, but between getting the humans in line and trying to keep the peace with the nonhumans, he was only able to catch a few fleeting glances. To make matters worse there was Nolton, a blue male Tiefling and one of new tenants that Ruby brought in that was overly infatuated with Zetta and kept trying to get too familiar with her despite her constant rejections. According to Ruby, the Tiefling had half his tail cut off in one of the fighting rings he was forced to participate in and Zetta was the only other Tiefling he’d ever seen. While Wesley felt a touch of sympathy for Nolton’s hard life, he was less sympathetic towards him as Nolton proceeded to do everything he could to woo Zetta.
Nolton was not deterred by her rejections and grew more determined to help Zetta out by acting as a waiter to customers during the day, a bouncer in the evenings, and doing a lot of the heavier lifting for Zetta. It was commendable, truly it was to the point Wesley found himself a little envious. Jealousy was not a feeling Wesley was particularly familiar with and he did not like the way it festered inside of him as he watched Nolton setting out the tables and chairs. No matter how much he disliked the unfortunate Tiefling, he wouldn’t interfere unless it was absolutely necessary, and that mostly depended on Zetta and how she felt. He couldn’t blame her if she chose Nolton over him, the fellow had time to spare, muscles to do more heavy lifting for her, and was of the same species; but it didn’t hurt his heart any less when he thought about it.
“I can hear your teeth grinding from here.” Zarod chuckled as he looked up from his stack of papers. “You gonna go get my biscuits this morning or are you gonna keep glaring pistols at the Tiefling fellow?”
At the jab Wesley tore his gaze away from the blue Tiefling setting up the chairs and threw the rest of his coffee back. Forcing himself to turn his back to the window, he looked at the stack of papers in Zarod’s hand. “Any more reports on the humans?”
“Not yet.” He grunted and shook his head. “You’d think they would have understood that when they were leaving all of them human folk towns, they’d have to coexist with us, but too many of them have tried lording over the people and treating us like they would in the city. . .”
“One would think.” Wesley sighed in agreement and moved over to his own desk.
Three businessmen hoping to expand their companies and a wealthy widow Mrs. Clackler with her only surviving niece Annabelle were unintentionally causing trouble for Ottilie. The businessmen just wanted more coin for their purses and didn’t care who they hired so long as the work was done, and they were the first to expand so far west, however their treatment of their workers needed a massive adjustment or else they’d have to take their business elsewhere. The widow was as prejudice as anyone would be from Luneburg and couldn’t seem to keep any maids or cooks for long. Wesley had gone down to her house to warn her twice and it was her niece that was the one to apologize on her aunt’s behalf. She was a sweet girl and could have been his sister with the blond hair and blue eyes, only Wesley wouldn’t have let any family member leave bruises on her like that. There was something off about the widow and he needed to find someone willing to go in there as a maid if only to tell him what was really going on inside the manor.
Knock, knock, knock.
Wesley’s head flicked up to see Ms. Ruby Rose peeking through the window with a warm smile on her face. “Mornin’ Sheriff Skye!”
“Morning, Ms. Ruby.”
He gave a nod, and she entered the station carrying a big basket of biscuits and other breakfast goodies. Zarod sat up inhaling the food and smiling wider than a cat as he looked at the strawberry witch. He was practically drooling as he took another inhale and rose to his feet and moving things around his desk.
“Does the sweetest rose in Ottilie come bearing biscuits?”
“Fresh out the oven.” Ruby nodded as she trotted over and set the basket on Zarod’s desk. “Complimentary from my sister.”
“Is Zetta starting a delivery service?” Zarod’s stomach rumbled as he reached for a biscuit.
“Nope.” Ruby shook her head as she hoisted herself up on the corner of Zarod’s desk. “Just a special treat for the deputy.”
“A treat it is, Zetta’s biscuits are better than my own mothers.” He rumbled happily as he took a massive bite of a biscuit and moaned.
“I wouldn’t go saying that if I were you, your momma’s feelings might get hurt.” Ruby laughed nonchalantly as she herself picked up a biscuit and let her feet swing beneath her.
“Even my mother prefers Zetta’s biscuits over her own.” He managed to get out around a mouthful of food.
“Careful now, honey, don’t need to choke.” She giggled and pulled out a thermos and poured out two cups. “Here, Roddy, have some orange juice to wash it down.”
“Thanks, Ruby, you’re the best.” He swallowed the biscuit down and accepted the juice from her.
“Oh, not at all.” She hummed happily and continued nibbling on her own biscuit.
Wesley looked up at the nickname and saw that Zarod was too distracted with his biscuits to notice. Zarod hated it when anyone shortened his name or called him anything else but Zarod. He was very clear on what Wesley was to call him in the beginning, and here Ms. Ruby Rose sat on his desk like a kitten acting like they were old friends. For all Wesley knew they probably were, then again for all he knew they also could have been lovers and needed a moment to catch up on lost time.
His gut twisted uncomfortably at the thought, and he rose to his feet sliding his hat on his head. “I’mma head on out.”
Not wanting to be a third wheel and give his only friend and deputy a little alone time with Ms. Ruby Rose, Wesley walked past the desk plucking up a biscuit only to be yanked back by the collar of his shirt and snatching the biscuit back.
“Oh no you don’t!” Ruby snipped too happily for how hard she tugged on him. “You want your own biscuit; you go get them from Zetta.”
“Excuse me?” He turned so fast and felt his stomach drop as he looked at MS. Ruby. Despite the smile on her face the look in her eye could boil water with the heat it carried.
“Why haven’t you been seeing my sister, Sheriff Wesley Skye?” She hopped off the desk and marched up to him prodding her finger into his chest. Keeping his hands up and away as an act of surrender, Wesley took steps back away from her only to have her advance on him.
“Because the humans have demanded a little bit more of my attention than I care to give them.” He tried to sound polite, but it sounded just as cold and annoyed as he felt.
“He’s not lying, Ruby.” Zarod gulped down another biscuit as he watched the little witch try to take on a man a whole head taller than her. “Humans have been causing all sorts of trouble.”
“Stay outta this, Roddy.” She hissed over her shoulder and kept Wesley pinned in place with those intense green eyes and clapped her hands to her hips. Zarod paled a little but was content to return to his food and leaving Wesley out to be dressed down like he was in school again.
“You listen here Sheriff Skye, I know very good and well that you two are some of the busiest people in Ottilie, you’re both workaholics and will try to get all the work done before you take proper time to yourselves. Well guess what? Ya both got businesses that never stop which mean ya won’t stop working.” She threw her hand to the window where there was a clear view to The Hidden Wisp. “My sister Zetta is a strong, independent woman that doesn’t need anyone in her life, not even me, but if you don’t go over there and stop Nolton she’ll never want to need you again.”
“Ms. Ruby –” Wesley could hardly get another word in before she was lighting him up with another storm.
“I know I can’t pin this all on you because Zetta’ll put up with a lot until she breaks, but I will light a fire under your rear before I let you sit in this room a day longer brooding with jealousy over a Tiefling who’s never been around women before and is bothering my sister.” She huffed and seemed to let all the tension she carried into this room off her shoulders as she rolled her shoulders back and smiled sweetly at him. “Now go be the gentleman my sister has been talking to me about and go save her from Nolton.”
It took Wesley a moment to comprehend what she was saying when a shout outside snapped his attention away from her. Zetta was using her serving tray as a shield as Nolton had her pinned to the wall in the shade of the porch with his tail wagging. While Wesley was a patient man, he’d had enough, and his boots carried him to The Hidden Wisp than his rational thoughts could catch up with him.
“Florenzetta, I know can sense my feelings for you.” Nolton purred out as he tried to flirt with Zetta.
“What I sense is your inability to hear me, Nolton.” She hissed and tried to shove him away with her tail. “I have told you enough times now that I am spoken for and I am not interested in you.”
A growl tumbled out of him, his tail thrashing irritably behind him as he took a step away. “What does he have that I don’t?”
“Well for one thing manners and a good sense of hearing about him to listen when a lady says ‘no’.” Zetta’s tail swished irritably behind her as her hands were ready to swing her tray around like a weapon.
“He’s a human, Florenzetta, do you know what they do to our kind?” The venom and vengeance oozing from Nolton’s body was enough to poison a whole well of water.
“Wesley isn’t like that!”
“He’s a human, if you give him what he wants he’ll toss you away.” Nolton hissed.
“Shut your mouth, Nolton, you don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“I know plenty!”
Zetta nearly screeched as marched up to him. “Wesley Skye is the nicest man alive and the only male that’s cared about my opinion. Whether you like it or not, I am spoken for, Nolton because Wesley is my mate!”
Wesley stopped in his tracks as he was coming up the stairs and thought his heart was going to burst. The attraction he felt for Zetta was certainly strong and he had planned on taking things slow between them to get to know one another better, but for her to make such a declaration had him starstruck.
“Is that true, Zetta?”
Zetta gasped as she turned to face him, her lilac face tinted with deeper shades of purple as she could hardly bring herself to look at him. Nolton, fiercely angry and hurt from the rejection looked between the two of them before defeat washed over him and he excused himself inside.
“Wesley?”
“Is it true?” He finished climbing the steps to meet her halfway. “Am I your mate?”
“Well – I – er, um.” As Wesley drew closer to her she tried to look everywhere but at him. His boots clicked as he stood at the top step and made sure their toes were touching.
“Zetta.” He grabbed her hand and held it loosely. Her white pupilless eyes turned to him with such a fear she started to tremble. “Am I your mate?”
Her voice was a whisper as she looked up at him. “And if you are?”
“I’ll be the happiest man alive.” He smiled and bent his head so their foreheads could touch.
“I didn’t want to tell you yet. . .” She admitted and closed her eyes so tight her brow wrinkled. “It’s too soon and we hardly know each other and – ”
Wesley pressed a kiss to her forehead and gently wrapped his arms around her in a hug. He felt her tail curling itself around his left calf.
“It’s all right if its too early. We’ll still take our time if that’s what you wanna do.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and he could see the indecision resting within her. “You say that now, but you humans do things differently. . .”
“Maybe, but that’s all right. We can take this at your pace, Zetta.” He hummed and brushed his thumb against her cheek. “I’m not plannin’ on goin’ anywhere soon, so if I’m your mate, I would be honored if you would allow me to court you Zetta.”
“Yes.”
With tears welling up in her eyes and a smile blooming on her face, Zetta held his face in her hands and kissed him hard. Somewhere behind him he heard hoots, hollers, and whistles, but they felt like a world away and Wesley couldn’t be any happier.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this little story; I haven't quite decided if this is the ending for Zetta and Wesley, but I'm pretty content with their story for now. If you liked this story and would like to see more, please leave me a comment or review and please make sure to reblog to help share the love.
If you're interested in any of my other works, please check them out on my masterlist!
