Page 3 of A Love Tethered to the Sun
“As you can imagine, not too many people were open to me at first. I looked strange to them. My skin was dark as chocolate, with patches of skin that were white as snow. Eventually, people on the island warmed up to me. Healani and her family took me in after a few months of working at their store, and the rest is history. I’ve never told anyone this story before because one, I fear my father will find me; two, I don’t want the Kanes to get hurt if he does find me; and lastly, people like my father and brother just don’t exist. They can’t… right? I don’t know. I’m still trying to make sense of what I witnessed all those years ago, and I’m rambling now. I must sound like a crazy person to you.” I chuckled lightly and looked at him.
His full brows were bunched together in deep concentration as his warm, russet eyes perused my face and bikini-clad body. My eyes trailed up to his curly fro that was faded and tapered around the sides and back of his head. Pryde’s full beard accentuated his dark brown, full lips—his lips were my favorite feature of his. They were trapped by a bed of soft hairs that resembled a cloud. The fact that he always wore a medium-length gold chain added a bad-boy flare to his businessmanpersona. My eyes swept over the tattoos that covered his left hand and upper arm, which looked ancient and almost mystical. The deeper I looked into his eyes, the quicker I noticed they were no longer russet. They were gold like the sun and filled with what looked like anger. “Your eyes… your eyes are no longer brown—they’re golden,” I voiced.
He turned away and looked at the ocean. “My eyes change colors with the weather and emotions. Right now, I have a storm brewing inside of me for the things you witnessed and had to go through. I know what it’s like to be around monsters, but that’s a story for another time. This moment—this day is about you. You were brave to run away and hide because if you hadn’t, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. As in reference to your other questions or ramblings, as you called them…” He turned back to me, and his eyes were back russet. “There are many things in this world that are unexplainable. I, myself, have witnessed my share of it, but at the end of the day, it’s not really about if they exist or not, but rather how you will react when you find out.” He looked deep into my eyes.
“I honestly don’t know how I will react. If I’m faced with the same vicious creatures as I was fourteen years ago, then I can for sure tell you I’m hauling ass again.” We both fell out laughing. When we calmed down, we grinned at each other.
“You’re a cool person, Creek, and I really dig your vibe. We always talk whenever we can, but I want to change that. Let me take you out this weekend. I don’t do boring dates at all; it will be totally original. All I’m asking for is a chance to get to know you better outside of work,” he stated, then licked those full lips of his that begged me to kiss them. Sometimes, this man made me speechless, and this was one of those times. I shook my head and cheesed super hard. “Is that a yes, beautiful?” he asked, looking questioningly at me.
“Yes. I would really like to spend some time with you,” I voiced. He snatched my ass up so fast into his arms. “Damn, you’re strong and your body is much harder than it looks.”
“Oh my, my, my. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear you were flirting with me, Ms. Waters,” he remarked, giving me a sexy smile.
“And what if I am, Mr. Magers?” I responded, biting my bottom lip.
He tightened his arms around my waist, leaned down, and whispered into my ear. “Then that’s a very smart move, beautiful because I like a woman with a backbone,” Pryde stated, then nibbled on my ear lobe. A longing and heated feeling swam through me, and I saddled closer to him. “When you do shit like that, it makes it so hard to be a gentleman.” He leaned in further, and right before those succulent lips touched mine, I felt a smack on my ass.
“Ouch!” I turned around quickly and faced my best friend as I rubbed my cheek.
“Ooh… look at you out here being fast, and Pryde, I can’t believe you. I sent you out here to get her, not seduce her,” Healani sassed with a sly smile.
“I’m sorry, Healani. You know how I get when I’m around Creek,” he admitted shamelessly.
Healani wrapped her arm around mine. “Mmhm. I got my eyes on you. Let’s go, girl! We got some partying to do,” she announced in a cheerful tone. My best friend was absolutely beautiful with her natural tanned skin and long dark brown hair.
“Wait a minute. Creek, I need those digits, beautiful.” Pryde pulled out his phone. I didn’t physically have my phone, so I spouted off my number to him. I picked up my surfboard and turned to him.
“I’m expecting a text from you, handsome.” I started to walk off with Healani.
“No, ma’am. Be expecting a phone call,” he responded, then he pecked his lips in my direction.
Butterflies filled my stomach as Healani and I walked away, laughing like schoolgirls.
Chapter 2
Pryde Magers
Iwatched as Creek and Healani walked away, and my eyes were glued to Creek’s chocolate and white globes. She was the sexiest, most beautiful, and sweetest woman I had ever met. The splashes of white patches that displayed over her rich, dark chocolate skin were a bonus feature. I loved her almond-shaped and warm brownie-colored eyes. The white spots around both of her eyes enhanced the depths of them. When she wore her curly brown mane wild and free, it made me speechless. Creek was the epitome of Motherland beauty. Her mango-sized breasts sat up in her yellow bikini top. The hourglass shape she was blessed with turned every head she walked past, and that included women. The way the yellow bikini set clashed against her rich chocolate and white skin was absolutely a sight to be seen. She was a brick house—period.
My head swayed from side to side as I watched her stallion ass and toned legs switch away. Creek may be a plus-size beauty, but she rides the waves like a feather, landing gracefully on its tip. From the two years that I’d known her, every opponent she’d faced had always underestimated her because of the way she looked, and man, did she spank their asses. I’m talking about women from all over were defeated by Creek. I believe it’s a giftshe was blessed with because surfing comes so naturally to her. Her idol is the legendary Eddie Aikau—that was no surprise at all. Hawaii was his homeland, after all.
I sensed movement behind me. The sound of sand shuffling could never be heard with a human’s ear, but it was different for my species. Before my friend could place his hand on my shoulder, I turned to face him faster than the sand could trickle down from me disturbing it.
“Damn. It’s been a century plus, and I still can’t sneak up on your old ass,” my right hand, Dax Tides, stated as we playfully jabbed at each other. Dax favored the singer who made the song “Pony,” and he hated it when people made that reference.
“Negro, please. I ain’t nothing but thirty years older than you,” I voiced as I secured him a headlock. He tapped my arm, and I let him go.
“So, what did you find out? Is she the one?” he asked me.
I nodded. “Yes. She’s not only my mate but also the daughter and last living relative of that Lucifer wannabe, Rik. He’s been on a killing spree, murdering all of his family members, looking for her. We have to capture that imbecile ASAP.”
Dax nodded in agreement. “What’s the plan?” he questioned. We super-speed walked to our office in the hotel. We were both sitting in the chairs before the paper, fluttering in the air, settled on my desk.
“We’re going to kill him and his band of followers. They knew the rules, bro. Rik, Creek’s dad, is a vampire, and he illegally created a small army of newborn vampires that need to be exterminated like pests,” I replied.
Dax stood up, super-speed walked to the bar, and pulled back a liter bottle of Cognac. The wall opened, and he walked inside our walk-in garden, plucking a couple of green foliage leaves. He stepped out and turned the cognac bottle upright. “Okay, I hear you on that. I want to set a trap to get rid of his followers first,then capture him, and burn they dumb asses at sunrise,” Dax stated. He blended the leaves into the juicer with some green apples, spinach, mint leaves, and a teaspoon of agave.
“That’s the gist, but we have to always expect the unexpected. We have to put someone on the ladies,” I told him.
