My Peculiar Mates

Chapter 4: Nudists?

    Three days later and Rheya still hadn’t heard from Lia. Between long work hours and her free time, there wasn’t enough to keep her mind busy. She wanted to call, but was afraid of coming off too clingy; especially since they technically had an argument last they spoke. She had been told previously that she fell in love too early. Her body ached, and she wondered if she was sick. All she knew was that she wished Lia were here to comfort her.

    She couldn’t get their kiss off of her mind. Every time she thought about it, it gave her goosebumps and reignited a pool of desire for her fiery lover. She’d never had a kiss impact her like this before, and it entranced her. If Lia could do this with a single kiss, she could only imagine what she was like in the bedroom…

    She was pulled out of her thoughts by her phone ringing, the caller ID revealing it was just the woman she was thinking of. She answered quickly. “Hello?”

    “Hi,” Lia said quietly.

    “Hi,” Rheya repeated, smiling.

    “Would you like to talk?” Lia asked. “In person?”

    “That would be nice,” she replied.

    “I’ll be there in 10,” Lia said.

    “What? Okay I have to go get ready,” Rheya panicked, making Lia chuckle. 

    “See you soon Sunshine.”

    Rheya hung up and grabbed a towel, hopping in the shower for 5 minutes. Then she wrapped her hair in a towel and chose her outfit. She had no idea how long they’d be hanging out for, so she just grabbed a cropped t-shirt and her favourite pair of high waisted leggings. She’d just finished tying her shoelaces when the doorbell rang.

    She swung the door open and was immediately greeted by the sweet cinnamon scent she knew was Lia. Her hair was tied back in a braid, and a tight leather jacket hugged her chest, pushing her cleavage together. She shivered as Lia’s eyes travelled approvingly down her body. 

    “Cute outfit,” she said, pulling her in for a quick kiss on the cheek. “Ready to go?”

    “I haven’t eaten yet,” Rheya replied, her stomach growling in agreement.

    “That’s okay, we’ll go get breakfast, my treat,” Lia took her hand and led her outside. 

    Rheya locked the door and turned around, gasping when she noticed that Lia hadn’t brought her Camaro, but instead was leaning on a big blue motorbike. 

    “I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before…” Rheya paused.

    “Well, today’s the day,” Lia grinned, standing up and grabbing two helmets and an extra leather jacket out of the seat. She passed Rheya the jacket and helped her get the helmet on, before securing her own and straddling the seat. Rheya climbed on behind her, grabbing Lia’s waist as the engine roared to life. They backed carefully onto the street, and cruised towards the downtown core.

    Rheya’s nervousness soon gave way to excitement, enjoying the thrill. Lia’s body blocked most of the wind, and she got to enjoy the feeling of their bodies against each other. She was tempted to trail her hands up under Lia’s shirt, teasing her while they rode. Hopefully they’d do this more often.

    They pulled up beside a little cafe, and Lia helped her off the bike before stowing their helmets again. They made their way into the shop and took a window seat. After they placed their orders, Rheya turned to Lia with an inquisitive stare.

    “So… I have a few questions,” she said.

    “Shoot,” Lia nodded, gesturing for her to go ahead.

    “May I ask what happened to make our date night end prematurely?” Rheya hoped she wasn’t overstepping, but she did say she would explain.

    “My parents contacted me; we had some unwanted guests on our property, and they needed my help to deal with them,” Lia explained, shrugging her shoulders. Rheya’s brow furrowed in concern.

    “Unwanted guests?” She asked. “Did you call the police? Were they trying to rob you?”

    Lia shifted uncomfortably. “No, nothing like that,” she said. “They were trespassing, and I had to re-check the border security after they managed to sneak in.”

    “Oh. Is your family wealthy?” Rheya asked, blushing once she realised how that came off. “To need that much security, I mean.”

    “Something like that,” Lia smiled.

    “Okay… I wanted to ask something else,” she said.

    Lia reached across the table and put her hand on Rheya’s. “Anything, Sunshine.”

    “How did you know where I live?” 

    Lia blushed, looking at their entwined hands. “I may have f*******: stalked you after I met you at my bar,” she said sheepishly.

    “Oh,” Rheya barked out a laugh. “I did the same thing, I’m just surprised you remembered that detail.”

    They continued enjoying each other’s company over breakfast, their smiles never leaving their faces. It was only when Lia got up to pay that Rheya glanced out the window, and saw a man on the other side of the street. He was talking on his phone and staring directly at her. It gave her the creeps. She tried to point him out when Lia came back, only to discover he had disappeared.

    “That’s so weird…” she murmured. “He was right there.”

    Lia frowned, but brushed it off and motioned with her head towards the door. “Ready to go back?”

    She nodded and they packed up. But when she stepped outside of the restaurant, all the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood on end. “Lia, something’s wrong.”

    Lia looked around and let out a sound dangerously close to a growl. Rheya would have found it humorous if only she weren’t so apprehensive. They quickly got on the bike.

    “I think someone might be following us, so I’m going to take us back to my house just to be safe,” Lia said, starting the engine and pulling out onto the road. She kept an eye on her back mirrors, and Rheya could feel how tense she was. “Hold on tight!” She shouted over the wind.

    They managed to make it through the city traffic and over the bridge connecting Ottawa to Gatineau, then they were on the highway. Lia stepped on the gas, going at what Rheya considered dangerously high speeds on a bike. She gripped Lia’s waist for dear life, sparing a glance over her shoulder to see a black car without a license plate trailing them. Every time they passed another vehicle, the car followed. Lia seemed to take notice and sped up, weaving around some cars. They would soon reach a turn off to an overpass.

    They hadn’t managed to successfully lose the car, so Lia angled towards the off ramp. She only slowed down enough to make the merge, the car following them closely, before she gunned into the grass and back onto the highway. Rheya screeched and shut her eyes tight, not letting go even as the tires bounced on the pavement. She opened her eyes to see the black car hadn’t been able to follow them, and breathed a sigh of relief.

    After about 20 minutes of speeding, they pulled off the highway and made their way down a deserted road. They turned off into a little grove that lacked pavement, Lia slowing down to a crawl compared to their high speed chase. They came to a stop in front of a tall, high-tech gate, in stark contrast with the wilderness around them. The gates swung open, allowing them passage. 

    In front of them lay a white brick building, with a dark burgundy roof. There was ivy growing up the walls, and several people milling about the lawn. The doors opened, and two people that looked to be in their early thirties ran down the steps and towards the bike.

    “Oh my god, there you are Lia! Are you okay?” A woman fussed. Rheya assumed from the similarities in their appearances, this might be Lia’s sister or something.

    Lia took off her helmet and put the kickstand up on the bike, sliding off the seat. “Yeah, I’m alright. I don’t think they were able to follow us.”

    Rheya tried to stand, but failed, her legs shaking and giving out under her. Lia caught her with one arm, propping up her body weight on her shoulder. The two strangers reached out and helped support her. “Oh you poor thing, let’s get you inside,” the woman said, not unkindly.

    After they made their way in the foyer, they sat her down on a sofa. She was having trouble processing the sheer size of the place, and the amount of people walking around. Half the people were shirtless, and they were looking at her curiously. Lia glared at the people staring, and they quickly went back to their own business. She sat down beside Rheya, holding her hand. “Welcome to my home.”

    Rheya glanced around again before turning to Lia with wide eyes. “Are you a nudist colony?”

    Lia and the two strangers burst out laughing, and soon Rheya was giggling too, as they were all doubled over holding their stomachs. Finally she calmed down enough to reply, rubbing the tears from her eyes. “No, Sunshine, we’re not nudists. Well, kind of, but…” She shook her head.

    “We’re werewolves.”