Goddess Girls - S. L. Zeigler (e book reader pc txt) 📗

Jakole changes into a human.
~Try it again, but backwards.
~Alright.

I close my eyes and barely feel the change, when I open them I realize I forgot to think on clothes.
~Oops! I forgot about clothes! One sec.
~Katya, are you okay?
~What?
~You are covered in bruises!
~Yah, so?
~I have never seen someone with as many bruises, not alive anyway.
~I actually don’t have as many as usual.

As I look at my battered body, most my bruises are fresh, so I will look worse tomorrow, but I do not have any old bruises, so I am not as “colorful” as usual.
~How is that possible?
~Sometimes I wonder how I’m still alive too.
~I had no idea you had it that bad. Does it hurt?
~Not right now, it will when I touch it most likely.

I touch my thigh.
~Yup, not as bad as I thought it would though.
~I too, thought it would hurt more.
~I forgot my pain hurts you too, I’m sorry!
~Do not apologize. It is not your fault.
~Can I hear your voice?

“Why, it is just a voice.”
“It sounds like music to me.”
“Really? I thought the same about yours.”
“I think I know what this feeling is, it has been described to me many times. Love.”
~You might be right. It fits with what I feel.
~Same here, but I never knew they meant this. I’m goin’ to think on clothes now.
~Just imagine yourself in clothes.

I close my eyes and think myself into clothes.
~Oh, sh*t, you are clothes!
~CRAP! Um, let me try this again!

I think of myself in my body, wearing clothes.
~That is much better,

I think when I find myself in my own body.
~I have never heard of that happening!
~No kidding. I bet you would have warned me.
~Of course.

He sounded completely serious, I had to laugh.
~What?
~I’m sorry, you, just, after what happened, that just sounded too serious.
~Oh,

he sounded like he actually sounded like he understood what I had just said, your laugh is beautiful.
~Thanks,

I look at my watch, its one forty-five in the morning, I don’t know about you, but I’m goin’ to bed.

~You do not have a bed.
~I mean that I’m goin’ to sleep.
~Oh, I’ll change and go outside.
~You can stay in here if you want.
~Really?
~Yes, in either form, but I bet you’ll be more comfortable if you are in wolf form.
~Okay, I will change and stay in here?
~Sounds good to me.

I watched as Jakole changed in just a few seconds. As I lay down he pushes my head up and curls around me, I relax more so than I have ever been at night.

I wake with the sun pouring into my window, that’s odd, the sun only comes into my window in the afternoon. I think so anyway.
~You are correct; it is five in the afternoon.

Jakole’s mind-voice startles me, and then yesterdays memories come pouring back into my head.
~Jakole?
~Of course, are you hungry? I am.
~Yah, I’m goin’ to take a shower though.
~I will wait here.

I stand up and walk out of the room and into the bathroom. I turn on the water and strip; I don’t bother waiting for the water to warm up before I step into the stream. I work through all the stiffness and try not to think, just calm down. Every time my mind wanders to Jakole, I start hyperventilating. I give up once the water goes cold again. Jakole stays silent.
“Time to eat?” asks the most beautiful voice in the world when I step into my room.
“As soon as I get dressed,” my thoughts go to the beautiful man by my side, as soon as they do, he looks over. “I’m ready, are you? We can go see my brother Ryan for breakfast, I usually do, or dinner, he eats late, but I doubt he will mind.”
“That is good enough for me, but in what form?”
“This one is fine, if you like my food. If not, you can change.”
“I will eat with you.”
“Okay, let’s go,” I walk out the door of my room and all my brothers stare at me. “What?”
“Sorry, we just are not used to a guy walking out of your room after you, heck, we aren’t used to you walking out of there half the time,” explains Tim.
“Jakole, this is Isal and Ollie, Tim and Danielle, Raz and Rillie, Jack and Jill, Ham and Sara, George and Haly, Modle and Hether, Yar and Fernanda, Ben and Bes, Asum and Tal, Mic and Tally, Lams and Terra, Paul and Zoe, and Joey and Georgia. They are all of my brothers that still live here.”
“Wait,” says Asum, “Jakole? Isn’t that the name of your wolf?”
“Yes, I call the illusion that, I based him off what I think he would look like if he were a human. Is that a problem?”
“No!” shouts Zoe.
“Hum, well we’re going over to Ryan’s. We’ll see ya’ll later.” As I walk out, I feel all their eyes on my back. “So, ready to meet Ryan?”
“Yes, that sounds fine.”
“Well, here we go,” I warn, “it may be dangerous.”
“How so?” he asks with real skepticism in his voice.
“Oh, don’t worry; he has a gun in his coat-closet.”
“I will protect you.”
“I don’t need protection. If he tries to shoot anyone it will be you,” I state with a voice that brooks no argument. We stay silent for about ten steps.
“What should we tell him?” Jakole finally asks.
“I think we should tell him the truth?”
“I think that is what we should do; at least, I do not have any bad feelings about it.”
“Alright,” I say as I walk up to the door and hit the bell.
“Hello!” Lilian exclaims.
“Hi, Lilian, I was wondering if we could join you for dinner?”
“Sure, we would love that. You can also introduce us to your man here.”
“Thank you.”
“I will be done in ten minutes, Ryan is watching television.”
“Thank you for inviting us,” Jakole tells Lilian. I lead us off into the other room.
~’Kay, you need to act like you are an illusion.
~I understand, I will act, not like my wolf self, but like a human that is very protective of you. I am protective of you anyway though.
~That is alright, get ready, he is around the corner.
~Alright.

Jakole walks in front of me and takes up a protective stance as we round the corner.
“Hay bro, we’re joining you for dinner.”
“He—who is he?” Ryan is instantly suspicious.
~Plan B, pretend you are an overprotective man, my man!
~Why?
~I forgot, the Goddess told me not to tell too many people, and he will never believe us.
~Okay.

All this takes about two seconds.
“Ryan, this is my man, Jakole.”
“What?” he asks, incredulous.
“I am Jakole, you must be Ryan.”
“Yes, but how can this be, where have you been all her life?”
“My parents said they could not support two kids, so they kept me at home all my life, until recently, my father passed away. So I came out to find a job.”
“So, you found her when?”
“As I was walking by yesterday I spotted her walking home, I knew she was the one as soon as my eyes touched her, she was watching me.” All of a sudden a wave of craving sweeps over me. I need to touch him, hold him, be held by him. Instead, I walk over and take his hand.
“Finally I understand what love feels like,” I tell Ryan. “I finally understand, but I’m still wearing pants.”
“Dinner is ready!” Lilian exclaims from the doorway.
“Thank you, Lilian,” Ryan tells her as he gets up to walk into the dining room.
“This way, Jakole,” I say gesturing toward the door. I walk off after Lilian, keeping our hands twined. “Lilian, what are we having?”
“I made breakfast for dinner, eggs, bacon, orange juice, pancakes, and all the fixings.”
“Yum, I love your cooking, and I love bacon.” Hope you enjoy it.
~What is bacon?
~Pig cut into strips and fried in grease.
~Okay, sounds, good?
~You’ll see.

“Jakole, sit by me,” I tow him to one side of the table and sit down next to him while Lilian and Ryan sit across from us. “Can I say grace?”
“Why yes sweetie,” Lilian tells me.
“Thank the God and Goddess for our food and family, and finally uniting Jakole and I. Amen.”
“Thank you, Katya.”
“Sure, can you pass the pancakes?” I ask Ryan who is sitting across from me. Silently, he hands them to me. “Thanks.” We lapse into an awkward silence for a few minutes.
“What are you two going to do tonight?” Lilian finally breaks the silence.
“I was thinkin’ of callin’ all my brothers over for a fight, Jakole doesn’t believe I can fight most of ya’ll at the same time. Want to join, Ryan?”
“Um, sure, sounds like fun, I still find it hard to believe you are that much better than us.” I hear Jakole laugh.
“Hay, you can join in tonight too. Oh yah, Ryan, when do I get my cast off?”
“I can take it off now, it should be healed by now,” he tells me.
“Cool, after we finish? That way I can fight with it, it is a lot easier to fight without being handicapped.”
“I am full, thank you Lilian, it was wonderful,” Jakole breaks in.
“I’m almost done,” I assure him, I eat the last of my bacon.
“I’ll do the dishes and start calling all of your brothers that don’t live at home anymore.”
“Thank you Lilian,” I tell her. “Let’s go Ryan!”
“Okay, to my office.” I lead the way there with Jakole on my heels. I jump up onto the bed and pat it in invitation until Jakole comes and sits by me, taking my left hand in his.
“This might hurt a little, but not as much as last time.”
“I know, I know, I’ve had broken bones before,” I remind him. He walks over and starts taking off my cast, it does not hurt at all.
Lilian walks in, “They are all going to be over there in twenty minutes, Ryan, you better go get ready.”
“We’ll go get my brothers next door ready for the fight,” I tell them as I stand up then run out toward my house.
“Why are we running?” Jakole asks when we are about halfway to my house.
~To get there faster.
~Hum that makes since.

We slow down to a walk just before we walk inside. All my brothers look towards my entrance. “’Kay, two things, one, don’t tell anyone that I am a Goddess Girl. Two, would anyone like to join a fight, all of our other brothers are going to be here in fifteen minutes.”
“That sounds fun and why?” Tim asks.
“Because I need it to stay a secret, please! If you want to join the fight, be outside in fifteen, and girls can stay and watch if they want.”
“Okay, I’ll be there,” Tim says.
“Cool, I’m going to go warm up.” I run into the bathroom and grab a hair tie and jog outside. As I warm up Jakole stares, watching.
“Why don’t you warm up with me, or are you not goin’ to join the fight?”
“I will join the fight, but why do you warm up?”
“If we warm up it loosens our muscles.”
~Why, you do not warm up before a battle.
~But, if you warm up now, you help your muscles get strong