The Healing Souls

Secret Keeper

Carmen proved to be as perfect as I imagined her throughout our entire night together. She never fought back, only questioned things she didn’t understand, and did everything I wanted her to, no matter how strange or humiliating.

In fact, when I ordered her to ride me while massaging my ears and licking my tusks. It was something I had heard of Forrest doing once, but he never did it again because the females all refused, as it was too humiliating. Licking someone else’s tusks was a sign of absolute submission and degradation.

Any time she stopped, I smacked her bottom, but not too hard. She got to the point where she clenched around me in preparation for the smack if she realized she messed up. It felt amazing.

When I finally finished, I held her against me. Carmen was everything I dreamed of in my wistful desire to win against someone in a dominance fight. She did everything I ever wanted and it was some of the best ѕex I had ever had.

Earlier in the night, I had given myself permission to love her, but now I felt as if I truly did love her. She made me love her. Even if it was only for one night, she had my heart.

I laid her next to me and she rested her head on my chest as I pulled the blankets over us. Carmen smiled contentedly. It was intimate in a way I’d never been with a female troll. They usually wanted me to leave after they were done with me.

“Can I tell you a secret, now that I’ve had my wicked way with you?” I asked.

“Sure.”

“I never won a single fight for dominance against a female troll. I’m smaller and weaker than even the females,” I admitted. “They were never as good to me as I tried to be to you. This is the only time I’ve ever gotten to be in control. My first and last time, once I find my true mate. Thank you, Carmen, for giving me the night of my dreams. I got to be powerful in a way I never had before.”

“Maybe the goddess sent me to you for a reason, then. Get some sleep. You did so good tonight, Rock. You were right. This was a night unlike any that I’ve ever experienced. I’m so glad I found you,” she said and stroked her tiny hand up and down my stomach.

It was relaxing. I told her something I wouldn’t have ever told another troll and she didn’t mock or tease me. Part of me felt like I could tell her anything. There was something peaceful about it.

I slowed my breathing so she would feel comfortable sleeping. Desert trolls don’t sleep much in the warmer months. I didn’t want her to worry about me getting rest, so I pretended. It was a perk about her being blind; she couldn’t see me watching her.

After a few minutes, she rolled over. I thought she was just trying to get comfortable but watched her as she reached over for the bedside lamp. I closed my eyes in preparation for the brightness of the bulb.

Cave trolls didn’t like light all that much. Being half-human, I could handle it better than most, but my house was dark most of the time. I only had bulbs in the sockets because I had friends who weren’t cave trolls and I didn’t know what my true mate would be. If she wasn’t a cave troll, she would want lights on in the evenings.

I peeked out in time to see Carmen shift from a human into a dusty gray wolf. She was beautiful. I liked animals for more than just food, especially dogs. I wanted to open my eyes and interact with her, but it felt like she wanted to keep this a secret.

Covertly, I watched her as she looked me over. Could she see in her wolf form? I worried that she wouldn’t like me if she saw what I really looked like. She had to know she was beautiful and I was a monster.

Her mouth opened and her tongue lolled out. I could see her tail wagging behind her. Did she like what she saw?

She shifted back and was smiling as she curled up with me. I almost laughed. If she meant it to be a secret, she really shouldn’t have left the lamp on. I smiled thinking of how sweet and silly she was.

It wasn’t long before Carmen drifted off. She was so tired but made herself stay up just so she could see me. I wondered if she would tell me what that was about tomorrow, but I wouldn’t push her. Maybe it was to see if I was as scary as she expected a troll to be.

As soon as she had been asleep for long enough, I tried to move, but Carmen wrapped her arms around me and held on tightly. I stared at her and tried to pull her arms off so I could get up and turn that light off.

“No. Mine,” she growled in her sleep.

I sighed. Couldn’t argue with that. I’d just have to deal with the annoyance.

“I love you, Rock,” Carmen whispered and snuggled deeper into me. “Never leave me.”

Her first mate left her. Some part of her was putting me in the place of her next mate. If he ever left her, I’d kill him myself. She deserved more.

“I’ll never leave you,” I whispered back to her and stroked her back. “I love you, too, Carmen.”

It was weird saying that to someone who wasn’t my mate, but it felt good to reassure her in her dreams. I hoped it helped her have the confidence she needed with her mate when she found him.

I spent the night holding Carmen and thinking about what it would be like to find my mate. Maybe she would be sweet like Carmen. It was possible. I didn’t have an entirely troll-like personality. Maybe another human/troll hybrid. Someone with soft skin and hair. Someone with a gentle personality. Someone I could feel strong around.

Carmen woke up at seven, even though she hadn’t gone to sleep until around three. She seemed alert but in pain. I tucked a finger under her chin when she turned away from me.

“Carmen, you don’t look well. Are you okay?” Was she regretting last night?

“It’s embarrassing. I’m a little stiff and sore. I didn’t expect that to happen. I’m a werewolf. I should heal quickly.”

“Muscle aches are the same no matter what species you are. You were twisted and bent in ways you never had been before. You vigorously used muscles that you probably only barely used before.” I chuckled.

She blushed and bit her lips together. I leaned in and kissed her. I couldn’t resist her. I wished I had met her a year earlier. Maybe we could have dated. I would love to have more time with her.

“You stay here and I’ll run a bath for you,” I murmured against her lips.

Carmen nodded breathlessly. I got out of bed and went to run the water. I needed to feed her as well. Wolves were carnivores. They ate more meat than plants… but werewolves were part human. I had some plants around because I needed to eat them, too. Though, not as much.

I kept that private. None of my friends knew I needed to eat plants as well as meat. Other trolls might think it was a sign of weakness. I knew my friends were more understanding, but I didn’t want them to think less of me.

When the water was ready, I went to get Carmen and guided her into the bathroom. I helped her in the tub and guided her hands to where the towel was waiting for her.

“I’m going to make breakfast and I’ll be back shortly. If you finish before I come back, then call for me. My ears help my sense of hearing. I’ll hear you and come help you put something on. Got it? You’re my guest, so you need to let me do things for you.”

Carmen giggled. “I get it. I’ll let you know if I finish before you do. This tub doesn’t feel as small as I’m used to.”

“It’s built for a troll. I don’t know what type my mate will be, so I made it big enough for a mountain troll. They tend to be the biggest species of troll,” I told her. “Don’t drown.”

She laughed. “I know how to swim. Don’t worry. I think I can survive a bath.”

I smiled. “Okay. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Carmen laid back in the tub and sighed in a relaxed way. I was glad it was soothing her pain. I was also a little proud that I’d caused such a reaction in her.

Once I was back in the room, I straightened out my bed, turned off the lamp, and got dressed. Cooking in the nude wasn’t something I enjoyed. Even though my stove was lifted up, that was way too much fire too close to my sensitive bits.

As I went to the kitchen, I thought about last night. I never imagined I would bring home a werewolf. Carmen said the goddess must have brought her to me. I wondered if it was true. What would the purpose be? Was the goddess so bored she could facilitate hook-ups?

I went to the refrigerator and pulled out the meat I’d been thawing for my breakfast. It would be fine to give her some. I wouldn’t starve to death because I gave her some food.

Quickly, I went to check on the two pigs I had brining in the large tub in my kitchen. Forrest and Elbio came over for dinner on Saturdays, typically. I needed two pigs to feed us all. Forrest could eat more than Elbio and me. He was a mountain troll and the biggest of the three of us.

After getting the pork roast chopped up, I pulled out some whole mushrooms. That would make it stretch a little. I’d make pork and mushrooms, ham, the sausage I had for today and the one I intended for my breakfast tomorrow, bacon, and some pork steaks. It was a lot of pork, but I’d had good luck on my last wild pig hunt and my freezers were stocked with more pork than beef.

I got everything prepared, then realized I might need more plants. She might be expecting something more balanced. Quickly, I got some bread into the toaster and cut some apples and bananas. It would have to do for breakfast. I didn’t know how long she could be in the bath.

Some trolls had metal in their skins and being in the water for too long could cause rust to form over time. I didn’t think that was a problem for Carmen, but it still didn’t give me a great idea of how much water time she needed.

Before I went into the bathroom, I went and grabbed one of my t-shirts. It was one of my favorites because the material was softer than the others. It would be better for her with nothing on underneath it.

I helped Carmen to get out of the tub and dry off. She blushed a little, but I liked being able to see her like that. If not for the fact that I didn’t want her here when Forrest and Elbio got to the house, I would feed her in the nude and take her back to bed afterward.

It really was too bad I didn’t meet her earlier. I would have loved some long weekends with her. I shook my head. That was ridiculous. Sleeping with a werewolf was one thing; dating one was another thing entirely.

Once she was settled at the table, I went and got the food. Carmen looked so tiny sitting at my table. I set them down and then went to get the other plates and bowls.

“Trolls are carnivores, right?” Carmen laughed.

I smiled. “I realized halfway through cooking that you might need more than meat in the morning. I gave you half of a troll-sized portion. I hope that’s not too much.”

“I guess we’ll find out. Is there more if I’m still hungry?” she asked.

“Of course, just let me know.”

Carmen asked questions about my business and I asked about what she did for a living. I was surprised that she did some of the accounting work for her pack. She didn’t seem like a numbers person.

We talked about hobbies, interests, and other stuff. It was nice, like a date… after all of the fun date stuff. The pressure of whether or not we’d have ѕex was off, though. Carmen was a lot of fun to talk to and she was funny. I found myself laughing more with her than I had in months.

After the meal, I took the dishes to the sink, then went and got Carmen. If this was my last chance, then I was going to take advantage of it. I took Carmen back to my bedroom and pulled the shirt off of her. I knelt down, wrapped my arms around her waist, and rested my head on her chest.

“Soft,” I whispered.

Carmen giggled and kissed the top of my head. She inhaled deeply and I felt her relax. Part of me didn’t want this to end, but I knew it had to. We had mates the goddess had picked for us.

“What happens if you don’t find your true mate next weekend?” Carmen asked.

“I told you, I spend three days chained up. Then I go on with my life until I find her.”

“I meant what if she isn’t a troll?”

What if she isn’t a troll? What if… she isn’t a troll? What would she be if not a troll?

“I never thought of that.” I chuckled. “I think I’ll be happy to find her no matter what she is. Maybe I’ll get lucky and she’ll be something soft, like you. Then I have to hope she doesn’t reject me because of how ugly I am.”

“I think you’re beautiful, Rock,” she admitted. “Inside and out. I just know that your true mate is going to think the same. Sean told me, the goddess doesn’t make mistakes, we do. I agree with him. The goddess wouldn’t pair you up with a woman who would think you were ugly.”

Goddess, I hoped she was right. I wanted my true mate to love me. It was rare to be rejected by a true mate, but the fact that it did happen made me nervous as hell.

“You need to get dressed. I’m sure your friends and parents are going to be worried if they don’t hear from you soon. It’s almost ten,” I told her.

She stiffened. “Ѕhit! I have to get home. Help me find my clothes.”

It wasn’t hard. Everything was right where we left it. I handed her items as she commanded them. It was cute to see her go from my meek little submissive to ordering me around.

Carmen told her phone to send some texts, but I tried to ignore it. It sounded like she needed to go to the packhouse. I went to get her shoes from the shelf. We were low on time, it seemed, so I would take her home on my motorcycle.

After she put on her shoes, I reached for the doorknob, but Carmen stopped me. She grabbed my arm. I looked down at her and she was chewing her bottom lip.

“Something wrong?” I asked.

“One more kiss before I go?” she requested with a smile.

I leaned down and kissed her. We got very carried away, but we brought ourselves back to reality. I opened the door and we headed out.

She rode on the back of my motorcycle, clinging to my waist like she had last night. I felt oddly protective of her. Everything in me was sсreaming not to let her go, but I had to. She wasn't mine.

When we turned out of the fae lands, heading for her pack, I felt lost. Not like I didn't know where I was or where I was going. I felt like giving her back was a bad idea. This wasn't the time to cause problems with the wolves, though. I had to return her to her people and go on with my life.