Juanty's Hope Read online

  “Oh, shit,” she said as she began to lose her balance once again. She was about to faint for sure. She rested her back against the wall, slid down, and sat quietly, breathing deep and concentrating on the dimming blur before her eyes. She hadn’t experienced a headache in many years, but she knew enough to know this one was bad, and she would soon collapse into an embarrassing heap right here on the floor on the night of her grand opening if she didn’t get to a bed, and soon. Just as she was about to give up and close her eyes, a blurry image came into focus, causing her to damn near forget the pain that was crippling just seconds ago.

  “Are you OK? Let me help you,” the sexy image spoke.

  “Uhhhhhh…” Shoot, why are there absolutely no thoughts coming to my head? she thought. She willed her mouth to open, but no luck. She just sat there, mouth hanging. She decided the best thing to do would be to reach out her hand, but before she could, the sex god had gotten Juanty to her feet and was standing before her with his slender, 6’4 frame, smooth, Hershey chocolate skin and pearly whites surrounded by the sexiest beard game ever. He was wearing an all-blue suit that clung and hung perfectly in all the right places. The concerned look on his face caused her to gain her composure enough to tell him she was OK.

  “Is there somewhere I can take you? I can’t just leave you here inebriated.”

  “Inebriated?” She let out a hearty laugh, and then winced in pain, immediately wishing she could take it back.

  “I’m not drunk. It’s a migraine.” The stranger surveyed her eyes and couldn’t hold back his newfound declaration.

  “You have the most gorgeous gold eyes I have ever seen in my entire life.”

  She looked him up and down. And you have the body of a sex god. Okay, girl, get yourself together. He’s just a man. A human one at that. There is no way you should be feeling this way about a human.

  She tried to gain her composure and get her mind off what she wanted to do to the sex god’s lips.

  “Umm, thank you, Mr. uh…” she stumbled.

  “Johnathon Reid. But please, call me John.”

  She stared at the man she swore could give Idris Elba a run for his money in the sexiest man alive contest.

  John noticed she was staring at him. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “Oh, no. I’m fine.”She turned away, fearful he might notice her attraction for him.

  “My name is Juanty, and I’m sure it would be a pleasure to meet you if it wasn’t for this headache. So, if you don’t mind, I am going to head to my office.”

  “Your office? You work here?”

  “Yes, I am one of the owners.” That’s code for, ‘Now that you know where I work, please bring your fine ass back any time and be my eye candy.’

  John placed his hand under her elbow. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to make sure you get to your office safely. After all, I did find you stretched out on the floor.”

  “I wasn’t stretched out. I was checking for gum under my shoe.”

  It was the sex god’s turn to laugh. “Let me at least help you to your office. It’s the least I can do for spilling my drink on you and almost knocking you to the floor. Come.”

  If he only knew how close to coming she actually was. She thought Tsunami’s happened in Japan. Apparently, they got it wrong, because there were definitely waves raging between her legs. What had gotten into her?

  I wouldn’t exactly mind if the sex god got into me. Stop it, girl. Get your hormones in check.

  She hoped he couldn’t hear her thoughts. He took her by the elbow, pulled her close to him, and guided her down the hall.

  “Mr.Reid, is it? I appreciate your kindness, and that sexy ass, but I must bid you good night. Thank you again for your help.”

  “It was my pleasure, and I hope you feel better soon, Juanty. Is there a last name? A Mrs. attached to it?”

  “Are you trying to ask me if I am married?”

  “Are you?”

  “No, I’m not married.”

  “And your last name?”

  “You are a nosy one. I don’t have a last name. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Mr. Twenty-one Questions.”

  Johnathon smirked, not believing her, but enjoying the tease. “Well, goodnight, Juanty.”

  She unlocked the door to her office, walked in, and headed straight for the bathroom. She found a bottle of extra strength aspirin and popped two pills. She made her way to her soft white leather sofa and plopped down. She was more exhausted from her encounter with the sex god than the headache. Once she was settled, she focused on the puddle between her legs. “How did this happen?” She was stumped by her drenched panties. She’d had a few nights of meaningless sex over the years, but that was done only to satisfy the beast within, and to give her favorite vibrator a welcomed break, or at least time to get to the local store to get replacement batteries.

  She rested her head against the arm of the sofa and relaxed. For the first time in many years, she thought about what it would be like to make love to a man. Since the death of her beloved husband, Coffey, and her transition from human to beast, she had not been able to successfully make love to a human, physically or emotionally. No human male could ever satisfy an Iluma shapeshifter, which was what she was. Ilumas were a rare, mixed breed of hybrid shifters, dating back to ancient Kenya. They were once thought to be demon-possessed animals that could shift into humans by coming into contact with their DNA. Legend has it, an Iliumuanimal, who shifted into a human male, fell in love with a human woman and the two birthed a hybrid baby.

  Hybrids can shift from animal to a human at will, and live mostly on animal flesh, although they can easily stomach human food. Iluma females have natural beauty in human form with dark skin and big, beautiful, bold-colored eyes. Their hair extends below the waist, and they are gorgeous to look at but deadly in bed. Literally. Not only will a human lover ejaculate prematurely, but he may become so ill, he can die. Juanty pushed that thought to the back of her mind and began to fantasize about Johnathon Reid’s 6’4 frame hovering over her naked body. With her knees bent and legs spread, she was able to pull back the folds of her thick lips to reach for her precious pearl and stimulate both her clit and her mind.

  Chapter Two

  Juanty looked up, startled. Her gold eyes were focused, trying to gauge which direction the blood-curdling scream was coming from. The second wail caused her to jump into action. Climbing into a tree, she leaped from branch to branch, searching for the source of the commotion. Instinct told her something was terribly wrong,and she hoped she wasn’t too late to help. She recognized the fear that ripped through the muggy air as her heart pounded into her chest. She had produced the same gut-wrenching scream repeatedly during her years as a slave.

  Using her keen sense of smell, she crouched low and eased her way towards the trouble. The screams had now grown quiet. Peering down, she noticed a woman lying lifeless on the ground. She jumped down, landing on all fours, and approached her. She was young and beautiful, save the cuts and bruises she’d sustained by whatever douche bag had done this to her. She had a tiny frame, and smooth, caramel skin. Her dress was raised to just below her breasts, and her panties were around her ankles. She nudged her shoulder with her nose and found no movement. The poor girl who couldn’t possibly be any older than fifteen or so was dead.

  Who the fuck would do something like this? she thought. Giving her attention once again to the young girl, she shifted into her human form, scooped her up as gently as possible, and headed towards the street. She could only take her so far as she was naked, and could not risk anyone seeing them. Hopefully, someone would notice her body and care enough to make sure she got to the proper authorities where her family could be notified. Jaunty hated the thought of women being the victims of violent crimes. Only cowards did such heinous acts and did not deserve to live. She was livid at the tragic events that had occurred this evening.

  After the pain medicine kicked in and she was able to take a brief nap, she felt better and d
ecided to go for a late-night run to clear her head. Her encounter with the sex god, Mr. Jonathon Reid, had left her all frazzled. She had no idea how the human could have this effect on her, but she knew she had to shake him off. She was not out looking for someone to kill but was now eager to find the bastard who had done this so she could devour him. She did not have to look far. She smelled a dirty cop and slowly turned to see him standing at the back of his cruiser, on a call. All shifters had great hearing, and even though she was a distance away, she could hear him clearly, as he spoke.

  “Yeah, I need your help. I left her body in the woods, but I’d feel a lot better if we dumped her. I mean, she was a good piece of ass, but definitely not worth getting busted for. Just hurry up. I’ve worked up an appetite. Dinner is on me.” The cop chuckled as he ended the call and headed toward his cruiser. That pissed her off to the point where rage took control of sanity. She laid the girl on the ground, making sure her tiny frame was not exposed, and stepped a few feet in front of her lifeless body.

  “Hello, evil cop.” The cop turned around, stunned to see the most beautiful naked woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Nevertheless, he drew his gun and pointed it at the dark beauty.

  “Hold it right there, little lady. Now where did you come from, and where are your clothes? Are you hurt or something?” She paused, raised her hands in surrender, and gave a wicked smile. “No, Mr. Officer Sir, I am not hurt. I am here to hurt you.” The officer gave a hearty laugh and stared her square in the eyes.

  “How are you going to do that, on account I’m the one with the gun, and you’re standing there with your sexy, black ass full moon a shining?”

  “You know, it is bad cops like you that give good cops a bad rap. You evil muthafuckas think you can just go around, shooting and murdering people of color and raping young, black girls like this beautiful soul behind me. This isn’t slavery, you over-privileged prick. You want to go around raping young black girls? Well, rape me. Aren’t I ripe for the raping?”She tilted her head slightly and bit her bottom lip.

  The officer drooled as he eyed her curvaceous body, and then shook off his lust. “Firkin’ unbelievable. I get the crazy sickos every single time. Listen, honey, I wouldn’t rape you with my partner’s cock. Now get your black ass on the ground." Jaunty batted her long lashes and took a step forward, dropping her hands to her sides and swaying her naked hips with each step.

  "You know, there was once upon a time when I would have been petrified right now and dropped to my knees in fear that ole Massa would beat my ass if I didn’t comply."

  The cop cocked his head to the side and licked his lips. "Yeah, well, that's what I'm about to do to you if you don't get your big booty ass down on the pavement. I’m goon’ shoot yak, but not before I make you drop to your knees and suck my pink cock. I can’t believe my luck tonight. The fellas ain’t gon believe—”

  Juanty was upon him with lightning speed. Her hand gripped his neck for leverage before she lifted him off the ground. The cop was still holding his gun, and he tried to pull the trigger, but the pain between his legs prevented him from doing so. A muffled scream seeped from his throat, and his eyes were wide with horror as he realized what was happening to him. In a matter of a millisecond, she had unzipped his pants and grabbed his tiny, flaccid penis. She twisted and squeezed him with unbelievable strength. The cop drooled, his face twisted in agony.

  "AGGGGGGHHHHH! Please, lady, I don’t know what you want, but please let go. I didn’t hurt that girl.”He was frantic, and a squirt of pee splashed onto her palm.

  “Damn, I hate a liar.” She squeezed tighter, and the cop almost blacked out. She let go of his penis long enough to slap him, and he released the remaining urine at her feet.

  “Now that’s just plain nasty. You destroyed that poor girl's life.” She shook him violently. “However, I have a soft heart, so tonight is indeed you’re lucky night.” And with that, she gave a twist and snapped off his small member, causing him to fall slack to the ground in a fetal heap. She released her grip, and the detached organ dropped to the ground next to the man. She kicked him in the area where his testicles were, then kicked the dinky dick into the woods for good measure.

  “Lucky! How is this lucky?”The man pressed out between clenched teeth.

  “You’re still alive, aren’t you?” She squatted and whispered in the man’s ear. “Confess, or I will hunt you down like the dog you are and rip off each and every weak-ass limb on your body. Are we clear?” The cop nodded his head before it fell to the ground.

  “Good boy,” she said and disappeared into the bushes.

  ***

  After what seemed like the longest day ever, Juanty finally arrived home. She slid open the patio door and tiptoed inside. She was still disturbed by the evening’s events and was definitely not in the mood for any shenanigans from her roommates. No such luck. Pearl cleared her throat.

  “Uh, Bitch, where your sneaky, naked ass been?”Juanty frowned.

  “Hunting. What’s your excuse?” Pearl looked down at her nude curves and back up at Juanty. She was sitting at the kitchen island, booty butt naked, eating a piece of steak rare enough to “moocow.”

  “Girl, you know I can’t keep any clothes on. I’m a free spirit. And when are you going to stop being a Debbie Downer? The opening was all that, and your sickly ass missed everything.”

  “Pearl, I’m tired, and you are wrong. I didn’t miss everything. It has been a very interesting night. Trust me.”

  “Hunty, do tell,” Pearl said. “Did you get some?”Pearl thought about it and licked her fingers. “Oh, hell nah. Your deprived ass hasn’t gotten laid since before the turn of the century. Literally. So what’s got you all tired?”

  Juanty walked over to the ottoman at the edge of the sofa and lifted the top, which held storage space, and grabbed a fitted t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Although the ladies were quite comfortable walking around nude, they kept a change of clothes somewhere near every entrance of their home since they shifted often, and sometimes shredded their clothes in the process.

  Juanty pulled the t-shirt over her head. She formed a thin line with her lips and rolled her eyes for effect. “For your information, PEARL, I met a man, carried a dead body, held a cop’s penis in my hand, got a golden shower, and carried out some vigilante justice.”

  “Damn, Jay, what in the sick-witted, perverted, underground pornography type shit is going on here? You a freak, isn’t you? What Rick James say? Super freak, super freak, she’s super freaky, yeah,” Pearl sang as she tweaked her way over to the sofa, holding a glass of wine and plopping down on the soft cushion. She set down the glass and reached for the remote. Jaunty laughed and sat down beside Pearl.

  “Actually, Pearl, there is something I want to discuss with you.”

  “Jay, you know I got your back. Now, what’s going on?”

  Jaunty bit her bottom lip and grabbed Pearl’s hand. “I was serious when I said I met a man.”

  Before Juanty could utter another word, Pearl fell on the floor, ducking behind the sofa.

  “Girl, get up!”

  “Bitch, I’m waiting on the sky to fall!”

  Juanty folded her arms and slumped down into the comfortable sofa cushions. “Are you going to listen or what?”

  “Okay, okay.” Pearl looked up at the ceiling to make sure nothing fell through before getting up and walking over to sit next to Juanty again.

  “Tell me about him. How did you two meet?”

  “Well, I met him at the grand opening last night. Girl, he is panty-dropping fine. I mean, make you forget your name kind of fine. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this guy since I saw him.”

  “What clan is he from?” Pearl scooted onto her haunches and waited eagerly for the response.

  “That’s the thing. He’s human.”

  Pearl threw her hands up in defeat. “Oh, shit! Only you would want to get with someone you can’t even get any from.”

  “Damn, Pearl, is sex all
you think about? You need to get some help.”

  “I’m just saying, don’t you want a man you can have it all with? Don’t you think he’s going to be just a little turned off when he finds out your pussy can kill him?”

  “I didn’t say I was going to act on it, Pearl. I didn’t even get his number. I just found him attractive. That’s all.”

  “What’s so attractive about this human anyway? You didn’t get that shit from me. I like them tall, dark and immortal.”

  Juanty gave a half-smile. “Girl, I don’t know. There is just something about him, and I haven’t stopped thinking about him since he got me up off the floor.”

  “Should I even ask what that was about?” Pearl raised an eyebrow. “And don’t think I forgot about the golden shower and dead person. You on that Jeffrey Dahmer shit, Jay. I got to watch your kinky ass.”

  Pearl was about to ask for the four-one-one on everything that happened when her attention shifted to the news story on the television. “Look at this foolery. People are crazy these days. Some nut whacked off some poor guy’s cock tonight. They found it in the woods near a girl’s dead body. It ain’t no telling what sick shit happened over there last night. You see this, Jay?” Juanty covered her mouth to muffle her scream.