Birthday Shorts

Mary’s Birthday

Mary’s P.O.V.

I’m almost there. I can feel it. That’s why I’m still working after everyone else has gone home. I have been trying to prove the existence of another species since I was in college. When I was studying late at the library one night, I saw a man running across the campus, and he suddenly turned into an enormous wolf. I thought I was seeing things, but the next day, it kept nagging at me, so I began doing research.

I found many reports of sightings but no actual proof. As a science major, I decided that was going to be my focus once I finished school. I was going to prove that there were people who could change into animals. Of course, I had to work my way up, but now that I work for a research company where we look for things that haven’t been discovered, it’s the perfect time to prove what I already know. I look at my watch, and it’s after midnight. It’s my birthday. What better way to spend my twenty-fifth birthday than doing something I love? I even had my DNA checked because I was hoping that I was part animal. Maybe that would explain why my parents didn’t want me and threw me away when I was two.

I step away from the microscope, remove my gloves and goggles, shake my dark brown hair out of the bun, and run my fingers through it. The lab is my home away from home. I don’t have a boyfriend or any friends because this is my life. Some may say I’m wasting my early years away, but I don’t feel that way. If I find a man, I want one who understands that my work is important to me. I believe in love and want to be swept off my feet. That hasn’t happened yet.

I look at my research and sigh. I should go home and get some rest. It may be my birthday and Saturday, but I’ll return when I get up. I carefully put everything away and lock it up. No one knows what I’m working on. We are all very secretive about our projects. I remove my lab coat and hang it up before walking out. After locking the door and turning on the alarm, I begin walking home. I know it’s not safe to walk home this late, but I’m not going to wait around for a rideshare driver to come. I only live a few blocks away.

There are still a lot of people out. That’s one of the things I love about living in Jackson, Florida: there’s lots of nightlife. I don’t ever join in, but it makes my walk home very interesting. I get lost in thought about my research and don’t see the man ahead of me until I walk into him.

“I’m sorry,” I say, preparing to walk around him without looking up.

“Don’t apologize. It was my fault. I should have known better than to stand in the path of a beautiful woman.” I shiver at his low, deep voice. I didn’t think a voice could be sexy, but damn, his is. I finally look up at the man and can’t believe it. He’s not a man. He’s more like a walking, talking brick wall. His T-shirt looks like a second skin that accents his muscles. One of his biceps looks like the size of both of my thighs put together. He’s so handsome and has beautiful pale green eyes and thick blonde hair, begging me to run my fingers through it. He smiles, and I feel like I’m melting on the street.

“My name is Zack. What’s yours?” He holds out the biggest hand I’ve ever seen, and a thought I’ve never had before runs through my mind: What would it feel like to have that hand on my bare skin? I put my hand in his and gasp as it disappears. Sparks run through my body so strongly that I begin shaking. I look up at him in shock, and he smiles.

“I’m Mary. What is that?” I ask as he continues to hold my hand. There is no scientific explanation that I can come up with.

“I don’t think that’s something I should explain on the street. Would you like to have a drink with me?” I absolutely should not go anywhere with a man I just met in the middle of the night. I don’t feel fear or apprehension when I look into his eyes. I feel a desire to never let my time with him end.

“Okay, but I don’t drink.” Zack raises my hand to his lips and kisses it, intensifying the sparks.

“Neither do I, so how about we go somewhere for dessert?” Is it wrong to ask him if I can be the dessert? I’m a twenty-five-year-old virgin, but I have never wanted a man so much in my life. I’ve had little crushes but never let them go anywhere, but this is way more than that. I feel like he’s part of me.

“Sounds good. Today is my birthday, so a dessert would be nice.” He kisses my forehead, but I wish it were my lips.

“Happy birthday.” That sexy voice makes me shiver again. Zack keeps my hand in his as he pulls me down the street. Did someone I don’t know get me a present in the form of a sexy, large man who does things to my body with his voice? If so, I need to find them and thank them. The diner we go into only has one customer sitting at the counter drinking coffee.

“Sit anywhere, ” the woman behind the counter says. Zack takes me to a booth in the back, and rather than sitting across from me, he sits next to me and puts his arm around the back of the booth. I want to giggle, but I’m not a teenage girl, so I’ll just giggle in my head.

“What can I get for you?” The waitress asks.

“What kind of desserts do you have?” Zack asks.

“We have just about every kind of pie or cake you could want. So tell me what you’re looking for, and I’ll bet we have it.” Zack looks at me.

“Red velvet,” I tell her. She smiles and nods.

“Yep.”

“Bring us three pieces, one to go. Also, bring ice cream.” Wow, Zack must be hungry if he wants one piece now and one to go.

“I’ll be right back.” I turn to him when she leaves.

“You must really like cake to get one to go.” He chuckles and leans down to whisper, even though I’m sure no one could hear him if he didn’t.

“Let’s just say I have an inventive way that I’d like to eat that second piece later. That all depends on you and what happens when I tell you what I need to say.” He kisses my ear and gently sucks on my ear lobe. My eyes flutter as the sparks run through my body. I shouldn’t be here doing this with a man I don’t know. I’m a smart woman, one who doesn’t take chances. However, if he took me outside and told me to get into the back of his dark, nondescript van, I would so that I could see what would happen.

“What do you need to say?” I ask him breathlessly as his tongue traces the inside of my ear. Does stuff like this happen every day? If so, I need to open my eyes more. Zack places one hand on my thigh while running the other through my hair.

“After she brings our dessert, I’ll tell you. Right now, I’m enjoying the appetizer. Are you okay with me doing this? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” His lips move from my ear down to my neck.

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine.” I’m totally not fine. I’m completely turned on, and if anyone looked at my pants, they’d probably think I peed myself. His hand inches up my thigh while he continues kissing my neck. I want him to continue but the waitress comes over at that time with our dessert. Zack doesn’t stop, and she winks at me before walking away. He pulls away from my neck but keeps his hand on my thigh, only inches from my wetness.

“Can I kiss you before we eat our cake?” He’s practically made me a wet puddle, so I guess a kiss will be okay.

“Can I be honest with you?” I hope he’s not one of those guys weirded out by a virgin.

“Yes.” He looks into my eyes, and I want to get lost in them.

“I’m a virgin. I’ve never even kissed a man other than a little peck.” Zack smiles and moves his hand up the rest of the way to rub against me. I bite my lip so I won’t moan.

“So I’m the only one who has made you wet like this, and I’m the only one who has tasted your delicious skin. What if I told you I’m a virgin too, and you’re the only woman I have ever desired?” From the look in his eyes, I believe him, but how can that be true?

“How is that possible?” I ask him.

“I’ve been waiting for the right woman. When I saw you tonight, I knew you were the one I’d been looking for.” Zack puts his mouth on mine, and I close my eyes. His lips move slowly against mine, and I moan as he gets more aggressive. I open my mouth, and he slides his tongue inside, exploring every crevice. He pulls away and smiles.

“I knew you would taste better than that cake.” My face gets hot when he kisses me again. He pulls away and takes a bite of his cake.

“Can you tell me what you need to say now?” I ask while taking a bite of my cake with a little ice cream. The ice cream has melted some now, but it’s still good.

“I need you to promise not to run out of here screaming or draw any attention to us. Okay?” Oh shit, is he like some sort of mass murderer or something? Is he a cannibal? Is that why he said I tasted so good?

“Okay,” I reply and take another bite.

“I’m a weretiger. I can change from a man into a white tiger.” He pulls away and looks into my eyes. I drop my spoon. I can’t believe it. I have been trying to prove that there are people who can change into animals, and I have one sitting right here in front of me.

“I knew it,” I say as I sit back and laugh. Zack looks at me, confused.

“You knew what?” I smile and look at him excitedly.

“I’m a scientist. I have been trying to prove that there are people who can change into animals. I was working on that right before I ran into you. I can’t believe you’re actually one of them.” I look him over, and it all makes sense. He’s bigger than a normal person and way better looking.

“I wasn’t expecting you to already know about us. Let me finish. The reason you feel the sparks and probably have more than a little attraction to me is because we’re mates. If you accept me as your mate, I will mark you, and you’ll have a tiger, too. Then we will be together for the rest of our lives.” My mouth falls open as tears run down my cheeks.

“You want to be with me forever, and I can be like you? I’ve never had anyone. Even my parents threw me away when I was two. I was sent from one house to another until I was eighteen and put on the streets. Now you’re telling me I can be a tiger and be with you for the rest of my life. Yes, I accept.” Zack smiles and pulls me against him so he can kiss me again. I want this and him. I slide my hand into his hair, and he moans.

“I’m glad this was easier than expected. What do you say we get out of here and finish our desert in private? I have plans for that last piece of cake.” I smile and nod.

“Yes, let’s go. I don’t live far away.” Zack puts money on the table and picks up the box with the extra cake. We walk out, and the waitress smiles when I wave at her.

“You said you’re a scientist and were trying to prove the existence of shifters. Did you find anything?” He asks.

“I have something I was analyzing at the lab, although that seems like a moot point now.” He looks concerned.

“We don’t like humans to know about us because they want to experiment or sell us like animals. Can we go to your lab and destroy what you found?” He’s talking about my life’s work, but I can’t argue with him. I don’t want anyone getting hurt because my information falls into the wrong hands.

“Sure. The lab is just down the street.” Zack puts his arm around my shoulders, and I put mine around his waist. He’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for. When we reach the lab I stop before approaching the door. I know I turned all the lights off.

“There was no one here when I left, and no one should be here now,” I whisper to him. I have a funny feeling.

“Let’s see if we can hear who’s in there,” Zack says. We move to the door, and I open it slightly. The lab isn’t very big, but you have to go through two doors to get to my workstation. We step inside and listen. I hear people talking.

“I knew she had found something, and that’s why I let her keep working. She probably doesn’t even know what this is. It’s the proof we have been looking for that animal people are real. Do you know how much money we will make when we present this?” I put my hand over my mouth. That’s Peter, my boss.

“What about Mary? She’s going to know we went through her stuff, and she won’t let us present her findings.” The other voice makes my blood boil. That’s Caitlyn, and she’s always trying to find out what I’m working on so she can steal my work. I had a feeling she was sleeping with Peter.

“Don’t worry about her. We’ll kill her and make it look like an accident. No one will suspect a thing.” I turn when I hear Zack shut the door loudly. What is he doing?

“Who’s there?” Peter and Caitlyn walk out. He looks surprised while she smirks.

“Look who it is. Well, you just made our job so much easier. Who’s that?” Caitlyn asks, looking at Zack.

“This is my boyfriend, and we heard what you said,” I tell them.

“Then you know you have to die,” Peter says as he pulls a gun out of his waistband. He begins to raise it, and at the same time, Zack suddenly changes into an enormous white tiger. He leaps in front of me as the gun goes off, and I scream.