The dark prince awoke at the edge of the sea...
You were naked with sand all over your large, strong thighs. I thought you were a fisherman whom the sea returned and the sand reclaimed. I had to see you. Because even then, my heart pounded as you slept like a prince who needed to be kissed to wake up.
I knelt before your prone figure and kissed you on your powerful mouth.
The dark prince awoke. I saw that you have a noble nose and I knew that I will always have you in my mind for the rest of my life. I lent you my shawl to cover what I would never forget because even then, I was falling in love but was fearful of this power you had over me.
Why are you lying here by the beach? I asked.
I don’t remember, he replied and blinked his eyes twice to have a better look at me.
Did you just kiss me? he asked as though he had been dreaming and I had stolen him from his deep reverie.
Yes, I replied, because I knew kissing a stranger could never lead to anything. He would always return home.
Do you remember your name? I asked but he did not reply. Perhaps he was thinking of who he was.
The stars were a bowl of pinpoints of light above us and the moon stood guarded, shedding light on his form.
I am a prince from an Arab country. This is still a dream because I have been turned into a wolf by a suffering crone whom I turned away, and if I become bored, I shall turn into a wolf again. I remember now, they threw me at sea, to drown because I bit people from our town.
Oh, but you wouldn’t bite me, would you? I just kissed you.
No, I’ve decided to fall in love with you. May I kiss you for saving my life? I am destitute now and very much alone. I have no one.
I live alone, but how to save you from turning into a wolf and bite me?
You would have to love me. I remember.
But you may just be playing with my emotions, how may I know you mean the truth? I asked modestly.
It is because a prince is always honest with his feelings. I was bored and lonely. Now I have found you, I know I shall not pine for another not because I do not want to turn into a wolf.
I knelt and kissed him again. I caressed his briny skin and for a brief period I touched fur but I continued to kiss him, tasting his fangs while my eyes were closed.
He did not bite me, and when I opened my eyes he was still there, kissing me back.
Shalom Galve Aranas has been published at The Lycan Press, Former People, The Blue Nib, Medium, Written Tales, The Ugly Writers and others for her poetry and fiction. She is a loving single mother of two.
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Cover: Amanda Bergloff
