In the House of Spite Ch. 16

The doggos were so much better. They ran and jumped and played around. Gunner ran through his course like a champ. It was a great relief. As for Darren, he was so much more relaxed than normal. Pearl couldn't remember the last time he'd been irritated. He moved as if his body was lighter and younger. Every day was happy for him.

Pearl was getting much better used to Reese too. Except for the slobber and shedding, he wasn't difficult to be around. He was like a big, messy teddy bear. Sometimes, at night, he left the house to run in the woods, but he never stayed out for very long. He loved wrestling with the dogs now that they'd basically recovered. He was nice.

One day, while Pearl was looking through a wedding magazine for ideas at the kitchen table, Reese sneaked up from behind and growled, which made her jump in her seat and gasp. Then, seeming to laugh a bit, Reese hugged her shoulders from behind and said, "Pretty."

"Oh? What?" She closed an eye as one of his rough, dark cheeks rubbed against hers. His face wasn't one-hundred percent furry. The lack of hair made her think of a monkey. It was tough and weird looking.

"Dress!" The word had a drag in the S sounds.

Pearl pointed at a picture of a woman in a contemporary version of a poofy, stereotypical, princess-type ball gown. "This? It's just one of those expensive designer things, but we could always get a seamstress to make something just as good."

"Kh." Reese's mouth struggled a bit. "Cute!"

"Yeah, it's cute." Pearl smiled as he nuzzled her face like a cat might do. "Regal too, but I don't know if I can make that style work on me. I'm short. When you have a big skirt like that it makes you look smaller, like you're drowning in a marshmallow." For a moment, she wondered how short Queen Victoria must've looked when she wore poofy dresses. Pearl had heard that queen was around four feet and eleven inches tall, even shorter than Pearl!

"Princess!" Reese reached over and tapped the bodice in the image. His black claw made a waxy, papery noise. He left a temporary little imprint in the glossy page.

Smoothing the imprint out with a thumb, Pearl said, "It does look like a princess. Do you really think I could look good in a skirt like that?"

"Yeah!" He patted her shoulder with a hand. "Cute!"

"Darren feels the same way, right?"

"Yeah!"

Pearl had thought it was a sweet moment.

Later on, Darren got his turn, and he spent time looking at possible wedding venues with her. They both believed that, technically, a couple had no need for a fancy ceremony or anything. But that stuff was still nice to have. They just didn't want to spend too much money. Or ... they didn't want to spend too much of Darren's money. He was the one with three damn jobs while Pearl was the one taking care of the house.

Churches were out of the question, no matter how many times Darren's Mama bitched at him over it. Pearl's parents were much more understanding. Your wedding, your rules. That was their logic.

"Your family's churchier than mine," Pearl had said one day while she was dusting in the living room. Darren was on the floor, playing a tug-of-war with Gunner. "They really want a church wedding."

Letting Gunner have the rope toy, Darren said, "They're just that kind of people. They think if you don't do church stuff you must be doing messed up shit."

"Why in the world would they think that?" Pearl sprayed some Pledge on the coffee table. "They live in reality. There are plenty of religious criminals out there, like MS-13 people."

Suddenly taking and tossing the rope toy away for a short fetch game, Darren said, "But that's not true religion." He used quotation gestures with one hand when saying the phrase "true religion."

Rolling her eyes and wiping the table with a dry rag, Pearl remarked, "That's like saying anyone that plays a Match 3 game isn't a real gamer. What in the world would make grown ass people have the same thought process as a stupid kid?"

She didn't hear anything except Gunner running and happily panting.

Was Darren thinking about something?

Pearl looked up at him. His eyes were low, seeming to be dipping into thick thoughts. His fingernails lightly scratched behind one of Gunner's pointy ears.

"Darren?"

Gunner went into curled up cuddles mode. Seemingly done with playing, but eager for have more attention, he happily went right up to his Daddy. Darren continued stroking his back and even gently fiddled with his tail. You know a dog trusted you when he let you play with his tail.

She put on her cutesy, baby voice. "Pa?"

His head shot up and his pale blue eyes slid up to her face. "Huh? You need something?"

"Are you okay?" She slid the rag an inch or so away from herself as she tried to find a clue in his eyes. "You look like something's not right."

Lifting part of Gunner up into a hug, Darren gave half of a smile. "Most thing's aren't right. That's how the world is." Gunner licked his face a bit, which had him closing an eye and broadening his smile. "I guess I'm just remembering all the sad things, but don't worry. I can't remember the last time I was this happy."

Her brow knitting, Pearl said, "So you're happy?"

He nodded. "Yep."

"You sure?"

He set Gunner back down to the floor and patted his head. "Why wouldn't I be? I got a nice house, two good dogs, I make good money, and I'm going to get married."

Pearl took the rag up again. "So ... everything's fine?"

His shrug and snort of a laugh almost comforted her. "Am I going to have to spank you? Quit bugging me." There wasn't anything negative in his tone. He sounded too playful.

***

The bottoms of pink converse shoes were slamming against dirt, grass, sticks, and tree roots. Branches were slapped away by small, pale hands. A light blue dress' short skirt flapped and danced in the air.

The summer sun was setting. The colors in the air were changing. The sky itself was prettier than any blend of watercolors.

Pearl was panting. Her cheeks were pink. Her long braid bounced and swung with her running. Her feet burned. She heard the intense howl from some far off place behind. It made her belly and chest vibrate.

Swift, dense crunching of twigs!

A roar that almost made her think she'd gone deaf!

Then she couldn't move, because the wind had been knocked out of her belly. She was suddenly rolling on the ground, her arms held down. Then the earth was beneath her back and a wild looking, toothy beast was grinning down at her.

The game had started a few minutes ago, and they weren't about to stop playing.

Reese loosened his arms to kneel over her. Pearl kicked herself away. He grabbed her ankle and dragged her back to him. She was ground against the uneven terrain, fairly unpleasantly. Oddly, that was part of the charm, part of the story.

His tongue ran up her calf, the points of his teeth carefully following. It was enough to remind her that she wasn't in a position to fight. Then he swatted her skirt away and held her crotch against one of his thighs. Her bright orange panties weren't adequate protection. The body heat, the rough hair, it was fierce against her genitalia.

The back of her hand pressed into her lips as she squeaked and groaned. Her nipples pointed up into her dress' cotton. Reese's hands manipulated her hips and thighs, stimulating her. Her clitoris pulsed as her labia parted. She whined out, "Please! Pleeeeeeease!!"

Reese put a hand on the ground, his claws sinking in, and he loomed over her. His muzzle moved in a circular pattern in the dress, pressing down on the space between her small breasts. His ear twitched as he paused and seemed to listen to her heart. Pearl reached down to pet his head.

Not long after that, Pearl's back was against a fairly thick tree. The crotch section of her panties was kept aside. The beast's thick cock was sliding in and out, each movement feeling unusually slow. Her fingers were digging in his fur. He held her up so carefully.

She was drooling. Her mind was close to going into lazy drunk mode. It didn't even matter that she was on a tree and not something cushier. The squishing, throbbing between her thighs was exactly what she liked. Her muscles were stretched and caressed. Her clitoris and labia were rubbing against the fur.

Reese suddenly rammed in, but he didn't pull out. His muzzle moved up and away from her throat.

She gasped, swallowed a chunk of mucus, and then said, "Hm? What is it?"

His eyes hardened. They even seemed angry. His almost canine-like nose flexed as he sniffed the air.

Then, with a little hiss, he pulled his cock all the way out.

And he hugged Pearl close, a hand on her back, walking away.

"What? Why did you stop?" She rubbed herself on him the best she could. He still felt great to her sensitive, blushing skin.

Reese's deep, nearly inhuman voice rang out, "Go! Need Go!!"

Some reality soaking into her, Pearl put her cheek on his ribs and worriedly asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Bear!"

"A bear?" She frowned. "Wow." Then she nuzzled the musky fur. "I'm glad I have my big scary monster to look out for me."

He carried her back to the house, where they were safe from any curious wild animals.

The amorous mood was gone. Pearl considered masturbating to ease her tension, but she decided against it. She set up her laptop for a game instead, but just as she sat down her body told her it was time to pee. How convenient.

Reese had gone upstairs while saying, "Nap." Pearl assumed he was still up there. When she was at the bedroom door, she was surprised by Darren's voice. She froze and listened.

"What do you mean you were curious?" His voice was terribly embittered. Pearl imagined he was clenching a fist. A moment or so later, Darren spoke again. "Look, I'm not mad at you for ... you know, but that doesn't mean you get to ... huh? No. Hell no! Okay?" A pause. "Yeah, I understand. How couldn't I?" Another pause. "It's okay. It's fine. Just don't do that anymore. I'm not going to mess with whatever you do. Just don't mess with me." And another pause. "Sure, okay. I ... huh?"

Whatever Darren heard made him raise his voice a bit. "You sure about that?! You sure as fuck don't act like it!"

Pearl put her fingers on the doorknob, but she couldn't find the strength to grip it.

"Fine. Fine! I love you too. Bye."

It was okay. That's what Pearl thought as her stomach chilled and her nose heated. He loved lots of people, his parents, his sister, why not say I love you to someone outside the house? There was no reason to be jealous.

Pearl was the one with the engagement ring ... it was safe in a jewelry box but it was there. Pearl was the one with the nice clothes and nail polish, the one eating all the good food and getting some nice fucking. Pearl was the woman of the house. No jealousy required.

She swallowed down something. She didn't know what it was. Then she opened the door. "Hi!"

Darren was standing naked in the bedroom. He put a his cell phone on the bed and turned to smile at her. "Hey there, Pearlie." The difference in tone was remarkable. Loving, warm, and happy. "What's for dinner tonight?"

Shrugging, Pearl told him, "I'm keeping it simple. Grilled ham sandwiches and chips." She went over to the bathroom door. "I hope that's okay." She went inside and locked the door. She didn't like being walked in on while using the toilet, but she didn't mind being spoken to.

Along with some footsteps, through the wood, Pearl heard Darren say, "That's fine. You want to watch a movie with me?"

"How about Ponyo?"

"Uhm ... I've never seen that."

That made sense.

Pearl didn't want to ask about the phone call. She was afraid she'd look like the jealous, insecure type if she did. That sort of behavior was some of the most unattractive things in a partner. Besides, Pearl had no reason to think Darren was up to bad things.

Even with those facts in mind, Pearl wondered about the phone call. Who in the world had Darren been talking to? Why had he been so angry?

***

The dress was definitely the first thing the couple wanted to get. They believed it would take the most time to figure out. For the hell of it, they did drive about an hour off to a city where there was a nice bridal shop. Said shop had a few seamstresses to alter dresses and even do more expensive custom jobs. The prices for the gowns varied wildly. Some were apparently designer pieces. Some were less luxurious. None of them were the type to be in magazines, though.

"She'd be so cute in a princess ballgown!" That's what Darren had once said as he practically held Pearl to his hip.

The saleslady had looked up at him with a nervous smile. "Uhm ... that would be nice, but she might look even better in a mermaid or an A-line. Something with a short skirt might be pretty too."

"Can we try a ballgown anyway?" he'd asked very sweetly.

Pearl had snuggled into his torso and tried not to laugh.

After trying on a few dresses, they still wanted something that at least had a ballgown feel. So, they had a chat with a seamstress to get something sketched out.

A moderately round skirt that stopped at the ankles, long fitted sleeves, and a jewel neckline. There weren't many embellishments. As lovely as all that would've been, it would've increased the price.

When that appointment was finished, they took a lunch at a steakhouse and then went home.

Pearl thought she was living in a dream.

The following days were certainly dream-like. Even the dullest of errands seemed easier.

One early afternoon, while Pearl was doing some light shopping at Walmart, she got a text from Darren. "Hey, Baby! I got a surprise! Drop your shopping and come to the parking lot!"

Pearl didn't understand, but she did it. She put away all the things she'd been wanting to buy, put the shopping cart away, and then went to the parking lot.

Another text popped up. "Red truck. To your left."

She turned.

There was a shiny, four door, brand new red truck. Standing near it, waving at her, was Darren. He had on a new looking white T-Shirt, equally new looking new blue jeans, and the most heart-warming grin. Pearl skipped on over to him and asked what was up.

He didn't answer right away. He gave her the biggest bear hug like they'd been separated for months instead of some hours. He was wearing a cologne she didn't recognize. When Pearl was finally let down she asked, "Why do you smell so good?"

Rubbing and scratching the top of her head, Darren happily replied, "I found a nice cologne. You like it?"

Leaning into him, Pearl told him she loved it. It was like a campfire with marshmallows. Then she asked, "Whose truck is this?"

"Mine," Darren said as he opened the passenger door. "Still got that new car smell. Get in. I got another surprise. Don't worry about the green truck. I'll come pick it up later."

This was weird, but pretty neat. Pearl climbed into the seat and put on her seat-belt while Darren closed the door. He went around to get into the driver's seat. The keys hooked on his belt loop were loud as usual.

Pearl tried to ask more questions as he drove off, but he was so cryptic. He wouldn't give a straight answer for anything. So, she talked about how clean and stylish the truck's interior was. Then she said she hoped it didn't cost too much.

"Don't worry about it," he said with that pleasant smile. "I got money. Just smile and be cute for me. That's all you need to do."

Pearl crossed her ankles and sighed. "I guess that's what Pa's baby has to do sometimes."

Darren parked the red truck at a house Pearl hadn't seen before. It was on a big chunk of land surrounded by trees out in the boondocks, as many houses were. The route from the road to the building was a long, rocky driveway. As for the house itself, Pearl couldn't think of any way to describe it except, "Like the one they lived in, except bigger."

"Whose house is this?" Pearl asked as she carefully climbed down to the earth. "It's huge." Pretty, too. It looked like some thing from Pinterest.

Not missing a beat, Darren said, "Mine!"

As he walked around to meet her, Pearl's jaw fell and she started at the building. She was able to snap her mouth closed, suck a bit on her tongue, and then say, "The hell? Why did you ... when did you buy a new house?"

His hand went to her shoulder, and Pearl found that she was being steered to the stoop and front door. "It's a surprise. You weren't supposed to know."

He took a key from a pocket. It wasn't attached to his key-chain. He opened the door and nudged Pearl inside.

Empty. Pretty empty, but there were a few essentials in the house. As for Pearl, her brain was painfully grinding. Her cheeks and eyes hurt from all the frowning as she looked up at the pretty, tall ceiling. "I mean ... but what about our home?"

"What about it?" Darren said so amazingly casually, locking the door and flipping lights on around the place. "I'll just sell it."

"Sell it?!" Pearl almost dropped her purse. "What do you mean?! That house is your pride and joy! It's your baby! It's ... Hm?" She was walking, and she paused in the kitchen. There were brand, spanking new appliances, marble countertops, and a darkwood kitchen table. She watched Darren open up some of the cabinets, showing her lots of her favorite foods and snacks.

Nudging aside a can of boiled peanuts, Darren asked, "What do you want for supper tonight?"

"You mean ... you want to eat here?" Pearl put her purse on one of the counters. "Why? We got so much food at home."

"So? We got food here too." He looked at the label of a can of chopped tomatoes. "Let's stay the night."

"Stay the night?!" Her fists went to her hips as she stood there, trying to figure out what was going on. "What about the dogs?"

Darren went to the fridge and opened it. Lots of cool stuff was in there. "Don't worry about them. I'll have someone feed them."

"But you don't want them here?" Pearl really didn't understand this. "Don't you miss them?"

Putting some lunch-meat on a counter, Darren said, "Yeah, but I just want you tonight."

"How did you find the time to do all this? And behind my back too?"

He didn't answer that. He only put an egg carton next to the lunch-meat and said, "How about a waffle omelet for lunch?" His pretty eyes were so mischievous. "We can figure out supper after that."

"I ... I mean ...?" Pearl folded her arms. "I don't want to stay here. My laptop's at home. I can't play my games here."

With an expectant grin, Darren left the food to walk over to her. He took her hand and said, "Come on. I got something for you."

Her arm tingled. She flexed her fingers in his as she was pulled away. Something about his hand was wrong. She didn't know why it was wrong. She just knew something made her want to pull away. Why, though? These were Darren's hands! Calluses right where they should be. Fingernails at their proper lengths. What in the world could possibly be wrong?

The room he took her to was an office, and inside there was the most badass looking PC she'd ever seen, complete with monitor, keyboard, mouse, and everything else that could've been thought of. "Holy shit," Pearl said under her breath as she stared at the setup. "Where did you get all that? When did you get it?"

"It's custom built," he said. "Had to get it all one piece at a time." He led her over to the desk and waved his hand over in a showing off gesture. Pearl was so greedy that she immediately turned the machine on and downloaded Steam. The Internet connection in this house was excellent. Then, while Darren went to make the omelets, she downloaded a few small games.

Later, lunch time happened in the kitchen. Darren had fried some hash-browns too. Breakfast food for lunch was a very nice delight. Pearl washed the dishes and let them rest on a brand new, plastic drainer. Then Darren tugged on her shirt and led her off to the mostly bare living room. He put on a Netflix show. They cuddled on a new but comfortable sofa.