Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
 Copyright 2017 by Sky Winters- All rights reserved.

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Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

 Bear Mountain Bride
Shifter Romance

By: Sky Winters

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Table of Contents
Bear Mountain Bride
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
MC Biker Romance
Alien Romance
MPREG Romance
Highlander Romance
Werewolf Romance
Bear Shifter Romance
About The Author
Bear Mountain Bride
CHAPTER 1
Tessa Henderson never grew tired of the way the morning sunlight streamed
in through the windows of her cabin on Bear Mountain. Even after a year,
when she and her husband Lucas decided to finally leave the city behind
and spend the rest of their lives in peaceful seclusion, she still loved waking
up to the gentle dappling of sunlight at the end of her and Lucas’s bed. First,
it would play through the leaves of the trees that shaded their cozy cabin,
the light shifting as the wind poured over the branches. As the morning
went on and the sun rose above the tree line, the sun would flood in on
brilliant golden beams.
Tossing the earth-toned blanket from her body, Tessa rose from the bed to
open a window and let the pleasant, warm air fill the room. The subtle scent
of lavender mixed with the clean, fresh morning breeze. This was her
favorite time of year, when the last frost of winter became a distant memory
and the sunlight grew warmer by the day, the plants and trees coming out of
their long hibernation- spring was almost here. She pulled at the hem of a
thin, white t-shirt that showed off her full breasts and barely covered her
pair of black lace panties. This was her favorite outfit to sleep in.
Tessa looked at the bed with longing, wishing that Lucas was still in it.
Something about these warm, sunny mornings made her want to waste the
hours away in bed with her husband, but he rose even earlier than she did.
More and more, Tessa found herself waking up alone in bed, her arm
moving longingly over the sheets where Lucas would lay.
A thud sounded through the cabin, snapping Tessa out of her morning
daydream and alerting her that Lucas was home. Checking her phone on the
nightstand, she saw that it wasn’t even eight yet.
“Baby, is that you?” asked Tessa, calling through the open bedroom door.
“Yeah, it’s me,” Lucas said, his gruff, manly voice carrying through the
home.
Tessa smiled, happy that he was back. She moved with slinky steps towards
the living room, her long chocolate-colored hair mussed from sleep.
Entering the kitchen, she saw Lucas, his large, muscular body bare from the
waist up, and his tanned, sculpted torso glistening with sweat from his
morning’s work. His sandy blond hair hit his strong, defined jaw and his
light blue jeans hung from his hips, showing off the full span of his strong,
tight abs.
Upon seeing Tessa, his green eyes widened slightly and Tessa watched as
his gaze tracked along the curves of her body.
“Where were you?” Tessa asked, crossing one slim ankle over the other as
she leaned against the door frame.
“Nowhere,” he said, as he poured himself a tall glass of water at the sink,
his tone suggesting that he didn’t want to discuss the matter.
But Tessa did. She knew that Lucas had always been an early riser, but
throughout their marriage, there was a reason. He used to rise early to work
on one of his wrought-iron sculptures. But since they moved, he was
becoming more and more cagey about where he had been and what he had
been doing.
“Nowhere?”
“Just into town to get some supplies- nothing you need to worry about.”
He took a long draw from the glass of water, the soft-pointed triangle of his
Adam’s apple bobbing up and down with each swallow.
“I just don’t know why you need to go so early.”
“To get it done, that’s why.”
Lucas set the glass in the basin of the stainless-steel sink.
“What difference does it even make?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” said Tessa, winding a delicate finger through her hair and
coiling it, a playful smile spreading across her face. “I thought we could
spend the morning together.”
Lucas leaned against the counter, taking another look at Tessa.
“Oh yeah?” he asked, getting the hint. “What’d you have in mind?”
“I think you know.”
With that, Tessa turned around and slinked back into the bedroom, pulling
her shirt off and tossing it out into the living room, her nipples hard and
taut. As she sat down on the bed, she heard Lucas’s heavy footfalls follow
her into the bedroom, and within seconds, his tall, broad-shouldered frame
was darkening the doorway.
Even after a decade-and-a-half of marriage, Tessa still found Lucas to be the
most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. His sandy hair was wild and
unruly, his green eyes were brilliant and always seemed to be narrowed in
mischief, his nose was strong and slim, and his jaw was wide and square,
set just below a set of sensual, full lips. A passionate, talented artist, he
always had his pick of bohemian girls who invariably fell under his spell,
and Tessa still couldn’t believe that she was the one he actually chose to
wed.
She looked at him with ravenous eyes as he stepped out of his heavy, brown
boots.
“Come here,” said Tessa, curling a finger towards him, her face half-
obscured by a thick tress of hair.
Lucas stepped towards her, nothing on his body but his jeans. When he
closed the distance, Tessa placed her hands on his tight skin smooth and taut
over his muscles. She began kissing his stomach, taking sweet pleasure in
the feeling of his abs against her soft lips. Moving down, she paid special
attention to his hip bones; she’d always loved the way they jutted out. Tessa
inhaled while kissing him, taking in his rich, manly musk. As she
continued, she moved her hands down and around, slipping her fingers
underneath the waistband of his jeans and dragging the backs of her nails
against his skin. She looked up at him with smiling eyes, building the
anticipation for what was to come next.
He moved one hand to the back of her head, running his fingers through her
hair, the backs of his nails dragging against her skin, sending shivers along
the length of her back. Tessa worked open the brushed gold button of his
jeans, unfastening it and exposing the skin just above Lucas’s cock. She
moved her lips down, kissing this newly visible skin as she pulled his jeans
by the waist, moving her head back and away from his cock as it sprang
free.
Tessa couldn’t help but smile every time she saw Lucas’s cock. It was long
and thick, smooth and delicious. She found herself often thinking of the first
time they fucked that night long ago in the back of his car, a black Porsche
Roadster that he inherited from an uncle and still drove to this day. She still
remembered the feeling of him sliding into her after what seemed like hours
of foreplay, the length of his cock entering her fully, forcing a long sigh
from her lungs. And what she remembers most was thinking how perfectly
he fit into her, as though his cock was made just for her.
She never grew bored of it and now was no exception.
Taking a long, hungry look at Lucas’s prick, Tessa began by stroking him
along the base of his shaft with her fingertips. She wanted to take all of him
into her mouth right then, to let his length slide down her tongue and into
her throat, but Tessa had long ago learned the value of making a man wait.
Wrapping her fingers around his shaft, she tightened her grip, gently
squeezing his balls as she stared up at him. Watching his face tighten, Tessa
knew that he was ready for her to begin. And as she felt her mouth water as
she looked down the length of his organ, she knew that she was ready, too.
She began by kissing the head of his prick with gentle presses, her lips
glossy and wet. Tessa focused on just his head at first, kissing along the
ridge of his prick, paying special attention to his most sensitive areas as she
continued to squeeze his balls. A quick grunt emerged from Lucas’s throat,
and Tessa took this as a sign that she was on the right track. After years of
learning just how to make this particular cock cum, she knew that she’d
better be.
Tessa kissed him along his substantial length, now moving her hand up to
the head of his organ, caressing him as she kissed the taut skin of his
erection, stopping only at his balls to suck and lick them before moving
back up. After repeating this a few times, she knew that she was ready to
taste him- to really taste him.
Moving her lips back up to the tip, she opened wide, the corners of her lips
pulled upwards in a smile of anticipation, and took him into her warm, wet
mouth.
Lucas groaned with pleasure as his cock slid into her, Tessa flicking his
length with her tongue as she took him deeper and deeper into her mouth.
She stopped before she took his length fully down her throat, wrapping her
lips into a tight seal around his shaft. Then, she began sliding her lips along
his cock, gently lashing him with her tongue as she sucked, flashing her big,
blue eyes up at him with a sensual gaze as she worked.
Gradually, her pace quickened, the soft sounds of her sucking and licking
mingling with the birdsong that floated in through the open window. Tessa
made sure to lick his head hard when she was about to slide her mouth
along his length, pressing her soft, wet tongue against the head of his cock
and the skin just below. Moving one hand along his side, she could feel his
body shudder with pleasure and as she sucked, his breath quickened.
Then, she relaxed her throat, allowing his entire length to slide into her. She
moved slowly, savoring every inch of his perfect cock, her lips creeping
down him, stretched over his girth. When Tessa reached the base of his cock
she let it simply rest in her throat and brought her gaze up to his eyes once
again, letting him look down with his narrowed, green eyes at the sight of
his woman taking him as deeply as she could. Then, his hands still kitted
into her hair, he gently moved her head back; she could tell that he was on
the verge of cumming. His cock dropped out of her mouth as he moved her
back, bouncing slightly as the massive, thick member dipped down from
gravity. She knew now that it was time to fuck him.
Lucas stepped out of his jeans, and Tessa moved onto the bed, pulling her
panties down to her ankles and kicking them off. Now, other than a small
strip of trimmed black her above her sex, she was completely bare. Lucas
then moved over her, propping himself up with his thick, ropy arms. The
span of his broad, strong shoulders casted a shadow over Tessa as she
crossed her legs coquettishly, eagerly anticipating him to spread them and
enter her.
He held himself above her for a moment and as he did, Tessa felt something
off, something different. She watched Lucas move his hands along her
body, over the flat, creamy skin of her stomach and down between her legs,
slipping his fingers between her thighs and gently spreading her legs apart.
And again, as he did, Tessa sensed something strange. She looked up at
Lucas and saw that he was looking at the wall above their bed, rather than
down at her.
Lucas had always been a stoic sort, his calm and strong masculinity was a
trait of his that Tessa was both attracted to and frustrated by, so tender
kisses and outpourings of emotion during sex were never something that
she expected from him. But at this moment he seemed different, as though
his mind were someplace else, and he was preparing himself to simply go
through the motions of making love. But she couldn’t say for sure what was
going through his mind.
Before she had a chance to consider it further, Lucas slid his cock into her
and Tessa’s mind was instantly flooded with the blissful oblivion of pure
pleasure, her limbs becoming warm and goosebumps breaking out across
her skin. Lucas moved slowly, moving his prick into her, first just with his
head, then sheathing himself halfway down his shaft before finally sinking
himself deeply and fully into her, enveloping the entire length of his cock
with deep, full plunges.
Tessa sighed as he fucked her, dragging her nails along his back, spreading
her legs open as fully as she could in order to accommodate his large, burly
body. But as soon as the initial wave of pleasure rolled through her body,
she couldn’t help but notice once again the way Lucas seemed distant. He
appeared to be enjoying himself, she could see that clearly, but it was as
though his mind were someplace else. She found her own thoughts drifting
back to her concern for where he had been this morning, and why he was
out so late. And not simply out late the previous night, but so many other
nights.
Pushing these thoughts out of her head, she shifted her focus to Lucas as he
moved on top of her, his face in a tight expression of manly pleasure. She
spotted the first trickles of perspiration on his brow, and as she looked down
at the curves of her own body, she saw that her own skin was beginning to
glisten with sweat from the heat of their lovemaking. He lowered his body
down until his skin was pressed against hers; Tessa responded by wrapping
her arms around his back, feeling his muscles flex against her touch as he
thrust into her over and over. She began to feel the orgasm well inside of
her, though she still couldn’t shake the idea that there was something simply
off about Lucas.
But before she could consider the question further, Lucas lifted himself off
her, and grabbing the soft flesh of her hips with his rough, strong hands, he
flipped her over, and with a pull on her thighs, moved Tessa into the doggy
position. Placing one hand on her shoulder, he slid himself into her once
more and began pounding her with powerful thrusts of his hips.
The force of his cock moving in and out of her brought Tessa’s orgasm
closer- tantalizingly close. She loved the feel of his hands on her body and
savored how rough he could be with her.
And as if he could sense her thoughts, Lucas brought his hand against
Tessa’s ass, slapping his open palm against the ample flesh of her ass and
producing a loud, cracking impact that sounded through the room, cutting
through the couple’s low moans. The sweet mixture of pain and pleasure
rushed through Tessa, pushing her even closer to orgasm.
But again, the invading thoughts returned and she found herself wondering
if Lucas was fucking her in this position so that he didn’t have to look at her
face, so that he could pretend that she was someone else. Right in the
middle of their lovemaking she found these anxious thoughts racing through
her, taking her out of the passion she so desperately wanted to enjoy. She
cursed herself for her paranoia, but as much as she wanted to simply focus
on the feeling of her husband inside of her, she found it harder and harder.
“Slap my ass again, baby,” she said, needing to feel the throb of pain,
needing to have these thoughts blotted out.
She was beyond thankful when Lucas’s hand cracked against her ass again.
Not only did it fill her with a feeling of sensual delight, it served to jostle
the invasive thoughts out of her mind, the physical pain bringing her back to
the moment. He continued to fuck her, his cock sliding in and out of her,
each thrust and slap of his hand upon her ass bringing her closer and closer
to the orgasm that she craved.
Then, finally, it came. Pleasure ripped through her body, her limbs going
soft as the overwhelmingly intense feeling of the sort of ecstasy that only
her lover could bring forth cascaded through her. The orgasm was so strong
that she felt as though her body was almost going to come apart at the
joints. Lucas, now in a steady pace of deep, full thrusts, came hard, shooting
his cum deep inside of her. His pace slowed and as Tessa’s orgasm faded,
her face now pressed into the soft pillow in front of her, her moans muffled
as she felt her own hot breath against her face.
After a time, Lucas finished, and so did she. Tessa allowed her body to
collapse onto the bed, her limbs hot and weak from orgasm. Lucas slid out
of her and she took sweet pleasure at the feeling of his hot cum inside of
her. They both stayed in these positions for a moment, Tessa flat against the
bed, Lucas on his knees, leaning against the wall next to the bed, both of
them regaining their breath.
Then Tessa rolled over, her eyes on the magnificent body of her husband,
his burly torso slick with sweat, his skin darkened slightly from the rush of
blood through his body. A sly smile crept across her face, and at that
moment, she wanted nothing more than for him to collapse beside her and
to wrap her arms around his body.
But instead, he stepped off of the bed, and without saying a word, left the
room, snatching his pants from the floor with a quick swipe as he departed.
Not knowing what to do, or to say, Tessa curled up onto the bed, pulling a
pillow close to her body, the glimmer of her wedding ring on the nightstand
as it caught the morning sunlight visible in the corner of her eye.
CHAPTER 2
Tessa left the bed soon after, making her way to the bathroom and turning
on the shower. She looked out the window into the thick forest that lay
beyond their stretch of property, the gentle upward curve of Bear Mountain
leading to a rising sun that shined brightly in a cloudless, azure sky. She
watched as a bird she recognized as a black-capped chickadee perched on a
nearby branch, the branch dipping slightly under the weight of the animal.
Opening the window as the bathroom filled with hot steam, she listened to
the bird chirping out a chiming, pleasant melody.
The bathroom was small and cozy, like every other room in the cabin, with
thick walls of dark, rich wood, facilities of sleek, modern stainless-steel.
There was a large basin tub where Tessa loved to spend lazy evenings with
a book and glass of cabernet, letting the evening breeze and steady pulsing
of cicadas lull her into a state of tranquility.
But there was no such calm to be found today. As she put her hand in front
of the stream of water to confirm it was hot enough before stepping inside,
the events of the last half hour ran through Tessa’s mind. She knew that
something was going on with Lucas. For as long as she had been pretending
otherwise, Tessa knew that the time had come for her to accept the fact that
Lucas was doing things out late at night that he was keeping from her.
He always told her that he was simply out with friends that he met in the
nearby town of Branlen, a cheerful, quaint hamlet where they purchased
groceries and went out for drinks whenever they felt the need to be around
civilization, but that didn’t make her feel any better. Lucas had brought a
few of these friends to the house one evening and the two men that he
introduced her to were both sleazy men wearing ratty denim clothes and the
smirks of troublemakers; they were men that anyone with the slightest bit of
intuition could sense were up to no good, and Tessa worried that they were
getting Lucas involved their shady goings-on, whatever they were.
As she let the hot water wash the sweat and scent of sex from her body, she
decided that the time for turning a blind eye was over, and that as soon as
she got dressed, she’d speak to Lucas. She would demand that he tell her
what was going on, what was new in his life that was causing him to act so
distant towards her. And as she considered what he might be hiding, the
thought of cheating, causing a sick, tight feeling to take hold in the root of
her stomach and spread throughout her body. It made her heart race and
skin go cold, despite the heat of the water.
They got married when they were only 22 and since then, they’d been each
other’s everything. Tessa wondered if he could possibly be cheating after all
this time. She tried to dismiss the idea, but it stuck in her head like a
splinter, radiating with psychic pain every time she poked at it.
Soaping up the curves of her body, she considered what to do. She knew
that she had to ask him to explain what was going on- there was no getting
around that. But what if he denied it? What if he wasn’t up to anything?
Tessa tossed these thoughts out of her mind; there was simply no way that
Lucas’s change in behavior was in her imagination.
Tessa finished washing up and stepped out of the shower. She grabbed one
of the fluffy white towels from the brushed-metal hook on the door and,
after drying herself off, stepped out of the bathroom. The towel wrapped
around her body just above her breasts, she stepped in front of the mirror,
wiped away the thin patina of steam that had accumulated on the surface,
and looked at the reflection that stared back at her.
Even now, getting on into her late thirties, Tessa knew that she was still a
beautiful woman. She had thick, dark brown hair that fell to her shoulders
in full tresses, shimmering blue eyes that sparkled like frozen water
catching the setting sun, and perfect Cupid's bow lips. Her skin was fair and
clear, and her neck was long and graceful.
But as the years went on, the sense that her looks were fading by the day
was a feeling she couldn’t shake. Crow’s feet were forming in the corners of
her eyes, her bright complexion seemed to be fading, and, looking down,
she noted ruefully that her breasts weren’t exactly those of a 22 year old.
But she took good care of herself, eating right and exercising, and her body
was still more than capable of turning heads, even if it was not as many as
when she was fresh out of art school.
There was only one head she was interested in turning, however, and he was
growing more distant by the day.
Shucking off the towel and tossing it onto the back of the vanity mirror,
Tessa let the morning air wick away the last bits of water on her body.
Listening to Lucas rummage through the kitchen, Tessa pulled a pair of
matching black underwear out of her drawer and put them on before
finishing her outfit with a simple, form-fitting white V-neck t-shirt and a
pair of tight, black jeans. Stepping into a pair of black low-top sneakers, she
took one last breath before heading into the kitchen.
Lucas’s back was towards her as she entered, a box of sugary cereal in his
hand that he was eating straight out of the package. This struck Tessa as
strange- junky food like that was something the two of them never typically
kept in the home.
“Hey, baby?” asked Tessa, as she stepped through the sunny living room
and towards where Lucas stood through the doorway to the kitchen.
“Yeah?” he grunted, not turning around, his bare back still sheened with
sweat.
“Can we talk?”
He shoved down another handful of cereal.
“About what?” he asked, through loud crunching.
Tessa finished walking into the kitchen, made her way to the clean, white
counter that Lucas stood in front of, and leaned against it.
“I need to know where you’ve been going at night. And where you’ve been
leaving to so early,” she said, having trouble forming the words, fearing the
conflict that might arise as a result of them.
“I told you,” he said, still not looking up. “I’m out with friends.”
“I know that, but what are you out doing?”
Lucas shoved down one more handful of cereal, chewed it, and set the box
on the countertop, the cartoon bear on the front of it giving Tessa a broad
smile that almost appeared to be mocking her. He placed his hands on the
edge of the countertop, his jaw grinding as Tessa watched the muscles and
bones work through the skin of his face.
“Why do you need to know my business?” he asked.
“Because you’re staying out later and later, you’re going out in the
mornings without telling me where, and you’re hanging out with this
these…these weirdos that you’d never normally be around?”
He turned to her, his face tight and his green eyes narrow.
“Again, what business is it of yours?”
“What business is it of mine?” she asked, feeling more indignant by the
second at his stonewalling. “How about that I’m your wife?”
“That doesn’t mean you need to know where I am at every exact second of
the day,” he said, his voice shifting from dispassionate to angered.
“I don’t need to know where you are every second of the day, but when
you’re staying out late, not telling me where you are, I start to wonder, you
know? And, on top of everything, you’re acting…I don’t know, different.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded.
“And look at that,” she said, pointing at the lawn beyond the kitchen
window to Lucas’s latest sculpture- a tall, human-shaped figure of bent and
shaped wrought-iron. “You haven’t touched your work in months. I thought
that the whole point of getting out of the city was so we could have time
and peace to focus on our art.”
“Don’t worry about how I spent my time,” he said, his voice rising.
Tessa stepped back and extended her hand as if gesturing to something on
display.
“And this!” she said. “You’re angry and impatient all the time. You barely
talk to me anymore and when we make love, it’s like you’re not even
there!”
“It’s all in your head,” he said.
“Don’t tell me I’m imagining it or that I’m crazy or something. I know what
I see.”
Tessa watched as the red flush of anger spread across Lucas’s face.
“You don’t know a goddamn thing,” he said, his voice rising as he stepped
towards Tessa.
He shook his head and Tessa noticed with shock that he was clenching and
unclenching his right fist.
“You’ve got some fucking nerve to accuse me of whatever the hell you’re
accusing me of, telling me my friends are ‘weirdos,’ that I’m acting
‘different,’ that I have to check in with you like you’re my goddamn
mother!”
He closed the distance between himself and Tessa, until his six-three frame
was looming over her.
“This is the end of this conversation,” he said. “And I don’t want to hear
another goddamn word about the subject.”
Then, at that moment, Tessa felt something that she’d never before felt in
the presence of her husband: fear.
Tessa stood her ground, trying to appear calm and undisturbed, but inside
she felt as scared as a child.
Lucas looked her over one last time, glowering at her with hot, angry eyes.
Then, he turned and began stomping out of the kitchen, his bare feet
slapping against the linoleum floor. Part of Tessa wanted to let the
conversation end there, to not risk having it blow up into something more.
But another part of her, one that was desperate for answers, one that wanted
to know more than anything what had gotten into her husband, began to
well in her.
“No!” she exclaimed, her voice high and shrill, stopping Lucas in his tracks.
“What?” he asked, not turning around.
“I said ‘no,’” she said, her voice quivering slightly. “I’m your wife. And
you don’t get to dismiss this conversation just because you don’t feel like it.
That’s not how this works.”
Lucas said nothing as he turned around to face her, his expression red with
anger, with impatience, with frustration. Tessa didn’t know how he was
going to react; for the first time in the 15 years of her marriage, she felt
scared and unsafe around her own husband. Then, with slow, measured
steps, he walked towards the small, two-seat wooden table near the bay
windows that looked out onto the front yard. He picked up the glass vase
that held two purple flowers, tossed it in his hand as if measuring it for heft,
and with a quick jutting of his arm, threw it against the wall on the far side
of the room, the vase exploding in a crash of glass, water, and flowers.
Tessa watched this unfolding in horror, shocked that her husband would do
such a thing. Any feeling of protestation was now gone; she couldn’t think
of a word to say.
Lucas, feeling that his point was made, strode out of the kitchen and into the
bedroom. Noisily rummaging through the room, he emerged seconds later,
now wearing a black t-shirt with his jeans and a pair of heavy boots, his
stomping sounding through the home. He then stormed out the front door,
followed soon after by the revving of his motorcycle. Tessa watched him as
he peeled off down the winding road in front of their home, leaving her in
stunned silence.
CHAPTER 3
Tessa picked up the broken pieces of glass with careful fingers, tossing the
shards into a plastic grocery bag from their recycling. She had felt a strange
mixture of emotions swirl through her since Lucas sped off. She was
fearful, certainly but above all, she wanted to get to the bottom of what was
happening with her husband. Months of slow, building tension in the
household had finally exploded; it was as if him throwing the vase in a fit of
anger was just the thing she needed to see to be able to accept that things
might never be the same between her and Lucas. But, either way, she
needed to know what was going on with the man she loved, the man she
thought she knew so well.
Once the kitchen was finally clean, she considered what her next step would
be. After some deliberation, she decided that the only course of action was
to find out just what Lucas was doing, and just who he’d been doing it with.
Tessa decided that she’d wait until the evening arrived before setting out on
her new mission, and she decided to spend the rest of the daylight working
on her latest art project.
Taking one last look over the kitchen to make certain that no stray shards
remained, Tessa set off for the small studio reserved for work. The room
was as sunny and cheerful as always, the many windows of the room
looking out onto the long, green stretch of the backyard, the trees beyond
swaying in the gentle morning breeze.
Tessa stepped in front of her latest piece, a still-life done in the
hyperrealism style that she had been perfecting over the last decade. The
painting of the bowl of wax fruit on the table beyond was starting to come
together in a way that she was mostly happy with, the fruit on the canvas
drawn with such clarity and detail that it almost seemed to be real, and that
was exactly what she was hoping for.
Her photorealistic style had found many admirers over the last few years,
with buyers everywhere from the Upper East Side to Shibuya who were
eager to pay hand-over-fist for her latest work. As she looked over the
painting, paying special attention to a draping pineapple leaf, she couldn’t
help but wonder if Lucas’s relative lack of success was factoring into his
change in behavior. He still had patrons, but his drive had seemed to peter
out over the last few years, and the sales of his work reflected it. He just
didn’t seem to have the same hungry ambition that she fell in love with so
many years ago.
Tessa was still shaken up from her fight with Lucas, but she needed to pass
the time somehow, and she knew that art was the best way for her to burn
off any built-up energy or tension. Besides, it was either that or pace around
the house until the sun set. Getting her equipment together, she set to work.
And just as she intended, the hours flew by, with the morning shifting into
afternoon, then finally into evening. Tessa only took breaks for a quick
snack or to use the restroom. Eventually, after nearly a day’s worth of work,
she felt a little less stressed out about the fight with Lucas, her fear being
replaced more and more by a desire to get to the bottom of what was going
on with her husband. And as she predicted, Lucas hadn’t come back home.
Setting her painting tools on the long, L-shaped desk in the workroom, she
took one last look at her painting and a feeling of satisfaction spread
through her. She cleaned up in the wash basin, put her things back in order,
and shut the lights off in the workroom.
As soon as she flicked the switch, a feeling of determination took hold; she
was ready to get to the bottom of things. Grabbing her keys, she stepped out
into the cool evening air, the lights along their front walkway were small
pools of illumination against the pitch black of the forest that surrounded
them. Tessa was happy that they decided to move out into the woods
because-she could focus on her work here in a way that she never could
with the constant noise of the city streets outside of their old apartment in
Brooklyn. The darkness, however, was something she never grew used to.
She always relied on Lucas to feel safe, but now that things between them
were strained, standing in the still, quiet air of the woods, the silver sliver of
moon above bright that only source of light beyond those of her home, she
had an acute sense of just how dark the woods were.
Her keys in hand, she made a fist around them, letting one stick out from
between her middle and ring finger. She knew how silly it was to think this
would provide a defense against whoever, or whatever, was lurking in the
darkness beyond the property lights, but it made her feel a little bit better.
She walked along the path towards the gravel driveway where the car was
parked. But just as she approached the black Roadster, a rustling sounded
from the woods on the other side of the driveway.
Tessa stopped in her tracks, standing stone still next to the car as she
listened to the noise. It was a gentle noise at first, like a small critter
running through foliage, but over the course of the next few seconds, it
grew in volume and intensity. Tessa realized quickly that it wasn’t just one
animal causing the sound, but many. And they were all growing closer by
the second.
Then, the stomping of heavy footfalls could be heard. These, too, grew
closer and louder by the second. She caught the glint of a pair of yellow
eyes in the darkness, then another, then another. The snorting of breath cut
through the air, hot puffs of exhalation forming and dissipating in the night.
Tessa’s heart raced as the animals moved closer, and as they stepped out of
the darkness and into the small pools of light, she saw that these weren’t
just any animals- they were a large pack of black bears, their eyes all on
Tessa as she stood frozen.
Her body locked up as the animals stared at her impassively, looking her
over as if they didn’t know what to make of her…or if they hadn’t yet
decided what to do with her. As they all emerged from the shadows, Tessa
saw that there were six in total, the two largest in the middle and flanked at
both sides by the smaller members of the pack, their fur nearly as dark and
black as the shadowed night behind them.
Tessa’s fight-or-flight instinct seemed to have short-circuited and all she
could do was stare at the animals as they stood in a row on the other side of
the car. Though she was gripped with fear, she knew that there was nothing
she could do. If she ran, they’d chase her down; if she fought, she’d be dead
in seconds. So, instead, she chose to stay still, hoping that they’d see she
wasn’t a threat.
After a moment, the largest bear broke from the pack, and moved on all
four paws around the car, its muscles shifting as it walked, its smooth, coal-
black fur catching the moonlight as it approached Tessa. It closed the
distance between them quickly, coming to a stop only a few feet from her.
Tessa looked into the deep, brown eyes of the animal, which was close
enough that she could feel the heat radiating from its massive body. She
knew that if it wanted to kill her, it could do so in a split-second. Tessa’s
body was perfectly still, aside from her right hand, which shook rapidly, the
keys jingling as they dangled from her fist.
The bear looked at her hand before turning his gaze back to her. Then, it
walked around Tessa in a slow, lazy circle, the hairs on the back of her neck
standing on end as it moved directly behind her. It completed its loop
around her, the gravel crunching under its massive paws. It took one last,
appraising look at Tessa before, to her surprise, it turned and walked back to
the rest of the pack. Lifting his head up in a quick, nodding motion, it
gestured to the other bears before walking back into the woods,
disappearing into the shadowed foliage. The other bears followed, and in
seconds, Tessa was once again alone, rustling branches the only evidence of
the bear’s former presence.
Tessa, finally able to move, stumbled over to the car, her heart pounding in
her chest. She leaned forward against the car, catching her breath and letting
the adrenaline finish rushing through her body.
The experience left her shaken, but what she considered most disturbing of
all, was when the bear looked at her, something about its eyes didn’t seem
like the cold, empty eyes of a beast. It seemed…human.
CHAPTER 4
Tessa sped down the narrow, gravel road that led to Branlen, the encounter
with the bear pack still racing through her mind. She knew that she
should’ve been dead; any other pack of bears would’ve attacked her within
seconds if she had approached them that closely. But this pack was
different. She couldn’t shake the face of the bear that approached her from
her thoughts. It was just a bear, but the way it looked at her, it was almost as
if it was taking a closer look out of its own sense of curiosity, to see what
she looked like up close.
She did her best to shake these thoughts from her mind as she made her way
towards the town. Not knowing exactly how to begin her mission of finding
out where Lucas was, or what he was doing, she figured Hannagan’s, the
dive bar where they most often went for drinks, was the best place to start.
The small town appeared down the road, a dome of light in the distance
marking it as a beacon of civilization in the woods. She felt the road change
from gravel to paved asphalt, a sure sign that she was nearly there.
After a time, she arrived at Hannagan’s, which was a squat, gray building
decorated with neon signs, motorcycles and cars parked haphazardly out
front. She scanned the vehicles for Lucas’s bike, but couldn’t spot it.
Figuring that he likely was here at some point, she pulled into a spot and got
out of the car.
Throwing open the door to the bar, she was greeted with rock music playing
loudly over the speakers and the sort of raucous commotion that’d she’d
grown to expect from the small-town clientele that was currently packed
into the place. Sidling through the crowd, she slipped into an empty
barstool. Within seconds, the owner Henry, a tall, heavy-set man with a
head of silver hair and a beard tied in a small braid at his chin, came over to
Tessa with a smile on his face.
“Hey, Tess,” he said, leaning against the bar with both hands.
“Hey, Henry,” she replied.
“No Lukey tonight?” he asked, looking around Tessa, as though he might
find Lucas hiding behind her.
“No,” said Tessa, disappointed that Henry evidently hadn’t seen Lucas. “I
was actually hoping that you’d seen him.”
“Nope, I haven’t seen him in a few days, actually. What can I get ya?”
“Just a Bud,” she said.
Within seconds, he produced an ice-cold bottle of beer and set it on the bar
in front of her, popping the top open with a hiss. Tessa took a slow drink,
the cool beer was delicious and just the thing for her frazzled nerves.
“Boy’s nowhere to be found?” asked Henry.
“He, uh, left on his bike earlier today,” she said, not wanting to share the
exact details of her situation. “I hadn’t heard from him and saw he left his
damn phone at home.”
Henry shook his head.
“Dumbass,” he said.
“No kidding,” said Tessa. “I figured he probably stopped by here at some
point.”
“That’s a safe bet,” said Henry. “You know what, I did just get here;
Julianne’s been here all day. Let me see if she’s seen hide or hair of that
young man.”
“Thanks, Henry,” Tessa said, taking another sip of her beer.
Henry nodded and stepped away and within seconds he was replaced by
Julianne, a skinny, black-haired girl with arms covered in colorful, elaborate
tattoos. She wore a skin-tight t-shirt that showed off her taut, toned
stomach.
“Hey, baby!” she said, her gaunt, yet pretty face breaking out into a wide
smile as she leaned across the bar to give Tessa a hug.
“Hey, Jules!” said Tessa.
A sly smile crossed Julianne’s face as she slipped two shot glasses out from
behind the bar and filled them with Goldschlager, the golden flakes of the
liquor catching the dim light of the bar as they fluttered in the liquid. She
pushed a glass over to Tessa and with a cheer, the two threw back their
shots, the sweet, cinnamon drink burning Tessa’s throat as she swallowed it.
“So, you’re looking for your man?” asked Julianne, her hands on her hips.
“Yeah,” she said, before filling Julianne in on the rest of the fabricated
details.
“Oh, shoot, I’m always leaving my phone at home,” she said before
furrowing her brow in thought. “Well, he was in here, but that was hours
ago. He met with…umm, Kevin and Mike.”
Tessa let out an involuntary shudder at hearing the names of two of Lucas’s
newest, and scuzziest, friends.
“They were here? Where’d they go after that?”
“Hmm, let me think,” said Julianne, cocking her hips to the side. “They got
good and tore up here, then they said they were...hmm, oh, that’s right- they
said they were going to Dusty’s place down on Whitehall Lane. You know,
the big farm?”
Tessa knew what she was talking about- she and Lucas had been to a few
parties there over the years. And from that experience, she knew the
shindigs there could get pretty out of hand.
“I’m surprised he didn’t come back to get you if that’s where he went. I’d
never let my man run off to a party like that without me watching him like a
damn hawk; too many drugs, and too much temptation, if you know what I
mean.”
Tessa knew exactly what she meant. She finished her beer, determined to go
find Lucas and get things settled between them before they got out of hand.
“You want another?” asked Julianne, pointing towards the beer with a finger
looped with a gaudy, silver ring.
“Nah, I’m gonna go find Luke and make sure he doesn’t get up to anything
he shouldn’t,” she said with a smile.
“Oh, good idea. Later, Tess.”
Tessa pushed herself away from the bar and rose to leave, but before she
left, a question popped into her mind.
“Hey, Jules,” said Tessa.
“Yeah?”
“This is kind of a weird question, but have you ever seen any bears around
this area? Like, big black bears?”
“Black bears?” asked Julianne, her face in a quizzical expression. “Not that
I know of.”
Henry, overhearing the conversation, stepped in.
“There used to be bears around these parts, but since civilization moved in,
we haven’t seen them for, oh, decades. Not since I was a kid. Why?”
“Oh, just had some critter go through my trash the other day,” said Tessa.
“Though it might’ve been a bear.”
“Nah,” said Henry. “If it were a bear, you’d know it.”
Tessa said her goodbyes and headed out, ready to settle things with Lucas.
CHAPTER 5
Tessa could hear the house long before she saw it. Driving the Roadster
down the winding road out of town towards to Dusty’s farm, a steady
thumping of bass vibrating the windows and windshield of the car.
Moments later, Tessa made the final turn, revealing a massive, white
farmhouse on a seemingly endless stretch of land, a lake shimmering with
moonlight visible in the distance. In front of the house were dozens of cars
parked at erratic angles, throngs of people around them and packed onto the
front lawn. Rolling down the window, the sounds of electronic music filled
the car, the raucous noise of the party-goers as they whooped and hollered
was audible through the music.
Pulling into a spot near the road, Tessa exited the car and walked towards
the party, the music growing to a nearly deafening volume the closer she
drew to the house. The partiers, all with drinks in their hands from beers in
red plastic to handles of cheap whiskey, stared at her with narrowed eyes as
she approached, as though she were an unwelcome guest. And as she
scanned the crowd, she recognized not a single face- a fact that struck her as
odd, considering the town of Branlen was only a few thousand people.
Something else struck Tessa’s attention: most of the crowd seemed to have
the same weary, worn face, as if they’d been up for days partying. But
before she could ponder the curiosity, the nearby flicking of a lighter
provided the answer to her question. Looking at the direction of the flame,
she saw a group of four especially trashy-looking men and women gathered
into a small circle, all passing around a small pipe. Tessa figured that it was
pot, but as she smelled the air, she detected a strange, astringent scent.
Soon after, she realized what it was- meth.
Ignoring the eyes of the reed-limbed men in oversized jeans and dirty, white
undershirts, she made her way into the house, the music now loud enough
to drown out her thoughts. She didn’t know where she was heading exactly,
or what she was going to do if she was able to find Lucas; she only knew
that she needed to see him, to get closure on their fight.
“Hey, baby,” said a man wearing expensive, gaudy clothing, and beady
black eyes that peered out at Tessa from behind matted, red hair. “You want
a smoke?”
Tessa’s first reaction was to tell the man to fuck off, but as she looked over
his outfit and saw that he had money, she realized that he might know who
was who around here.
“Sure,” she said, moving next to the man, the scent of overabundant body
spray filling her nose.
“That’s what I like to hear, missy,” he said, his voice an urban drawl.
“What’s your name?”
“T-, uh, Charlene,” she said, forcing a coy smile onto her lips.
“Charleeene,” he said, drawing out the vowels as if trying the name on for
size. “I’m Reynaldo.”
“Nice to meet you, Renaldo,” said Tessa, taking his boney hand and shaking
it, a thin sheen of sweat on his palm.
“No, no, no,” he said, slipping his hand out of Tessa’s and waving it back
and forth while shaking his head. “Not ‘Renaldo,’ ‘Rey-naldo.’ Big
difference.”
“Sure, uh, Ray-naldo,” said Tessa, taking the cigarette Reynaldo offered and
slipping it between her lips.
“Now, pretty lady,” he said, lighting her cigarette, the sickly-sweet taste of
menthol rushing into Tessa’s lungs as she took the lighting drag. “I gotta
say, you don’t exactly look like you fit in here.”
“And why is that?” she asked, taking another drag and trying to mask her
disgust at the taste of the cigarette.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “But you’re a little older than the, ah, usual
types we get around here.”
Tessa was mildly offended but thought better of indulging the urge to slap
this young man across his face. Instead, she looked around the packed,
dimly-lit house, and sure enough, he was right- nearly everyone there
looked no older than 25.
“I love older ladies, personally,” he said. “So that ain’t even a thing for me.”
“Great to hear,” said Tessa, taking another drag.
“And the other, well, let’s just said you got some really clear skin.”
Tessa was confused at first, but scanned the party once more. With
Reynaldo’s comment in mind, she looked over the faces of the party-goers;
they all seemed to have the same blotchy, red skin, with complexions so bad
she could barely make out their features through their sores. If she hadn’t
already figured out that this was some kind of meth party, she would’ve
known now.
Then, the question rushed into her mind: Why would Lucas be here?
She decided to take a stab in the dark.
“You don’t happen to know anyone named Lucas Henderson, would you?”
Reynaldo’s mouse-like eyes widened, his youthful features lighting up with
recognition.
“You mean Mister Henderson? Why you asking about him?”
Tessa was taken aback by this question. Namely, that he seemed to know
right away who Lucas was. And also, that this kid didn’t seem to be the type
to typically use formalities like “mister.”
“I have important business with him,” said Tessa, unsure of what else to
say, and not wanting to give Reynaldo the real reason for wanting to talk to
Lucas.
“Are you dealing?” he asked, now seemingly unsure of how to talk to
Tessa. “No, wait- you’re not a fucking cop, are you?”
“No, not a cop. I promise.”
Reynaldo took a quick, jerking drag of his cigarette as he looked at Tessa
with a side-eye.
“Let’s say I believe you; why should I let you talk with Mister Henderson? I
mean, I could get you up there with him. But he doesn’t just talk to
anyone.”
“Trust me. I’m someone who he’ll want to talk to.”
Reynaldo considered it.
“OK, fine. I’ll get you in with him.”
“That easy?” asked Tessa.
“Yeah,” he said. “I like your face.”
Tessa shuddered internally at Reynaldo’s leer as he walked passed her,
gesturing for her to follow him. They moved through the party, Tessa
staying close behind Reynaldo, but no too close. The two eventually made
their way to a flight of stairs, the pounding of the bass decreasing as they
traveled up. Once they reached the top, Reynaldo pointed to the door at the
end of the long hallway.
“Mister Henderson should be in there. Just, uh, don’t tell him I sent you.”
With that, Reynaldo dashed back down the stairs, leaving Tessa alone in the
hallway with a handful of kids who seemed to be all passed out, slumped
unconscious against the wall. She spotted a crack of light at the bottom of
the door and as she stepped towards it, she found herself wondering if
Lucas was in there, or if this was some trick that she didn’t understand.
Tessa looked over the passed-out partiers in the hallway, noting that just like
the ones downstairs and out front, they all seemed to be no older than their
early twenties, with many still in their teens. All seemed to be either strung-
out or high on meth, and as Tessa stepped around their limp, splayed-out
limbs, she began to realize that if Lucas was here, it either meant that he
was a user himself, or, even worse, that he had something to do with what
was going on here. Either way, Tessa felt herself growing queasy at the
possibilities.
Finally reaching the door, Tessa wrapped her hand around the handle and
prepared to open it. But before she did, she heard murmuring on the other
side. She leaned in and pressed her ear against the flimsy wood of the
bedroom door, plugging up her other ear to listen more carefully.
“You like that, baby?” asked a female voice.
“I think he does,” spoke a voice belonging to a different girl.
“Mmm,” said another voice on the other side, a man’s voice. “Yeah, just
like that.”
Tessa instantly recognized the man’s voice as Lucas. She’d heard that voice
every day for the last 16 years; there was no way it could be anyone but
him. Taking a deep breath, she twisted the handle and pushed the door open.
And she couldn’t believe what she saw on the other side.
It was Lucas, alright. He was sitting on the end of the bed in the middle of
the room, his pants down at his ankles, his shirt off, exposing his sculpted
chest. At on the floor, at his knees were a pair of girls. They were young
women, one a blonde, the other a redhead, neither of which appeared to be
out of her teens. The redhead had Lucas’s cock deep within her mouth, her
eyes wide as Tessa opened the door. The blonde was at a different sort of
work, her tongue mid-lick on Lucas’s balls as Tessa stepped in.
“What the hell?” shouted Lucas.
He pushed the two girls away, his cock leaving the mouth of the redhead
with a loud, sucking “pop.” The girls, both nude, slim, and long-limbed, let
out a pair of shrieks as they darted to the other end of the room, covering
themselves up with their skinny arms.
In the room, Tessa noticed money here and there, stacked into neat piles of
hundred-dollar bills sitting among small baggies of white drugs. Her
stomach sank to her feet as she realized what was going on.
“Please tell me that I’m not seeing this,” said Tessa, standing frozen at the
door.
“You need to leave, right now,” said Lucas, his voice stern and demanding.
“I’m not leaving until you tell me what all of…this is!” she shouted,
gesturing to the girls, the drugs, the money.
“It’s what you think it is,” he said.
“Luke, baby, who is this lady?” asked the redhead, her voice sweet and
somewhat fearful.
“Shut the hell up!” he said, holding up a finger at the girl, who responded
by doing as he asked, her pretty face an expression of concern and
confusion.
“I can’t believe this,” said Tessa. “I can’t believe that you’d do this, that
you’d live this life and hide it from me.”
“Well, believe it,” said Lucas, rising and pulling up his pants.
“Is this your wife?” asked the blonde. “She’s…so old.”
“I said, shut the hell up!” yelled Lucas, the blonde silencing just as quickly
as the redhead.
“I don’t ever want to see you again,” said Tessa, her heart feeling like it was
being sliced in half by a dull knife. “Don’t come to the house ever again.”
“Wait a minute,” said Lucas. “Don’t you leave. Don’t you run out! You do
and you’ll regret it!”
Tears in her eyes, she turned and ran down the hallway, out of the house and
to the car. She wanted to do nothing but curl into a ball and weep, but more
than that, she wanted to leave, to put as much distance between her and
Lucas as possible.
She’d save her tears for the drive back.
CHAPTER 6
When Tessa awoke the next morning, she, by instinct, moved her arm over
to the other side of the bed. But touching nothing but air, the reality of her
situation came into brutal clarity. The images of last night- the party, the
drugs, seeing Lucas in the middle of being pleasured by two girls whose
ages combined probably weren’t much more than Tessa’s- flooded her
mind. She felt sick, she felt weak, and she felt lost. She lay in bed for a
time, not wanting to move, as though she could pretend that reality wasn’t
what it was simply by refusing to interact with it.
Eventually, however, she made the decision to not be a weak woman, lost
without her man. Placing both feet on the ground, she stepped out of bed.
The bedroom was just as sunny and cheerful as it had been the previous
morning, but now she was alone. Her first stop was the bathroom, to take a
long, hot shower, as though she could wash away the memories of last
night. As she soaked, she realized that at the very least, she could wash
away the grime that the air at that horrible party seemed to be full of.
Stepping out and wrapping a towel around her body, she thought about just
what her husband had gotten himself into. Tessa had considered that he was
having an affair, and had considered that he had picked up a substance
abuse problem- what other reasons could a husband have for acting the way
he did, after all- but what he was into was something that she wasn’t
prepared for at all. She couldn’t tell for certain by what she saw over the
course of that horrible minute, but it appeared that Lucas was involved in
the meth business- not simply using it, but dealing it. There were hundreds
of young adults, kids, just about, at that party last night, and judging by the
amount of drugs in that room, it wasn’t hard to believe that he was
responsible for supplying the whole thing. She wondered how the artist she
fell in love with so many years ago could fall so low as to get involved with
something like this.
Tessa threw on some simple clothes, making sure to put what she wore the
previous night in a sealed bag for fear of that astringent, industrial smell of
burning meth would infect the house. And as she tossed the plastic bag
stuffed full of her clothes into the back of her closet, the image of the two
girls came into her thoughts like an invader. She knew that the sight of her
husband sitting at the edge of the bed, his cock deep in the mouth of another
woman while yet another serviced him, would be burned into her memory
for as long as she lived. She cursed Lucas for doing this to her, knowing
that these two girls were likely just two of many others.
And their age stuck in Tessa’s mind like a pebble in a shoe. She knew that
she was still beautiful, that she was still an object of desire for men. But she
also knew that however attractive she might be now, it wasn’t going to last
forever. When she married Lucas, she had hoped that he would be the man
that she would grow old with, that he would still be at her side when her
looks faded, that she wouldn’t have to worry about finding someone knew,
that that part of her life was taken care of. But it wasn’t to be. And now, just
a few years short of 40, she found her world turned upside down. Not only
was she left to pick up the pieces, but she now had to wonder whether or
not she would ever again find someone to love.
After finishing her morning routine, she stepped into the kitchen. She
wasn’t hungry in the slightest, but she knew how easy it would be to ignore
her appetite and let the stress take over her body. She was determined not to
let that happen. Pouring herself a tall glass of orange juice and a small bowl
of granola, she ate and drank, forcing down each swallow as she stared
listlessly out of the window. As she watched the gentle rustling of the leaves
in the trees, she even felt something approaching calm and peace.
But the rumbling of a motorcycle up the path to their home broke that
feeling right in half.
Tessa’s stomach dropped when she heard the sound of what couldn’t be
anything other than Lucas’s bike approach the house. Looking down, she
saw that her hands were shaking as the noise grew louder. Soon, Lucas
appeared on the path leading to the home, racing towards the house. Lucas
drove the bike right onto the lawn, letting it drop out from under him and
onto its side when he reached the house.
“Tessa!” he shouted as the engine died. “You get out here right now!”
Tessa ducked away from the window, watching Lucas run up to the door
and attempt to open it. She thanked herself for having the presence of mind
to lock the deadbolts last night, though she knew this wouldn’t stop him if
he was truly determined.
“Get out here right now!” he yelled, his face twisted in rage.
She stayed still, fear creeping over her body. Opening the kitchen junk
drawer, she removed the mace that she kept in there, feeling disbelief at the
fact that she might have to use it on her own husband. Steeling herself, she
walked to the front door and opened it, looking into Lucas’s eyes as she did
so.
“There you are,” he said, his voice edged with anger. “What the hell did you
think you were doing last night? Huh?”
Tessa said nothing.
“Coming to Dusty’s place like that. You have no idea what kind of people
were there!”
She still said nothing.
“And I don’t know what you think you saw, but it wasn’t what it looked
like,” he said, his body tight and tense as a bowstring pulled taut.
Now Tessa was angry that he would think she was so stupid. But she said
nothing.
“You better say something,” he said, his hands clenching and unclenching
as he stood on the lawn.
She didn’t know what to do. She was trying to stay strong, to look tough,
but she knew that she wasn’t prepared to handle this confrontation. It
wouldn’t take much for her to break into wracking sobs. Tessa wished that
she’d just stayed inside and hoped that he might leave.
“I said 'say something!’” demanded Lucas.
“You need to leave and never come back,” said Tessa, her voice weak.
“What?” said Lucas. “You think you can tell me to leave my own damn
house? You got another thing coming.”
He paced back and forth for a moment, as if deciding just what to do. Then,
he turned to face Tessa, and began walking towards her.
“Not at a chance in hell you’re gonna tell me what to do.”
But then, just as he seemed poised to do something terrible, a strange thing
took place. Right at that moment, Tessa spotted the shaking of leaves in the
distance at the edge of the lawn. Her eyes tracked to the spot as Lucas’s
stayed fixed upon her. From within the dense, green leaves, emerged a
massive, dark animal; it was a black bear. Tessa didn’t know how but she
recognized it instantly as one of the bears that she saw last night, and not
only that, but the one that approached her. Just as it did yesterday, the bear
stared at her impassively. It stood still once it fully emerged from the forest,
standing there for reasons Tessa didn’t understand.
But something about the bear’s presence filled her with a sense of safety.
She felt as though it were watching out for her, a thought that she instantly
recognized as silly, if not insane. What she felt, however, couldn’t be
disputed.
Then, before Tessa could say anything, the bear made its presence known. It
stood up on its back legs and let out a deafening, mighty roar- a roar so loud
and powerful that it shook the branches of the nearby trees and sent the
birds perched upon them into the clear, blue sky above.
“What the hell?” said Lucas, turning around and staggering at the sight of
the black-furred beast.
Tessa took advantage of the distraction and ran back into the house, setting
every lock on the door and rushing back into the kitchen.
“This isn’t over!” said Lucas, lifting his motorcycle back upright and
hopping on top of it.
With that, he revved the engine and flew down the path, disappearing down
the road, the bear watching him carefully as he left, as though to make sure
he was gone. Tessa listened as the engine faded, the sound diminishing as
Lucas drove away.
From the safety of the kitchen, she watched as the bear looked towards the
house, then back towards the road. He looked to Tessa like some kind of
guard at his post, making sure that no one approached without his knowing.
Then, after a time, he disappeared back into the trees, leaving Tessa in the
silence that there had been only a few minutes before.
CHAPTER 7
Tessa spent the rest of the day inside. Between Lucas and the strange bear
that seemed to be lurking on the property, in her home with the doors
locked and her mace nearby was the only place he felt safe.
She couldn’t shake the image of the bear, how it didn’t seem to be some
ordinary animal; it seemed as though it was behaving in an intelligent,
planned way, like it knew that simply being there would be enough to
intimidate Lucas into leaving. And Henry’s comments about how there
hadn’t been bears in this area for decades further confused her. Just why
were these strange animals making themselves so obvious to her?
Spending the rest of the day trying to work on her art, but distracted by
what was going on in her life, the day slowly passed. Tessa had no idea if
Lucas would return or if the sight of the bear was enough to keep him at
bay. Either way, she knew that he wasn’t the type to just give up; it was
only a matter of time before he returned.
The evening arrived and Tessa sat in the living room watching trashy
television, reality shows picked out specifically so she wouldn’t have to
think. Sitting with her legs draped under her on the couch, Tessa found
herself looking at her wedding ring, spinning the band around her finger
with her other hand. Taking her ring off was something that wasn’t entirely
new to her- she did it every night before bed- but during the majority of the
day, it was on her finger. As she gazed at the facets of the stone, she
realized that even today, after all that happened the previous night, she had
put it on without thinking about it.
So, taking a sip of wine, she worked the ring off of her finger and set it on
the coffee table, trying on for size what it might be like to not wear this ring
during times she normally would’ve, what it would be like to feel single.
Tessa looked at the thin band of slightly paler flesh that wrapped around her
finger under where the ring would normally be. Looking at it, she felt a
sense of longing, of emptiness; she’d forgotten what it was like to be alone.
But before she could consider these thoughts further, the power to the house
cut out abruptly, leaving Tessa in total darkness.
She began to panic as she fumbled around in the dark, wondering what
happened, why the electricity cut out. Standing up, she walked with slow,
careful steps around the living room, fearful of bumping into anything.
Then, the fear that there might be someone responsible for the cutting of the
power gripped her.
That it might be Lucas.
Tessa fumbled in the dark, finally finding her phone and flicking the
flashlight on, a bright, cone of light projecting from it. She waved the phone
around as though it were a cross being used to ward off malevolent spirits,
and, to her relief, found that the living room was empty.
Then, she spotted a figure outside. It was a dark outline against the bay
windows of the kitchen, followed by a pair of shorter, skinnier men. Tessa
felt her heart jump up into her chest, realizing that this meant the power
being shut off wasn’t simply an accident. Now scared that she might be
spotted, she flicked off the phone flashlight, the silver glow of the
moonlight outside the only source of light, bathing the front lawn in an
otherworldly, milky glow. With quiet steps, she moved to the kitchen and
withdrew the slim, sharp knife that she used for cutting chicken and held it
out in front of her. Tessa knew that if these three men wanted to do
something terrible she’d be no match, but it made her feel better than
nothing.
Her limbs felt tense and tight as she spotted the three figures, now further
away from the house. Moving closer to the window, she watched as the
figures, two small and scrawny, one tall and bulky, dash away from the
house and into the woods beyond, a small amount of relief washing over her
as they vanished into the darkness.
After standing still for several minutes in order to make sure they were
gone, Tessa set the knife down, pushing it away from her as she did so, the
thought of having to inflict such violence on someone repulsing her on a
deep level.
Surrounded by darkness, she knew now that she was likely safe, but the
possibility of the men returned was stark in her mind. Tessa debated
whether or not to run to her car and drive into town, but even the idea of
leaving the house to do that was too much for her. Turning her phone
flashlight back on, she debated what to do next.
But before she could think too much about, Tessa spotted a now-familiar
rustling in the tree line. But unlike earlier, when one bear emerged, it was
now the same wide stretch of movement that she saw when the bears
approached her last night.
Terrified, she watched as the pack of bears walked out of the woods,
numbering ten in total, with one bear, just as before, larger than the rest.
The larger bear walked forward, moving onto the lawn. And just as before,
it rose on its hind legs. But unlike before, it didn’t roar. Instead, it waved
one paw in a great swipe in front of its face.
Tessa felt insane for thinking this, but it almost seemed that the bear was
trying to get her attention.
Then, the bears split up, surrounding the house and pointing their bodies
away from the home. Tessa watched them take their positions, all of the
bears evenly distributed around the house, as though forming a perimeter.
Tessa felt as though she was in some kind of bizarre dream as she watched
these bears exhibit behaviors that she could only describe as “human-like.”
Once each of the bears assumed their position, they leaned down, poised
and ready with the moonlight shining on the sleek, black fur of their backs.
Tessa didn’t know what to do. She knew that their behavior could easily be
interpreted as penning her in just as easily as it could be interpreted as
protecting her. But something about the bears being there instilled in her a
feeling of safety, as though she knew their presence was benevolent.
Returning to her living room, she sat back onto the couch and before she
could give the matter any further though, slipped into a deep, exhausted
sleep.
CHAPTER 8
Tessa looked over the massive, clean slice through the main power line that
led from the solar panels on top of the house to the generator. Sure enough,
it was cut clean through. And judging from how it was done, there was no
way that an animal could’ve been responsible for it.
It was the next morning and when Tessa awoke her first act of the day was
to run to the living room window to see if the bears were still there. But
they had left, no sign of their presence remaining.
Returning inside to take a shower, she was in for another surprise, however.
When she turned the water on, nothing but a weak dribble resulted. She
moved through the house, checking every source of water, only to
encounter the same result. She realized that not only had the men cut the
power, they’d cut the water as well.
And her trip outside to look things over only confirmed this.
She headed back inside, and looked through her phone for the nearest
electrician, paying close attention to the ever-draining battery display in the
upper right-hand corner. Flipping through the results for “electrician,” she
found that there was only one place within a fifty-mile radius. She pulled
the listing up and looked it over.
“Atticus Swift – Brenlan’s #1 Electrician – Available For Emergencies”
This was followed by the number.
Tessa figured that if anything was an emergency, having the electricity cut
by an angry, drug-dealing ex was it. She tapped the number and waited for
an answer.
“Atticus Swift, electrician,” came the voice on the other end, a low, purring
male voice.
“Oh, hi,” said Tessa, a little startled by the voice; she was expecting a
kindly old man to answer, not what she had heard. “My name is Tessa
Henderson. I live up a-ways up Bear Mountain.”
“Of course, Miss Henderson,” said Atticus. “How can I help you?”
“I had a little bit of an issue with my electricity last night,” she said.
She felt somewhat hesitant to tell him that someone cut the power, but she
figured she might as well tell him the truth, figuring that lying to an
electrician about something like that was probably just as pointless as lying
to a dentist about how much candy you’re eating.
“Someone cut it,” she finished.
“Sorry to hear that,” said Atticus. “Well, the good news is that if it’s cut, it
can be pretty easily fixed; not like the wiring went bust or anything. I’m
gonna go out on a limb and assume you want this fixed as soon as
possible?”
“Yes, please,” said Tessa.
“Well, lucky for you I just had a cancellation for around eleven. That work
for you?”
Tessa looked at the time, seeing that she would only have to wait a couple
of hours.
“That’s perfect,” she said.
“OK. Well, sit tight, don’t touch the wires, don’t open your fridge unless
you need to, all that good stuff. I’ll be by around then.”
“Great, thank you so much.”
“Of course.
With that, Tessa hung up. And as she stood with the phone cradled in her
hands, she couldn’t shake just how attractive the voice of the man on the
other end was. She set the phone down and shook her head, deciding to kill
the time until he got there by taking a look at the water main.
Slipping on her sandals, she walked towards the massive, circular water
pump in the backyard. Taking a look at the pipe, she saw that just like the
electricity, it had been cut through cleanly. Fortunately, it was simply a
matter of replacing the section of PVC pipe and turning the water back on,
which she was able to do in ten or so minutes. She headed back to the house
and flipped the water on, and after a few groans and strains from the pipes,
water sprayed from the sink, cool and fresh.
Tessa nodded at her handiness, happy that Lucas had taught her how to deal
with a broken pipe. But thinking of Lucas, aside from the distress that the
subject brought her, she now chastised herself for realizing that it was
almost definitely him who cut the power and water last night, likely him
and a couple of his meth-dealing buddies.
She felt her cheeks grow hot with anger. Tessa understood now that not only
was Lucas essentially living a double life, but now that she didn’t take him
back, he was determined to make her life as difficult as possible. Stepping
into the shower for a quick rinse, she wondered what she would do if he
continued to harass her. She knew that there was no chance that she’d take
him back, not after what he’d done to her. Tessa didn’t know what Lucas
was capable of; he had always channeled his passionate emotions into his
art. She realized now that she was going to learn what it would be like to be
on the receiving end of the hostile shades of those sentiments.
Frustration running through her, she stepped out of the shower. After drying
herself off and throwing on some simple, light clothes, Tessa walked into
her studio, put on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, turned up her
music up as loud as she could take it, the classic rock feeling as though it
might shatter her eardrums. She set to work with her paints, knowing that
working on her art was the only possible thing that could even begin to
soothe her rattled nerves.
Tessa lost herself, painting with intensity and wild abandon, her brush
strokes slashing across the canvas, yet leaving on the most precise and
minute details. Stepping away from the canvas, she looked at the painting
approvingly; it was nearly done and ready to sell.
But before she could get back into her work, she spotted a figure out of the
corner of her eye. Turning, she saw a man standing just outside of one of
the large windows. Tessa took in a sharp gasp, her paint dropping to the
floor and splattering everywhere. Her first instinct was to call the police, but
as soon as she came to her senses, she remembered that the electrician was
due to come by. Checking her phone, she saw that it was fifteen after eleven
already- the time had flown by.
She gestured for the electrician to meet her at the front door, and though she
couldn’t make out his features through the window, she saw that he gave
her a thumbs-up of acknowledgment.
Her face hot with embarrassment, Tessa walked with short, quick steps to
the front door. Throwing it open, she gasped at what she revealed.
It was the electrician, alright, but this man was far from the skinny, small-
town handyman she was expecting. The first trait Tessa noticed was his
height: he was tall, a good few inches over Lucas, who was himself a taller-
than-average man. His face was strikingly handsome, with soulful, sensual
hazel eyes, a nose with a straight, strong bridge, sandy-blond hair that was
tousled and wet-looking, and a wide, red mouth turned upwards in a roguish
smile. His jaw was wide, and his face was slim, his bone structure more
what she’d expect from a New York model than an upstate electrician. He
was dressed in a simple, white shirt that hung from his square-shouldered,
strapping torso, with a pair of loose blue jeans on below, and a stylish pair
of brown Red Wings on his feet. If she didn’t know better, she’d almost
guess he was one of those hipster guys she’d seen all the time in Brooklyn
who liked to dress in blue-collar styles, but she could tell right away he was
the real deal- a man who actually knew how to use his hands.
“Afternoon, miss,” he said, his low, melodic voice the same one she’d heard
on the phone a couple of hours ago.
“Oh my God,” she stammered. “I’m so sorry if you were waiting a while. I
just lose track of time when I’m painting sometimes. Please, come in.”
“Not a problem at all,” he said, stepping over the threshold.
Tessa noted that if he was upset, he didn’t show it in the slightest.
“I’m Tessa Henderson,” Tessa said, still coming to grips with how
handsome this man was. “Can I, um, get you something to drink?”
“Atticus Swift,” he said. “And a glass of water would be just fine, if you
don’t mind.”
“Oh, not at all,” said Tessa, rushing towards the kitchen.
“Are you a ‘shoes-on’ or ‘shoes-off’ kind of home?” he asked as Tessa
filled a glass of water.
“Oh, on is fine. I’m not too fancy here.”
She returned to the living room and handed Atticus the glass of water.
“Thank you much,” he said, before taking a long, slow drink, his Adam’s
Apple bobbing as he swallowed.
Tessa took the glass from Atticus, her eyes on his thick, ropy arms.
“Now, let me take a look at things, if you don’t mind,” he said with a smile.
“Oh, sure,” said Tessa. “Well, like I said, I think someone cut the
electricity.”
Atticus’s brow furrowed.
“Well, that’s no good,” he said. “I don’t want to overstep my bounds, miss,
but have you spoken to the police about this?”
“No, I haven’t gotten a chance yet.”
Atticus’s face flashed an expression of mild skepticism as he walked to the
nearest light switch and flicked it a few times.
“You weren’t lying,” he said. “Totally out.”
He turned his expression back to Tessa, who felt like she might melt under
his gaze. And as she looked into his eyes, she sensed something strange,
something...familiar. It was almost as if she’d met him before, somewhere.
“Why don’t you take me out to where the line was cut? That’d be the best
way to get to the bottom of this, I think,” he said.
“Sure, right this way,” said Tessa. “Just right outside.”
Atticus gave a smile and a nod, and headed back out the front door. Tessa’s
eyes went straight to his ass as he walked, paying special attention to the
way it flexed and tensed as he walked. She couldn’t understand what had
come over her, but she couldn’t stop looking at him. And as she walked at
his side, she felt a strange crackling of heat between them, as though the
space between their bodies were charged with energy.
She led him in the direction of the electrical main.
“Sorry,” said Tessa, feeling the wet slickness of dew on her bare feet as she
walked. “But I have to ask- have we met before?”
“Hm,” said Atticus, giving the matter some thought. “I don’t believe so.”
“You ever go to Hannigan’s?” asked Tessa.
“Yeah, I’ve been. Probably recognize me from there. The town isn’t all that
big, you know? Bound to run into the same people.”
“Yeah,” said Tessa, not entirely convinced.
They approached the main, and Atticus let out a slow whistle as he looked
over the clean slash through the main line.
“Yep, that definitely wasn’t an accident.”
“Oh, I know.”
“Well, I like I said on the phone- it’s a clean cut, and shouldn’t be too hard
to fix.”
He turned back towards Tessa.
“You can go ahead and get back inside. I’m going to get my tools and get to
work.”
“Sure,” said Tessa.
She started to walk off, but stopped and turned back around.
“I’m going to be in my studio again with my headphones on, so if you need
me just come on in.”
“Will do,” he said, flashing another smile of pearl-colored teeth.
Tessa walked back into the house with quick steps, her eyes fixed forward.
She couldn’t shake the strange mixture of feelings that was going through
her mind. First, was her immediate attraction to this man. It was intense,
gripping her like a massive hand; she couldn’t take her eyes off of Atticus’s
lean, muscular body, his simple workman’s clothes hanging off of him in
just the right way. And his face was so gorgeous and striking that it was
almost difficult to look at.
And on top of everything, she just knew that she’d seen him before, that
she’d met him somewhere, sometime. He hinted otherwise, but there was
something familiar about him, and what’s more, the familiarity seemed
recent, as though she’d met him within the last week. But the only place
she’d been was that horrible party where she’d found Lucas and Atticus
didn’t strike her as the type to be doing meth with dozens of teenagers.
She headed back into her studio, knowing that she needed to put all of this
out of her mind- he was just the electrician, she thought. He’d fix the line
and be out of here in an hour or so, and she’d never see him again. Tessa
figured there was no sense in trying to puzzle out this particular mystery.
But still, his smile, and those arms.
She shook her head, flipped her music back on, cranked the volume, and
snapped her headphones back onto her head. Taking her paint supplies back
into her hand, she went to work, but not before flipping the room’s light
switch so she’d know when the power as back on.
Turning towards the canvas, she started to paint.
After a time, the canvas in front of her was set aglow, and looking up, she
saw that the overhead light was alight with a soft, orange warmth. Surprised
that Atticus could be done so quickly, she looked at her phone. Just as
before, time had flown by.
“That’s a hell of a pineapple,” said the voice from the door.
Spinning around on her feet, Tessa saw that Atticus was standing in the
entryway to the studio, his sweat-glistened body leaned against the
doorframe.
“Oh, thanks,” she said, taken aback by the way the slick moisture on his
body highlighted every dip and curve of his arms, the muscles of his chest
visible through his t-shirt.
“You’re a painter, I take it?”
“Yeah, still-lives, mostly.”
“Well,” he said, looking around the room. “They’re pretty damn
impressive.”
“Thanks,” Tessa said, her face growing hot and red, feeling as though she
were a schoolgirl who’d somehow gained the attention of the most
handsome boy in class.
“As you can see, the main’s fixed; you shouldn’t have any more problems
with the line, assuming it doesn’t get cut again, that is.”
“Thanks again,” said Tessa, taking off her headphones and setting down her
equipment, her arms and shirt stained with paint. “Let me get you
something to drink. It must be hot out there.”
“That’d be great,” he said.
Tessa led him back into the kitchen, the whirring of the refrigerator’s motor
filling what was previously dead silence.
“I think I’ve got some ice tea, and I didn’t open the freezer…” she said,
opening the freezer, a small gust of cool air rushing out. “There! Cubes are
still kind of OK.”
Atticus let out a small laugh.
“Anything’s fine.”
Tessa poured them two glasses of ice tea, topping the drinks with freshly
sliced lemon wedges. Handing the drink to Atticus, he held the glass up to
his forehead, letting the cool drink cool his skin, a drop of condensation
from the glass darting down the side and along his thick, tanned wrist.
Tessa walked over to the counter by the window, glass in hand.
“Listen,” said Atticus. “Like I said, it’s none of my business, but can I ask
what happened to your electrical main?”
Tessa would’ve normally made something up, and not shared personal
details with a stranger. But something about Atticus made her feel
comfortable opening up, and telling him the truth.
“It’s…an ex. I mean, I think it’s an ex. I mean, I think I have an ex.”
Tessa’s face scrunched up as struggled to explain her situation.
“Sounds complicated,” Atticus said, leaning against the fridge.
“It is. I mean, I’m married. Technically.”
Atticus’s thick, sandy-blond eyebrows raised.
“It’s…a long story. But the relevant part is that my husband cut the main. At
least, I’m pretty sure. I don’t know what’s going on, really.”
She crossed the arm holding the glass in front of her and brought the free
one to her mouth, covering it, as she looked down. Saying the words out
loud filled her with a helpless, scared feeling, as she realized that she was in
the middle of a situation that she had no idea how to navigate.
Atticus walked over to her, seeing that Tessa was clearly in distress.
Standing next to her against the counter, he placed a hand on her shoulder.
As soon as his skin touched hers, a feeling of safety and calm washed over
her, as though simply being near this man was enough to let her feel that
everything was fine, and that she didn’t have anything to fear.
“Sounds like you’re in a tough spot,” he said, setting his drink down on the
counter.
“Yeah, you could say that,” said Tessa.
As Tessa stood near Atticus, the feeling of warmth and safety only grew,
mixing with the attraction that she already felt for him. She was confused
by her feelings, but what she wanted was growing clearer by the moment.
She turned and faced Atticus, looking up into his beautiful hazel eyes as he
looked down at her, his brow knitted in concern. Then, giving in to the
nearly overwhelming sense of attraction that had been building in her since
she first lay eyes on him, she reached up, pulled Atticus towards her, and
kissed him deeply and slowly. She could tell by the way his body tightened
and tensed that he was somewhat surprised by what Tessa was doing, but he
soon loosened, and kissed her back, wrapping his strong arms around her
slim, small body.
CHAPTER 9
Tessa may have initiated the kiss, but Atticus took charge of the situation
quickly. He leaned into Tessa, opening his mouth, his tongue slipping over
and past her lips and meeting her own. He placed his hands on her hips,
pulling her closer to him as he kissed her. Tessa took in a slow, deep breath
through her nostrils, smelling his hot, sensual musk, the scent of a man
who’d been working in the sun. Her fingertips moved along his arms as
they kissed, the thin sheen of sweat on his body cool and wet against her
skin. She wanted to drink him completely, to take in his manly essence, to
envelop him into her.
Atticus began kissing Tessa on the on the side of her face, moving
downward along her jaw, then down to her neck and behind her ear, the
feeling of his lips on this delicate skin sending waves of gooseflesh along
her limbs. The feelings inside Tessa were ones of passion that seemed
strange, almost alien to her. She’d been with Lucas for years, and while she
was still attracted to him, the passion seemed to have faded from their
relationship as the years went on. But here, with Atticus, as he kissed her
deeply and passionately, these feelings of almost animalistic lust were
coming to the surface once again, seeming as though they might reach a
boiling point at any moment.
Atticus, his hands still on Tessa’s hips, turned her body, placing her back
against the countertop. Then, with a heave that seemed almost effortless, he
lifted her onto the surface, her legs wrapping around him as she sat upon it.
They continued to kiss and now their hands were exploring one another’s
bodies, moving over and under each other’s clothing, to the places they both
wanted to touch from the moment they first lay eyes upon one another.
Tessa slipped her hands under Atticus’s shirt, confirming that his body was
as hard and taut as it appeared to be. She felt herself grow wet as she snaked
her hands along his body, feeling the hard divots of his tight abs and the
solid contours of his pecs. It was a body that she wanted to feel, to hold, to
have on top of her. And as she kissed and caressed him, Atticus moved his
own hands below Tessa’s painted-stained shirt and simple, white bra,
kneading her breasts softly, the feeling of his fingertips on her nipples
driving her wild with lust.
Then, with a swift movement, he pulled her shirt off of her body and tossed
it to the other side of the room before returning to kissing her. His hands
moved down to the waistband of her pants, and after working the button
free, he removed them with a slow, careful pull. Tessa was now bare aside
from her white bra and simple, black, cotton panties. She felt slightly self-
conscious, wishing she were wearing something sexier, but she realized
with a sly smile that it didn’t really matter; she probably wouldn’t be
wearing them for much longer.
Tessa slipped her hands up to the collar of Atticus’s shirt and pulled it off of
his body. Though she was busy with kissing him, she knew she had to take
a look at what she’d just revealed. Placing her hands on his shoulder,
pushed him back slightly, her gaze dragging over his body. Sure enough, his
torso was as sculpted and toned as she expected, its color a sun-kissed
bronze.
“Get a good look?” he asked with a smile.
“Shut up,” she said with a wink before planting her lips back on his,
opening her mouth wide, as though wanting to drink him down completely.
Whipping his shirt across the room, she next set to work on his pants,
slipping the button out of the slit of his jeans and yanking them down with a
hard jerk, taking his boxer-briefs down with them. She cast another side
glance down as she continued to kiss him, noting with sly pleasure that his
cock, by now rock-hard, was just as long and thick as she was hoping.
Atticus moved his hands up Tessa’s bare curves, moving up to her bra,
reaching towards the back of it and unhooking the clasps. Pulling the bra
off, her breasts tumbled free, her womanhood ample and full. She knew that
though her body might be aging, she still had breasts that even girls in their
early twenties would kill for, and judging by the way Atticus set upon them
with his mouth, kissing and sucking on her pink nipples, Tessa figured that
he agreed.
He stepped out of his jeans, which were now crumpled on the floor at his
ankles, moving them over his boots, which he kicked off next. After he was
completely disrobed, he slipped his fingers under the waistband of Tessa’s
panties, pulling them down, her legs shimmying to assist him in sliding
them off.
Tessa took a look at Atticus’s cock, wanting nothing more than for it to be
inside of her right at that second. She couldn’t remember the last time she
had felt such desire, such need for a man to be in her, to pleasure her.
Then, as if sensing exactly what she wanted, Atticus took his cock by the
base, and with a slow, aimed motion, slid himself into her. Tessa let out a
long sigh as he entered her, feeling each inch of him move into her,
stimulating her in a fashion that was so intense that she could barely stand
it. He held himself still, letting his cock rest buried within her for a moment,
kissing her neck.
But Tessa wanted him to fuck her, and to fuck her now. Moving her hands
to the firm, curved flesh of his smooth ass, she pressed against him,
imploring him to push deeper into her, then to slide out, and do it all over
again.
Tessa realized happily that Atticus was very good at picking up on hints.
Sliding out of her, his cock stimulating her just as much on the way out as it
did on the way in, Atticus began thrusting. Slowly at first, his throat
emitting a soft grunt as he came to terms with how good his cock felt inside
of her. Tessa’s hands remained on his ass, feeling the muscles beneath the
taut skin flex and release as he thrusted, moving his cock in and out of her.
Gradually, he picked up the pace, thrusting harder and harder, his hips
slapping against the soft skin of her inner thighs as he moved inside of her.
Tessa closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling of him pounding her, feeling
the pace of his thrusting build and build until he was hammering her at a
pneumatic pace, her lower half feeling as though it was melting into cream
as he fucked her. She moved her hands along his body, taking sweet
pleasure at the feeling of his hard body underneath her touch, his torso
seemingly created by the hand of a Greek sculptor. Tessa was in awe of his
body, it was so perfect that she couldn’t even understand it; everything
about Atticus physically was pure perfection.
She wrapped her hands around the wide span of his upper torso, resting her
face on his brawny shoulders, taking in his musk as he continued to pound
her. Tessa let her body relax, loosening her muscles and allowed no feeling
other than the radiating waves of pleasure take hold, letting the world
beyond melt away as Atticus buried himself into her, over and over.
Tessa felt an orgasm begin whipping into a froth deep within her. Atticus
was fucking her at just the right pace, just the right intensity, for her to be
lulled into the trance-like, almost hypnotized state that she knew would
bring her to orgasm. She took in another slow draw of air through her nose,
the scent of Atticus doing something to her, something that she didn’t
understand. He smelled like pure man in his natural state, straight out of
nature. She took another breath as he continued to fuck her, her legs nearly
limp from the intensity of feelings that were coursing through her body like
a rushing river.
Atticus’s grunts continued. Tessa had never had sex with him before, but
she could easily sense that he was about to cum, and cum hard, his deep,
full breaths signaling his orgasm’s arrival. And her own came closer and
closer, ebbing and flowing like a steadily rising tide, pulling back, only to
lap up further along the shore with the next wave. Next, her arms began to
slacken and loosen, the power of his cock seemingly taking away her ability
to keep her muscles flexed.
Tessa moaned more and more, her sounds of pleasure almost taking on a
tone of pleading, as though begging him to fuck her, to not stop, to never
stop, to pound her until her orgasm ripped through her.
Her orgasm arrived soon, followed by Atticus’s. Pleasure blasted through
Tessa’s body like an unstoppable wave, her eyes rolling into the back of her
head, her toes curling, her fingers digging into the thick skin of Atticus’s
back. He grunted hard, emptying himself into her, driving his cock into her
body as far as it would go. Tessa felt a brief, shrill scream escape her throat
as Atticus unloaded himself into her, spraying his seed deep into her body.
Then, he slowed down, and Tessa’s orgasm ebbed gently. They held onto
each other’s body for a moment, each taking slow, deep breaths.
Tessa couldn’t remember the last time she’d been fucked like that.
CHAPTER 10
Tessa sat on the floor, her nude legs splayed in front of her. Not only did she
not want to move, she didn’t think she could even if she had to.
“Well, that’s a first,” she said, Atticus sitting next to her.
“What, having sex?”
Tessa playfully slapped Atticus on the arm.
“No, jerk.”
“Having sex with the electrician, then?”
“Well, I guess that would be another first. But I was referring to cheating.”
“Ah. That’s what some might call a dubious honor.”
“I suppose so,” said Tessa, debating how much to tell about her situation
with Lucas to this man who she still didn’t know.
“I’ve never been married myself, so I wouldn’t really know about those
kinds of things.”
Tessa raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“You’ve never been married?”
“No, ma’am,” he said.
“That’s…surprising,” said Tessa.
“How do you mean?”
“Well, you’re about my age, right? Late thirties?”
“Yeah, thereabouts.”
“When I think of a man my age who hasn’t ever been married, a man like
you isn’t who comes to mind.”
“Oh?” asked Atticus, raising an eyebrow. “And what kind of man does
come to mind?”
“The kind of guy who still lives with his parents. And spends most of his
free time jerking off and playing video games.”
“Who says I don’t live with my parents?” he asked, a sly smile on his face.
Tessa slapped him on the arm again.
“And who doesn’t love jerking off and playing video games?”
Tessa laughed.
“OK, I get it,” she said.
“Seriously, though, I’ve had my fair share of serious relationships that went
on for years, but nothing that ended in getting hitched.”
“Hmm,” said Tessa. “Sounds like someone’s got high standards.”
“More that I’m the sort of guy who enjoys his freedom. Well, take our little
rendezvous just now,” he said. “Not really the type of thing you can do
when you’re tied down.”
“Didn’t stop me,” said Tessa.
Atticus let out a quick laugh.
“I suppose you’re right. Though I get the impression there’re some
extenuating circumstances in your case.”
“You’d be right on that.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
Tessa did want to talk about it. She wanted to blurt out the who situation
with Lucas, to get it off of her chest, to hear someone else’s opinion on the
matter. But, again, she decided against it.
“Like I said, I think I’ve got an ex.”
“Say no more,” said Atticus.
Reaching across the kitchen and grabbing his pants, Atticus checked his
phone.
“Whew,” he said, looking at the time. “I think I need to get going.”
“Duty calls, huh?”
“Something like that.”
He got up and stepped into his pants. Moving around the kitchen, he picked
up his clothes and put them on, one after the other.
“I suppose we should talk business?” asked Tessa, standing and fetching her
own clothes.
“Huh? Oh yeah, I did fix your electricity.”
He furrowed his brow in thought.
“You know what? I think this one’s on me.”
Tessa raised an eyebrow.
“I hope you’re not thinking we have a quid-pro-quo arrangement going on.”
“Ha. No, not at all,” he said, pulling his shirt on, Tessa feeling a slight tinge
of disappointment as he covered up his body. “It was an easy job and I think
it’s the least I can do for someone who’s going through what looks to be a
tough situation.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
He reached into his back pocket and slipped out a silver card case.
“On one condition: You need any help, be it electricity-related or otherwise,
you give me a call.”
“Aren’t you a good Samaritan?” said Tessa, taking the bone-white card with
his information on it from Atticus and looking it over.
“Just think of me as a friend,” he said with a smile.
Tessa smiled, noting that part of her wanted to think of him as more than
that.
His boots on, he walked towards the door.
“Anyway, I should get moving. Pleasure doing business with you, ma’am,”
he said.
“Likewise, sir,” Tessa responded.
Atticus gave her a slight nod and headed out, Tessa’s eyes on him as he
walked out to his black truck, tossed his tools in the back and with a final
wave, drove off. A strange sense of longing in her heart, she watched as
truck disappeared down the curving, winding road of the forest.
CHAPTER 11
Pulling his truck onto the main road of Branlen, Atticus Swift checked the
schedule in the phone one last time, confirming that he was done for the
day. Upon seeing that he was, he let out a sigh as he considered the
workday that he had just finished. The memory of Tessa was as fresh in his
mind as it could possibly be. Sleeping with a single woman while on a job
wasn’t new to him, but this one was different. Ever since he had spotted her
the other night while out with his brothers, he felt drawn to her. And when
he learned that she was having troubles, troubles that put her safety at risk,
he knew that it was time to enter her life in a more direct way.
Sure, his brothers and the other members of the pack objected, but he was
their Alpha, and one of the benefits of that position was that he didn’t have
to listen to siblings of a lower rank. But making unilateral calls like this
came with a cost, and he knew he could only do so sparingly unless he
wanted to risk a younger member of the pack challenging his leadership.
All of this weighed on Atticus’s mind as he turned onto the gravel road that
led up to the compound where he, his brothers, and the other members of
the pack lived. He drove away from Branlen, passing through the two-lane
road that cut through the middle of a handful of buildings- mostly bars,
grocery stores, and a movie theater that constituted the town center. He
drove off onto a winding, unpaved path that led further up Bear Mountain.
It was the opposite direction he traveled when making his call to Tessa’s,
though he and the rest of the pack could easily make their way to her place
by cutting through the woods rather than by car- one of the advantages of
their powers.
Atticus was a shifter. A bear shifter, to be exact, born with the power to
change into a black bear at will. He didn’t know where, exactly, his powers
came from, only that they had been passed on from his parents, and their
parents before, and so on. After the death of his parents by poachers when
he was only a teen, he was made the alpha of his pack, forced to adapt to
the responsibilities of leadership at a young age. The bulk of the pack was
the Swift family, him and his brothers, but many of the dozen or so men of
the group were men without families, born- or cursed- with the same power
of bear shifting, They had found that being a member of the Swift pack was
preferable to attempting to make on their own- a wise decision, in Atticus’s
opinion.
The gravel crackled as he drove up the winding path, the sun flickering
through the canopy of tall trees heavy with lush leaves. After a time, he
reached a large, imposing gate made of solid steel, covered in no
trespassing signs and topped with conspicuous security cameras. He pressed
the control on the sun visor and the gate opened with a mechanical groan.
Atticus continued driving up, putting more and more distance between him
and civilization. Eventually, he reached the second security gate, which he
passed through in the same fashion.
Then, after another fifteen minutes or so of driving, the first boxy shapes of
the compound became visible through the trees, the beige-colored buildings
surrounded by a tall, steel fence that wrapped around the several acres of
the property. As he drove closer, and more of the compound became visible
until it dominated the view. Finally reaching the last gate, he put the vehicle
into park, jumped out of the truck, and opened the several locks that kept
the gate shut. Hopping back into the car, he drove through.
The Swift Compound was a massive set of buildings constructed nearly ten
years ago by the pack when they decided that keeping the secret of their
nature was just too much work while living among civilization. The main
building of the compound was a huge thing, a four-thousand-square-foot
place built so solidly that it almost had the appearance of a fortress. It was
where he and his brothers lived, and the handful of smaller houses scattered
among the property is where the rest of the tribe took up residence. Several
cars were parked here and there on the property, but Atticus didn’t spot any
sign ofthe pack.
Atticus pressed another button on the visor, the leftmost of the three doors
opening and revealing a sleek, modern garage. He drove the truck into the
open space and killed the engine. After getting out and ascending the
staircase leading from the garage, he stepped into the massive living room.
The main room of the compound was a tall-ceilinged space of neutral
colors, simple yet expensive with well-made furniture and a large, gas-
powered fireplace. The wall facing outside was entirely comprised of a
huge window that looked out onto the greens and browns of nature beyond.
Towards the top of the room, there was a second-floor balcony that looked
out over the space, hallways entering from either side led to the rest of the
first floor on one end and the dining room and kitchen on the other. The
walls were decorated with simple, modern art and a subtle, musky scent
wafted through the air. It was a clean and tastefully-appointed bachelor’s
compound for him and his three brothers.
The air was still and quiet, and Atticus wondered where everyone was.
“Is that you, Atticus?” called out a deep, manly voice from the second floor,
the sound carrying through the open space of the home.
“Clyde! Where are you?” called Atticus in response.
Clyde responded by appearing at on the second-floor balcony, his huge,
muscular frame dominating the view, his typical wide smile on his face.
Seeing Atticus on the first floor he turned toward the stairs and ran down,
the footfalls of his enormous feet sounding through the living room. Upon
reaching the first floor, he ran towards Atticus and wrapped him with his
massive, beefy arms, lifting Atticus into the air.
“Good to see you, brother!” he said.
“You too,” said Atticus, his face muffled by Clyde’s chest. “But if you
could put me down, I’d appreciate it.”
He complied, and Atticus took a step back and looked at his brother.
Clyde was the brawn of the group, a role that he was happy to fill. An
enormous man of nearly six-and-a-half feet of height, he was loaded with
muscles. His hair was cut to a buzz and his handsome features always
seemed to project warmth and friendliness. Atticus’s younger brother by
several years, he always thought of Clyde as a Golden Retriever- loyal and
kind.
“How was the vacation?” asked Atticus, referring to Clyde’s recent trip to
the woods of the Pacific Northwest, were he spend the better part of the
winter with a pack of Grizzly shifters.
“Not much of a vacation,” he said, looking away. “Lot of work.”
Atticus looked around the house.
“Where’s everyone else?” he asked.
“Out in the woods, on a pack hunt. I would be with them, but I just got back
in not too long ago and, well, I didn’t really feel up to it.”
Atticus was about to press Clyde for more details, before he did, the
movement of shapes in the window beyond was visible in the corner of his
eye.
“Ah, that must be them,” said Clyde his attention drawn to the same place.
Atticus walked towards the enormous glass wall and looked down at the
cleared grounds of the compound. Sure enough, the rest of the pack was
moving from the southern entrance, the precession of nude, freshly-shifted
men striding through the grounds, all with the same confident gait.
Sighing, Atticus wasn’t looking forward to the conversation he was going to
have with them.
“How’s the girl?” asked Clyde, walking to Atticus’s side.
“You’ve heard?” asked Atticus, surprised.
“Only a little, that you’ve been having the pack look after some woman in
town.”
“That’s right,” said Atticus.
“Why?” asked Clyde, giving Atticus a playful jab to the arm, which Atticus
found still hurt quite a bit, even despite Clyde’s playful intentions. “You
have a little crush?”
Atticus smirked and rolled his eyes, the events of the day flashing through
his mind.
“Nothing so indulgent. You remember the meth dealers who’ve been taking
up residence in the woods?”
“I do,” said Clyde. “Bringing more and more crime into the area.”
“Exactly. Besides that, they’re putting up more and more drug labs in the
woods, setting up booby traps and destroying the woods around them with
their chemicals.”
Clyde shook his head.
“We need to rid them from this area, if you ask me.”
“I agree,” said Atticus, his eyes still on the pack as they split up, his
brothers making their way towards the house.
“So, what does the girl have to do with all of it?” asked Clyde.
Atticus heard the doors open on the floor below.
“We’ll talk all of this over in a minute. For now, I need a damn beer.”
“That does sound nice,” said Clyde.
The pair walked through the living room and down the hall leading to the
kitchen, passing the dining room on their right, a room with a long, birch
table and a view onto the woods just as spectacular as the living room.
Atticus made his way to the tall, stainless steel fridge and opened it, letting
the cool air rush over his body for a moment before he withdrew a pair of
Budweisers. He cracked the two caps and handed one to Clyde.
“Thank you,” said Clyde, taking a long draw. “But you’re not going to meet
with Ian and Roland?”
“As much as I need to talk with them, I think I’ll give them a minute or two
to throw on some clothes.”
Clyde made an expression of realization. The two of them then walked out
onto the large patio that overlooked the property, took a seat and sipped
their beers.
“I never get tired of this view,” said Atticus, looking out at the trees just
outside of their compound, followed by the gentle, rolling curves of the hills
beyond, the view building to a crescendo of faraway mountains painted
with a glow of soft pinks and creamy whites from the dramatic sky of the
setting sun.
“It’s quite a place to call home,” said Clyde. “Especially after where I just
came back from.”
“Not as nice of a view?”
“The home of the pack was more…cave-like,” he said. “And it rained every
damn day.”
“That’s the Pacific Northwest for you,” said Atticus. “It’s why I prefer our
little slice of land.”
“Agreed,” said Clyde, taking a sip of his beer.
Before they could continue, Atticus heard his brothers enter the den. Soon
after, the door to the patio opened, and turning in his seat, he was greeted
with the sight of Ian and Roland, his other younger brothers.
“There’s our older brother,” said Ian, walking around the deck chairs where
Clyde and Atticus sat, taking position leaning against the wooden railing in
front of them, blocking their view.
Ian was the opposite of Clyde in just about every way. Where Clyde was
tall and brawny, with an open and warm personality, and interests that
tended to veer towards the physical, Ian was a slighter, leaner man with a
sharp intellect and a mind more inclined towards the cerebral. He had the
same sandy-blonde hair as the other brothers, his pin-straight, grown to
shoulder length and tucked behind his ears. His features were just as
handsome as the other men, though his were sharper and leaner, cheekbones
pronounced and high, his hazel eyes narrow, giving him an expression of
constant skepticism. Ian was wearing a tight, gray t-shirt that showed off his
ropey, slim musculature, and a pair of jeans that fit his legs snugly. His feet
were bare and pale.
Roland, on the other hand, was all business. His sandy-blond hair was
slicked back and had a sheen that gave it the appearance of being polished.
He had the same wide jaw and rugged, handsome features as Atticus, but
his expression was fixed and serious. His shoulders were wide and square,
and his solid, muscular physique marked him as a man who attended to his
health and appearance with the same serious-minded focus that he applied
to every other facet of his life, including the finances of the pack. He was in
charge of making sure that their money was wisely invested, and that the
maintenance of the compound was always attended to. He was dressed in a
simple white button-up shirt and pair of black slacks, his feet in a pair of
black, stylish slip-ons.
“And your younger one, too,” said Clyde, almost sounding hurt by his
brothers not giving him the same warm welcome as Atticus.
“Of course,” said Roland as Clyde rose to his feet. “Welcome back.”
The brothers greeted one another briefly, followed by a quick hug between
Ian and Clyde.
“I’m glad you’re both here,” said Atticus, resting his beer on his flat
stomach. “We have matters to discuss.”
“I hope this doesn’t involve another slumber party at your crush’s house,”
said Ian.
Atticus shot him a narrow-eyed look.
“No, Ian. This is about the meth operation in the area.”
“Go on,” said Roland, preparing to pay close attention.
“Well, as we already knew, Lucas Henderson is a high-up the Bear
Mountain meth scene. And I actually had an appointment with Tessa
Henderson this afternoon. Turns out that they’ve split for one reason or
another.”
“No doubt she found out about her husband’s involvement with the drug
scene,” said Roland, folding his hands in front of him.
“Or she walked in on him fucking one of the strung-out teenagers he can’t
seem to keep away from,” said Ian.
“I’m thinking both,” said Atticus. “I talked to her about it, briefly, and she
was cagey. Cagier than if she had just found out that he was cheating. I got
the impression she was dealing with something that she wasn’t expecting in
the slightest.”
“And the reason you were over there?” asked Ian, a sly smile crossing his
red lips.
“An appointment, like I said. Lucas did cut the power to her place, after
all.”
“Something tells me that wasn’t the only need of hers you were attending
to,” said Ian.
“That’s enough,” said Atticus, shutting him down.
“Wait, what?” asked Clyde. “A girl? Does this mean you’re finally getting
married?”
Atticus held up his hand, getting the brothers back on topic.
“It means that she’s likely to be a way to get closer to Lucas. Maybe with
her on our side, we can finally get at him. And if we were able to do
something about him, it might be just the thing to turn the tide on the meth
gangs in the area. Not to mention that if he’s willing to sneak up to her
place at night and cut her power and water, who knows what else he’d be
willing to do. Especially since she now knows what kind of business he’s
involved in.”
“True,” said Roland. “Meth doesn’t exactly lead to ‘cooler heads prevailing’
types of situations.”
“Did any of you see anything in the woods?” asked Atticus.
“That’s what we want to tell you about,” said Roland. “We found another
abandoned trailer out there, not too far from town. No drugs. But the, ah,
chefs left plenty of ingredients behind.”
“Chemicals just leaking into the ground,” said Ian.
“That’s terrible,” said Clyde. “Who would do something like that?”
“Assholes who don’t care about anything other than making money,” said
Ian.
“They need to be eliminated, that’s for sure,” said Roland. “Even if we
didn’t care about the harm they’re inflicting on the community, it’s only a
matter of time before they wreck the environment in the area.”
“Not to mention, they do something to Tessa,” said Ian.
“Hey, you guys don’t have to sell me on this,” said Atticus.
“I say we just shift at night, go to that house on the other side of town and
tear the place apart,” said Ian.
“That’d be a temporary solution at best,” said Roland.
“Right,” said Atticus. “Not considering how they outnumber us, unless we
get the leadership to help, we know they’ll just reform and get right back to
it.”
“You can say a lot about meth users,” said Roland. “But a lack of focus isn’t
one of them.
“Fine,” said Ian. “What’s the next step, then?”
“Next step is we make sure that nothing happens to Tessa, just like we’ve
been doing,” said Atticus. “Aside from it being the right thing to do, she
might just be the key to getting this problem solved.”
“And maybe you can finally pick up a bride in the process,” said Ian.
Atticus shot him a dirty look.
The tradition of the black bear shifters was that the Alpha of the tribe,
typically the oldest male, would be the first to find a bride. Once he was
married, the rest of the men of the tribe would follow suit. Atticus, by
preferring to stay single, had put something of a strain on the rest of the
pack. Ever since his 35th year, the age when the Alpha of the pack was
expected to wed, Atticus’s brothers had been putting a fair amount of
pressure on him to settle down and find a mate. And now that his 40th
birthday was drawing nearer and nearer, this pressure had been becoming
less and less subtle.
“But for now,” said Atticus, “we just keep an eye on Tessa.”
“Fine,” said Ian, his body tensing, telegraphing to Atticus that while he
would obey his Alpha, he didn’t care for sitting around.
Silence fell over the brothers as they watched the sun set over Bear
Mountain. Atticus let himself slide further back into his chair, the subtle
buzz from the beer weaving through his body. However, the phone ringing
from where he left it on the kitchen counter snapped him out of his relaxed
state. Setting his beer down on the wood floor of the deck, he trotted into
the kitchen and picked up his phone. Looking at the display, he saw that it
was a number that he didn’t recognize.
“Hello?”
“Hey, is this Atticus?” asked the voice on the other end. It was a woman’s
voice- a familiar woman’s voice.
“It is. Who’s this.”
“It’s Tessa. Are you free to talk?”
CHAPTER 12
Tessa drove her car down the road heading to the center of Branlen, her
headlights cutting through the pitch darkness that surrounded her. She drove
with more care down the sloping, winding road, as tough Lucas and his
cronies might jump from the shadows at any moment.
She called Atticus on a whim. Tessa realized that she barely knew the man,
but between the feeling of unease that being alone at her house instilled in
her, and the fact that she felt strangely comfortable and safe around him, she
knew that she wanted to spend more time with him. So, dialing his number,
she asked him to meet her at Hannagan’s for a drink and was pleased- not to
mention, relieved- when he agreed.
The soft glow of the town lights appeared down at the end of the road, and
after a few more minutes of driving, Tessa was in the center of town. She
drove the last bit of distance to Hannigan’s and scanned the parking lot as
she drove in. The lot seemed bare and she couldn’t spot Atticus’s work
truck- the only cars there were a handful of older-model trucks and sedans.
She slid her car into an open spot and headed into the bar.
Hannagan’s was fairly dead, which wasn’t uncommon for a weekday night.
Having her choice of places to sit, she slid into an open spot at the bar,
Julianne arriving moments later with her usual smile on her face.
“Well, look who it is,” Julianne said, tossing a coaster onto the bar in front
of Tessa.
“Hey, Jules,” said Tessa.
“Still no Lucas?” Julianne asked, pouring Tessa a pint of her usual.
“No,” she said, realizing that she was about to meet Atticus here and that
wouldn’t be the best look. “I’m, ah, meeting the electrician who did some
repair work today. It, uh, turns out he’s a pretty good artist and he’s going to
give me some tips on getting more of my art sold.”
Julianne looked at her with a lowered-eyelid, skeptical expression.
“Hey, no judgements here, girl. I’m on husband number three, remember?”
she said, holding up her left hand and pointing to the ring on it. “Henry told
me some name he has for it.”
She turned to Henry, who was pouring a line of whiskey shots for a group
of construction workers.
“Henry! What’s that thing you called people cheating on each other?” she
yelled, Tessa’s face turning a deep shade of red. “That French thing.”
“Luh comedy humaine.”
“Yeah, that,” said Julianne. “Kinda means, people cheat, people break up;
it’s just how people are, you know?”
“Oh, OK,” said Tessa. “I’m not doing any of that, though.”
“Sure, sure,” said Julianne with a wink before leaving Tessa with her beer.
But before Tessa had a chance to think about the conversation she just had,
Atticus walked into the bar.
Since their encounter earlier in the day, Tessa had been debating whether or
not she should’ve done what she did. But seeing him again, in the flesh,
Tessa knew that she made the right decision.
He nodded at her with a small uptick of his chin, walked towards where she
sat, and slid into the open seat next to her.
“Hello, again,” he said.
“Hey,” said Tessa.
Julianne walked up to them once more.
“Whiskey, please,” said Atticus.
“You got it,” said Julianne, making no effort to hide the eye-fucking she
was giving Atticus.
A moment later, she returned with a small glass of brown liquid.
“To be honest, I didn’t think I’d be hearing from you anytime soon,” he
said, taking a sip of his drink.
“Oh, yeah?” asked Tessa, curious as to why he would think that.
“Mhmm,” he said. “Like I said, you’re not my first married woman, let
alone the first woman who was, well, taken. Those types tend to have
changes of heart about screwing around that are…sudden, to say the least.”
“Well, before you flatter yourself too much, the main reason I called you
was because I didn’t really feel safe at the house. What, with my husband
and his friends sabotaging the place.”
“That’s definitely something to worry about,” said Atticus. “Why not just
head out of town for a few days?”
“Nowhere I could go, really. Parents are dead, no brothers or sisters, the
closest couch I can crash on is in Idaho. Besides, I’d rather just get this
thing over than flee the state, you know?”
“I can understand that.”
Tessa shook her head.
“Enough of this crap,” she said. “I just told you about my family, what
about yours? You got any brothers or sisters? Parents?”
“No parents. But definitely brothers.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Three of them. And we all live together.”
Tessa raised her eyebrows.
“Really?” she asked, her beer near her mouth.
“Yep. All up on Bear Mountain; the other direction from town than your
place.”
“Sounds cramped.”
“It’s not bad. We have a lot of family money and my brother Ronald is a
whiz with investments, so we’re able to swing a pretty big pad up there. We
can go the whole day without bumping into one another.”
“Wow, sounds a lot nicer than my little shack.”
“Oh, give yourself some credit- that’s a nice little cabin you have up there.”
“It’s cramped.”
“It’s…cozy.”
Tessa smiled and took a sip of her beer.
“Why do people always say ‘cozy’ when they want to say ‘unbearably
tiny?’”
Atticus matched her smile with one of his own, showing off his perfect
teeth.
“Because it sounds nicer.”
Tessa let out a laugh, and looking down, she saw that her and Atticus’s legs
had moved closer together, nearly touching.
They passed the evening chatting and drinking, the conversation light and
easy. They asked each other questions, getting to know each other better,
though with Atticus eliding the small detail about him being a bear shifter,
and Tessa avoiding the topic of just what she had found out about Lucas,
just what he had gotten himself into. The hours passed, and Tessa found
herself enjoying talking with Atticus; she found him charming enough that
she was able to put thoughts of just how crazy her life had become out of
her mind, at least for the time being. Taking a look at her phone, her eyes
widened in surprise when she realized how much time had passed- it was
nearly midnight.
“Shit,” she said. “I should be getting back.”
“Same here,” said Atticus, looking at his own phone.
Then his eyebrows lowered in thought for a brief moment as he considered
the danger of sending her back home by herself, knowing what he knew
about Lucas.
“Let me follow you back to your place,” he said, tossing back the rest of his
drink.
“Someone’s direct,” Tessa said, finishing her drink. She wasn’t planning on
inviting him home, but as the night went on, it seemed like more and more
attractive of a proposition. She figured she could go for round two.
“Not what I meant,” he said. “I really think you should get out of town for a
few days, but if you’re insistent on staying at your place, I’d feel a lot better
if I went back with you make sure there’s nothing to worry about.”
“That’s sweet, but I think I should be fine,” said Tessa, the alcohol doing its
work on her confidence.
“If your husband’s fine with coming to your place in the middle of the night
and cutting your power line, then who knows what he’s capable of.”
Tessa thought about it, and letting her rational mind kick in, she realized
that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a man make sure she got home safe.
“You know what? Sure, that actually would be nice.”
“Let’s hit it, then,” said Atticus.
The two killed their drinks, pushed out of their chairs and headed out of the
bar. Tessa went to her car, and Atticus to his truck. As she pulled out of the
parking lot, Atticus moved his truck close behind her.
The drive up to her cabin was uneventful and Tessa realized that she did
feel better having Atticus follow her, making sure she was safe.
In his truck, Atticus made sure to not lose Tessa. Just as he told her, he was
surprised that she seemed to be so eager to go home alone; he knew Lucas
better than Tessa realized, and he knew just want kinds of people Lucas was
now associating with. He thought about an occasion several months back,
when he and the brothers came across another temporary lab, now long
abandoned. As they prepared to clean the place up and dispose of
everything as best they could, they noticed that there was a scent in the air
that wasn’t the typical chemical smell that they encountered in the meth
labs. And when Ian took a look inside of the trailer, they discovered that
there was more than just drug material in the trailer- there were the
remnants of what appeared to be a deal gone wrong.
They made the final turns up to the house and as soon both pairs of
headlights fell upon the house, they knew something was terribly wrong.
Tessa parked her car and jumped out, Atticus close behind her.
The house was a wreck. The front door was kicked open, knocked
completely off its hinges. Each window appeared to be smashed to shards
and the front lawn was carved across with deep tire marks that ripped the
grass out by the root, leaving muddy, brown tracks. The water pump wasn’t
merely cut this time, it was crumpled in, as if a car had driven into it. The
cheerful plants that lined the front of the house were stomped and ripped.
“Wait!” Atticus shouted, as Tessa ran headlong into the home.
Seeing that she wasn’t going to stop, he chased her in, his body sensing
danger and preparing to shift. Tessa disappeared into the darkness of the
house and Atticus followed her in. But first, he took a look at the electrical
main and saw that, like the water tank, it wasn’t simply crushed- it was
wrecked beyond repair.
Tessa looked over the inside of the home, tears welling in her eyes as she
surveyed the damage. The kitchen was a disaster, all of the plates and
glasses smashed across the floor. Throughout the interior the walls were
crisscrossed with red slashes of spray paint and smashed in here and there
with what appeared to her to be impacts from a baseball bat. The TV was
turned over and smashed, and the couch looked to have been cut with
knives or razors.
“The house…” said Tessa, looking over the damage.
Atticus, now standing at her side, wrapped his arm around her shoulder. But
before she could feel comforted by him, a flash of realization struck Tessa.
With quick steps, her phone flashlight in her hand, her dashed to her studio.
To her horror, she saw that every piece of art, including the one that she was
currently working on, was slashed in the same way that the furniture had
been. But in addition to this, each piece was covered with different colors of
spray paint and topped with smears of her own paint, as though whoever did
this took special pleasure at ruining her art.
And on top of everything, the wall of the studio was marked with a message
written in black paint.
“LEAVE NOW OR ELSE,” it read.
Looking over the wreckage of her studio, tears poured from Tessa’s eyes.
Not only was her work destroyed, she knew now that Lucas was intent on
making her feel as unsafe as possible, to let her know in no uncertain terms
that she was to leave and never come back, that her refusal to see him again
meant to him that she was now persona non-grata, that she, in his eyes, was
banished from their former home.
Atticus watched her sob into her hands, knowing that Tessa would only feel
worse the longer she stayed here.
“Let’s go,” he said, placing his arm on her shoulder once again and leading
her out of the place she was now realizing she would never call home again.
CHAPTER 13
Tessa didn’t feel up to driving. Sitting in the soft, leather seat of Atticus’s
truck, the smell of dirty tools and sweat wafting into her nose, she said not a
word. She had cried most of her tears on the way out of the house and
during the first few minutes of the drive, but as the truck rumbled down the
road, bouncing gently with each dip and bump, a stray tear would form in
the crook of her eye and hold there for a moment before dripping down her
cheek.
Atticus’s eyes were fixed on the road ahead, one hand on the wheel, the
other on Tessa’s leg, only removing it to shift gears. Tessa was glad that she
was with Atticus, though she didn’t know him very well. The presence of a
man like him instilled in her a modicum of safety.
“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice still caught with sobs, speaking
the first words that she’d uttered since leaving her home.
“My place,” he said, still looking ahead.
Atticus sensed quickly that Tessa was unsure of this, possibly wondering if
letting her guard down around a man she barely knew was the prudent thing
to do.
“I know this is a lot, but you’re going to have to trust me. My place is safe,”
he said. “Probably the safest place in the area.”
Tessa nodded, feeling a little better. Though she still had her reservations,
his calm and self-assured manner made her feel as though she could trust
him.
They took the road around town, not driving through the center of Branlen,
instead staying on the roads shrouded by the woods. After a time, they
curved around Bear Mountain and turning onto another road leading up,
which Tessa realized would lead them to a place that could likely be
reached simply by walking through the woods on the mountain. Atticus had
never been too far from her.
Tessa saw the compound appear in the distance through the trees, the boxy
form of the buildings visible under washes of light from tall towers that
seemed to be positioned to keep an eye on the perimeter. The two made
their way through the gates and pulled up to the massive property.
“This is…huge,” said Tessa, looking left and right across the property,
unable to believe that such a place could’ve existed in the area without her
knowing about it.
“Like I said- safest place in the area.”
“No kidding,” said Tessa as she looked down the length of tall, barb-wire-
topped fence that encircled the area.
The compound was certainly built with the intention of keeping away
unwelcome guests and Tessa was already feeling better knowing that she
would be staying here.
Atticus pressed the garage door opener and drove the truck into his usual
parking spot. As they entered, Tessa scanned the interior of the garage,
noticing the array of sports cars and motorcycles that filled the space.
“My brothers have expensive tastes,” said Atticus, noticing her gaze.
“I’ll say,” she responded.
Then a thought struck Tessa: She barely knew Atticus, let alone his
brothers.
“Um, your brothers, are they…”
“They’re all completely trustworthy,” said Atticus, his voice calm.
“Good,” said Tessa. “The last thing I need is more strange men.”
“Well, I can’t promise that they’re not strange,” said Atticus with a warm
smile.
The truck slowed to a halt and Atticus killed the engine.
As she stepped out of the vehicle, Tessa was struck by how sleek and
modern the garage was: the walls were a flawless, stainless-steel, the
concrete floor was spotless, and the lights above gave the space the bright
appearance of a showroom floor. It wasn’t at all what she’d expect from a
place referred to as a “compound.”
Atticus led her up the stairs to the first floor and as they stepped into the
living room, Tessa let out a small gasp when she looked around the room,
noting with awe the luxurious, spacious nature of the place. The clear wall
looked out onto the property and the dark-shrouded woods beyond, a fire
crackled in the enormous stone fireplace, and classical music piped in
through a built-in speaker system. Tessa noted that the place made her cabin
look even more humble than it already was.
And seated in the room on various, modern-styled chairs and couches, were
Ian, Roland, and Clyde. Busy with what they were engaged in- Ian with a
book in his hands and headphones on his ears, Clyde with a video game that
he was playing on the enormous, wall-mounted TV, and Roland at a corner
desk, piles of papers in front of him- and didn’t so much as look up when
the pair entered.
“Everyone!” called out Atticus, finally getting the trio’s attention, their eyes
snapping right to Tessa, who felt immediately nervous. “This is Tessa, she’ll
be staying with us for a while.”
“Oh, really?” asked Ian as he slipped a bookmark between the pages of
what he was reading and softly closed the pages.
“Hi, Tessa!” said Clyde, pressing pause on his game and giving her a
friendly wave.
“Hmm,” muttered Roland, stacking a pile of papers.
“That’s Roland at the desk, Ian with the book, and Clyde at the Xbox,” said
Atticus, stepping out of his boots.
“Hey,” said Tessa, giving a shy wave.
Ian stood up and approached the pair with his usual slinky saunter. Tessa
looked him over, noting that while he had the same general features as
Atticus- sandy hair, hazel eyes, and a muscular build- in the specific details
he looked dramatically different. Where Atticus was wide-shouldered,
square-jawed, and projected masculinity, Ian was slim-bodied, with lean
muscles, straight hair, and a face that was more beautiful than handsome.
He had a different aura to him, one more androgynous.
“Didn’t think to run this by us first?” he said, looking Tessa up and down in
a way that made her feel self-conscious.
“I’m the alpha, I don’t need to run things by you first,” said Atticus, not
perturbed in the slightest by his brother’s needling.
A look of playful disappointment crossed Ian’s face.
“Fine, just don’t touch my books.”
“Sure,” said Tessa, realizing that Ian meant no harm and that he was simply
busting her chops in his own way.
Roland stood up from his desk and walked over with a stiff-backed,
confident stride. He struck Tessa as more business-like, his expression
serious and appraising, his business-casual clothes pressed and tailored, his
hair slicked back and in a hard, right-side part. His body was strong and
muscular in the way you’d expect from someone who put in his requisite
hour of weightlifting and cardio per day.
“Welcome to the compound,” he said, extending his hand towards Tessa and
giving hers a firm shake. “I’m Roland Swift.”
He then turned his eyes to Atticus.
“Do you know for how long she’ll be staying? If she’s your guest, she’s, of
course, welcome, but I’d like to know in terms of how I’ll need to adjust the
numbers this month for her added food costs and electricity usage.”
Atticus put up his hand and gave a quick shake of his head, indicating to
Roland that this wasn’t the time for such details. Roland picked up on this
quickly and returned to his desk as Clyde approached. Tessa looked over
this brawny, tall man, who had a bit of an ungainly manner to his walk.
“Nice to meet you, finally,” he said, shaking Tessa’s hand enthusiastically.
“You, too,” said Tessa, the word “finally” sticking in her head.
“Tessa’s had a rough day,” said Atticus, his voice firm and clear. “I’m going
to show her to where she’ll be staying tonight.”
The three men nodded and returned to their activities and Tessa followed
Atticus down the long hallway lined with tasteful, modern art hung on the
walls in black frames, her shoes clicking against the glossy, birch floor as
they walked. Reaching a flight of stairs, they ascended to the second floor,
and after a time, they arrived at a door at the end of the hallway, which
seemed to be away from the rest of the home. Tessa still couldn’t get over
just how big this place was; she felt that her own home could be stuck in a
faraway corner of the place and forgotten about.
“This can be your room for the time being,” said Atticus, opening the door
to the room, the lights flicking on a revealing a cozy space with the same
glass-wall style that looked out onto the woods beyond. “There should be
some women’s clothes in the walk-in, and if you want privacy, just hit this
button.”
Atticus pressed a button on the wall which turned the glass wall opaque.
“And if you need anything, just let me know. I’m the room at the far end of
the hall with the double-doors. Help yourself to whatever you want in the
kitchen.”
He turned to leave, but before he did, he stopped himself and faced Tessa.
“And you’re free to leave whenever you want, of course, but I really
recommend you stay on the compound until we get this whole situation
sorted out.”
A moment passed. Tessa was unsure of how to act around Atticus. He was
treating her as a house guest but though they had only known each for a
brief period, she wondered if she was something more.
Atticus knew that Tessa must’ve been feeling overwhelmed by everything
that was going on, however, and rather than complicating things by inviting
her to his room, he instead chose to keep things platonic for the evening.
“Goodnight, then,” he said, turning and walking down the hall.
Part of Tessa wanted to follow him, to grab him by the shoulders and plant a
deep kiss on his lips, to slip her hands behind his belt and pull him into the
room. But as she looked at the bed, the events of the day began to weigh on
her mind, and shutting the door behind her, she pulled her clothes off piece
by piece. Once nude, she took one look at the swaying branches of the trees
visible through the window before collapsing onto the bed and falling into a
deep sleep.
CHAPTER 14
Tessa stood on the lawn in front of her cabin, the noon sun above her, the air
still and warm, the grass gentle on her bare feet. As she looked upon her
home, she was struck by how it looked- it wasn’t a vandalized wreck the
way it was last night, but instead, it was as clean and well-kept as it had
been when she lived there with Lucas. She remained in place for a moment,
listening as the breeze picked up, the low gentle howl rustling the branches
around her, flock of birds flying overhead under the cloudless, blue sky.
Looking around, she saw there wasn’t a soul in sight, she was completely
alone. And to her surprise, she saw that there wasn’t even a car in the
driveway.
But as she looked upon her home again, she felt a sense of peace wash over
her. Rather than think too much about what was going on, she decided to
take advantage of her circumstances. She entered her cabin, noting with
pleasure the sight of the sun streaming in through the windows, and the
subtle scent of her favorite candle already burning. A smile on her face, she
decided to head into the kitchen and pour herself a glass of ice tea, her
favorite drink on days like today, when the sun was out and the weather was
as perfect as she could imagine.
But as she tried to open the fridge, it wouldn’t give; the door seemed to be
stuck. Tessa didn’t think too much of it, instead deciding to head into her
studio and get some work done on her latest piece. She quickly switched
into her paint-streaked work clothes and got her equipment ready. But as
she put brush to canvas, she noticed that the paint wouldn’t stay on the
brush. Tessa brushed and brushed, dipping the end into the paint until the
bristles were gobbed and heavy, dripping to the floor, but no matter how
much pressure she applied, the canvas remained pristine and untouched.
And as this went on, a creeping sense of dread began to overwhelm her. Her
hands shaking, she dropped the brush onto the ground. Right when it hit,
she noticed a rumbling that was at first nearly imperceptible, but soon grew
to a bass-like rattling that shook the house, dropping art from the walls and
knocking over anything that wasn’t nailed down.
She dropped her supplies onto the ground and ran outside. To her horror, the
sky was now heavy with dark storm clouds that roiled and crackled with
lightning. Then, a shape descended from the clouds, first coming down in a
black swirl, but soon coalescing into the shape of a man, a faceless man
black as pure pitch who loomed over Tessa. Fear gripped her heart in a fist
as the wind picked up, catching her into a swirl of leaves and branches. The
man-shaped being then reached towards Tessa as she stood frozen with fear.
But before it could touch her, a beast came stomping out of the woods. It
was the bear who had protected her before, its face in a rage as it howled
and roared at the dark being. The man-shaped thing turned towards the bear,
leaving Tessa alone. The storm around her built to a fevered pitch as the
bear and the thing stared at one another, seemingly preparing for a fight.
Then, the bear ran towards the thing, its paws thundering against the ground
as it ran.
Just at the moment that the two creatures would’ve begun fighting, Tessa
woke up, bolting upright in bed, her body slick with sweat. She looked
around her, confirming that she was still in the bedroom and the Swift
Compound. Pulling down the covers, she looked out of the window in her
room, her eyes settling on the substantial border that separated the
compound grounds from the woods beyond.
Tessa put her head back down on the soft pillow but realized quickly that
she wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. Throwing the blanket from her
body, she got out of bed. There was only one thing she wanted right now
and she was determined to get it.
The carpet soft on her bare feet, Tessa opened the door to her room and
stepped out into the hallway, which was now dark and empty, the brothers
all seemingly in bed. Tessa walked down the hallway, her eyes narrowed on
the double-doors at the far end. One she reached them, she grasped one of
the handles and pushed it open, revealing a massive master bedroom that
looked out onto the compound. And in the king-size bed in the middle was
Atticus, sleeping nude, his perfect body splayed out on the sheets, his cock
resting against his thigh.
Tessa placed her fingertip on her lip as she looked upon Atticus’s body, the
traces of sleep that remained in her being replaced with a blossoming
feeling of arousal. The silver of the moon poured into the bedroom, casting
his form on a ghostly sheen that highlighted the curves and contours of his
physique, and Tessa allowed her eyes to scan every inch of his body, paying
special attention to his prick, which was thick and full even in its flaccid
state. The salty taste of skin washed over her mouth and Tessa realized to
her surprise that she had begun sucking on her finger.
Atticus shifted in bed, rolling over onto his stomach, his sublime, sculpted
ass now facing Tessa.
After looking it over for several long moments, she decided that she
couldn’t simply look at him any longer. With gentle cat’s-paw steps on the
carpet, Tessa moved closer to the bed, finally reaching it and lying down
next to Atticus. He stayed just as still as he had been as Tessa got into bed
with him.
Hesitant at first, Tessa reached towards Atticus’s body her fingertips
grazing his skin before she rested her hand on his toned stomach. She held
her palm there for a moment, taking in the feeling of his body, savoring how
it felt on her skin. Then, she allowed her fingertips to dance downward,
along with his stomach, through his pubic hair, then onto the base of his
cock.
Tessa noticed that while Atticus didn’t seem to notice her touch, his prick
did, twitching slightly to the right as soon as her fingertips touched it. She
moved her fingers up further and further, feeling the smooth, flawless skin
of his shaft, his cock moving slightly. Next, she wrapped her fingers around
his cock, squeezing it gently, his flaccid prick thick and heavy in her hand.
She moved her fist up and down slowly, and after a moment or two of this,
she began to feel him grow hard in her hand, his prick stiffening by the
second. Looking up at Atticus, she saw that he was still asleep, though the
brow of his handsome face was furrowed, as though his sleeping mind was
trying to determine just what was happening to it.
Soon, Atticus’s cock was rock-hard. Tessa looked at it in its full, erect
glory; she still couldn’t get over just how long and thick it was, how perfect
it looked. It was almost a work of art in her eyes. Giving it one more
squeeze, she removed her hand, licked it, and placed it back on his cock,
stroking him with a new, liquid smoothness.
Tessa continued to stroke him, gradually building up the pace, his cock now
fully engorged. She wasn’t sure if it were possible to make a man cum in
his sleep, but she was more than willing to try.
But before she could find out, a hand shot out and grabbed onto hers. With a
gasp, Tessa looked up and saw that Atticus was now fully awake, gazing at
her with sensual, bedroom eyes.
“I was having the best dream,” he said through a sly smile.
“Oh yeah?” said Tessa, continuing to stroke his cock.
“Yeah. But I think this is better.”
Tessa smiled and continued, happy that Atticus was awake. She would
pleasure him either way, but she vastly preferred to see his eyes on her as he
came. She continued with her right hand, and with her left she began to
softly squeeze his balls. She picked up the intensity of her work, squeezing
his cock hard when her hand moved up to his head, letting her fingers do
their work on the sensitive skin of his prick.
Atticus reached down and pulled Tessa’s shirt off, and leaving her breasts
bare. He fondled Tessa’s breast as she stroked him, the feeling of pleasure
beginning to well in him from the masterful way that she worked his cock.
Then, he slid his hand along the bare curves of her body, up along her neck,
finally resting it in her hair. He gave her a gentle push and Tessa knew right
away just what he wanted.
Looking up at him with a sly, sinful glance, she moved her head down
further, inching closer and closer to his cock. When she finally reached it,
she took a long look at it close-up, devouring it with her eyes before she
devoured it with her mouth.
She spread her lips slowly, aiming his cock towards her mouth, touching it
with her tongue before sliding it into her. Once it was fully sheathed, she
sealed her lips around it, letting its warm, salty taste linger on her tongue.
Then, she began to suck, bobbing her head up and down, licking him the
entire way.
Atticus moaned as she sucked him, running his hand through her hair as she
did her work, feeling orgasm already building deep within him, at the base
of his cock. He knew that it wasn’t going to take much to get him to cum,
and he was already relishing the notion of unloading himself deep into her,
watching her drink down every last drop of him. He watched her suck him,
watching her head bob up and down on his prick, her tongue darting out
from the side of her mouth and her eyes flicking up towards him as she
sought to make sure that his face was as tight with pleasure as she hoped it
was.
Atticus listened to the sound of her lips on his cock, the sloppy, wet sound
filling the air of the bedroom. But just as he was about to reach the point of
no return, Atticus had a change of heart. Running both hands through
Tessa’s hair, he gently pulled her head up, his cock slipping out of her
mouth.
Sitting up, he took Tessa by the hips, flipped her over onto her back, and
climbed on top of her, his cock just inches away from her pussy.
Tessa was looking forward to having Atticus shoot his cum into her mouth,
to taste him so intimately, but she was just as pleased with this turn of
events. She placed her hands on his sides, waiting for him to plunge himself
deep into her.
She didn’t have to wait long.
Wet and slick from how aroused his cock in her mouth made her, Atticus
entered her easily. She moaned softly as he sheathed himself fully in her,
knowing that it wouldn’t take long at all for her to cum hard. Burying
himself to the hilt, Atticus began fucking her at a pounding pace instantly,
his thrusts full and deep.
He pounded her for minutes, fighting off the urge to cum. But as he fucked
her, Tessa slipped her hands through his hair and looked deep into his eyes.
“Cum for me, baby,” she said, wanting nothing more than for him to shoot
his load deep into her.
She herself was on the verge of climax, knowing that feeling him unload
himself into her would be just the thing to push her over the brink.
And hearing Tessa’s urging was just the thing to make Atticus cum. With a
long grunt, he came, his cock shooting deep into her, filling her completely.
Orgasm rocked his body, weakening his arms, nearly forcing him to
collapse onto her.
Then Tessa came, her orgasm exploding, ecstasy running through her body,
as she shivered from the powerful thrumming of the pleasure pounding
through her.
Atticus’s arms gave way from the pleasure and he allowed his body to fall
on top of Tessa’s, her skin warm and wet. Tessa ran her fingers over his skin
as both of them looked out of the window, their breath regaining as they
watched the subtle play of the night wind through the leaves.
CHAPTER 15
When Tessa awoke, Atticus was already out of bed. On his pillow was a
note was written on stiff, white paper, the handwriting all straight lines.
Breakfast is in the kitchen. Eat up, then come find me.
-A
Tessa smiled at the note, the mere thought of Atticus was enough to bring a
feeling of warmth to her heart.
She rose out of bed and made her way back to the room that had been set
aside for her. She hopped in the shower, taking her time and enjoying the
luxury appointments of the bathroom, such as the double-headed shower
that sprayed water on her skin with the exact right pressure to undo the
knots that had been tightening in her body over the course of the last few
days.
Getting out, she dried herself with one of the thick, soft towels that hung on
the stainless-steel hooks and entered the walk-in closet. To her surprise,
there was a bevy of women’s clothing, bringing to Tessa’s mind the
question of just how many women the brothers brought to this compound.
Picking out a simple white blouse and a pair of blue jeans, along with a
matching set of expensive-looking lacy underwear, she dressed herself,
drying her hair and putting it up into a simple ponytail.
Heading into the kitchen, she was presented with a sight of scrambled eggs,
bacon, whole-grain toast, and what appeared to be freshly-squeezed orange
juice and recently brewed coffee. Feeling hungrier than she was
anticipating, she piled a plate high with the food and poured herself a cup of
both coffee and orange juice, bringing it all to the kitchen island and taking
a seat there.
Without even thinking, she slammed the orange juice down in a single, long
swig before diving into the eggs, shoveling them down as though it were the
first meal she’d had in days.
“Good?” asked a deep, booming voice from behind her.
A little surprised, Tessa, spun around in her seat and was presented with
Clyde, who was dressed in a tight-fitting gray t-shirt that showed off his
bulky, powerlifter’s muscles and a pair of soft-looking black running pants.
Tessa noted that he was, like the other brothers, very handsome, though in a
unique, boyish way, almost harmless.
“It’s amazing,” said Tessa, speaking with her mouth full, her need to shovel
the food down overwhelming her sense of decorum.
“Great!” said Clyde, stepping around the kitchen island and standing across
from Tessa. “Atticus told me that you’ve had a rough few days, so I figured
you could use something good to eat. That always helps me feel better, at
least.”
Tessa realized that over the course of however long it had taken for her to
scoop down half of the food on her plate, her mood had definitely
improved.
“This is exactly what I need, thank you so much,” she said.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, blushing slightly. “Sorry if it’s a little
protein-heavy; that’s what the guys and I mostly eat.”
Tessa chewed on a piece of bacon, her eyes looking out of the kitchen
window onto the compound grounds outside, noting that there was a
gathering of men forming.
“What’s going on out there?” she asked, pointing towards the men with her
bacon.
“That’s, ah, that’s our weekly meeting.”
“Meeting?” Tessa was confused. “Who’re those other guys?”
“They’re the other men who live on the compound,” said Clyde, seeming
now unsure of himself, as though he were afraid of saying too much.
“’Other men’? What are they doing here?” asked Tessa, taking a sip of her
coffee, curious as to exactly what kind of organization the Swift brothers
were heading up. “Wait, this isn’t some kind of cult, is it?”
“No, no,” said Clyde. “Atticus will be in soon, he’ll explain everything.
Trust me, though, you’re in good hands here.”
“Why? You mean because of my situation?”
Clyde’s eyebrows raised.
“You mean you didn’t hear?”
“Hear what?”
“Oh,” said Clyde, pointing towards the kitchen TV with a nearby remote.
The display flicked on and the picture was filled with an overhead
helicopter shot of a building that Tessa immediately recognized as
Hannigan’s.
“A drug deal gone wrong last night as local bar Hannigan’s was wracked by
gang-related violence,” said the female reporter in a calm, professional
voice as the camera zoomed in on the bar.
As the picture moved in, Tessa could see, to her horror, that Hannigan’s
looked like a small war zone- the windows were smashed, cars in the
parking lot looked as if they’d been worked over with lead pipes, and the
steel sides of the bar were dinged with lines of what looked like bullet
impacts. A perimeter around the bar had been formed by police cars,
ambulances, and fire trucks.
Tessa walked closer to the screen, her mouth open.
“Though details are still coming in, it appears as if a gun battle between two
groups broke out in the late hours of the night. While no patrons or
members of the staff were present, three gang members were killed in the
gunfight and four more were injured.”
The screen then cut to a serious-faced police officer who discussed the rise
of gang violence in the Bear Mountain region due to the increase in meth
production activities in the region.
Tessa let out a sigh of relief when she heard that no one other than gang
members were involved in the shooting. But she knew that this was the sort
of business that Lucas had gotten involved in.
“Sad, huh?” said Clyde. “And it’s only been getting worse.”
“Where’s Atticus?” asked Tessa, not wanting to wait around any longer.
“Outside, with the rest,” said Clyde.
Tessa turned to leave but looked back over her shoulder as she headed out.
“Thanks again for breakfast,” she said.
“Of course!” said Clyde, giving a thumbs-up.
Tessa walked with quick steps down to the garage level and went outside
through a steel door. She looked over the compound, seeing it for the first
time in daylight. To her surprise, she saw a handful of wood cabins here and
there on the huge stretch of land, small homes that seemed similar to hers.
And the in the middle of flat space that was completely clear of brush or
trees, was a group of about ten men, all standing in formation, with Atticus
standing at their head, and Ian and Roland at his sides.
Tessa walked towards the meeting with careful steps, worried that she was
interrupting something important. But she reminded herself that Atticus had
told her to come find him when she was up.
As she drew closer to the group, the eyes of the men all latched onto her.
She looked the group in front of Atticus over and saw that they were all
men of varying looks, the only commonality between them seeming to be
that they all were in excellent shape, all appeared to be under the age of
thirty, and all were dressed in expensive-looking gym wear.
“You’re up,” said Atticus, who was dressed in a simple white t-shirt and a
pair of slim, black-and-white track pants, his eyes on Tessa.
“I am,” she said, walking to Atticus’s side. “What’s going on?”
“Is it finally time?” asked Ian, his mouth in a sly smile.
“I’d say so,” said Roland, his arms crossed over his full chest.
“There’s something more to what’s going on here than men living in the
woods,” said Atticus.
Tessa felt both her curiosity and anxiety pique. For a moment, she began to
wonder if she had been right and that he was about to induct her into some
kind of cult.
“Oh?” she asked, not sure how to react to what he was saying.
“We’re…something different,” said Atticus, seemingly searching for the
right words. “Something unique.”
“Not exactly human,” said Ian, cutting in.
Atticus shot him a silencing look.
“What does that mean?” she asked. “And who are all these men?”
Atticus opened his mouth to speak, but stopped, as if realizing that words
wouldn’t be enough.
“Ian?” he said, looking to his brother. “Care you show her what I mean?”
“Glady,” he said.
With that, he pulled off his shirt, revealing a lean, sculpted physique,
smooth and hairless. He then stepped out of his track pants and underwear,
his long cock dangling at his thigh.
Then, what he did next, Tessa could believe.
He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, his body shaking with tension.
Black hair began to sprout from his skin, covering his body in smooth,
lustrous fur. Next, his muscles began to bulge and expand, twisting his
form, changing him into something not human. His head increased in size,
his mouth lengthened, and razor-sharp claws began to sprout from his
fingers as his hands turned into large, padded paws. Once the
transformation was complete, Ian had changed into a massive, majestic
black bear.
A black bear that Tessa soon realized was one of the bears that she had seen
nights ago.
“What the hell did he just do?” asked Tessa, her voice shocked as she
staggered backward from Ian, who now loomed over her.
“Roland?” said Atticus.
Roland nodded and stripped off his clothes, revealing a toned, bulky body
and a thick cock that was just as long as both of his brothers’. He repeated
the process and changed into a black bear. Though he and Ian looked alike
in their new forms, Tessa saw that Ian’s physique was still leaner, even in
his bear shape and Roland’s was stockier, more stout-chested.
“We’re shifters,” said Atticus. “We have the power to change into black
bears. Me, my brothers, and all of these men.”
He swept his hand across the men who stood in front of him.
“We watch these woods, protecting them.”
“And…” said Tessa, realizing the truth of just who Atticus was. “You also
protected me?”
He nodded.
“I and my clan are the bears that have been watching over you. And we’ll
continue to watch over you, if you’d like us to.”
Tessa said nothing, still trying to come to terms with what she was seeing.
“I can see that you’re at a loss for words,” he said.
Tessa gave a quick nod.
“Then come with us, we’re about to patrol the woods.”
He turned to the crowd, Ian and Roland looming at his sides.
“Shift! And follow me!”
The men proceeded to spread apart from one another, giving one another
room to change. They pulled off their clothes, folding them neatly and
placing them on the ground. All of the men had beefy, muscular bodies and
Tessa found herself looking over them without thinking.
Then the men all began their change, shifting into a fearsome pack of black
bears.
Atticus was the last one to change, shifting into a bear, the largest and
strongest-looking of the pack. When he was done, he swung his massive
head towards Tessa, and as soon as she looked into his eyes, she realized
that he was, in fact, the same bear that had come so close to her, that led his
pack to her home, who made sure that she was safe.
He snorted, a puff of steam shooting from his glistening nose. Tessa knew
that she should’ve felt fear, but as she looked into his eyes, the only
emotion that passed through her was one of calm and safety, as if she knew
on some level that she had nothing to fear from Atticus.
All four of his paws on the ground, he nodded backward, a gesture that
Tessa recognized as an invitation to crawl onto his back. She was hesitant at
first, but as he turned his massive body around, the feeling of safety only
grew.
Looking upon the glistening fur of his body, she took a deep breath before
walking towards it and grabbing a handful of smooth, almost silken fur. She
grabbed another with her left hand, and with a hoist, pulled herself up onto
Atticus’s body. Grunting, she reached the top of him and held on tight to the
skin at his neck, her legs wrapped around him. Finally, she sat up upon him,
looking over the pack of bears that Atticus commanded.
Then, with a mighty, thundering roar, Atticus took off across the compound,
towards a large gate that opened mechanically as the pack approached it.
Atticus picked up speed as he ran towards the gate and for a moment, Tessa
found herself wondering if they would crash into it.
But Atticus timed things perfectly and they ran through the now-open gate,
the pack stomping as they followed behind. They entered the open woods,
the fresh, cool air whipping at Tessa’s face as the woods around them began
to melt into a green and brown blur, the sun peeking through the canopy
overhead.
Atticus’s paws pounded the ground as he ran and as Tessa rode on his back,
her fears began to dissipate, and she gave herself over to Atticus’s control,
letting him take her wherever he may. The pack ripped through the woods,
covering massive stretches of ground, and Tessa closed her eyes, letting the
feeling of the air rushing over her face rejuvenate her.
Tessa felt something as she held on to Atticus, a feeling that she’d hadn’t
experienced in a long time, a feeling that was so foreign that she almost
thought she’d forgotten what it was like- she felt alive.
The pack continued on, stomping up Bear Mountain, the creatures of the
woods scattering as they thundered on, the thuds of dozens of paws
pounding across the forest floor an almost deafening sound. They went up
until they approached the peak of the mountain and once they arrived, Tessa
gasped at the sight that was before her- it was the entire stretch of the
surrounding land, the smaller mountains around them rolling on for miles,
the blue sky endless and beautiful above.
Tessa leaned back, letting the warm sunlight hit her face, her hands gripping
Atticus’s fur tightly, her heart warm with the feelings inspired by the man…
this man, or beast, she quickly corrected herself.
CHAPTER 16
One week later…
Tessa sat on the crest of Bear Mountain, looking out at the swirling mist
around the base of the nearby mountains. Her feet were bare and she took
exquisite pleasure in feeling the cool grass between her toes. She looked
over at Atticus, still nude from his shifting, his body glorious in the evening
sun.
“Nice ride?” he asked.
“Wonderful as always,” she said, a wide smile on her face.
The last week had been one of the most amazing of her life. She spent the
days with Atticus in the woods, exploring nature, taking occasional breaks
to admire the scenery or to make love. And while she was back at the
compound, she got to know the brothers better, who, despite the differences
in their personalities, all seemed to take a shine to her. She was beginning to
feel like she had a place to belong.
She learned more about the pack, how they’d been charged with protecting
Bear Mountain, a task their people had been entrusted with for generations.
The men of the pack who weren’t members of the Swift family were
drifters, mostly. They were men who couldn’t seem to find a place in the
world, burdened with their strange power, lost until drawn by a strange
compulsion to come to Bear Mountain, where they found the compound.
And what’s more, Tessa, learned from Ian after sharing a bottle of wine one
night when Atticus was outperforming an emergency electrician call, that
Atticus was shirking his responsibility to the pack. As the Alpha, he needed
to take a bride first, choosing the best woman available to pass on the line
of the tribe. And once he chose, the rest of the tribe, brothers first, could
select wives of their own. But Atticus found that he had grown accustomed
to the single life. Tessa learned that it was fast approaching the point when
the brothers were growing intolerably frustrated with his inability to settle.
But despite all of this, the problems with Lucas and the meth gang were
getting to the point where she and Atticus could no longer ignore them. The
incident at Hannigan’s was only the beginning. From the compound, the
pack received news daily that the meth gang had robbed one store or
another, or attacked a police officer, or raided a nearby property. The gang
seemed to be based in the house in the woods where Tessa found Lucas that
night almost two weeks ago.
Thoughts of Lucas troubled her as well. Though she hadn’t been there when
the house was ransacked, the message was loud and clear: Lucas wasn’t to
stand by and let Tessa walk out on him. She knew that the only reason she
hadn’t seen him was because she’d been secreted away at the compound,
and she couldn’t stay there forever…as much as she might want to.
But for now, she was content to enjoy the day with Atticus. Looking over at
him, her eyes fell onto his arms as he supported himself with them,
observing how the muscles flexed and tensed; she couldn’t imagine ever
getting tired of his body.
And as if reading her mind, Atticus moved closer to her, slipping his arm
around her shoulders and pulling her in. Tessa leaned her head against him,
taking in the strange, animal smell that hung on his body after a long run
through the woods.
“I’ve been up here for as long as I can remember, but this view never stops
being amazing,” he said, looking out over the vista beyond.
“It’s incredible,” said Tessa.
Then, taking her chin into the crook of his finger, he pressed his lips to hers.
Tessa let herself fall quickly and deeply into his kiss, the soft breeze of the
wind rising up the gentle slope of the mountain as soft and sweet on her
skin as Atticus’s touch. She turned herself to face him, her eyes searching
down at his hard, muscular body, watching his cock grow harder by the
second. Reaching down, she wrapped her hand around his prick, feeling a
shudder of pleasure run through her body at the joy of holding him so
intimately.
“Cutting right to the chase, huh?” said Atticus through their kiss, a sly smile
on his sensual lips.
“Why wait?” asked Tessa.
She began stroking him, softly at first, letting her fingertips drag against his
skin. And as she touched him, Tessa felt Atticus’s own hand slide down her
body until it reached the hem of her dress. Atticus slipped his hand under it,
placing his fingertips on Tessa’s sex through her silk panties.
Tessa let out a gasp as he touched her, his hand slipping under the fabric and
grazing her, the feeling of his skin on her lighting up her body with
pleasure. Then, as Tessa continued to stroke him, he slid a finger inside of
her, Tessa’s pussy already slick with anticipation. They stimulated each
other for a time, Tessa jerking Atticus’s cock at an increasing pace, and
Atticus working her sex with his fingers, fingering her with expert
precision.
Then, a smirk crossed Atticus’s face. He removed his fingers from Tessa,
the pleasure running through her body replaced with a wave of
disappointment. But that soon faded when Atticus lunged over, grabbed
Tessa by the hips, and moved her onto her hands and knees, manhandling
her in a way that aroused her for reasons that she couldn’t quite explain.
Atticus was strong, very strong, and Tessa loved nothing more than when he
tossed her around during lovemaking, feeling dominated by him in just the
right way.
Tessa looked out onto the rolling mountains as Atticus flipped her dress up,
exposing her ass to him. He slapped one cheek, squeezing a handful of
Tessa’s ripe flesh, the anticipation of him being inside of her building by the
moment. Then he moved her panties to the side, exposing her pussy to him.
Tessa smiled as she awaited him being deep, deep inside of her.
She didn’t have to wait long. One hand on the supple curve of her hips, the
other on his cock, Atticus slide into her easily. Once his cock was fully
sheathed in her, he moved his other hand to her hips, holding her in place as
he began to fuck her. He pounded her hard, her dark hair whipping back and
forth at the rhythm of his thrusts, the pleasure filling her body within
seconds.
Just like every other time she and Atticus made love, Tessa felt orgasm
quickly approach; sometimes she wondered if his cock had been made
specifically for her body. A silly idea, but it was the only way she could
explain how perfectly he felt buried into her.
Atticus fucked her hard, his hips slapping against her ass, the striking of his
hand against the flesh of her cheeks crackling through her body like a
lightning bolt.
Soon after, Tessa’s body exploded with orgasm. Her arms went limp as the
pleasure ran through her, and she pressed her face against the grass under
her, wrapping her arms around her head as she tried to contend with the
sensual pleasure that hit her. It was such intensity that she felt her body
might be ripped to pieces. She let out long, passionate moans as she came,
taking advantage of their secluded position, not feeling the need to keep
quiet in the slightest.
Atticus came soon after, grunting as she fucked her, spraying his cum deep
into her pussy, filling her with himself in every imaginable way, Tessa
taking sensual pleasure from him draining himself into her.
Atticus slowed down and with one final slap of Tessa’s ass, finished, sliding
out of her. He moved back to her side as she sat down, putting his arm
around her shoulder and pulling her in close for one more kiss.
“I think we need to be getting back,” said Atticus, noting that the sun was
inching closer and closer to the horizon, the sky slowly shifting from blue to
a smoky lavender mixed with a creamy orange.
“As much as I think I could stay up here forever, you’re probably right,”
said Tessa.
Atticus stood, and after a moment of focus, shifted into his bear form. Tessa
climbed onto his back, savoring the feeling of safety and warmth that she
always experienced when holding him in this way. His shifting was strange,
easily the strangest thing that Tessa had ever seen, but as she began to
understand it as just another trait of the man who she was falling for more
and more by the day, she found herself being less startled by it each time he
shifted.
Atticus started off down the woods, stomping back to the compound. Tessa,
as always, closed her eyes and hung on tight, letting wind whip through her
hair.
Soon, they arrived back at the compound and after passing through the gate,
Atticus shifted back.
He put on his track pants and t-shirt that he had left behind, and as the two
of them made their way across the compound grounds they were struck by a
realization: There was no one else there.
“Where is everyone?” asked Tessa, looking around.
“Not sure,” said Atticus. “But they should’ve been back by now. And there
should be a few of the pack still here.”
The two of them approached the main house, entering through the basement
door and traveling up to the main floor. And as Tessa ascended the stairs, a
strange, medical scent struck her.
“You smell that?” she asked.
“Yeah,” said Atticus, his face tense. “Stay close.”
They entered the main floor, and to their horror, saw that the kitchen was
trashed. Tessa gasped when she saw the scene. Pots and pans were thrown
everywhere, glasses were broken, and plates were shattered on the floor.
The strange smell grew more intense, and Atticus and Tessa could now hear
a commotion coming from the other room.
Atticus and Tessa approached the living room, and as they entered they saw
that it was occupied by a dozen or so grungy-looking men and women, all
in various stages of meth use, from lighting up to running around the
compound, smashing whatever they could get their hands on.
And seated on the couch, calm and steely-eyed among them all, was Lucas.
“Long time, no see, Tess,” he said, a sinister smile forming on his lips as the
rest of the gang members formed up around him.
“Take a seat,” he said, his eyes cold, and his tone murderous.
CHAPTER 17
Atticus closed his eyes, preparing to shift, his anger nearly boiling over.
“Ah, ah, ah,” said Lucas, still pointing his gun.
Atticus and Tessa felt the touch of cold, sweaty hands upon their arms.
“I know all about your powers, my friend,” said Lucas. “And I want you to
make a quick estimate about your odds. There’re about twenty of us, and
two of you. Now, you might be able to get a few of us with those big bear
claws of yours, but can you do it before we kill her?”
Her pointed the gun at Tessa.
Atticus’s jaw clenched as he stared Lucas down. Realizing that Lucas was
right, Atticus stopped his shifting process.
“What is this?” Atticus demanded.
“Why, this is me taking back what’s mine, of course,” said Lucas, flicking
his red-lined eyes towards Tessa.
“Fuck you,” said Tessa, spitting her words. “I’m not yours.”
Lucas shrugged, as if considering the point.
“Well, they say ‘might makes right,’ and this is definitely one of those cases
where I think that’s true.”
As Lucas spoke, Tessa couldn’t help but notice the drastic change that
Lucas had gone through since the time that she saw him last. His face was
gaunt, his skin looked sickly, and his eyes were red and bloodshot. It looked
to her as if he were on day ten of a non-stop drug binge, a shadow of his
former handsome self.
“Where are my men?” demanded Atticus.
“They’re out,” said Lucas. “We created a little distraction to keep them
busy; probably won’t be back for a while…if they come back.”
Rage boiled in Atticus. The idea that this man would simply storm into his
home, threaten Tessa, put his men in danger- it was something he couldn’t
abide. But he knew Lucas was right, making a move wouldn’t work out
well for him or Tessa, not with every one of the scuzzy meth-heads armed
and with an itchy trigger finger.
“And you might want to take a look at your security,” said Lucas, his voice
both anxious and cocky. “Impressive set-up, but nothing a few highly-
motivated tweakers couldn’t figure out.”
“If you don’t leave right now, I swear I’ll kill you and every last worthless
member of your pathetic gang,” said Atticus, his voice a growl.
“That’s…not what’s going to happen,” said Lucas, rising from his seat and
walking around the room with a cocky stride. “Here is what is going to
happen. I’m going to take my girl back from you- my wife, I should point
out- then I’m going to leave you here with some men of mine. They’re
going to, well, work you over until you give up the access codes to the little
fortune you Swift boys have stored away. Then they’re going to kill you.”
Atticus didn’t want to hear another word. He burst from the grips of the
meth heads who were holding him in place and rushed towards Lucas,
ready to shift his hands into claws and carve open his stomach.
But Lucas didn’t seem fazed by this. He simply gestured to the men holding
Tessa and gave a quick nod. Atticus heard the cocking of two pistols sound
from behind him as he closed the distance across the living room, the sound
stopping him in his tracks. Turning, he saw that the two men were holding
guns to Tessa, her face red as she wept in fear. As he looked at her, Atticus
realized that he couldn’t remember the last time he felt such anger.
“You might get me,” said Lucas. “But you definitely won’t get them before
they put a couple of rounds into that pretty thing. I may want my wife back
but I want my revenge even more.”
Atticus froze in place, the feeling of impotence driving him to heights of
anger that he never thought possible. He watched as Lucas strolled across
the debris-strewn floor of the living room and over to Tessa. Once he stood
in front of her, he placed his hand on her cheek, wiping away her tears.
“Don’t worry, Tess,” he said, his tone a mockery of sympathy. “I’ll get you
away from these…freaks of nature, and back by my side, where you belong.
There’s money in meth, a lot of money. I’ll make sure you never want for
anything ever again.”
Tessa said nothing. Instead, she whipped her head back and spit in Lucas’s
face.
Lucas took in a slow, deep breath, pulled his hand back and struck Tessa
across the face.
The cracking sound echoing through the living room, Atticus felt himself
boil over with rage. Only the last shreds of self-control that remained
allowed him to prevent himself from shifting and carving every last man in
the room to pieces.
“You’ll pay for that,” Atticus said, his voice a roar.
“Not likely,” said Lucas.
He slipped the shiny, chrome body of his pistol into the back of his beltloop
and turned to address his men.
“I think it’s time to get going, everyone,” he said, his mouth curled into a
smile. “But as for my little werebear friend, I’m going to leave a few friends
of mine here to keep an eye on you. And just so you know, their guns are
loaded with silver-tipped bullets, a material that I’ve heard your kind isn’t
exactly fond of. Anyway, these men are going to make sure that you
transfer all of the money in your family accounts to ours.”
“And why the hell would I do that?” demanded Atticus.
“Because if you don’t, I’ll kill Tessa.”
Atticus said nothing, instead breathing heavily through his nostrils, his
animal form only barely kept at bay.
“And the rest of my crew should be returning with what remains of your
pack before too long. They’ll stick around to make sure the transfer goes
off. Then, once you’ve done it, they’ll kill you.”
“Then why would I help you?”
“You and the pack die either way,’ said Lucas. “You’re all simply too much
of a threat to my little enterprise. But if you transfer the money, I can
guarantee you that Tessa will be safe. Well taken care of, in fact.”
He cast another lecherous look at Tessa, who seemed to be partially in a
state of shock.
“So! You have 48 hours from right…now,” he said, setting the timer on his
phone. “Don’t disappoint me.”
With that, Lucas and his crew left, leaving a few men in the room with guns
trained on Atticus. He stood with his shoulders hunched, a defeated feeling
gripped his body as he considered the tragedy that had just befallen him.
CHAPTER 18
“Where the hell are they?” asked one of the men, a dirty-looking, wiry man
in a denim vest and ripped jeans.
“Keep your fuckin’ pants on,” said the second of the two men, a beady-eyed
youth who looked to be no older than 20. “They’re taking down that whole
pack, give ‘em at least an hour.”
The third man, a fat-bellied black man with patchy hair, kept his pistol
trained on Atticus, who sat wordlessly on the couch.
“I need another hit,” he said. “This is all gettin’ to me.”
“You heard Lucas,” said the man in the denim vest. “No hits until the rest of
‘em get here.”
“How would Lucas even know?” asked the beady-eyed man as he paced
frantically around the room. “You think he’s got cameras or some shit in
here?”
“Who knows what he can do?” said Denim Vest. “He took over our whole
operation in a month. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was keepin’ some kind
of tabs on us.”
Silence fell over the men as they all considered their situation. Atticus was
quiet, instead keeping in mind that Lucas said nothing about keeping these
three lowlifes alive. Though he felt confident about his situation, he worried
about the rest of the pack. Lucas mentioned that something happened to
them, and they should’ve been back by now. Atticus cast an eye towards the
tree line beyond the compound, hoping for some sign that the rest of the
pack was near. But the trees were still aside from the evening breeze,
darkness descending over the compound as the last traces of sun twinkled
beneath the forest.
“Besides, I’m gonna start to lose my focus here if I don’t get a hit,” said
Patchy Hair.
“What the hell are you two talking about?” demanded Denim Vest.
Atticus surmised that Denim Vest was the one in charge, but from the looks
of things, he didn’t seem to be keeping a very good handle on the situation.
He’d watched these meth heads from afar for long enough to know that they
could only talk themselves out of using for so long before they gave in.
“Nah, nah,” said Beady Eyes. “I mean, things are fine now, but if I don’t get
a hit, I’m gonna start thinking more about crystal than I am about watching
the freak, you know?”
He pointed to Atticus with his pistol, who winced in response. He also been
around these types long enough to know that accidental shootings among
them were surprisingly common.
“Yeah, yeah, he’s right,” said Patchy Hair. “Plus, you know how the shit
works- we’ll be way more focused once we do it, you know? And that’ll
make our job even easier, and we’ll do it better.”
“I don’t know,” said Denim Vest, scratching the back of his head with his
pistol. “We use and Lucas will have our asses. You saw what he did to that
kid who took a hit on guard duty last week.”
“Yeah,” said Beady Eyes. “But that was ‘cuz that kid let some junkie slip
past the perimeter. Lucas wouldn’t have given a shit if he would’ve done his
fuckin’ job.”
Denim Vest scrunched his ugly, pock-marked face and Atticus could tell
that he was marshalling his limited intellect to ponder the situation.
“Come on,” said Patchy Hair. “Just a hit to keep us steady and then we’ll
finish the job. Besides, we’re here ‘till he gives up the money- that could be
the whole 48 hours. You want to wait that long?”
Denim Vest considered this further. Atticus simply waited, knowing that an
opportunity would soon arise.
“Yeah,” said Beady Eyes. “And when he said ‘don’t use until the job’s
done,’ he was, uh, speaking, you know, metaphorically.”
“Right!” said Patchy Hair. “He was saying, like, don’t get fucked up until
the job is done, like, don’t go overboard until the bear fucker gives up the
goods.”
“There’s no way he would’ve expected us to not use,” said Beady Eyes. “I
bet he’d probably even think it was weird that we didn’t!”
“He’d probably get mad at us, actually,” said Patchy Hair. “He’d think we
fucked up by not keeping steady.”
Denim Vest’s eyes lit up with understanding, this seemed to be just the
justification he needed to hear to give in to the temptation that had been
dogging him.
“Fine!” he said. “But just enough to keep us on the level.”
“Yeah, yeah! Sure!” said Patchy Hair and Beady Eyes as they eagerly
pulled out their paraphernalia.
A small smile crossed Atticus’s lips as he watched the junkies go to work.
And that smile spread even further when he saw a long rustling along the
tree line, the outside now completely black with evening dark. Yellow eyes
emerged from the woods, and Atticus knew then that his pack was back. He
smiled with pride, knowing that they managed to get through whatever trap
Lucas’s men had set for them.
Looking down at the zip ties that kept him restrained, he shook his head at
how careless the junkies had been. Atticus watched the bears emerge from
the woods as he flexed his muscles, the zip ties snapping like rubber bands
stretched too taut.
His eyes on the junkies as they huddled over their supply, Atticus rose from
the couch, preparing to shift. He glanced at the pistols loaded with silver-
tipped bullets- he was sure he’d be able to get to them before they could
aim them, let alone crack off a shot, but he also knew that junkies could be
unpredictable. A stray round in his leg would mean he’d be out of
commission for a week while he recovered, and that was time he didn’t
have.
“Guys,” said Atticus, standing mid-shift, his muscles large and fur-covered.
The junkies snapped around, their eye wild and fearful as they stared at
Atticus.
“I hope you brought enough for the rest of the family,” he said, gesturing to
the pack of bears that were currently crawling through the tree line, their
faces painted with rage as they drew closer.
“Shit, shit!” cried Beady Eyes, fumbling for his gun.
But none of the three were quick enough. Atticus retained his mid-shift
form, not wanting to become the larger target that fully shifting into his bear
form would result in. With blinding speed, he rushed at the three, striking
Denim Vest with his razor-sharp claws, cutting through his skin and sending
him flying backward against the wall. Patchy Hair and Beady Eyes, both
going for their weapons, were next. Atticus grabbed Patchy Hair and threw
him against the wall on the other side of the room, his body connecting with
a sickening thud-crack.
Then, Beady Eyes managed to raise his gun and fire a round, the pop from
the shot cutting through the air, the bullet going wild and hitting wide.
Atticus shook his head and drove his claws into Beady Eyes, plunging them
deep into his stomach, the junkie grabbing Atticus’s wrist feebly before
dropping to his knees.
Atticus backed off, sighing as he surveyed the mess made of his home. But
before he could think for too long, Ian, Roland, and Clyde appeared in the
door frame.
“Wow,” said Ian, looking over the wreckage. “What’d we miss?”
CHAPTER 19
“What the hell happened?” demanded Atticus, looking over the pack as they
stood on the grounds of the compound.
“They surprised us,” said Clyde, his voice weighed with shame.
“They lured us into a damn trap,” said Ian, slamming his fist into his open
palm.
“How?” demanded Atticus, noting that his men all looked ragged and tired.
They were barely able to stand at attention as the cool evening wind
whipped across their bodies.
But he noted they were fewer in number- three of the men from the tribe
were missing. Atticus’s stomach tightened when he realized what had likely
happened.
“They must’ve known that we’d been on the lookout for meth labs and
other signs of their presence,” said Roland, crossing his arms over his chest.
“They left evidence strategically placed in the woods.”
“Like a trail of breadcrumbs,” said Ian.
“I should’ve known better,” said Clyde, shaking his head sadly.
“By the time we realized that what we were finding was too good to be true,
it was too late,” said Roland. “They all came out of the woods, dozens of
them.”
“Richard, Tyler, and Martin sacrificed themselves,” said Ian, looking over
the men as they nodded at the sound of the names of those who gave their
lives. “They created a distraction that allowed us to break through the circle
that Lucas’s men formed around us and turn the tide.”
Atticus repeated the names of the men aloud, making sure that everyone
heard them.
“Remember those names,” he said to the men, who all nodded in
understanding.
“And what about Tessa?” asked Clyde.
Atticus clenched and unclenched his fists.
“Lucas was here and he took her,” he said. “The gang knows about us- they
know everything. We’re the only thing keeping them from taking over this
town and turning it into anarchy.”
“Then they won’t stop until they’ve rid us from the region,” said Roland,
nodding his head in understanding.
“And what’s more,” said Atticus, his voice lined with anger as he thought of
Tessa’s face, wet with tears as they took her, “They want our money.”
“Fuckers,” said Ian. “It’s not enough they want us dead, they want our
resources to fund their operation.”
“We have less than 48 hours before they kill Tessa,” said Atticus, the last
two words paining him to speak. “We’re going to have to make a full-on
assault on the farmhouse where the gang operations are centered.”
“That’s the plan?” asked Ian, incredulous. “To just smash in through the
front gate?”
“No,” said Atticus. “There are too many of them for that. But one way or
another, we have to destroy that house and the facilities inside. If we don’t,
Lucas’s gang will just get more and more powerful until we won’t be strong
enough to beat them. They’ll take over this whole region and turn it into a
meth-addicted hellhole.”
He turned to the men.
“You all get some rest if you need to and if anyone has any bright ideas, let
me know. But just remember, not only is the fate of Tessa on the line, but
everyone in this town. Dismissed.”
And with that, he turned away from the men, moving towards the main
house with determined strides, thoughts of saving his love the only ones on
his mind.
CHAPTER 20
Tessa stared at Lucas with murderous eyes as the luxury car bumped along
the unpaved road leading to the gang’s farmhouse. She thought of Atticus
and how angered he looked as Lucas took her from him. She sat on the cool
leather seat across from Lucas, her hands bound behind her back. All she
wanted was to lunge across at him and wrap her hands around his neck,
draining the life from him.
But instead, she sat helplessly, two gang members flanking her, her former
love sitting across from her in the cab of the car with a silver gun in one
hand and a drink in the other.
“I can’t believe that you’ve done all of this,” she said, her voice a hiss.
“You can’t believe that I’ve done what, exactly?” asked Lucas through a
grim smile. “That I was able to go from a starving artist to a drug kingpin?”
“Among other things,” said Tessa. “How you could live a double-life and
still look me in the eyes would be another.”
“It was easy. You and I had been growing apart for years,” he said, the car
making a slow turn on the road towards the property that she had visited
where she learned that Lucas was cheating on her. “But you didn’t even
seem to notice it until it became blindingly obvious.”
“What’re you talking about?” asked Tessa, her eyes flicking towards the
ramshackle settlements that had cropped up along the road since the last
time she’d been there.
“I’d been getting more and more into this world for the last year, why do
you think I’d been abandoning my art? I started by hanging out with these
guys after drinks at the bar. It just kinda grew from there. Turns out I’ve got
something of a knack for this business.”
“A ‘knack?’” asked Tessa, feeling as though she were talking to someone
she’d never met before.
“Yep. Making connections, distributing, supervision, production- all that.
These guys were small-timers until they found me. I was able to do for their
business in the last few months what they’d been unable to do in the last
two years. They just needed someone with a little imagination.”
“You must be very proud of all this,” said Tessa, gesturing towards the road
that led to the compound, the fields on both sides strewn with vagrants and
junkies eking out meager existences for the sole purpose of being near the
meth lab.
“Cost of doing business,” he said, seemingly immune to the sight of the
human misery around him. “This town was on the brink of collapse anyway,
it just needed a little push to finish the process.”
“But why?” asked Tessa.
Lucas’s eyes narrowed.
“Because I was tired of our boring life, nothing happening day in and day
out. I wanted excitement, while you wanted nothing but the same things
every day.”
“So, you thought this was the way out.”
“It was the way out.”
The farmhouse grew closer, another party raging out front, just like the one
that Tessa ventured into the night she found Lucas.
“I did this for us, by the way,” said Lucas, looking out the window at the
party on the lawn. “You have no idea how much money I’ve been able to
make so quickly. I was going to buy the life that we’d always wanted.”
“Is that why you cheated on me?” asked Tessa, not buying his altruistic
explanations.
“Hey, when you’re the head of a meth empire you end up getting a lot of
attention. You say ‘no’ 49 times, on the 50th, you’re gonna crack.”
Tessa glared at Lucas.
“Besides, that’s all over now. Once we, well, I’ll tell you about the rest of
the plan later, but now that you’re here back by my side where you belong,
away from those bear freaks, we can get back it just being you and me.”
“’Bear freaks’?” demanded Tessa. “You don’t know the first thing about
them.”
“I know that they’re standing in the way of me expanding my market. Do
you have any idea how many labs this crew has lost to them over the last
few years? Too many, that’s for damn sure.”
The car attracted a crowd as it pulled through the party towards the stretch
of land behind the large farmhouse. The crowd was comprised of everyone
from junkie hangers-on to teenage groupies to tough-looking gang
members, all recognizing the car as Lucas’s, all wanting to discuss business
with him…business of one form or another.
“And these yokels here in Branlen all figured they were forest spirits or
some crazy shit like that. They needed someone with half a brain to realize
that there was something weird going on with that compound that the Swift
boys owned, something probably connected to what was going on in the
woods. Needless to say, one of my first orders of business was to wipe them
off the map. And when I found out that they were loaded, well, so much the
better.”
“You’re a monster,” said Tessa, her eyes narrowed.
“No,” said Lucas as the car pulled into what appeared to be a recently
installed garage. “The monsters are those…animals out there.”
He pointed towards the general direction of the compound.
“They’re beasts, they kill because they can’t help it. It’s part of their nature.
And I don’t know what Atticus or the rest of them told you, but they’ll kill
you in time.”
“You’re wrong.”
Lucas shrugged.
“Maybe, maybe not. Either way, my plan seems to be going off without a
hitch. The pack should be wiped out by now, with the exception of Atticus,
who’ll be helpfully depositing his millions into the designated account any
minute now.”
The car came to a stop and the driver killed the engine.
“And you’ll be right where you should be, at my side. With the money and
power I’ve earned for us, we can do anything. We can even start that family
you’ve always wanted.”
Thoughts of a wanting a family flooded back into Tessa’s mind. It was true,
starting a family was a journey that she’d always imagined going on with
Lucas. But as the years went on, the idea grew more and more distant, until
it was only a shadow of a thought. She’d felt that they’d grown so
accustomed to their lives as they were that there was simply no room for a
baby. But now that Lucas spoke the words aloud, she realized that the love
that she had felt for Lucas had simply faded over time, and with it, the
desire to start a family with him. And as she grew older, on some level she
felt that family was just something that was never going to happen for her.
But now that things were the way they were now, the idea of carrying
Lucas’s child brought a feeling of sickness to Tessa’s stomach.
“I’ll never start a family with you,” said Tessa, her eyes narrow, her glare as
sharp as blades.
But Lucas only smiled in response, a sly, knowing smile.
“We’ll see about that.”
The driver, a reedy man in a button-up shirt of blue silk and a pair of jeans
embellished with rhinestones opened the doors and led the two out of the
car, the pair of gang members following close behind. That familiar
thumping bass, the same one that she’d heard that night weeks ago, filled
her ears. Tessa wanted nothing more than to leave, to never see this horrible
place or its hundreds of wasted, junkie inhabitants ever again. But as Lucas
took her arm in his grip, she knew that this wasn’t possible.
“Come with me, Tess,” he said, flashing a toothy smiled as he gazed at her
with narrowed eyes.
The driver opened the door from the garage, leading to a small, dark,
hallway. The volume of the party increased as they reached the end, and
once they did, the driver, flashing a smile of his own, opened the door.
Beyond was a crowd of parties, dancing to the music, their bodies filling all
available space of the farmhouse. But once Lucas entered with Tessa at his
side, all eyes nearby fell upon them.
The crowd held still for a moment, as if confirming what they were seeing,
before bursting into wild cheering. To Tessa, they seemed to be celebrating
Lucas’s return, and she surmised that he must’ve told them that when he
came back his business with the Swifts would be long-finished.
Lucas held up a hand, a smile on his face. The crowd continued cheering
and Tessa’s gaze swept upon the jubilant masses, noting that each face
seemed to be stricken by the effects of meth abuse in its own way. Some
were pock-marked, some were red-eyed, some were prematurely-aged. But
all looked terrible.
“They’re celebrating us,” said Lucas, yelling to Tessa over the crowd. “I
told them that when I returned with you at my side, it would mean that we’d
won.”
Horror crept through the Tessa as she looked over the crowd.
“Don’t you get it?” he asked, yelling louder. “These are your people, I’m
their king. And you’re my queen.”
Tessa felt as though she wanted to drop to her knees and scream. It was hell
that Lucas promised her, a horrible reign over a court of the damned.
CHAPTER 21
“What’s the plan, big brother?” asked Clyde to Atticus, who was looking
out through the living room wall at the darkened woods beyond the
compound.
“We go get her, it’s as simple as that.”
“That much is obvious,” said Ian, entering the room, his feet crunching on
the broken glass that lay strewn across the floor. “But what are you
proposing, exactly?”
Atticus was still figuring out just how he wanted to approach the plan of
rescuing Tessa and destroying the meth operation. But he had some ideas.
And all of them ended with him poised over Lucas, preparing to rip him
into shreds with deadly swipes of his claws.
“Let the men get a few hour’s rest,” said Atticus, not turning away from the
window. “And that goes for you all, if you need it.”
He could sense that Roland was there in the room with them. Turning
around, his instinct was confirmed: his three brothers stood side-by-side,
awaiting orders.
“No need for rest here,” said Roland. “I’m ready to do what needs to be
done.”
“Yeah,” added Ian. “I’m still riding a high from the fight in the woods.”
“I just want to get Tessa back,” said Clyde. “Every moment she’s with
Lucas is another moment she has to suffer.”
Atticus nodded, pleased that his brothers were as loyal as ever. He
considered just how he might reward them for their loyalty when this
business was taken care of.
After a moment of thought, he had just the idea.
But for now, he needed to figure out how to both take advantage of the
element of surprise and to overcome the numerical advantage that the gang
had.
“How many junkies did the pack take out in the woods?” asked Lucas.
“Hmm,” thought aloud Roland. “Had to have been at least 30.”
“30?” asked Atticus, surprised. “Then that means we can take them at three-
to-one odds. Maybe more if we surprise them.”
Then, a thought occurred to Atticus.
“Ian, do you still have the satellite map of the region? The one that showed
all of the infrastructure?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Because I think I just might have an idea.”
***
It was hours later, and the pack was ready to take the fight to the gang. But
as they followed Atticus through the woods, still in their human forms,
running through the still evening air, each man was gripped with the
question of what Atticus had in mind, exactly. He had them bring no
weapons, all dressed in outfits of their “worst” clothes- what Atticus told
them to wear.
But after nearly an hour of running through the woods, they only stopped
when they came across a massive power generator, an enormous relay of
two large, metal coils draped with power lines, a small shack in the middle.
The perimeter of the place was a tall, steel fence topped with vicious-
looking barbed wire and festooned with signs covered in large, red letters of
warning. Atticus stopped at the entrance gate to the place, looking over the
facility with a careful eye. The men fell in line behind him, waiting for a
command.
“Everyone!” he shouted to the men and his brothers, who all stood in front
of him. “The farmhouse is a mile that way.”
He pointed down the slope of the hill they were on, a path that followed the
black drooping power lines.
“Form up, here’s the plan.”
CHAPTER 22
Tessa sat on the tacky, leather chair in Lucas’s bedroom, the very same
room where she encountered him in flagrante with two barely-legal women.
The room was expansive, it was the master bedroom of the farmhouse.
Though whatever tasteful farmer’s décor might’ve brightened the place was
gone, replaced with tacky colors, garish posters, and drug paraphrenia that
seemed to cover every available surface.
She felt insulted, as though he were rubbing her face in what was going on,
that he had succeeded in stealing her away from Atticus, that he had
managed to get her right where he wanted her, despite her wishes and
protestations. And the worst part was that she knew there was nothing she
could do.
“See, this is pretty nice, isn’t it?” asked Lucas, throwing open the curtains
of the bedroom, exposing the vast tract of cleared land behind the farm, the
first half of which was packed with partygoers, the crowd trailing off into
the distance.
It was a massive throng, a black, shifting mass dotted by tiny flickers of
light that she assumed were drugs being sparked up. What’s more, she
noticed that the crowd was even larger than it was before, meaning the
amount of users addicted to Lucas’s poison had only increased. She feared
that soon the entire town would be under the thumb of Lucas and his gang.
Tessa glared at Lucas from her seat, her arms flat on the rests, her nails
digging into the glossy, red fabric of the chair. Lucas looked out of the
window, shaking his head in awe at the masses of people below.
“That’s something, isn’t it?” he said, his eyes fixed forward. “You
remember when we first moved here? This place was nothing, just a
handful of buildings surrounded by the woods, that big mountain looking
down on everything. Population, what, 300?”
He shook his head.
“Now look at it- it’s like an actual city. Sure, it’s mostly junkies and drifters,
but it’s more than it was before. And the best part is that I run things.”
“Oh?” asked Tessa. “You’ve ruined this town and you think this is an
improvement?”
“Better than wasting my days in that cabin, waiting for a big break that was
never going to come.”
He turned towards Tessa.
“And now that the bears are done for, this whole area is under my control.”
“You’re not going to get away with it,” said Tessa, glowering at Lucas.
“That’s where you’re wrong, my dear,” he said. “Because I already have.”
With that, there was a gentle rapping on the bedroom door.
“Come in!” called Lucas.
The door creaked open and Tessa's eyes shot towards whoever it was that
was none other than the two girls who she’d seen Lucas cheating on her
with. Her stomach dropped as the two scantily-clad women sauntered in,
their gazes sensual and fixed on Lucas.
“Tess, I’d like you to meet Becky and Jessica,” said Lucas as the two girls
made their way over to him, Lucas slipping his bare arms around their slim
shoulders as they reached him.
“Hey,” said the redhead, waving her fingers.
“Hey,” said the blonde, her eyes tracking up Tessa’s body.
“What’s going on?” Tessa demanded.
“Well, you all recognize each other, right?” asked Lucas, to which the two
girls nodded in agreement. “Good. Well, I figured that we all got off on the
wrong foot that night. And now that Tessa’s back into the fold, I think we
ought to give her a proper welcome.
“Sounds great to me,” said the redhead, a seductive grin on her face.
“Mmm, I’d love to,” said the blonde.
The redhead then pulled her shirt over her head, revealing a pair of small,
pert breasts with small pink nipples. The blonde followed, her larger, tanned
breasts tumbling out from underneath her thin t-shirt. Tessa wanted to get
up and leave, to run out of the house right then and there just like before,
but she knew there was no way she’d get far.
Instead, she dug her nails into the fabric as the two girls moved their hands
up Lucas’s body underneath his shirt, pulling it over his head and off,
revealing the sculpted, perfect physique that Tessa knew so intimately. The
two girls began kissing his torso, their lips dragging across his body as
Lucas took a long swig from a nearby bottle of whiskey.
Then, Lucas ran a hand through each of the girls’ hair, guiding them away
from his body and towards one another. The girls got the hint right away
and locked their lips together as they kneeled in front of Lucas, their wet
sounds of their kissing loud and sensual.
“Didn’t we always talk about spicing things up in the bedroom?” asked
Lucas, turning his gaze towards Tessa. “Well, now’s the chance.”
Tessa watched as the blonde scooped one of the redhead’s breasts into her
hand and began sucking and licking her nipple, the redhead moaning all the
while. But as Tessa watched, a strange feeling began to come over her. She
was disgusted by Lucas, sure, but something about watching these two
beautiful women kiss and touch one another aroused something deep in
Tessa. She watched the girls kiss and fondle one another, the redhead
slipping her hand up the blonde’s skirt, the blonde taking in a sharp breath
as she did so.
“Beautiful, beautiful,” said Lucas. “See? It’s good to be king.”
Lucas left the girls to their business and walked over to a nearby dresser,
retrieving drug paraphernalia from it.
“You know what would make this even better,” he said, a lighter in one
hand, a glass pipe in the other.
The two girls eyed the drugs with hunger and as Tessa watched how their
expressions lit up as they looked at Lucas’s offering, whatever arousal she
was feeling disappeared like mist on the wind. The two girls eagerly took
the drugs from Lucas’s hands and got them ready to smoke.
But right at the moment they would’ve sparked them, the lights in the room
cut out, leaving the four of them in total pitch darkness.
“What the hell?” demanded Lucas.
But a slim smile crossed Tessa’s face as she sat in the dark. She didn’t know
how she knew, but there was only one thing this could mean: Atticus was
here.
CHAPTER 23
Atticus watched from his vantage point on the small hill beyond the
farmhouse as the lights to the place went dark, shrouding the building and
the partiers around in a deep darkness, the deafening thumping of the music
shutting off abruptly, the silence of nature reasserting itself.
The generator has been a simple set-up, and looking over the equipment, he
saw that it would be easy to rig the thing to shut off at a particular time- in
this case, a half hour. His brothers and the rest of the pack were given
orders to infiltrate the party, to take up positions in the crowd, and to be
ready to shift and strike when the power shut off.
He looked over the crowd, trying to spot the members of his pack, but it
was simply too dark.
But the roars and screams that sounded seconds later signaled to him that
the plan was underway.
Atticus was pleased that all seemed to be going according to plan, but this
feeling was quickly replaced with a sense of urgency. He knew that Lucas
was smart enough to realize that the power outage wasn’t a mere
coincidence and that it almost certainly meant that Atticus and the rest of
the pack were gearing up to make an attack. And Atticus knew that as soon
as Lucas realized this, Tessa’s life would be in danger.
Atticus took off into a run, his legs pumping with wild abandon as he closed
the distance between him and the house. As he drew closer, he could begin
to make out the shapes of the pack among the crowd, tall, fearsome night-
shrouded shapes that filled the air with deafening roars, the crowd in a mad
rush to escape them.
He kept running towards the house, now getting closer and closer to the
partygoers who had made the quickest escapes, the faces of them painted
with fear and shock as they ran past Atticus and into the woods beyond.
Then, the flashing and popping of gunfire began to sound, the pack now
doing their work of neutralizing the guards of the house. Atticus gave the
men strict orders to not harm anyone who wasn’t a direct threat to them, but
he knew that things could get chaotic in the middle of a battle.
As Atticus ran closer, more and more of the junkies rushed past him and he
could now make out clearly the forms of the members of the pack as they
set upon the armed gang members, roaring as they swatted them away with
massive, fearsome claws.
Atticus knew that they needed to have the element of surprise on their side
and having the pack ready to shift and fight the gang from the inside out
was just the way to do it.
He finally closed the distance between him and the house and Atticus was
now among the teeming throngs that were in a mad, frenzied dash away
from the building. He guessed there easily was hundreds of people there, all
running from the bears that had seemingly appeared from nowhere. The
place was becoming more and more of a scene of chaos by the second.
Looking to his right, Atticus watched as two members of the pack set upon
a pair of guards, swiping them away effortlessly, only to have another trio
of gang members approach them from the back, all brandishing pistols.
They began cracking off shots at the bears, the pack members roaring as the
bullets impacted their thick hides. As Atticus drew closer, he recognized
one of the bears as Clyde, his bulky, powerful form easily identifiable even
in his shifted shape.
Atticus rushed towards the three guards, slamming into them at an
incredible pace, knocking them off of their feet and onto the ground. Now
that the gang members were stunned, Atticus looked up at Clyde, who
flashed him a look of appreciation as he turned towards the gang members,
all holding their hands up and shouting in fear as Clyde and the other bear
loomed over them.
Atticus turned his attention back to the house, watching as party-goers
streamed out of the entrances, some even jumping from the windows and
landing in the sparse bushes before breaking into a run. He pushed his way
past the throngs of people, making his way into the farmhouse.
Once inside, he saw that the scene was just as chaotic was it was outdoors.
The rest of the pack was among the crowd and all were shifted into their
fearsome bear forms. Atticus spotted Ian and Roland, who were busy
fighting off the guards, taking care not to harm any innocent members of
the crowd. The gang members shot round after round at the bears and
Atticus sighed in relief as he realized that they didn’t seem to be armed with
silver-tipped bullets. Though enough regular shots could take down a
shifter, especially a well-aimed one- Ian, Roland, and the rest seemed to be
handling the panicked, ill-trained guards with ease.
Atticus rushed through the house, his eyes settling on the stairs that led to
the second floor. He didn’t know exactly where he’d find Tessa and Lucas,
but he figured that up and away from the chaos was a likely place.
He ran up the stairs, weaving through men and women who streamed down,
and arrived at the second floor. It was a large, expansive space, and his eyes
settled on the door at the end of the hallway to his right, which he guessed
led to the master bedroom. Atticus stormed down the hallway, rage building
in him as he realized that Tessa was close.
He could feel it.
Reaching the door, he threw himself into it with a mighty kick, ripping the
thing off of its hinges. Once he entered, he was greeted with the sight of
Lucas, one arm wrapped around Tessa, the other holding a gun that was
pressed against her temple. A pair of girls were also in the room, and as
soon as Atticus entered they ran past him screaming, out into the hall.
“Surprised to see you here, shifter,” said Lucas, his grip tight on Tessa.
“What, did you really think your meth-head flunkies would do their job?”
“Maybe, maybe not, but it doesn’t matter- now I’ve got you right where I
want you.”
Atticus’s eyes fastened on Tessa and the gun, rage boiling within him at the
sight of his love being held in danger.
“You OK, Tessa?”
She nodded, Lucas’s thick arm crossed over her neck, her eyes winced in
pain and fear.
“Here’s the deal,” said Lucas, moving towards the large window in the
bedroom. “You and your pack leave now. Leave Bear Mountain and never
come back. Tessa stays with me, but I guarantee you she won’t be harmed.”
“And leave you to ruin this city even more than you already have? Not a
chance,” said Atticus.
Lucas scoffed, his eyes fixed on Atticus as he kept the gun trained on Tessa.
“I had a feeling you might say that.”
He rattled the gun in his hand.
“My guards weren’t smart enough to make sure they were loaded up with
silver bullets, but I was. One shot from this right to your gut and I’ll take
care of this shifter problem real fast.”
He pointed the gun at Atticus, whose body tensed as the weapon was
trained on him. He knew that Lucas was right- a shot from that to the limbs
wouldn’t necessarily be fatal, but a solid shot to the torso or head would kill
him on the spot.
“Of course,” said Lucas, pressing the end of the gun to Tessa’s head. “These
work just as well on non-shifters, too.”
Tessa let out a whimper as Lucas tapped on her temple with the tip of the
gun.
“You wouldn’t,” said Atticus, his body ready to pounce.
“I would if it meant you left and didn’t come back,” said Lucas.
“You kill her and you’re next,” said Atticus.
“You know what?” asked Lucas. “I think it would be easier just to kill you.”
Before Atticus could react, Lucas trained the gun on him and fired a shot.
Atticus moved at the last minute, jumping towards the side of the room as
Tessa let out a scream. The shot slammed into the wall just behind where
Atticus stood only seconds ago.
Then, Lucas aimed the gun at Atticus once more, and Atticus knew in that
split-second that he wouldn’t be able to avoid this one.
But before Lucas could fire, Tessa extended her arm and drove her elbow
right into Lucas’s gut, the air rushing from his lungs as the second shot went
wide. His hold on Tessa broke, and she ran towards Atticus, who rose to his
feet and drew Tessa close as she approached.
“You bitch!” he yelled, snatching the gun from the ground and heading out
of the window.
Atticus followed him, rushing to the window just as Lucas scrambled out of
it, following him up onto the roof.
Another shot rang out over the din of the crowds below as Atticus pulled
himself up onto the roof.
But as Atticus finished climbing, his eyes fixed on Lucas as he stood on the
roof, the farmhouse land stretching beyond, the night black above and Bear
Mountain looming in the distance like a silent observer, he knew it was time
to finish this.
With a mighty roar, he shifted into his bear form, his clothes ripping as he
changed. He watched as Lucas trained the gun on him once more and
cracked off a shot, this one connecting with Atticus in his upper left arm.
But Atticus closed the distance and with a killing swipe of his paw, he
slashed Lucas across the chest, the impact sending him careening off of the
roof, his body slamming into the ground below.
Looking down at Lucas’s now still body, Atticus shifted back to his human
form, the night wind cool on his skin. Turning, he saw that Tessa was now
climbing onto the roof, and seconds later was at his side. A tear fell from
her eyes as she looked down at Lucas’s body, she realized that it was finally
over.
CHAPTER 24
The light streaming in through the glass wall of the bedroom, Tessa closed
her eyes, a smile on her face as Atticus kissed her along her stomach, the
sensation of his lips upon her bare skin a sensual pleasure that she never
grew tired of. She opened her eyes slightly, watching his sandy, blonde hair
dip down further and further, his kisses moving down the small bump of her
stomach, over her hip bones, and then along the soft curves of her hips,
before ending up on the small tuft of brown hair above her sex. He flicked
his eyes up her and she sighed as she felt his hot breath on her most
sensitive skin.
Still kissed her, Atticus slid a finger inside of her, the feeling of his
penetration making Tessa feel as though her body were lighting up like a
Christmas tree. She sighed, her gaze falling to the window as she watched
the morning breeze pass through the branches beyond the compound.
Atticus slid another finger inside of her and moved them in and out of her
slowly and gently. Tessa spread her legs wider to accommodate him as he
worked. After a few minutes of this, Atticus moved his head down even
further and Tessa felt giddy with anticipation for what was about to come.
He didn’t make her wait long. Atticus began licking her with small, quick
darts of his tongue, teasing her at first. Before too long, he shifted to long,
slow drags of his tongue, covering her clitoris completely with his warm,
wet mouth as he continued to finger her. Tessa listened to the sound of him
licking her, a soft, wet lapping that drove her wild as he stimulated her in
this most intimate way.
She stretched her limbs, feeling as though Atticus could bring her to orgasm
very easily in this manner. And part of her wanted to let him right then and
there. But another part of her, a more insistent part, wanted him inside of
her.
Tessa slid her fingers into his hair and pulled his head up, his sensual lips
glistening with her.
“Want me to keep going?” he asked, his voice a purr.
“I could have you do that all day,” she said, her breasts rising and falling
with each breath.
“Then you should let me,” he said with a smile.
“No,” she said. “I want to ride you.”
“You sure?” he asked.
Tessa rolled her eyes playfully. Ever since the two of them found out she
was pregnant, Atticus wasted no time in slipping into the role of
overprotective father.
“I think the babies can handle it,” she said with a sly grin.
Atticus let out a quick laugh.
“That’s right, if they’re like their mother, they can handle anything.”
Not wanting to say another word, Tessa pulled Atticus up and gently pushed
him onto his back. She spread her legs as she climbed up on top him, a
smile on her face as she slowly descended, taking his cock into her inch by
inch.
Tessa sighed as he was fully sheathed into her, and as soon as he was, she
placed her hands on his rock-hard chest, supporting herself as she moved up
and down on top of him.
She rode him gently at first, slowly. They’d made love dozens, if not
hundreds of times over the last few months, but she still found herself
needing to take him slowly at first- his cock was simply too large to just
jump right on top of. But once he was inside of her, the slickness of her
pussy allowing him to slide in perfectly, she began to ride him harder and
harder still.
After a few minutes, Tessa was bouncing up and down on top of him with
wild abandon. She listened to the soft, wet sound of his cock plunging into
her over and over, taking sweet pleasure at the feeling of driving him into
her time and time again. Atticus’s hands rested on her hips at first, but over
time traveled up to her breasts, squeezing and kneading them as he played
with her nipples, a feeling of sensual, electrical pleasure running through
her body as he stimulated her. She looked down at his face, his gorgeous,
masculine features twisted into an expression of erotic agony as she rode
him.
Her orgasm came quickly, almost without warning. Tessa screamed and
moaned as she came, her body snapping back, her breasts shaking as
convulsions of pleasure rocked her. Then, with a low moan, Atticus came,
his cock emptying into her, filling her pussy with his hot seed. Tessa let out
several more moans, her body completely in the grip of the orgasm.
But soon, it faded, and she collapsed on top of Atticus, her face pressed
against his sweaty, sculpted chest.
Minutes passed, the two of them saying nothing, only taking in slow draws
of air as they lay together.
Finally, after ten minutes or so had passed, Atticus spoke.
“I think it’s time to get up,” he said, looking at the clock next to the bed.
“So soon?” asked Tessa, her voice disappointed. “I think I have another
round in me.”
“I think I have another three rounds in me,” said Atticus, sliding out from
under Tessa and sitting up. “But I happened to see Clyde and Sarah putting
up some decorations in the living room and I don’t think we should keep
them waiting.”
“Oh, a party?”
“Something like that.”
Atticus started off for the shower, but stopped mid-step, as if remembering
something.
“I love you,” he said, kissing Tessa on her forehead.
“I love you, too,” she responded, her mouth wide with a smile.
Tessa and Atticus took a quick shower together, getting dressed after they
were done. After she put on her clothes, Tessa took the beautiful ring that
Atticus had proposed to her with from the nightstand and slipped it onto her
finger, a warm feeling rushing through her, a reminder of the joy she felt
when he proposed to her months ago.
After the night when Atticus rescued her from Lucas, she felt that
everything happened so fast. Within weeks, the leaderless meth gang
fragmented, their members melting away, leaving nothing but a small group
of a few dozen stragglers that the local law enforcement were able to put
behind bars with all due speed. The meth blight that came so close to
swallowing the communities near Bear Mountain whole was now gone, and
things started to return to normal. And once the rebuilding went on, it
seemed that Branlen might be even stronger that it was before.
Tessa and Atticus were married in a wonderful ceremony attended by nearly
all of the town of Branlen (though the bear secret of the pack was kept
under wraps.) The event was a joyful one, not only because of the joining of
Tessa and Atticus but because the marrying of the elder brother meant that
the rest of the pack could now choose mates. Indeed, within weeks, nearly
every man in the pack had found a mate.
That and the new women of the pack took residence with their men in the
ever-growing Swift Compound, which was now resembling a small village.
Soon after the flurry of marriages, the new women began to show signs of
carrying the next generation of bear shifters, their bellies round and full
with the promise of new life for the pack.
Tessa was the first among them, of course. Soon after she and Atticus were
married, Tessa began to sense that there was something different about her.
One doctor’s appointment later they learned, to their joy, that not only was
Tessa pregnant, but she was pregnant with twins- a boy and a girl. Atticus
explained to her that this was the greatest omen that they could hope for: the
boy would grow to be the next Alpha after Atticus, and the girl would lead
the women of the tribe. He told it was a sign that the pack would grow even
stronger than ever before. Tessa took the news in stunned silence, a
happiness that she’d never thought possible filling her, tears welling in her
eyes.
Dressed and ready, Atticus and Tessa headed down to the living room,
which was covered with all manner of baby-related decorations. Every
member of the pack was there, the men and the woman.
“Surprise!” the pack shouted out as Tessa and Atticus descended the stairs.
Warmth filled Tessa as she looked over the pack, all of their faces lit with
happiness and joy.
“We never got a chance to congratulate you officially on the baby, so we
figured that now was as good a time as any,” said Clyde, his pretty, stout
wife at his side, her blonde hair parted in the middle, her eyes twinkling
with the sort of glimmer that a mother-to-be had.
“Though, perhaps this would be a good time to celebrate all of the babies of
the new tribe,” said Ian, his slim, ethereally beautiful wife seated next to
him, her hand on her burgeoning baby bump.
“Why not a celebration for everyone?” asked Roland, his own pregnant
wife at his side, a handsome-faced, sharply dressed beauty.
Atticus looked over at Tessa and saw that her eyes were welling with tears.
With a smile, he realized she wouldn’t be speaking anytime soon for fear of
bursting into joyful sobs.
“That sounds wonderful to me,” said Atticus, slipping an arm around Tessa
as he raised a glass of sparkling wine taken from a nearby tray.
“To the pack!” he said, raising his glass.
“To the pack!” the rest of the pack responded in unison.
Tessa smiled as the party commenced, her head on Atticus’s shoulder, her
hand on her belly. She didn’t know what the future would bring. Atticus
assured her there would be challenges to come, that the life of a shifter pack
was anything but boring. But she knew with this man, her love, at her side,
they’d be able to take on anything, together.
THE END
 MC Biker Romance
Daddy Biker
Chapter 1
“Look out, Jake!”
Jake dodged out of the way just in time to avoid the bullet heading for him.
He could feel the air graze past his face. Jake rolled on the ground and
searched for the shooter, grateful that despite being in his early forties, his
body was still as fit as it had been when he was a teenager. The only change
had been the density of his muscles. Now that they were broader and had
filled out with age, women liked to tell him how handsome he was. It never
hurt his ego to hear that.
“Fuck, that was close. You all right?”
Jake had been distracted by the vibration of his cell phone in the breast
pocket of his vest. It had nearly cost his life. A flash of worry flooded him:
it could be about his kids. However, he didn’t have time to answer Tommy’s
question or the phone. Jake suddenly saw the man with the gun. He was
dressed in black and took off across the docks, heading for a speedboat.
“Get him!” Jake growled, launching himself toward the man. Tommy had
no choice but to follow, and the two of them sped across the shipyard after
the man.
The shooter was too preoccupied with escape to shoot the gun again. It
would be foolish to draw more attention to himself in broad daylight. Jake
pulled his own gun from its holster, and shot a look at Tommy. Tommy
nodded and followed suit.
“Stop before we pump you full of lead!” Tommy shouted. Jake cringed. Just
because they were part of an MC, Tommy liked to pretend he was the
greatest gangster of them all. He took all of his one-liners from old mob
movies, and frankly it got on Jake’s nerves.
The shooter froze and glanced over his shoulder, only to find that he was
outnumbered.
“Stay the hell away from me or I’m throwing the bag into the water!” the
man shouted.
Jake frowned, unperturbed by the man’s threat, and signaled for Tommy to
fire. Tommy did so gleefully, and the man fell forward onto his face,
dropping the bag onto the wooden planks of the dock.
“Get that, will you?” Jake asked, pulling his cell phone from the vest. His
heart leapt when he saw that it was his house number. He dialed it quickly.
It rang a few too many times for Jake’s comfort before a small, soft voice
answered.
“Hello?” Jake demanded.
“Hi daddy,” Jake’s five-year-old daughter answered. “JJ has a boo-boo!”
Jake’s stomach dropped. He knew he shouldn’t have left his kids home
alone, even just for a few hours. He had a horrible feeling about it.
“Where is JJ now, Mary?”
“He’s crying on the ground.”
“On the ground?!”
“He fell out of the treehouse!”
“I told you guys not to go up there while I was gone!” Jake exclaimed.
“JJ forgot something and wanted to show me!”
“I need you to stay right there, all right honey? Daddy’s going to call 911. I
want you to show them where JJ is, all right?”
“Sure, daddy!” Mary said cheerfully.
“Thank you honey, I’ll be home soon,” Jake said, hanging up the phone and
turning to Tommy. “I need you to get me home. Now.”
Tommy seemed to sense the panic in Jake’s voice and ran toward the car as
Jake dialed the rescue squad. Tommy didn’t bother to adhere to the speed
limits as they drove through town toward Jake’s house. Jake was the vice
president of the Motorcycle Club. Everybody knew better than to get on
their case. They were outside the law, for the most part. The MC was
powerful.
Tommy was the last person he wanted to be with in a crisis. All Tommy did
was talk to hear himself talk, and he seemed to talk even more when things
were tense. “So how about that Michelle chick, eh?” Tommy asked,
glancing at Jake with a lewd smile on his face. “Is she something or what?”
“She’s half our age, Tommy,” Jake sighed. But the truth was that he had
noticed Michelle- on many occasions. Her legs went on for miles, and her
face was the perfect combination of sexy and sweet. She hadn’t been
hardened yet, like the rest of the people Jake spent his time with. And those
eyes! He would kill to have a few moments alone with her, just to ask her
what she was thinking about that made her eyes glitter the way they did.
“Still, man! She’s like movie-star hot!”
“Whether she is or not, she’s Kent’s daughter. What would he do to you if
he knew you were talking about her like that?”
Tommy sobered at the thought of the MC’s president finding out what he
was saying, and Jake couldn’t help but smile grimly.
“I won’t tell, Tommy,” he promised.
They finally reached the street where Jake’s house was and his heart
hammered in his chest. Red lights were flashing and there were several cars
parked outside. It looked like the whole goddamn neighborhood was there.
Was his son all right?
“Shit, what happened here, Jakey?” Tommy said. He let out a low whistle as
an ambulance and a police car sped away, and two police cars stayed
behind.
“Are you the parent for this household?” the first officer asked when the
men got out of the car. “What’s your name?”
“If you don’t mind, this is Jake fuckin’ Desmond, all right?! Vice president
of the Pythons. Or haven’t you heard? And he’d really like to go and see if
his son is all right,” Tommy said, stepping a little too close to the officer.
“Gentlemen, that will be enough,” the second officer said, stepping between
Tommy and the cop. “There was a little trouble here and it just seems that
under most circumstances, negligence like this could lead to some serious
issues. These are both really young kids, you know. We just don’t want to
see anything happen to them.”
Jake felt sick. If his wife were still alive, none of this would be happening.
Or maybe if his hours at the MC weren’t so god damn demanding and
unpredictable. Either way, something had to change. He had known it for a
while now. But what?
“I understand officer, and thank you for the concern,” Jake said, mustering
as much of his calmness as he could. He hated the cops of Henderson
county, but he was grateful that somebody had been able to be there to
comfort his kids until he arrived. “Where is Mary?”
“She’s in the ambulance with her brother. They were both pretty excited
about the ride. One of the paramedics is looking after her.”
“Thanks,” Jake grumbled. “I’d like to head to the hospital now.”
“All right,” the officer said, sticking his notebook back in his pocket. “But I
just want you to know that if this were anybody else, you’d have some
reckless endangerment charges on your hands. We’re going to let you off
with a warning though. Go be with your kids. And hire a babysitter or
something next time, would you?”
Jake glowered, but he couldn’t say anything. The officer wasn’t wrong. He
had been being a bad parent. He was going to need to have a talk with his
boss about this. He nodded at the officer and Tommy took him by the arm
back to the car. Nobody in the MC could stand the do-gooder cops here, but
it was even worse when they had a point.
Jake and Tommy headed to the hospital and Jake stared out the window
darkly. Something had to give. He just had to figure out how.
Chapter 2
“Michelle, I need you to bring us some coffee.”
Kent, the President of the Python MC and Michelle’s father, poked his head
out of his office to look her sternly in the eye.
“Fine,” Michelle sighed.
One would think that being the daughter of the MC’s president would be an
enviable position, but the reality was that she hated waiting on bikers left
and right. She couldn’t see herself ever enjoying the company of such
brutish men, and it made her miserable to feel obligated to serve them just
because she was the president’s daughter.
She felt trapped there and longed for better things, like a college education
and a smart, sophisticated boyfriend. But her father always had a way of
driving away her dreams and getting her to do his bidding. She couldn’t
help but do as he asked, because she loved him deeply. Dealing with the
MC was the only way she ever got to spend any time with him.
Outside the MC, her father never had time for her. When he did, it was just
to ask her to do things for him. But she was almost 22. Wasn’t it time for
her to pave her own way? What would she do for the rest of her life? Serve
coffee and beer to angry bikers?
Michelle grabbed a few cups and put them on a tray with a full coffee pot.
She didn’t know how many people were in the office this time. Her father
was a very popular man.
“It’s just that my kids need someone there with them and I can’t always find
someone on such short notice!”
Michelle stopped in her tracks. She would know that voice anywhere. It was
Jacob Desmond, her father’s second in command. He had been around since
she was a kid. She remembered really liking him the first time she saw him,
but she lost interest after seeing his temper rear its ugly head. Jake was a
scary man- the epitome of everything she hated about the Motorcycle Club.
To make matters worse, she was pretty sure he was involved in some hard
drug pushing. Everyone swore that Jake had nothing to do with it, but
Jake’s wife overdosed on heroin and died just a few years ago. It had worn
Jake down, you could tell by his eyes, but he was still just as rowdy as ever.
But now he came and went, and Michelle’s father was often complaining
about how unreliable Jake had become. It made perfect sense to Michelle
though, if Jake was a heroin addict like his wife had been.
“Here’s your coffee,” Michelle said loudly before walking into the room.
She locked eyes with Jake and glowered. It had never done her any good to
pretend to be nice to the men at the MC. They just took it as a come-on. He
held her gaze for a moment, electricity crackling between them.
“Thanks, sug,” her father said. “Mind pouring us a glass?”
“I can’t keep working like this,” Jake continued as if Michelle wasn’t even
there. “It’s not good for my kids, and it’s not good for the MC. I need to
figure something out. Either give me steady hours, or I don’t know. I can’t
keep doing this.”
Kent was quiet for a moment. “I have an idea.”
Michelle glanced up at her father and sat the coffee pot down. There was no
way he was just going to let Jake take more time off from the MC. It was
the busiest it had been all year and his father had a lot of plans in the works.
“Well hell,” Jake exclaimed. “I’m open to all suggestions. But I can’t put
work before my kids anymore. JJ broke his fucking elbow yesterday
because you had me run after that bag of weed the Raptors stole. My kids
are still just fucking kids, you know. I can’t let anything like that happen
again.”
It was surprising to Michelle to hear Jake speak so fervently about his
children. He never mentioned them much before- at least, not when she was
around. What kind of biker liked to keep a picture of his kids in his wallet?
Not the kind her father employed, that was for sure. Emotion made you
weak.
“No, I think I have the perfect solution for you. What if we got you kind of
like a live-in housekeeper. Or someone from the MC who knew exactly
what was going on and when to leave so your kids wouldn’t be alone ever
again.”
“How would we ever possibly arrange that?” Jake grumbled. “You think I
want a bunch of wily bikers watching my fuckin’ kids? Really?”
“Well what if it wasn’t a wily biker? What if it was Michelle?”
“What?!” Michelle exclaimed. “What makes you think I’d be any good with
kids?”
“Oh please, honey. I’ve seen you with your little cousins. You’re a natural.
You’d be willing to help Jake out here, wouldn’t you? What do you think
Jake? Would you trust my kid with yours?”
Jake was quiet for a moment, staring darkly at the coffee pot in front of
Michelle. She felt heat rise to her cheeks. She couldn’t imagine herself in
this man’s house, let alone near his children. What the hell was her father
thinking?
“I’m not going to force you to do something you don’t want to do,” Jake
said, not answering whether or not he trusted Michelle. It was a relief to
hear him say it, but it didn’t make the situation any better. She knew her
father would keep pressing her until she caved. If she ever defied him, there
would be no way he’d help her pay for college. If she tried to leave on her
own, he would just send his men to bring her back. She was as good as his
prisoner.
“No,” Michelle said carefully. She had to watch herself around her father.
He didn’t become president of the MC for no reason. He could be
incredibly ruthless. “I guess we can try it. I couldn’t do a worse job than
Janie when she was high.”
Jake’s face flashed in pain and Michelle clamped her mouth shut. No matter
how frustrating her situation was, she shouldn’t have let her inner bitch out
like that. Especially by mentioning Jake’s late wife. It was a sore spot, not
only for Jake but for the whole MC. They tried not to get involved in the
heroin trade unless times were tight, and Janie had betrayed them by going
behind their backs and dealing with the Raptors. It was a mistake that had
killed her and nearly lost Jake his position as the vice president. As far as
Michelle was concerned, her father should have gotten rid of Jake when he
had the chance.
“Sorry,” Michelle mumbled.
“No, you’re right,” Jake said, glowering. “I’m sure you’ll do a better job.”
“Maybe. If nothing else we could just spend all day at the park, right?”
Michelle said, recoiling at the thought of sharing Jake’s personal space.
Although he seemed well-groomed enough for a biker, that was no
indication of what his home would be like. Hopefully he wouldn’t start
expecting her to act like a housekeeper on top of keeping an eye on his kids,
too.
“I think that’s a great idea. Thanks, honey. So it’s settled then?”
Jake looked up at Kent, his eyes flashing. He nodded but said nothing.
“All right. I’ll tell Michelle to head over to your place before I even call
you. How’s that? Then there won’t be any time at all that your kids are left
to their own devices. We can expect to have a lot less broken bones that
way. Shake on it?”
Michelle thought her father was going to shake hands with Jake, but Kent
raised his eyebrows at her meaningfully. Jake proffered his hand, and the
Michelle was surprised by the electric charge of Jake’s strong fingers
gripping her hand. She pulled her hand away quickly after a single pump in
the air, and turned away. She could feel the men’s eyes on her as she left the
room. She sighed inwardly. This was going to be interesting.
Chapter 3
“Yeah?”
Jake gripped the phone, keeping an eye on Mary, who was carefully pouring
herself a bowl of cereal.
“We need you down at the docks. Code blue.”
“Now?” Jake asked, trying to hide his irritation at the sound of Kent’s
voice. As much as he loved his job, there were days he just wished he could
stay at home with his kids. Like today.
“Yes, now! Michelle should be there any second.”
“Okay,” Jake said, hanging the phone up.
“Oh no!” Mary exclaimed.
Jake turned around to see Mary’s little face beet red, and a puddle of milk
spilling all over the counter and dripping onto the floor. She met Jake’s eyes
timidly, her big blue eyes as sincere as the day she was born and filling with
tears.
“I’m sorry, daddy!”
“It’s all right, honey,” Jake said, lifting her from the stool she had been
perching on. “We’ll clean it up.”
The doorbell rang suddenly and Jake cursed under his breath. He jogged to
open it and greeted Michelle, who was standing awkwardly on the stoop.
“Hi, can you just give me a minute? We had a little accident and-“
“I spilled the milk!” Mary wailed, tears streaming down her face.
“I told you it’s all right, honey,” Jake said, anxiety mounting in his chest. A
code blue was urgent. If anything happened because he wasn’t on the way
faster, he might lose his rank in the MC. It had been hard enough to keep it
after what happened with his wife.
“You spilled the milk?” Michelle asked, her face serious but her voice soft
and soothing.
Mary’s lip quivered and she nodded, holding Michelle’s gaze.
“Well I know a secret to cleaning up messes, do you wanna see?”
Mary nodded eagerly and reached out to Michelle.
Jake was shocked when Michelle lifted his daughter and headed toward the
kitchen, soothing her gently.
“Do you mind if I teach you my trick while your daddy goes to work?”
“No! Bye daddy!”
“Bye,” Jake said, feeling a mixture of relief and jealousy as Michelle easily
won her way into Mary’s heart. Mary had always been a daddy’s girl. She
had never gone to other people when she was a baby, and rarely did so even
now. The fact that she had so quickly accepted Michelle was frankly
bizarre.
But he would have to think more about it later. His job was to get to the
docks as quickly as he could. A group of Raptors had been spotted, and if
the merchandise and his fellow bikers were going to stay safe, they would
need back up.
“Later JJ!” Jake shouted up the stairs. “Remember I told you about
Michelle? She’s here now if you need anything.”
“Okay!” JJ shouted back. “Bye!”
His son’s elbow was in a cast now, so it had been very difficult for him over
the past few days. Jake could only imagine what it felt like to have
independence taken away from you. He had been shot in the shoulder
before, so he had some idea, but for a kid as energetic and curious as JJ was,
it seemed like it would be a prison sentence. He had been moody and
irritable, but Jake couldn’t blame him. Who wasn’t when they were in pain?
It was strange to think that he didn’t have to fight to arrange somebody to
watch the kids for him, and Jake mounted his motorcycle, tearing out of the
driveway and toward the docks. Maybe this arrangement was going to work
out all right after all.
***
“I’m back!” Jake bellowed, limping into the foyer of his house. The Raptors
had put up quite a fight, and it had nearly lost them a good man. Thankfully
Jake had arrived just in time to take out the guy who had the advantage, and
they brawled a good one until finally the other man couldn’t move any
longer.
He was hurt but it was nothing serious. It wasn’t as if he had broken a rib or
anything. Thank Christ for small miracles.
“Kids?”
“Quiet!” Mary shouted from the living room. “Michelle’s telling us a
story!”
Jake raised his eyebrow and moved slowly to the living room, leaning
against the doorway to watch as Mary, who was snuggled in Michelle’s lap,
turned the pages of a book Jake had bought ages ago that the kids hadn’t
shown even the slightest interest in.
Michelle glanced up at Jake, her voice wavering self-consciously from
being watched. It was kind of cute, really, how she turned her eyes away
from him and started reading faster, hoping to get the painful process over
with sooner.
“Don’t mind me,” he said, hoping to put her at ease. “I’m going to have
some coffee. Come meet me when you’re done, I’ll pay you.”
He retreated from the room and sat down gingerly in one of his comfortable
kitchen chairs. A few minutes later, Michelle walked in. He couldn’t help
but notice that she smelled nice, kind of fresh, almost like the beach or
something. It was his favorite place to ride.
“You know you don’t have to pay me, my father said – you’re hurt!”
Jake smiled wryly at her and shook his head.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” he said. “And I don’t care what your father said.
I’m going to pay you what your time is worth. You can put it away
somewhere safe.”
Jake grunted in pain as he dug his wallet from the snug back pocket of his
jeans.
“Really, don’t trouble yourself,” Michelle said awkwardly. “I had fun with
them.”
“And apparently, they had fun with you, too,” Jake said with a low laugh.
“How was JJ? He’s been kind of a pain since he hurt his elbow. Can’t blame
the kid though. Did that go all right?”
“Yeah, he was perfect. I showed him some fun things he can do with one
hand. I had to wear a cast when I was a kid, too. I fell off my dad’s bike.”
“Yeah, he told me about that,” Jake said, grinning.
“It’s not funny!” Michelle exclaimed, her cheeks flushed a deep red. Jake
gazed at her for a moment. Even when she was angry she was sexy.
“Well, maybe if the story was about somebody else you would think it
was,” Jake pointed out. “You know kids do some stupid shit sometimes.”
“Well anyway, your son was fine. And your daughter doesn’t want me to
go.”
Jake raised his eyebrow. “You sure won her over fast.”
“She’s a sweetheart,” Michelle said, genuine adoration in her voice. Jake’s
heart hammered, and he had to tear his eyes away from her and fish out the
money from his wallet before he was caught staring.
“Here,” he said. “Don’t have to tell your dad about it if you don’t want to.
I’m sure there are things you’d like to do that he’s not involved in. Kids
deserve some privacy.”
Michelle gaped at the money in her hand. “This is too much!”
“No, not for the relief you gave me. And look, the milk is cleaned up. You
didn’t have to do that.”
“Well, your daughter was really upset about it…”
Jake smiled gently at her, and they held each other’s gaze for a little bit
longer than he had meant to. “Thank you.”
“Sure,” Michelle said, a little too cheerfully. “It’s my job, I guess.”
She forced herself to smile at him before heading out the door.
Jake stared after her, willing his eyes to do anything but roam the sensual
curves of her body – her ass was snug in those jeans. But he couldn’t help
himself, he was a man after all and Michelle had been on his mind for
weeks now.
He would have to do his best to keep himself in check. She was the
president’s daughter, after all. There would be nothing more taboo than
getting involved with her like that. The rest of the Pythons would kick his
ass.
Chapter 4
“You’re babysitting for Jake Desmond?!” Callie exclaimed, bouncing
beside Michelle on her bed. Michelle rolled her eyes. Why did everybody
think that Jake was such hot stuff? Just because he was big and brutal didn’t
mean that he was automatically breeding material. Her friends had such low
standards.
“It’s really no big deal,” Michelle said, pursing her lips. “It’s not like I see
him that much or anything. I just watch his kids when he has stuff to do for
my dad.”
“Still, that’s kind of romantic, right? You get to spend time in his house,
with his children…”
“Dude, you’re grossing me out,” Michelle said, frowning down at the bed.
“He’s just some guy. Besides, he’s old enough to be my dad. Or your dad!”
“That’s still sexy,” Callie said. “I like older men.”
“Well I have my own ideas about how I want to spend my future,” Michelle
said, glowering. “And it’s not as Jake Desmond’s housewife. That’s for
sure.”
“Whatever,” Callie said with a giggle. “I know you’re into him!”
A deep flush reddened Michelle’s cheeks. “What the hell are you talking
about?”
“I’ve seen the way you look at him! Whether you like it or not you’ve got it
bad!”
“Oh my god,” Michelle said, shaking her head. But there was nothing to do
but laugh about it. “You’re too obsessed with boys. That’s all you see. What
if I’m just zoning out thinking about when I’ll be able to get the hell out of
the Pythons and start my own life? Did you ever think of that?”
“Why would you want out of the MC?” Callie asked, her face puzzled. “It’s
great here.”
“It’s great if you’re not the president’s daughter,” Michelle grumbled. “The
only quality time I get with my dad is listening to how many people he’s
had killed that week. It kind of puts a damper on things.”
“Oh come on, power is a good thing,” Callie said, nudging Michelle
playfully. “Especially in the bedroom.”
“Please stop!” Michelle exclaimed. “Before I make you stop!”
“Is that a threat?” Callie said, raising an eyebrow and grinning.
“You know I could take you in a second,” Michelle said, shoving Callie’s
shoulder. Callie laughed.
“See? Power can be good.”
“If you say so…”
Callie grinned and buried her nose back in her phone. Michelle gazed out
the window. What would give Callie the impression that she liked Jake?
There was nothing good about the bikers. She knew it. She would never let
herself fall for a guy like her dad. Would she?
Michelle shivered as the memory of the gentle smile Jake had given her the
night he came home wounded from the docks. Was it possible there was
more to him than met the eye?
“Oh my god!” Callie exclaimed. “Jake just beat the shit out of Horace!”
“What? Why?” Violence between the bikers wasn’t uncommon, but it was
still surprising. The Vice President usually wasn’t one to get violent with
members of his own club.
“He was talking shit about Janie,” Callie said, a huge grin on her face.
“That’s hilarious.”
Michelle cringed at the memory of Jake’s eyes narrowing in pain when she
had thrown his wife’s name out carelessly. He hadn’t defended her, exactly,
but it was clear that the wound was still deep.
“It’s immature,” Michelle said. “How could I ever like a biker? They’re just
little kids who never grow up.”
Callie shrugged and Michelle sighed to herself. Her friend had somehow
gotten the wrong impression. But that didn’t matter. She would never love a
man like Jake.
Chapter 5

“I don’t know why you bother getting involved, Jake,” Kent said sternly.
Jake glowered. “He was talking about Janie.”
“Everybody talks about Janie, Jake! She was a traitor! It’s not your place to
get involved. Especially when you know you’re going to win the fight.
Everybody knows it. That’s why you have to be the bigger man and let shit
go!”
“If everybody knows that I’m going to win the fight then they should watch
their fucking mouths when they talk about my wife. Yeah, she made a
mistake. Some big mistakes, in fact. But you know what? They say that
addiction is a disease. It’s not like she meant to hurt anybody but herself.”
Kent’s face remained hard. He wasn’t the type to forgive any mistakes. In
fact, it had crossed Jake’s mind when he was going crazy with grief that
Kent had set up the overdose himself, just to teach her a lesson for going
behind his back and giving money to the Raptors.
“I don’t like this side of you, Jake. It’s weak. You’re letting your emotions
take control of your logic. Your skin is way too thin. Do you want someone
else to sit in the vice president’s chair? Or do you want to take my advice
into consideration and come back when you’ve cooled down a bit?”
Jake gritted his teeth. He knew that there was no way Kent would see
reason about this.
“You know I want to keep my chair, Kent. I just never took disrespect like
that lying down. It’s an old habit. I’m used to defending my wife.”
“I understand,” Kent said, false sympathy dripping in his voice. “Old habits
die hard. But that’s exactly where your traitor wife is right now. She’s dead.
And that’s got to be the end of it with you. Unless you’d rather VP for the
Raptors?”
“Why would you even say that?” Jake growled. “I hate those bastards more
than I’ve ever hated anyone on this earth!”
“And that’s exactly why you’re still the vice president. Now start acting like
one before I change my mind about that.”
“You got it, boss,” Jake said, still prickling. He stormed out of Kent’s office
and mounted his bike. There was nothing left for him to do there. He might
as well be at home when his kids got back from school. They were the best
thing he and his wife had ever done together, and nothing sounded better
than seeing their faces. Especially after being lectured for defending the
woman all of them mourned privately and deeply every single day.
***
“Michelle?”
Jake stopped his motorcycle and squinted at the porch where Michelle was
standing awkwardly. He turned the loud rumble of his engine off and
headed toward her.
“My father told me to come. I hope you don’t mind…”
“He did, huh? Well all he wanted to do was tell me off for beating up one of
the MC slime balls. I can take it from here.”
“Oh,” Michelle said, casting her eyes to the porch. Something was wrong.
“What’s the matter?” Jake asked.
“I just don’t have a ride back. The bus doesn’t run this way again for
another twenty minutes.”
“You have to take the bus out here?” Jake asked incredulously. “Can’t you
drive?”
“Nah,” Michelle said, her beautiful, clear eyes boring into Jake’s. He was
lost in them for a moment and nearly forgot his own question. “My dad’s
afraid if I drive I will take off.”
“Why would he think that?” Jake asked, still stunned by the way she made
him feel.
“Because I would do it in a heartbeat,” Michelle said, fixing a steady, sexy
look on him.
“Um…do you want to come inside? I would offer to drive you back myself
but the kids are about to get home.”
“Oh, sure,” Michelle said. “It’s kind of hot out here.”
Jake was certainly feeling the heat.
They walked inside together, Jake purposely avoiding Michelle. He hadn’t
been able to resist drinking in the delicious image of her curves the last time
and if he let himself do it again, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. She
was just a kid after all. Kent’s kid.
“Mary will be glad to see you,” Jake said, pouring Michelle a cool glass of
lemonade. “I appreciate you waiting for the kids like that, were you here
long?”
“About two hours,” Michelle said.
“Two hours?! Fuck!”
Jake ran a rag under cool water and pressed it gently against Michelle’s
forehead. “Without any water in this kind of heat? Are you all right?”
His gaze must have been more intense than he meant for it to be, because
Michelle averted her eyes and her pink cheeks grew red.
“I’m fine,” she said, holding the cloth in place on her forehead so that Jake
could let go. “Thanks.”
“That isn’t right. Hey, can you stay with the kids for about half an hour
when they get off the bus?”
“Yeah, but why? You said my dad doesn’t need you.”
“This is just personal matters. I won’t be long, I promise.”
Michelle shrugged, and as if on cue, the kids burst through the door,
laughing together and shouting about a kid on the bus who was being gross.
“Michelle!” Mary gasped, running toward her and embracing Michelle’s
legs. “Hi!”
“Hi Mary!” Michelle said.
Jake was mesmerized by the sight. Michelle was almost like another person
when she spoke to his kids. In a way, her nurturing tendencies were kind of
sexy.
Fuck. That was not what he should be thinking right now.
“All right, guys. I’m going to go for a little bit, but Michelle will take good
care of you, okay?”
Jake was a little bit relieved to hear his children protest his leaving. He was
almost afraid they were starting to prefer Michelle. Even JJ had been a lot
less whiny and more active since Michelle had been coming over.
“Are you going to be okay?” Jake asked Michelle. “Too much sun can be
serious.”
“I’m really okay, but thank you,” Michelle said with a tired smile.
“Listen guys,” Jake said, using his serious voice. His children listened with
wide eyes. “Michelle got too much sun, okay, so if she starts to feel sick
you know what to do right?”
“Call you and call 911!” the kids shouted in unison.
Michelle smiled at them and Jake felt a small surge of pride. “That’s right.
Now give me a hug. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay!”
Jake could feel Michelle’s eyes on him as he walked out the door, and he
sighed to himself. The poor girl had to go far out of her way to get out here.
Maybe he should tell Kent not to bother with her anymore. It wasn’t worth
it if she was going to suffer like this.
Still, he knew it would break his children’s hearts if he let Michelle off the
hook. He would just try to make it worth her while somehow. And all he
would have to do was behave himself.
Chapter 6
The kids were extremely hyper after coming home from school and
Michelle had a hard time keeping up with their rapid conversation. It was
cute in a way, and a little overwhelming. She really wasn’t feeling great.
Usually her father was able to arrange for her to get a ride with one of the
guys coming out toward the docks. But when he couldn’t, she had to leave
early and take public transit.
Not only was it cramped, smelly, and hot on the bus, but waiting out on the
porch until somebody arrived wasn’t a huge joy either. She just had to try to
hold it together until Jake came back. Maybe then she would be able to take
a nap. What kind of guy just disappeared when his babysitter was clearly
getting heat stroke? Apparently just Jake. Callie was right. What a charmer.
“Back!” Jake’s masculine voice rang through the house and Michelle felt a
thrill despite herself. Yeah, he was attractive, but he was still an ass.
“Great,” Michelle said, struggling to stand up from the table.
“Listen, I feel terrible about this. I had no idea. From now on, why don’t
you take a taxi here, okay? I’ll give you extra for it before you leave every
night. That’s fucked up. And I got you this.”
Jake held out his fist and looked sincerely at Michelle, and her heart
hammered as his long fingers brushed the palm of her hand as he dropped
something into it.
“What…?”
“It’s a house key,” Jake said, looking away a little bit awkwardly. “You can
use it to let yourself in if nobody’s home. Or if you need to get in and the
door’s locked.”
“You really shouldn’t –“
“What, trust you?” Jake asked, grinning at her. Michelle looked down at the
ground, her cheeks burning. “I know what your dad would do if you fucked
up and betrayed our trust. So don’t worry. I’m just going to go ahead and
give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“How sweet,” Michelle said sarcastically. Jake’s handsome face lit up with
a smile- possibly the first genuine smile she had ever seen come from the
guy. It was a little bit unsettling, and she turned her back on him. It was just
too weird.
“Well I think it’s sweet that you nearly got sun stroke to take care of my
kids. Maybe we should get you looked at before you head back.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m really all right,” Michelle said. And it was true. The
worst of the nausea had passed and she was beginning to feel a lot better.
Thankfully it had just been a close call and Jake got home just in time.
Having the key would definitely be useful in the future.
“All right,” Jake said. “Well be careful getting home. Take a cab and if you
feel sick, have the driver take you to the hospital. Nobody wants to see
anything bad happen to you.”
Michelle didn’t answer, or even acknowledge Jake’s words. She had to put
up a wall of ice if she was going to make it out of this situation with her
dignity intact.
“Bye, guys!” she said brightly to Mary and JJ.
“Bye!” they exclaimed.
“Sorry you’re not feeling good!” Mary said, running into the living room
and suddenly re-appearing with a little piece of paper folded in half. “I
made you a get well soon card!”
It was adorable and Michelle’s wall of ice immediately melted. “Thank you,
sweetheart!”
Mary beamed and Michelle could feel Jake draw nearer to examine his
daughter’s work. “Looks good, Mary! Keep up the good work!”
The low rumble of Jake’s voice so near to Michelle sent a shiver down her
spine. But she wouldn’t let him know that. It was just an involuntary
physical response to somebody else. It happened all the time. That didn’t
mean it meant anything.
“Anyway, here’s what I owe you, for your time and for the fare back to the
MC and back here tomorrow, or whenever. Don’t you dare refuse it.”
Michelle pursed her lips and looked defiantly into Jake’s eyes. Her father
wouldn’t want her to take the money. She could use it as a trump card
against Jake, who was just a vice president on some shaky turf. But the look
in his eyes made her hesitate. He was serious, concerned for her. And the
truth was that she liked having money to use independently. She could save
it and put it toward going to college if she ever found a way out of the
Pythons.
“All right,” she said finally, letting Jake slip the money into her hands.
“Thanks.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Jake said, his eyes flashing with an emotion that
Michelle couldn’t quite pinpoint. He was so close to her that it was nearly
intimate. She tore herself away from his gaze and the heat of his body and
walked toward the front door.
“See you guys later!” Michelle said, doing her best to sound cheerful. But
the reality was that she now felt more stuck than ever before. How was she
going to get through this?
Chapter 7
Jake was busy as hell over the next few weeks. It felt like every time he
stepped through the door of his house, Kent was on the phone telling him
that he was needed elsewhere. And it made a lot of sense. The MC had
some of its most important shipments coming in, and everybody knew it:
the MC itself, the cops, and worst of all, the Raptors.
The police generally left the MC alone. They were outside the law and often
compensated curious officers generously for their ignorance. If the cop was
persistent though, then they had to resort to threats. There was no other way
to do it. The stuff the Pythons dealt in was less than legal, but they
accumulated a lot of power and resources because of it. It was like a
protective family. in a way. What happened in the MC stayed in the MC,
and any outsiders who tried sticking their noses where they didn’t belong
would get what they had coming to them.
“We need you at the docks again,” Kent said for the billionth time that
week.
“I just came from the docks,” Jake said. He was tired as fuck. All he wanted
to do was crawl into his bed and sleep for a few hours. He hadn’t been
doing much of that lately. Kent relied on him too much. He was pure force
and never let anybody get away with doing his MC family wrong. But with
conviction like that came too much responsibility.
“I know you did, but there’s a situation happening.”
“You look tired.”
Jake froze, surprised by the gentle concern in Michelle’s statement. She had
come into the kitchen quietly, and Jake hadn’t noticed her. But now that he
knew she was there, his whole body became tense.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Jake said, hanging up the phone.
“If you’re too tired just tell him!” Michelle exclaimed. “I haven’t seen you
rest since Tuesday!”
“Honey, this isn’t the kind of job where you rest when you want to,” Jake
sighed. “I’ll be all right.”
“My dad is such a-“ Michelle cut herself off, probably thinking that Jake
would tattle on her for being frustrated with her dick of a father. “I’ll tell
him myself then. He’s working you too hard! What if you get hurt?”
“It’s all part of the job,” Jake said, standing from his seat and yawning.
“I’ve got to get out of here. Sorry you’re stuck here for longer than you
were expecting.”
“No…it’s all right. I just put the kids to bed anyway, they won’t know the
difference.”
Jake smiled. She was so good with his children. It made her unassuming
beauty almost unbearable for him.
“Well I know that they’re in good hands. I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah…”
He could feel Michelle’s gaze burning a hole in his back as he left, but what
was he supposed to do? If he didn’t do what Kent asked of him, he would
be putting himself and his family at risk. As far as Kent was concerned,
Jake was on probation because of his wife’s actions. If he lost the MC, he
could lose much more than just a title. Kent was a vengeful man. There was
no telling how far he would go.
“I thought you’d never show!”
Jake whipped around just in time to see the fist coming at his face. He
dodged out of the way, but pain tore into his cheek. At least it had missed
his nose.
“Come on, Leon! Haven’t you done enough damage?!”
Leon sneered and Jake’s chest filled with fury. Leon was the man that had
supplied his wife with heroin. He was celebrated as a hero among the
Raptors, but Jake considered him to be his absolute worst enemy.
“Well I had to come and see the fruit of my efforts! And besides, you know
what? I’ve been hearing something pretty funny lately and I had to check
for myself to see if it was true.”
“What’s that, Leon?” Jake said, landing a blow on Leon’s shoulder. Leon
grinned and brought his fists down on top of Jake’s head, hard. His reflexes
were sluggish tonight. Michelle had probably been right to be worried.
“You know, Kent’s been asking around about the heroin trade. He’s
considering taking it on himself. But that’s our turf, Jake. You know that.
What would Janie say?”
Rage quaked Jake’s body and he lunged at Leon. Leon’s eyes widened
briefly in surprise, but he quickly retaliated. A sudden piercing pain sliced
through Jake’s abdomen- a knife blade.
“Looks like Kent’s going to get his way. The goody-goody little puppy here
won’t be in his way much longer.”
Leon laughed and withdrew the blade from Jake’s side. Jake slumped to the
ground and writhed in agony as Leon walked down the docks cackling. He
could hear the rest of the men fighting, securing their goods from the other
Raptors. Technically their mission had been accomplished, but for some
reason Jake felt like the biggest failure in the world.
***
It was a relief for Jake to finally see his little house in the distance. He was
bleeding badly and the shirt he had tied around his torso hadn’t been tight
enough to keep him from feeling light-headed from the loss of blood. He
wouldn’t be welcomed at the hospital- they had a policy of turning away
gang-related wounds and victims of crimes that the motorcycle clubs were
responsible for. He would just have to fend for himself.
He practically fell off his bike trying to dismount it and staggered to the
doorway, cursing when he realized that it was locked. Jake’s hands shook as
he tried to fish his keys out of his pocket. They were sticky with blood, and
he had a hard time putting them into the lock properly.
“Jake!” Michelle exclaimed, her beautiful eyes wide with shock. “What the
hell happened to you?”
“Oh, not much,” Jake said, glancing around for his kids. “Just got stabbed.”
Michelle’s face whitened and she rushed forward, supporting Jake’s
shoulders as he lifted his shirt up to show her. A soft gasp escaped her lips
and she touched the area around the stab wound gingerly.
“Follow me,” she said, pursing her lips. “I’ve seen worse. I can help you.”
Jake was surprised, but he probably shouldn’t have been. Kent kept his
daughter around all sorts of violence. It stood to reason that she would take
care of some of the surly bikers who were wounded. What a hell of a way to
live.
“Sit down.”
Jake obeyed, secretly enjoying the sight of Michelle taking control. She
knew just what to do and began rummaging through his medicine cabinets.
Thankfully they were fully stocked. Not only was he always worried about
hurting himself on the job, but he had his children to look out for. Once JJ
had been born, he had taken great lengths to make sure he would have as
many medical supplies as possible at his disposal. Having another life to
look after had made him a little bit paranoid in a way, and he wanted to
make sure that he was always able to provide the best for his kids, in good
situations and in bad ones.
“Jesus, it’s like a nursing station in here,” Michelle said, holding an armful
of supplies and crouching down beside Jake. “Take your shirt off.”
Jake raised his eyebrow and Michelle rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You’re
bleeding to death and you’re giving me that look?”
Jake shrugged, unable to hide his amusement, and remained quiet as
Michelle worked on him. He hissed in pain when she put pressure on the
wound, but she caught his eye and smiled reassuringly. The sight of her face
was enough to calm his nerves and he found himself wishing that he could
keep her at his side like this indefinitely.
But no, that was wrong. She was just a kid. And not only that, but she was
the daughter of the president. That spelled trouble. He couldn’t let himself
get caught up in that kind of bullshit.
Still, with her body so near to his, Jake was driven to distraction. Her long,
dark hair would occasionally brush against his bare chest. If he wasn’t in so
much pain, it would have made him hard. Of course, it didn’t help that with
her being so close, he could perfectly smell her perfume- a light, modest
scent that had taken to driving him crazy. Between the low threshold he was
fighting from the stab wound and the irresistible nearness of her body, Jake
was having a hard time biting his tongue. If she wasn’t done bandaging him
up soon, he couldn’t be held accountable for what happened next.
“There,” Michelle said, her soft, beautiful voice like a balm over his
wounds. “That should do it.”
Thank merciful Christ. Jake got up abruptly and groaned in pain. Little
flashes of light began to bubble in front of his eyes and he sat back down
heavily, nauseated and dizzy.
“Easy!” Michelle exclaimed. “You’re not invincible, as much as you biker
jerks like to think you are. Do yourself a favor and just rest a minute.”
Michelle disappeared from the bathroom for a few moments, leaving Jake
alone as he contemplated the severity of his wounds. If he died, who would
take care of his children? He had a living will – it would be irresponsible
not to in his line of work – but he hadn’t updated it since his wife had died.
The person he had chosen as their guardian was Janie’s sister, but she
probably couldn’t be trusted any more than Janie could. The two of them
did everything together, after all. If he survived this, he would have to make
a change to his will pronto.
“Drink this.”
Michelle’s gentle voice snapped him from his thoughts and without even
thinking twice, he looked pleadingly into her eyes.
“If anything happens to me, take care of my kids,” he said.
Michelle looked startled, and he immediately regretted letting the words
slip from his mouth.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I’m not feeling very well. You don’t…”
“It’s all right,” Michelle said, sitting beside him. “I’ll do what I can.”
She put her arm around Jake’s shoulders and stood, helping him to his feet.
“You need some rest, all right? Let’s get you to bed.”
Jake nodded helplessly as Michelle guided him to his bedroom. She was
incredible. His heart panged painfully in his chest when her clear,
mesmerizing eyes locked onto his and she smiled sweetly at him. She
helped him onto the bed and hesitated.
“I think I’m going to spend the night here just to make sure you’re all right.
If anything happened, I wouldn’t forgive myself.”
Jake watched Michelle walk out of the room, glancing over her shoulder to
check on him one last time. She closed the door behind herself and he knew,
beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he wanted her to be his.
Chapter 8
Michelle sat stiffly on the couch, staring down the dark hallway that led to
Jake’s room. She had known that Jake was too tired to fight, and look what
happened! The stupid alpha males of the MC didn’t seem to realize that
they had human limitations. If something would have happened to Jake,
what would she tell his children? Her father had been busy lately. Would
she apologize that her daddy had practically killed theirs? They would
never be able to understand. And the loss would be devastating. They would
be orphans.
If anything happens to me, take care of my kids.
Michelle shivered at the memory of Jake’s pained expression, the pure love
that he had for his children. They were everything to him. She had never
seen a man who was so loving and caring toward a child before. She hadn’t
thought it was possible for such a brute biker to have any kind of a soft
spot. In fact, she had pegged him as a particularly heartless man, for the
most part.
And yet he continued to surprise her. First by the pure, unadulterated feeling
that he still seemed to have for his wife and now the way he was with his
children. Michelle’s father would have died before showing her that sort of
affection. Her mother had died when she was young, far too young to
remember, and it had just been Michelle and her father. Or more like, her
father and the MC, where she was forced to find a place or suffer not seeing
her father for weeks at a time.
What must it be like to have a man like Jake in your life, being young and
scared and helpless? He seemed so capable, so strong and fierce. It was sure
to be a comforting thing to a young child. And he was so handsome…
Michelle shook the thought away and sighed. There was no reason for her
to be thinking this way. So a biker happened to be a good dad. Stranger
things had happened. She would just see him through the night and go back
to her life as if nothing happened.
“Fuck!”
Jake’s voice barked suddenly and echoed down the hallway, making
Michelle’s heart hammer hard in her chest. She launched herself off the
couch and ran down the hallway, half convinced that she would find Jake
drowning in a pool of blood.
“Jake, are you-“
Michelle burst through the door and stopped suddenly, heat rising to her
cheeks. Jake was standing in the middle of his bedroom floor in his boxers,
trying to step through the pantleg of his pajamas. He glared up at her,
embarrassed, before relaxing his gaze.
“Sorry, not used to visitors when I’m in my underwear,” he said, and then
hesitated. “Okay, that’s not quite true. When you have kids they tend to pop
in whenever they feel like it.”
“Are you okay?” Michelle asked, trying to keep her voice even and her eyes
above Jake’s navel. The boxers were snug, and the sudden sight of the bulge
of Jake’s manhood had been electrifying. She still wasn’t quite sure what to
do with herself, although her instincts were torn between running away and
walking closer to him.
“Yeah,” Jake said. “Sorry to alarm you. I just didn’t want to sleep in those
damn dirty jeans, you know…it’s uncomfortable enough to wear them all
day. Don’t need them in my bed, too.”
Michelle was surprised that a man like Jake even considered whether or not
his clothes were dirty. Apparently there was a lot about him that she didn’t
know. But she was beginning to want to find out.
“Well do you need any help?” she asked reluctantly.
“Thanks but no,” Jake said, attempting to bend over to pick up the
waistband of his pajama pants. He hissed in pain and Michelle rushed to his
side, her thoughts no longer anywhere close to the alarming sexual tension
she had been starting to experience.
“Here, I’ll support you,” she said quietly, holding Jake’s shoulders in place
so he could relax against her and reach the ground.
“Thanks,” he said quietly, his voice so near her ear that she could feel his
hot breath against her skin. It gave her goosebumps and she closed her eyes,
trying to fight the strange heat that was beginning to move its way through
her.
“Sure,” Michelle said, clearing her throat. “You good now? Think you can
relax for once in your life and get some rest?”
“Yeah, no problem doc,” Jake said with a wink. “Thanks. Good night.”
Michelle hesitated before heading to the doorway. For some reason, she was
reluctant to leave his side. Was it because she was worried about him or was
it something else?
But she couldn’t even begin to try and sort that out for herself right now.
She couldn’t just invite herself to hang out in a man’s bedroom. He was
twice her age!
“Good night,” Michelle said quietly. She left the door partly open, just in
case he called out in the middle of the night.
She headed back to the couch and sank heavily down on it. The kids would
wonder what she was still doing there in the morning. But it would turn out
all right. As long as her dad didn’t think anything was strange about her
staying all night at the vice president’s house. Her father’s suspicion was the
last thing in the world that she needed. It would be best to try and sneak
back as early as possible so that he didn’t know she had been out all night.
Michelle laid back on the couch, her eyes heavy with sleep. It was really
pathetic that at her age, she still had to worry about what her dad thought.
Maybe, someday, she would find a way out of that mess.
Chapter 9
Jake spent the next few days recuperating from his stab wound. He had a
feeling that Michelle had something to do with the sudden break he was
allowed to have, because he hadn’t told Kent anything about his injury.
Michelle, however, had come over faithfully every day to cook and clean
the house and make sure that the kids were staying out of Jake’s hair. It was
nice, really, and he had allowed himself to enjoy the domesticity of the
routine.
The truth was that he hadn’t felt much like having a woman around since
his wife had passed away. But with Michelle, it seemed as if everything was
as it should be. Maybe that was because he didn’t have to worry about his
kids. Or maybe it was for some other reason. Perhaps Michelle had opened
him up to the possibility of moving on from the death of his wife. A man
couldn’t grieve forever, after all. Especially not when a little flame like
Michelle was flickering in front of him, day in and day out.
“Looks like you’re starting to feel better,” Michelle said, clearing the table
and smiling at Jake.
“Can I have more orange juice?” Mary asked.
“Of course, honey,” Michelle said absently, pouring juice with one hand and
holding a stack of dirty plates in the other.
She smiled brightly at Mary and pushed the juice to Jake’s daughter, who
beamed and exclaimed, “Thank you!”
“Yeah, I’ve felt worse. I got lucky. The stab wound was shallow and it
missed anything vital. I have a feeling that son of a –“ Jake cut himself off,
remembering that his children were within earshot. They were used to him
swearing, but that didn’t mean he liked them to think he was just a huge
potty mouth. “I think that he was just trying to hurt me. Why would they
want to keep me alive?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they’re planning something,” Michelle said with a
shrug. “You know how the Raptors can be.”
“Yeah,” Jake said. That was exactly what he was afraid of. The Raptors
knew just how thin the ice was that Jake was treading in the MC. It would
be easy to set him up for failure. Kent didn’t trust him as far as he could
throw him, and it meant that it would take nothing for his suspicion to cost
Jake his position in the MC.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Michelle said. Jake looked into her
eyes and couldn’t help but relax. There was something so serene about the
oceanic color of Michelle’s eyes, and the sweet way she smiled. “I’m sure
you just got lucky this time. But keep an eye out. And if you need some
rest, just rest. All right?”
“No can do, hon,” Jake said, rising from the table and stretching. He was
still sore where the knife had sliced through his skin, but it felt good to be
able to raise his arms over his head again. He had always been a fast healer.
“I’ve got a lot of work to do. Now that I’m feeling better, I think I ought to
pay your father a visit.”
“What do you want to see him for?” Michelle asked darkly. “He about got
you killed.”
“He’s still my boss,” Jake said. “And listen, maybe not so much shop talk at
the table, huh?”
He glanced meaningfully at his kids, who were chewing slowly and staring
at the adults with wide eyes. Michelle got the point and clamped her mouth
shut.
“Right,” she said, heading to the sink to wash the dishes. The room grew
very quiet, all but the sound of running water and the clank of dishes, until
Michelle turned toward the kids and smiled. “I was thinking we could go to
the movies today, if it’s okay with your dad.”
The kids gasped and turned to Jake with hopeful eyes. They hadn’t been to
the movies since long before their mother had passed away. How could Jake
refuse them? It was a weekend, after all.
“Of course it’s all right with me. How much do you need for it?”
“Oh, it’s my treat, Mr. Desmond,” Michelle said.
Jake frowned. The way she said his name seemed oddly formal. It’s not like
they said each other’s names that frequently, but after all this time, wouldn’t
it be all right to call him Jake?
“Nobody calls me Mr. Desmond but the banker,” Jake said, raising his
eyebrow at her. “And I can’t let you do that with your own money, though
it’s mighty sweet of you to offer. Why don’t you take this and go take them
out to eat afterward. Movies are pretty long these days.”
Jake fished a $100 bill from his wallet and offered it to Michelle.
“Please, don’t. I can afford it. You’ve been giving me way more than
enough.”
“That’s because you need something that’s just yours,” Jake said, looking at
her seriously. “If you were my daughter, I’d let you have that.”
Michelle gazed at him, an attractive pink flush coloring her cheeks. She
looked away quickly.
“Thank you,” she said, moving forward and taking the money. “So what do
you guys want to go see?”
Jake smiled to himself as his children chattered excitedly, listing all of the
movies their friends at school had gone to see. It could be hard not to have a
mother around and Jake never seemed to have any time to do anything fun
with the kids. They needed that kind of thing, though. And it seemed that
Michelle was just the person to give his family exactly what they needed,
and right when they needed it.
“All right guys,” Jake said, smiling at his kids. They quieted down and ran
to hug him. They knew he was leaving without him having to actually say
so. It was kind of heart-breaking in a way. But he was a single parent now.
That’s just the way it was going to be from now on. At least he made more
money working with the MC than he ever would at a regular nine-to-five
job. That was some consolation, right? Even if the hours were unpredictable
and dangerous.
“I hope things go well,” Michelle said with quiet meaning in her voice. Jake
was starting to get the feeling that things between Michelle and her father
weren’t quite as great as they appeared to be on the outside. What kind of
man would have a daughter like Michelle and neglect to take care of her? It
didn’t seem fair. In fact, it made his blood boil to think about it.
“Thanks,” Jake said, smiling warmly at Michelle. “They’ll go as good as
they can.”
***
“Jake! Glad to see you’re feeling better,” Kent said. “I hadn’t heard much
from you in the past few days and I’ve been working you kind of hard so I
thought I’d give you some time off. Michelle told me about your stab
wound. How is that doing? You manage to avoid infection?”
“Yeah, thanks to Michelle. I didn’t know she was a good nurse,” Jake said.
“Well, you don’t get hurt very often so you wouldn’t, would you?” Kent
said with a jovial grin. “You’re pretty solid. But the green guys in the club
get pretty familiar with her.”
“I’m sure they do,” Jake said. What was that feeling? Jealousy? But that
was ridiculous. What kind of father made his own daughter’s
accomplishment sound so lewd? Jake could only pray he would turn out to
be a better father than Kent was.
“Well anyway, are you up for a job today?”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Jake said, grinning. As much as he loved being
at home with his kids, he always got an itch to get out of the house and get
involved in MC affairs. He was the vice president, after all. The club was
his passion.
“Great,” Kent said. “There’s something I need you to do that nobody else
can. I want you to go undercover.”
“Undercover?” Jake asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Do you think it’s possible that we could stage a fight between the two of us
so you can go to the Raptors and vow to take vengeance on me?”
“Vengeance? I don’t think they’d buy it, Kent. I can’t stand any of them and
they all know it. They would see right through me.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Kent said thoughtfully. “Well in that case, maybe
you should go out on a run to the docks and supervise some of the new kids.
They don’t have the hang of the gig quite yet. I think you would be able to
give them some valuable insights.”
“That’s kind of light work,” Jake growled. “You don’t fuckin’ trust me to do
anything better than that?”
“Calm down,” Kent said, raising an eyebrow. “Michelle told me I need to
take it easy on you until you feel better. And what kind of father would I be
if I didn’t listen to my only child? At least once in a while.”
Kent snorted and Jake relaxed his hackles. He needed to relax a bit. Kent
was just trying to look out for him. Jake was just being paranoid. That type
of thing wouldn’t get him very far. All of the tension about his wife had
really been getting to him lately. Kent said he forgave him. He would just
have to try to believe that and do his best to work hard for the MC.
Not only that, but apparently Michelle was looking out for him when he
wasn’t around. Jake felt so unbelievably lucky to have her in his life. She
had made everything go from bleak and difficult to almost pleasurable.
There hadn’t been one day since his wife passed away that he actually
looked forward to getting out of bed in the morning. At least, not until
Michelle started coming over. She was really something.
“So how has my daughter been working out for you?” Kent asked, almost
as if he could read Jake’s mind.
“It’s going great. The kids love her. You made a good call, boss. Thanks.”
“She’s been coming and going in a taxi,” Kent said, his eyes hardening.
“Was that your doing?”
“Yeah, I arranged for that. I pay the drivers.”
“Ah, I see,” Kent said, relaxing. “For a moment I was worried that Michelle
had some other way of getting money. That wouldn’t be very good, would
it?”
“Why wouldn’t it?” Jake asked, genuinely confused. If his daughter showed
initiative and found a job, he would be proud of her.
“Well you know young women. They go out and make bad choices. You
have a daughter, you must understand.”
“Sure,” Jake lied. To him, it just sounded like Kent was being a controlling
asshole who was afraid of his daughter showing any independence. He felt
more powerful if everybody needed him. That was probably how he had
managed to make it to the top of the MC. Ruthless, controlling men like
Kent were the kind of guys who got shit done in the organized crime world,
right?
“I thought so,” Kent said, grinning widely. “She’s a good girl. She’s never
even had a boyfriend.”
This thought startled Jake. A woman as beautiful as Michelle never dated?
What was stopping her?
But when he looked again at the self-satisfied smirk on Kent’s face, Jake
knew exactly what was going on there. Of course Michelle had dated. She
just hadn’t let her father in on the men she had chosen. And why would
she? He would obviously shit all over her relationship and probably end it
before it had a chance to begin. The poor girl. If she was his…
His what? His daughter? His lover? Whichever, he would treat her better.
That was a fact.
“The guys are heading out in about half an hour. Maybe you should go
along with them and give them some pointers before they go in there and
fuck everything up. It’s not super important stuff, but it’s still important that
things get done right.”
“Of course,” Jake said, nodding at Kent in parting. “Thanks again, though,
for letting me borrow Michelle.”
Kent grinned again, another cocky, self-satisfied smile that made Jake
glower inwardly. They were talking about her like she was property, to be
on loan whenever it suited them best. She deserved better than that. But for
now, he was going to have to play along. If Kent had any suspicion of the
way Jake was starting to feel about his daughter, then all hell was going to
break loose. And hell was exactly what Jake was trying to escape from right
now.
Chapter 10
“Do you guys want popcorn?” Michelle asked.
“Yeah!” JJ exclaimed. Mary bounced up and down, gripping Michelle’s leg
excitedly.
“And pop!” she cried.
“Of course,” Michelle said, laughing. After hours of debate, they decided to
go see one of the movies that were based off a show she had enjoyed
watching herself when she was a kid. All three of them were happy with the
choice, and they walked into the dark theater together, Michelle balancing
the snacks in one hand gripping Mary’s hand with the other. They both
followed JJ as he bounded up the steps to find good seats.
“Here!” JJ shouted.
“Shh!” someone in the audience hissed. JJ’s face fell.
“The movie isn’t even playing yet, dipshit!” Michelle growled into the
darkness. A few people laughed and she stalked up the stairs after JJ, who
had an adorable, crooked smile on his face.
“That was funny,” he said.
“That’ll teach them,” she whispered to him, bopping his shoulder with her
fist.
JJ nodded and they settled into the theater. Soon, the movie was playing and
Michelle was sitting in between Jake’s kids, because both of them wanted to
be beside her.
But she was having a hard time concentrating on the movie. As hard as she
tried, it was difficult to focus. Her mind kept returning to the intimate
moments she had shared with Jake as she tended to his wounds. His body
was unbelievable for a man who was a little over 40 years old. And the way
he was with his kids was sweet, really. Touching. Maybe he wasn’t the
monster she had always thought he was.
Michelle really hoped not, because it was becoming more and more clear to
her that Callie just might have been right. Jake was unbelievably handsome
and her attraction to him had reached the point that she couldn’t deny it
anymore. Even if she didn’t want to feel it, it was there. Whether she liked
it or not, Jake was on her mind constantly.
Whether that was because she was at his house all the time or because he
was really worth the space in her mind that he occupied, she had yet to find
out. But one thing was undeniable: her body ached for him late in the night
after she left his home. Whenever he looked at her or smiled that sweet,
kind smile of his that he normally reserved for his own kids, she felt her
chest tighten and a dull, provocative heat awaken deep inside her.
It seemed like no time before the movie was over. She was embarrassed to
find she had spent the entire time the lights were dimmed fantasizing about
Jake. If someone asked her to talk about the plot of the movie, she would
have been in trouble.
“That was a good movie!” Mary exclaimed.
“Yeah!” JJ agreed.
“I’m really glad you two liked it!” Michelle said, smiling at them.
“That makes one of us.”
Michelle froze as a man strode toward them. She recognized the man’s
jacket immediately. He was a Raptor.
“What do you want?” Michelle asked. She would get nowhere by showing
her fear with a man like that.
“I just wanted to tell you that you were being pretty rude, before,” he said,
scowling at Michelle. “The kid shouldn’t be fucking yelling at the movies.”
“And you shouldn’t be yelling at kids! Or watching a kid’s movie like a
pervert, for that matter. Is this the only one with a title you could read or
something?”
“Oh, you best watch yourself, little girl,” the guy said, his dark eyes
flashing with fury. “You’re going to regret that.”
He glanced around at the crowd in the theater, his fists clenched. Many
people had stopped to watch the confrontation, and she knew by the look on
some of the faces of the men there that she had nothing to worry about. If
he tried to attack, he would be stopped. Besides, she could handle herself
well enough.
“Bye!” Michelle said, cheerfully. Clearly that guy didn’t recognize her as
the daughter of president of the most powerful MC in the area. Which was
for the best. She kept her Python medallion hidden beneath her shirt.
“Fuck off,” he muttered, his back already turned on them.
“Wow,” JJ breathed, looking up at Michelle with wide eyes. “You’re not
afraid of anything, are you?!”
Michelle smiled down at him confidently. “I’ll take good care of you guys,
don’t worry.”
But on the inside, she was cold with terror. If the Raptors were going to go
after her, she was going to have to be a lot more careful from then on. She
just hoped that the guy she had mouthed off to didn’t have a lot of power in
the group, or she was fucked. Even with her dad as the MC, she would have
to watch her back.
***
“Dad, did you know Michelle is really tough?!” JJ shouted as soon as they
walked in the door and saw Jake standing in front of them.
“Is she?” he asked, flashing a curious look at Michelle that seemed to burn
right through her. She looked down at the floor and scoffed.
“Your son exaggerates,” she said.
“No, my kids are perfect angels who never stretch the truth even a little bit,”
Jake said with a twinkle in his eye. “So what makes Michelle really tough,
JJ?”
“She told off a guy who yelled at me in the theater!” JJ said. “Even when he
came up to us afterward and tried to pick a fight!”
“He tried to pick a fight?” Jake said, his eyes growing hard. They flashed to
Michelle, and he seemed to be able to read the tension she was feeling from
the event. “Are you guys okay?”
“Yeah! Michelle is so cool!” JJ said, laughing. “I can’t wait to tell my
friends.”
Jake opened his mouth to protest, but JJ was already running upstairs,
shaking his head in disbelief.
“Michelle is cool!” Mary repeated, following her brother upstairs.
“What happened?”
The humor was gone from Jake’s voice and he strode powerfully to
Michelle, anger emanating from him.
“I don’t know. Some guy in the dark was being an asshole, so I told him to
shut up. Turns out it was a fucking Raptor and now he has it in for me,
apparently.”
“Does he know who you are?” Jake asked, his voice urgent. “Did he follow
you?”
“I don’t know if he knows me but I made sure nobody was tailing me when
we left. I do know a thing or two from being the president’s daughter.”
“Good,” Jake said, walking to the window and peering out suspiciously.
“Maybe you should lie low for a bit. Tensions are really high between the
gangs right now and I would feel responsible if anything were to happen to
you.”
“I’m not a little girl!” Michelle exclaimed. “And I don’t regret telling that
guy off, either. He was a total asshole. Who yells at a little kid?”
“Unstable fucks like the Raptors, that’s who. He was probably drugged out
and sitting in the movies to try and ride out his high. They have turf not far
from the theater. I totally forgot about that. I’m so stupid!”
Michelle jumped when Jake punched the wall hard, leaving a deep indent in
it. Normally, this type of brutal tough-guy behavior made her feel annoyed,
but for the first time, it sent warmth through her body. He was angry like
this because he cared about her. Or about his kids, anyway. It was a mistake
to think that he cared more for her than he did, wasn’t it? She would be
better off keeping her strange feelings to herself. Just because he was upset
didn’t mean her attraction to him was reciprocated. Jake probably saw her
as nothing but a child.
“It’s really my fault,” Michelle stammered. “I shouldn’t have taken them to
the movies today. Or maybe I could have found one closer to the MC,
where our guys are around most of the time.”
“Blaming yourself for everything is a bad habit,” Jake said. “My kids are
going to grow up knowing that. And even if they make mistakes, they will
forgive themselves and do their best to fix them.”
Michelle reddened. Was he implying something? “At least nothing
happened. I can keep an eye out. My dad taught me a few tricks to take care
of myself.”
“Somehow I doubt he taught you enough,” Jake said darkly. “Come here
early tomorrow, will you? I’m going to give you a few lessons. That way
I’ll know you can handle yourself if those assholes show up again.
Understood?”
Michelle’s heart thudded in her chest as Jake held her gaze.
“All right,” she said, the heat that had been teasing her all throughout the
movie returned in full force. What had she gotten herself into?
Chapter 11
“Good morning,” Michelle said, avoiding Jake’s gaze.
“Hey,” Jake said, rubbing his eyes and smiling.
He had just woken up from a nap after sending the kids to school, and
hadn’t had a chance to change out of his pajamas yet. He let Michelle
inside, his longing for her unfiltered with his return to wakefulness. She
snuck a glance at his pajama pants and he grinned at her. “I’m sure you like
the duckies. Mary picked them out for Father’s day a few years ago.”
“They’re very masculine,” Michelle said with a laugh. But her laughter was
strained. Like him, she had probably had little sleep thinking about the
repercussions of the altercation the night before. He was glad she had kept
her word and showed up early.
“I thought so, too,” Jake said. “Come down here with me, would you?”
The musty smell of the basement struck him wrong when he walked into
the kitchen and opened the door, and he hesitated. “Want some coffee
first?”
“Definitely,” Michelle said. “Thanks.”
They sat at the kitchen table, sipping coffee without speaking.
“It’s not usually this quiet around here,” Michelle said, her beautiful eyes
lowered onto her coffee mug.
“Nah,” Jake said, tearing his eyes away from her. He was really asking for
trouble here.
They fell quiet again, but it was an unusually comfortable silence. Both of
them were a little bit tired, and Jake simply enjoyed her company, whether
they were speaking or not. The way her lips puckered up around her glass
made him feel a little crazy though, so he had to keep his eyes to himself.
What kind of woman could look this good even when she was exhausted
and yawning? His wife hadn’t been blessed with that gift.
“All right,” Jake said, standing abruptly and setting his coffee cup down. “I
think I can function now. What do you think?”
“Yeah,” Michelle said. “I’d like to do something about my little problem.”
“Well you’re not going to be able to handle yourself in a fight overnight, so
make sure you get some fuckin’ practice in, all right? It’s important. I don’t
give a god damn if your friends are phone tagging you about prom and
puppies and boys – practice every day! And if you ever have any questions
or want to spar, you just tell me and I’ll drop everything.”
Michelle smiled shyly at the ground and Jake turned away, alarmed by the
steady mounting of desire that was building in him. Maybe having Michelle
over for a self-defense lesson was a bad idea.
When he turned around to face her again, he started. She was pulling her
shirt off, and his eyes remained glued to the curves of her body as she
pulled her shirt over her head to reveal a tight white tank top. Yes, this had
definitely been a bad idea. That, or a very good one.
“What?” Michelle asked, freeing her head from the shirt and setting it down
on the steps. What could Jake say? She was driving him crazy.
“Nothing. What do you know about Krav Maga?” he said. He couldn’t give
into his temptation. Not with such a young girl. He was nothing but a dirty
old man.
“Not much,” Michelle admitted.
“Right,” Jake said. “Well if I came at you and put my hands like this, what
would you do?”
Jake came toward Michelle, trying to ignore the fire in his groin as he
touched her silky soft skin for the first time. Michelle closed her eyes and
gasped slightly, whether in pleasure or surprise Jake couldn’t tell. It didn’t
help his situation.
“I don’t know,” she breathed. Jake was close to her face, their bodies
creating a charge he couldn’t ignore. It would be so easy to just dip down
right then and taste the sweetness of her lips.
But Michelle opened her eyes and stared hard at him, without struggling
against his light grip on her neck. Suddenly, he felt that she saw his struggle
to hold back. The need in his eyes must have been too apparent. Her cheeks
were flushed now and she locked her gaze on him steadily. This girl had
some guts, that was for sure. Did she know how fucking sexy it was?
“I don’t really feel like hurting you,” she said.
The idea that Michelle could hurt him made Jake laugh out loud. “You think
you could if you felt like it?”
“Sure,” she said, looking at him evenly. “I could tell you that you’re too old
for me. That this could never work.”
Shit. Jake tried to play dumb, but she had caught on to the game. He
cringed, suddenly feeling really embarrassed. He had been caught with his
hand in the cookie jar, and his deep desire to put that forbidden cookie in
his mouth had been the end of him.
“But,” Michelle said, putting her hand on his shoulder, her cheeks still
flushed. She looked nervous, but the look in her eyes was serious and more
sure than anything he had ever seen. This girl was the type with conviction.
“I said I don’t feel like hurting you.”
Michelle looked at him meaningfully and a seemingly magnetic force
closed the space between their bodies. Suddenly, her breasts were pressed
against him and his lips had dipped down to sample her, briefly, timidly,
before devouring her with all the passion he had been trying to hold back.
Jake’s body was electrified as Michelle gripped his strong arms and pulled
away from him, gasping for breath.
“It’s wrong, right?” she whispered, her beautiful face contorted with an
inner struggle he knew all too well.
“Definitely,” Jake said. He grabbed Michelle by the waist and pulled her
close to him again, and she moaned softly as his lips grazed the nape of her
neck. Desire coursed through his body and he could feel the blood rushing
to his cock, making him suddenly and urgently hard. There was no stopping
now.
Chapter 12
Michelle closed her eyes in rapture as Jake planted kisses up and down the
nape of her neck. Her body shivered involuntarily as his strong hands
caressed her, sending deep thrills throughout her body. She could feel the
firm mound of his manhood pressed urgently against her thigh, and she
sighed in pleasure as slowly, carefully, he began to push off his pajama
pants.
When he pulled his shirt off, Michelle allowed herself to take in his
dazzling body, shocked that she had been able to resist its temptations for so
long. She ran her hand down his broad chest, and Jake grinned at her.
“You’re not like, a virgin, are you?”
Heat filled Michelle’s face and she shook her head slightly. “I had a
boyfriend in secret a few years ago, but we only…it only happened once.
He wasn’t right for me.”
Jake nodded. “I figured something like that. Come on. Daddy’ll show you
how to do it right.”
Longing flooded Michelle’s body as Jake lifted her by the waist and carried
her up the basement stairs. She was shocked by how strong he was, even
after just recently suffering a stab wound. Why had she always thought so
low of the bikers at the MC? Jake was turning out to be nothing but an
incredible gentleman. It was shocking, really. Who would have guessed that
such a rough-and-tumble crowd could have such courteous men hidden
underneath all the muscles and swearing?
Jake’s eyes twinkled down at her and she shivered.
“Are you all right?” he asked, kicking the door to his bedroom open.
Michelle nodded.
“I just never thought this would happen,” she admitted. Jake let out a short
laugh.
“That makes two of us. You think we should stop?”
Michelle raised an eyebrow at him and he chuckled deeply.
“Me either,” he said, laying her down on the bed and climbing over her
body. He carefully stripped her, caressing and kissing every inch of skin that
he revealed as he peeled her clothing off. She cried out softly when a jolt of
fire engulfed her body as his lips found the soft mound of her nipple and
tugged it gently.
He seemed to like the way she responded, because he continued lapping
slowly at it, filling her with a burning fire that could only be taken care of
with one thing. As if he could sense exactly what she wanted, he gently
stripped her from the waist down without moving his lips. Michelle
trembled beneath him as his strong hands brushed over her middle and
rested there for a moment, stoking the fire inside of her.
“You all right, there, darlin’?” Jake asked. He seemed amused by her body’s
response to his touch, and seemed keen on drawing everything out as long
as he possibly could, even though it was clear by the feeling of his massive
erection that he was just as eager to taste the forbidden fruit as she was.
Michelle nodded. “I…it didn’t feel like this the first time.”
Jake grinned. “That’s because you’re with a real man now. And daddy’s
going to teach you how to move.”
All the thoughts flew out of her head as Michelle’s body was suddenly
overcome by the sensation of Jake’s cock pressed gently against her middle,
massaging her most sensitive area until waves of pleasure were crashing all
around her. Those waves quickly turned to a tsunami as Jake began to
penetrate her body, pushing firmly so that the hardness of its head was just
dipping inside of her.
Michelle groaned deeply at the feeling of being pleasantly torn in half, and
Jake’s handsome face hovered above hers. His eyes were flashing, and he
began to gyrate his hips above her and push deeper and deeper inside,
slowly, steadily, holding back all of his power just to make sure she was
comfortable. He was treating her kind of like a princess, she realized
suddenly. The way she had always seen other girls being treated, whether
by their fathers or their boyfriends. Michelle hadn’t ever been treated as
something precious. Just something useful. It nearly moved her to tears.
But before she could get too choked up, Jake buried his mouth against her
neck and began to kiss up and down her body. She writhed beneath him as
the pleasure filled her up nearly to the point of bursting. He seemed to be
able to tell exactly what she was feeling, because he looked up at her and
grinned before finally plunging himself all the way inside of her for the first
time.
Michelle cried out as her body trembled with pleasure, engulfed by a fire
that was only made hotter with every thrust from Jake’s powerful hips. She
held onto his shoulders tightly, gripping them until her nails were pressing
into his skin. Rather than hurting him, it seemed to ignite Jake’s desire and
he amped up his game, roaming and caressing her body and sending
sensuous tendrils of pleasure coursing throughout her.
With every thrust she came closer and closer to a huge and powerful feeling
that was mounting, bubbling deep in her abdomen. She had experienced a
quick little orgasm before, just once, and it was nothing like what she was
feeling now. Jake really was going to teach her things about her body that
she hadn’t known before. And she was more than ready for it.
Jake grunted in pleasure as Michelle’s orgasm began to erupt, and her body
began to squeeze his cock and contract powerfully around it. She could feel
every inch of him as he massaged her inside. Suddenly, Michelle’s back
arched and an explosion of ecstasy flooded her, causing every part of her
body to tingle with rapture as Jake’s cock tensed up inside of her. He was
about to pull out of her but Michelle shook her head. She was on the pill,
even though she didn’t have sex regularly. Her father had insisted on it.
Jake’s eyes grew dark and he unleashed a torrent of thrusting that electrified
her body. Michelle’s climax was brought to new heights as a powerful
explosion of heat erupted from Jake’s cock and filled her from the inside
out. He grunted as he emptied himself inside of her, the physical
manifestation of his lust sending shivers of pleasure all throughout
Michelle’s body.
Finally, he pulled out and gathered her up in his arms, holding her close and
dropping tender kisses on her forehead and face. Michelle was completely
exhausted, weakened from the huge explosion of energy that her orgasm
took out of her.
“Wow,” she breathed.
Jake grinned, his handsome face lighting up. “Next time I won’t go easy on
you.”
That was easy? Michelle’s eyes widened and Jake laughed softly.
“Just kidding around, sweetheart. We’ll play it by ear. I always do.”
Michelle grinned at him and closed her eyes. She didn’t regret what had
happened at all, but now there was a new stress deep in her mind. If her
father found out about this, they would both be in serious trouble.
Chapter 12
The next few days were strange around the house and Jake tried his best to
focus more on his kids than he did on Michelle. He couldn’t help but feel
horrible about what they had done together. Not only was it a betrayal to
Kent and his confidence, but it was also a little weird to be sleeping with a
girl who could easily have been his own daughter.
Michelle seemed to sense his feelings and didn’t speak much to him. She
kept things professional and smooth, coming only when her father sent her
and leaving without too many words minced between them. Although he
missed the relationship they had been beginning to share, he just couldn’t
get over the fact that what they had done together was wrong.
“Daddy, can we go to the movies with Michelle again?” Mary asked one
morning before Michelle was due to arrive.
“No honey, I don’t think so.”
Mary’s blue eyes filled with tears and her little lip jutted out defiantly. “But
it was so fun! And Michelle was cool!”
How to explain to a five year old the dangers that lay around every corner
without making her terrified of the world? It was a horrible balance to try to
strike and Jake picked his daughter up and shocked her into laughter by
planting a raspberry on her belly.
“Remember that mean guy who was at the movies before? Well daddy
doesn’t want you and JJ to see him again. Because if he gets mean with
Michelle and he has meaner friends, she won’t be able to protect you guys
by herself.”
Jake’s mind involuntarily flickered to the incident he and Michelle had
shared after beginning to try to teach her Krav Maga. After their tryst, they
had returned to the basement, and he had given her a two-hour lesson on
defending herself. Although she was a natural, and moved her body
seamlessly in a way that had been keeping him up at night, she still wasn’t
well-equipped to handle the Raptors. And when he told her so, her face had
fallen and they’d called it a day. She hadn’t asked for a lesson since, and he
had been reluctant to offer. Not after what had happened the last time.
“But she’s tough!” Mary protested. “Girls can fight just as good as boys
can!”
Jake laughed, proud of his daughter’s gusto.
“That’s a fact!” Jake said. “Wanna come down to the basement and learn
some moves with daddy?”
“Oh, I like doing that!”
Jake grinned. “I know.”
“What about JJ?” Mary asked. There was really nothing cuter than seeing
his two kids sparring and learning more and more about how to handle
themselves in a physical altercation. Although every once in a while it
resulted in accidents that left one or the other of them bawling, it was
always worthwhile.
“JJ!” Jake shouted. “Wanna spar?”
JJ walked slowly down the stairs, a deep frown on his face. “But I only
have the one arm!”
“That’s great then! We can work on what to do if you have a handicap
during a fight.”
JJ grinned. “Cool!”
Jake ushered his kids down to the basement, where all of his workout
equipment was stored. He had made it into a nice little home gym for
himself. It would be good to get back down there after what had happened
with Michelle. He hadn’t been able to bear it on his own. At least now with
his kids, his mind would be off his mistake.
They were deep into practice, Mary kicking at JJ and laughing as he
blocked her with his good arm, when Jake was startled by the pure sound of
Michelle’s voice.
“Looks like you have a couple of naturals on your hands,” Michelle said,
smiling kindly at him.
“Michelle! Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”
He turned to greet her, hating himself for the immediate desire that filled
him when she moved toward him. Why couldn’t he just let it go? It was too
wrong. He was going to get them into serious trouble if he pursued his
interest in her.
“I came a little bit early. I’m trying to save some money so I took the bus
this time.”
“Oh, all right,” Jake said, wondering what she might need the extra money
for. Maybe he should pay her more. “Do you want to join us? I have a little
time before I’m due at the MC. It would be good to keep your skills honed
in case of an emergency.”
“Yeah!” Mary exclaimed. “I want to go back to the movies someday! So
learn how to fight good!”
“Good idea!” Michelle said, smiling brightly at Jake’s daughter. The easy
connection between them never ceased to surprise and impress Jake. He
was so used to Mary clinging to his side, and his side only. The only other
person she seemed to like to talk to was her brother. And now, somehow,
Michelle.
“All right, then you stand over here. We’re going to practice what to do if
somebody throws a punch at you. Right, kids?”
“Right!” their little voices shouted back to Jake. He grinned proudly. He
couldn’t love those two more if his life depended on it.
“Who wants to be Michelle’s partner?” Jake asked.
“You should, daddy!” Mary said. “I’m already JJ’s partner!”
Jake and Michelle exchanged a secret glance. They both knew that being
near each other physically was a dangerous thing. And surely they both
understood the implications of being caught with their highly inappropriate
relationship. Sure, the kids might not care. But with Kent in control of the
MC, it could mean the end of the line for both of them. Jake wouldn’t put it
past him to call a hit on his own daughter. The more he got to know Kent,
the less he liked him.
“Well that makes sense,” Jake said, smiling awkwardly at Michelle.
“Yeah, you guys are both really tall,” JJ said. “It wouldn’t be fair to try and
hit Michelle anyway, she’s a girl! You don’t hit girls!”
JJ threw a punch at his sister and tapped her on the shoulder, and Mary
furrowed her little eyebrows. “I’m a girl, too!” she cried, hitting him back.
“Okay, you two. Knock it off,” Jake said. He caught Michelle’s eye. Both of
them were trying hard not to laugh. It was clear they both loved those kids
deeply. “Let’s get to work!”
They spent the rest of the afternoon practicing self-defense together. By the
time Jake had to go, everybody was smiling and having fun. It was strange,
he thought, just how much like a family it felt with Michelle there. Often
times, with just Jake and the kids, it felt like something was missing.
Because something was missing. The kids didn’t have a mother.
But Michelle was quickly making them all forget that, and, despite being
barely an adult herself, she felt like the missing piece of the puzzle. He left
the house reluctantly, not wanting to stop enjoying the time he was able to
spend with his family. As wrong as everybody else might think it was, the
truth was becoming more and more clear to him. Michelle was meant to be
his, and his alone. And if they were going to be able to keep it that way,
then he would have to challenge Kent once and for all.
Chapter 13
“Bye Michelle!” Mary and JJ chorused as Michelle stepped out the front
door. She cast a longing look at Jake, whose handsome face was serious and
withdrawn. It was the opposite of the way it had been when he’d left them
sparring in the basement to go to work. Had something happened?
“Bye guys,” Michelle said, blowing them kisses. She hesitated before
blowing a third one, though nobody would notice she had assigned it for
Jake. It was a silly, childish thing to do, but he took such good care of her. If
she couldn’t kiss him good bye for real in front of his kids, she could have
her secret kiss.
The taxi was waiting outside at the curb, just as it always was, and the
outside world was muted when she shut the door to the backseat.
“Where to?” a deep, gravelly voice asked her from the driver’s seat.
“Python’s Square,” she said. She had been taught to throw her weight
around in a sense, letting everyone in town know that she was associated
with the powerful Python MC.
“Of course,” the voice said. She didn’t like the guy’s tone, and tried to get a
handle on his face. But it was dark and she couldn’t see into the front seat.
She would just have to try and keep a safe distance.
The taxi drove slowly through the rural streets until it reached the highway
and sped up. Michelle gazed out the window of the cab, her eyes flickering
on all of the lights of the tall city buildings in the distance. Jake had found
himself a nice little place pretty far from the real dangers of the city. Had he
done that for his kids? He was such a protective man.
Michelle closed her eyes and leaned back against the headrest. She was
tired from having to wake up early to catch the bus. She hadn’t wanted to
use the taxi that morning, because she was thinking about buying something
for the kids that she knew they would love even more than going to the
movies.
“Here we are,” the taxi said.
Michelle opened her eyes and her heart lurched. She wasn’t at Python’s
Square at all. The man had driven her to the docks, and standing outside
were several Raptors, waiting with terrible smiles on their faces. What had
she done?
***
“That’s the one,” an unpleasantly familiar voice said. “Remember me,
girlie?”
Michelle felt cold with panic as the five men at the docks began to close in
on her. The Raptor from the theater was in the middle of the group, grinning
at her with malice in his eyes.
“If you lay a hand on me, you’re going to regret it!”
“What, because your daddy is the president of the Pythons?” the man
sneered. “I don’t think so.”
Actually, Michelle had been thinking that if anything happened to her, Jake
would fight them to the death. But she didn’t want to say too much. What
she had to do was figure a way out of this mess. Jake couldn’t save her now.
She was as good as alone, on the Raptor’s turf. Why had she let herself doze
off in the cab like that? How stupid could she be?
“Hey, what’s going on over there?”
Hope flooded Michelle’s breast as the flashlight of a small security crew
from the docks shone on the men in front of her. The leader squinted,
peering out at the light in confusion. It was just the chance she needed to get
herself out of this shitty situation and find her way home.
While the man was distracted, Michelle elbowed him in the throat and
ducked under his arm, pushing past him and running toward the man with
the light.
“Fuck!” the Raptor growled. “Get her!”
The rest of the group hesitated, unsure of whether or not the security team
would catch them before bolting after Michelle. Thankfully, Michelle knew
this place like the back of her hand. She had grown up playing at the docks
as her father worked to secure shipments and make deals with the overlords
of the seedy underbelly of the city. She dodged inside one of the
warehouses and snaked her way through the clutter, finding the secret hole
in the back that she used to enter as a kid.
She ran as hard as she could, shouting when she nearly collided with
Tommy.
“Hey kid, what the hell are you doing out here?” he shouted. “You almost
knocked me into the water!”
“Sorry,” Michelle breathed, doubling over in an attempt to catch her breath.
“Hey, are you all right?”
Michelle shook her head. “The Raptors…they…”
“Fuck,” Tommy said, draping his arm heavily over her shoulder and
ushering her to his car. “I got you.”
They drove off toward the MC before the Raptors had any idea where she
had gone and Michelle sank down in the seat in relief. Everything was
going to be fine.
***
“So what’s a pretty little thing like you doing at the docks this time of
night?” Tommy asked, turning to Michelle with a sickening grin on his face.
Was he seriously flirting with her right now?
“I wasn’t here on purpose,” Michelle said. She was too tired to try to
explain what had happened. She wasn’t even sure what she would tell her
father. If he knew that the Raptors had kidnapped her right from Jake’s
house, then he probably wouldn’t let her go back.
Or maybe he would surprise her and turn over a whole new asshole type
leaf and let her go back anyway, because it was still more important to keep
Jake on the team than it was to make sure that his daughter was safe. Why
couldn’t all fathers be more like Jake?
“Well I feel like it’s my good luck to run into you tonight,” Tommy said. “It
was getting mighty boring out there. What were the Raptors up to anyway?
You were in their turf, you had to expect some trouble. Especially looking
like you do.”
Tommy took a sideways look at her, smirking to himself as his eyes roamed
Michelle’s body.
“Fuck off,” Michelle said. “Just take me to my dad. And don’t say another
word or you’ll be really fucking sorry you opened your mouth.”
The grin faded from Tommy’s face.
“All right, all right. No need to turn into such a tight ass about it. Just trying
to make conversation.”
“Like a pig,” Michelle grumbled. “I appreciate you helping me and all but
that doesn’t mean I owe you anything. Are we clear on that?”
“Sure, sure,” Tommy said, raising his hands innocently in the air. “You ain’t
going to hear anything else from me. I get that you had a hard night.
Probably just need to get some rest. Ol’ Tommy will get you home safe and
sound. You can count on me.”
Michelle rolled her eyes and sank back in the seat.
If the Raptors knew that she had been hanging out at Jake’s house to
babysit, then that meant they knew where Jake and his kids lived too. That
spelled trouble. She had to tell him what happened before it was too late.
Chapter 14
“Are you sure?”
Jake’s stomach dropped. Michelle had just been attacked. If he hadn’t just
shown her how to defend herself, then who knows what might have
happened? She was worried about the Raptors knowing where Jake and the
kids lived, but Jake didn’t care about that. They had always known. What
he cared about was knowing that the guys from the theater seriously had it
in for her, and they were already making their moves. And fast.
“I’m going to kill them,” Jake growled darkly into the phone.
“Daddy…”
Jake pursed his lips, guilt flooding him when he caught the scared look on
Mary’s face. She had come downstairs for a glass of water and was gripping
her teddy bear tightly and staring up at him with her big blue eyes.
“Listen, I’ve got to go. Don’t go anywhere. Stay at the MC. We’re going to
figure this out.”
“All right,” Michelle’s soft voice said from the other line. She sounded
tired. Almost as if she had been crying. “Are the kids going to be okay?
This is all my fault.”
“They’re going to be fine!” Jake exclaimed. “They’ve been fine the whole
time I was vice president of the Pythons and they’ll be fine now. Hey Mary,
do you want to say hi to Michelle?”
“Yeah!”
The fear evaporated from her eyes and Jake lifted her with one arm and
handed her the phone.
“Hi Michelle! Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, bye!”
Jake took the phone back and grinned.
“That was fast.”
“She’s so funny,” Michelle agreed, laughing softly.
The sound filled Jake with a protective feeling he had only ever felt toward
his kids.
“I’m going to take care of you,” he said seriously into the phone. “Don’t
worry.”
Michelle sighed. “Just don’t do anything stupid. It’s not worth it.”
“You’re worth it,” Jake said. “Trust me.”
“…okay. Bye.”
Michelle hung up the phone and Jake stared at his for a moment before
Mary tugged on his shirt.
“Daddy, can I have juice?”
“But you already brushed your teeth!”
“Just a little?”
Jake studied his daughter’s face. She looked more and more like her mother
every day. His hatred for the Raptors only grew. And if the Leon, the man
he had confronted at the docks, was telling the truth, his hatred for Kent was
going to become more justified than ever. The Pythons were better than
petty heroin peddlers, weren’t they? At least they should be. If they were
going to strike out at Jake for falling for Kent’s daughter, he might as well
get to work on a plan to usurp the presidency before the Pythons were ran
into the ground once and for all.
“All right,” Jake said, trying to sigh away the heaviness of the thoughts that
were pestering his mind. “Let’s get you a glass of juice. A small one
though!”
“Yay!” Mary exclaimed.
Jake kissed her forehead and carried her into the kitchen. He would do
whatever it took to protect his children, and, he would do anything to keep
Michelle safe from the clutches of the men who were responsible for taking
the life of the first woman he had ever loved. He would get his revenge.
There was no mistake about that.
***
“Kent?” Jake asked, shocked to hear Kent’s voice on the phone with him
just seconds after he had hung up with Kent’s daughter. Had he been
listening in on their conversation? Was he in trouble?
“Jake, Michelle told me what happened today. I think it would be best for
you and the kids to come stay at the MC for a few nights until all of this
starts to blow over. I don’t want anything bad happening to you or the little
ones. They are innocents in all of this.”
Jake was silent for a moment as he considered the proposal. “I don’t want to
run away from these fuckers like that with my tail between my legs. This is
my home!”
Kent’s voice was patient through the phone, so patient it almost sounded
false.
“I know what you must be feeling right now, and I sympathize, I really do.
But you must understand my position here. The MC can keep everybody
safe without sending Michelle out into the dangerous world to watch your
kids spur of the moment.”
“They’re never going to stop harassing her now that they’ve started,” Jake
said darkly. “You know that. The best way to deal with this is to go head
on.”
“Head on, Jake? Are you nuts? We fight with them and fight with them, but
it’s small scale. What you’re suggesting is straight out war.”
“Well why not go to war with these bastards? They have it in for your
daughter, Kent. That’s your flesh and blood! She won’t be safe until the
Raptors are out of this city for good.”
“Well I’m afraid that just isn’t possible. We’re as at peace with the Raptors
as we can possibly be. There’s no way we would be able to oust them
permanently. We just have to lie low until the threat blows over. You know
those boys. They’re hot-tempered as fuck but when it comes down to it,
they’re easily distracted. They’ll forget their grudge in no time.”
“I don’t believe that,” Jake said. “Why is it such a bad idea to try to get rid
of those monsters? We could clean up the city once and for all. Get the
heroin off the streets and keep more people from dying the way Janie did.”
Kent’s voice lowered into a growl. “I don’t like hearing that name from you,
Jake. And it’s supply and demand! People want the drugs so they go out and
find the drugs. If the Raptors aren’t doing it then somebody else will just
have to monopolize the market and take their place. It’s a constant battle!
Nobody would win.”
“I’m just saying maybe it’s worth a try. Otherwise your daughter will never
be able to walk freely on these streets again. They know who she is and she
pissed them off mightily because she knows how to fend for herself. They’ll
see it as a way to get to you by taking her out.”
“Well then they would be mistaken,” Kent said with a laugh. “I’m a man of
logic, not emotions. I would just have more reason to give them hell, that’s
all.”
Jake’s jaw dropped in disbelief. He was glad that he wasn’t speaking to
Kent in person when he heard that, otherwise the fist balled at his side
would have gone through Kent’s jaw, and he would have about 50 burly
bikers coming in to fight him. The last thing he needed was to be on the
other end of more scandal. He was already treading the line too closely as it
was.
“Listen,” Kent continued. “Michelle is worried sick about the kids. It would
make her a lot more useful if she didn’t have to worry about them being out
there at your house alone should duty call. Can you just think about it? For
her sake?”
Jake was quiet for a moment. “Fine. I’ll think about it.”
He hung up the phone quickly, eager to be rid of Kent’s droll voice in his
ear. What kind of man would throw his own daughter under the bus like
that? And clearly Kent didn’t care whether or not the streets were cleaned of
heroin. What had changed in the years that Jake had known him?
Once, Kent had been passionately anti-opiate, crusading to show the city
that although his MC was harsh as fuck, they didn’t deal in dark matter.
Now, he seemed to be shrugging his shoulders at it. The only reason the
Pythons were outside the law was because they did more to keep the streets
safe than the police were able to do, and the brute force they used to enforce
their values and trade were unbelievably powerful. But if Kent was just
going to succumb to the same greed for money and power as everybody
else did, then what was there to be proud of about his MC?
“Come on, honey,” Jake said, carrying Mary upstairs to her bedroom. “Let’s
get you to bed.”
Mary nodded sleepily and Jake frowned. If Michelle was really that worried
about the kids, then maybe he should take Kent’s advice. It really did make
sense, whether he wanted to abandon his home or not. It would just be for a
couple of days. Besides, it would give him the time he needed to snoop
around the MC and find out what Kent was really up to.
The thought was exciting enough that Jake made up his mind then and
there. They would leave for the MC in the morning and he would make sure
Michelle was all right. If nothing else, he would do it for his kids.
Chapter 15
“Michelle!”
“Mary! JJ!” Michelle grinned, her heart filled with relief as the children ran
toward her. She scooped them up into a big hug, and grinned over JJ’s
shoulder at Jake, who was standing in the doorway of the reception area for
her father’s office.
“I’m so glad you came,” Michelle said, kissing each child on the top of the
head and standing up to speak to Jake. “I didn’t know if it would be all right
to leave the kids at home. They were involved…”
“I know, I thought about it and decided it was worth your peace of mind.”
Jake’s handsome face parted in a gentle smile and her heart soared.
However, it was cut short when her father’s voice barked from his desk.
“Jake! What took you?”
Jake winked at Michelle, bringing a hot flush to her cheeks, and strode into
her father’s office and closed the door subtly behind himself.
What was a man like Jake doing working for her father?
“I love it here!” JJ exclaimed, his eyes bright as he looked around at all the
bike memorabilia lining the walls of the reception room where Michelle
spent most of her time working as her father’s secretary. For no pay.
“It does look cool,” Michelle agreed, though she wasn’t able to reciprocate
JJ’s enthusiasm. She had really begun to hate everything about the MC, at
least with her father in charge. More and more shady men had been
frequenting the halls as of late, and her father had been a very busy man,
arranging meetings in different places and being very secretive about all of
it. It made Michelle wonder just what he was up to.
“Can we play secretary?” Mary asked. “I want to sit in that chair with the
phone.”
Michelle pursed her lips. “I’m not sure that the president would like that
very much. Maybe we can just play with these for a little while.”
Michelle walked to the desk and rummaged through it until she retrieved a
small collection of pristine motorcycle models. Her father gifted them to her
every once in a while, though she had little interest in them. She had begun
shoving them into the desk without removing them from the boxes and was
glad they now had a purpose other than collecting dust and taking up space.
“Cool!” Mary exclaimed. Michelle grinned as the kids tore into the boxes,
and soon they were occupying themselves on the floor of the reception
room, waiting patiently for their father to come back out of the office.
It seemed to take an oddly long time before Jake finally arrived, and
Michelle’s heart palpitated involuntarily when Jake appeared in the
doorway, looking as handsome and confident as she had ever seen him. Her
father, on the other hand, looked irate, but said nothing as Jake closed the
door behind himself.
“What were you talking to the president for?” JJ asked, speeding down a
row of chairs with a flashy red bike searing across the cushions.
“Yeah!” Mary exclaimed, following with a smaller, purple motorcycle.
“Just business stuff,” Jake said. “It’s boring.”
“Oh,” JJ said, not looking up from his toy.
“I’m going to have to get to work soon. Your father said you would show us
where to stay.”
“Is that all he said?” Michelle asked, raising an eyebrow. Jake grinned at
her and desire electrified her body. It was strange in a way how much she
wanted him.
“And then some,” Jake said, his grin turning into an outright smile. “I’m
starved though. Maybe you can show us where we’ll be hanging out for the
next few days.”
Jake reached outside the reception hall and lifted a big duffel bag onto his
broad shoulder. It was packed to the brim and looked really heavy, but he
was strong enough that he made it look light as a feather. Michelle
remembered how he had lifted her in much the same way, and another pulse
of longing surged through her body.
“Right. We should put you in the more quiet area, away from the bikers.
They’re a bit rowdy at night. I don’t want it to keep the kids awake.”
“That makes sense,” Jake agreed, following behind Michelle. “Come on,
kids.”
“You can bring the toys with you,” Michelle called over her shoulder. Most
adults would have told them to be careful, but those were guilt gifts from
her dad. She didn’t care if they dropped them off the roof of the building, so
long as someone had fun with them.
“Yay!” The kids cheered as Michelle led them down the long, winding
hallway and up a flight of stairs. What Jake didn’t know was that she was
taking them to the private quarters that had been reserved for Michelle. She
wondered if Jake would protest if he knew. And although she had been
honest about keeping the kids in a quiet, peaceful area, the truth was that
she wanted Jake closer to her. He was the only person in the world who had
ever made her feel safe.
“Here we are,” Michelle said, unlocking the door and stepping inside. It
was a huge apartment, with a loft upstairs and two bedrooms on the bottom.
It came equipped with a full kitchen and bathroom. Michelle supposed most
people would feel lucky to be the president’s daughter, with such a nice
space to call her own. But the truth was that she had always hated it. Still, it
was a comfortable place to call home. That was all that mattered.
“This is huge,” Jake exclaimed. “I didn’t even know this was here.”
“It takes up the whole fifth floor,” Michelle said. “My dad let me
soundproof the place so I wouldn’t have to listen to the asshole bikers when
they get drunk.”
Jake looked hard at her and she blushed down at the ground. She had almost
forgotten that he, too, was a rowdy asshole biker with a strong penchant
toward alcohol. Or at least, he had been before he had his kids. Who knew
how much partying he did now?
“Sounds like the least he could do,” Jake finally said, letting her off the
hook. She sighed in relief.
“What do you guys think?” Michelle asked, turning to the kids. “Big
enough for a slumber party for a few days?”
“Yeah!” the kids exclaimed. Michelle smiled and walked into the kitchen to
prepare them all something to eat.
Jake stood awkwardly, looking down the hall at the two bedrooms.
“Which one should we…?”
“Oh, you can use both. I sleep in the loft on the other side.”
Jake held her gaze for a moment, the electricity crackling between them. He
finally turned away with a grin and a nod, making her heart thud hard in her
chest. God, she wanted him. The first time had only whetted her appetite for
his body. Did he have any idea how many times she had laid in that loft and
mulled over every detail of the way he had touched and pleasured her? She
would have given anything to have him in her bed with her on those nights.
Now that he was actually there, in her apartment, she didn’t know what she
would do.
And so, she did the only thing she could do, and worked on making Jake
and his kids some lunch.
Chapter 16
Jake fingered the key to Michelle’s apartment as he walked slowly up the
steps of the MC. It was funny that she had been hidden away up there, all
this time. He had almost let himself believe that Kent had his own home
somewhere away from the huge building he had bought for the Python’s
base. It was kind of surprising knowing that Michelle and her father lived
separately, though in the same building. Maybe they just couldn’t stand
each other. The thought wasn’t too hard to believe.
He hesitated before pushing the key into the lock and letting himself inside.
The room was dark, all but a golden glow coming from behind the curtains
of Michelle’s loft, and a light left on over the stove and in the bathroom for
the kids in case they needed it in the night.
“You’re back,” Michelle said quietly. Jake’s heart thudded in surprise and
he whipped around to face her. It was strange having her so close to him
after so long. His desire for her had consumed him again and again at the
most inconvenient times of the day. He only hoped that he would be able to
behave himself. The last thing his kids needed would be to find him
screwing the babysitter.
“Yup,” Jake replied, swallowing hard. “I’m back.”
He stared at her helplessly. She was dressed in a satin nightgown that was
clinging to her in all the right places. It was surprisingly short, showing off
her long, beautifully shaped legs. She looked down shyly as his eyes studied
her from bottom to top, against his will, until finally he made it to her
beautiful, pure face. Why was it that young women always looked so
goddamn innocent? And what kind of a person did it make him to want her
all the more because of it?
“Did everything go okay?” Michelle asked quietly.
“Yes, of course. Always does,” Jake said. “As long as I’m still breathing by
the time I get home.”
“I know you probably didn’t want to stay here. I’m sorry I had my dad push
you into this,” Michelle said, running her hand through her hair. The worry
on her face made Jake want to kiss it right off of her. “It’s just…”
“Hey, you don’t need to explain yourself, sweetheart,” Jake said, gripping
her arm and pulling it away from her face. He held it and stared seriously at
her. “You care about the kids. And we care about you, too. So don’t think
anything of it, all right? I’m glad to be here with you.”
He could feel her body surrendering to his touch, and he tightened his grip
around her arm and grabbed her around the waist. He had told himself that
he wouldn’t do this. Not now…not with the kids right in the other room.
But how could he help himself?
Michelle parted her lips, an invitation he took up immediately. His body
was filled with warmth as he pressed her against it, soaking up every tickle
of her hair on his skin and the heat of her curves against his abdomen. He
was hard the second her tongue touched his, and he devoured her sweet lips,
letting his hands roam the inviting thinness of her satin nightgown.
She tensed up against him and gasped softly as his hand roamed over her
ass, and she laid her head against his shoulder as she felt his cock press hard
against her middle.
“It’s okay,” Jake whispered, slowly unzipping his jeans and releasing his
beast from its confines. “Daddy’s got you.”
He slipped his hand between Michelle’s thighs, pleasantly surprised to find
that she wasn’t wearing anything beneath the nightgown. The idea that she
had been waiting for him, for this, brought a rush of blood to his cock, and
it swelled nearly to the point of bursting. He lifted the nightgown gently up
so that his swollen head could take refuge in her welcoming heat.
Without thinking twice, he lifted her easily onto the island separating
Michelle’s kitchen from her living room, and bliss overpowered him as he
slipped gently inside of her, his cock massaged by every fold of her most
intimate space. She shuddered against him as pleasure seemed to sweep
through her body, and her soft hands gripped his biceps as her mouth
searched for his in the darkness.
He allowed her to find it, kissing her tenderly as he began to rock his hips
back and forth, allowing his cock to disappear deeper into the trenches of
heat inside Michelle’s body. Tendrils of pleasure made their way up his
shaft and to his abdomen, where the heat he felt for Michelle grew into a
passionate, uncontrollable fire that he couldn’t extinguish.
She gasped softly against his broad chest, her nipples hard and scraping
against his abdomen as she took him in fully. They had both been wanting,
waiting, and denying themselves for so long. And for what? Why deny what
felt so fucking right?
Jake’s cock pulsed inside of Michelle, and his hips began to pick up the
pace. He wouldn’t deny himself any longer. And it seemed cruel to leave
Michelle writhing and wanting when he knew he could deliver more power,
more heat to her body.
Michelle threw her head back in ecstasy as Jake began moving himself in
earnest, an urgent, desperate longing to cum hard inside this sexy young girl
driving him to the brink of his self-control. Nothing mattered now but the
feeling of her body enveloping him, pleasuring him beyond anything he had
ever allowed himself to experience before. He had never before felt such a
need.
A low groan escaped Michelle’s lips, and he buried his mouth over hers to
stifle her sounds. He wouldn’t stop now. They couldn’t wake the kids. This
was their time.
He could feel the hot searing tingle building in his abdomen as his cock was
tested again and again to hold back. He wouldn’t release until he felt
Michelle giving in to her desires. Only then would he show her what it felt
like to truly be taken care of by a man.
“Fuck,” Michelle whispered, her self-control waning. Jake buried himself
hard inside of her, and she gasped again, her breasts bobbing to the rhythm
of Jake’s thrusting. He gripped her nipple in his teeth through the silk of her
nightgown and she hissed in pleasure. He felt her opening for him, the
contractions of her orgasm just beginning to squeeze the ever-loving Christ
out of his cock.
“That’s right,” Jake growled into her ear. “Daddy’s going to take good care
of you now.”
Michelle cried out in shock as Jake unleashed his full power, thrusting hard
again and again as her body began to tremble and quake beneath his touch.
He grunted as he began to erupt inside of her, a hot, sudden explosion that
left both of them gasping for mercy as Jake worked his body hard until they
had both received every last bit of pleasure they possibly could have.
Jake slowly pulled out of her and kissed her lightly on the lips. Michelle
closed her eyes and hugged him tightly to her. The poor thing had been
through so much. All she really needed was somebody to take care of her.
“Don’t worry,” Jake whispered into her hair, kissing the top of her head
over and over again. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Michelle looked up at him, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.
“I know,” she whispered, kissing him on the cheek. “Good night.”
He watched as she climbed into her loft and the curtains fell behind her,
leaving the silhouette of her body outlined and still in the golden light.
Chapter 17
The apartment had never felt more alive than it did with Jake and his kids
there. Jake was always coming and going, and Michelle was under the
impression that her father really loved having him living at the MC. JJ and
Mary were enjoying their time away from school, though Jake had been
diligent about going to retrieve their homework assignments so they
wouldn’t get behind in their work.
“Michelle is really smart!” Mary said one afternoon when her father strode
inside.
Jake’s handsome eyes flickered onto Michelle and a small, private smile
creased his lips and warmed her heart. How was it that he always managed
to make her feel so beautiful and so desired?
“You don’t say!” Jake said, winking at Michelle.
“Hey!” Michelle said.
The kids giggled and Jake put on an expression of mock surprise. “What?”
“She knows everything about reading!” Mary continued, ignoring her
father’s theatrical shrug. She found it very important to inform him of
Michelle’s intelligence.
“Is that right?” Jake asked.
“Yeah!” Mary exclaimed. “I want her to be my teacher!”
“I thought you liked Mr. Farkas!” JJ said. “He was my teacher, too!”
“No. I like Michelle more. I want her to teach me everything!”
Jake gazed at Michelle for a moment, and she felt her heart thud hard. If she
and Jake were able to make their relationship official, maybe she would be
able to teach Mary all kinds of things. But it was better not to let her mind
go there. Still, the look on Jake’s face was compelling. Were they both
thinking the same thing?
“Well, you’re going to have to go back to school eventually,” Jake said
carefully. “I’m sure there are lots of other things Michelle can show you.
And once in a while she could help you with your homework, too.”
Mary seemed satisfied with this, and ran to the bedroom she was sharing
with her brother to continue playing with JJ, who had taken her motorcycle
collection under his wing. Michelle never would have guessed that having
bunkbeds in there would be so handy. The last thing she had ever expected
was to be hosting a biker with two kids in her apartment.
The bunk beds had been in there already for bikers who needed to stay at
the MC to sleep off a buzz, but still had never been used by the time
Michelle got her hands on the apartment. Letting her live there was the one
good thing her father had ever done for her. And now she was able to do
something good by keeping Jake and his family out of the trouble she had
caused. Well, the kids anyway. She had a feeling Jake had other plans up his
sleeve.
“What have you been up to all day?” Michelle asked. Jake had been
disappearing for longer and longer periods of time since he had arrived,
every once in a while surprising her with an erotic tryst when she least
expected it before retiring to his bedroom to sleep and then wake up to
begin the whole cycle over again. “I hope you’re not getting into any
trouble.”
“Trust me, nothing I can’t handle,” Jake said with a wink.
But Michelle wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know what that means, but I really
hope that you won’t do anything rash. I know you hate the Raptors, but I
heard my dad talking about your plan to wage full out war with them. I just
want you to know that I think it’s a stupid idea. And without my father’s
approval, it will never work.”
Jake darkened for a moment and then looked seriously at her.
“I need your help,” he said suddenly.
Michelle was shocked. She had never expected to hear a man like Jake ask
someone like her, of all people, for help. Except maybe with his kids.
“Why? Doing what?”
She could tell by the look on his face that it was serious and she suddenly
felt nervous.
Jake glanced around the room nervously before coming close to Michelle.
“There’s something fucked up going on around here and I think your father
is behind it.”
“Well there’s a shocker,” Michelle said sarcastically.
Jake looked surprised. “Why? What do you know?”
“Nothing much,” Michelle said thoughtfully. “But he’s been being really
secretive lately. Coming and going at all hours. There are lots of weird
people here, too. Not bikers exactly, but they’re shady. They give off a
really bad vibe. And they bring in suitcases and leave without them. I don’t
like it.”
“Shit,” Jake whispered. “All right. I need you to tell me right away the next
time your dad leaves on one of those random trips, okay? I have to see what
he’s doing. Because if it’s what I think it is, it won’t be good. And we could
end up in even more danger than we started off with.”
Michelle furrowed her eyebrows. What was Jake talking about? What did
he suspect?
But he clearly didn’t feel comfortable saying anything more, so all she
could do was nod.
“All right,” she said. “I’ll tell you.”
“Good,” Jake said, stealing a kiss before rushing toward the front door. “I’m
going to get some work done now. You guys have a good afternoon.”
“Sure,” Michelle said. But by the time the word had fully left her lips, Jake
was already gone.
Chapter 17
Jake climbed to the top of the warehouse, his eyes sharp on the man he had
seen leaving the Python’s MC. There was no mistaking him as a Raptor,
though he wasn’t wearing anything that spoke loudly of his alliance. Not
that Jake could see, anyway.
He had tried to stay out of sight when he caught Kent speaking jovially with
the guy, using his best schmoozing voice outside the MC and patting the
guy on the back. He was posing as a new recruit, and Kent, who had the
best eye for people that Jake had ever seen, should have known that it was a
set up.
That, or they were in on it together. Jake didn’t want to jump to conclusions
in case Leon had just been trying to mess with his head, but there were a lot
of things going on that just didn’t add up. At least, not to anything that Jake
liked.
“Killer! How did it go?”
Jake’s hackles raised at the sight of Leon and a few other Raptors. Killer,
the man who had apparently just found his way into a brand new Python
membership, grinned.
“It’s all going according to plan.”
“Was that sucker vice president there to see it?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure word will travel fast. There’s no telling what
he’ll do. It’s going to be awesome!”
“I can’t wait to see the look on his face,” Leon said, laughing until he began
to hack and cough. “That stupid son of a bitch. He’s blind! He didn’t even
know Janie was hooked on heroin until it took her out.”
“What a fucking chump!”
Jake’s heart hammered in rage. It took all he had not to take his gun out and
snipe them all from the roof of the warehouse. He was sick and tired of
people talking about Janie like she was just some worthless junkie. Sure,
she had an addiction and it had been her downfall. But there was no reason
to degrade her like that. And he didn’t take too kindly to being ripped on by
useless Raptors either.
But he had to play his hand close to his chest. If the Raptors found out that
he was there, all hell would break loose. He had to find out anything he
could about the meeting with Kent. If he didn’t figure out what was really
going on soon, he was afraid of what he might do. If he acted too rashly, it
could cost him his life. Or worse, the lives of his children. Knowing the
pain of loss was hard enough with his wife, it would be unbearable if
anything happened to JJ or Mary.
“He’s going to be pretty surprised when the shit hits the fan.”
“Yeah, and his fucking nanny too. What the hell was she thinking, going off
on Sin like that? The pair of them seriously have it coming!”
“Hey, do you think they’re shacking up?” one of the guys asked. Everybody
laughed.
“Gross! He’s like seventy!”
“Yeah but she’s too fuckin’ fine. I’d hit that in a heartbeat!”
“She wouldn’t have you, Skunk.”
Jake glowered. She wouldn’t have any of them. Especially not when she
had a real man to take care of her.
But somehow, ever since she had been coming around, he had been taking
fewer risks lately. Maybe being stabbed had been sobering. Either way, it
seemed that with Michelle in his life, he was a little more reluctant to throw
himself into meaningless violence. It hadn’t seemed like such a big deal in
the years he was grieving his wife. Honestly, it was the only thing that kept
him going. It was nice to get out of the house without having to think for a
while and dish it out to the Raptors. Still, he hadn’t gotten to Leon yet, the
self-proclaimed leader of the group, but from the looks of things, he was
going to get his chance sooner than he thought.
The group walked off laughing and joking about Michelle’s body, and it
took every ounce of self-restraint Jake had to keep from ending those thugs
once and for all.
But it wouldn’t be worth it to put himself and his kids at risk. Not yet. He
would play his cards right and stick to the plan. That way, he would be able
to get those fuckers off the streets. Whether Kent liked it or not.
***
When Jake returned to the MC, he was surprised when his cell phone rang
and he picked it up to hear Michelle’s voice. No matter what she was
saying, when he heard her through the phone’s speakers, she sent a pulse of
desire through his body.
“He’s gone,” she hissed. “It’s four in the fucking morning. What is he
doing? You better go now.”
“Right,” Jake said, hanging up immediately and running up the four flights
of stairs to Kent’s office. All of the lights were off, but when he tried the
door, it was unlocked. He had a feeling he would be able to thank Michelle
for that.
Jake crept inside, his heart pounding hard in his chest as he moved slowly
through the receptionist’s area. He hesitated at the doorway for Kent’s
office, half convinced that it was a trap of some kind. But he was going to
have to learn to trust someone eventually, and he wanted that person to be
Michelle more than anything in the world.
He closed his eyes and held his breath as he pushed the office door open. To
his relief, nobody shouted at him, guns didn’t fire, and Kent wasn’t sitting
there glaring with members of the Raptors ready to take him out. The office
was completely empty.
Jake got straight to work, fumbling through the papers in Kent’s office, and
opening and closing drawers, doing his best to keep things basically the
way he had found them, despite his panic. It was difficult, but he managed
and continued his search.
At first, he was disappointed to find nothing, until out of the corner of his
eye, he saw a plant that hadn’t been there before. It was one of the
mourning plants that Jake had been giving away to everybody after Janie’s
funeral. Kent hadn’t wanted a thing to do with it. But now, suddenly, it was
in his office.
Jake walked closer to investigate and saw that the pot was much bigger than
it had to be. In fact, it was two pots stacked on top of each other.
He picked the plant up with a surprised grunt – it was heavier than it
looked, and sat it down on the floor. Jake gasped. Inside was a brick of
brown powder. Heroin. Janie’s killer.
Jake fumbled to get his cell phone out of his pocket and snapped a picture,
his heart racing. Something bad was happening. And he had to protect his
MC at all costs, before Kent drove it into the ground and left them all
vulnerable to the law. With shaking hands, he replaced the plant back on the
windowsill, keeping the heroin right where he found it.
Jake fumed as he left the office. He had been hoping that Leon was wrong.
That maybe he had just been trying to get a rise out of Jake to cause issues
within the MC. But if everybody else knew what Jake knew, they would be
just as eager as he was to oust Kent and restore the Pythons to their natural
order. He was sure of it.
Chapter 18
“Jake?”
Michelle had woken up in the middle of the night. She had done her best to
stay awake until Jake got back, but the kids had thoroughly exhausted her.
Thankfully they went to bed pretty early and she’d gotten a few moments
alone to herself before falling asleep.
Jake didn’t say anything. He was sitting alone in the dark of the living
room, a lit cigarette in his mouth.
“I didn’t know you smoked,” Michelle said, sitting down tentatively beside
him on the couch.
“I quit when Mary was born,” Jake said. “Every once in a while though…”
“What’s the matter?” Michelle asked. She had never seen Jake acting like
this.
“It’s bad, Michelle. And I was too blind to see it for so long.”
“What?”
Jake was being really cryptic and it was starting to make her really nervous.
He hadn’t told her what was going on or why he had to spy on her father,
but it had to be serious. Michelle hoped he would let her in on his thoughts
soon.
“Your father’s been working with them all along,” Jake said. “Probably
even before Janie was killed. In fact, I have half a mind to think she got her
last lethal overdose right here at the MC. I was so confused about how she
would have gotten her hands on it. I had put her in recovery. I was watching
her like a hawk. Your father said he would help me keep an eye on her
when I was working…but now…”
Michelle felt sick. “You mean my father was behind your wife’s death?”
Jake gritted his teeth. “I can blame anybody I want to, but she is the one
who made the first bad choice. She decided to put that shit in her body for
the first time, knowing she had two kids. She had me…”
Jake trailed off and Michelle could sense the pain in his voice. Nothing had
ever been more heartbreaking in her life, and she scooted closer to him and
wrapped an arm around Jake’s shoulder.
“Some people just have demons they can’t fight, no matter who tries to help
them. I’m sure your wife is just one of those people. It’s not like she chose
drugs over her family. But there were probably things in her life that drove
her to feeling like she needed an escape.”
“She did have it rough,” Jake agreed. “Still, I can’t help but feel abandoned.
Or like I should have done something more to save her.”
“No, Jake,” Michelle said, stroking his broad jaw. “You can’t blame
yourself.”
It was dark, but she could feel the intensity of Jake’s gaze as he turned his
head toward her.
“There’s a lot I blame myself for. Like, what kind of man am I really?”
“A good man!” Michelle exclaimed. “The kind of man I would spend the
rest of my life with!”
The words hung in the air and Michelle felt her face grow hot. Why had she
said that? Whether it was true or not, wouldn’t it just scare him away?
Especially when he was feeling vulnerable and mourning his wife. She
should have just kept her mouth shut!
She was worried that she had overstepped her bounds, and so it was
shocking when Jake gripped her hand tightly and her mouth was suddenly
overcome by the feeling of his lips. He hadn’t shaved since he had been
staying in her apartment, and his stubble seared her cheeks as they urgently
kissed, his hands roaming her, desperate for contact with her body.
Jake’s passion was unquenchable, and soon she felt herself being lifted from
the couch. She laughed in surprise when he slung her over his shoulder so
that he could climb the loft. They had gone up there a few times before, but
mostly they had disappeared for random trysts in the bathroom or hidden in
other secret areas. Jake seemed reluctant to intrude upon her privacy.
But tonight, they went into the intimate little space, where Jake’s big,
muscular body filled up much of the room as he hovered over Michelle, his
eyes dark with desire. She surrendered to Jake’s capable hands as he
stripped them both and she closed her eyes as the fire inside of her
awakened at his touch.
Michelle gasped as their bodies touched in the dark and Jake’s cock was
hard against her thighs. He kissed her passionately, their bodies tense with
anticipation. Her body was electrified when he plunged suddenly inside of
her with a deep grunt, and the friction of their bodies rubbing against each
other nearly made her climax right then.
But Jake wasn’t anywhere near done with her. Michelle moaned softly as he
began to quicken his pace. It seemed every time she opened her body to
him, he showed her more and more glimpses of his true raw power. She
wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to handle him at his most unbridled,
but there was a small part of her that was longing to find out.
Jake gently rolled Michelle onto her stomach and propped her waist up in
the air so that her ass was facing him, and she groaned softly as he knelt
behind her and pushed himself in deeply, thrilling her body and causing her
to quake beneath him. She gripped the blankets of the bed as Jake began to
rock his powerful hips against her, careful at first, but soon quickening with
more speed and power and pushing her bodies to its limits.
She gasped as he massaged her inside, hitting her most sensitive bundle of
nerves again and again so that every slight movement felt like an explosion
of bliss in her body.
Soon she was gritting her teeth in an effort not to make sounds that could
wake the children as Jake continued his assault on her senses, refusing to
show her any mercy despite her mounting fervor. Michelle’s abdomen was
tense as she tried to hold back, but Jake seemed determined to bring her to
her limits, and again and again she could feel his powerful muscle tearing
her blissfully in half.
Jake gripped her waist and a grunt escaped his lips that thrilled Michelle
deeply. The dam she had put up to hold back her climax burst open, and
soon she was flooded by wave after wave of ecstasy. Jake tensed up behind
her and she closed her eyes in rapture as he unleashed a torrent of his hot,
liquid desire. He drew out her orgasm as long as he could, until she grew
limp beneath his body.
Jake’s broad body settled down beside her in the bed and she turned toward
him. His face was still brooding. “I know you’re not going to like this, but I
have to bring down this whole operation.”
“What makes you think I wouldn’t like that?” Michelle said with a soft
laugh, lacing her fingers through Jake’s. “I’ve never liked being stuck here
at the MC. As long as my father’s in charge, I can’t do anything except
what he tells me to do.”
Jake’s eyes flashed and he looked seriously at Michelle, stroking the hair
away from her face. “Some people don’t know how to treat a precious
thing. But don’t worry. I’ve got you now.”
Michelle was drawn close to Jake’s warm body and she felt deeply
comforted by his nearness.
“I’m going to figure this out. And when I do, you and I are going to rule
this place. And you’ll be able to do whatever you want, whenever you want.
Your father be damned.”
Michelle jumped slightly at the growl in Jake’s voice, but at the same time
she found it comforting. Jake was a serious man, with serious plans. And if
she could trust anybody to rescue her from the clutches of her father’s MC,
it would be him.
Chapter 19
Jake frowned. Something in the air didn’t feel quite right. He had been
prowling throughout the MC, hoping he could get information from the
other Pythons, but all anybody could seem to talk about was Kent’s plan to
improve the MC. Nobody was talking about the Raptors or the danger that
was threatening Michelle.
“Yeah, he said when everything gets rolling, we’re going to be able to buy a
building downtown and set up shop there! We’ll even have our own
garage!” Jake overheard one of the Pythons saying to his buddy at the bar.
“How is he planning on getting all the money for that?” the guy’s friend
asked, taking a sip of beer.
“He said he’s got a plan, and once everything is set up and ready then we’ll
just have to do what he says and we’ll have everything we ever wanted.
We’ll rule the whole city and then some!”
“We already rule the city!” the man exclaimed.
“Yeah, but without competition!”
“Oh,” the guy said nodding. “Kent’s a smart guy.”
Jake’s stomach dropped. Was it possible that Kent was planning on teaming
up with the Raptors? If the two groups were assimilated into one giant gang,
that would mean Kent would receive the profits from the heroin trade. Is
that what he and Leon had been discussing?
Jake was startled by the sudden ringing of his cell phone and he answered
quickly.
“What?”
“Get up here, Jake. We have a mission for you. It’s important.”
Jake’s chest burned in fury at the sound of Kent’s voice, and he had to do
everything he could to keep from letting his anger come through in his
voice.
“Why? What’s going on?” he asked, doing his best to sound as calm as
possible.
“Trouble with the Raptors,” Kent said. “I’ll tell you more when you get up
here.”
“All right,” Jake said, biting back his growl.
He hung up the phone and walked briskly up the steps, his anger mounting
the closer he got to Kent’s door. But now wasn’t the time. He still had work
to do.
“About time,” Kent said, waving Jake toward the seat in front of his desk.
Jake sat down, glancing at the window where he had seen the mourning
plant from his wife’s funeral the night before. To his surprise, the space in
the window was empty. “I think the man who had been trailing my daughter
is showing inappropriate interest in our warehouse. I need you to quench
that at once.”
“Of course, sir.”
Jake rose.
“And one more thing. There’s a document he may be carrying. It’s
imperative that I get my hands on it. I want you to do whatever you can to
get it from him. It will tell us what is in the next Raptor shipment. I am
planning a raid. It will bring our MC quite a lot of wealth if we succeed.”
“Right,” Jake said, pushing through the heavy door. He was surprised to
find Michelle and his kids walking into the reception area.
“Hey,” he said, raising an eyebrow.
“Daddy!” Mary exclaimed, running to hug him. He lifted her up into his
arms and grinned at her.
“Hey there, sweetheart. What are you guys up to?”
He directed the question at Michelle. He wanted his kids as far away from
Kent as possible, but there was no way he could say that to her out loud.
Not with him right there in his office.
“My father asked me to get some work done for him. Apparently there’s a
big shipment set for the Raptors and we’re going to intercept it.”
“I heard about that,” Jake said, glancing over his shoulder at Kent’s
doorway. “I’m about to get to work.”
“Oh, all right,” Michelle said. “You kids mind hanging out in the office with
me?”
“Sure!”
Jake glowered, but he didn’t have time to protest. From the sound of it, he
was going to have a chance to get more information at the docks. He would
just have to trust Michelle to keep his kids safe from Kent. If he showed too
much suspicion, who knew what would happen? It would have to be an
ambush on his part and the whole MC would have to be in on it. It would
take some planning and he might not succeed. Still, it was worth a try. He
would do anything to keep Kent from corrupting the very streets his
children were going to grow up on.
“All right, gotta go,” Jake said, kissing Mary on the cheek and setting her
down. He ruffled JJ’s hair and looked longingly at Michelle. He couldn’t
kiss her goodbye like he was longing to do. It was still bizarre for a man his
age to be interested in such a young woman, and he couldn’t bring himself
to be open in his attraction to her, even in front of his kids. But she seemed
to understand the meaning of his gaze and smiled privately at him.
“Come back soon,” she said.
Jake gazed, mystified by the beauty of her face, and then smiled back. “Of
course. See you later.”
Jake turned away, his mission clear in his head. He would go to the docks
and learn all he could about the Raptors and their plans with Kent. And
then, if he wasn’t killed in the process, he would take the information back
to the MC and deal with Kent himself.
Chapter 20
Michelle’s eyes narrowed as she looked through the documents that her
father had demanded she enter into the computer. If Jake was right about
what her father was doing, then that meant things were a lot further along
than he thought. According to his records, he was planning on having a
mysterious stream of cash coming in from an unnamed source. It didn’t take
much to guess what that source was going to be now. Especially not after
seeing the picture that Jake had taken in Kent’s office.
Michelle frowned when she found a piece of paper that stood out from the
others. It was on a different type of stationary that had an almost
imperceptible R stamped at the header. It didn’t look like it belonged in the
folder of documents where she had found it. In fact, it was stuck between
two pages of a specific report.
As she read through the document, cold fear began to course through her
body. The letter was on Raptor’s stationary. It was talking about replacing
Jake as vice president with Leon of the Raptors. How could her father do
that to him?
“Michelle, I have more information for you to enter,” Kent called on the
loudspeaker.
Michelle stood, casting a glance at the kids. She was reluctant to leave
them, but her father clearly meant for her to come in and get the documents
herself. It was silly to worry about going into his office for just a few
moments, right?
She inhaled deeply and stepped into the office, looking darkly at her father.
The more she learned about him, the more she hated him. How could he
have betrayed Jake so deeply? Even to the point of having his wife killed?
What had Jake done to him? It was ruthless.
“What?” Kent asked, apparently able to sense the bitterness in her mood.
“I just wish you would tell me more, I guess. Everything is such a big dark
secret around here, and I still feel like you treat me like a little girl who
can’t handle anything.”
Kent chuckled deeply and leaned back in his chair.
“Just what do you want me to trust you with, princess? You haven’t done
too much to move up around here. I was under the impression you hated the
MC business.”
He had her there, but Michelle smiled. “I hate a lot of it, yeah, like how it
used to keep you from spending time with me.”
“We spend time together all the time, sugar!” Kent exclaimed. “You work
right next door to me.”
“Yeah…” Michelle sighed. Kent raised an eyebrow.
“Look, there are just some things it’s better people don’t know, all right?
And it doesn’t matter how you feel about it.”
“Like nobody should know that you’re going to get rid of Jake and replace
him with Leon from the Raptors?”
Kent’s face paled and he looked at Michelle in disbelief. “Where did you
hear a thing like that?”
“In a letter stuffed in between one of those documents you wanted me to
enter. What the hell is going on?”
Kent’s eyes grew dark and Michelle froze. She knew that look. She had
crossed the line. Why had she opened her mouth about it? She was just so
angry. How could her father really be such a horrible person?
“Oh, princess, you’re going to regret laying eyes on that,” Kent said.
“What, you didn’t want me to enter it into the database?” Michelle asked,
her voice quavering. “Was that a mistake?”
Kent rose from his seat. “Sit down.”
Michelle stared at her father defiantly, anger bubbling in her chest. “No.”
Kent took in her defiance and nodded, a strange grin on his face.
“All right. Kids, get in here!” Kent shouted.
“No!”
But before Michelle’s warning could reach them, the door opened and Mary
and JJ walked in laughing, gripping the motorcycles in their little hands.
JJ’s eyes widened when he saw Kent standing up, and Michelle gasped as
her father pulled out his gun.
“Hi kids! Welcome to my office. We have some talking to do.”
“Leave them out of this!”
“No! It concerns their worthless family, too! They should know what scum
they’re spawned from.”
“Don’t listen to him, kids,” Michelle said as gently as she could. She smiled
kindly at them. “Cover your ears.”
They whimpered and obeyed, and Michelle looked hard at her father.
“Answer me. Are you responsible for killing Jake’s wife? The mother of
those poor children?”
“That weak-willed little shit killed herself,” Kent said. “Where and how she
got her fix doesn’t matter. It was her choice to leave those kids and her
choice alone. Jake has always been after the president’s position. He didn’t
give a shit about anything but kicking me out of my own MC!”
“That’s not true!” Michelle exclaimed. Never had she considered Jake to be
power hungry like that. What was wrong with her father?
“I had to take him down a peg or two. That’s why I got the heroin for Janie.
That’s why!”
Michelle tried her best to cover the kid’s ears and shield their faces with her
body.
“Stop! Just shut the hell up, you son of a –“
But Kent’s expression had gone slack, and his eyes were wild with an
expression that chilled Michelle to the bone. What were they going to do?
Chapter 21
It took no time at all for Jake to locate the Raptor Kent had instructed him
to find. He was poking around in Kent’s warehouse, taking notes and
making stock of the weapons that the MC had stored there.
“Find anything interesting?” Jake asked. The Raptor jumped, startled from
his task, but soon, a sly grin crept across his face.
“I have now,” he said.
Jake braced himself for the hit when the Raptor lunged at him and soon they
were brawling. Jake knocked the kid across the room and into one of the
storage containers, and he hit hard, shouting out in pain.
Jake covered the distance between himself and the Raptor quickly,
punching him square in the face and knocking him unconscious. He quickly
searched the man’s pockets, easily finding the documents that Kent had
promised would be in the Raptor’s possession.
He unfolded them quickly, eager to discover what it was that Kent had
found to be so important.
“I know you were in my office. Joke’s on you.”
Jake furrowed his brow and read the message over again, flipping it over.
Suddenly, he heard a cackle, and Leon and a huge group of Raptors were
coming out of hiding from behind the crates in the warehouse.
“Kent set me up,” Jake said, the realization dawning on him. Normally, he
would have been hurt, betrayed, and horrified. But the truth was that he was
relieved. Because he had anticipated a bigger fight than what Kent had
suggested, and he had his own band of Pythons outside just waiting for his
signal.
“Well what took you so long to figure that out?” Leon asked, walking
slowly toward Jake, balling his fists. They were both ready for a good fight.
“I knew it!” Jake shouted, loud enough for Tommy and the rest of the boys
to hear.
A righteous roar of fury coming from just outside the warehouse wiped the
smug grins off the faces of the Raptors, and soon the space was flooded
with angry Pythons. The anger and betrayal on their faces was impossible to
ignore, and they went after the Raptors with a vengeance. Tommy started
toward Leon and Jake gripped his arm.
“That one is mine,” he said darkly. Tommy nodded, taking off into the
crowd after a different Raptor.
Leon and Jake stared off, Jake’s fists clenched as he walked toward that
piece of shit man. He had spent endless hours of his life imagining the
sweet vengeance he would inflict on Leon when he got the chance, but Kent
had always told him that it would be better to keep his anger at bay. Leon
was the leader of the Raptors after all. Why bark up the wrong tree, right?
But now, there was nothing to keep him from going after Leon. Jake threw
his fist at the man’s face, relishing in the satisfaction of landing the blow.
He had waited far too long to do this. It felt good to finally get his revenge.
Leon stumbled backward, he was a much smaller man than Jake and it
almost seemed unfair to take all his rage out at once. Still, it felt too good to
stop.
He went into a blind rage, his fists connecting with flesh until finally
Tommy’s hands were on his shoulders and pulling him up.
“It’s done now, man,” Tommy said. “Time to go.”
Jake blinked hard and looked down at Leon’s face. It was a bloody heap and
he was struggling to breathe. If his buddies didn’t take care of him, he
wasn’t going to make it through the night. And good riddance.
Jake stood, glancing around the room at the carnage. The Pythons had done
their damage, leaving injured and passed out bodies of Raptors everywhere.
Most of the Pythons had scattered back to the MC for victory drinks. Jake
had made it clear that he would take care of Kent himself if he was right
about the betrayal. And now that he was, there was nothing he wanted more
than to give that slimy piece of shit the beating of his life.
***
Jake headed immediately up to Kent’s office, not bothering to check on
Michelle and the kids first. He burst through the door, and froze mid-step.
“Easy there, Jake,” Kent said, turning the gun on him. “Wouldn’t want
anything funny to happen.”
Michelle’s eyes were wide, and she shook her head slightly. That’s when
Jake noticed JJ and Mary, cowering behind her, silent tears streaming down
their faces.
“What the fuck is going on here? Have you lost your mind?” Jake
demanded.
“Ah, ah, ah,” Kent said, waving his gun in the air. “I don’t think you’re in
any position to try talking tough.”
Jake considered this. If anything happened to Michelle or the kids on
account of him, he would never forgive himself. But he had to do
something.
“You know, my daughter has this obnoxious tendency to try to guilt trip me
into second-guessing my strategies. You’d think she was the one who
wanted to run the MC or something. But that’s ridiculous isn’t it.”
“You keep your filthy fucking hands off of her,” Jake warned. “And get
away from my kids before you regret it.”
“Still talking tough, huh?” Kent said, tsking and shaking his head. “You’d
think losing your worthless wife would have wised you up a bit.”
“Oh, you know meatheads like me,” Jake said, walking slowly toward Kent.
“It takes a lot to get that kind of thing through our heads.”
Kent opened his mouth to reply but Jake dodged out of the sight of the gun
and tackled Kent around his waist. Kent cried out in surprise and flailed,
waving the gun in the air. Jake gripped Kent’s wrist. He was tired of looking
like a timid little puppy dog. Michelle may have brought out his softer side,
but that didn’t mean he had to be neutered.
“Get the kids out of here,” Jake yelled. “Now!”
Michelle didn’t think twice before ushering the kids in front of her, using
her body as a shield to protect them from her father. The sight filled Jake
with conflicting emotions. Tenderness toward a woman who would give her
life for his children, and hatred for the man who would make his own
daughter make that choice.
“You’re going to regret ever coming near my family,” Jake growled into
Kent’s face. “And the way you’ve treated your daughter.”
“What do you know about my daughter?” Kent sneered. Jake headbutted
him hard, wiping the grin off his face.
“I know a hell of a lot more than you do. More than you ever will or
deserve to know. And when I get rid of your slimy ass, I’m going to marry
that woman. I’m going to make this our MC once and for all!”
Kent’s face filled with rage and he shouted out in fury, shoving Jake back
with surprising strength. It caught him off guard, and Kent landed a blow on
his face that sent Jake staggering backwards. He aimed his gun at Jake and
fired.
Jake cried out in agony as the bullet tore through the flesh of his shoulder
and gripped it. Kent laughed.
“You think you’re going to marry my daughter without my blessing?” Kent
exclaimed, his hand shaking. He thought he had the upper hand, and
seemed to be waiting for Jake to fall to his knees. He aimed the gun at Jake
again, ready to fire.
Jake rolled out of the way just in time and reached into the holster inside his
vest. He aimed at Kent and fired once, and Kent fell to the ground without a
sound. Jake got to his feet and looked down at the bloody mess on the
ground. It was a shame things couldn’t have ended better. But at least
Michelle and his children were safe.
Still, breaking the news to Michelle would be difficult. Whether he was a
twisted son of a bitch or not, he was still her father.
Jake heaved a heavy sigh and put his gun away in its holster. He wanted
nothing more than to hold Michelle and his kids close and tell them that he
would always be there for them, no matter what happened.
Chapter 22
Michelle rocked Mary gently as JJ squeezed her hand. They had heard the
gunshots fire, and all of them were terrified about what the sounds might
mean. Michelle knew that all of them were worried about the same thing:
Jake.
She had retrieved her pistol after she rushed the kids into her apartment and
locked the doors, unable to bring herself to leave the MC completely
without knowing that Jake was okay. She hoped that her father wouldn’t
have it in him to harm innocent children, but when he had held them
hostage in his office, the only thing that seemed to matter was that they
were Jake’s children.
Jake, her father claimed, had always been after the president’s position from
the beginning. It had quickly become clear that her father had been going
mad with paranoia, and Jake had been the target of all his madness. The
kids had heard far too much and yet they seemed too shocked to cry now.
All they could do was cling to Michelle and wait, hoping that their father
and not Kent would come through the apartment door.
Michelle’s heart jolted in terror and desperate hope when she heard the
rattling of the doorknob, and she ran to the door, leaving the kids on the
couch.
“Go in the bedroom,” she hissed. “Quick and shut the door until I say.”
They got up slowly as if in a daze, but before they had a chance to run, the
door opened slowly.
“Got room for one more?”
“Daddy!” The kids screamed in unison, rushing past Michelle to cling to
their father. Jake cringed in pain but lifted both kids in his arms, kissing
them all over before turning his gaze on Michelle.
“Your father is dead,” he said, his face tired.
Michelle’s heart lurched. “I know.”
Jake wouldn’t have left him alive. She had been kidding herself to think that
he wasn’t a hardcore biker deep down. He would do anything to protect the
people he cared about. But instead of being disgusted by it now, Michelle
was glad. Tears of relief began to stream from her eyes and she embraced
Jake and the kids. They all held each other tightly before Jake finally pulled
away.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
***
“You’re hurt,” Michelle realized, once they made it back to Jake’s house.
He had done everything to keep his face blank as they traveled away from
the hellish nightmare at the MC, but now that they had put the kids to bed
early and were sitting in the kitchen together, Michelle finally had a chance
to examine Jake closely.
“It’s just a graze,” Jake said.
“Still, we have to make sure it doesn’t get infected. Come on.”
Jake sighed heavily and followed Michelle back into the big bathroom
where he kept his first-aid supplies. She had him sit on the edge of the
bathtub, like she had the first time, though it felt like centuries since she had
treated him for a stab wound.
“I’m sorry, Michelle,” Jake said miserably after she had finished cleaning
and bandaging his wound. They were laying together on Jake’s bed, and his
eyes were narrowed with pain. “I killed your father.”
“Jake, you had no choice. It’s terrible, but it’s the way it had to be.”
“Still!” Jake exclaimed.
Michelle raised her eyebrow at Jake and smiled. “He had a gun to me, Jake.
You know he would have done the same to us.
“But he’s your dad,” Jake sighed.
Michelle shook her head and climbed on top of Jake, laying a gentle kiss on
his lips.
“Well you can take care of me now,” she said, kissing him gently all over
his broad chest. She had been so sure she would never be able to see him
again, never able to kiss him and feel his strong arms around her.
“You know I will,” Jake said, his eyes fixed seriously on her. “Always.”
“I know,” Michelle said.
She closed her eyes as Jake kissed her tenderly, reaching to his thighs to
feel the bulge of his manhood under her palm. What would she have done if
she had never been able to touch him again? To feel him inside of her?
Michelle let out a laugh of surprise when Jake flipped her onto her back and
gazed at her, his eyes dark with need.
“Be careful of your shoulder,” she scolded quietly. But the thrill of his body
on top of hers was too much to resist. Jake grinned and stripped Michelle’s
shirt off, dropping hot kisses down her breasts as he made her middle
acutely aware of his urgent desire.
“Make me,” he said with a grin.
Michelle closed her eyes as Jake rocked her body blissfully, waves of heat
crashing over her as again and again he thrust inside of her, bringing their
bodies closer and closer to a climax unlike any she had ever had. She
gasped and gripped the headboard of the bed as Jake’s cock sent thrill after
thrill surging through her body, until she could no longer hold back.
Jake’s body responded in kind, and she felt him swell inside of her as he
drew closer to his release. Finally, she felt him unload it all, all the fury,
tension, and relief of the day inside of her, bringing her to a state of rapture
unlike anything she had ever experienced. Jake penetrated her again and
again, drawing out her orgasm until they were both hissing with the power
of their ecstasy.
They collapsed in exhaustion and Jake held Michelle close to his broad
chest, kissing her head fervently.
“You’re mine now, you know,” he said, matter-of-factly.
Michelle smiled, warmth coursing through her body. For the first time in
her life, she felt safe. And not only that, but she felt free. And that was all
because of Jake.
“Good,” she said. “Because I love you.”
Jake grinned down at her, his handsome face bright and relaxed for the first
time that day.
“I love you, too,” he said. “Now let’s get some sleep.”
Jake laid back against the big pillows and covered Michelle up, and soon
she fell into a blissful, post-coital sleep.
Epilogue
The MC was bustling for the next couple of weeks as the Pythons arranged
the burial of Kent and made it official that Jake was now the president of
the MC. Over half the gang had seen Kent’s betrayal first-hand and would
stand for nothing less than seeing Jake as their leader.
He had fallen easily into the role, almost as easily as Mary and JJ had
accepted the idea of their father and Michelle being a couple.
“Does that mean you will be my mommy?” Mary exclaimed.
JJ’s eyes darkened with sadness and Michelle had smiled gently. “I’ll never
replace your real mommy,” she said. “But I will always do my best to love
you and take care of you.”
This was good enough for Mary, who squealed in delight. Michelle winked
at JJ, and both kids had embraced her tightly before running upstairs
chattering about how great it would be to have Michelle in the house all the
time.
But Jake apparently had other plans.
“Look,” he said, surprising her by coming home early after a long week at
the MC. He gave her a thick envelope and Michelle furrowed her eyebrows
in confusion.
“What’s this?” she asked, taking it tentatively.
“Open it!” Jake urged. The kids were still at school, so the house was
completely quiet when Michelle gasped in surprise.
“You can’t be serious,” Michelle whispered.
“I’m very serious,” Jake said. Michelle embraced him.
“But how?!”
“Simple. You just go register for classes and buy your books. Then you
show them what a brilliant, sexy woman you are and graduate with honors.”
Michelle laughed, tears streaming down her face. “This is unbelievable.”
“And, I have another surprise for you,” Jake said, leading her to the door.
They stepped outside and Michelle’s heart hammered hard in her chest.
“You’re kidding me…”
In the driveway was a beautiful blue car. It was brand new. Jake grinned and
handed Michelle the keys.
“I figure we’re going to need something better than that crummy station
wagon Janie had been driving. I sold it and used it to pay for part of this.
Now you can go to class on your own time, and it’s big enough for the kids,
too.”
“I can’t even drive,” Michelle exclaimed, close to tears.
“I guess that’s where surprise number three comes in,” Jake said. “We’re
going to the DMV. Right now. We’re going to get you your permit. I know
you already know the rules of the road. I’ve seen that driver’s book you
don’t think I know about.”
Now Michelle was fully crying and Jake picked her up in his arms.
“Come on, I told you I’d take care of you.”
Michelle nodded, laughing through her tears.
“All right then. You ready for this?”
“Yeah,” Michelle said, her eyes shining. “Let’s go.”
Jake stooped down to kiss Michelle tenderly.
“Hell yeah,” he said.
THE END
ACE
Ace eyed the street carefully. Red Hook was not out of the territory he rode,
no part of Brooklyn was, but it wasn’t his usual hangout either. The street
was barely populated. Very few cars rode its length, and the industrial
buildings looked grimy and half-dead under the blazing August sun. The
stink of trash on the curb caught his nose, as the wind kicked up a little
breeze that did nothing to beat back the temperature.
The crowded industrial apartments drew his eye. He got off the bike and
headed into the door. The elevator sat dead ahead but he ignored it.
Elevators were a damn good place to get jammed up, and shot up too. They
were death coffins and he was not about to get caught in one if he could
help it.
His long legs ate the distance as he raced up the stairs to the fifth floor. The
apartment that he was looking for was on his right. Ace’s hand went to his
waist. The reassuring shape of the gun met his fingers. His knuckles of the
other hand rapped at the door and it opened to reveal a sallow character
with yellowing teeth and shifty eyes.
Ace spoke. “Pick up time Corey.”
Corey’s neck, thin as an arm, wobbled back and forth. His protruding Adam
apple bobbed up and down. His eyes swept the hallway past Ace and every
single one of Ace’s muscles tightened.
Corey said, “Come in. They got cameras out there now.”
Goddammit. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He stepped inside
anyway, his eyes scanning every piece of furniture that might hide a person
waiting to take him down and out.
Corey wiped his sweating forehead. Ace felt suspicion climb higher. Corey
wasn’t the best guy to trust under any circumstances. He was geeked up on
crank, and he came off those crank binges with heaping handfuls of oxy.
Corey said, in a high and trembling voice. “I didn’t ask to get stuck
babysitting your crew’s cash you know.”
Ace eyed him carefully. Corey wanted something. Might as well find out
what it was. “Where’s the cash? Don’t tell me it’s light either. Then tell me
what you want. If you tell me you used some of our cash to get your geek
on I’m killing you here and now.”
Corey yanked at the cabinet that held the Murphy bed. It came down with a
bang, and he grabbed the bags. His head moved from side to side. “Nah, it
ain’t right. I don’t wanna die or nothing.”
No? Ace quickly counted cash, his fingers way faster than normal. He said,
“So you want a cut?’
Corey swallowed hard. His horsey teeth showed again. “Is that so bad?”
“No.”
Corey’s arms crossed over his chest. He did a little speed freak shuffle.
“You holding?”
“You know I’m not.” Ace didn’t mess with drugs. Not him. He reached into
a pocket, peeled off a couple of Benjamins. He threw them down on a table
littered with trash. “That’s for your twenty-four hours of trouble.’
Corey snatched the money up. A thick film of greasy sweat covered his
face. The airless room, filled with the stench of burned meth, drew in tighter
around Ace.
Corey said, “Thanks man. I’m down for your crew. You know that.”
“Yeah sure.”
Ace left, closing the door firmly. His legs took him back down the stairs.
His eyes scanned the street. No way did he trust Corey not to tell a bunch of
his equally tweaked friends that he was holding lots of cash. Corey might be
afraid to cross the Brooklyn Son’s, but if someone else did, well how did
that impact Corey?
Ace slung a leg over his bike. The leather seat burned under his denim clad
ass.
The heavy leather jacket he wore, emblazoned with the Brooklyn’s Sons
patch, was a particular misery, but one he wore with pride. Not everyone
could get into the MC, and most prospects failed. He’d done it though, and
then he had climbed the ranks until he was the second-in command. Six
months ago, their crew leader got caught on the bad end of a slippery road
and went down, breaking his neck in the process. Now Ace was the crew
leader of the most badass club in the Northeast, and if the jacket was too hot
on a day like that, so what? He’d suffered a lot to have it.
He pulled onto the street. Taxis weren’t plentiful on that side of Brooklyn
and neither were buses, both things he truly hated being stuck behind. He
headed toward Greenpoint, riding along slow and easy.
There was a large amount of money in his saddlebag, and he had to drop it
off at a high stakes card game. A card game that he and his crew took a cut
of every week just like they took a cut of the cash that flowed in and out of
the borough in the form of other illicit activities.
Some of the others in the crew handled the drug money. Ace wouldn’t go
near dope, and it irritated him that Corey had asked him if he were holding.
Not that Corey could have known why Ace didn’t mess with that shit.
His hand tightened on the throttle, sending the bike forward at a higher rate
of speed. He didn’t want to think about Margo. He really didn’t.
He did anyway.
It was hard not to.
She was his cousin, and they had grown up together. They’d been tight,
facing down everything from their sorry mothers leaving them home alone
and hungry at night so they could go out and party. When Margo had been
fourteen Ace had hit her then-stepfather with a baseball bat, repeatedly, for
laying a hand on Margo in a way he should have reserved for his wife.
Margo had returned the favor by stepping in when thirteen-year-old Ace
had been outnumbered and facing down a whole lot of pissed off gang
members whose streets he’d gone down by accident.
Margo had run right into the middle of that mess, grabbed him by the arm,
and hauled him out before anyone could even get close.
They were more like brother and sister than cousins, and her death had hit
Ace so hard he had thought he might not recover. He had, but it had been
hard to do. His grief had lessened, but not his rage.
And that rage was directed right at Walker, the leader of the Queen’s Men,
an MC from Queens.
The bike purred along toward Williamsburg. His pleasant ride was
interrupted when he spotted a young woman walking along in front of a row
of trendy shops and boutiques. His booted heel hit the asphalt as he stopped
for a light. He recognized her of course. She was Julia, Walker’s youngest
sister.
Ace’s eyes crawled over her. Julia was gorgeous, all long legs and
shimmering brown hair framing a pale, oval face with wide blue eyes set
below dark brows. She had a long thin straight nose, wide Julia Robert’s
style-lips, and her tall and thin body had elegant curves of breast and hips.
The outfit she wore, a summery little dress that swirled around her tanned
and slender legs, was perfect. She could have been a model. Was a model in
fact, though not a famous one? Ace knew she did mostly print ads and the
like, earning money to put herself through design school. Ace made it his
business to know everything about Walker, and what he knew right then
was that Walker’s baby sister was in his territory, and she was alone.
Interesting.
The light changed. His foot came up, but then he wavered. His eyes
watched her enter the store and then he was moving on, past it. He groaned
and turned around.
Julia had always fascinated him. The fact that she was Walker’s sister made
her off limits.
Or did it.
A diabolical plan formed in his mind. A wicked grin crossed his well-made
mouth. He took the bike to the curb. He got off, and strolled to the
windows, peeking in. Julia was inside, not shopping but standing behind a
counter.
She worked there then?
His eyes went to the awning. It was a trendy little boutique and the
garments in the windows, arranged artfully so that he could see past them to
the store’s interior, were obviously expensive.
He made a mental note of the store and then went back to his bike and
headed toward Greenpoint.
Chapter 2
Walker stood at the top of the stairs that Julia was trying to go down,
blocking the way. His eyes ran along her body in a very unbrotherly way.
He said, “Where are you going?”
Goddammit. Not this and not now. Julia managed a tight smile. “Work. I
told you I got a new job.”
Walker’s eyebrows lifted. “You get back here right after. Pete wants to take
you to dinner.”
Her skin crawled. No way did she want to go anywhere with Pete. That
horny bastard was just as likely to bum rush into the trunk of a car and off
to a hotel where he could force her into sex without worry than he was to
foot the bill for a meal and she knew it. “I don’t know how late I have to
stay.”
Walker’s hand lashed out, meeting her cheek. Julia had enough experience
with Walker’s brutality to get back from that hand when it came up, but
even a glancing blow from Walker was enough to cause pain to explode in
her face. Tears welled up but she blinked them back.
Walker’s belligerence came out in full force. “I said get back here soon.”
Walker stepped back, apparently satisfied. “You should be happy Pete wants
to take you off my hands. I mean, what good are you anyway? You’re not
getting many modeling jobs lately and you’re wasting time at that damn
school you spend all your money going to. If you were really smart you’d
be a lawyer, and stop mooning over making clothes for those rich fuckers
that already have people to buy shit from. We could use a lawyer in the
family.”
Julia knew better than to speak just then. How could she say anything? Any
answer would be met with an escalating degree of violence.
Walker was her half-brother but she feared him far more than anyone else in
his crew and with good reason.
She nodded dumbly. Her mouth formed a yes but her heart screamed no. No
to Pete. No to leaving the design school she had clawed her way into. No to
him, no to living the hellish life she’d been thrust into when her mother
died.
Walker stepped back. “I’m expecting you to have your ass here by seven
and no later. If you got something else planned you cancel it. Don’t make
me come looking for you.”
Julia swallowed back the salty lump in her throat. “Seven. I’ll be here.”
She fled, running out of the house and toward the bus that would deposit
her at her new job while thoughts flew around her head.
She had to do something about Walker and fast. To start with she needed to
get the hell out of Queens and out of his grasp. It was too expensive in
Williamsburg, especially on a student’s budget. The jobs she worked barely
touched the very large amount of debt hanging over her.
Walker wanted her to quit school and he wanted her to get with one of his
boys. Pete was someone that Walker needed to take on the larger dealers in
Manhattan, and to ride over the crews out in the outer boroughs, but he was
the last thing she needed. Pete had a habit of hitting his girlfriends and
hitting the bag too, not the punching bag—the bags the dope came in.
Walker was pissed at Julia and she knew it. He had no issue with trying to
bring his MC into a higher status by using his sister’s bodies. He’d forced
Naomi into becoming his first in command’s old lady, a term that meant that
guy never had to wed Naomi and never had to do more than claim her and
the kids they had together. Walker said it was loyalty, that Naomi was loyal
and so was her husband, Charlie. So, apparently was their other sister Carla,
who was a brassy haired mess and strung out on the same dope she handed
off to her ‘girls’, the hookers she ran for the MC. Carla and Naomi were
loyal, but if loyalty meant having to live under Walker’s brutal thumb, then
Julia was happy not being loyal.
The problem was if she didn’t get out of Queens soon, and very soon, and
as far from Walker as she could get, she was going to get in that mess he
called a family whether she wanted to be or not.
She, Walker, Naomi, and Carla had different mothers, which explained the
nearly decade long gap between Julia and Carla, the youngest of that
woman’s children. Julia knew her mother had regretted dating Walker’s
father, and hard, and had not wanted her daughter anywhere around that
crew but when she had died from cancer when Julia was just fourteen that
was just where Julia had ended up.
Now she was nineteen, and she wanted out. The only problem was Walker,
who was forty and the undisputed leader of the crew now that his father was
dead, had no intention of letting her go. He did not give a damn about her
desires. What he cared about was what her youth and beauty could buy him,
and what it would buy was Pete and his connections.
The store finally came into view and she left the bus she had boarded and
hurried inside. Corinne, one of the other salesgirls, eyed her warily. “What
happened to you?”
“There’s some crazy guy near my place. He clocked me good.”
Corinne’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God. I hope you called the cops!”
“Of course, I did but I had to leave to get to work. I hope they still do
something about him.”
She hung her coat on a hook inside a small cupboard and asked, “How’s it
going today?”
Corrine grimaced, “We’ve had a few customers. Lots of the hipsters stopped
in earlier but there’s been some real shoppers.”
Julia managed to laugh. “Oh, you mean the hipsters that come in to
ironically try on our clothes so they can make fun of the fashion and the
cost later over their expensive craft drinks and appetizers?
Corinne grinned back. “Yeah. Well, I’m out. Have fun.”
Corinne grabbed her stuff and left, leaving Julia alone in the store.
Julia blew out an agitated breath as she looked around the empty store. The
shop paid on a commission basis, and she needed cash fast. She had been
short on modeling work lately, and she knew that was her own fault. She
didn’t have the time to run down gigs now that she was in college full time,
and the constant commute between Manhattan for school and her home in
Queens took hours out of her days.
The door opened again and she looked up with a smile that died
immediately as she saw Ace strutting through the door.
Her shoulders went rigid with tension. Working in Brooklyn meant
chancing running into him or one of his crew, but so did working anywhere
in the sprawling NYC area. Crews were everywhere, and in Manhattan she
had to face down the Knights, the Wicked ran the Bronx, and Staten Island
had the Furies. None of them would have been able to guess who she was at
first glance since she looked nothing like Walker and because she had
always managed to put distance between herself and the club in some way
or another. He knew what she looked like though because Ace’s cousin
Margo had been a regular around the neighborhood and the club after Ace
had demanded everyone on his crew cut her off.
One night, back when Julia had first been packed up by the social worker
and dropped into Walker’s lap, Margo had been overdosed on some pure
heroin someone had tossed her. They were not being generous. They had
given it to her to find out just how much it needed to be cut. The joke was
that if it could kill Margo it needed a boot heel in it.
It had been Julia who had found Ace’s number in Margo’s jeans, and called
him after she had found the comatose woman in the middle of the floor of
the otherwise empty multi-family house the crew used for their drug
running and to which Julia had been sent to retrieve a package for Walker.
She had not known, at the time, that Ace was in a different crew or that
Margo’s near-death would ignite an already inflammatory situation.
Then when Margo had died later that day he had come alone, riding hard, in
the middle of the night, determined to blow the whole goddamn borough up
around their ears. He would have, if one of his crew hadn’t shown up and
dragged him off before any real damage could be done.
He had not burned them down that night, and he had never told Walker how
he had found his cousin that night either. Julia had never forgotten his face
staring at her as he sat on his bike, the unconscious Margo dangling limply
in front of him.
He’d said, “You never saw me kid.”
She had shaken her head, suddenly understanding just what she had done.
Ace had given her a hard smile. “Who are you anyway?”
“I’m Julia.”
“I mean to Walker. You’re too young to be his old lady. Last I heard he
wasn’t running kids. If I find out he is I will torch the joint too. There’s a
line nobody gets to cross.’
She had not even known what that meant and it must have shown on her
face because he kicked the bike to life. She blurted out, “Walker’s my half-
brother. I don’t know him well. My mom just died and I had to come live
with him.”
“Tough luck, kid,” Ace had said and then driven off into the night. She had
not seen him since and the truth was she had hoped she never would either.
He eyed her carefully. Her face heated. Did he recognize her? It would be
hard not to recognize him. His face was all lean angles and blazing blue
eyes, tanned skin, cruel lips and stubborn chin. He was trim and toned and
very muscular. The jeans he wore fit him like a glove. He moved like a man
in his twenties, which he damn sure wasn’t. He was closer to Walker’s age,
nearly forty, but there was not a trace of silver or gray anywhere in his black
hair. He had taken his jacket off, which was odd. Unless he didn’t want to
be recognized.
She asked, “are you looking for something in particular sir?’
She moved toward him, her heart hammering in her chest as she walked
across the narrow confines of the shop’s floor.
Ace’s eyes slid over her face, probing at hers. She didn’t drop her eyes and
she fixed a wide and pleasant smile on her face. He lifted a brow, quirking it
upward just a bit. One corner of his mouth came up but he didn’t look any
less hardened and dangerous even with that tiny half smile on his lips.
“I might be.”
He didn’t recognize her! Relived at that Julia took a few more steps toward
him. “Oh? We have an excellent men’s section. Are you looking for a suit
perhaps? Or a shirt?”
“I don’t know.” His smile got wider and she paused. Her heart kicked into a
higher gear, the palms of her hands breaking out into a little sweat. A flutter
began in her belly. There was something very powerful and magnetic about
him, and the tug she felt in her center told her she should back away and
none too slowly. She was in the wrong borough to be checking him out,
even if those jeans did sculpt his body perfectly. Looking up was no help at
all. All she could see was his wide and deep chest and broad shoulders, the
way his shirt lay flat at his taut midriff.
He said, “So, what do you recommend?”
“Um, maybe a royal blue shirt and a silk tie.”
The words made her want to laugh. No way did he belong in a dress shirt
and tie. Leather yes, a suit? Never.
Ace nodded. “Yeah, no. Not today, anyway. Maybe another day. See you
later.”
She gazed after him, her eyes clinging to the high and firm slopes of his ass.
Danger was everywhere. She could not afford to have him recognize her,
and yet she wanted to call after him, give him her name and see if he
remembered it. How could he have, really? She had been a skinny awkward
kid with frizzy hair and eyes hidden behind thick glassed at fourteen.
She had gotten her first print ad because an agent saw her and decided she
would be perfect to portray the nerdy gamer girls that the product he was
scouting out models for was hoping to target. It hadn’t taken her long to
understand that she had something she could use, something that might give
her a way out. Clothes were there and she had not been above taking some
for herself at a shoot and she knew she could have been fired for that from
any number of jobs but Walker could have cared less what she wore, or if
she wore anything at all.
Julia had had to grow up fast in that house. She had learned how to defend
herself against drunk guys who forgot whose sister she was, and to fend for
herself with money too. She got a job at sixteen and eked out a minor
amount of money working as a model, and a little more working at pizza
joints and coffee shops. The modeling opened her eyes to what she really
wanted to do. She not only wanted to wear beautiful clothes, she wanted to
create them.
She would never do anything if she didn’t get away from Walker. She had
to do it before he forced her into Pete’s bed.
Chapter 3
Ace was amused by the encounter. He doubted Julia knew who he was. He
had kept a close eye on her over the years though. A very close eye. He
owed her for calling him that night back when she had just been a kid and
he never forgot when he owed someone something.
He owed Walker a lot of pain, and he was damn sure not forgetting that.
He had watched Julia occasionally over the years. She was an anomaly. She
had class, plenty of it, and she was so much younger than her half siblings.
It had been obvious that first night that he had met her that she had zero
street smarts, and even less of an idea of just what she was doing by calling
him.
He had made sure nobody had ever found out that it had been her who had
called him to come get Margo, because he had never told anyone. As far as
anyone knew Margo had somehow stumbled back to Brooklyn before
calling him and he wanted it to stay that way.
Julia had been the only person to see him after Margo died too. The
clubhouse had been empty, save for her, the rest of the crew gone down to
Florida for a big run. He would have recalled that if he had not been in so
much pain. The only reason he hadn’t torched the place was because he had
seen her standing at a window, looking down at the street and him with an
expression of sheer and total terror on her face.
She’d been all elbows and knees back then, a frizzy headed kid with thick
glasses and a wilted demeanor. Now she was a gorgeous creature, and a
full-grown woman. A woman he not only intended to seduce but one he
wanted to seduce.
He had heard that Walker was pushing her to get with that low life scum
dog Pete, the slimy asshole who had a massive connection that Walker
needed to get his dope business out of the boroughs and way beyond.
Ace was no fool. He knew how much that connection was worth and it was
somewhere around the tens of millions of dollars as long as the cops held
off and the dope held out. Walker had a few cops in his pocket, enough to
keep the ones in his borough off his case, but with the kind of money that
connection could bring in he could buy as many dirty cops as he wanted.
There was the other issue in a nutshell too. With that kind of money behind
him, and with cartel influence that ran all along the upper reaches of
Manhattan behind him, Walker could and would declare outright war on the
other crews in the NYC area. He would try to run them all to ground and
then ride right over them.
Ace, if he had been so inclined and didn’t despise the drug trade so much,
would have done the very same thing. Riding his own territory was not
always enough, even for him. His crew was content where they were and
they always fought off any rivals that tried to horn in on their turf. The last
time a crew had tried there’d been mayhem for weeks. That crew, a shady
bunch of dudes from right near the border between Brooklyn and Queens,
had been doomed to failure from the outset. They were too close to
Walker’s territory and too close to Ace’s not to piss them off. Ace had
known arrests would follow if things got too dirty so he had called a
meeting and they had come up with a plan that had involved pushing that
crew further into Queens, just over the clearly drawn lines. Walker’s
prospects had gone too far one night and some of that crew had wound up
dead. The prospects that Walker had ordered to deal with the dudes had
gone to jail, and more than one of them had sung their hearts out to the
cops. The good cops had gone after Walker, but the dirty ones had
minimized the damage as they always did. In the end Walker lost two dudes
that had been riding with him for years because those guys took the fall for
Walker. Of course, they had, he always took care of his own and right now
those dudes’ families were enjoying a nice hunk of money every month and
their very nice and mortgage free apartments to boot.
Fucking with Julia would mean open warfare. No doubt about it. Walker
was touting that virginity of hers as a reward to Pete. Pete wanted the girl
badly and he was holding out on the connection’s name and so forth.
Walker might have tried to press, but he would not have gotten far. Pete was
not a crew guy. He was a mercenary predator who liked to ride but didn’t tie
his loyalty anywhere unless there was something in it for him.
Walker couldn’t just kill Pete after he found out who the connection was
and how to get to him either. Pete had some serious blood ties to the
connection, and that made Pete untouchable and gave him a bargaining chip
the size of a delivery truck.
Ace paused in that thought. His high forehead wrinkled in thought. Was it a
good idea to mess with Julia?
Hell no.
That was risky beyond risky.
But he was going to do it anyway because one she was the hottest thing he
had ever seen and he wanted her, badly. Two, he owed Walker a major loss
and he had been waiting for years to deliver it.
Now he had the perfect way to do it, and there was no way that he was
backing down from that plan that had formed in his mind. No way in hell.
Once he made up his mind about something he did it, no matter the
consequences.
He pulled into the garage that was attached to the multi- family home he
lived in. A garage was incredible, and the towering five story house, a
former townhouse for very wealthy people who had died a hundred years or
more before, was just one more sign of his success. Like Walker’s outfit
most of the crew lived there, in one of the seven apartments that had been
carved into the house. That his crew could afford a building, a whole
building, spoke volumes about how well they did business.
The building had been in the club’s possession for many years so Ace could
not lay claim to that success but the sparkling fresh limestone façade, the
new heating and air conditioning units on the roof, and the purchase of that
attached garage had all been his doing. Deep down Ace was an accountant,
albeit a dangerous one. He had been able to take a mess of unorganized
books and carelessly used cash and turn it into clean money by setting up
legit businesses, something he had been doing during the time he had been
in the crew. That had been what had helped him to climb the ranks so fast
and now, under his guidance, the crew had several very legit and profitable
businesses in the borough and they used those businesses to wash the dirty
money clean before putting it into fund accounts and the like.
That he was good with money was only one of his talents. He was equally
good with a gun—or the business end of a baseball bat. His enemies were
wary of him for those things and he knew it, and he also knew they had
good reason to be.
Jack, his second in command, a grizzled dude with a shock of red hair and
pale green eyes, met him at the door. “We got a little trouble brewing with
Walker.”
Ace’s teeth flashed in between his thin lips. “When don’t we have trouble
brewing with Walker?”
Jack said, “Fair enough. He hit one of our stands last night.”
Ace’s blood boiled. “Oh yeah?”
The stands were little pop up places around the borough. The Chinese set up
their bootlegged bags and wallets and clothes and he and his crew provided
protection from rival sellers of the same goods and kept the cops off their
backs. In return they got a hefty cut of the profits and the sellers also stored
a lot of other illegal goods in their little hidey holes around the borough for
the crew. “Which one?”
Jack winced. “The one down on Ninth. They were on foot but the seller said
he recognized one of them.”
Ace nodded. “You make good on their loss?’
Jack nodded. “Of course.”
Of course he had. If their protection failed they paid what was lost. It was
how they kept goodwill. Ace asked, “The seller happy with that?”
Jack stroked his fiery beard with two fingers. “I added an extra fifteen
percent to the costs and didn’t take our cut so yeah.”
Perfect. It was a hefty shot in their wallets but they needed the street sellers
as much as the street sellers needed them. Ace nodded, “Good deal then.
Tell the seller to lie low for a week. Keep things quiet while we work it
out.”
“Already on it boss.”
Ace chuckled. “Of course you are.”
Of course Jack was. Jack was good at what he did but what made him
invaluable was that he didn’t have an Alpha bone in his entire large body.
Jack was happy to be second and the idea of leading the crew was not one
he was fond of. In fact, he had demurred when the choice came down to
him and Ace and Ace knew that when it came to loyalty Jack was the one
who would ride or die all the way to the end of the road with him.
Ace leaned against a door frame. “We got to do something with Walker and
fast.”
Jack nodded, “A few of the guys are calling for blood here Ace, just thought
you would want to know.”
Ace nodded. “Sure, can you blame them? We need a lesson for that asshole.
I have a plan to keep him in check but the boys need to let off some steam
now and we need to do something to let our sellers now we won’t take this
shit. Get me the guys, now.”
Jack nodded and headed off toward the stairs. Ace closed the front door and
stood in the foyer. There were two apartments downstairs, and most of the
single guys in the crew drifted between them. On the higher floors were
larger apartments and there were a few families up there as well as his own
apartment, a large two-bedroom thing with massive windows that looked
over the streets and that had a private entrance to the rooftop, where he
often spent many hours.
He started up the stairs and to his place. The sound of footsteps on the stairs
came to his ears as he unlocked the door and stepped into his living room.
He had never done anything with the place after he had inherited it. It was
the apartment the crew leader had always had and it was filled with the
flotsam and jetsam of lives lived before he had moved in. The furniture was
old and sagging and the floors needed a good refinishing. It was tidy
though. Jack’s old lady kept it pin neat for Ace.
He steppe din, leaving that door opened and stood waiting as the guys filed
in.
There were over three dozen in his crew, all handpicked hard cases with a
real love for riding and for doing what they did. Callahan was the one who
handled the drug side of the crew’s business and he kept it as far from Ace
as possible, even as he let Ace in on his every move.
It was Bert that ran the street sellers and the guns. There were others and
they all had jobs. The crew had their fingers in everything from developer
bribes to protection and gambling rackets.
Not all of them lived there in the sprawling clubhouse. Some preferred to
keep their wives and kids as far away from their crew as possible so it was a
mere dozen guys that gathered there just then.
Ace surveyed them all then said, “Bert, talk to me.”
Bert shifted lightly on his feet. He was a former Golden Gloves champ and
it showed. His eyes met Ace’s squarely. “They came on foot and basically
tossed the stands. They took cash and goods, but we all know what they
were really doing was trying to throw a scare into our sellers. And they
were looking for info on the caches too.”
Ace nodded. “I bet. Anyone talk?”
Bert snorted. “They all swear they didn’t.’
That meant they hadn’t, or at least they said that they had not but scared
people were liable to talk. Ace asked, “You get everything moved?
Bert nodded, “As soon as we got the call last night we were on the move.
Everything’s been taken over to the house in Ditmas Park. We found one
guy, walking through Prospect Park. We worked him over pretty good but
he’s not a crew guy, just a brand-new prospect who didn’t count on getting
his head busted.”
Ace’s eyes narrowed. “Where is he?”
“In the hospital.” Bert grinned. “He’ll live but I hear he’s also running right
back home to Nyack when he gets out.”
“Good deal.”
Ace knew the guy was not just going to run home, he was likely never to
return. They got a lot of Upstaters in, guys who wanted to get in on the
action in the city and as soon as they got a taste of it they were out. Since
most of them knew that there was no safe place for them to go after they got
out, not in the city anyway, they generally did vanish back to whatever burg
they had come from originally.
Callahan spoke. “I got my ears to the ground and things don’t sound so
good boss. Walker’s putting out word that he’s doing a takeover. It seems
old Pete may actually be coming off that connection.”
Ace’s jaw clenched. “Uh huh. Says who?”
Callahan sighed. “Pete’s connection is family, that’s why Walker can’t just
kick the info out of him. If he touches a strand of Pete’s greasy ass hair the
connection will hit back and the bad news is, a connection with that kind of
cash and dope, well they have the firepower to hit back hard enough to slap
the crew to earth, if you catch my drift.”
Ace already knew all of that. “I do but what’s with this shit Walker is
spreading?”
Callahan sighed. “That sister of his? That’s Pete’s price.’
“I’m going to make sure he doesn’t get paid.”
The words dropped into the room. Callahan blinked. “What are we talking
here Ace?’
Ace gave him a wicked grin. “Kidnapping.’
Bert whistled. “You’re going to bring Walker right down on our heads and
possibly Pete’s connection too.”
Ace said, “I don’t think Pete’s connection gives a shit about whether or not
Pete gets that girl. What I do think is they won’t like Pete being promised
something and then Walker not making good on the deal.’
Bert asked, “How you going to…”
Ace cut in. “If Walker doesn’t know where she is, and Pete has no idea
we’re the ones who took her who’s to say that Walker didn’t get the
connection and double cross Pete?”
Bert frowned. “That would be out of character for Walker he gives zero
shits about any of his sisters, and especially that one.”
Ace said, “I know that and you know that too. You know who doesn’t know
that? Pete’s connection. Besides I’m betting that Pete loses his mind after
the girl gets ghost on him and runs to his connection to holler about Walker
not giving him what he was supposed to hand over.”
“Cut his legs off from the jump,” Jack said, “That makes sense.”
“Even if they know it is us it won’t matter,” Ace added, “Think about it.
She’s Walker’s bargaining chip. If we can get her and hide her for enough
time to set Pete against Walker we might be able to reel Pete in ourselves.”
Jack chortled. “You’re saying we take her and use her as a chip?” Offer her
if he gives us the connection?”
Ace nodded. “That is exactly what I am saying. I don’t care about the dope
side of this. You know how I feel about that. What I do care about is making
sure that Walker does not get a connection that will give him the funds that
could see us all having to pull stakes just to survive his having that cash and
power.”
The guys all nodded. This was their borough and no way were they fleeing
it and o way would they let Walker rip the ground out from under their
wheels.
Jack said, “We’ll back you.”
“Ride or die,” Bert added.
“All in,” Callahan said.
The others all added their agreements. Then Jack asked, “the question is,
ow do we get her?’
“Leave that to me. I already have a plan.” Ace chuckled. “And the best part
is, I am going to kidnap her without actually kidnapping her. She’s going to
be happy to climb aboard my bike.”
Chapter 4
Julia didn’t go home. She was nervous and scared. The sight of Ace
walking through the doors of the store had made her feel even more anxious
than usual. Not only that she knew that Pete was there and she also knew
that his demands for her to be his old lady were ongoing, and that Walker
would give her to him any minute now.
The only reason Walker had not yet just picked her up and hurled her into a
room she could not get out of and a room that was not only a cell but that
contained Pete as well was because he knew she had some friends in some
high places. Or thought she did. That modeling work of hers had put her in
touch with some very rich people and so she had used that to build a shield
around herself that kept Walker from knowing, for sure, whether she would
be able to get him and Pete locked up for what would amount to rape, pure
and simple.
Her modeling career was fading though and she was scared. Terrified in
fact. Walker was getting more antsy buy the day. Pete was willing to wait
but for how long was Walker willing to wait for her to decide to bend to his
order to be Pete’s old lady? Given what was at stake she was betting it
would not be much longer.
Taking the job in Brooklyn had been anxiety inducing in the first place. She
knew that if Walker found out she was over there he would beat her. It
would not have been the first time though he was always careful not leave
marks. He would accuse her of being a traitor and tell her that she thought
she was too good for Queens.
It was not that. She loved Queens. It was him that she was too good for, him
and that terrible life that held promise of nothing but jail and death and the
slow and horrible leaching away of all her dreams and plans and the life she
could see in the distance waiting for her.
Fashion design. That was what she wanted.
She took the train to Manhattan instead of going to Queens She had exactly
sixty-one dollars and nowhere to go. The hostels would not let her stay
since she had a NY ID and she knew that all the hotels were out of her
reach but she went anyway because she had no idea of what else to do.
The train was crowded and slow. The L was always that way though so she
stood pressed among the throngs of humanity, trying to think of a plan. She
had to get out of there and fast but the depressing truth was that without
some form of protection she was stuck always worrying that at any minute
Walker would drag her back, screaming and kicking if necessary. The cops
either could not or would not help her. There were too many of them that
were in Walker’s pockets and the ones who were in Pete’s connections
pockets were just as useless to her.
So what could she do to stay out of Pete’s bed and to get away from
Walker?
The train lurched to a halt. She got off and started walking. The avenues
were packed and crowded with people. The crowds made her feel slightly
safer. No way would Walker just snatch her off the street in full view of
everyone but even that was not a given. There were too many alleys and the
crew in Manhattan had their own grudge against Walker. So far she had
managed to avoid them, and to get back and forth to school and her
occasional modeling gig without getting harmed but how long could she
keep that up?
She needed to get out of NYC period. Transfer to a different school. Maybe
in LA or somewhere that Walker could not touch her.
She stopped walking, her eyes going wide.
She muttered, “Holy shit. It would work but…but it might get me killed.”
No, there was no might to it. It would get someone killed.
But if she could manage it then she would be safe.
Pete wanted her because she was fresh, a virgin and untouched by drugs.
Because she was famous enough that he could brag about having bagged
her. She could not change that last part and no way was she about to start
doing drugs. But she could have her virginity taken and when she did that
would lessen her value.
So why not just do it?
Well, there was the fact that Walker would absolutely kill her if he found
out and he would have to find out if she was going to use that to keep him
from trading her off to Pete for his connection. If Pete found out he had
been swindled he might go after Walker but he would beat her first and
maybe even kill her. If he didn’t kill her he would go to his connection and
declare it all a bad bargain and cut Walker off from that connection. Then
Walker would kill her. Or maybe he and Pete would take turns beating her
until she was dead.’ She had witnessed firsthand the brutal beatings that
Walker dished out to the prostitutes that he ran. He had not yet killed one as
far as she knew but Julia also had no idea how any of those women
managed to survive such brutality and come out whole on the other side.
They did survive and went right back onto the streets to sell themselves for
Walker. That alone terrified Julia. She knew Carla was not above trick
turning and frequently did just that and Walker had been known to whip her
ass for coming up short, and in front of her girls too. Walker would blame
Carla if her girls did not meet the quota for daily money he set and that was
why Carla often took to the streets herself, to make sure she didn’t catch a
beating from her brother.
Walker should die.
That thought nagged at Julia. If only she had the guts to kill him! But even
if she did what good would that do? There were plenty other equally violent
men in that crew who would be willing to take over and would if something
happened to Walker. That would leave her without even the very thin
protection that being his sister offered.
She muttered, “I need someone who is tough enough to protect me from
Walker but who the hell is that tough?”
She froze again, her feet parking her in front of an elegant townhouse. Her
eyes focused on her cute little shoes. A thought formed but it was so
outrageous and crazy she shoved it aside.
Ace?
Was she really considering trying to get with Ace?
“I really am losing my mind,” she muttered and started walking again.
She left the quiet side street she had fetched up on and stepped out onto
Seventh Avenue. Pedestrians floated like shoals of exotic fish. The traffic
snarled and horns blared. The street vendors served up their wares and she
stopped to look at a few displays of jewelry and then stopped again to buy a
small paper bag of roasted walnuts crusted with sea salt and rock sugar.
Munching on her treat she let her feet take her past the now quiet stores of
the Village. One in particular caught her eye. The windows held a sharp and
elegant display of clothing, and the artfully posed mannequins drew her
closer yet.
The clothes were industrial inspired, all sumptuous fabrics cut in hones
angles and layers. Her heart lightened as it always did when she found an
item of clothing that gave her fresh inspiration. She wanted her own shop, a
cute little boutique that sold upscale clothes and a nice little apartment all
her own just upstairs.
She stared at her reflection on the windows. Her eyes held anxiety and her
mouth turned down like a cup rim.
“Ace,” she whispered. “That’s my only hope. I know it is. How in the world
do I get him to want me and to want to protect me? I could stay with him
just long enough to get out of here?’
Did she want out? NYC was home and had always been her home. It was
the center of everything fashion. There were terrific design schools out in
LA but the idea of being in a city where she would need a car which she
had no idea of how to handle, and that she would be away from all that she
knew, was a terrifying one. But she would have to do just that. Get safe long
enough to get up the money and to get a transfer out west.
There was so little time. Pete and Walker were pressuring her more every
day. Walker had some heavy debts to repay and he needed that connection
to take his crew to the next level and deal with those debts. Walker knew
how to make money but he had zero idea of how to keep it once he got it.
He and the crew were always buying flashy shit and spending like there was
no tomorrow.
Her forehead wrinkled. There was another way out if she was brave enough
to take it. There was a whole lot of money floating around. She could try to
snatch some and run. But that was also something that Walker would kill
her for and not just him but the rest of the crew too. And whoever that
money was supposed to go too would be happy to put a price on her head.
So that was out.
It was back to Ace.
The empty bag crumpled between her fingers. She was tired and the train
was still running but it was not running again for at least an hour. She could
not go back this late at night and not expect to find herself in the middle of
a serious party. The guys were celebrating taking down some of Ace’s street
sellers and she knew that Walker was about to begin harassing the dope
boys running along the avenues of Williamsburg, selling heroin and coke to
the hipsters and artists and junkies.
Her teeth clenched. Her feet took her back toward the train station. What
would Ace do to get the information she held? Would he agree to protect
her for that or would she have to offer up her body too?
If she had to, she would. She definitely would. She would be his old lady if
she had to. His taking her virginity would guarantee that Pete did not want
her. No way would he want Ace’s sloppy seconds.
It was her only option.
And as much as she hated to admit it, Ace had made her feel a leap of desire
like none she had ever known in her life. Six had always seemed a little
obscene and revolting to her, and she knew that was mostly due to the way
she had been educate din it. She lived in a place where people fucked for no
reason at all and where hookers would blow anyone for a dime bag of dope.
She had always wanted her first encounter with sex to be good and gentle
and intimate and for love.
But that was a dream she could no longer afford to hold onto.
Chapter 5
Ace was in a small restaurant he favored that sat very near the train station.
He was parked right at the windows and enjoying a late dinner but his
senses were, as always, on full alert. He was forever aware of his
surroundings and the people near him. He was always scanning faces and
looking at everyone with real suspicion. That was what life had taught him
and that was the one habit that served him the most.
So when he spotted Julia coming out of the mouth of the train station his
body went rigid. He frowned and tilted his head as she walked slowly
across the street and stood near the windows of the diner.
She had obviously just come from Manhattan and he wondered if she had
had an evening class or something.
Didn’t matter. He had meant to go back to the store the next day, and get a
bead drawn on her. To charm her and then to talk her into coming to dinner
with him. He stood, tossing bills onto the table and signaling the waitress
before striding out of the place and onto the street.
“We meet again,” he said in a low voice.
Julia jerked and turned to face him. Her lovely face paled. The lights of the
diner picked up the small smattering of freckles across the bridge of her
nose, fr4eckles he had barely noticed before. He stared at them suddenly
filled with the desire to drop a kiss onto them.
She spoke in a rushed tone. “Oh, yeas. Hello. Did you decide on a shirt?”
He studied her face. Color swept into her cheeks. Her tongue, a small pink
triangle, came out from between her kips and swiped nervously across
them. Her eyes shifted away from his and then back again and he read fear
there.
He dropped all pretenses. “You know who I am, don’t you?”
Her eyes we3nt to the custom bike heeled over at the curb. Her dark head
nodded up and down. “Yeah.’
“Uh huh. You know this isn’t your crew’s turf too then.”
Her arms came up and crossed over her firm and small breasts. “I do but…
they are not my crew. I can’t help it that Walker is my brother. I am not part
of them though. I never have been.”
He knew that for a fact. If anything she was a prisoner over there. Walker
gave her a very short leash and tended to yank her back when she strained
against it from all accounts. He said, “I don’t that will matter much to some
of my guys.”
She swallowed hard. Her fingers yanked at the dangling sleeves of the silk
blouse she wore. “I have to have a job.”
“There aren’t any in Queens?”
Her eyes met his. Anger simmered in hers. “Over there everyone knows me.
You think anyone decent is going to give me a job? Especially in a place
like the one I work in? You think anyone’s going to trust me with their
upscale things knowing who my family is? They all just think I am trying to
get the number to the safe or the time the trucks are coming in so they ca
rob them. There’s a big market for stolen designer clothes you know”
The bitterness on her voice rattled him slightly. He surveyed her face again.
She was definitely pissed off. Definitely but he was not sure if she was mad
at him or her circumstances. That she was mad at Walker was clear and that
made him smile inside. That was good, very good. If she hated Walker and
had no loyalty to him she would be easier to manipulate.
He spoke softly, gently, like she was child. “I see your point. Look, I’m not
pissed. I don’t care. If that’s what you want I’ll let my guys know you’re
cool and I know you are here and that it’s fine.”
She dragged air into her mouth. He caught a glimpse of very white teeth.
Her eyes shifted from him to the street. “Thanks.”
He slid a little closer close enough that he could smell her perfume and see
the pulse ticking rapidly at the base of her long and creamy throat. Desire
rose again, making the front of his jeans tighten. He shifted to hide that
growing erection and said, “Sure. Anyone hassles you, come see me. I don’t
take lightly to anyone going against my orders.”
Her arms dropped. Her nipples jutted up against the fabric of her blouse,
hard little pints that drew his gaze and made his dick stiffen and lengthen
yet again. She asked, “Why would you do that?”
He tore his eyes away from those nipples but the very vivid image of him
taking those taut peaks into his mouth, sucking and nibbling them, stayed
burned into his brain. He said, “I owe you something.”
She looked bewildered. “What do you mean?”
“Margo,” he answered. “You risked a lot to call me.”
Her arms came up again, concealing those nipples. “I didn’t know anything
about any of this back then. I wish I still didn’t.”
His eye3s rested on her face. He had the uncanny ability to know when
people were lying to him and she wasn’t. She meant every word. He said, “I
bet.’
“Yeah well,” she swallowed hard and shot a look around them. People
passed by along the sidewalk. They stood under the diner’s awning and she
shied nervously away as the door opened to let a few customers out into the
warm summer air. “I, uh, look, I need help.”
Shit. Had he just heard her right? ‘Come again?”
“I’m willing to bargain with you. Trade what I know for protection.”
Her words were a breathy squeak. The pulse in her neck began to beat even
faster and more visibly. Her face paled and then color slammed into her
face, heightening her beauty. She took two long fiery breaths. “I don’t want
to be Pete’s old lady. I guess you might have an idea of why Walker’s trying
to get me to be, and how far he will go to make sure I cave to that.”
No use in beating around the bush. Especially since she was laying it all out
there for him. The whole meeting was crazy and it felt somehow fated. Ace
said, “Yeah I know. What’s that got to do with me?’
She studied her nails for a second. When she looked up there was a terrified
expression pasted onto her visage. “They’re hitting your street guys tonight.
Around midnight. Right out here. They won’t be on bikes. They’ll be in
cars. They’re coming in like narcs, but they’re not. They didn’t call in their
dirty cops for this. They’re going to pile your guys into cars, rip off their
dope, and beat them down. They know you just offer protection from busts
and rivals, and that those guys are the street dealers not your personal
dealers. They’re betting they will turn on you, and fast.”
His ire rose but he kept his voice low and calm. “You know this how?”
She gave him a glare. “How do you think?’
“And you’re telling me why?”
She swallowed hard and took a step toward him. That luscious perfume of
hers came back to his nose, heightening the desire already coiling all
through his body. “I told you. I need protection and I need it now. Right
now. I am willing to bargain for it and to buy it with whatever I have.
Whatever you want.”
Her chest rose and fell in a lust inducing way. His dick stiffened again. Ace
smothered a grin. Unbelievably enough she was offering to rat on her
brother, and to bed him all in the same sentence. She must either really hate
Walker or really not want to be with Pete or a combination of both. He
figured it to be the latter.
He said, “You know they’re going to kill you if they find out you let me in
on this?”
“They’re going to kill me eventually anyway.” The weariness in her voice
smote at him. “I…I won’t be with Pete. I won’t be a bargaining chip for
Walker to get what he wants. I won’t…I won’t give up everything I want
just so he can have what he wants. I won’t. I won’t sacrifice my life for
his….he’s evil. Pure evil. You have to know that. I can’t do it. So they will
kill me anyway.’
Damn, she had a point. He said, “You planning on going back?”
Her head shook from side to side. Tears welled up in her eyes. “No. Yes. I
can’t but I don’t have anywhere else to go.’
Goddammit. He couldn’t take her to his place, not now. Not if there was
some real dirty work to do tonight and what was more the whole thing now
felt way too pat. He didn’t trust her. He said, “I tell you what. Go catch the
train. Go to Ditmas. Here’s the address, memorize it.” He rattled it off and
she repeated it. He nodded. “It’s a small place, in the back of a big house.
There’s nothing there but furniture and a TV. It’s a rental for tourists. The
key code is four, six, eleven. Got it?”
“Four, six, eleven,” she parroted and nodded.
He made a mental note to change the code as soon as she got in. She would
be able to open the door from the inside of course but he had not been
kidding, the place was just a furnished rental, one piece of their legit
businesses. She would be out of the way there and under the watchful eyes
of a man and woman he trusted with his life. If a single soul that was not
supposed to be on that dead end and very dead quiet street showed up they
would not ask questions, they would just get to work making sure the issue
was resolved.
She took a long breath. “I don’t know how to get there.”
He said, “Get on my bike. I’ll take you.”
She looked at the bike on the curb. Her fingers twisted together. She
whispered, “You know I just made it impossible to go back there, ever?”
“You asking for my protection?”
Her head bobbed up and down on her neck. He said, “I said I would give it
but I swear to God if I smell anything wrong, if I get even a hint that this is
some kind of set up you won’t have to worry about Walker killing you. I
will kill you myself.”
She said, “I know.’
He walked toward his bike. She hesitated for a second then followed him.
He said, “Get on.”
There was a larger fear in her eyes now. “I have never ridden before.’
She had to be kidding His eyes took in the frightened expression and her
uncertainty and he deduced she was being truthful. He asked, “Why not?”
“My mom met Walker’s dad and he took her for a ride.” Tears trembled on
the edges of her eyelashes. “She fell in love with him without ever knowing
him, all she knew was how much she loved or ride on his bike. She got
pregnant with me and he beat the hell out o her. She ran all the way to
Hudson heights to get away but he always kept tabs on us. He didn’t care
about us, you see, he just knew she knew things he didn’t want to get out.
Like murder. Like …other things. She always said that she wished she had
never gotten on that bike that day. I never wanted to get on one.’
The bare admission made things come a lot more into focus. He knew she
had been older, a teen when she had been placed with Walker and his ragtag
family. She didn’t want to be there then, and he had seen it then. She did not
want to be there now either.
She let him help her onto the bike. Her body shook as he cranked it up and
slowly left the curb and merged with traffic.
As they rode Ace was aware of the fact that was a woman on his bike, and
aware of it in a way that he never had been before. Most of the women who
planed themselves behind them were deliberately sexy in the way they rode,
bare thighs hugging the sides of his waist, their hands locking around his
belly, their bodies sliding against his and their tits moving across the leather
of his jacket in a way guaranteed to turn both him and their selves on.
Not Julia. She was stiff and shaking. Her hands gripped at the loops that his
belt ran through. It was like she was doing everything in her power not to
touch him in any way that could be construed as intimate or sexy. She was
too sacred to relax and let the ride happen. He had to be careful going
around curves because she didn’t lean and her rigidity threatened to send
the bike to the asphalt. Ordinarily that would have irritated him, and made
him pull over and boot off whatever woman was back there because she
was a danger to him.
His patience level stayed high as he drove slowly, keeping a good pace but
not going fast enough to unseat her if something happened. Her legs jerked
a few times when cars got a little too close. That distracted him on more
than one level. Her body heat and the smell of her hair as it whipped over
his shoulder, the small distressed sounds she made every now and then, they
all caught his attention and he had to force himself to focus on the road
ahead of him.
Ditmas was a high income neighborhood filled with stately Victorian
mansions and single family house but not much else. Ace pulled up in front
of one house whose driveway curved around the back. Lights came on. A
door opened. He waved a hand and the door shut again.
Julia looked around at the small yard and the tiny converted garage with a
wary expression. He said, “It’s safe and you will be fine.”
He led her through the yard and to the door. He tapped in the code and the
door swung open. They entered and she took a look around as he found the
light switch and flicked it on to reveal a small space dominated by one long
room that served as both living and bedroom. A tiny kitchen area was in
one corner and a door to the bathroom took up space on the opposite wall.
Julia shot look at the bed, which sat behind a small partial screen. She
asked, “does anyone live here right now?’
Ace said, “No. It’s been empty for about a week. It’s clean and there are
drinks in the fridge. If you get hungry there are some snack things in the
cabinet. We use it as an AirBnB mostly and we…”
He stopped when she burst into laughter. The sound, light and tinkling,
made his heart leap. How long had it been since he had heard real and
unashamed laughter? Her eyes crinkled a little at the corners and her
youthful laughter slowly stopped. She said, “Sorry. I just never thought I
would hear someone like you say AirBnB.”
He grinned. “I bet. I have to go.”
She gulped. Her eyes went around the space. It seemed to hit her then, what
she had done and the enormity of it. She gasped out, “What do I do?”
“You stay here until I can figure something out.”
“I have classes day after tomorrow.” Her fingers plucked at the long coils of
her hair. Her eyes went round the room, a slight frown puckering her
smooth forehead. “I…I have to work.”
Ace sighed inwardly. His sigh got longer as she suddenly burst into harsh
sobs and sat down abruptly on the side of the bed, her face burying itself in
her slender hands. Her shoulders shook. Tears coursed down her face. “Oh
my God. I really didn’t think this through. I’m just so scared and…and I
hate him so much! I hate him!”
Walker, he realized. She hated Walker. He told himself to go but his feet
took him to the bed and he sat down on it beside her, one arm going around
her shaking shoulders. “We have that in common then.”
Her head lifted. Tears streamed down her face. She spoke forcefully. “I do
hate him. I hate him for all the things he does and wants to do. I hate all the
things he uses against me and against anyone who gets in his way but
mostly I hate him because when my mom died all he did was laugh and say
there was one bitch they never had to worry about ever again. I know, deep
down I do know, that the only reason he insisted on me going to him and his
family was because they didn’t know for sure whether or not my mother
had told me what it was she knew about him and his family and he wanted
to make damn sure I couldn’t talk.”
His arm tightened around her shoulders. Her body, slight but so richly
curved that it sent passion crashing into his flesh, leaned into his. Her hair,
silken and sweet smelling, spread over his shoulders. Her sobs grew louder.
“The first night I was there, before that happened to your cousin and before
they all took off to Florida? He beat the living crap out of me and told me
that from then on out all I was, was property. That I belonged to them and
nobody else, not even myself. Then they all left and left me there with that
crazy bitch Carla, and your cousin, who was dying. You have no idea what
that was like. None. Nobody does and I have had to fight for some kind of
normalcy my whole damn life since my mom died. I hate him for that, hate
him. Before I was there I had a good life and I want that back. I want that
back so badly!”
She was not going to get that yet, and maybe never. There was a good
chance that she would not live past the week, not if Walker found her and
found out what she had done.
Ace felt a surge of protectiveness that he had felt in so many years. It was
the same kind of protectiveness eh had felt for Margo but it was vastly
different too. Margo had been family. This woman was not and along with
that need to protect her came a rush of wanting of her so strong that it
toppled his defenses.
He had meant to seduce her, of that he was sure. He had meant to and he
still wanted to but all of his reasons for doing it changed the moment her
head lifted and his lips found her soft and trembling mouth.
Chapter 6
The kiss stole away Julia’s senses. Everything she had ever felt before when
being kissed vanished beneath the kiss that Ace gave her. Her body shook
and her breasts flattened against his chest, that strong chest of his. Her
hands came up and clutched at his shoulders. She felt the strength and flex
of those shoulders as her fingers sank into the muscles.
His flat belly and lean hips met hers. Her gasp as his tongue slid into her
mouth, bringing the flavor of his mouth and even more sensation to her,
sent her into a tailspin of desire that she could not deny, and did not want to
deny. Her legs trembled and hot and sticky fluids dripped from her core,
spilled onto the thin fabric of her panties. Her nipples went thick and stiff,
poking against his chest while his fingers fisted her hair and yanked her
head back so that he could ravage her neck with fiery kisses and nips that
sent his teeth into her flesh in a way that bordered but never became
actually painful.
She knew she should stop tis now. He had not asked for this, he had not
demanded it as part of the bargain. There were so many reasons not to do
this. She didn’t know him well. She had dreamed of a man who loved her
and wanted her more than anything and anyone else in the world taking her
virginity. He was so much older than she had no idea of how to react to him,
but her body seemed to have a mind of its own on that one.
Her legs shook yet again as his fingers traveled down her back, his
fingertips pressing into the raised knobs of her spine and then going lower
until he was clutching the perky halves of her ass cheeks.
She wanted him His age didn’t matter. The fact that he was an enemy of her
family didn’t matter. All that mattered was the way his mouth made little
fiery trails run along her flesh and the way that his body melded into hers,
made her want to rip her clothes off and show him every inch of her flesh.
His mouth came back to hers. His teeth caught her bottom lip and she cried
out as he tugged gently at her lip with his teeth while his very masculine
hardness prodded against her lower belly, sending more fluids into her
panties, which were now soaked and laden with her oils.
He stripped her bare, exposing her flesh to his hands and mouth. He found
her nipples and suckled them. She stared, rapt, at the sight of his head
lowered to the creamy flesh of her breast. It was so erotic, so fantastic, and
then he bit down gently and raised the sensation level until she could barely
breathe. Her fingers tangled into his coarse hair as he laid her across the
bed.
His tongue moved lower and her body jerked upward as his mouth found
her wet center. His fingers plunged into her tight sheath, stroking and
teasing until she cried out, her ass lifting higher with each stroke of his
tongue across the skin of her clit. His tongue ran in slow circles than lashed
back and forth across that flesh, creating a friction like she had never
known. Her eyes closed and her hands tugged at his hair again.
She had never felt anything like what she felt right then. She was desperate
and begging and she was slightly ashamed of that but so excited she could
not stop. She wanted this and she wanted it so much that all she could do
was hang on tight as he lifted himself and then moved along the length of
her shivering body. His hand guided his dick to her slippery opening and
then with one quick thrust of his hips he entered her. A sharp pain struck.
Her eyes widened and she screamed, a sharp burst of sound. His face went
pale. He looked at her, his mouth, wet with her juices, working. “Holy shit,”
he breathed. “I’m sorry. I …”
“I’m okay,” she panted out even though she was not at all sure if she was
okay. His organ was large and heavy and she felt filled up, filled in a way
that made her body have to stretch to accommodate him. Her legs spread
wider in an effort to contain all of his flesh and he slid backward, his ass
working. His eyes stayed pinned to hers and then he thrust forward again,
his fingers digging into her shoulders as he thrust hard and fast and went so
deep that she gasped and rocked below him. His hands went under her ass,
lifting her hips. He released her hips and she moved with him, catching the
rhythm as he worked her clit again, that time with his fingers.
The friction and heat combined until her eyes rolled back in her head and
her mouth hung open. He kissed her again and she whimpered and moaned
into his mouth, kissing him back furiously.
The orgasm took her over the edge. She writhed against him, and against
the mattress. Her cries grew longer and lustier with every squeezing pulse
that left her inner walls soaked and his cock dripping with her fluids. He
came too, sending splatters of hot and thick seed into her body.
He collapsed on top of her, his arm bracing him up so that all of his weight
was not down on top of her. The tang of sweat and sex hung all over the two
fo them as they rode out the aftershocks and the pleasant afterglow.
Eventually he moved. He rolled off the bed and looked down at her. His
face held something but she had no idea of what it was. He smiled at her. “I
have to go. You will be okay here. I promise nothing bad will happen to
you.”
She believed him. She did. She had no reason to but she did. She whispered,
“Thank you.’
He dressed quickly. She hated to see his body vanishing below those
clothes. She took a deep and long breath then asked, “Would you…will you
come back?”
“Yes. Get some sleep.”
She hoped he would kiss her but he didn’t. Instead he walked out and closed
the door tightly behind himself.
Julia cuddled down into the tossed bedsheets and covers. Her body was sore
but not in a pleasant way and she was exhausted in ways she had never
known before. Her eyes closed and she started to drift off to sleep but she
jerked back awake again quickly.
For the last five years her life had been a series of broken sleep and extreme
stress. The first beating she had taken at Walker’s hands had shown her just
how much she had to fear and she had never forgotten that. Most nights the
house was filled with the sounds of partying or arguments. Because the rest
of the crew lived in the adjacent houses and any neighbor dumb enough to
file a noise complaint faced being shut up by the crew nobody ever did
anything to keep it quiet in there. She often had to sleep with her fingers
pressed against her head and then she would wake a dozen times because
she was afraid that she was about to be attacked.
She rolled over in the bed, staring at the wall. She knew she should have
done something way sooner than she had but what could she have done?
She had been a minor until recently and after she had turned eighteen she
had been so scared of Walker and he had been so adamant that she stay that
she had been trapped by her own helplessness. Her only hope had been
running away and even that had been a slim hope because Walker took
every single dime she had ever earned.
Julia lay still for a few moments, listening hard. There was only silence and
eventually her body relaxed into the soft mattress and her eyes closed again.
Now that she was safe deep and dreamless sleep came in, taking her down
into its warm embrace.
**
Ace was not sleeping. He and his bike prowled restlessly along the streets
of Williamsburg. He knew he should call Jack or Bert and tell them what
Julia had told him. They needed to be informed of the vile plot that Walker
had concocted.
His thoughts should have been focused solely on his crew instead they were
focused on the incredible woman lying in the bed that he had just left. That
he had been loath to leave her gave him pause. Even more troubling was the
fact that not only had he not wanted to leave her, his sudden surge of
protectiveness toward her could be used against him. It would be used
against him, and he knew it. The question was who would use it against him
first? Julia or Walker?
He truly wanted to believe everything that Julia had said about Walker. He
wanted to believe that she hated her brother and wanted nothing more than
to be as far away from Walker as she could get. Only Ace had been raised
not to trust anyone with anything and if he bet on Julia he would be betting
not only his own life but the lives of the men in his crew. Many of those
men had families too, and if Julia turned out to be just a very good liar and
prove to be actually working with Walker then all of them were in danger
now.
Those thoughts haunted Ace as he rode into Williamsburg. He found a curb
on a quiet side street and parked the bike there before taking out his phone.
His fingers found the screen and opened it. He lifted the phone to his ear
and listened to it buzz on the other side. After several rings Bert picked up.
Ace wasted no time. He said, “we have trouble coming our way. Get the
guys on the street on foot and do it now. Walker’s prospects are posing as
narcs. There gonna be shaking down our street crew and trying to pin it on
us.”
Bert’s voice hissed across the line. “Man, you have to be kidding me. What
do I tell the guys out there hustling?”
Ace said, “Tell them to fight back, to do whatever it takes, and not to
believe that they’re cops. Let them know it’s Walker’s prospects posing as
narcs.”
Bert said, “Man, that’s risky as hell.”
Ace started walking, his boots making quick time along the sidewalk. “I
know it is. We don’t have any choice. If we don’t tell them that it’s Walker’s
prospects they will think we are weak. The only way we keep them in line
is by making them feel protected. If they feel like we can’t do anything for
them they have no reason to pay us or run our shit.”
Bert asked, “Do you think that’s Walker’s end game? I mean, do you think
his whole goal is to make our crew look weak and unable to handle our
borough?”
Ace walked faster. “I think that’s exactly what he is trying to do. I think he’s
trying to prove to not only our borough but to Pete’s connection that we can
handle our own. He’s trying to make us look like clowns over here. I think
he believes that once he gets Pete’s connection and has the money and the
dope he can go to the dealers here on the street, our dealers, and get them to
take a slice of his pie.”
Bert said, “If he manages to pull this stunt tonight it would give them every
reason to think we can’t protect them.”
Walker’s jaw went tight. A small muscle jerked up high in his cheek. “Even
more reason to make sure this does not go down the way Walker plans,
don’t you think?”
Bert chuckled. “I’ll grab my brass knuckles dude. I think we should leave
the guns at home, there’s going to be a whole lot of people out on the streets
since its warm and the weekend.”
Ace said, “you are absolutely right. We can’t afford to have some
neighborhood millionaire or a tourist from some small town in the middle
of the Midwest get shot. Not even the cops on our payroll would be able to
keep that from coming back to bite us in the ass.”
Bert hung up. Ace stuck the phone in his pocket and went around the
corner. He spotted a guy named Carlos, a streetwise hustler with a penchant
for expensive shoes and even more expensive cigars. Carlos’s favorite spot
to deal from was a club about a block and a half down. The club drew a lot
of trust fund babies and Wall Street types who came over to Brooklyn on
the weekend to do a little slumming with the locals and to keep from being
seen buying coke and meth.
Ace said, “Hey man, need to holler at you.”
Carlos slowed and said, “About what? I got no bill due.”
Ace gave him a grim smile. “This is not about a bill. I’m going to owe you
a little extra in fact.”
Carlos lifted an eyebrow toward his hairline. “Now you have me intrigued.
What’s up?”
Ace quickly outlined the situation. Carlos listened until Ace finished what
he had to say. Carlos scratched a finger along the side of his nose and said,
“man, how sure are you of this? Maybe your source is really working with
the cops. You thought about that?”
He hadn’t. Ace felt a quiver of misgiving. It all did seem far too
coincidental. He had been considering seducing Julia in order to get her to
turn against Walker and so that he could thwart Walker’s plans to give Julia
to Pete exchange for an intro to his connection. But before he could
implement his plan she had struck a bargain with him.
Another thought occurred to Ace just then. Could somebody in his own
crew be working with Walker? Could whoever that was have told Walker
what his plan was for Julia? Could Walker have sent Julia to him for the
sole purpose of having her tell him about the supposed fake sting tonight?
No. She had been coming back from Manhattan, and if she had been
looking for him to trap him into this situation she would’ve gone straight
from her job very Williamsburg to his clubhouse.
He said, “I tell you what. If those dirtbags don’t show up then I was wrong.
If the ones who do show up are narcs and anyone gets extra charges because
they fought against going down then I will personally pay their bail and a
lawyer fee.”
Carlos said, “That’s cool. I will let all of the guys I know in on it.”
Carlos headed up the street in one direction while Ace went in the other. As
Ace walked the thoughts that Carlos had just put into his head followed
him. How did he know he could trust Julia?
He didn’t. There was no way he could know if he could trust her unless he
did trust her.
Chapter 7
Julia slept soundly and woke up the next morning with a slight headache
from the unaccustomed rest and with the soreness between her legs even
more pronounced. She lay there stretching and taking stock of her body.
She knew it was silly, she was nineteen after all. Most of her friends, what
few friends she had had in school, had lost their virginity somewhere
around the 10th grade. None of them ever seem to feel differently about
themselves afterward but she felt very different.
Her body somehow seemed more womanly. There seemed to be more living
packed into it now. She sat up slowly and that’s when she spotted the slight
bruising around her wrists. She stared at her wrists, remembering how Ace
had held her arms high up over her head while he had made love to her.
A slow shudder rolled through her body, but it was a shudder of sheer
pleasure as she remembered each and every incredible, mind blowing
moment of the sex that they had shared. A thin trickle of wetness slid from
between her lower lips and smeared along her inner thighs. Her nipples
became erect and stiff. Butterflies filled her stomach and the urgent need to
press her fingers to the taut little bud of flesh at the top most section of her
sex hit her hard. Julia had always known what her clit was for but she had
never quite dared to learn how to pleasure herself by stroking it.
She lowered herself back into the bed, spreading her legs widely. Her
fingers caressed her own flesh, sliding along the pert slopes of her breasts to
her nipples. She tweaked her nipples gently, causing them to stiffen yet
again. The pebble – hard peaks stuck up, pointing toward the ceiling, as her
fingers moved lower still. Her fingernails raked across her belly, ever so
lightly, but causing intense waves of pleasure to ripple through her.
Her breathing became fast and shallow. Her eyes closed. Ace’s face swam
up in her mind’s eye. She could picture his virile and masculine body
moving toward her and her need increased a thousandfold.
Just as she was about to delve her hand between her own thighs she heard
the unmistakable sound of the door opening. Julia’s eyes flew open. Ace
appeared, and his gaze flicked across her nude body sprawled across the
bed.
There was a slight bit of amusement in his voice. “Are you keeping it warm
for me?”
Julia knew she should feel shame for having been caught but all she felt was
a wild, keening desire. Her eyes darkened by that lust, she spread her legs
even further, revealing her innermost flesh to him.
She spoke in a thick, desperate voice. “Yes and I thought you would never
get here.”
Ace walked across the floor his eyes lit with intention. His fingers found the
hem of his T-shirt and lifted it over his head to reveal his magnificent broad
shoulders, flat belly, and wide chest. His fingers found the buttons on his
jeans and he gave them a careless tug that opened the jeans. His thick and
heavy staff sprang out of the parted denim.
Julia’s eyes fastened to his blood – engorged flesh. She was fascinated by
the sight of the heavy veins wrapping the shaft of his rod. She was equally
mesmerized by the dusky purple head of his organ. The jeans were kicked
off along with his boots and then the mattress sagged beneath his weight as
he climbed into the bed with her.
His mouth found hers. Her lips parted for his and his tongue slid into her
mouth. Her breath rushed out of her lungs and her body arched towards his.
His hands roved across her smooth skin, making sensation slide through her
body in a far more intense way than her own hands had been able to do.
Her heartbeat increased as his tongue continued to caress her tongue while
his hands leisurely explored every inch of her body, making her shiver and
whimper as the kiss grew far more passionate with each passing second.
Julia squirmed as his mouth left hers and traveled down the side of her
neck. His teeth grazed her flesh and her nipples stiffened yet again, the rosy
peaks becoming more roughly textured as his fingers found the fleshy globe
surrounding them and squeezed that flesh.
The weight of his body on hers made her feel sexy and abandoned in a way
she had never felt before. His mouth continued to move downward while
his fingers kneaded the skin of her breasts. His lips closed around her
nipples, sucking and tugging at them. The scrape of his teeth against that
tender flesh sent shock waves of pleasure through her system and her ass
lifted higher as she ground against his hardened organ.
He continued to torment and tease her breasts, sucking and licking and
lightly biting at them. Unable to bear that sweet torture Julia writhed against
the mattress, tangling the sheets and covers into her fingers as she clutched
at them.
His head moved lower, his teeth found the flesh just below her navel and his
hands ran along the span of her ribs. He tugged at that flesh there, his teeth
nipping at the delicate skin of her belly. Intense sensation ran through her,
sending a flush of heat along her upper thighs. Her core clenched and her
inner thighs began to spasm.
His hand delved between her thighs. His fingers found the wet flesh there
and stroked it. Julia moaned loudly, her fingers leaving the sheets to tangle
into his hair as she attempted to tug him lower to the pulsing bud of her
clitoris.
Ace did move lower, his tongue leaving burning trails along her skin. His
breath stirred the wet curls covering her parted lower lips. His fingers
moved inside her, making her gasp and cry out. Her ass moved higher yet
again as she sought to give him a better angle of penetration. His tongue
found her aching bud and then pressed against it before describing slow and
gentle circles around it.
Julia’s teeth clenched and her fingers move deeper into his hair, her nails
scratching at his scalp. Her body trembled all over, a fine long quivering
that sent her flesh to jiggling, as his tongue pressed harder against the
delicate and sensitive flesh that he was working on so well.
Julia was sure that she would go mad from desire and need long before he
allowed her to find release from the incredible friction and sensation
spiraling through her entire body. More heat spread through her and her
heels dug into the mattress as she lifted her body higher, her legs spreading
wider, her breath growing shorter, and her eyes fluttering open and close as
he kept up the steady pressure on her clit while his fingers thrust in and out
of her in a hard and fast rhythm that took her breath completely away.
Julia wanted to please him as well. She wanted him to feel as good as he
was making her feel. She just did not have enough experience to know what
to do. His tongue and fingers continued to work on her body, driving her
nearly insane with the need for climax.
Her nipples stuck up in high peaks that she could not resist touching. Her
fingers stroked those crests without shame and her legs spread even wider.
She needed that orgasm, needed it so badly that her mouth opened and she
screamed his name in a plea for relief.
Hot liquid spurted from her core, splashing over his face and running down
the crack of her ass to wet the sheets below her body. Julia’s body went first
rigid and tense and then limp as the pink folds of her inner walls opened
and closed around his fingers.
Her ass cheeks went tight and her heels drummed out a fast tattoo of sound
against the soft mattress. Her cries were guttural and made up of words that
would not quite form. Julia’s body bucked up and down and her hands
gripped his head tightly as he lapped at her heated oils and overheated body.
He came up slowly, his face glistening with her juices. He kissed her, and
she kissed him back tasting herself on his tongue and lips. Her inner walls
continued to flutter and she wanted more than anything to feel him inside of
her body. She craved the hard and erect length and girth of his member
inside those swollen, dripping walls. She craved it so much that when he
slid between her legs her hands moved between them gripping his organ
eagerly.
She paused, the need to feel him overshadowed by her need to pleasure
him. She swung her leg over his waist and rolled sideways until she was on
top of him. His stiff rod poked against her entry and the temptation to
simply glide her hips down, and to take him inside of her was almost more
than she could bear.
She managed to get down the length of his body without giving into that
temptation. She found herself face-to-face with his dick. Julia had never
seen one that up close and she gazed at it in sheer wonder. She raised a
reverent hand and stroked it along the satiny skin covering the heavy and
unyielding muscle below. His veins stood up in relief against that skin, they
wrapped his shaft with their pulsing blue tracery, providing her a roadmap
to his desire. Julia put her face closer to his prick. A rich masculine smell
arose from his body and that smell, tantalizing and intriguing, moved up
higher into her nose as she bent her head and took a tentative lick along the
head of his cock.
Ace had an immediate reaction to the feel of her tongue on his organ. His
fingers fisted her hair and his hips bucked upward, bringing that thick and
wide flesh closer to her mouth. Julia, turned on and now even more eager to
please him, gave the head of his prick yet another lick. That time instead of
just giving it a simple swipe she used her tongue to run around the entire
head. Her fingers fisted his shaft lightly and she pumped her hand up and
down experimentally as she continued to twirl her tongue in a circular
pattern along the head of his cock.
Ace grunted out, “Suck it Julia.”
She looked up at him, “I don’t know how.”
Ace looked down at her and his hands guided her mouth back to his organ.
He said, “Open your mouth and take it down your throat.”
She did as he had told her. His enormous penis filled her mouth and throat
with heat and a slightly salty and bitter taste that was not at all unpleasant.
Julia, remembering the way he had sucked on her nipples, tightened her lips
around his shaft and began to bop her head up and down. To her enormous
satisfaction Ace let out a hiss of breath. His hips lifted and lowered and his
hands guided her head.
Julia, feeling emboldened by the obvious pleasure he was experiencing,
decided to try twirling her tongue around the head of his dick while it was
deep inside her mouth. The result was a low moan breaking from his throat
and his hands going so deep into her hair that his fingernails left tingling
little cuts along her scalp.
The taste of his body was incredible. It was so delicious and the fact that
she was pleasuring him was so satisfying that Julia barely noticed the
discomfort that she felt as his rod scraped along the sides of her throat and
tongue. Her lips and jaws ached slightly but the sounds that he was making
kept her going.
The more excited that Ace became the more lust grew inside Julia. That she
still wanted him after he had made her have such a huge and powerful
orgasm frightened her slightly. How could he have so much control over her
body?
She had control over his at the moment however. She realized that as his ass
jerked and his cock pulsed as it pounded in and out of her mouth. Julia,
caught up in that moment and in the intense sensations that knowing that
she was pleasuring him was giving to her, worked harder. Her fingers found
the heavy sac of his balls and he grunted out a pleased sound that caused
her to cup those balls gently and then run her fingers across them as she
continued to suck his rod down her throat.
She was so excited that her stiff nipples scraped along the sheets, sending
pleasure squirming deep into her core. She needed to feel him inside her,
needed it so badly but she was not sure if that was what he wanted to do or
if he wanted her to continue with sucking his prick.
Julia’s lack of experience with sex kept her sucking even though she wanted
a different type of pleasure. She had no idea how close to a climax Ace was
at that moment. His fingers yanked her head back and away from his
member. He came out of her mouth with a wet pop and she stared at him,
confused.
“Did I do something wrong?” Julia looked down at his prick, wondering
what it was that she had done wrong.
Ace chuckled, “No. You are doing everything absolutely right.”
Julia, bewildered, asked, “Then why did you make me stop?”
Ace said, “Because I want to fuck you and if you make me come it will be a
while before I am able to get it back up again.”
Julia blinked at him, still a little confused. “Um… Okay.”
Ace said, “Ride my cock.”
Julia had no idea what he meant by that. She gaped at him. “I don’t know
what you mean.”
Ace’s hands guided her upward until she was perched right above his
quivering staff. He helped her straddle his body and then his hands found
her hips and guided them down. The wet head of his rod pressed against the
soft, slippery outer lips of her tunnel. Then he was inside her, moving
upward at a sharp angle.
Julia slid all the way down, taking in every heated, powerful inch of his
prick. Her inner walls clutched and clenched at his flesh, milking him as she
lifted her body up yet again and then lowered herself back onto that steel –
hard member of his. Aces fingers curled around her hips and guided her
first up and then down. His hips and hands worked along with her body, and
the feel of him inside her, screwing her from that angle, was even better
than the first time.
Julia’s breasts bounced up and down and her ass cheeks jiggled as she
began moving faster and faster, trying to get closer to that feeling of friction
and heat combining to form an intense and fiery pleasure deep within her
aching core.
His fingers found her clit and manipulated it, tweaking and rubbing and
lightly pinching as she bounced up and down, her hands now pressed flat
into his wide chest. Sweat flicked both their bodies, dripped along the sides
of her face and across his shoulders.
The scent of that sex, slightly musky and tangy, rode the air, making her
even more excited. Her inner walls opened and closed as more juices
gathered and began to flow. His dick thrust upward, opening her even
further and she felt it begin to twitch slightly within her walls.
Julia lost her breath, all she could do was continue to ride him, her eyes
rolling back in her head and all of her inhibitions falling to the wayside in
the face of the tremendous pleasure and sexual power that she had found
herself in possession of.
Ace grabbed her, curling her close to his chest and then he rolled them over
again so that she was on her back. His hands went to her thighs he pushed
her legs far back and then hook them over his shoulders. He pumped his
hips, moving much faster now.
He grunted out, “Touch your pussy. You know where it feels the best.”
Julia, overcome by sheer lust had no shame. Her fingers went to the spot
where it did indeed feel the best. She began to rub it, moving her fingers
from side to side and pressing down in an effort to relieve her powerful
need to come all over his pounding and turgid prick.
Ace said, “You were about to do that to yourself weren’t you? If I hadn’t
come in when I did you would’ve played with your sweet little pussy all by
yourself.”
Julia knew she should feel embarrassed at having been caught but she felt
nothing but the first fluttering of her inner walls and her need to come.
“Yes,” she panted. “I was doing just that. I can’t help it. I’ve never felt like
that before.”
She came then and as she did she felt his flash give off several hard throbs
with in her walls. She felt his sticky thick seeds splatter into her body. He
collapsed on top of her, groaning.
Chapter 8
Ace managed to finally get his breath back. He pulled Julia into his side and
cuddled her close to his side. She fit into the hollow spaces of his body like
she had been carved to fit.
He smoothed her long and tangled hair back from her face, marveling at its
silky, useful luster. He gave her a rueful smile. “I think I may just be a little
too old to be having that kind of sex.”
Julia giggled. “I was just wondering how I’m going to keep up with
someone of your experience. Not to mention your stamina.”
He grinned at her, “Oh, you think I have stamina now? You should have
seen me twenty years ago.”
Julia said innocently, “How could I have seen you twenty years ago? I
wasn’t even alive then.”
The age difference between them was not something he had considered, at
least not to any real degree. Her words however brought home to him just
how much difference there was in their ages and more misgivings set in.
How was he supposed to keep up with this hot, young woman who a
previously untapped well of deep and vital passion within her?
“I just might have created a monster,” He thought to himself.
Julia snuggled in deeper, breaking off his thoughts with the feel of her body
next to his. She asked, “Are you okay?”
How the hell could he be okay? She had just brought home to him how
stupid this whole thing really was. That not only could he not trust her
because she was Walker’s sister, he couldn’t trust her because she was a
woman. A very young woman, and one who might prove to be incredibly
fickle as most young women were. He opened his mouth to answer her but
found he had nothing to say.
Julia said, “The whole thing last night, you know with the fake cops?
Nobody got hurt did they? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”
No he hadn’t gotten hurt. He said, “The guys who were posing as narcs
screwed up long before they ever hit the street. It didn’t hurt that we were
already warned about it happening and had a chance to warn all of the
people they were going after either. Thank you for that.”
Julia’s fingers rested against his hip, sending little flares of heat into his
skin. “Oh, don’t worry about it. We made a bargain right?”
Ace gave her a long and speculative look. Was that why she was in bed with
him right then? Did she view her virginity as nothing more than a
bargaining chip? She had to have known that Pete found it valuable. Then
again, he was a psychopath with some real issues with women. Ace had no
idea what kind of mindset a psychopath like Pete would get himself into
once he knew the woman that he wanted the most was no longer the virgin
that Pete had set so much store in. What Ace did know was that her losing
her virginity to anyone would’ve put that deal between Pete and Walker into
jeopardy. Julia losing her virginity to him meant that Pete would never
touch her.
All of that aside, he didn’t want this to just be a bargain between them. Ace
wanted to protect Julia for reasons that had nothing to do with that bargain.
That bothered him, and he knew he needed to put some space between the
two of them as fast as possible.
He stood and began gathering his clothes. Julia sat up, the sheets tangling
around her lean body. She made a lovely picture but he deliberately looked
away from her.
Julia asked, “do you have to leave?”
Ace said, “Yes, I do. I have a lot to do. I have an entire crew to run. I can’t
stay here with you all day.”
He knew his terse answers felt cruel. He wanted to reassure her that he was
not being unkind but given that he could not trust her and he certainly
couldn’t seem to trust himself with her, he stayed silent and finished
dressing.
As he made his way to the door he added, “The man who lives in the big
house up front is delivering you groceries. He should be here with them at
any minute in fact. Stay inside and stay out of sight. I don’t think I need to
tell you that Walker knows by now that someone ratted out his plan. You
did not go home so he would have to be a complete idiot not to know was
you.”
Julia’s already pale skin turned an even whiter shade. She said, “But I don’t
even have anything to wear. The clothes that I wore yesterday are dirty.”
Ace paused on his way out of the door. “I will make sure you get some
clothes today.”
Julia asked, “When are you coming back?”
Ace couldn’t look at her. He knew that if he did he’d be right back in that
bed with her, making love to her and forgetting about everything and
everyone else. He said, “I’m not sure because I have a lot to take care of
right now. I will be back. You will be safe. I know you’re frightened, and
I’m sorry that I can’t stay. But I can’t.”
He went out the door and closed it behind himself. As he began to back his
bike out of the driveway the door that sat on the side of the house opened
and the same large man that had looked out the night before came outside,
holding up a hand.
Ace paused. “How are you Randy?”
Randy’s eyes narrowed a little bit as he looked back at the guesthouse.
“Good. I sent Jenny to the store for some groceries. She will be back any
second. Anything else you need for her?”
Ace slung a leg over the bike. “Yeah have Jenny pick her up some clothes
would you? And keep a good eye on her, as much as I want to trust her I
really don’t.”
Randy asked, “How could you possibly trust her given who she is?”
Ace said, “Get out of my head man. I was just asking myself that very same
question.”
Randy shrugged. “I will call Jenny right now and tell her to pick up some
clothes. She looked to be about Jenny’s size, at least from the glimpse I got
of her when you rolled past last night.”
Ace said, “No, I think she’s a little bit thinner and a few inches taller than
Jenny.”
Randy said, “Well, Jenny can figure that out.”
Ace nodded. His eyes went back to the guesthouse. The blinds were still
tightly drawn but he had a feeling that Julia was inside watching him. He
cranked up the bike and rode off, heading back toward Greenpoint and the
business that he had to attend to that day.
Chapter 9
Julia had indeed been looking out at Ace. She was anxious and now that the
sex was over she was also slightly bored. She knew she should not feel that
way, especially considering the circumstances but she did.
Ever since she had turned sixteen and had been able to get regular jobs as
well as modeling jobs her days had been packed full. Between work and
school she had never had very much time on her hands to just do nothing.
She knew that Ace was right. She had not gone home the night before and
Walker had to know that someone had let Ace and his crew and on Walker’s
plan. Walker was not stupid, and a new set of worries came to her as she
made her way into the bathroom and took a fast shower.
When she emerged, clean and wrapped in a towel, it was to see a woman
standing in the kitchen. A short, sharp scream burst from her mouth before
Julia could stop it. The woman turned around and gave her a wide, sunny
smile.
The woman said, “I’m so sorry. My name’s Jenny. I live in the house in
front of this one. Ace had me pick you up some clothes. I had to just guess
at the sizes, sorry. I think they will fit though.”
Julia clutched the towel tightly around herself. Gratitude filled her. Ace had
had someone to get her clothes? That was very kind of him and she was
happy to hear that she no longer had to wear the same clothes that she had
worn the day before. “Oh I’m sure they’ll be great, thank you so much for
doing that for me.”
“Oh, no worries.” Jenny went back to lifting things out of the grocery bags
on the counter. “I didn’t know what you liked so I tried to buy things that
were sort of everyday items.”
Julia spotted a shopping bag from a discount retailer on the sofa. She went
to it and began to lift the clothes out. She found three T-shirts in various
colors, several pairs of jeans, underwear, a bra that looked to be a
reasonable fit, and some comfortable looking sneakers. Nothing that she
would’ve chosen for herself, of course. That she would not have chosen
them for herself did not lessen her gratitude.
She hastily took out an outfit for the day and dashed back into the bathroom
to dress. When she emerged that time it was to find Jenny making coffee
and munching on a delicious looking Danish.
Jenny waved a hand at the counter. “I got several of these. You’re going to
have to forgive me for taking one, my husband isn’t allowed to have sugar
anymore so I have to eat it when he’s not around.”
Julia went to the box and helped herself to a large and dense pastry filled
with a decadent amount of creamy cheesy filling. “Take as many as you
want, you bought them.”
The two women poured coffee and took seats on the sofa. Jenny finished
her pastry without another word. After the last bite was gone she took a
large sip of coffee, Acecleared her throat, and said, “So, you’re our new
guest.”
Julia gave her a questioning look. Was it common for Ace to bring women
there and to ask Jenny and her husband to take care of them? That was
probably not the question she should ask and she knew it, if that was the
case she didn’t want to know.
Instead Julia said, “Have you lived here long?”
The other woman nodded. “Yes, about six years now.”
Julia realized she had nothing else to say and she sat there feeling slightly
uncomfortable she had the uneasy feeling that Jenny was checking her out,
trying to find something out about her without coming right out and asking
questions. The silence spun out. Julia had a terrible urge to simply speak, to
say something just to break that silence but she remained quiet because she
had long since learned not to speak.
Walker often put her in a literal corner, crossed his arms, and said nothing.
When she had been much younger Julia had broken under that treatment.
She would babble out all sorts of things just to fill the silence. It took her
years to understand that that was his intention the entire time. And
everything that she said was just one more thing that he could use against
her.
Jenny finally stood. She said, “I should get back to the house. It’s nice to
meet you. I brought along a lot of fresh produce from the little stand down
the street. If there’s anything I didn’t get that you would like to just let me
know.”
Julia stood as well. She wrapped her arms around her body, feeling like she
had just missed the opportunity to make a friend. Inwardly she was cursing
herself for that. A sense of defeat filled her. Walker’s cruelty to her over the
years had left her unable to trust anyone. The few friends that she had when
she first moved in with Walker had been lost to her. She had been so
ashamed of her new circumstances and so afraid that someone would see
how he treated her that she had stopped trying to make friends.
All of the people that she met after moving in with Walker and the rest of
her family seem to fall into two categories; those who were terrified of the
crew and wanted nothing to do with them, and those people who only
wanted to be her friend because her brother was Walker.
Julia said, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do just sit here and… Well, it’s
just that I’m sort of out of everything that I know and I’m a little bit
confused today.”
Jenny gave her a sunny smile. “Oh I’m sure. It’s okay, I was just happy to
be able to sit here and munch out on my Danish. I’ll come holler at you
later if you like.”
Relief filled Jenny. “I’d like that, thank you very much.”
Jenny departed. Julia went back into the kitchen to see what all Jenny had
brought. There was indeed plenty of fresh produce for salads or even just
for steaming. There were ripe bananas, beautiful apples, and some plump
grapes. There were also various boxes on the shelves and a rotisserie
chicken as well as a very nice cut of steak in the refrigerator.
Julia helped herself to an apple and another cup of coffee, thanking the
heavens that Jenny had bought both regular milk and cream. Now that
Jenny was gone she found herself at even more of a loss. What was she
supposed to do all day? She really had no idea at all.
Julia went to her purse and fished out her phone. She didn’t have classes
that day but she needed something to do so she tapped the screen, meaning
to open a page that would let her read up on one of the current topics she
was studying. Her fingers paused and her mouth dropped open as she saw
that she had dozens of unread text messages as well as a dozen missed calls.
Oh my God! I turned the ringer and sound off yesterday while I was in the
store and forgot to turn it back on! Her heart sank all the way to her
stomach as she realized that all of the messages were from Walker. Her
hands shook so violently that she could barely get the text messages up. She
staggered backward and the back of her knees hit the sofa and she sat down
heavily.
Julia’s eyes went down the column of texts while her heart hammered so
hard in her chest that she was afraid, truly afraid, that she would have a
massive heart attack at any given moment.
The text messages were vile. Walker was clearly pissed off.
Where the fuck are you? You better be dead. You were supposed to be here
two hours ago. If I find out that you are out screwing around I will kill you.
You know who you belong to.
The messages just got worse from there. Tears dripped off Julia’s face as
she read them. She had known something was wrong when she left
yesterday, there was just something about the way that Pete had leered at
her as she had gone out the door. Looking at the text messages it became
very clear to her that Walker and Pete had finally come to some kind of
agreement, and that her agreement had been deemed unnecessary.
The text messages from that morning were worse. Walker was furious that
his little plan to intimidate the street leveled drug dealers in Ace’s territory
had not gone well. Ace had been right, Walker knew damn well that
somebody had betrayed him. None of the text messages from Walker came
right out and said that Walker thought she had done it. Walker didn’t have
to come right out and say he thought she had done it for her to know that
she was in a whole lot of danger and trouble.
Those thoughts had barely crossed her mind when she heard some odd flat
reports coming from outside. A frown wrinkled her forehead as she turned
toward the window that looked up through the driveway toward the house
in front. Those dull cracking sounds came again. Julia’s stomach dropped as
she realized exactly what those sounds were.
Gunshots.
Terrified and scrambling she grabbed her purse and headed for the small
bathroom. There was a window there, a very small one that led into the
alley behind the house. It was her only chance and Julia knew it.
The door rattled and shook. She could hear voices now, and they were
voices that she recognized. Her blood raced through her veins as she ran for
the bathroom door then closed it tightly behind her as quietly as possible.
How had they found her? She managed to pry the window open and then
start to crawl out of it. She got all the way outside before she heard a shout.
She turned her head to the right to see Pete racing toward her with a drawn
gun in one fist.
Too afraid to scream Julia hurled herself over the short fence. She ran up the
alley, suddenly grateful for the plain and unadorned shoes that Jenny had
bought her. Jenny! Had she been killed? Julia was terribly afraid that she
had been.
She ran on, her purse banging into her hip and her phone in her hand. She
could hear the sound of bikes cranking up and a car whizzed past her,
sliding up along the curb and onto the sidewalk that she was now racing
down. Two guys from her brother’s crew jumped out and raced towards her,
clearly meaning to intercept and capture her.
Julia threw the phone at one of them as hard as she could.
The phone spun through the air and she felt a wild satisfaction as it
connected solidly with her pursuer’s face. The edge of the phone hit him
squarely between his eyes right at the bridge of his nose. He let out a long
howl of misery and she managed to grab a large and very full trashcan and
tip it over into the path of the second man, slowing him down somewhat.
Julia ran onward. She could hear Walker and Pete shouting as she jumped
fences and crossed streets, her eyes scanning everything in an attempt to
find a safe space. She saw nowhere that she could hide and terror kept her
running despite the burning stitch that had flared into life on the right side
of her body.
There was nowhere to go and she knew it. Walker would find her and as
soon as he did he was going to kill her. That thought just made her run
faster. Everything that Walker had ever done to her, surged up in her mind.
All of his cruelties, both large and small, came floating back up into her
memories.
With those memories came hatred. That hatred was so huge, so dark and
vicious that it blotted out the fear that threatened to freeze her into place.
That hatred gave her the will to keep going even though her body screamed
at her brain that it was done, that she had nothing left in the tank.
Her breath hissed in and out of her burning throat. Her eyes stung and
watered as sweat poured down her face. The intense heat and humidity
baking down from the sky and up from the sidewalks threatened to send her
toppling, and even though Julia knew deep in her soul that there was no
way that she could out run Walker and his crew, that he would catch her,
that the heat and her own body would eventually betray her and send her
crashing to the ground, she refused to give up. She would run until there
was not a single breath left in her.
The sound of a motorcycle, a loud angry throb that beat the air, filled her
ears with its sound and her heart with utter despair. The bike came hurtling
toward her and one look at the rider on the back of that raging chrome beast
sent long shudders through her entire body.
Ace rode right up beside her but did not slow down. He held one hand out
and Julia grabbed for it. Ace’s skill was so great that he managed to swing
her off the ground and onto the bike behind him with one hand and in one
long smooth motion.
Julia’s right leg kicked up high as her legs and feet left the ground. That leg
went over the bike and she settled in behind him, her face going into his
jacket and her arms going around his waist.
She had been terrified of riding on the back of a motorcycle just the night
before. She had been stiff and unresponsive as he had taken them to the
little house she had just fled from. She was no longer afraid of the bike or of
the man riding it. He and his bike were the only things standing between her
and certain death.
Julia took her cues from Ace’s body. When he leaned she leaned with him.
When he moved forward she moved forward. It came to her as he rode hell-
bent for leather that riding that bike with him was a whole lot like making
love with him. Even the vibrations coming up from below her, those
vibrations that stroked her most sensitive areas and made her highly aware
of them despite everything that was happening at that moment, were highly
sexually charged.
She looked back, her eyes widening as she saw Walker and Pete and the
other guys from the crew following behind them in the car. Horrified and
sick from her long run through the heat and the fear that had propelled her
all Julia could do was shout, “They are right behind us!”
Ace jumped the curb, hit the gas and roared into a small business section
that featured block after block of restaurants, schools, and stores. He
zoomed down an alley and came out on the other side then passed a blot of
traffic. Julia looked back again. The car was still coming though not as
close as it had been before.
Ace went down another road and Julia hung on, clinging to him for dear
life. Ace stopped the bike. He pointed to a doorway, “Go through there. Go
all the way to the fourth floor and up onto the rooftop.”
She stared at him. “What?”
Ace goosed the bike forward. “I said go God dammit!”
Julia went. She ran through the door to find herself faced with a tall
staircase. There were doors on all sides and she passed them as she raced up
the stairs. The stitch in her side grew with every step and by the time she
reached the third floor her energy was completely gone. She staggered and
fell, rolling several feet down before crashing onto a hard landing that
would have sent her body tumbling down the next flight if she had not
managed to catch on to one of the posts of the staircase.
She made it to her feet and started upward again. Her breath sobbed in and
out of her mouth. She could barely walk, and bruises were forming all over
her skin. Pain lacerated through her side and her left foot. She kept going,
not just because she was afraid but because Ace had told her to. She had to
trust that he had a plan.
On the fourth floor she found exactly two doors. One was locked and had a
number written on it. The other was unlocked but when she opened it all
she found was a large but empty apartment.
Sobbing and desperate Julia went back out into the hallway, turning from
one direction to the other until she finally spotted a very narrow and
practically invisible doorway set into a series of panels along the wall. She
opened the door to find a steep spiral stairway.
She climbed that staircase slowly barely able to drag herself upward.
Sunlight hit her face and she stumbled along the rooftop, crying and trying
to tamp down her fear and her pain long enough to think.
She huddled in a small patch of shade, dragging long heated gulps of air
into her lungs. She got her bearings finally and as she sat there with her legs
spread in front of her she began to hear the sounds coming from below.
When she tried to stand her foot gave way and she tumbled back to the
rooftop.
Her foot was broken, there was no other way around it. Julia did not know
if she had broken it during her run or during the fall. What she did know
was that the adrenaline had finally worn off and now she was feeling every
inch of agony shooting through that foot.
She hopped to the tall wall that ran around the perimeter of the roof and
gazed downward. What she saw made her hands fly to her mouth to keep a
scream back.
The crew that Ace ran, Brooklyn’s Sons, were down there dragging Walker,
Pete, and the other two from the car. Julia felt a wild thrill shoot down her
spine. She hoped, with everything in her being she hoped, that they would
kill Walker.
Then the innocence that she had never lost, the sweetness that Walker had
never been able to beat out of her, surfaced. She was not a killer and she
didn’t want anyone to die, not even Walker.
They were all fighting down there, it was a full blown street brawl.
Horrified and yet unable to do anything because of her injury, Julia stood
there watching it go down.
Chapter 10
Ace had been waiting years for this opportunity. He wanted nothing more
than to beat Walker into a bloody mess. Walker had just come into his
territory, and he had just fired shots at Randy and Jenny.
Randy was a former Navy SEAL. Taking him down was not something
Walker was capable of. Randy had pushed Jenny into a room and
exchanged gunfire with the other men. He had hoped to lay down enough
cover fire to get to Julia but that hadn’t happened. He had managed to slow
them down so that she got a good running head start. He also managed to
call Ace, who had been less than half a mile away.
Now that Ace knew that Julia was safe, well out of reach on the rooftop of
the clubhouse, he was no longer worried. Now he was just pissed off.
Walker stalked closer. Pete and his other men were already engaged with
Aces crew. It was just Ace and Walker facing each other now.
Walker sneered, “You think I don’t know that you’ve already turned her into
a little whore?”
Ace gave him a nasty smile. “Don’t talk about her like that.”
Walker got a little closer, but not close enough. Ace was biding his time,
knowing that Walker had more strength but a lot less speed and stamina.
Ace also knew that it took more energy to throw a punch that missed then it
took to throw a punch that landed. He intended for all of his punches to
land, and write in Walker’s face and gut.
Walker asked, “What do you think you’re going to do with her now that you
have her? Huh? Do you think she has a single loyal bone in her entire body?
Her mother was a traitor. She’s a traitor. How long do you think it will be
before she betrays you?”
Ace knew exactly what Walker was doing. Everything Walker was saying
was true. Julia’s mother had run out on the man she had sworn to ride or die
for. Julia had turned her back on blood. Walker was hoping to use those
truths to plant doubt in Ace’s mind and heart.
The truth was Ace had no idea at all if he could trust Julia. What he did
know was that if Walker had not treated her the way that he had she would
not have turned her back on him. He did not know what had happened
between Julia’s mother in Walker’s father but considering that Walker’s
father was far more violent than his son he could guess.
Ace said, “That’s where you’re getting this all wrong. This is not about her.
This is about a debt you owe my family. This is about you coming into my
territory, riding into my borough, and firing at somebody in my family.”
Walker put his hands up. All around him men were fighting. Pete was using
his gun, which must have been empty of bullets by then, as a weapon but it
wasn’t doing him much good. There were too many of Ace’s crew to face
down.
Walker said, “Well you just bring it on then.”
Ace said, “Thought you’d never ask.”
He charged in, fists flying. All the hatred and rage he had ever felt for
Walker came spilling over. Ace let his fist connect with Walker’s jaw while
he hoisted one foot upward into Walker’s crotch.
Walker was used to street fighting. He didn’t even go down. Instead he
began hitting back. Ace ducked the blows easily enough. The impact of his
knuckles on Walker’s flesh sent waves of pain spiraling down his arm but
he just kept hitting.
Blood flowed. Both men had a score to settle. For Ace it was about Margo
and the death she had not been able to escape thanks to Walker first getting
her hooked on heroin and then using her as a guinea pig for a batch that he
had not been sure of in the first place.
Walker had his own score to settle. Ace had just cost him a connection that
could have made him the king of the entire city. He would have had the
kind of money that could have squashed the cruise in every other borough.
Ace had taken away all of Walker’s leverage.
Asphalt met Ace’s hands and knees. His palms stung and his jeans shredded
away from his kneecap. Walker’s foot connected solidly with his ribs,
threatening to break them. Ace reached out one hand and grabbed the blade
that he saw glittering from that boot.
Walker realized his mistake too late to stop it. Ace drove the blade deep into
Walker’s calf. Walker let out a high-pitched scream and staggered
backwards, the blade still buried in his flesh.
Ace made it back to his feet. Someone tossed him a very long and heavy
piece of steel and he advanced on Walker with it in one hand. Before he
could crush Walker’s skull with the steel Pete and the other two men, all
bloodied and pulped, grabbed Walker and rushed back to the car.
Ace held up one hand as his crew tried to rush the car. It would’ve been
way too easy to kill them but the truth was the fight had already drawn
more attention than they could afford. His eyes scanned the neighboring
buildings. Blinds that had been opened moments before were closed. Stoops
that had held people were now deserted. There were no sirens to be heard
but that did not mean much. It was the digital age, and people tended to take
a video and put it on the web rather than call the cops when it came to street
brawls. Ace would much rather they just called the cops. Lying to a cop was
easy. Lying to a judge when there was video that had gone viral was a
whole other thing.
They staggered into the clubhouse. Ace, battered and weary, climbed the
stairs slowly. He made it up onto the roof to find Julia standing near the
wall with both hands pressed against her mouth and her face soaked with
tears.
She hobbled toward him and that slow and uneven gate of hers told him that
she’d been harmed. He caught her in his arms and asked, “Are you okay?”
She sobbed out, “No! No I am not okay. I did this! I brought this to you!
This is my fault!”
Ace shook his head. His hands rested on her shoulders. Blood streamed
down his face from a small wound on his scalp. He wiped it away with his
shoulder. He said, “No, it isn’t. This has been coming for years.”
She gave him a long, intense look. “For you, this is over Margo isn’t it?”
Ace said, “What else would this be over?”
The expression on her face almost imploded his heart. She wiped her eyes
and nodded. “What else?”
Ace knew then that he had to let her go. He didn’t want to. He wanted to
keep her forever. He wanted her to be in his life and to be his old lady. He
wanted her to ride on the back of his bike and be in his bed every single day
and night for the rest of his entire life. There was just something about Julia,
a sweet and un-ending innocence that made him want to build a wall around
her around himself to keep the rest of the world out forever.
And that was why he had to send her away. If he didn’t that innocence of
hers would die a terrible and unfair death.
That was not the only reason either. There were so many reasons why he
needed to send her away. He couldn’t trust her. He couldn’t trust himself
with her. He didn’t have anything to give her but more of the same life that
she was running away from. He was over twenty years older than her. It
would never work out.
She deserved better, far better, than him.
Chapter 11
Julia refused to look back. The taxi had picked her up at the front entrance
of the hospital and had driven her all the way to LaGuardia Airport. There
was a mobile boarding pass on the cell phone that Ace had procured for her.
There was twenty thousand dollars hidden in various pieces of the cheap
luggage that Randy had picked up on the way to the hospital.
She had clothes and money and a destination. What she didn’t have, was
Ace. He had walked away from her on that rooftop, calling for a woman
who was married to one of his higher ranking crewmembers.
That woman had helped Julia down off the roof and into the car that Randy
had shown up in. Jack had told her that she would be leaving the city
immediately. Julia knew that as soon as she got to her destination she would
have to attempt to find a way to get herself back into design school.
Nobody, except Randy, knew where she would be going. Walker’s crew
could not get to Randy because he and Jenny were also leaving the city.
They were heading in the opposite direction. And the flight that Julia was
on would only lead her to a connection. She was flying into Atlanta what
she did after that was up to her.
Julia was not just out of sorts and upset due to the pain from her broken foot
she was out of sorts and upset due to the pain of her broken heart. Her heart
was literally broken. She knew it shouldn’t be. She barely knew Ace. All
she really knew of him was that he was her brother’s enemy and that he had
taken her virginity and protected her and made her feel safe and sheltered
and cherished just to drop her like a lead balloon.
She still hated Walker. She always would. But now she had a new hate in
her heart. Now she hated Ace too.
LaGuardia was packed. An attendant got her wheelchair and helped her get
through security then to her gate. As Julia sat at the gate she made herself
one solemn vow. Nobody would ever own her heart ever again and she
would never ever trust a man on a bike as long as she lived.
Chapter 12
Jack leaned against one wall, watching as Ace bandaged his bloody
knuckles. Ace looked over at Jack’s swollen and battered face.
Ace asked, “how you doing?”
Jack laughed. “I have had better days.”
Ace looked in the mirror. “Yeah, me too.”
Jack said, “If you think sending that girl away is going to keep Walker off
our shit you’re dead wrong.”
Ace watched blood swirled down the drain, crimson against the white
porcelain. “I don’t think that at all.”
Jack asked, “Then why send her away?”
Ace said, “She’s no good to us anymore. Everything I needed from her, I
already have. Pete’s not giving up his connection to Walker without her and
without her virginity she’s useless to Pete.”
Jack whistled. “That’s cold man, even for you.”
Ace said, “Yeah. That’s me, cold as ice.”
Jack said, “I’m not so sure that girl didn’t get to you.”
Ace gave him a hard and baleful glare. “What the hell does that mean?”
Jack said, “Just what I said. You could have sent her home, let her deal with
the fallout herself. You don’t usually cotton to traitors.”
Ace turned the taps off and looked down at his bandaged hands. His heart
ached, as much as he would have liked to say it didn’t. He said, “I couldn’t
let her get killed. I owed her. That night, the night Margo died, she called
me. She was just a kid and she had no idea what she had just stepped into,
all she knew was that there was a woman on the floor and she couldn’t call
the cops. She found my number in Margo’s pocket and called me, asked me
to come get her and get her some help. That took guts, and a lot of them.”
Jack’s eyes went wide. “I always wondered how she could have gotten back
here in the shape she was in.”
Ace braced his hands on the sink. He couldn’t look at his own reflection.
His shoulders slumped. “I kept my eye on her over the years,” he admitted.
“I owed her and now we’re even. So that’s why I sent her off the way I did.”
It was a lie. He had sent her away because he was not good enough for her,
and he knew it. Julia deserved so much better than a dirt bag biker who
would likely end up in prison for the rest of his life, or dead on a street
somewhere. Ride or die was exactly what they did, and when it came down
to it, most of them died.
Julia was so young, and so innocent and so beautiful. She should be with
someone who could promise her forever. Someone her own age. Someone
who wouldn’t end with a bullet in their heart or wiped out along a street.
For the first time in his life Ace found himself thinking of all the things he
had done with some real shame. He was a badass, and he had grown up
hard and fast. The things he had done to get to where he was had seemed
like just things he had to do, and he had never felt guilt or shame before but
he did just then. That pissed him off. This was his life. He had chosen it
because he wanted it. This was what he had always wanted, to be at the
head of a crew and to be respected, to have money in his pockets and his
pick of women.
But there was only one woman that he wanted right then.
He wanted Julia, and she was out of his league all the way around.
Bert appeared, his face creased with concern. “Ace, we got trouble.”
That was starting to be a sentence that Ace truly hated hearing. “Oh yeah?”
“They’re riding right for us. They’re threatening to burn the entire borough
to the ground if we don’t give the girl back.”
Ace snorted. “She’s long gone. They could burn the city and it wouldn’t get
her back.”
Bert frowned. “We know that but they don’t. It’s war Ace.”
Ace looked into the mirror. His lips thinned. He said, “It’s been coming for
a long time. You know it has been. Walker’s never been content to keep his
territory and let us keep ours. If it wasn’t this it would be something else.
Get the hood ready. You know it is about to get ugly and we can’t afford to
have the neighbors killed in our dispute.”
Bert nodded. He turned to leave and then turned back. “Uh, Ace?”
“Yeah?”
Bert fiddled with the butt of the gun sticking up from his hip pocket.
“You’re wrong.”
Ace’s brows drew together. “The hell I am. This war was started the minute
Walker climbed on that bike and took the lead spot in his crew.”
Bert grinned. “No, not about that. We all know that. I mean about that girl
being long gone. She’s not gone. She’s right downstairs and she says she
ain’t leaving. She’s got some sand, I’ll give her that.”
Ace’s mouth dropped open. “Come again?”
Bert chuckled and walked out. Jack lifted his eyebrows and said, “Looks
like you might have to try sending her away again then, huh?”
Ace sent a glower his way. He pushed his way out fo the bathroom and
headed down the stairs. The foyer was empty but he could hear guys
moving around in the apartments. The air was charged with an electric
tension and he felt his heart tick up a few extra beats as he paused on the
second floor landing to look down at Julia.
She stood there, balanced on the crutches. Her suitcase was beside her. Her
eyes lifted to his and his first instinct was to smile and then to run right
down those stairs and grab her and hold on tight.
Instead he took the steps slowly. He asked, “What are you doing?”
She lifted her head. “I’m standing here.”
“You shouldn’t be.”
“You’re right. I keep wanting to put weight on this foot and I’m not
supposed to.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Her eyes were steady. “I know what you meant.”
He shook his head. “Goddammit Julia, there’s an out and out war about to
kick off here. You could get killed.”
She shifted a little but her eyes didn’t drop away from his. “So could you.”
His jaw clenched. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Ditto.”
Goddamn her! The girl was infuriating and impossible and he wanted to
turn her right over his knee and spank her lush and ripe bottom until she
learned to do as she was told. He descended the stairs again, his dick
stiffening at that thought of her across his knees and his hope and fear
growing with each step.
“Julia,” he began but she cut him off. “Ace, listen. I don’t know what’s
happening between us, I don’t. I just know I want to see where it goes. I am
not leaving you, not even if it means I have to be in the midst of a war with
my brother. Half-brother. I don’t…I know my walking away from their and
giving you information makes me a traitor. Not just to him. I know that
makes people wonder if they can trust me. I get it. I do. But I walked on
him because he is a terrible person and just because he kept me prisoner
does not mean I owe him my loyalty. If anything his holding me prisoner
like that stripped away whatever need for loyalty to him I might have had. I
won’t betray you. Ever. Let me stay. Well, I am staying so really what I am
saying here is go ahead and try to make me leave.”
He shot a look around the foyer. He spoke in a low voice. “I am way too old
for you.”
“I’ll get older.’
“This isn’t the life for you.”
“I never said it was, but then again why can’t I have a life too? I mean, there
are plenty of guys in the crews who have a family and a wife who does
other stuff besides be someone’s old lady.”
God that was so true. He shook his head. “I can’t let you get hurt. I can’t let
him hurt you.”
“He spent five years hurting me. You see? He already has hurt me, so
there’s no way you can stop that.”
Frsutration set in. Every single reason he had to send her away was being
shot down right out from under his feet. He studied her face for a minute.
“You could change your mind.’
Her face didn’t change out of its obstinate expression. “So could you, but I
am willing to take that chance and hope you never do.’
He wanted to hold her, to pull her in and keep her close. He wanted to love
her and give her everything in the world.
He said, “We barely know each other.”
“Well then, we should probably spend as much time together as we can so
we can get to know each other then, shouldn’t we?”
“You are the most stubborn…” He moved closer. Julia’s lips called to him.
He intended to claim that mouth, to kiss her until he either lost his mind or
she regained hers but before he could the glass in the front door shattered.
Chapter 13
Julia heard the breaking glass and ducked. Ace grabbed her and they went
down on the floor together, rolling. His body covered hers as a hail of
bullets poured in through those broken doors. The door beside them popped
open. Screams echoed throughout the building and Ace stayed over her,
telling her to go, pushing her and using his body as a shield as they
scrambled into the apartment.
A tall man shouted something. More bullets hit, shattering the windows at
the front of the apartment. They retreated. Ace hauled her along, one hand
solidly on her shoulder. He grabbed a door, a thick and heavy thing. It
opened with a heavy creak of hinges and the smell of a dank basement
wafted up.
There were shouts and screams. Footsteps pounded down the stairs. The
front door flew open and more gunfire echoed as did more screams. The
sound of bikes roaring and clashing their gears out on the street rose higher,
adding to the din.
Women appeared. Ace shouted at two of them to help Julia and then he was
gone. One woman grabbed kids and herded them down the stairs. More
women appeared and several of them carried guns and wore grim
expressions.
The woman who had grabbed Julia shouted, “Get down the stairs!”
“I can’t leave Ace!” Julia’s scream held desperation.
The woman gave her a hard stare. “You can’t help him with a bad leg.
You’ll just get in the way.”
Julian went down the stairs, leaning heavly on the other woman and
praying. Terror and exhaustion nagged at her.
The door swung shut and the woman who had herded the kids down the
stairs shot a bolt home. They raced into a small room with an outer door.
The woman said, “We may have to go out. If we do, shoot anyone who isn’t
one of us.”
She shoved a gun at Julia. Julia stared at the hunk of metal in her hands,
recoiling from the thing. The other women gathered the kids close and held
them tightly. Julia clutched the gun and stared wildly around herself.
One of the woman looked at Julia, “You’re his sister, ain’t you?”
“Not by choice.”
The words held all the bitterness in her heart. “I’m sorry about all of this.”
The woman snorted. The kids huddled on a low sofa, not crying or
speaking. The sound of gunfire had ceased but the sound of bikes roaring
away was loud even where they were. The woman said, “This war’s been
on the brink for years. Walker’s been after the borough for …shit. Forever.
He wants the whole city and he doesn’t know how to stop.”
No, he didn’t. Julia licked her lips. “Why don’t the other crews in the other
boroughs stand against him?”
The woman gave her a grim look. “Because so far he’s just attacking us. As
long as he kept off their turf it wasn’t their prob;em.”
Julia looked down. “Why? I mean why has this been so close to happening
for so long?”
The woman stared at her. “You really don’t know, do you?”
Julia shook her head. “Oh, wait. Margo, right?”
The woman snorted. “Margo hell. She’s just one more reason for Ace to
hate Walker. This started long before that. Your mama, she was one of us.
She was born and raised right here. Her dad was a Brooklyn Son. He was
the leader of the crew, all up until he died and Ace took over."
All the air left Julia’s body. Little spots danced before her eyes. The world
spun on its axis. “No.”
“Oh yeah. She got scooped by Walker’s dad, your gramps. He got her
hooked on him and dope and then treated her like shit for years. She ran and
he tried to get her back, he tried to burn us down then too but your gramps
stepped in and made sure she and you were safe. When she died Walker
took you, and there was nothing your gramps could do about it because he
wasn’t listed as your mom’s dad on her birth certificate so the courts didn’t
want to hear it. Walker only wanted you to get even with your gramps for
killing his dad.”
Oh God. The world went gray. Julia’s body sagged and she took a seat on
the sofa, tears streaming down her face. “Nobody ever told me that.”
“Of course they didn’t.” The woman stuck out a hand. “I’m Megan.’
“Julia.” Julia took her hand. She swallowed hard. “Did you know my
mom?”
“We all did. She saved Ace’s life once, did you know that?”
Julia shook her head from side to side. “No.”
Megan nodded. “She did. She found him back when he was a snotty ass
teenager trying to face down a street dealing pimp who had decided that his
cousin was just what he needed in his stable. She hit that dude in the head
with a bat and brought Ace and Margo here.”
Julia bent double. Sorrow filled her. Her mother had never told her that.
Walker had never told her and Ace had never told her that either.
She wiped her eyes. A little hiccup of laughter came from her mouth. She
said, “I guess that explains why I feel more at home here than I ever did at
Walker’s.”
Megan smiled at her. “Girl if we don’t all die over this shit, I think you’ll do
just fine.”
The other woman looked up. She said, “And there’s the cops. You all stay
here. I got this.”
She went up the stairs and shut the door behind her. Julia looked at Megan,
“Do you think they will be all right?”
Megan sighed. “You know what? I don’t know. Someone’s going to go to
jail for this one. Walker really lost his mind this time. I can’t even believe
that he did this. I mean shooting up a house in broad daylight? That’s bold
as hell but more than that, it’s crazy. The cops are going to have to come
down on them and us for this one. So I don’t know. I really don’t.”
The cops were the least of Julia’s worry. She was more afraid that Ace
would die without her ever being able to tell him that she loved him. That
she loved him with all her heart.
Come back to me, she prayed silently. Just come back to me please.
Chapter 14
The bikes raced through traffic. Sirens started. Cars tried to get out of the
way but failed and the bikes went past them, the men on their backs as
angry and determined as any of them could be.
Ace spotted Walker riding just ahead. He bent lower over the bike, relaxing
his body and hitting the gas as they spun around a long series of curves. The
world flashed past. His eyes spotted obstacles a few feet before he reached
them and he rode hard, his body slicked with sweat and his shirt flapping in
the wind.
The gun resting on his hip warmed under the sun and next to his body. His
entire being was focused on catching Walker and ending this once and for
all.
Walker took a sharp curve. The bike came dangerously close to eating the
pavement but Walker got it under control just in time. Ace had to admire
Walker’s skill even as he hoped the bastard would eat it, just ride himself
right into Hell.
The other bikes had fallen away as his crew caught up to the men in
Walker’s crew. They were in a long and mostly deserted stretch of industrial
buildings whose businesses had closed years ago and nothing had ever
come back in. Ace was no fool. He knew Walker had come that way for a
reason. He had drawn him away from the residential and busier streets to a
spot where there would be no witnesses.
Ace didn’t care. Live or die, it didn’t matter. What did matter was that if he
was going to die that he took Walker with him. Walker’s need for
vengeance would die with him. Ace thought as the bikes kept moving,
dipping over a hill and then bouncing along a rutted two lane that led into a
mass of buildings now haunted by burned out squatters and mental cases.
Walker spun his bike in a circle, kicking up dust and gravel. He kicked the
stand below the bike and came off of it, his gun already drawn.
Ace came off his too. His gun was in his hand and he faced Walker, both of
them breathing hard. The sun beat down, baking along Ace’s head and
shoulders.
Walker grinned at him. “You topok my sister.”
“You took my cousin.”
“Yeah but you know what? That bitch was useless. All she was, was a
skanky whore. You were the only one who didn’t see that. You were the
only one who didn’t know just what a whore she was.’
The words would have hurt, if they ha dbene true. Ace didn’t drop the gun a
single inch. His smile didn’t falter. “Yeah, I did. But you see, I know what
made her into what she was and I didn’t blame her for being what she was.
No matter what, she was the only family I ever had, the only person who
ever knew what loyalty looked like until I got into the crew.”
Walker sneered. “Yeah the crew you never would have gotten into if it
hadn’t been for that bitch Melinda. My sister’s sorry ass mother. You know
what? I told my dad to let her be, to leave her alone and stop trying to mess
with her. He wouldn’t hear it. Not him. He had to have her, had to. I don’t
know what it was about her that made him so crazy for her. Hell I don’t
know what it was about that bitch sister of mine that made Pete so crazy
about her. What I do know is that she was the key to everything and you
fucked her and you fucked me right out of what is rightfully mine in the
process.’
“Rightfully yours?” The hammer on the gun went back. His thumb was
steady as was his eye. “She’s a person, not a bag of dope or money. You
don’t get to trade her off because it suits you.”
“The hell I don’t! She’s property, just like every single other person who
ever comes to my crew. I own her and I own them and I will do whatever
the fuck I want with them!”
“How’s that working for you?”
Walker twitched. Ace understood something then. Walker was beyond
violent, he was completely fucking off his rocker. He was insane and the
mental illness that was driving him would never let him stop until one of
them was stone cold dead. That was fine by Ace, really it was, but he knew
that if he was the one that died there Julia would never be safe.
Walker didn’t just want Julia as a form of revenge against the former leader
of the Son’s. He didn’t just want her to trade off for his schemes. He wanted
her because as far as he was concerned Julia was just a possession, one that
he wanted and he was not going to let go of, no matter what.
Walker smiled. His finger twitched. The gun went off.
**
Julia stood in the middle of the room. The cops were gone. The kids had
been hustled out the back and taken somewhere else. She was alone now,
waiting for someone to come and tell her what was happening. She was
more frightened than she had ever been in her entire life too. The woman
who had taken the kids after talking to the cops had not told her what to do.
Megan had vanished with her. What should she do?
Unable to stand it anymore Julia managed to crawl up the stairs, taking her
vcructhes with her. The broken glass was everywhere. She eyed it and then
went back into the apartment that held the door to the basement. She found
a broom and dustpan and began to clean up the glass. She cleaned the foyer
and the broken glass in the apartment. She hobbled outside to see more
glass on the sidewalk and she cleaned that up too. Neighbors stared at her
and she lowered her head, shame eating into her.
This had nothing to do with those people and it was not fair, that they had to
handle it. Had anyone who was not in the club hurt? She managed to get the
full dustpan to a set of trash cans and dump it then she swept more glass off
the sidewalk, tears threatening. She knew it was probably stupid, being
outside like that, but she was at a total loss as to what else she could do just
then.
A cop car pulled to the curb and she stared it, wordless as two uniformed
men got out and headed toward her.
**
Ace went sideways, dropping to the gorund and rolling. The bulet whined
over his head and he shot from where he lay, aiming low. Walker went
down. His hand opened and the gun hit the dirt. Ace got to his feet and
kicked it further from Walker’s reach. Walker, bleeding from the upper part
of one thigh, grinned ta him. “You missed.”
“No I didn’t.”
Ace was no killer. He was a lot of things but amurderer was not one of
them. He had to take Walker down, no doubt about it and for a moment
there he had really thought that he could kill him. But if he killed Walker he
was heading off to prison for a very long time and what would happen to
Julia then? He had to be there for her, to protect her and be with her.
He loved her.
He didn’t want to but he did.
Walker made it to his fee3t. His grin held madness. “What now Ace?”
Good question. Ace leveled the gun at Walker. “Now you’re done. I don’t
care how this goes down but you’re done.”
Bikes slewed into the lot. Jack sat astride one and Bert on the other. Both
were bloodied and Jack was obviously seriously injured but they were there.
Ace lifted the gun and brought it down hard on Walker’s head. Walker’s
eyes rolled back in his heads and he staggered to the left. He went down on
his knees in the dirt. Ace kicked him, righgt in the ribs. Walker let out a low
gasp. He shouted, “You can’t do this to me!”
Ace looked at Jack. Jack nodded wearily and took out a phone. Bert got off
his bike and strolled closer, carrying a gun in his left hand.
Walker said, through teeth that dripped blood. “What are you doing? What
are you doing Ace? Go on, kill me.”
“I think there’s only one thing worse than death,” Ace said softly.
Walker’s face showed terror. “No way man. Don’t do that to me. Do it. Kill
me. Kill me goddammit! Don’t you dare do that to me! That’s worse than
death!”
Ace smiled at him and it was not a nice smile. “I know, and you will have
plenty of time to think about all the things you did to the people who would
have followed you if you had just let them love you, you sick twisted
sonofabitch.” Then he raised the gun again and brought it down on Walker’s
temple.
Walker toppled to the dirt. He lay there, not moving. Jack rested a finger
against Walker’s neck, looked at Ace, and nodded. “He’ll live. Man, you
sure about this? I mean putting him in the pen, that’s harsh. That’s a death
sentence all its own and he won’t go alone. Half his crew will go, and some
of ours too.”
“I will go.” Ace’s heart ached. “I’ll take the whole fall but you have to
promise me to look after Julia. You have to swear it on your colors. Swear
nothing will happen to her while I’m inside.”
Jack looked him in the eyes. “She’ll be cared for. We won’t let anyone or
anything take her down. That’s a swear on my colors.” He took his jacket
off and lifted a knife from his pocket. He sliced a small nick into his wrist
and poured his blood over the patch on his jacket then handed the blade to
first Ace and then Bert. Their blood joined jack’s on the patch.
Ace managed to breathe. He’d be away from her for a little while. He didn’t
want to be but if he was going to be able to be with her he had to do it.
Walker would do hard time, and a lot of it. The rest of his crew would face
various charges. There was nobody there who was high enough up or who
would have enough connections to keep the crew going. It would crumble
and fall.
There’d be another crew that took Queens eventually. That was just the way
of it. Ace hoped his crew could find a way to call a truce between
themselves and the next Queens crew. The Son’s were nobody to fuck with,
and any crew that came in while he was in prison would have that
understanding long before they rolled their bikes into Queens and took it
over
“Good.” Ace took his gun to a burned out building and quickly stripped it
down, scattering the pieces all around and covering tem with dirt. Jack
handed Bert his gun and Bert headed off in the opposite direction.
The cop cars came as Walker began to stir. The back door of one opened
and Julia got out. She moved toward him, her crutches unsteady on the
ground. Ace ran to her and held her, his arms holding her up. She looked up
at him, tears falling from her eyes.
“You’re okay,” she whispered. “You’re okay.”
The cps were putting Walker into the car. He screamed, “You got nothing
on me!”
More cruisers screamed into the lot. One, an unmarked car, held two men in
street clothes. They got out and came to where Julia and Ace stood.
One of them said, “Ace, you know you gotta go in.”
Ace nodded. Julia clutched at him. She asked, “Why? He didn’t do anything
wrong!”
One of the detectives said, “Bad news, you don’t get to have a shootout on
the street and not go to jail.”
Julia clung to him. “No, he didn’t have a shootout on the street, Walker and
his guys shot up the house!”
The detective looked at Ace. “Tell her to back off or I’ll lock her up too.”
“Wait!” Julia’s voice shook. “What about a trade?”
The detective frowned. Ace’s brow wrinkled too as he looked at her. Ace
asked, “What are you talking about?”
Julia licked her lips. Her eyes went from the detectives to Walker to Ace.
“He’s going to get at least ten years right? The crew won’t take care of him
because a lot of them are going down too and when you go to their place
you’re going to find stuff that will keep them in jail a little longer but…”
She drew a long breath. “But I know who killed that cop last year. I know
where the gun is. I know who killed the shopkeeper over in Sunnyside too
and I can give you all the stuff you need to know about those things. I will.
But you have to let Ace and the others on the crew, his crew, go, if you want
it. That’s my offer. If you don’t take it I won’t talk at all.’
Ace’s mouth fell open. What she could give the cops would wreck Walker’s
crew forever and keepWalker in prison for life. He would never get out and
many of his crew would be facing life sentences too. Ace was smart enough
to know that as soon as the detectives went to the house and started
gathering evidence a lot fo the prospects and even some of the crew would
roll over and start telling their own tales. But did they know what Julia
knew? Could they possibly?
The detective pursed his lips. “You know that for sure? How?”
Julia gave him a long and level look. “He’s my brother,” she said softly.
“That’s how.”
Chapter 15
Three weeks had passed since the shootout. Julia stood in the bathroom of
Ace’s apartment, staring at the stick she held. The test was positive. She
was pregnant!
Her eyes widened and she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She didn’t
know how she felt. Part of her was ecstatic but the other part was very
scared. Ace had always been careful not to have kids. He had told her, not
so long ago, that he had never wanted them because his own childhood had
been a mess.
His father had bene in prison for most of Ace’s life, and still was. His
mother had not wanted to care for her kids and her sister had been equally
careless with margo. Ace had said he was afraid he would mess a kid up,
and now they were going to have one.
Julia left the bathroom and headed through the apartment. The house was
quiet. Now that Walker was in jail waiting for trial and with all the
complaints the Son’s had toned down their business a lot. They had had to.
The cops that were on their payroll were scant protection right now. They’d
managed to withdraw from the dope trade for the moment, which suited
Ace to a T. They still had a whle lot fo other things going on and the legit
businesses were doing well, well enough that money was nto an issue.
Julia had told the cops where to find the guns and a few more things,
trading secrets for the lives of Ace and his crew. She did nto have to testify
and other than a few people nobody knew just how deep her betrayal of
Walker went. She knew and there were times when that weighed heavily on
her. Blood was supposed ot be blood but the only blood she felt tied to was
the blood that bound her to the Son’s, and the love that kept her tied to Ace.
She stepped into the living room. Ace sat at a small desk, a computer
program was up and running on the desk top in front of him. He looked up
at her as she entered and stood there.
He said, “I meant to ask you how class went today.”
“Great. I learned a few things.” Her hands twisted together and she bit her
lips. “I need to talk to you.”
“Shoot.”
She gnawed at her lips. “You remember that first night we were together?
And the next day?”
“Yeah why?”
“I wasn’t on birth control. I’m still not and when you found that out you
started using condos”
He frowned. “So?”
“So we didn’t use condoms that first night or that next day either.”
Ace’s eyed held a puzzled expression. Then that expression cleared and
shock took its place. Julia’s heart sank. He asked, “Are you saying…are you
saying that you are pregnant?”
Tears stung her eyes. Her teeth chewed at her lip. “Yes.” She held her
breath, hoping he would say something but silence spun out between them.
Her legs squeezed together and her heart beat sped up, moving faster and
making her slightly dizzy.
Ace stood up. His chair banaged a little as it settled. He walked to the
windows and stared out, not speaking. Julia felt wetness roll down her
cheeks. He was angry then. This was not what he wanted and she had
known it would not be. He had been clear that being a father was not for
him that he would screw it up and that the last thing he wanted to do was
ruin some poor kid’s life by being a bad father.
She could not think of a single thing to say to him just then. She wanted to
reassure him that he was a good man and that he was be a good father but
she was afraid to speak.
Finally he did. He said, in a heavy voice. “I’m in my forties Julia.”
“I know that.” She swallowed hard. “I’m not even twenty and yet we have
made that work. I mean I know it’s not easy…I…” She fell silent.
Ace’s shoulders went tight with tension. “My dad never did a goddamn
thing for me. I never had a father. I don’t even know how to be a father. I
mean, what do you to be a dad? I don’t know.”
“I don’t really know what to say.” It was true. She didn’t. he didn’t want
this child growing inside her. She could feel that and it hurt. She did. She
wanted that baby. She had never considered being a mother but now that
she knew that she was going to be, she wanted it. There was a lot to think
about. She had to figure out how to stay in her classes and make her dreams
of being a clothing designer come true. She had to figure out how to be a
mother and to not let the bad things in their lives touch her child. She had to
figure out a way to make Ace accept that having a baby was not such a
horrible thing and it was the last part that had her the most stumped.
Ace turned to face her. His face was pale. He said, “What if I fuck this kid
up?”
“You won’t.” It was all she had to offer.
Ave looked away form her face then back. One hand ran through his thick
hair. He said, “I’ll be sixty when it gets out fo high school. Oh my God,
what if it is a girl! I don’t know anything about girls!”
“I don’t know anything about boys.” Relief had begun to trickle through
her. She was scared and so was he but he was nto saying she had to get an
abortion or arguing that maybe the baby was not his, all the things men
sometimes did when the subject came up.
Ace let out a shaky laugh. “I guess…I guess we will have to figure out how
to get a crib up those damn stairs, huh?”
She blinked. Had he just said what she thought he had? She whispered,
“Are you sure?”
He asked, “Are you?”
She took a long and steadying breath. “I am. I’m scared as hell too though. I
mean, I’m so young and…and I don’t know much about raising a child with
its father. All I ever really remember was being the daughter of a single
mom. So I don’t know what to do wither. I don’t know…like what happens
when I get fat? Will you still want to be with me?’
He blinked. Then he burst into laughter. “Did you ask me if I would still
want you if you get fat?”
“Yeah,” her arms crossed over her chest in a defensive gesture. “I mean
women gain weight when they get pregnant you know.”
Ace kept right on laughing. Julia dropped her arms and stared at him.
“What’s so funny?”
“That you would think that I would nto want you. I have news for you, I
want you all the time. I wouldn’t care how you looked either. In fact, I want
you right now.”
She went into his arms. His hands led her to the bedroom and she went
gladly, her body already fired up with lust and joy.
Ace’s hands went to her clothes. He stripped her neatly, leaving her
shivering with every garment that dropped away. Her nipples pressed
upward, the taut peaks so stiff that they almost stung.
His tongue found them, his mouth surrounded them and the pressure
combined with his clever tongue stroking across those pink points made her
squirm with pleasure. He didn’t stop there. His tongue moved lower and she
went down on the bed, the backs of her knees hitting the edge before she
managed to get onto the narrow length of it.
His mouth found her labia and then his tongue was moving inside of her,
parting her soaked lips to find her clitoris. His tongue circled it while his
fingers moved inside of her, adding friction to the sensations already
coursing through her.
Julia surrendered to the moment. His hands and mouth continued to move
against her flesh, eliciting little gasps from her as he massaged the
throbbing bud harder and faster while his fingers thrust deeper within her
coral hued inner walls.
Her legs spread wider, her breath came faster, and she could smell the raw
and powerful aroma of her body, the rich scent of arousal coming from the
fluids leaking down the cleft between her buttocks.
His hair was under her fingers. She stroked it and let her fingers wander
lower so that she could feel the muscles in his jaws working as he took her
to an even greater height. Her heels dug into the thin mattress, her body
arching as she neared a climax.
“I love you,” the words spilled from her lips. “No matter what Ace, I will
always love you.”
The words surprised her but they also made a coil of emotion she had never
known loosen in her belly, adding even more sweetness to the moment. His
breath blew against her wet flesh, warm and exciting. He said, “I will love
you way beyond this life Julia,” and then his mouth went back to her vulva.
Julia’s eyes closed as she strained to reach that height. Her limbs went rigid
and her mouth hung open. She sucked in breath as his added a third finger
to the two already inside of her filling her completely and taking her
pleasure to an even greater level.
Heat and liquid filled her center, and her hips raised and lowered. His
tongue went back to her clit and circled it then rubbed across it. Julia’s teeth
clenched together to keep a moan from bursting forth but little whimpers
escaped her anyway.
Ace moved up so that his body was between her spread legs. He balanced
himself on his strong forearms while his mouth came down on hers, sealing
in the little cry she had been uttering.
The weight of his body on hers felt so good that she wrapped her arms and
legs around him, wanting to hold him forever.
His member found the slippery entrance between her thighs and he slid into
her in one long smooth movement. Her body opened further to ease his
passage into her depths. He filled her, hot and strong, and she buried her
face in his shoulder, smelling the slight tang of sweat there.
They moved together, the shadows shifting and cloaking their gleaming
bodies. Her hands pressed into his shoulders. She allowed her mouth to
touch his satiny neck, to linger at his ears, and then they were kissing again,
furiously, as their bodies moved together faster.
The climax came, sweeping them both under its powerful waves. Julia’s
body hung suspended between his and the mattress below her back. Her
inner walls pulsed and sent more fluids across his beating flesh. The
aftershocks came, and went and still they did not disentangle themselves.
Ace put a hand on her belly and rested his fingers there. He looked down at
the flat and taut skin of her stomach and said, “It is hard to imagine that
there is a baby in there.”
She caught his hand. “I know. It sort of freaks me out just thinking about it.
I mean, that is a whole human being and we are going to be responsible for
it and our parents all made so many mistakes and kept so many secrets from
us.”
Ace’s fingers paused on her belly. “I have to tell you something.”
She swallowed hard. “What is it?”
“My dad.” He looked away. “You see he was in the same pen, on the same
block that they put Walker ion.”
Julia didn’t understand what he was getting at. “So?”
Ace sighed again. “I guess my father, who is doing four life sentences
anyway, decied to make sure that Walker didn’t get out.”
Her heart plummeted into her chest. “What do you mean?”
“I mean he killed Walker.”
The words hit hard. Julia had not considered how she would feel if Walker
died and now that she knew he was dead she wanted to mourn him but she
didn’t know how.
She said, “Oh. Are you okay with that?”
Ace shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I mean I keep telling myself that of all the
bad shit I ever did at least I can say I am not killer. I chose to put Walker in
prison instead of killing him because, well because I just don’t want that
kind of blood on my hands. I never wanted that.”
“His blood is not on your hands. It is on your father’s hands and there is
nothing you could have done to change what happened. Walker had to go
down. He had to. Not just for my sake either. He brought nothing but
destruction and crime to his hood. He destroyed his own family to get what
he wanted. You know the crew you run, you guys do a lot of good things for
the hood too. You make sure the homeless shelter has what it needs. You
take care of the animal shelter. You do that toy drive. You do give back, and
yes you take a lot too. But that’s balance, right? Walker was only about
what he wanted in his life, not about anyone else.”
Ace sighed. “You’re right. I know you are.”
She snuggled down into his embrace. She was right. Walker had destroyed
two of his sisters and he had tried to destroy her too. He had believed that
the people around him existed for no other reason than to serve his needs
and wants and he had demanded loyalty and respect while giving none of
those things to anyone else. That was unsustainable and it was no shock that
most of his crew had rolled on him, or that Ace’s father had killed Walker
either.
Prison was a hard place and Walker would have undoubtedly tried to run
that block just like he had run the blocks of his borough. Only he had
walked into a territory where he had no friends and no allies and he had
suffered the consequences for his power mad arrogance
That brought her to another consideration. At some point the child she
carried would want to know about its absent grandparents and why it had no
uncles or aunts. She felt a squeeze of grief at that thought. Naomi was in
prison and Carla, who had cut a deal, was sitting in a filthy drug hole
shooting her life away in the form of heroin laden needles.. Walker was
dead. Her and Ace’s parents were dead or nobody worth talking about.
She had no idea what she would say when that happened but she knew
eventually that they would have to say something.
She relaxed into his arms and he held her tightly. His eyes met hers and he
gave her a smile. “This is going to be our brand new start.”
She smiled back, her heart lightening yet again. “I like the sound of that.”
“Me too.” Ace bent his head to hers and kissed her deeply and she kissed
him back. This was where she belonged and she knew it. This was where
she should have been all along and against all odds she had found her way
home and into the arms of the strong man that she would love for the rest of
their lives.

OUTLAW HERO
“Come on, come on, pick up,” Melanie Carr said under her breath, surprised
that the payphone actually worked. She couldn’t remember the last time she
had found a payphone, let alone one that still functioned. Stevie, her two-
year-old son, was asleep in the carseat at her feet. She had driven all night
from Dublin, Ohio to arrive in Washington DC the following morning.
Melanie normally planned things better, but this time she had to act fast.
Finally, there came the sound of someone answering her call for help.
“Hello?” the muffled voice of her former best friend Casey asked.
“Casey?” Melanie replied. “This is Melanie Carr from Ohio State, your
sophomore roommate. We talked on Facebook recently about me visiting?”
There was a slight sigh on the other end that Melanie suspected she was not
intended to hear. “It got that bad?”
She clutched the hard, metal, barely bendable phone cord and a sob came
out as she spoke. “Yes,” she said. “It got that bad. I’m at a gas station
outside 270. What’s your address again?”
After packing her kid back into the car, she made her way to Casey’s house
in the DC suburbs, somehow finding it through her tears and the fog of the
early morning. She was relieved to see that she would not have to go
through the awkward business of ringing the doorbell once there; Casey
was already standing on the front porch, waiting for her.
Melanie put the car into park and got out, keeping the back door of her
small, white SUV open so she could retrieve her son and her luggage once
the reintroductions were over. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her
green rain jacket and walked up to greet her waiting friend. “I never
intended to spring this up on you, but…”
Casey looked at her college friend. Melanie looked remarkably the same
even though they were now eight years older. She was still slender with
long, curly golden brown hair, blue-green eyes and a cute dusting of
freckles across her nose. But the purple bruise around her left eye… That
was new.
“Hush,” Casey said as soon as she noticed that. She opened her arms for
Melanie, who gladly fell into them. Casey was several inches shorter than
her friend, with short blonde hair and glasses, and she had always been the
more nurturing of the two. Even now, even though Melanie had a toddler,
Casey was more mothering. Melanie needed a friend like Casey back in her
life.
They unpacked the car together and took little sleepy Stevie up to one of the
bedrooms so he could continue to sleep, oblivious to his mother’s problems.
“Thank you,” Melanie said, pulling her long hair into a ponytail. She looked
exhausted. “Jake hit me for the last time. He went to bed and I hit the road. I
promise, it will only be for a few days. Once I can get a job, we’ll be out of
your hair.”
Casey waved that off, smiling at her friend. “You can stay as long as you
need. I’ve got this house all to myself, and it’s so good to see you again.”
She gently rubbed Melanie on her upper arm. “Get some sleep and you can
start thinking about jobs and stuff later. You’ve got my number, right?”
Melanie smiled back, appreciative. “I do. Thank you so much.”
She went up to her bedroom that she would be sharing with Stevie for the
time being. He was still fast asleep, wrapped up in the blankets. She did her
best to get in beside him without waking him, and was soon asleep, too.

When Melanie woke up, it was well into the middle of the afternoon. Stevie
was playing quietly with some of his toys in the corner, but he was relieved
when he saw that she was awake. “Mommy, where are we?”
She rushed to his side as he sat on the floor. She had been unable to pack all
of his toys up so quickly in their spontaneous move, but she managed to
bring his favorites along with them. “We’re at my nice friend Casey’s
house,” she told him. “We’re going to be living here for a while until we get
a new house.”
“Where are we?” he asked again, not understanding that they were far away
from what they called home. “Where’s Daddy?”
Melanie bit her lip. “We’ve moved away from Daddy,” she told him, trying
to give him the news as gently as possible. “We are going to live in
Washington DC now. You will love it here. This is where all of the
presidents live!” She widened her eyes and her mouth as she told him that,
so he would feel excited rather than concerned about his no-good father.
Stevie gasped a little bit. “Even Taft??” The little boy had a strange
fascination with President William Howard Taft ever since Melanie had
shown him a picture of America’s heftiest president. Stevie liked him
because ‘he looks like a walrus.’
“Even Taft,” Melanie said, nodding wisely. “If you are very good, I will
take you to visit him at some point. Would you like that?”
Gasping even more, Stevie grinned. “Yes! I am very good!”
She laughed. “You have to prove it to me, though.” She looked at her watch.
It was nearing five p.m. and Casey would be home from work soon. Casey
worked for a TV news station in DC, and that had allowed her to be able to
afford her nice house in the suburbs. Melanie was hoping that she might
have the same luck if she got out there and applied herself. “My nice friend
is almost home from work and Mommy needs you to stay with her for a
while, okay?”
“Promise you won’t go see Taft without me?”
Melanie smiled at her son. “I promise.”
She kissed his head and unzipped one of her bags, pulling out her black
laptop. Before she ventured forth to see what jobs she could go apply for,
she needed to do some research.
When Casey came home, Melanie felt as ready as she would ever be. “Do
you mind watching Stevie while I go apply for a few of these things?” she
asked her friend. It was getting into the evening now, so many of the jobs
that she found would have to be applied for online, but she had found some
restaurants and retail positions that she could still go check out in person.
“Sure,” Casey said, smiling. “Here, you can borrow my Metro card.”
Melanie took the offered card and carefully placed it into her purse. “He’s
really into grilled cheese and chicken nuggets right now,” she told her. “His
bedtime is nine o’clock. I’ll hopefully be back by then.”
With that, she drove to the nearest Metro station and parked in the lot. She
added money to the card and headed into DC. She’d visited the city once,
on an elementary school field trip, but that had been when she was about
eight, so she didn’t remember that much of it. It looked pretty as the
evening slowly descended on it, however. She appreciated a city that was
pretty at night. Growing up in Ohio, she was mostly used to seeing corn and
farmland. She was ready for something different.
It turned out that the places she had written down as potential new jobs
were all either not looking for someone new or not looking for someone
like her. She ended up being told by one of them to try applying on their
website, but that was the best news she received.
Feeling disappointed with herself, she decided to pop into one of the bars
she saw and see if maybe they needed any help. The place was lively even
though it was a weeknight. Melanie admired the space and the people who
were hanging out there. Most of the people seemed to be partying with their
friends after work. They appeared to be around her age, which gave her
hope. Maybe this would be a good place to network…
She sat down at the bar, not intending to drink but hoping to get someone’s
attention. She had her son to get home to, after all, so she wasn’t planning
to be there too long. The bartender came over to her. “What’ll you have?”
he asked her.
Looking up at him, Melanie’s jaw nearly fell to the floor. He was tall and
the perfect amount of muscular, with short, jet black hair and piercing green
eyes. He also had several tattoos on his arms and chest, including a large
one of a tiger on his upper bicep. Melanie smirked a little to herself. She
hadn’t ever been interested in men with tattoos, but this one intrigued her
for some reason. He was wearing a white tank top and slightly holey jeans.
He also wore dog tags, which dangled from his neck as he looked down at
her.
She suddenly realized that a long time had passed and she’d merely stared
at him rather than answering his question. “Uh… Diet Coke, please?” she
asked, instantly feeling lame. This bartender looked like the sort of person
who expected everyone to drink hard liquor. And she could not blame him.
Bartenders made their money from people buying the heavy stuff, not
fountain drinks.
Instead of snarling at her like the villain in a Popeye cartoon, he smiled.
“Sure thing,” he said. Skillfully grabbing a glass from the counter and
flipping it in his hand so the right end was up, he poured ice and soda into it
and handed it over.
“Thank you,” Melanie said politely. She had not expected him to have such
a cute smile. He even had a big dimple in his left cheek.
“No problem,” he replied. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
It was her turn to smile. “How could you tell? Do I look that lost?”
He leaned against the bar, chuckling. “I didn’t say that. I just noticed your
accent, and noticed that you were looking around like you’d never been
here before. This isn’t exactly a tourist spot.”
Melanie blushed. She didn’t realize that she had a noticeable accent. Maybe
she was just used to it. Casey had one, too, though it was somewhat fainter
since she had lived in the DC area for several years now. “I just moved here
from Ohio,” she explained. “I was hoping to find a job, but so far… Well,
I’m here.” She held up her Diet Coke as if she was making a toast and then
took a long sip.
The man’s eyes lit up when she mentioned needing a job. “I don’t know
what’s cuter, your accent or how you blush when your accent is pointed
out.”
Her blush intensified and she rolled her eyes a little bit, smiling shyly. This
guy was charming. With his tattoos and the faint scars on his forehead that
she just now noticed, he resembled the stereotype of an ex-con, but he was
charming. She was enjoying this conversation instead of wanting to head
for the hills. After everything that had happened with her husband – her ex-
husband now, she supposed – it surprised Melanie that she wanted to chat
with this handsome stranger.
“My name is Doug Albright. I may have some connections in town that
could help you find a job.” He grabbed her glass and refilled it without her
even needing to ask. She felt like she was suddenly the only other person in
the bar.
Feeling like being playful, she raised an eyebrow and smirked at Doug.
“What kind of connections?” she asked. “Like Mafia connections?”
He threw his head back and laughed. He came around the bar and sat beside
her on a stool, holding a glass of something that looked like water but
definitely did not smell like it. “Ohio, you are fun. I’m not in the Mafia. I’m
the vice president of a motorcycle club called Stars and Stripes. And it just
so happens that some of the other guys work in places around here. If you
think you have what it takes, I’ll pass along the word that you’re looking to
be hired.”
Now that he was closer, she could see that the tiger on his arm was
pouncing out of an American flag. Stars and Stripes. Clever. But did she
really want to get mixed up with a biker guy? Were they really just a club,
or were they more like a gang?
“What’s your name?” he asked her.
She took another sip of her soda. What the hell. “Melanie Carr.”
Doug grinned at her. “You’re about to be a Carr riding a bike.”
CHAPTER TWO
Stars and Stripes
Melanie shifted a bit uneasily on her stool. This Doug guy was cute and
charming, but he was also a stranger and she didn’t feel right just riding off
with him on a motorcycle. She had little Stevie to think about. She had
divorce papers to file before she even wanted to consider dating anyone
else. She hoped that he would understand.
“It’s getting late,” she said, sounding somewhat deflated. “I should probably
head back.”
Doug frowned slightly. “Yeah, okay,” he said. “Hey, if you want I could
give you a lift.”
She shook her head. “No, thank you. I took the Metro and my car is at the
station.”
He slowly smiled at her, showing off that adorable dimple of his again.
How was it that a guy with such a baby face was the leader of a motorcycle
gang? “I could give you a ride to the station,” he pointed out.
That she couldn’t argue with. The Metro would be a long ride back and she
wondered how late it even ran. She looked at her watch. Crap. Is it already
eight? Finally, feeling more resigned than excited, Melanie looked back up
and straight into the eyes of Doug, who was awaiting her answer.
“Do you have an extra helmet?”
He grinned at her. “We can borrow one.”
Going back around the counter, he called to his coworkers. “I’m going on
break, cover me! Hey, Lars, can I borrow your helmet?”
“Why? You got a hot—” The man who must have been Lars poked his head
out of the back room. “—date?” He whistled when he saw Melanie, which
made her blush and laugh. Meanwhile, Doug shushed him.
“Helmet?” he asked.
Lars tossed him a bright yellow helmet.
“Gracias.” Doug carried the helmet over and set it down on the bar in front
of Melanie. He threw a black leather jacket on and let the way out back to
where his waiting Harley motorcycle stood.
It was a black behemoth, with orange tiger stripes painted onto the hood of
its front wheel. She could tell one thing for sure: he liked tigers.
“Where do you live?” he asked, putting on his shiny black helmet and
watching as Melanie put hers on. He helped her onto the bike, allowing her
to get on it herself for the most part, but there to lend his hand so she didn’t
topple off or hurt herself in another way. She clearly had never been on a
motorcycle before. She wondered if that would be a turn off for him, but
when she saw his face, he was smiling and seemed completely enamored of
her.
“Maryland,” she answered, “so I hope this bike has a lot of juice in it.” She
smirked at him and he smirked right back at her. She had heard something
like that in a movie once. She gave him the address of Casey’s house and
Doug hopped onboard his motorcycle.
When it started up, her heart leapt a little. It felt so strange and not a small
amount of intimidating, but she was also… thrilled?
“I know we just met,” he yelled over the engine. “But you’re gonna want to
hold onto me. It’s dangerous to ride without anything holding you on.”
Melanie gulped but it was drowned out by the revving motor, which she
was glad of. She knew that he could tell she was scared, but she didn’t want
him to know that she was actually really, really scared. It was too late to
turn back now!
She wrapped her arms around Doug’s middle and held on tight as he kicked
off and they rode the Harley away from the bar.
“If you’re nervous, sometimes it helps to yell,” he told her, yelling just so
she could hear him.
“What??” she yelled back.
He repeated himself, louder this time. She felt embarrassed for her first yell
on a motorcycle being ‘what’ like some inattentive idiot.
“WEEEEEEOOOOO!!” he suddenly shouted. He looked back at her,
grinning, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
“WooooooAHH!” she yelled, laughing at her attempt.
Doug rode through the streets of DC as though this was what he did every
night. Knowing what he did in his free time, he probably did do this every
night. Melanie was grappling with whether she found that sexy or not.
When they finally stopped at the Metro station, behind her car, he helped
her off of the bike and she looked up at him. She took off her helmet and
shook out her hair.
“So, what do you think?” he asked. She couldn’t recall what he looked like
when he wasn’t smiling. It did something to his appearance and made her
almost forget about his tattoos and his scars… She suddenly worried about
those scars.
“I’m glad you wear a helmet,” she said.
He laughed. “I meant about the bike. Did you have fun?”
Melanie smiled. “Oh,” she replied. “Yeah, it was okay.”
That made him laugh even more. He obviously got a kick out of her, and
she was intrigued by him… But she couldn’t honestly say for sure if she
saw anything coming from this. It had been nice of him to offer to help her
find a job, but he clearly wasn’t just out to help her as a friend. Not the way
he looked at her.
“Can I ask you something?” he asked her.
She shrugged her shoulders a little. “It’s a free country.”
“Where’d you get the shiner?”
Her eyes widened. Reaching up, she gingerly touched the bruise under her
left eye. It still hurt. She had forgotten about it, till he mentioned it. It was
like a bubble had burst inside her or something. She didn’t feel comfortable
being around him anymore.
“Well, thanks for the lift,” she said, breaking the awkward silence that had
formed. She handed the borrowed helmet back to him and moved to get into
her SUV.
“Wait,” he said. He reached into his leather jacket and pulled out a piece of
receipt paper. “Do you have a pen? I want to give you my phone number, in
case I can help you again sometime.”
She laughed softly. No one needed to write phone numbers down anymore,
unless they were Melanie’s mother’s age. “I can just put it directly into my
phone.” She brought her phone out of her purse. “What is it?”
“555-860-SSMC.”
Melanie put it into her phone and then looked up at him, narrowing her
eyes. “This is your motorcycle club’s number, isn’t it?”
Doug let out another laugh. “I’m not the VP for no reason, Ohio.”
She pressed a button. “I sent you a text so you’ll have my number.” She got
into her car but kept the door open for a second. “Be careful out there,
okay?” Closing the door, she started her car and drove away.
It was nice of him to drive her all the way from DC to Maryland on his
Harley. She hoped that he would make it back okay. She also hoped that he
would not put too much stock in seeing her again. She had a two-year-old
and a friend that she was eventually going to need to pay back. Melanie
would not be able to live with herself if she let another man interfere with
her life.

When she arrived back at Casey’s house, most of the lights were off.
Melanie went inside and her friend looked up from a book, looking
surprised. “There you are,” Casey said. She didn’t say it with any
annoyance or exasperation, just as if she had been wondering where
Melanie had gone for such a long time. “Did you have any success?”
Melanie chuckled, mostly to herself, and hung up her purse in the hall
closet. She brought out her cell phone and was glad to see that there weren’t
any texts from Doug. Most importantly because she didn’t want him texting
and riding his bike at the same time. That was the mother in her. She also
didn’t want to be bombarded with texts from him. Her head was still
spinning, trying to figure things out.
“I had some slight success,” she answered. “I met a guy.”
Casey closed her book and opened her mouth wide. “You did? What
happened?” She patted the couch next to her.
Melanie looked around. “Where’s Stevie?”
“I put him to bed right at nine, like you told me. He is such a good kid. We
played board games all evening.” Casey smiled, proud of herself for being a
capable babysitter and also proud of Melanie for having such a sweet, smart
little boy.
Collapsing on the couch beside her friend, Melanie let out a pleased sigh.
“Oh, thank god. I was trying to get back here quicker, but…”
Casey shook her head. “It’s okay. I didn’t mind. You needed a break
anyway. Now tell me more about this mystery man you met.”
Melanie blushed. “It wasn’t really a big deal. I went to a bar after being
turned away by everyone in town, and the bartender turned out to be
friendly. He was covered in tattoos, as you can probably imagine, and he’s
apparently a leader of this motorcycle gang.”
Casey’s eyes widened a little. “But he was nice?”
Melanie nodded. “Yeah. We chatted for a while, and then he gave me a ride
on his motorcycle. He took me all the way back to the station where I’d left
my car.”
“Wow,” Casey said, impressed. “He doesn’t sound so bad for a gang
member.”
Melanie snorted. “I may be exaggerating a touch. He’s the vice president of
a motorcycle club. It’s got a name with tigers in it or something. Anyway.
He is very cute, very handsome, and I had a good time but I don’t think
anything is going to come of it. I mean, after all, I just got here. I need a
job. I need to find a good daycare for Stevie. I need to find structure for my
life again, you know? And this guy… He’s not the sort of guy who can
provide structure for us.”
Casey got up and poured them each a mimosa. She sat back down and
handed Melanie a glass, clinking glasses with her. “What makes you think
that he’s not someone who can help you? He obviously helped you tonight,
even if it was just a little gesture versus something you needed.”
“It’s embarrassing to admit but... You should see his tattoos, Case. And his
scars. He’s got scars on his forehead that make me wonder what sort of
fights he’s been into. He has the look of an ex-criminal, even if he is
reformed or whatever.”
“Maybe they’re just scars from falling off his motorcycle,” Casey
suggested. “You should ask him about it instead of assuming.”
Melanie bit her lip. “You’re right. I just don’t know if I’m ready to have
someone else in my life. Especially not someone who could end up being
just as violent as Jake.”
Casey looked down, empathizing with her friend. She’d only ever had bad
luck with dating and was so heartbroken when Melanie confessed to her
that Jake hit her on a frequent basis, depending on how much he drank.
“I should go to bed,” Melanie said, setting her empty glass on the table.
“Thanks for the mimosa and the chat. I promise to be more upbeat
tomorrow.”
“I’m not expecting you to be upbeat, Mel,” Casey said. “I’m here for you
always.”
CHAPTER THREE
All American Tiger
First things first, Melanie decided the next morning, she would take Stevie
to one of the nearest daycare centers to see if it was a good fit for him. It
was equipped with playhouses and all sorts of fun toys and things to climb
on, so Melanie was satisfied. He looked around in awe at everything. “He’s
very smart for his age,” she told the admissions assistant at the center. “He’s
already starting to read simple picture books and he loves history.”
The lady beamed at him. She was most likely paid to praise each child, but
Melanie couldn’t help feeling as though she really did have a special one
that was worth describing so highly.
“I think he will do very well here,” she said.
Melanie wondered how often this woman said that in a day. She wondered
if she could work in a daycare center. One kid was probably enough for her.
“Great. Well, is it okay if he stays here for a few hours today?” Melanie
asked. “It could be a sort of trial run and, if it goes well, he’ll start coming
here every weekday?”
She was relieved when the lady smiled and agreed to it. This would help her
go apply for some of the other places that she couldn’t apply for in the
evening. She didn’t want to always depend on Casey to babysit Stevie while
she job hunted.
“Be a good boy,” she told her son, giving his head a kiss. She mussed up his
hair a little and he ran off to go play in one of the play forts.
As she walked back out to her car, she checked her phone to see the time
and noticed that she had a text notification from Doug.
Speaking of being a good boy…
She pressed the icon and read over his text.
“Doing anything fun today? Can I be a part of that?”
A blush crept over her cheeks. What was it about the guy that made her feel
like this? He was not her type, except that he was cute and funny and kind.
He was not good for her, except that he was thoughtful and supportive. He
was a waste of her time, except the best time she’d had so far in this time
had been with him…
She opened up the text’s response screen and started at the flashing cursor
while she tried to think of a good excuse for not hanging out with the vice
president of Stars and Stripes MC. “I have a lot of job markets to explore
today,” she told him.
That hadn’t been a yes or a no, which left the door open for him without
hurting his feelings by saying she couldn’t do anything fun with him.
It didn’t take him long to text her back. She was sitting in her car, putting
her seatbelt on, when she her phone sounded from within her purse. She
pulled it out.
“I could help with that. Want me to drive you around to places on my
bike?”
Melanie sighed and called him. “I’m outside of Little Sprites Daycare. I
don’t really want to leave my car here while I go around DC.”
“Okay,” he said brightly. “How about you drive back home and drop off
your car and I meet you there?”
She wasn’t sure how comfortable she felt with Doug coming to Casey’s
house to meet her. It wasn’t like it was really her house. “How about you
meet me at the closest Starbucks?” she asked him, trying to keep her voice
pleasant. “The one on Chestnut?”
“Sure thing,” Doug replied. If he was disappointed that he couldn’t go meet
her at the house, he didn’t let it show in his voice. “I’ll see you in about
thirty minutes?”
“Sounds good.”
Putting her phone away, Melanie drove to Casey’s house and parked her
SUV in the driveway. She went inside and, not really having anything to do
in this sudden break of alone time, she made herself some coconut-flavored
coffee and brought it out to sit on the front porch and enjoy the nice spring
weather.
When it was time for her to go meet Doug at the coffee shop, she brought
the mug back inside and put it into the dishwasher, then put on her jacket
and strolled down the street to Starbucks.
It wasn’t hard to find him when she got there. He was sitting at a table near
the front door, drinking something that was dark and probably tasted like
lighter fluid. Melanie made a face. “How can you drink black coffee?”
Doug stood up, grinning at her. “It’s not black coffee. It’s got a little bit of
hazelnut flavoring in it.”
She raised her eyebrows at him. “You’re crazy.”
“Would you like something?” he asked, laughing.
Melanie didn’t want to be lingering at a coffee place. She wanted to be
responsible and find a new job. It irked her that he was trying to make her
while the day away. “No thanks,” she said. “We should probably get going
if I am going to have any hope of finding any leads. Are you completely off
today?”
He shrugged a little and put his helmet on, sipping his bizarre coffee
through its straw. “I took the day off,” he said as he led her out to his bike.
“I thought that helping my new friend Ohio was more important than selling
alcohol to drunks.”
Something about that last word made her flinch beneath her skin, but she
didn’t say anything about it.
“Your shiner is fading,” he said, tossing his drained cup into the trash. “Do
you want to tell me how it happened yet?”
“Not really,” she said.
Doug unclipped a shiny red helmet from his motorcycle’s handlebars. “I
bought you a helmet so now you won’t have to worry about not having
one.” He watched as she put it on. “I don’t want you to get hurt,” he said
softly, coming close and looking into her eyes. “You tell me if something
makes you feel threatened, okay?”
Melanie wasn’t sure where this was coming from. She knew that he was
concerned because she had shown up with a black eye, in a new place, but it
wasn’t like he knew her. “Okay,” she said awkwardly. “Thanks…”
He picked her up in his strong arms and gently set her down on the
motorcycle’s seat. Then he got on in front of her. “Hang on,” he warned
before starting up the growling engine.
She wrapped her arms around his stomach and they took off. Melanie
hadn’t grown used to the bike yet, but she didn’t feel as scared as she had
when she first rode it.
Swerving and coasting through all of the streets on the way to DC, she
looked at the road ahead and thought about what she wanted out of life now
that she was free from her husband’s gruff clutches. She wanted a safe
home for Stevie and herself. She wanted to be able to afford her own things
without needing anyone else’s monetary contributions. She wanted
something new and exciting. It surprised her when she thought that.
Doug stopped his bike outside of a burger restaurant in Chinatown called
Lou’s. Melanie looked up at the sign, confused. “What are we doing here?
You know, I’ve got a whole list of places.”
“I know the manager,” he told her. “He’s looking for a waitress. Do you
have any waitressing experience?”
She nodded hesitantly. “A few years,” she said. “But I can find my own
job.”
“Fourteen dollars an hour plus tips,” he said.
That was competitive. She thought it over. “Fine, fine.”
She got off the bike and took of her helmet while he did the same. They
went into the restaurant together, holding their respective helmets under
their arms and looking around. Melanie liked the place’s atmosphere. It was
full of old movie posters and dolls. It was the kind of weird that made her
smile.
“Angelo!” Doug called over the 1950s music that was playing.
A burly, middle-aged man with graying red hair and a stomach paunch
came over. He was also wearing a tiger tattoo. Of course.
“Melanie Carr, this is Angelo Schwartz,” Doug introduced. “Angelo, this is
the girl I was telling you about.”
The man known as Angelo smiled. “Ohio, huh?”

Now that Doug had helped to get Melanie hired, she couldn’t complain
about him distracting her. She wondered if this had been all part of his plan,
but she was too happy and excited to care. The restaurant was cool and the
people there were nice, and it was going to pay her better than she could
have hoped for.
She was going to start work, pending a background check, in two days. She
could finally relax.
“Now,” Doug said, snapping his helmet back on. “Ohio, will you please go
out with me?”
Melanie blushed. He pointed and grinned at her.
“That’s a yes!” he shouted, victorious. “You can’t deny that’s a yes.”
She laughed. “Yes. But only as payback for the job.”
He shrugged that away. “A yes is still a yes. Where do you wanna go and
what do you wanna do?” he asked her excitedly, hopping back onto the
motorcycle with her.
Thinking about it, she wasn’t sure. There were the stereotypical, tourist
things that she hadn’t done since she was little. There was probably a
vibrant, raucous nightlife that Doug knew all about… “We should probably
take it slow,” she told him, smiling. “After all, I am from farm country.”
That made him laugh uproariously. “I think I have a pretty good idea. The
first thing we need to do is get some grub. Do you like Korean barbeque?”
“I don’t know if I’ve ever had Korean barbeque,” she answered.
“Well, that settles that!”
She held on as he sped off in the direction of something that yet again only
he knew about. She was finding that it was easier to trust him, and it
alarmed her more than a little because Doug was still largely a mystery to
her. She supposed that the time for asking him about himself was coming,
since they were on a date. The nagging, more fearful part of herself couldn’t
believe that she had agreed to this, while the part of her that was still
curious and excited by new things couldn’t wait to see what Doug had up
his leather sleeves.
They stopped in a park, which Melanie hadn’t expected. Nearby, there was
a statue of a civil war soldier on a horse. That wasn’t so odd, considering
their location, but she hadn’t been anticipating a lunch in this park would be
Doug’s idea of a good date place.
“This place has the best Korean barbeque I’ve ever had,” he told her,
getting off the motorcycle and removing his helmet, attaching it to his
handlebars. He helped Melanie down and she attached her helmet near his.
“Which place?” she asked him, confused.
He led her over to a bright yellow food truck. “This place!” There was a
line the stretched down the street. Apparently other people liked this place’s
food, too. “I have hopped on my Harley and searched the city for this truck
before. They’re the best.”
Melanie looked at him, disbelieving. When they finally made it to the head
of the line, she looked at the menu on the truck’s door. They made steak and
cheese egg rolls. “Those sound amazing,” she said, pointing them out for
Doug. “One order of steak and cheese rolls, please,” she told the nice
Korean girl.
Doug ordered something that looked like fancily-fried pork. Once they both
had their Styrofoam containers of food, they carried them over to the grass
and sat down, cross-legged, while the long-dead soldier from the south eyed
them from above.
“Oh, this is really good!” she exclaimed as she dug into her egg rolls. “You
weren’t kidding.”
“Of course not,” he said, looking proud. “I’m not known for having bad
taste.”
That made her blush a little in spite of herself. “I ask one personal question,
you ask one personal question?” she offered as they continued to eat side by
side.
Doug nodded. “Sounds fun.”
She looked up at him, into his green eyes. “How did you get those scars on
your forehead?”
His eyes widened a little, then went back to normal. He looked down at his
food, picking out the biggest piece of pork and popping it into his mouth.
“Iraq,” he said, swallowing. “I was in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in
Operation All American Tiger… Got banged up pretty badly when a mine
exploded and was sent home with these scars, a purple heart and a new
passion project inspired by my friends who didn’t make it back.”
Melanie stared at him, incredulous. His scars weren’t related to criminal
activity or anything like that! Doug Albright was a veteran! “Oh my gosh,
I’m so sorry.”
He smiled at her then, appreciative. She nearly melted when she saw his
dimple now. “Don’t be,” he said. “I was happy to do my part and I’m proud
of my service. That’s why I ride in the Stars and Stripes. We’re all vets from
the 3rd, all the ones who did make it back in one or two pieces.” He
chuckled a little, and there was a note of sadness in it.
She didn’t want to pry further, but she felt so bad for assuming… “I thought
you were an ex-con when I met you,” she said quietly.
Doug chuckled at her, seeming a tad shy all of a sudden. “I know,” he said,
smiling his cute, baby-faced smile as he looked down at his container of
Korean pork. “If it makes you feel better, I was once held overnight for
decking a guy in a bar. But he was making fun of my wounded friend, so
please don’t be too mad.”
Melanie let out a little cry of protest, shaking her head. She placed her hand
on his hand that was holding his fork. “Now it’s your turn to ask me a
question.”
“A personal question?” he asked her.
She nodded, biting her lip. She knew what he was going to ask, but she
wanted to go ahead and let him ask anyway. If he had assumed something
asinine about it like she had about him, he had done a very good job of
hiding it.
“Who gave you that black eye?” he asked her.
She took a deep breath, but he went on.
“Do you want me to find him and kick his ass?”
Melanie chuckled softly, feeling a surprising calm about the entire situation
now. Doug, Jake, where she now was, all of it. “That was too questions.”
Doug looked her in the eye. “Ohio…”
“It was my ex-husband. Well, my soon-to-be ex-husband… Jake. He used
to get drunk sometimes. He had problems with depression. That’s no
excuse. I used to feel bad for him, until one day I stopped because feeling
bad for him was not helping him and it certainly wasn’t making him stop
hitting me. I didn’t want him to go after our son.”
With a surprised look on his face, Doug asked, “Son?” under his breath.
She nodded. “His name is Stevie. He’s two. He’s so smart…” She looked
Doug in the eyes again after momentarily looking away in embarrassment
and shame.
Slowly, he reached a hand up and gently cupped her cheek, letting his
fingertips softly pet and massage her jawline. He rested his forehead against
hers. “Oh, Melanie,” he said softly, an earnestness coating his voice as his
green eyes gazed into her blue ones. “I really like you.”
He hadn’t used her real name in a while. It kind of shocked her. Blushing,
she smiled at him. “I like you too,” she replied. She felt a nervous energy
fill her up, making her head spin in a not unpleasant way.
Suddenly, his lips were on hers, kissing her deeper than she expected. She
kissed him back, feeling as though little firecrackers were going off inside
of her. This was something she had anticipated, somehow. This was
something she knew was coming, if she kept hanging out with Doug. But, at
the same time, she felt like rejoicing. He was kissing her!
He gently let his tongue slip into her mouth, tasting her momentarily
without going overboard. When he finally pulled back to look at her, he was
smiling cutely again. Melanie definitely wanted more kissing with him. She
wanted more of him in general.
How could she have been so stupid as to assume this sweet guy was a
violent felon?
“Now what?” she asked, biting her lip and hoping that he would say ‘more
making out.’
But he didn’t. He chuckled. “Climb back on board and I’ll show you
something.”
He drove her on his motorcycle through all of the monuments along the
Tidal Basin that he was allowed to enter on a bike. They rode past the
Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther King, and Lincoln, and waved at FDR
from the street.
Melanie held onto him, smiling and cuddling against Doug’s strong back.
His tiger tattoo made sense to her now. It felt as though everything made
sense to her now.
He soon hit the highway again but he was not on it as long as he should’ve
been if he was going to drop her off at Casey’s house. He stopped his bike
in front of an apartment building just outside of DC.
She was going into the tiger’s den.

CHAPTER FOUR
The Heart of Purple
Getting off the bike, Doug removed his helmet and set it on the handlebars
so he could help Melanie off. She took off her helmet and followed him,
looking at him as he carried his helmet under his arm to the front door of
the building. “This is my place,” he said. “You don’t have to stay over, but
you’re welcome to.”
She appreciated that he was upfront about it. No pretense of coffee was
involved. “Could I just call my friend first to make sure she picks up my
son from daycare?” Tomorrow was Saturday, so Casey would hopefully be
able to watch Stevie for a few hours in case… Melanie couldn’t believe it,
but in case she slept at Doug’s apartment.
“No problem,” he said, taking her helmet so her hands were free to make
the call. He led her into the building’s elevator. “There’s no reception in
here, so you might want to wait till we’re in my humble abode before you
try calling out.” He smiled at her.
He pressed the button for the fourth floor.
“So,” she said, trying to start a conversation. If there was anything more
awkward than a silent elevator ride, she didn’t know what it was. “What
sort of work do you guys do in Stars and Stripes?” Now that she knew it
was a group of veterans who rode their bikes around, she figured that it was
some sort of philanthropic project, not just guys who liked speeding down
highways and getting into fights. She had clearly watched too many movies.
“We raise awareness for those injured in combat, and we accept donations
when we go to events,” Doug answered.
She smiled at him. “I feel like such a goober for thinking you were
dangerous.”
“I’m only dangerous if you’re threatening my loved ones.” He winked at
her and she blushed. Now that he knew she had moved to DC to escape
domestic violence, he was most likely going to try and be her body guard or
something. She liked the idea, but she didn’t want her asshole ex to hurt
him.
The elevator stopped once they’d reached their floor and Doug brought her
to his front door. He unlocked it and held it open for Melanie to walk
through. His apartment was pretty small, with olive green walls and cream-
colored carpeting. He had a bed in his living room, behind his couch so that
he could vault from one to the other if he wanted to. She would not be
surprised if he did things like that.
“Welcome to my abode,” he said, closing the door behind himself and
locking it. “This neighborhood’s known for being safe, but I like to be extra
careful. Can you get you anything? A Diet Coke?” He grinned at her.
He remembered her less-than-flashy drink request. “Yes, please,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“No sweat,” he said. “Make yourself at home.” He went into the
apartment’s small kitchenette to pour her a glass of Diet Coke with some
ice.
Melanie sat on his tan, leather couch and was amazed how much it sagged
when she sat. It must have been fairly old to do that, but something about it
was cozy so she wasn’t going to complain. She pulled her cell phone from
her purse and pressed Casey’s name on her list of contacts.
“Hi, Casey,” she said. “What’s up? Listen, I’m out on a date with Doug
Albright, the motorcycle club vice president that I mentioned to you the
other day…” She paused and Doug smirked at her from his place in the
kitchen. He was keeping his distance from her while she talked to her
friend, out of politeness. “Yeah, the guy with a tiger tattoo.” Doug let out a
laugh at that, and she blushed, smiling at him. He was getting a kick out of
this. “Anyway, would it be possible for you to go to Little Sprite’s Daycare
and pick up Stevie for me? I’m not entirely sure if I’ll be back tonight or
tomorrow morning…” She chuckled. “I know. Thank you so much! I’ll
make it up to you soon. No, shh, I owe you. Bye.”
She ended the call and put her phone back into her purse, setting her purse
down on the coffee table that was actually a big, brown chest that a pirate
might use to store his treasure. Doug brought out her glass of soda and set it
on the chest as well, sitting beside her but keeping his distance. He
definitely gave her space and let her do things in her own time. That was
something she really admired about him. Maybe the army had trained him
in the ways of being a gentleman, too.
Reaching out, she picked up the glass of Diet Coke and took a long sip. The
wind in her face from the motorcycle ride, as well as nervousness, made her
thirsty. She set the glass back down and looked at him, smiling and feeling a
bit awkward because she didn’t know what to say next. She was rusty when
it came to dating, if that’s what this was now, and she wasn’t really prepared
to make the first moves.
All of a sudden, Doug moved closer to her and put his arm around her.
“You’re not afraid to sit close to me, are you?”
Melanie shook her head. “I wondered why you were so far.”
He kissed her deeply and she slid back against the leather couch, ending up
underneath him and not minding that one bit. They made out for several
wonderful moments, and then he broke his mouth away from hers and
looked into her eyes, green into blue.
“Do you want to move to the bed?” he asked her, his voice coming out in a
breathy whisper which she found exhilarating.
She nodded and he kissed her again before taking her hands and gently
pulling her up to her feet. He led her around the couch to the bed. Melanie
started to take off her shoes, because for some reason her brain told her that
was the most important thing to remove.
“I’ll be right back,” he suddenly said, rushing off down the hall hear the
front door. To the bathroom, she assumed.
Melanie removed her blouse next, and her slightly sparkly black pants. She
carefully placed her clothes on the back of the couch in a neatly folded pile.
She sincerely hoped that Doug wouldn’t mind dating a mom, but she
guessed that they were already past the point of worrying about that. He
clearly liked her!
When he came back out of the hallway, he was wearing only his t-shirt and
a pair of dark blue boxers. He was also carrying something small in a shiny,
gold wrapper. A condom.
She was so grateful that he thought about that. The last thing Melanie
wanted was to be pregnant again, at least not for a long time.
Sitting beside her on the bed, he gently removed her bra, cupping her right
breast in his hand and kissing it. He slowly slid her black panties down and
took them off, tossing them onto the couch and knocking her pile of clothes
down onto it with her panties.
He carefully removed his boxers and put the condom on his lengthy, thick
cock. She lay back on the bed, resting her head on one of the pillows and
looked at him. Her heart was pounding in her chest. The last time she’d had
sex, it had not ended well for her. Jake would always violently convince her
to have sex with him somehow, usually so he would stop slapping her
around, and she often spent the week afterward with some sort of bruise or
limp from his abuse.
She didn’t expect that from Doug, though she was still haunted by those
memories.
“Hey,” he said soothingly, positioning himself between her legs but not
moving past that. He still had his shirt on. “Do you really want this?” he
asked, looking deeply into her eyes. “We can stop if you’re—”
“Yes,” she replied, reaching over and stroking the side of his hard cock. “I
want this.”
Smiling a dimpled smile at her, Doug got on top of her, kissing her lips and
her cheeks. “I’ll go slow, okay? I promise.” He could tell that she was
nervous and a little scared, so he was doing her best to make everything
comfortable for her.
He pressed himself into her, caressing her cheeks as he slowly thrust.
Melanie reached up to his face and ran her fingertips over his dimple. She
leaned towards him and snatched his mouth to her own, kissing him and
grinding her hips a bit so she could move herself against him.
When she pulled her mouth from his, she batted her lashes at him. “You can
go faster, if you want,” she said seductively. Suddenly, she did not feel
afraid. Lust for Doug had melted the fear away. All she wanted now was for
him to be inside of her, filling her up and driving memories of the bad guys
away.
Smirking a little, he held onto her and sped up his thrusting. He licked his
fingertips and gently rubbed them against her clit.
“Ooohh,” she moaned. “Oh, Doug!”
“Yeah,” he murmured back, “You like it like this, Ohio?”
Suddenly, something came over her and she pushed him off of her,
slamming him down onto the bed and straddling him instead. She bounced
against his cock, grinding against him and moving him around. He tightly
grabbed hold of her butt and lolled his head from side to side, enjoying
what she was doing to him.
Melanie placed her hands on his chest, running her fingers through his chest
hair and digging her nails into his skin, careful not to puncture too far in.
She leaned over him, feeling the pleasure mounting inside her. All at once,
it felt as though her brain itself was screaming.
Doug took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked. She closed her
eyes tightly as she came. “Aaahhhh, yes! Oh, Doug! Doug!
DOOUUUGGGG!”
His neighbors were all probably well aware that Doug was getting laid this
evening. He smirked up at her and, once she had calmed down, resumed his
position on top of her. He quickened his pace as she wrapped her legs
around his waist. She watched his dog tags as they jangled back and forth,
hitting against his chest as he thrusted. She arched her back a little and
swiveled around beneath him, sensing that he was about to cum. He closed
his eyes tightly. “Aww, yesss!” he hissed as he came. “H’aaahh…”
He pulled out of her and took the full condom off, tossing it into the trash
can nearby. Melanie watched him, missing the closeness they’d just shared
already. Happily, as soon as he was done cleaning himself up, he came back
to cuddle her.
“Where have you been all of my life?” she asked him. “Oh, Iraq, that’s
right.” She giggled a little, feeling like it was time to be silly after what
she’d just felt. Her head felt light and dizzy in a good way.
Doug laughed. “I wasn’t in Iraq for twenty-four years!”
She smiled and kissed him.
He kept his face close to hers when the kiss was over, their noses brushing
ever so slightly against each other. “I think I’ve fallen for you,” he
whispered. “And I don’t just fall and get back up, Melanie…”
Gazing into his eyes, she blushed. “I think I’ve fallen for you, too.”
They lay beside each other one the bed, naked, looking into each other’s
eyes for a pleasant, long time. They hardly said a word, but when they did,
it was to compliment each other.
“Being away from you is going to be hard,” she told him.
He cuddled her close to him. “I’m just a Harley ride away. You can see me
whenever you want.”
The trouble was that, for now at least, she wanted to see him all the time.
She wanted to make up for lost time when she had thought he was no more
than a thug.
CHAPTER FIVE
A Hero’s Welcome
As they rode down the street towards Casey’s house the next morning, they
slowed their speed and Melanie felt as though something wasn’t right. Sure
enough, when they got into the driveway, she recognized Jake’s car parked
there behind hers. As she and Doug stopped near it, the front door opened
and the man Melanie was hoping she would never see again emerged.
He was wearing dark blue jeans and a black button up shirt. She had a
momentary lapse in judgment, thinking that he looked sexy like that, but
then she gave her brain a mental slap and leapt off the bike with Doug.
They both quickly removed their helmets and set them aside.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped at the man she used to love.
“I came here looking for my wife,” Jake said. “I thought you’d be hiding
out with one of your old friends. And here you are. Who the hell is that?”
He gestured to Doug who was standing behind Melanie, slowly cracking his
knuckles as he clenched and unclenched his fists.
From the front window of Casey’s house, Melanie could see her friend was
watching. She didn’t see Stevie. Casey had most likely ushered him into his
bedroom at the sound of the yelling outside. Thank goodness, Melanie
thought.
“If I wanted to be your wife anymore, I wouldn’t be hiding out with one of
my friends,” she pointed out to Jake. “Anyway, I’m not hiding out. I’m
living my life and taking care of my son. It’s over, Jake. So why don’t you
just get in your car and go back to Ohio?”
“It’s not over!” Jake yelled. “I’m sorry about the other night, okay? But you
have really got to learn to stop talking back to me.”
“The only person who has anything to learn around here is you,” Doug said.
“She said she doesn’t want to be with you anymore. Leave her alone.”
Jake pointed a finger at Doug. “You stay out of this, pal.”
Looking him over, Jake appeared to be taken aback by the fact that Melanie
was now spending her time with a biker guy. “You leave home and end up
gallivanting around with this freak!” He tried to approach Melanie, but
Doug pushed him back when he came close. “Melanie, what are you doing
hanging around this- this jailbird?”
“He’s not a jailbird,” she replied. “He’s an American hero.”
Jake scoffed. “Oh, please.” He tried to push forward again, but Doug
pushed him back even further.
“I said leave her alone!” Doug bellowed. Suddenly, he punched Jake
squarely in the face, sending him reeling backwards. He was all set to hit
him again, but it turned out that the one punch had been enough to get Jake
good and dizzy. “How surprising, the big man who hits his wife can’t
handle one measly punch.”
Clutching his cheek, Jake shook his head as blood came from his nose.
“You’re both bullshit,” he spat. “I’m not wasting my time with either of
you.” He got into his car without another word and drove away. Melanie
didn’t think that he would be back again. She was with the man she needed
now.
“Are you okay?” she asked Doug, giving him a gentle hug. “He didn’t hurt
you, did he?”
He shook his head. “My hand hurts a little, which is strange because I only
punched a numbskull.”
“Aww, let me kiss it and make it better.” She kissed the knuckles on his
right hand.
Just then, the front door opened and Casey came outside. “Is he gone now?”
she asked, frightened. “I heard him in the driveway and I didn’t know what
to do. I made sure to keep Stevie in his room. I’m so glad you two were
here to get rid of him!”
When she got a look at the handsome – if unique-looking – Doug Albright,
she smiled at him and Melanie. “Please come inside.”
They went inside Casey’s house and sat down in the kitchen.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” she told Doug as she poured three cups of
coffee. “Melanie has told me about you, but not enough!”
Melanie blushed. “I didn’t want to divulge every detail.”
He thankfully took a mug of coffee and took a long sip. “Mmm,” he said,
“Thank you.”
Smiling, Melanie got out of her chair and went to the bedroom to get Stevie.
She brought him out by the hand. “This is someone I want you to meet,
Stevie.” The little boy looked up at the tattooed veteran. “This is Doug
Albright,” she told her son. “He was a soldier and now he rides a
motorcycle so he can help other soldiers.”
Stevie appeared to be deeply impressed.
“Hello, Stevie,” Doug said to him, smiling.
Looking at him, Stevie pointed. “You have a tiger on your arm.”
Doug chuckled. “That I do… What’s your favorite animal?”
Stevie thought about it. “I like tigers,” he said. “Did you know that tigers
are the largest member of the cat family? I used to think it was lions, but
no.”
Melanie grinned proudly and pet Stevie’s hair. She loved that her son was
smart and had gotten away from her horrible ex-husband unscathed.
“Hey, Stevie, have you ever been on a motorcycle?” Doug waggled his
eyebrows.
“No, of course not,” Melanie said. “He’s only two!”
“Only two?!” Doug asked, pretending to be shocked. “I thought you were a
graduate student!”
They went outside to show Stevie the Harley and Melanie agreed to let
Doug put him onto the bike – just to sit! – for a picture. “He’s a cool kid,”
he said once Casey had taken Stevie back inside for his dinner. “I like him.”
Melanie smiled up at him. “Well, I’m glad you approve.”
They kissed and Doug soon rode off on his bike. He had a Stars and Stripes
meeting to attend and she was not about to make him late. After all, his
motorcycle club was made up of heroes.
THE END
OUTLAW BIKER
Angelina stood looking at the beat up old Ford her father had owned since
the mid-seventies. He had brought it new in 1974 and babied it for over
forty years now. Well, he had until recently. Stepping out the front door of
his house, the same one she had grown up in, she walked toward it and
sighed heavily as the door creaked open. It had been years since she had
driven his old truck. It had been years since she had driven anything,
actually. Living in New York, having a car was more of a nuisance than a
convenience.
It seemed a bit surreal to even be back here. Angelina had left the small
town in which she was born when she was eighteen and never looked back.
She had attended college in New York and settled there. Being back here
seemed about as foreign to her as the city once had when she first arrived
there.
The truck hadn’t barely been driven in a year, so she was surprised when it
cranked right up. Her cousin had told her he stopped by every week to start
it up and running it around the driveway to keep it from rotting, but it was
still very old and sitting too long had a way of speeding the deterioration
process.
It was already nearly eight at night, so she got going. Around here, they
began rolling up the streets after dark. All of the shops would close soon
and that included the grocery store that she needed to get to. Her father’s
farm was at least ten miles out from the little Save a Penny that sufficed for
food purchases. Angelina was nearly halfway there when the truck suddenly
began hitching and sputtering.
“No! You piece of crap! I don’t have time for this!”
Pulling the truck over to the side of the road, she looked over the warning
gauges. Nothing was blinking red. She heard a loud pop and the truck
shuttered to a complete shutdown. Cursing under her breath, she got out and
looked around. Frustrated, she reached in her purse for her phone, growing
more exasperated as she realized she had left it on her father’s kitchen table
back at his house.
It was unlikely that she was going to find anyone passing by at this hour
way out here, so she grabbed her purse and the keys, heading closer into
town. It was equal distance back to her Dad’s as it was there, but if memory
served her correctly, there was a farm a couple of miles further down that
belonged to the Andersons, old family friends. It would be quicker to get
help from them than to go all the way back to her Dad’s place on foot.
She was surprised when she the lights from an old restaurant called the
Roadside Diner still on. They used to close at eight. Either they had
extended their hours or maybe they were just still there cleaning up and
hadn’t turned the lights off yet. Either way, she could get help there. She
sped up her pace, hoping they didn’t shut down and leave before she made
it that far.
As the restaurant came closer into view, she realized it had been renamed
“The Pit Stop” and the parking lot was chock full of motorcycles. She
wasn’t thrilled about the hometown diner being turned into some sort of
biker hangout or the fact that she was so desperate for assistance that she
was going to have to go in there. Taking a deep breath, she crossed the
parking lot and opened the door leading inside.
Looking around, she saw nothing but bikers. It was definitely not her kind
of place at all. She headed toward the bar, where she could see at least one
woman working. There was something familiar about her that Angelina
couldn’t quite place, but the woman seemed to know exactly who she was,
smiling at her fondly.
“Hey. Do you have a payphone?”
“Payphone? Do those still even exist, Angelina?”
“I guess not. Listen, my Dad’s truck broke down and my cell phone is at his
house. I need to call a tow truck and someone to pick me up.”
“You ain’t gonna get no tow until morning, hon. You can use the bar phone
to call for a pick up though.”
“Tow trucks don’t come out at night at all?”
“Well, they do when they are able to, but if you look right over yonder in
the corner, you’ll see that Bubba Henry is as drunk as a skunk. Since he
owns the only towing place in town, I’d not recommend him not towing
anything tonight.”
“Good call . . . and crap, I don’t know anyone’s number. It’s all in my
phone.”
“Listen, I get off in about an hour. You know I just live down the road from
your Dad’s. I can get you home and you can get the truck home in the
morning.”
“Look, I’m sorry. I haven’t been home in a long time and you look really
familiar, but I can’t think to say your name.”
“Why, it’s Holly Robinson, honey. We lived over by the bridge down from
your house. You probably don’t remember me because I’m several years
younger, but you probably remember my brother, Tommy.”
“Oh, of course. Yes. Tommy was in my class. I’m sorry, Holly.”
“Don’t worry about it. Just grab you a stool or a table, if you can find one,
and I’ll get you a drink. What would you like?”
“Might as well. Tonight’s a bust and the sitter is still with Dad until
morning. Jack and Coke will do.”
“Coming right up. Sorry about your Dad, by the way, Mom told me he is
really struggling with the Old Timer’s disease.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Sure thing, honey.”
Holly brought her a drink and then returned to the other end of the bar
where a guy was calling for her to get him and his buddies some more
beers. Looking around a bit anxiously, Angelina sipped her drink. A woman
alone in a bar was always a target and it was only a matter of seconds
before every loser in this one was offering her drinks and making
suggestions that were best left unrepeated. One particularly loathsome creep
put his hand on her knee and smiled at her with yellowed, crooked teeth.
“How about you hop on the back of my bike and take a ride with me down
to Shadow Lake. We can do the nasty under the stars.”
“I have a better idea. How about you take your filthy hand off my knee and
get out of my face.”
“Now, is that any way for a broad to talk to a man that’s trying to get to
know her better?”
“Yes. Get lost!”
Angelina flung his hand off her leg and turned around to face the bar. She
wasn’t sure what happened next, but she heard a yelp behind her, followed
by a deep voice telling him that he’d do well not to touch the lady or bother
her again. She turned to find herself looking at a rather rugged, muscular
guy wearing a leather biker’s vest. The emblem on it displayed what
appeared to be the grim reaper, except the head was that of a coyote peering
out from the dark hooded cloak around the otherwise human looking form.
Beneath that it said, “President.”
He looked back at her with piercing dark brown eyes, his hand still twisting
the creep’s arm behind him. Pushing him away, he continued to look at her
wordlessly with eyes so dark they were almost black. His dark brown hair
was shaggy, sticking out at odd angles in a haphazard style that was nothing
less than dead sexy. Both arms were covered in tattoos. It didn’t take more
than just a passing glance to know that he was trouble or that it excited her
just a bit.
“Don’t worry about him. He won’t bother you again.”
“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that. I could have handled him.”
“It wasn’t a problem. Name is Anson Hawthorne. I lead the Coyotes Motor
Club.”
“Angelina Thompson. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Do you mind if I sit with you?”
Angelina wasn’t too sure that she wanted to be associated with the leader of
a biker gang, but it might keep creeps like the one before away if they saw
her with him.
“Sure. Have a seat.”
He smiled at her, flashing the most perfect white teeth she had ever seen.
She noted a bit of a large tattoo peeking up from his shirt collar as he leaned
forward before sitting back on his stool.
“Pardon me for saying it, but you don’t seem like the sort to be hanging out
in a biker bar, Angelina.”
“I’m not. My father’s truck broke down about a mile or so down the road
and I walked up here to get it towed.”
Anson laughed. “Old Bubba won’t be towing nothing but the line when his
old lady gets hold of him for drinking all night.”
“Yeah, Holly told me I was out of luck. She’s going to take me back out to
my father’s when she gets off work.””
“Visiting then?”
“For a while. He isn’t well, so I came home for a bit to take care of him.”
“Sorry to hear that. What kind of truck does he have?”
“1977 Ford F150.”
“An oldie but a goodie.”
“Not so good today.”
“I tell you what. When old Bubba sobers up in the morning, I’ll get him to
tow it to the shop and I’ll take a look at it for you.”
“Oh, I appreciate it, but I can take care of it.”
“How? Taking it over to Bubba’s rip off cousin? He’ll only overcharge you
and leave behind more issues than before he worked on it.”
“How do I know you won’t do the same?”
“You don’t, but I doubt I’ll get you to go out for dinner with me if I don’t
treat you and your Dad’s truck right.”
“That was pretty smooth.”
“Wasn’t it? Is that a yes?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Not smooth enough I guess.”
“Take care of Dad’s truck and I will think about it.”
“A woman who knows how to barter, I like that.”
He turned toward Holly and signaled for her to bring them another round of
drinks. She smiled broadly at Angelina as she did so. There was no doubt
that Anson was probably quite the catch in this little Podunk town where he
was the most exciting man around, but he was hardly her type. Still, she
couldn’t deny that she found him attractive. She’d do well to watch herself
with him.
“I did learn a few things growing up here.”
“Ah, so you aren’t just visiting. You are a native.”
“Something like that. I’ve been gone for about seven years. I moved to New
York right after high school.”
“The big apple. I’ve been there a few times. I moved here from Detroit
myself. Got a bit too rough up there for my taste.”
“Detroit huh? Can’t really say I’ve ever been there.”
“Trust me. You didn’t miss much, at least not in the hood I grew up in.”
“Based on what I see on the news about Detroit here lately, I think I’ll pass
on visiting.”
“Good call.”
They were interrupted by Holly, who was getting ready to go. She looked
from one of them to the other with a raised eyebrow.
“You still need a ride home?”
“Yes, please. I appreciate it so much.”
“Okay, I’ll be ready in about five minutes. Just let me cash out.”
“Okay. I’ll be right here.”
Angelina turned back toward Anson and sighed heavily. It had already been
such a long day with the flight in, dealing with things at her Dad’s house
and the truck breaking down. She couldn’t wait to get back to a warm bed
and get some sleep.
“Well, Anson. I guess I’m getting out of here.”
“Looks that way. I could take you home if you’d like to stay longer.”
“Thanks, but I’m pretty exhausted. I best be getting back.”
“Good enough. If you want to just give me the truck key and your number, I
will call you after I’ve gotten it towed in and have some news for you.”
“Sounds good. I appreciate it.”
She fished around in her purse for a pen and wrote her number on a dry
drink coaster that sat nearby, handing it to him along with the truck keys.
“I’ll call you tomorrow then.”
“Talk to you then. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Angelina.”
She noted how he said her name and the way he locked eyes with her as he
did. There was no doubt that she needed to get far away from him and stay
that way. He was exactly what she did not need in her life.
“Ready to go?’ Holly asked as she rounded the end of the bar.
“Yes ma’am.”
Though Holly pressed her for details about her conversation with Anson,
she blew it off as nothing, not wanting to start town gossip already. There
was nothing to tell anyway. He was just helping her with her Dad’s truck.
She was grateful when Holly dropped her off at her father’s so she had no
more questions to answer.
“Where have you been? I was beginning to get worried!”
Angelina jumped, startled by Stephanie, her father’s caretaker’s voice in the
darkness of the living room. She had not expected her to still be up with it
being so late.
“Dad’s truck broke down and I had to wait at some biker dive for a girl that
lives nearby to bring me back. I never even made it to the store and couldn’t
call anyone. All my numbers were in my phone, which I left here.”
“Yes, I know. I tried to call you when you didn’t come back after a while
and heard it ringing in the dining room.”
“Is Dad okay?”
Stephanie walked to the dining room as she spoke and retrieved her phone.
There were no missed calls other than Stephanie’s. At least there was no
bad news coming from anywhere else. That was always good.
“Yes, he’s fine. He went to bed hours ago.”
“Good. I really hate that you are leaving, Stephanie. Are you sure you don’t
want to stay on?”
“Yes, I’m sure. It’s been nice enough here taking care of your father, but I
really want to get back to the city. This place is just a bit too remote for me.
It was a nice break from the busy streets, but now I miss being able to just
duck out and do what I want to at any hour.”
“I know what you mean. It’s going to be quite an adjustment for me, as
well.”
“I’d imagine so. Do you need help with your father’s truck tomorrow? Did
you have it towed somewhere?”
“It is getting towed in the morning. I met a guy at the bar named Anson
Hawthorne and he is going to look at it at his garage for me.”
“Anson Hawthorne? As in the leader of the local MC? You best watch
yourself with him, Angelina. He is bad news. He’s got a long list of felonies
under his belt.”
“Felonies? Like what?”
“From what I hear, everything from gun dealing to grand theft auto. That’s
why he came here from wherever it was he left. He couldn’t make a move
without being watched by the authorities. Claims he came here to get
himself right and run a legit business, but I seriously doubt he’s cleaned up
his act at all. If you ask me, he moved to the perfect place to carry on as
usual. No one out here watching him except old Pete down at station and
you know how useless he is.”
“Pete is still here? My God, he must be ninety by now!”
“Gotta be. Still the only cop in town.”
“Wow. Well, thanks for the heads up. I’m going to head to bed now and I’ll
see you in the morning before you leave.”
“I think I’ll turn in too. I just wanted to make sure you were okay before I
did.”
“Thank you, Stephanie. Goodnight.”
Stephanie said goodnight and made her way upstairs to the guest room
across the hall from where Angelina’s father slept. He had moved up there
after her mother died, into Angelina’s old room. He said it was less painful
to sleep there than the bedroom he had shared with her mother for forty
years. Angelina had moved into the master bedroom on her visits, finding a
strange comfort that her father could not in being surrounded by her
mother’s old things.
The following morning, she climbed out of bed and showered before
making her way to the kitchen to start breakfast. There wasn’t a lot to make
it with. Groceries were very low. Hopefully, the truck wouldn’t be out of
commission very long or she would have to get one of her cousins to take
her into the nearest town to rent a car to get around in. It was tempting to do
so anyway, but much more of an expense than she could afford with having
given up her job to come take care of her father. His Alzheimer’s had gotten
consistently worse and she felt it was time to be with him rather than
leaving him to the care of strangers.
She put on a fresh pot of coffee prior to scrambling the last of the eggs and
country ham in the refrigerator. Popping some bread in to toast, she heard
the sound so footsteps on the stairs and turned to see her father standing
there in his pajamas still.
“Rose! You look beautiful!”
“No, Dad. It’s me, Stephanie.”
“Stephanie? No, Stephanie left. She’s not here.”
“Yes, Dad. Look at me. I’m Stephanie.”
Her Dad puzzled at her face for a bit, shaking his head. There was no sign
of recognition in his eyes as he looked at her solemnly before speaking
again.
“Stephanie left us. She didn’t like it here.”
“Dad, that’s not true . . .,” she began to say, but he interrupted her with a
wave of his hand.
“Now, Rose. Don’t get upset. It happens with these kids. You know? They
get sassy and think they need to get out and see someplace bigger, better.
She’ll come home when she gets tired of the big city. Don’t you worry.”
Angelina sighed and pulled the toast up, replacing it with two more pieces
while she prepared him a plate and poured him some coffee. Sitting it in
front of the chair he had always sat in, she watched as he quietly sat down
to eat without another word. He looked so much older and more frail than
the man he had once been. It was heartbreaking to see him like this and she
had to hold back tears as she turned to fix a plate for Stephanie, who was
coming down the stairs.
“Oh, thank you. I’m sorry there aren’t more groceries in the house. I didn’t
have a chance to go myself before you came. Do you want me to take you
to get some things before I go since you didn’t make it last night?”
“No. I’ll be fine. My Aunt Kay is coming later this morning to visit and said
she would pick up some things for me and take me back into town if I
needed more.”
“Okay then.”
Stephanie sat down at the table to eat and Angelina joined her once the last
pieces of toast popped up. By the time they were finished, it was time for
Stephanie to go. They said their goodbyes and Angelina watched her go, her
father standing beside her as the woman pulled away from the driveway.
“I’m going to miss her.”
“Yeah? You liked Stephanie?”
“Who? I’m talking about my daughter, Angelina. She’s leaving for New
York to go to school.”
“I see. I’m sure she will do well.”
“Yes. She is quite a girl.”
Angelina smiled at him softly and began clearing away the dishes into the
dishwasher. The sound of her phone ringing stopped her.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Angelina? This is Anson Hawthorne.”
“Hey, there. Did you get the truck towed?”
“Yes. Already had it up on the rack and looked it over. You’ll be happy
enough to know it was nothing major. Looks like there was some trash in
the tank that got gummed up in the carburetor. I got it all cleaned up and it’s
back to purring like a kitten. Truck has been well maintained other than
that.”
“That is good news. When can I pick it up?”
“It’s ready now.”
“Already? That was fast. How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing if you are still signed on for that dinner date.”
“I’m afraid I can’t. My Aunt will be here in an hour to stay with Dad for a
while so that I can try making it to the grocery store again, but I won’t have
anyone to stay with him later.”
“I tell you what. I’ll come pick you up on my bike and take you to lunch
instead of dinner. You can pick up the truck afterward and stop by the
grocery store before you go back.”
“I don’t know about being on the back of a bike.”
“Come on. Where is your sense of adventure? Besides, I’m an excellent
driver . . . excellent driver.”
“I hope your driving is better than your Rain Man impression.”
“I thought my impression was pretty good.”
“Keep your day job.”
“Fair enough. So, pick you up in about an hour then?”
“Sure. I appreciate your help.”
“No problem at all.”
Hanging up the phone, Angelina found that she felt more excited about the
prospect of his picking her up for lunch than she should. The idea of being
wrapped around him on the back of a bike seemed pretty enticing. She
knew she should heed the warnings about him, but her mind just kept
drifting into thoughts about what it might be like to kiss him. Shaking it off,
she finished up the dishes and got ready for her lunch date. By the time she
was done, someone was knocking on the front door.
“I’ll get it, Rose.”
Angelina watched as her father rose, still in his pajamas and head toward
the front door. She addressed him as her mother would have.
“Carl, you are still in your pajamas. You can’t answer the door like that. Go
get changed and I’ll get it.”
He stopped and looked at her, then down at himself. He laughed a little and
Angelina felt a smile spread across her face as the sound. She hadn’t heard
her father’s laugh for quite a while.
“So, I am. Okay, Rose.”
He headed to the master bedroom to change. Angelina had noted that while
he would not sleep in there, he had left his clothes in the closet. Walking to
the door, she opened it to find her Aunt Kay standing outside.
“Angelina! It’s so good to see you!”
“Good to see you too, Aunt Kay.”
“How is my big brother doing today?”
“You know. He is about the same. He thinks I am Mom and that Stephanie
was me leaving for New York when she departed this morning.”
“Bless his heart.”
Pulling Angelina into a hug, she held onto her as if it might be their last.
After a moment, she let go, addressing Carl as he reappeared from the
bedroom. He was dressed in his best suit. It was only Tuesday. Obviously,
he thought it was time for church.
“Well, don’t you look dapper today, Carl.”
“Of course I do. I’m a very handsome man, Kay.”
Angelina looked at him strangely. He recognized his sister. She wondered if
it was just a fluke or a moment of clarity. Taking a chance, she spoke to
him.
“The suit is very nice, but wouldn’t you be more comfortable in your
jeans?”
“Jeans? I can’t wear jeans to church, Rose!”
Angelina sighed. She had hoped his recognition of Kay meant he might
recognize her too, but that obviously wasn’t the case.
“For heaven’s sake, Carl. It’s only Tuesday. You’ve gotten your days mixed
up.”
“Tuesday? Really? But Angelina left this morning and I had thought she
told me she was leaving Sunday morning.”
“A misunderstanding, perhaps. Now, why don’t you go change again?”
“I guess I will. Seem to be losing track of my days. How odd.”
The two women watched him solemnly as he made his way back to the
bedroom to change. It was a dreadful disease to have, but just as awful for
those who lost their loved one to the void that seemed to suck them in and
hold them hostage. They were still watching him when there was another
knock at the door.
“Oh, Aunt Kay. Dad’s truck broke down on the way to the grocery store
right now and the guy that fixed it is going to give me a lift into town to
pick it up, so I won’t need your car. I’ll just get it and then get my shopping
done. Do you mind if I stop for lunch while I’m out?”
“No, not at all, hon. I’m in no hurry. Besides, it’s a beautiful day and your
father seems to know who I am today. Since I will have the car, I may get
him out for a breath of fresh air.”
“Are you sure? You know how he gets in unfamiliar surroundings
sometimes.”
“Absolutely. I’ll stop by and pick up your cousin Reggie on the way in case
there are any problems. Don’t you fret about it. Just take your time and do
what you need to do.”
There was another knock at the door and Angelina realized that she had
completely forgotten it. Walking over, she pulled it open to find Anson
standing there in a pair of jeans that fit in all the right places and a t-shirt
covered with the same leather MC vest as last night. He looked even more
gorgeous in the daylight.
“Well, hello there. I thought you were going to leave me standing out on the
porch.”
“Sorry about that. My aunt just got there too and was trying to explain to
her what I need to do.”
“Ah, got it. You ready to go?”
“Yes. Let me grab my jacket. I’m not as used to the wind blowing on me as
you are, I’m sure.”
“Probably a good idea then. It can sting a bit at times.”
She followed him to the bike and climbed on the back behind him once he
was situated. She put her hands on her legs, not really knowing what to do
with them. He reached behind him and pulled them around his waist
instead.
“Hold on tight. I can’t have you falling off the back.”
Seconds later, they were roaring down the highway toward town. It was
both frightening and exhilarating. Angelina felt a surge of electricity at how
tightly her body was pressed to his. The last thing she needed was to get
involved with someone like him. Not only was he not her type at all, but he
was a criminal to boot! Why did he have to be so damned attractive though?
The bike roared to a stop outside a garage that was nowhere near town as
she had expected. It was a large metal outbuilding next to what looked like
an old hunting lodge. She had a vague recollection of it having been just
that years ago. It seemed like her father used to come out here with his
buddies during hunting season.
“Is this the old hunting lodge?”
“Yeah, I bought it from the old guy that ran it when I came here and built
the garage to work on bikes and sometimes, cars and trucks.”
“But the lodge is huge. You live in it alone?”
“I live in a portion of it alone. There are additional rooms that some of the
guys in the MC stay in, but they are separated from the main quarters where
I live. It’s like my half of the lodge, a large common area where we have
club gatherings and then rooms on the other end. Some of the guys live here
and some just stay from time to time, usually if they are too drunk to make
it home. Hell, come on and I’ll show you.”
“That’s okay. I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”
“Maybe I want you to take up my time. I did ask you to have lunch with
me. I tell you what. Since we are here to get the truck anyway, I’ll just make
you some lunch. I’m a pretty mean cook.”
“I don’t know . . ..”
“Come on, Angelina. I don’t bite. Well, not unless invited.”
“You aren’t making a strong case for me to stay here for lunch with
comments like that.”
“I promise that I will be a perfect gentleman. Come on. Let me make you
some lunch.”
“Okay. Why not?”
“That’s better! Let’s go inside. I’ll show you around the place first.”
Angelina followed him to the lodge. She felt incredibly nervous about being
alone with him, but she had come this far, so she might as well. To her
surprise, he walked right in the front door without a key.
“You don’t lock your door?”
“No. The rooms lock individually if someone chooses to, but people come
and go here constantly. No point in locking the door. It’s always occupied
by enough people that most intruders wouldn’t want to tangle with.”
“I see.”
Angelina looked around the massive center room of the lodge. A lot of the
original décor from when it was a hunting lodge was present. The huge
fireplace and chimney in the center of the room were quiet in the warm
months, but she was sure that it got well used in the cold ones. She was
relieved when he led her to the large industrial kitchen previously run by the
lodge’s small bar and grill rather than his private quarters.
“Okay, let me fire up things in here and I’ll show you the rest of the place.
It takes a bit for the grill to fire up.”
He flipped a few switches and lights came on everywhere. After starting up
the grill, he motioned for her to follow him. They made their way toward a
back entrance to the kitchen and passed through a hallway to a room at the
end. She noted that this time, he did use a key to gain entry. Walking inside,
she found herself in a cozy living room with its own fireplace. It was
decorated in much what you would expect from a bachelor, but still pretty
decently.
“There isn’t much to it really. This was where the previous owner lived. It’s
just this room, a bedroom and a bath. There isn’t even a kitchen. I have to
use the big one, which is somewhat of a pain when I’m just cooking for
myself.”
She followed as he walked toward the bedroom and flipped on the light. It
was decorated much like the living room, in dark, earthy colors you would
expect from a guy. She noted that the bed was a king size and found herself
wondering how comfortable it might be to spend a night in. He walked
inside and opened the bathroom door, revealing a large Jacuzzi style tub
that also grabbed her attention.
“It only had a shower when I came here. I replaced it with this Jacuzzi
combo. Much better.”
“I am sure it is.”
Angelina smiled a bit awkwardly and stepped away from the door, not
waiting for him as she returned to the living room. He followed behind her,
leading her back out and into the kitchen.
“The other end of the lodge is just set up like motel rooms really. There are
a dozen single rooms and one large dorm style room down there, but we
pulled out all the beds and turned it into a meeting room for the club.”
Angelina watched as he pulled ingredients from a large stainless steel fridge
and put them over on a work table nearby. He threw some slices of bacon
on the grill and pulled thick pieces of bread from a bag nearby.
“Turkey club okay?”
“Sure, sounds good.”
“Great. There are some chips over in the pantry if you want to grab us a
bag. I pretty much like anything, so whatever you want is fine. It’s right
over there by the walk in freezer.”
“You actually keep enough food in here that you still use the walk in
freezer?”
“No, we use it for bodies.”
Angelina stopped and looked at him, wide eyed. She knew he couldn’t be
seriously telling her that, but she wasn’t quite sure it was entirely a joke
either.
“That’s not funny.”
“The look on your face says it was.”
He laughed and flipped the bacon. Angelina shook her head and went to the
pantry to find some chips. She stood marveling at the selection. Most
grocery stores didn’t have this many choices and it didn’t stop with just the
chips. He had all sorts of dry goods and snacks in there in bulk.
“That is a lot of food!”
“Oh, yeah. On weekends, we open up the bar and grill to the club and any
guests, so we buy a lot of stuff in bulk with the MC account.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
Angelina brought the bag of chips in her hands over to where he was
putting the bread on the grill to toast it while the bacon finished. He looked
at the bag and smiled.
“You’re a woman after my own heart. Those are my favorite.”
“Mine too.”
“Alright. Let me put these together and we’ll go back to my place and eat.
Otherwise, the guys are going to start waking up soon and overrun us. Bring
the chips and grab what you want to drink out of the fridge over there. I’ve
got some drinks at my place, but there is more to choose from in here.”
Angela grabbed a bottle of ginger ale and the bag of chips while he scooped
up the sandwiches and put them on a plate, killing the grill and motioning
for her to follow him. Sitting the sandwiches on the small counter that held
a sink situated to one side of the living room, he retrieved two tray tables
and set them in front of the sofa.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have a table in here. We could go out in the lobby if you
prefer, but will be overrun with bikers very soon.”
“This is fine. It’s cozy.”
“Good. It will give us a chance to talk without interruption for a bit.”
“Don’t you have a garage to run?”
“Nah. It’s not open to the public. We mostly use it to fix our bikes and
personal vehicles.”
“So, your garage is not open to the public and you don’t rent out the lodge.
You must be independently wealthy.”
“Something like that. Let’s just say I have wise investments.”
Angelina took a bite of her sandwich and looked at him. No doubt that his
investments were anything but legal and her mind was running amuck with
the possibilities of what they might entail. Obviously nothing that she
needed or wanted to know about.
“This sandwich is great.”
“Nothing fancy, but decent when you don’t have a lot of time to cook. I’d
really like for you to come back sometimes when I can make you a real
meal.”
“That would be nice.”
They chatted lightly about where they were from, the differences in Detroit,
New York and here as they finished their lunch. Angelina was quickly
realizing that while Anson might be a biker thug of some sort, he didn’t
come across that way at all. He was very well spoken and intelligent. He
admitted what he had done wrong on numerous occasions and said he came
here to start over, to get a fresh start.
“Some things just tend to haunt you, you know?”
“I suppose that is true.”
“Like you. You’ve haunted me from the moment I first laid eyes on you.
You’re beautiful and nothing like most of the women in this town.”
“I got out of this town as soon as I could. Many of them let it define them.”
His eyes were locked on hers and before she realized what was happening,
he leaned in and kissed her. His hand tangled in her hair as he pulled her
closer and drank her in, searching her mouth deeply with his own. She felt it
all the way to her very core. Her mind told her to resist, but her body simply
refused to cooperate.
It was like a train leaving the station, speed picking up until there was no
stopping it as it steamed toward its intended destination. She gave in to him
completely without so much as a fight. His body leaned over hers as he
began unbuttoning her blouse, never losing eye contact with her. His rough
hands pushed the tank top she wore beneath her skirt upward, exposing her
breasts to his hot mouth. Moaning as he covered a single nipple and sucked
at it, she felt impatient. She couldn’t remember wanting someone so much.
Her hands found their way between them, pulling at his belt, wanting to feel
the hardness that pushed against her hip in her hands. Instead, he pulled
away from her, grabbing her by the hand and leading her to the bedroom,
disheveled and wet with want. Inside, he pushed her down on the bed,
slipping off her jeans and panties as she finished removing her shirt and
tank. She lay naked on the bed as he stood by it, stripping off his own
clothes.
The remainder of the large tattoo on his chest was now fully visible, a
coyote with red eyes and a skull in one paw. There were many more down
his arms, but only the singular one on his chest. His body was in perfect
condition, his muscles stretching provocatively as he pulled off the last of
his clothes and slid onto the bed with her, resuming the feverish kiss that
had begun on the sofa. His hand drifted lightly down her soft skin, the
roughness creating chills down her spine and exciting her in a way that
she’d not felt for a while.
“You’re so beautiful. I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“I’ve wanted you too,” she admitted. It felt good just to let go and give
herself to him without reservation.
His hands tangled in her hair as he kissed her again, his lips moving away to
trail down her skin in a fiery path toward her thighs. She arched her back
toward him as he bit into one of her thighs and then the other, letting out a
cry of passion as he settled into her center, lapping at her clit and already
soaked folds.
“You taste incredible. I could stay here all day.”
Angelina grabbed his hair and pushed him further into her, enjoying the
way he gnawed and tugged at her clit between driving his tongue further
into her to taste her juices.
“God, you’re driving me insane,” she moaned.
His response was only to tease her more with his tongue and teeth, pulling
at her clit and sucking harder on it as he did. She could feel the pressure
building inside, her body begging for release from the way he was
tormenting her with his mouth. She gasped as he suddenly pushed her legs
apart and slid his calloused fingers inside of her, rubbing them against her
inner walls until she knew there was no holding back. Her body shook
violently as she came and then came again, each wave followed by another
as he continued to play her like a finely tuned instrument.
“Beautiful,” he moaned, lapping up her cum as he continued finger fucking
her until she had nothing left to give. Her body shuddered to a stop as he
pulled free of her, positioning himself above her and stroking his cock just
above her dripping wet pussy. Her body seemed to automatically arch
upward, inviting him in as he entered her with a single hard thrust, causing
her to gasp audibly.
Her nails dug into his back as he began fucking her hard and deep. There
was nothing soft or sentimental about their coupling, it was raw, passionate.
Angelina felt like she was being torn apart with his girth as he pounded into
her furiously as she screamed out with pleasure.
“God, yes. Fuck me harder.”
Their bodies were a whirlwind of motion as he drove into her again and
again, seeming to enjoy the way she cried out and begged for more. It was
the most animalistic and earth shattering sex she could ever recall having in
her life. He wasn’t gentle nor violent, he was just rough enough to make her
realize what she had been missing from anyone she’d ever been with. All
she wanted was more.
“Harder, Anson. Yes, yes, please . . . “
Her words became less and less articulate as her passion reached a
crescendo. She could feel the vibrations in her body begin again as she
came violently, her body shattering into a million pieces it seemed as she
exploded against his cock. Her nails dug into his back as the orgasm rippled
through her.
“That’s a good girl. I love the way your whole body quakes when you
come. I could stay inside you all day just to see that.”
Pulling her legs upward, he draped them over his muscular shoulders,
driving even further into her and rocking his hips forward so that it felt like
he was touching bottom each time he thrust forward. She moaned and cried
out loudly, enjoying the way it felt both pleasurable and a bit painful at the
same time. Then he was pulling free of her, turning her around so that she
was on all fours and driving into her from behind. Her body rocked back
and forth with the force of his strokes as he fucked her hard and fast from
behind, her cries mixing in with his loud grunts and groans in a carnal
symphony.
“God, I’m coming. You’re so fucking tight. It feels like you are milking my
cock.”
“Yes, yes. Come inside me, Anson.”
She felt the warmth as he filled her with the fruits of their lust, sending his
juices flowing through her system, mingling with her own before pulling
free of her and falling to her side on the bed. She moved over and rested her
head on his chest, more content than she could remember being for quite
some time. Before she knew it, she dozed off into a peaceful slumber.
“Oh, God. It’s almost four p.m.!”
Angelina had awakened with a start. It took a moment for her to register
where she was and what she was doing here. Then she had glanced at her
watch and noted the time. Her Aunt Kay was going to kill her! She jumped
up and began dressing hurriedly as Anson sat up in bed, his beautiful naked
body sprawled out atop the covers. She could see him getting hard again
looking at her, but there was no time for another round, as much as she
would like to stay and just fuck him the rest of the day and night.
“I guess we dozed off, huh? I’ll get your truck keys for you.”
Angelina couldn’t help but note the dismissiveness of this tone. She wasn’t
sure what she had expected. It was just sex, right? They barely even knew
one another and he was a criminal. Sure, it had been the most intense sex
she thought she had ever had, but it was still just what it was and nothing
more. Be a big girl, Angelina, she coaxed herself. By the time she was
dressed, he was too and holding her keys in his hand.
“Come on and I’ll walk you over to the garage.”
Angelina nodded as she followed him out the door and through the lobby of
the lodge. She nodded the looks from several bikers who were hanging out
in the area now and how they grinned to themselves. She was careful not to
meet any of their gazes as she did her walk of shame over to the garage.
Anson handed her the keys to the truck and looked at her, pinning her
against the truck and kissing her. She felt it all the way down to her toes.
“I had a great time. We should get together again soon.”
“Sure,” Angelina replied, turning to get in the truck. She started it up as he
stood holding onto the door. When it roared to life, he nodded
appreciatively and patted the cab of the truck, shutting the door so that she
could leave. She felt like a hooker, trading sex for free mechanical work.
How could something have felt so incredible when it was happening and
now feel so bad?
Retrieving her phone from her purse, she called her Aunt to apologize for
her extended absence, telling her she got hung up at the garage for longer
than expected. It was mostly the truth.
“Oh, honey. Don’t worry. We have had a great day. I took your father for a
drive down to the lake where he used to fish and he loved it.”
“Did he remember it?”
“No, I don’t think so. It was if he was discovering it again for the first time,
honey. The look of joy on his face was priceless though.”
“Does he always recognize you?”
“Yes. I don’t know why. It’s as if I am the only one he can remember
consistently. Perhaps because we are twins. I can’t say, but he always seems
to know me, though he sometimes forgets my name.”
“I wish he couldn’t remember me. It hurts to see him like this.”
“I know it does, honey. Just take your time getting home. We are just
getting in and I bought a few things to make dinner in a bit. We’ll be eating
in a couple of hours if you want to get home in time for that. Feel free to
bring your friend.”
“Okay, Aunt Kay. Thank you. I think I will make a couple of stops on the
way in then.”
Angelina ended the call and thought about “her friend.” She needed to be a
big girl if she was going to play grown up games. It was casual sex and he
owed her nothing beyond it. He had fixed the truck for free, after all. She
supposed that was enough.
Making her way to the grocery store, she picked up the things she had
intended to get before the truck had broken down. An hour had passed, so
she still had a little time before dinner. After a bit of debate, she decided she
had nothing to lose. Picking up her phone, she called Anson.
“My Aunt is making dinner. I thought since you made lunch, you might
want to come out for it. She’s a pretty good cook.”
“Asking me to meet the family already? You don’t waste any time do you.”
“What? I, uh, no, I . . . .”
“Relax. I’m just yanking your chain a bit. I’d love to come to dinner. What
time?”
“Should be ready in about forty-five minutes.”
“Short notice.”
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to if you don’t want. It won’t hurt my feelings.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Angelina felt a knot in the pit of her stomach. Why had she called him? She
was trying to turn a casual encounter into something it wasn’t meant to be.
Why hadn’t she just left it alone?
“I’d love to come to dinner, Angelina. I was missing you already.”
“Really?”
Every tense muscle in her body relaxed. She was so relieved that she wasn’t
making an ass of herself by seeming too needy already.
“Yes, really. See you in a while. Should I bring anything?”
“No. I picked up some wine at the store and I’m sure my Aunt has made a
table full of food. She always does.”
“Great. I’m looking forward to it.”
Angelina realized that she felt nervous as she pulled the truck into the
driveway at her father’s house twenty minutes later. Making her way inside
with the groceries, she began putting them away while her Aunt chattered
about her day out with Carl.
“Did he go to bed early again?”
“No. He is watching television in the living room.”
“I’m going to go in and see him for a moment and then I need to freshen up.
I invited my friend Anson over for dinner. I hope you don’t mind. He was
nice enough to fix the truck for me at no charge. It’s the least I could do.”
“Oh, sure, honey. No problem at all, but this Anson, would that be Anson
Hawthorne?”
“Yes. That would be the one.”
“I would never tell you what to do, but you know about his troubles with
the law, right?”
“Yes. I know. He told me all about it himself.”
“Just don’t get involved in something that could drag you down with the
wrong sorts, honey.”
“I think you’ll be surprised, Aunt Kay. He may have been that person
before, but he came here to start over. He’s not as bad as you think he is, not
at all.”
“I hope you are right, honey. Everyone deserves a second chance. Perhaps
he will make the most of his.”
Angelina smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek before heading to the
master bedroom to get freshened up and changed. She could still smell his
scent on her and had to wonder if her Aunt Kay could, as well. She felt a
flush remembering the afternoon events.
“Angelina, I think your friend is here.”
“Okay, Aunt Kay. I’ll get it.”
Angelina hurried out to the door just as Anson knocked, pausing for a
moment to collect herself so she didn’t seem like an over eager teenager.
She pulled open the door looking much more at ease than she felt. It
immediately dissolved as she saw Anson standing there, looking positively
delicious.
“Going to invite me in or just stand there and stare at me like I’m your
favorite dessert?”
Angelina flushed red again, realizing that she had been doing exactly that.
How transparent she must be to him. She was sure he had this effect on all
the women he bedded and she felt a streak of jealousy. Reminding herself
that she might not be as special as she hoped, she dialed it back a notch.
“Funny. Come on in, Anson.”
“Thank you. I know you said not to bring anything, but I brought some
wine anyway. It’s my favorite. Nothing fancy, just a chillable red. I thought
maybe we could put it in the fridge and have it after all the grown-ups go to
bed.”
“Sounds good.”
“You sure? You don’t seem very thrilled with that idea.”
“No. No. It’s fine.”
He gave her a puzzled look and she realized she was being a bit of a flake,
hot and cold, all that. She wanted to devour him, but she was afraid that if
she showed too much interest, he would bolt. That was the last thing that
she wanted from him, though she wasn’t sure any other offerings were on
the table.
“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just not sure how to behave after today. I don’t
usually just do things like that with someone I hardly know.”
“I know you don’t. I’m glad you did. I like that you couldn’t resist me.”
He smiled at her with a crooked grin that only melted her further. She
smiled back, a flush creeping up her face once more and he laughed.
“And I love that you have that shy streak that leaves you all flustered like
that.”
They were disrupted by her Aunt calling them to the table. Anson followed
her in to the dining room where her Aunt and Father were already sitting at
the table. Anson looked at her father for a moment and smiled, reaching for
his hand to shake it.
“Mr. Thompson! I didn’t realize you were Angelina’s father. It’s great to see
you again.”
“Anson Hawthorne? I haven’t seen you since you rolled into town and
dropped a wad of cash on the counter for that old hunting lodge. You had
that heap plowed under yet?”
“No, no. Just the opposite. I’ve done quite a bit of repair work to it and live
there. You should have Angelina bring you out sometimes to see it.”
“Ah, I wish I could. Angelina’s been in New York for quite some time now.
I’d love to see her, but she just doesn’t seem to get home like she used to. I
miss her so much.”
The sadness in her father’s face was only matched by the confusion on
Anson’s. He looked up at Angelina as if to ask a question and then realized
the answer on his own. He mouthed the words to her and she nodded. He
looked down for a moment and then took a seat near Mr. Thompson.
“I hear you went to the lake today? Were the fish biting?”
“We didn’t fish. My sister just wanted to get out and enjoy some fresh air.
I’ll have to remember to take my pole next time she wants to do that. It
looked like a good place to catch a fish or two.”
“I’ve heard it’s a great fishing hole.”
Angelina had a feeling that he had heard that from her father, though she
wasn’t sure how they had crossed paths or why her father remembered him
when he couldn’t remember her. She had to fight back the tears that
threatened to surface at any moment. Anson looked over at her and put his
hand on her knee, squeezing it knowingly. She smiled through her sadness
at him as they began eating their dinner.
“Rose, I’m tired. I’m going to go on up to be, love.”
“Okay, Carl. Sleep well. I’ll help your sister clear away the dishes.”
The words felt tasteless in her mouth. It was so hurtful to have to talk to
him as if she was her mother and for him to think she wasn’t coming to visit
him, but what could she do about it? Would he have remembered her too if
she hadn’t left? He remembered her mother, though he thought she was her.
He remembered his sister. He even remembered Anson, who he had
probably only met once. Why did he not remember her?
“Aunt Kay, I’ll clear the dishes. You’ve been here long enough. Why don’t
you head on home?”
“Are you sure, hon? I don’t mind.”
“You’ve done plenty already. Dinner was delicious. Reminded me of
Mom’s cooking, always does.”
“Thank you hon. I’ll head to the house and let you kids talk.”
Anson and Angelina both said their goodnights and walked to the door with
her. Anson stood watching until she was safely in her car, though she was
probably in the least dangerous place in the country.
“Let me get these dishes up and we’ll relax in the living room.”
“Here I’ll help you. How about I pour us some wine while we work?”
“Sounds good. So, how do you know my father?”
“I met him when I was buying the lodge. He was there visiting the owner
and encouraged him to sell it to me while it was still standing.”
“Sounds about right.”
“He invited me to go fishing with him. Said I reminded him of himself
when he was younger.”
“Really? That’s surprising.”
“Why? That your father may have once been a rebel of some sort?”
“I guess. I always just see him as my father, calm and peaceful. Never one
to cause a stir.”
“It hurts you that he can’t remember you. I could see it in your face when he
recognized me and spoke to your Aunt. I could see how it pained you for
him to think you are someone else. Rose was your mother, I take it?”
“Yes. I look a good bit like her and he thinks I am her.”
“My grandfather had Alzheimer’s disease. He couldn’t remember anyone
after a while. It is a sad ailment for everyone involved. I’m sorry,
Angelina.”
“Thanks.”
Anson poured them each a glass of wine and they sipped at it while doing
the dishes together. Angelina’s stomach had butterflies each time Anson
leaned in toward her and placed soft kisses on her neck or shoulders. They
finished the dishes and adjourned to the sofa with the remainder of the
wine.
“So, what did you do in New York, Angelina?”
“I’m an accountant.”
“And what about now that you are out here?”
“I don’t know yet. I have some savings that will hold me for a while. Maybe
just get a part time job somewhere. I won’t need much.”
“Would you consider working for the club?”
“What?”
“I could use a good bookkeeper.”
“You don’t have any books!”
“I have books. Trust me.”
“I don’t know if I should.”
“You can. I promise.”
Anson pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. It wasn’t the heated
kiss as earlier, but a lazy, soft kiss that spoke volumes more about what he
felt toward her. It wasn’t lust, it was an affection that had developed
immediately between them. Perhaps there was such a thing as love at first
sight, but what was she getting herself into?
“I’ll consider it.”
“What if I give you some incentive?”
“Like what?”
His kiss intensified, as he pushed her back on the sofa, tangling his fingers
in his hair. She felt a tingling sensation all over as she pulled away and
looked at her.
“Like that.”
“I’m still not sure. How about we go discuss it in my bedroom?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Their second time was nothing like the first. It was soft, sweet, like two old
lovers who knew each other’s bodies instinctively. Angelina found herself
shattering over and over as he made love to her so slowly and beautifully
that she wanted to cry, falling asleep in each other’s arms once again. She
awakened in the night to find him reaching for her, taking her again just as
passionately and exquisitely as before. What she felt was so much more
than lust, but it was too soon and she knew so little about who he really
was.
Waking in the morning, she rolled over to find him propped up on one
elbow, looking at her.
“What are you doing?”
“Just watching you sleep. I love how peaceful you seem when you are
asleep. I don’t know that I’ve ever felt quite as peaceful as you look.”
“Never?”
“No. Maybe the closest I’ve ever come was last night, lying beside you.”
“You’re such a charmer.”
“I’m just honest. I could fall in love with you.”
“I don’t think I would mind that at all.”
They were startled by a sound in the living room and Angelina shot up out
of the bed, getting dressed. She laughed as she realized she was acting like a
teenager that was about to get caught making out by her parent, as she was
sure it was just her father up and about. Then, she realized it was worse than
that. If he thought she was Rose, it could be worse.
Making her way out quickly to the kitchen, she began making breakfast. A
few moments later, she heard Anson in the living room talking to him. It
was obvious that her father still recognized him and she found that it made
her sad once again to think that he didn’t know her. Putting the food on the
table, she called them into breakfast.
“Her Rose, look who stopped by again this morning,” her father was saying
as he walked into the room and turned to see her. His expression changed
immediately, a broad smile sweeping over his face. “Angelina! You’ve
come home!”
Her eyes widened and she almost ran to him, giving him a hug so tight that
she thought she might break his fragile frame. She didn’t know how long it
would last, but he knew her. He finally knew her! Tears filled her eyes as
she pulled away and looked into his pale blue eyes.
“Dad. I’m sorry I’ve been away so long. I’ve missed you! I love you so
much!”
“I know kid. I know. I have missed you too. You’re my best girl! Hey, come
here, I want you to meet Anson. I think you’ll like him. He’s about your
age.”
Her father nudged her in the ribs a bit like he used to when he was trying to
fix her up with boys he liked and laughed. Angelina smiled at him, brushing
away her tears. It was all the endorsement of Anson she would ever need.
THE END
Date with the Devil
CHAPTER 1
There was nothing pleasant and enjoyable about being on the other side of a
bar serving drinks to what seemed like the worst of the pack. But it was
paying the bills, and if she was lucky, the tips would add up. At the
moment, Trisha’s eyes kept watching the clock, counting down the hours
until her shift ended. But as with every other night, the time dragged on,
and she labored over her task of satisfying ungrateful and rowdy men one
drink at a time.
“What will it be?” she asked the large heavyset man as he crashed his
weight onto the stool opposite her. She was often glad of the safety that was
afforded her behind the mahogany partition.
“Other than you?” he asked and grinned. She would have probably taken
that as a compliment and smiled, if it wasn’t for the fact that he was a
member of the Devil’s Disciples Motorcycle Club. They frequented the bar
she worked, and this one never failed to make his affections known.
“Does your order come in a bottle?” she asked as she sighed and reached
for the gin he would eventually take.
“What is it about you girls that make you think you’re so special?” he
asked. He sounded as if he was already drunk, and about to make trouble.
The worst combination she could think of at the moment; and she was not
in the mood for it. She turned the bottle over and filled up the shot glass
before sliding it over to him. He slapped it away, spilling some onto the
counter and drawing the attention of some of the other patrons at the bar. “I
asked you a question,” he told her and glared at her.
“I wasn’t aware that I needed to provide a response,” she told him. “It
sounded like rhetoric to me.”
“What did you just call me?” he asked, further displaying his ignorance.
“I’ve been asking you out for the longest while, and I’ve seen the way you
look at the other clowns in here. You don’t look at me like that. Do you
think they’re better than me?” Suddenly he leaned over and slammed his
hand down on hers. She jumped, frightened about what he was thinking to
do next.
“Hey, what’s going on?” some other guy further down the line leaned over
and asked. “Johnny, leave the girl alone!”
“Mind your fuckin’ business,” he spat.
Trisha tried to ease her hand away while the man was distracted, but she
was too slow. He folded her small hands in his and held onto her tighter.
The fear she felt was now visible on her face, and she looked around wildly
for someone to rescue her.
“Johnny!” A voice came over the din. The man tensed, and ever so slightly
his grip on the girl loosened. He turned around to face Calvin Walker,
leader of the Motorcycle Club. Trisha pulled her hand back sharply and
quickly went to tend to her other customers.
She wasn’t that far off that she couldn’t overhear the conversation. “What
the fuck is going on?” Calvin asked Johnny.
“Nothing,” he said and attempted to get up, but the man blocked his path.
Johnny was bigger in mass than Calvin, but the power he wielded
commanded greater respect, and the man shrank before him like a midget.
“I was just having some fun.”
“Is that what you call it?” he asked. “Get your shit together man!” he told
him.
Johnny wasn’t too pleased about being reprimanded in public and he shoved
past the audience he had created and disappeared, obviously embarrassed.
Calvin remained and took the seat Johnny had occupied earlier. He rapped
his knuckles on the counter to grab her attention, and slowly she returned to
take his order.
She wasn’t a fan of the motorcycle men, and she avoided them as much as
possible. For obvious reasons. “What can I get you?” she asked him.
“White Russian,” he told her-a combination of Kahlua, cream and vodka.
She went about preparing his order, and he sat there, alarmingly quiet. She
was not accustomed to a biker who was not rowdy, and she snuck peaks at
him as she went about his order. “Here you go,” she said and placed the
glass on a napkin. She was about to move off when he started speaking.
“Sorry about that mess earlier; my boys can be…unruly at times,” he said as
if choosing his words carefully.
“No sweat,” she said and attempted to move again. She got the rag from
under the counter and began to wipe water marks from the wooden surface.
“I can’t help but notice that you seem different from other bartenders I’ve
seen before. What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” He put the
glass to his lips and sipped, leaving a white moustache in its wake which he
quickly swept aside with the back of his hand.
“Nothing wrong with the place; just the people who come here,” she replied
cheekily.
He smiled at her response and drank some more. “You just seem too good
for it,” he told her.
“The tips are good,” she added. She really wasn’t in the mood for a
conversation, especially with him, and she was grateful when someone else
called for her. She quickly walked away and left him to his drink.
By the time she got back to where he was, he had already gone. But he had
left her a twenty dollars’ tip. She smiled as she slid the bill into the pocket
of the tight jeans she wore. At least he had some class.
She didn’t see him again that night. Nor did she see Johnny again. But a bar
was a bar, and when it wasn’t one thing, or person, it was another. By the
time the night came to a close, she was weary. She called a cab and slumped
into the seat of the yellow and black vehicle that would take her to peace.
“Rough night?” the driver asked as he moved off.
“You have no idea,” she replied as she rested her head against the seat and
closed her eyes.
But then again, neither did she.
CHAPTER 2
It was some minutes past one when Trisha pushed the door to her apartment
open. It was a small place she shared with her mother-now too old to work.
But it turned out to be more of a convenience for her since she wound up
with live in help for her two-year-old son. She was surprised to hear his
voice when she stepped into the dimly lit room, and even more so when she
heard the pitter patter of his tiny feet as he ran to her.
“Hey,” she said as she scooped him up into her arms. “What are you doing
up? Hey ma,” she said and threw her bag onto the chair.
“Here mama,” he said and handed her a piece of paper he had in his hand.
He gave her a smile and she hugged the toddler to her. That in itself
constituted the best part of her day.
“Thanks sweetheart,” she said and pulled him around to her hip as she went
into the kitchenette.
“I hate to see you coming home this late,” Martha said to her daughter and
pulled her robe tighter around her.
“We’ve had this discussion ma,” she said, sounding exasperated as she did.
“It’s not like there is anything I can get at the moment.”
“That’s not the place for a good woman,” she told her, echoing what Calvin
had said to her only a few hours before. “I can talk to Brother Cedric down
at the church. He has some connections he can use to get you out of that
place.” She disliked that her daughter was working in a place she
considered the devil’s play pen, and she made her opinions heard as often as
she could.
But it didn’t make things any easier for Trisha. “I have tried to get a job
before, and Brother Cedric already gave me all the leads he could find; they
were no good, remember? I have to work, to pay these bills and keep things
on the up for Aiden and for you.” She shifted the infant to her other hip and
poured some milk onto the raisin bran cereal she was about to eat. She took
up the bowl and went to sit around the small table in the corner of the room.
Her mother was quiet for a while, and Trisha sighed as she spooned cereal
into her mouth and rocked her child. She gazed on him, and saw how
content he was just to be there with her, and in that moment, as with so
many before, she envied his innocence and his simplicity. And at present his
lack of understanding of her current situation. She had gone to a decent
school, and she was primed to be more. Until she found out she was
pregnant. Aiden’s father was non-existent after that, and she was left with a
baby to raise on her own, and an elderly mother. Work had been hard to
come by, and she had been grateful when her uncle had offered her work in
his bar. It was not the ideal job, but it would pay the bills, and as much as
she hated it, she had had no other alternative.
“Would you like me to hold him?” she eventually asked.
“No, that’s alright,” she replied and smoothed his hair back. He soothed her
in an odd way, and gave her something nothing else did. Peace.
“Okay, then its best I get to sleep then. I tried before but he would not sleep
without you tonight.” She rocked herself to a standing position, and using
the chair as support, was able to walk off, looking more like her old self.
“Is that true Aiden?” Trisha asked as she felt a tear roll down her cheek. She
quickly pushed it back and blinked rapidly to prevent the copycats from
doing the same. She smiled and squeezed him into her, and when he leaned
back and stared her in the eyes, his black eyes penetrating her brown ones,
she couldn’t help but think she had failed him somehow. Before the thought
could take root, she kissed his cheeks and quickly replaced it with
memories of better days.
“Bed,” he told her and pointed to the room they shared.
“That’s right sweetie,” she said and chuckled. “Mama’s tired too.”
She placed the empty bowl into the sink and left it there. She would get it
tomorrow. She placed him in his crib and stood over him, watching his eyes
flutter as sleep took hold of them. She brushed his cheek as he fell into
peaceful slumber, and then went to the bathroom to wash what remained of
work from her spent frame. Her legs ached, and before she slipped from her
jeans, she spooned the wad of tips from her pockets. She had made eighty-
nine dollars tonight. Not bad, she thought. She emptied it into a jar she kept
under the sink, and closed the door again.
Soon, she would be able to afford the life she wanted. Soon, she would not
need to go to that God forsaken place every night. But for now, she would
need to rest to do it all again tomorrow. The thought brought Johnny’s face
to memory, and she shuddered at the thought. He might be there the
following day. And if it wasn’t one Johnny, it would be another.
But something better had registered in her mind, and it was Calvin. He had
come to her rescue after all, but maybe he was playing his hand better than
the rest, and all he wanted was a quick roll in the hay. No one was nice in
that bar without ulterior motive.
“Just my luck,” she whispered to herself as she turned on the pipe and the
warm water spilled out and onto her body.
CHAPTER 3
Every time the door opened Trisha jumped. She was on edge from the
moment she walked into the bar; half expecting to see Calvin and fully
expecting another encounter with either Johnny or another of the Devils.
But things were quiet. Much quieter than she had remembered it ever being,
and just as she was settling into it, she saw him at the end of the bar.
Her eyes scanned the room for any sign of the rest of this cronies, but he
seemed to be alone. He signaled her, and despite what she thought or felt, it
was her job to attend to him.
“You drinking alone tonight?” she asked Calvin when she got to him.
He chortled and looked around. “You noticed, huh?”
“Kinda hard to miss,” she replied. He didn’t seem like trouble, and she
relaxed in the knowledge he provided her.
“Yeah, after last night, I told them to take a night off; go burn some steam
riding or shooting pool or something,” he told her. “Anyway, it’s just us
tonight,” he said and grinned.
She gave him a half smile and leaned on the counter. “So, will it be white
Russian again?”
“No, not tonight. I think I need something a bit stronger, so…serve me up
some Jack Daniels.”
She was used to the gruff voices and stone faces, but he seemed different.
She couldn’t get a read on him, not a full one anyway, but there was
something unique about him. “So,” she said when she returned, “the head of
the Devils, are you? And here you are judging my job.”
He smiled and placed the glass to his head. He gritted his teeth as the liquor
coursed down his throat, and gripped the glass tightly. “I guess we are both
victims of our circumstances,” he said.
“Hey, you gonna fuck him too, or you gonna give us some beer,” an angry
customer shouted at her.
Trisha rolled her eyes and moved away. Once again, she could not
comprehend her present circumstances. What the fuck was she doing
working in a bar? Her face grew blank as she went through the motions of
attending to the waiting men.
“So, you wanna…”
She moved off before she heard what the idiot who had shouted to her
earlier was about to say. He did not deserve her attention.
“Fuckin’ bitch,” she heard him say when her back was turned. But she was
used to it, and she simply could not be like Melissa who flirted with the lot.
Melissa was the other bartender who worked on weekends and on her days
off. She had seen her in action before, and how the men were all over her.
She dressed provocatively too, which made Trisha feel like a Hamish
woman. She looked down now at her clothing, which constituted skin
hugging jeans and a loose sweater top that fell just below her waist. The
shoulders were loose, which showed more skin than she would have
preferred.
“How are things going?”
She looked up and saw her Uncle Ron standing there. He was unlocking the
swing door to come around.
“Hey Ron,” she replied as a genuine smile lit up her features. “I’m hanging
in there.”
He came over and scanned her outfit. “I swear you are going to make me
lose my customers,” he said and kissed her on the cheek.
“What? What’s wrong with my clothes?” she asked and looked down.
“Nothing. It’s just…blah,” he replied.
“Would you prefer to see your niece dancing topless on the bar?” she asked
cheekily.
Ron laughed and ruffled her hair. “Not at all,” he said. “But add some flair
to it will you?”
“Whatever. I don’t hear anyone complaining,” she replied.
“I complain,” one of the patrons offered. “I would love to see what’s hidden
under all of that. Where’d you get this bore Ron? Now Michelle…”
“Okay Dan, that’s enough,” Ron interjected. “Hey, I’ll be here for a while,
so just go on ahead and deal with those customers,” he said, pointing in the
direction of Calvin. “I got these.”
Trisha walked back to where the man was sitting, and apparently waiting
for her to return. “Another drink?” she asked him.
“Why not?” he asked and smiled. He had grey eyes, and black hair that had
silver highlights that made him appear stately. He was wearing a leather
jacket as usual, and a single item of jewelry-a gold watch. She could not
make out any tattoos, but she was sure they were there somewhere.
“Give me a beer,” the guy next to him said.
“Sure,” she said and moved off. When she returned she handed the men
their orders.
“If it’s any consolation, I like your clothes just fine,” he said in reference to
her earlier discussion with her uncle.
“Thanks,” she told him.
“So, would you allow me to take you out?” he asked.
She thought about that for about five seconds before replying. “I don’t think
so,” she said. She had to move, but when she glanced back, he was gone,
and in his wake, a twenty dollars’ tip again.
Somewhere inside she felt disappointed that he hadn’t persisted. But she
would not be disappointed. And she was surprised that she had to will
herself not to be. For the remainder of the week Calvin appeared every
night, ordering the same drinks, and asking her the same question.
On one such night, she stood there and looked him straight in the eyes.
“How old are you?”
“Would that make a difference?” he asked.
“It might,” she said and rocked back on her heels.
“Okay,” he replied. “I am forty-four years old.”
“That’s a clear…eighteen years older than I am.”
“What, afraid you can’t handle it?” he joked.
Trisha found his comment amusing and laughed. “It definitely isn’t that.”
“Then, how about it then? Why won’t you go out with me?” he asked and
locked his fingers on the counter. He was staring at her and demanding a
yes from her.
“You should,” Ron walked by and whispered.
Calvin chuckled. “You should listen to him.”
“Okay, fine,” Trisha answered. “But I want to go to an actual restaurant.”
“What are you suggesting?” he asked and relaxed onto his stool again.
“Nothing,” she said and wrote her number on a napkin. She slid it over to
him and he glanced at it and stashed it away inside his jacket pocket.
“Man, get the fuck outta here!” a voice shouted from the back. Closer
inspection showed that once again, one of the members of his club was
involved in an altercation.
“That’s my cue,” Calvin said and got up. He smiled at her and turned
around. Trisha stood there and watched as he grabbed his man by the neck
and flung him into the wall. “I am fuckin’ sick of your shit Danny,” he
shouted. “No more breaks!” He yanked him from the table he was
crouching over and pushed him to the door. The rest of the men followed.
“What the hell have I gotten myself into?” Trisha asked, and then went
about her duties like a school girl. She hoped she would find an appropriate
exit from Calvin’s world. Very soon.
CHAPTER 4
Trisha was in for a major surprise the following Saturday when she was due
for her date with Calvin.
“Are you sure this looks fine?” she asked her mother. She was pacing the
floor nervously. She had not been on a date in a long time and she was not
even sure what she was in for.
“I think so,” her mother replied. “In my time it was a shame for a woman to
go out with so much skin showing.”
By so much skin she meant Trisha’s bare arms that came from the
sleeveless black dress she wore; it had a low cut that showed her chest, but
was not cut so low that her cleavage showed; she was still self-conscious
about her date being Calvin.
“Ma, this is fine, and these aren’t your days. Things have changed a lot
since then,” she replied as she fluffed her shoulder length hair in the mirror.
She was smoothing her dress and turning about to view her shape when her
cell phone rang. “Yes?” she answered quickly.
“I’m in the entrance hall,” he told her.
“Oh. I’m coming down. Give me a second.” She hung up, exhaled sharply
and kissed her mother before hurrying out.
She was expecting to see Calvin waiting for her, leaning against his
motorcycle and wearing his usual leather jacket. What she didn’t expect
was to see him wearing a white button down shirt with black pants. No
jacket. No motorcycle. He looked nothing like a biker and she was pleased
at the change in him.
“I did not see this coming,” she told him as he opened the door to his Honda
sedan.
“I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve,” he told her.
He was not kidding. He took her to an elegant little restaurant that had a
garden setting. They were sheltered by a thatched umbrella nestled on a
grassy lawn, and surrounded by a wooden bench. It wasn’t what she had
expected, especially since her top half was largely bare, but it was a nice
setting.
“I recommend the barbecued ribs,” he said and smiled.
Trisha laughed. “Why am I not surprised? Barbecue ribs does go well with
a leather jacket.”
Calvin laughed. “Just try and see how well it goes with a slinky black dress
too. You look nice by the way. Not very often I get to see this side of you.”
“Thanks, but I try to keep it under wraps,” she said and blushed. “You don’t
look so bad either.”
“Can’t say the same about the feel. I feel like a shark on land,” he said and
shifted as if trying to get comfortable in his clothes.
Trisha couldn’t help sputtering over the water she had just sipped. “Oh
stop,” she laughed. “You look just fine.” And she meant it. He looked very
debonair, and she didn’t feel a hint of regret at allowing him to take her to
dinner. She did take his advice and ordered the barbecued ribs, and she
could not contain her surprise over the palatability of it. It came with baked
potatoes and steamed vegetables, and she savored every bite.
“So, what do you think?” he asked her as he cleaned his bone.
“I concede; this is good,” she said and wiped her mouth. “I must come back
here.”
“That can be arranged,” he said and smiled.
The rest of the evening found them laughing and talking about odd things
and events. She found she liked his company more than she had anticipated
she would, and when the left, he stopped by the park so they could take a
stroll.
“I don’t get it,” she said as she walked next to him. He had his hand shoved
into his pockets and was all but whistling as he walked.
“Get what?” he asked.
“You don’t seem at all like the man I see coming into my bar at nights.”
“Not any more than you look like the bartender I am accustomed to,” he
shot back.
“True, but something you had said makes me wonder still. You said we are
victims of our circumstances. How is it you ended up as leader of the
Devils?”
“Inheritance,” he told her. “It was something my brother did, and my father
before him. It just kind of fell into my lap when my brother ‘retired’,” he
replied. “I was accustomed to the life, so the shoes fit. But sometimes I’m
not so sure I want to be there, you know.”
“I think I know what you mean,” she told him. They walked together in
silence around the lake, before she hinted at the time. “I think I need to get
back now and relieve my mother. Aiden can be a handful sometimes.”
“That’s your son?” he asked her.
“My entire world,” she replied and smiled.
“Let’s go then,” he told her. “Wouldn’t want to shift your atmosphere.”
When they got to her building, he reached across the armrest and touched
her hand. She looked down at it, and then brought her eyes to meet his. “I
really enjoyed your company tonight,” he said.
“Me too,” she smiled. “You really surprised me.”
“So, can we do this again sometime?” he asked hopefully.
Trisha thought about that for a moment and then smiled. “I’d like that.”
And without another word, he leaned in, and ever so softly placed a kiss on
her lips. It caught her by surprise, and she was paralyzed for a few seconds.
But the kiss wasn’t a bad one, and she found herself responding before she
had a chance to fully think it through. She could feel the heat rising within
her at the same time her heart began to flutter. His lips glided across hers, so
sweet and soft she didn’t dare open her eyes and end the moment. She was
almost sorry when she felt him pull away. But then, she couldn’t hide her
embarrassment at the fact that he was now aware of her vulnerability.
“I’ll see you,” he told her.
“Yeah,” she said and exited the vehicle. He waited at the curb until she was
safely inside, and from the rectangular pane in the door, she waved and
smiled as he drove off. The smile she had felt creeping inside her now filled
her face, and she blushed as she went to her apartment.
She slept peacefully that night, and where she had dreaded going to the bar
before, she was now anxious for it.
CHAPTER 5
Trisha woke up the following morning humming a tune. This did not escape
her mother.
“It went well I suppose,” she said as she folded some laundry.
Aiden ran up to her and she lowered herself to scoop him up. “It did,” she
blushed and tickled the playful infant. He giggled and she tossed him in the
air a few times before twirling with him. “How’s my pumpkin?” she asked.
“Mama,” he giggled and the proceeded to tell her something about the
kitchen. He was pointing, but she wasn’t able to make out anything he was
saying.
“I think he wants his cereal,” her mother said.
“Oh. Is that what you were saying?” she asked him and buried her head
between his head and his shoulder. He squealed and grabbed a handful of
her hair. “Ok, you win,” she told him and tried to untangle her hair from his
grasp. “Let’s get that cereal.”
Trisha spent most of the Sunday with her son, which ended at the park two
blocks from her apartment. Still, all the while she could not get her mind off
of Calvin. She caught herself smiling several times, and by the time
Monday night rolled around she was besides herself with anxiety.
Her eyes kept roaming the bar, but she saw no sign of him or his men. Her
already sour temperament grew to enormous proportions, and by the end of
the night she was livid with anger. She yanked the shirt from her body when
she got home and slammed it into the laundry basket. Then she stared at
herself in the mirror.
“It’s okay Trisha,” she told herself. “It was just one date. Nothing to be so
sore about. He will turn up eventually.”
But telling that to herself and believing was another story. Calvin was
missing for the other three days, and by the time Friday rolled around she
had all but given hope that he would return. Until she saw him walking
towards her. She froze in her task of wiping the glasses, and then turned
away.
“Double shot of whisky,” he ordered. She didn’t respond, but instead moved
to produce his order. He held onto her hand when she placed the glass
before him. “Can I talk to you?”
“Oh, so now you want to talk?” she spat. “You wasted the last few days you
should have spent doing that.”
She walked away, and half expected that after an hour he would be gone,
and she would see the twenty-dollars’ tip he was accustomed to leaving.
But instead he remained, and even when the rest of his men left he stayed.
Even when everyone else was gone.
“I think now would be a good time to go too,” she said as she closed the
cash register and locked up. “I need to get home.”
“Not yet,” he said and pulled her to him. He crushed her in his arms and
replaced the words she was about to spill with sweet nothings, and a rabid
need for her. “I’ve missed you,” he said between kisses, and though Trisha
wanted to resist, she found herself clinging to him instead. The bar was
empty, except for them, and Calvin lifted her and brought her to the booth
in the back. He had an ache for her he could not deny, and when he looked
at her head held back, and saw the vein in her neck pulsating, he registered
her base desire for him.
He gripped her soft, warm body and laid her on the leather seating. When
his breath touched her skin she shivered, and he breathed her in deeply. His
lips found hers again, and she clung to his hair for support, already
forgetting the week he had been gone and she had been pining for him. In
that moment, she wanted him, and she was not about to deny herself his
passion.
And Calvin was not in the mood for flurry and distractions. His hands
surfed her body, ending on her firm ass. He gripped her there, and she
tensed in anticipation of where they would move to next. She didn’t need to
guess for long; he reached up and cupped her breast, and in one deft motion
he had her shirt pulled up, revealing her smooth skin. He kissed her to her
nipples, and then covered each with the warmth of his mouth.
Trisha was writhing by this, trying to shift in a more comfortable position.
He noticed, and in that moment he slid her jeans down, revealing the
blackness of her underwear in stark contrast to her skin. He lowered his
head and smelled her, closing his eyes as her essence filled him. Then like a
mad man, he stood and unbuckled his belt and let his manhood fly free. She
rested on her elbows, gawking at its splendor before he pulled her to him.
He let her sit on the edge of the table, and with her legs spread wide, he got
easy access to her treasure. He slid inside, and she moaned as he filled her,
and in the silence of the bar, they ravaged each other. The only other sound
that could be heard was the scraping of the table against the floor, and their
pants and moans. Calvin buried himself in her repeatedly, and she dug her
nails in him as clapping sounds now filled the vacant room.
He pressed deeper into her, gripping her hips as her legs wrapped around
him. Then he slowed, brought her face to his, and kissed her passionately
and intensely. Trisha was barely able to control her breathing as the
emotions swept through her. She could feel the ecstasy rising, and as she
melted over him, he shuddered, muttered some inaudible words, and tensed
as he climaxed in response to hers. He stood there, her legs still surrounding
him and held her tightly to him.
Trisha was lost in the moment, and she rested her head against his chest as
she felt him grow limp inside her.
CHAPTER 6
“So, what was that all about?” she asked as she got into his car.
“What, that?” he asked and used his thumb to point back at the bar.
She laughed, suddenly feeling lighter and freer once more. “No, not that,”
she said. “I mean, we go out, and then you disappear, and then this?”
He wiped his hand down his face and then turned the key in the ignition. “It
had nothing to do with you,” he said and pulled off the curb. “I had some
complications with some of the members of the club.”
“So, should I expect this every time there is an issue with some of ‘your
boys’?” she asked and quoted the words in the air.
“No, nothing like that,” he said and turned to look at her then. “I do find
you attractive Trisha, and you seem like just the kind of woman I want in
my life. There is a certain feeling of calm about you.”
“I can see why that would be appealing,” she smiled.
“So, can I take you out again?” he asked.
She looked over at him, but this time there was some level of doubt
concerning the man he was and what he was capable of. Immediately, her
mind wandered to the intimacy they had just shared, and she began to feel
some guilt about it. She had been careless, and she had allowed her need to
cloud her logic. She had slept with a man she barely knew, and she wasn’t
sure she should continue, or that he would.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “I mean, back there was great, but, can there
really be something between us? We come from such different
backgrounds.”
“Yet, we are the same,” he replied. “Don’t think too hard about it. Just say
yes,” he told her.
She gazed out the window at the city lights rolling by, and she closed her
eyes as the warm air caressed her cheeks. She had gone this far; she really
had nothing to lose. “Okay,” she said quietly.
But her doubts found no fertile ground, for Calvin showed up every day
since then. They went to a club he visited on occasion; one where the
Devils were sure not to be. He was surprised at how easily she let loose, and
pleased that she was everything he had hoped she would be. He took her to
dinner some nights, and on others, they just sat on the hood of his car and
admired the stars and the city buzz.
“So, what will it be tonight?” he asked her as he sat on the stool in the bar.
“I was just thinking of staying in,” she told him. “I’ve had a little too much
excitement of late.”
“Come on,” he pleaded.
“Cal!” someone shouted from behind.
Calvin turned, annoyance creeping into his face. “What?!” he snarled.
“It’s Johnny,” one of his men said. He had a scar running from just below
his left ear to his mouth. “He is fuckin’ around with that bitch from the
Hornets again.”
“Where is that piece of shit?” a voice sounded in the bar.
“Hey, whatever this is, take it outside,” Trish shouted. She had seen what
these brawls could do and she was not about to subject the establishment to
another reminder.
“Now, hold on a minute Sax,” Calvin said and stepped before the man.
“There is no reason to…”
“The hell there isn’t. Where is he?” he barked.
“If you was fucking her the way you were supposed to, then she wouldn’t
be running to me,” Johnny said as he pushed his chair back and got up.
“Johnny, shut the fuck up!” Calvin said. But the man had already charged,
and before he could say another word, the two were tangled. Calvin rushed
over and grabbed the man by the collar, yanking him off of Johnny. He
placed himself strategically between them, and just as the man was about to
charge again, he grabbed his fist, intended for his face, in midair. The act
caused the man to stumble, and when he veered sideways, Johnny lunged at
him.
“Get out of this Calvin,” Sax warned. “Johnny had this coming.”
Calvin straightened himself and wiped the corners of his mouth with his
thumb and index finger. “Let me handle it,” he told the man and pressed his
hand into his chest to stay him. The man was snorting fire by then, but he
eventually shrugged off Calvin and stepped back.
“This ain’t over,” he told Johnny and walked off.
After he did, Calvin turned to Johnny, and before he knew what was
coming, he landed him a punch square on the jaw. Trisha jumped when she
witnessed the act, and in the middle of serving a customer she froze. She
watched as he collared the man, and pierced him with his eyes.
“This is your last fuckin’ warning Johnny. Get out!” he barked. The man,
who had been like an oak tree in the face of Sax, shrank down to the size of
a twig. With his tail between his legs, he limped away, his pride, and
possibly his jaw, ruined. Calvin stood there for a while longer, seemingly
calming down, before he came back to the bar. He barely looked her in the
eye just then, but she couldn’t deny she admired his prowess and how in
control he was. There was a dark allure to him that intrigued her, and she
wore a smile when she went back over to offer him a drink.
CHAPTER 7
“I thought you didn’t like my guys,” Calvin said to her as he played with
her hair. They had just spent the evening relaxing at his studio apartment.
She had been pleasantly surprised at how neatly he kept his place, and she
had felt right at home as she curled up on the sofa with the throw covering
her bare feet.
“Don’t get me wrong,” she told him. “I despise what you do, but I can’t say
I don’t admire how you do it. I don’t even know how you keep those men in
line. I mean, what if someone comes after you?”
He sighed and stroked her face. “I am sorry you had to see that the other
night with Johnny and Sax, but no one is coming after me.”
“How do you know that? Any day someone could get angry enough to want
to retaliate and then what would happen? I mean, I know you are tough
enough to handle your own but…what?” she asked when she saw that he
was laughing now.
“It’s just amusing watching how worked up you’re getting,” he told her.
“It’s kind of cute.”
“It won’t be when they smash your face in,” she said, and she was
developing a pout as she spoke.
Calvin was laughing harder by this, and before she could continue, he
pulled her to him. “I’ll be fine,” he told her and kissed her.
She hesitated at first, but like all the other times before in the past month,
she either could not refuse him, or she was that attracted to him she didn’t
desire to. She opened her mouth and received him in the same moment that
his hand found her breast. He squeezed gently at first, and then lowered his
head to nip her on the peak. She felt the goose pimples stand at attention as
he did, and she trembled when he slid his hand up her skirt to feel her
throbbing invite. He sucked in a deep breath, and moved to push her skirt to
her waist. He bit his lips and moved his hand up between her skin and the
cotton underwear she wore. Then, he deftly pulled back and the thin fabric
followed him down her thigh. He did the same with the other side, and
when she lay exposed, he buried his face where she desired him the most at
the moment.
She quivered as she felt his tongue traverse her slow erection, and she
sensed the tenderness when it grew ripe and ready for him. He shifted her
legs and pulled the underwear to her ankles, and when she lifted her leg out,
he kissed her calf, her inner thigh, and then the soft moist spot that had
grown red hot and burning with need. He inserted his two prominent
fingers, curling them inside to meet her g-spot, and as she shook, he
covered her clit with his mouth.
Trisha grew wild, and her heart pounded inside her chest. She dug her hand
into his thick mane of hair. Something about the way the stubble on his face
scratched her skin made her hornier, and she pressed him further onto her.
By this Calvin had grown ripe with need, and he dipped his hand inside the
waist of his sweat pants and pulled out his aching member. He turned her
onto her side, and with his hand gripping her ass he forced his way into her.
She dug into the fabric of the sofa as he moved about inside. She felt the
sensations overwhelm her, and she began to grow dizzy. Calvin gripped her
breast as he dug into her, and she moaned loudly as he pulled back and
filled her again. And again. And again. Their breathing grew wild in the
otherwise quiet space, and Calvin somehow managed to slip under her so
that she was now on top of him, and her back towards him. He gripped the
outline of her ass as she covered him, and as she rode, he moved her hips in
a circular motion. He could feel himself growing larger and larger inside
her, and before he did the unthinkable, he felt her flood him with her cum.
He gritted his teeth.
“Oh, baby, now I am going to fuck you hard.”
He flipped her over on her knees, squeezing her swollen breast from behind.
He plunged deep inside of her, and fucked her with wild abandon. As he felt
his force rush from him, he pulled her hips toward his penis, and let her
have it all.
Her body still heaved after they were through, and then she moved. She
turned to face him, a smile spreading over her entire face, and he brought
her back to relax on top of him. She curled up there, without saying a word,
and it was then that she acknowledged how much he had grown to mean to
her. And how much she never wanted to let him go, despite the number of
years between them.
“I should have been with an older man all along,” she chuckled.
“Well, your only mine now.”
CHAPTER 8
Trisha stood looking at the device in her hand, her mouth agape and the
color all but gone from her features. She knew what the double lines meant,
but she hoped something was wrong with it. As if in answer to her internal
questions and doubts, she felt the gastric acid rising inside her gullet, and
she barely made it to the toilet bowl before the fluid came pouring out. She
heaved as she felt like she would spill her organs. After a few bouts she
only gagged and yakked, bringing nothing out but air and fright.
When she was feeling slightly normal again, she slid to the ground and
rested against the bowl as the tears trickled down her face. Her mind
immediately went on Aiden, and then her mother, and how she was already
struggling. How would she cope with a baby on the way? What was even
worse was that she had no idea how he would take the news. What would a
biker, the leader of a gang, be doing with a baby?
“Are you okay?” she heard her mother call from outside the bathroom.
She quickly wiped the tears away and stood up. “Yeah ma. I’ll be right out.”
She leaned against the sink and stared into eyes she did not recognize and
then her eyes traveled to her stomach. Involuntarily her hand went there,
and she felt the spot where her new baby had already begun to grow.
She trudged through the rest of the day after that, and by the time rolled
around for her to get to work, her energy level had hit rock bottom. Calvin
came in, like he always did, but she wasn’t sure how to look at him.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” he asked her.
“Nothing,” she told him and went about her regular duties. He kept his eyes
on her the entire time, and he noticed how frequently she disappeared into
the back room. Something was going on with her, and he needed to know
what.
“What’s got you more sour than usual?” a customer asked as he downed his
shot glass of whiskey.
She was so close to him the breath he exhaled formed an invisible smog
over her face, and almost immediately she felt like retching. She rushed to
the back and into the bathroom for what felt like the millionth time that
night. Upon her return Trisha saw Calvin looking oddly at her, just before
he left the bar. She was relieved she wouldn’t have to face him at the end of
the night, but her mood wasn’t lightened in the slightest bit.
The was looking at her strangely when she returned. “If I didn’t know any
better I’d say…”
“No one asked you anything,” she snapped and cut him off. She spotted
Ron coming in then, and she moved towards him. “Hey, I’m not feeling so
good tonight,” she told him. She kept her eyes averted so he couldn’t read
what was on her mind. “Would you mind if I left early? It’s only about three
hours for my shift to end.”
“Yeah, yeah, sure,” he said. “I got this.”
“Thanks Ron,” she said and hurried to grab her things. The cool night air on
her face relieved her somewhat of the nausea. She had just started walking
to the corner when she saw him standing across the street. When he saw she
had seen him, he skipped across the street and came right before her.
“Are you pregnant?” he asked her.
Trisha’s eyes peeled at the suddenness of his question. And more
importantly its accuracy. “Wh-what?” she stuttered.
“I know the marks of it,” he replied. He stood there waiting for her to reply,
and she shifted around on her feet and then stared at the pavement. “Did
you plan to tell me? How long have you known?”
“I only found out this morning,” she replied. “I mean, I’ve been seeing
some signs but I didn’t want to believe it.”
“Wow,” he said and raked his hair with his hands. “Wow.”
“Yeah, wow,” she echoed. She looked up at him then, and she was surprised
at what she saw. He didn’t seem at all perturbed by the news. As a matter of
fact, he was smiling. “You like this news?”
“Why the hell wouldn’t I?” he asked. “I am just…I didn’t once think it
would happen again.”
“Again? You have been trying?!” she asked almost angrily. She didn’t want
to think that he had been deliberately trying to impregnate her.
“No, not you,” he told her. She sighed with relief when he answered, but his
intentions were not in question now; she was pregnant nonetheless. “So,
how do you feel? How far along are you? Should you be around all that
alcohol still?” The words flowed from him like water from a tap, but she
just stood there looking at him.
“Are you even listening to yourself?” she asked him. “Calvin, I am already
struggling to maintain my son and mother, and now there is another baby on
the way,” she said as the tears began running down her face again. “I don’t
know what I should do, or what I am going to do.”
“Hey,” he said and came over to hug her. She stepped back and held her
hands out. “What…what…?” he wasn’t sure what to ask, or what to do as
he found himself in extremely unfamiliar territory. “Look, it is a bit chilly
out here. Let me take you home.”
She wiped her eyes and looked around. “That’s fine. I think I’ll take cab,”
she said and backed away. When she was a few feet off she turned, and
Calvin was left standing on the pavement wondering what he had missed.
The elation he had felt earlier was suddenly replaced by concern and
confusion as he watched her back disappear around the bend. Then he
turned and went back into the bar; he needed something strong to drink.
CHAPTER 9
“Hey, you ridin’ today?” Crusher asked Calvin. The man was sitting on his
motorcycle with a rag in his hand. He had been adjusting the brakes, and
was now rubbing off the grease that had blackened his hands.
“Nah,” he replied and paid undue focus to the simple task of cleaning his
hand.
“You sure?” Crusher asked. “Hornets were spotted fishing in our territory.
Johnny…”
“If I hear that mother fucker’s name one more time…where the hell is he by
the way?” Calvin spat. Ever since he had taken over the club Johnny had
been nothing but a thorn in his side. It seemed he was in a permanent state
of rebellion since he had wanted to take over ruler ship of the club; a
position Calvin would have given to him if he had shown himself capable.
The only reason he had assumed leadership was because his brother had
made it out to be an inheritance; something he had to do. But he had grown
accustomed to the life, having lived it for several years, and being at the top
for a few months. Now, the things he would normally be engaging in were
slowly becoming shadows behind Trisha’s news of the baby. Johnny was
the last thing he needed to deal with now.
“He’s around back with the guys,” Crusher answered.
“Let him stay there. You and the others can ride; that’s not for me today,” he
said and tossed the rag onto the seat.
Crusher stood looking at him for a few seconds before walking off. The
man had a distant look in his eyes, one he had never seen before, and he
could tell company would not be the thing he needed. “Alright,” he said.
When he turned the corner Calvin heard him whistle, then a few murmurs,
and later, the sound of thunder as all the engines came to life at once. Calvin
watched the cloud of dust that followed them out of the yard, and then took
out his phone absently.
Trisha hadn’t spoken to him in days; ever since he had discovered her
pregnancy. He slid his hand across the phone to unlock the screen, and dial
her number-one he knew by heart. But as usual, it rang and went straight to
voicemail. He was not content with waiting on her to show up, and with his
heart in his hand, he got on his motorcycle and sped to her home.
The woman who answered the door looked him up and down before
responding to him. He surmised she must be her mother, since he had not
met her before. “May I help you?” she asked.
“I’m here to…” the words fell short when he saw her approaching.
“Mama, it’s okay,” she said as she hurried down the hallway. “What are you
doing here?” she asked him. She stood uncomfortably with the grocery bag
across her midsection.
“Do you mind?” he asked as he held his hand out so he could to assist her.
She shifted on her legs and then nodded. He took the bag and followed her
inside. Her mother was still sneaking looks at him, but she never
volunteered an introduction. It took him by surprise when she ambled over
to him.
“Are you the man who got my Trisha pregnant?” she asked directly. She
stood there looking at him as she waited for the answer.
“Ma!” Trisha replied as she tried to shut her up.
“I want to know, because you already have a child without a father, so I
want to know if this one will do better,” she said, as she folded her arms
across her chest.
Calvin stood there, looking from one to the other and not knowing exactly
how to respond. “I..” was all that came from him, so stricken was he with
embarrassment.
“Well?” the woman asked as she looked him over. “You seem like a capable
man, despite those ugly marks on your skin. Do you have any more
children?” She was referring to the one tattoo on his forearm that was
visible now that he wasn’t wearing a jacket.
Calvin had never undergone an inquisition but he suspected now what one
must feel like. “No, ma’am,” he replied, as if choosing his words. “I had
one.”
Trisha’s eyes went to him then, as he spilled information she had no
knowledge of before. “Ma, just leave him alone,” she defended again. The
woman made one last sweep before walking off, just as Aiden came running
in. Calvin watched her leave with the toddler, and then he returned his
attention to Trisha.
“I didn’t know you had a child,” she told him, as she turned her back to
unpack the small parcel of groceries.
“There are many things you don’t know about me,” he replied and made his
way over to her. “And even more you didn’t even bother to ask,” he said as
he insinuated their unborn child.
“There is nothing to talk about,” she said.
“I think there is,” he said and forced her to face him. “Do you think you
have to do this alone?”
“I think I might,” she told him, her voice suddenly getting shaky. “Look at
you, and the life you live. It was a mistake to get so caught up, and now we
have involved a baby into things and I…” She sighed, as the words died in
the air. “I just don’t want to do this.”
“Are you hinting at something?” he asked accusatorily. He could tell in her
voice she had been contemplating an abor…he couldn’t even bring himself
to think the ugly word.
“I just think it would be better if…”
“Don’t even think about it Trisha,” he almost shouted. “This is my child
too! My child! You have no right to do anything without talking with me.
You don’t have to want him, but I do.” He was getting more emotional than
he had ever known himself to be, and he could feel the fire growing to
enormous proportions within him.
“So, what do I do?” she asked, tears coming to her eyes.
“Nothing,” he replied. “Just let me handle this.” He walked off then and she
followed him to the door.
“What does that mean? Handle what?” she asked.
He stopped when he was in the hallway. Then he turned and looked at her,
and she could see the hurt in his eyes. “Just don’t do anything without me.”
And then he turned and walked away.
She stood there watching him as he opened the door to the stairwell and
disappeared inside. She felt her mother come up behind her, which meant
she had been listening all along too.
“How old is he by the way?” she asked.
“Ma,” Trisha replied in an irritated voice. “Just leave it alone.”
She followed her daughter back inside, and closed the door behind them. “I
hope he was wrong,” she said.
Trisha pretended not to hear her, but she was already feeling ashamed of
even having thought about it.
CHAPTER 10
The following days she was plagued with a sense of guilt and increasing
anxiety. Her nausea had abated, if even for the moment, and she appreciated
it. She was half expecting Calvin to show up later that night. But he didn’t.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Johnny enter, and then some of the
other men. But no Calvin. Immediately she thought that he must be angrier
with her than she had assumed. She held her head down and was overly
attentive to the glass she was wiping.
“Hey!” she heard someone shout. “Refill?” The man was banging his glass
on the counter and seemed to have been trying to get her attention for some
time.
“Sorry Reg,” she said and moved to the man.
“What’s got you so out of it?” he asked when she got to him.
“Just family issues,” she replied. She poured the drink without another word
and he didn’t ask. She kept watching the door, but her hopes were
constantly dashed when each time the door opened it admitted another
person she was paid to serve.
What she couldn’t ignore was the weird looks she kept getting from his
men. They didn’t say much, but they were less rowdy than usual. And that
didn’t change for the following three days. On the third night since he had
visited her home, she had all but given up hope of seeing him. It didn’t
make any sense to her why he would have gotten so passionate before, only
to disappear after. She didn’t need another day to make up her mind about
what she needed to do, and come the following day she had a necessary trip
to make.
Her feet dragged behind her as she crossed the busy intersection. Her mind
was swirling when she got to the door to the doctor’s office. She stood
there, rooted to the spot as her heart thumped in her chest.
“Are you coming in?” the security guard asked as he held the door back.
She looked at him blankly, almost as if she was looking right through him.
Then she stepped back, and started sobbing as she hurried back to the
corner. Her eyes were so wet with tears, and the sound growing louder in
her head the longer she stood there, that she was blinded to everything else
around her. She wheeled madly around when she felt someone touch her,
and she blinked rapidly to clear the mist.
“Trisha,” he whispered when he saw her.
“Just go Calvin,” she told him. “As if I wasn’t confused enough, you have
made things even worse for me.”
“Oh, but you have been mistaken,” he told her as he gripped her by the
shoulders and turned her around to face him.
“You said you wanted this child, and then you don’t turn up. Is that what
I’m to expect? Your mind swaying back and forth indefinitely?”
“Trisha, it wasn’t deliberate,” he defended. He let go of her and wiped his
hand down his face. “I…this wasn’t an easy decision for me.”
“It still isn’t for me,” she replied flatly. “How are you going to be a father
when you are running around with a gang? I should have known better,” she
said and began to walk off.
He grabbed her by the arm and stopped her. “I gave it up,” he said.
She froze after he spoke, and then turned around. “Excuse me?” Her eyes
were hopeful, but still reluctant to believe what she thought he was saying.
“That’s what I was doing these last few days,” he replied. “After I found
out, I knew I couldn’t risk losing another child, and I knew you wouldn’t
want me if I was still riding with the gang. So, I gave it up.”
Fresh tears stared springing into her eyes, and she quickly brushed them
away. “Are you saying what I think you are saying?”
He smiled and took her face in his hand. “I want this,” he told her. “You,
our baby, and everything in between.” She felt paralyzed, and then her
knees started to buckle. He caught her when he saw her swoon, and pulled
her to him. “I got you,” he told her.
They stood there on the pavement, at the corner of the street, and as the
world went about its business, and the people passed them by, they
remained fixed in the universe they had created. Calvin looked into her
eyes, smoothed her check with the back of his index finger, and then his lips
found hers. Trisha was never one to display emotions outwardly, or
encourage public shows of affection. At the moment, she didn’t seem to
mind doing either. She held onto Calvin, and received his kiss gladly. He
crushed her to him, and transformed her earlier pain and anxiety to euphoric
bliss.
When he let go the tears were still coming. He chuckled and wiped them
away with his thumb. “You have a lot of those,” he joked.
She sniffled and leaned back. “I guess so,” she said.
He put his arms around her shoulder and led her away. “Come on, let’s get
you home.”
The two walked off home, an unlikely duo, attracting the attention of a few
passersby. But they were incognizant of it as they basked in their newfound
happiness.
************
“What are the odds?” she asked Calvin as the two sat together on the park
bench. Aiden was busy chasing the neighbor’s dog and rolling around as he
lost the battle continuously.
“What?” he asked, a contented sound pervading his mood.
“That you and I would be sitting here, doing this,” she said and leaned so
she could rest her head on his shoulder.
He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, and his hand moved over her
stomach that was now six months old. She no longer held the job at the bar,
for obvious reasons. Calvin had sold his apartment for a bigger one, and the
two were to move in together the following week.
“Neither did I,” he replied eventually. “I mean, I knew I didn’t want to be
the head of the Devils for too long, but I didn’t see this coming.”
Trisha sighed contentedly, and smiled as she watched her older child. Life
would not be perfect, and she didn’t wish for it. But they had each other,
and at the moment, she needed nothing else.
THE END
Outlaw’s Baby
Changing lanes turned out to be harder than she thought as Joy signaled to
the sleepy, oblivious drivers surrounding her that her exit was coming up.
She found herself suppressing a short burst of anger toward them, until
finally someone waved her in front of them. She smiled appreciatively,
startled to discover that it was a friend of hers from high school, Mary Anne
Jenkins. They didn't have time to acknowledge their bond as Joy pulled in
front of her, onto the exit that would lead her to her rural hometown.
She hadn't been back home in over ten years. She'd been desperate to get
out of the small town where it seemed like nobody could possibly
understand her. They were all so close minded and simple, and there was a
whole world out there that they couldn't possibly imagine. She felt an ache
in her chest as she drove, passing by familiar landmarks as if they were
images from an ancient dream. She hadn't known how much she would
miss it, spending all her time in the city, meeting one wrong man after
another. It had been exciting in its way, the adventure and danger of being
with somebody so unpredictable and passionate, but all of them turned out
to be far too self-absorbed, and wound up hurting her.
When she phoned her sister and told her about where she was at—broke
and stranded after a man had taken her for all she had and moved on to
somebody else, her sister had been concerned.
“You've been away from home for far too long,” Kayla said. “You forget
what you deserve if you're not around the people who treat you right. Why
don't you come and stay with me for a while?”
The offer had made Joy cry, and the next day Kayla had wired her some
money so that she could afford the trip back home. The asshole had robbed
her blind. She'd thought he was different from the others, but he had been
the worst one yet. His name was Gordon, and although he'd been sweet to
her at first —they all were—it wasn't long before the viper in him came out.
He was awful to her and had scarred her in more ways than one, especially
the night he decided to take off with all of her things. She'd tried to defend
herself but it hadn't gone well, and his looks had clearly told her that if she
called the cops on him, they would find her and she wouldn't get away with
it.

She shuddered as she pulled into Kayla's driveway, his face in her thoughts
until the screen door opened, and a tiny child hurtled toward her car. This
must be her niece, Penny, a three year old bundle of energy. Kayla was
bounding out shortly after, swiping the toddler up swiftly and carrying her
over her shoulder as she approached Joy's beat up old car. Joy couldn't
believe the old sucker had managed to make it through the long journey.
“Joy!” Kayla exclaimed, pulling her sister into a bear hug. Penny squirmed
and twisted so that she could hold tightly onto Joy's head. Joy normally
didn't like children much, but the chubby little arms around her head melted
her heart.
“Hi sweetheart,” she said to Penny, planting a small kiss on top of her head.
The little girl smiled shyly and buried her head into her mother's shoulder.
“How was your trip?” Kayla asked as they carried Joy's few belongings into
the house.
“It was long. I didn't expect what they did to that park. It's kind of sad,” Joy
said.
“Yeah, they did that a while ago. I felt sad when I saw it the first time too.
But you know, times change. They needed to do some maintenance and
make sure none of the kids got hurt.”
“We never got hurt!” Joy exclaimed.
“Well, you know hover moms,” Kayla said with a wink, setting Penny
down. Penny, a bundle of pure energy, was moving immediately, running
into her little bedroom.
“Thank God you're not like that,” Joy said, sighing.
“She deserves to learn as much about the world as she can,” Kayla said with
a shrug. “If you don't let them explore, it hurts them. Simple as that.”
“Yeah...”
Their conversation lulled as Joy looked around the living room. There was a
picture of Kayla with her ex-husband Daniel holding a baby Penny between
them. Kayla saw her looking and smiled sadly.
“It's not fair for Penny if I don't keep that up. She still loves us both.”
Kayla nodded as if she understood, but she couldn't imagine how hard that
must have been for Kayla.
“I would never be able to keep a picture of an ex up on my wall,” Joy said,
shaking her head.
“It's for the baby,” Kayla said with a shrug. “Besides, I like remembering
that she came from a time of love, not the part that came afterwards.
Anyway speaking of exes, did you hear about Zak?”
Zak. Joy pulled to mind the image of scrawny Zak from high school, the
only boy who had ever understood her rebellious spirit. He wasn't the most
popular, being the class clown and always jumping in the middle of fights
caused by bigger and stronger boys. He was always sporting a black eye
from this or that, hoping to protect the kids who didn't deserve to be bullied.
Unfortunately that got him bullied too. He had been cute, though. And
clever. He was her first crush.
“No, what about him?” she asked, worried that something bad may have
happened to him. She could tell by the glimmer in her sister's eye that it was
probably unlikely, but she couldn't help but worry.
“Well, he's changed,” Kayla said mysteriously.
“How has he changed?” Joy asked.
“He's an outlaw,” Kayla said.
“An outlaw?! How did that happen?”
“You'd probably never recognize him on the streets if you passed him. He's
bulked up a lot, put some meat on those bones. If you hadn't left right after
high school, you would have been shocked. Anyway, I guess he fell into the
wrong crowd, and now they kind of hole up at the edge of town, acting like
they own the place. I don't know what kinds of things he does, but the cops
pretend he's not there. Probably paid them off or something.”
“Wow, I never would have guessed that. He had such a gentle way about
him,” Joy said, her curiosity burning. She would have to avoid him, though.
If the past ten years in the city had taught her anything, it was that bad boys
were not for her.
“I know, it surprised us all. But you can see him riding around here on his
motorcycle, scaring people into doing what he wants. I don't know how that
happened, he used to be so reasonable.”
“Things definitely do change,” Joy said thoughtfully, gazing into the
distance.
“Here!” Penny shouted. She had suddenly appeared from her bedroom,
carrying an armful of her favorite toys. She dumped them into Joy's lap, her
blue eyes shining.
“Thank you,” Joy said with a laugh. That had been unexpected
“She likes to share with people,” Kayla said apologetically, after Penny had
disappeared again to rummage through her closet in case she forgot
anything. “Especially people with good hearts.”
“How would she know that?” Joy asked.
“Kids just know,” Kayla said. They sat in silence and Joy sighed, reflecting
on this and wondering if it was true.
Chapter 2
Staying with her sister brought back all kinds of old memories, and Joy
found herself feeling more like herself than she had in the past ten years.
They would stay up late gossiping and watching movies, taking turns
playing with Penny and taking care of her. It was nice for Kayla to have a
hand with baby responsibilities, and it was refreshing for Joy to be around
people who didn't expect anything from her. She had been feeling depleted
around others, but with these two, she could feel herself slowly starting to
heal.
Penny adored her, which was strange. She had always assumed kids
wouldn't like her, but maybe that was because she had never been around
many of them. She found herself warming up to the idea of motherhood the
more she stayed with Kayla and Penny. They would always have each other,
a friend who loved them through thick and thin. There was nothing more
beautiful than that, she decided, and then laughed off the thought. It's not
like she would have a chance to be a parent any time soon. She was going
to take a long break from men, because with the way things were going
lately, they would be nothing but bad news.
“Joy, Penny and I are having dinner with Daniel tonight,” Kayla said,
walking into the room as she put in an earring. “We do that sometimes. It's
better to keep things civil, kind of stay in each other's lives. It helps Penny
to see us getting along, and we can talk about how to take care of her the
best, you know.”
“Oh wow, that's pretty mature of you,” Joy said with a laugh. “Will Rebecca
be there?”
Kayla made a face and Joy laughed. Rebecca was Daniel's new girlfriend.
“No, we decided it would be best if Penny didn't meet her unless they got
serious. It would just confuse her.”
“Smart move,” Joy said with a nod, and Kayla smiled at her.
“Anyway, as always feel free to help yourself to whatever's in the fridge. Or
you could go out, the old diner is still open. We'll be back kind of late so
don't worry about that. We're going to the movies afterward.”
“Okay, no problem,” Joy said.
When Kayla and Penny were gone, the house seemed too quiet. Ever since
she had arrived, she had been constantly surrounded by them. If Kayla was
at work, she was home with Penny. If there were errands to run, they went
together. It was like old times, fun and exciting. It was nice to have a sister
again.
But without Penny or Kayla, the house was too quiet and Joy began to feel
like an outsider. She worried about how long she would be able to stay there
without becoming a burden. She didn't have an income yet, though Kayla
had gotten her a bunch of applications from shops around town. Joy had
dutifully filled them out, and was waiting for Kayla's next day off, when
they would go out on the town, return the applications, and treat Penny to
ice cream.
The more she thought about the old diner, the more curious she got. Once
her stomach began to grumble and she felt hungry she picked up her brown
leather jacket and tossed it on, hopping into her old car and heading toward
the diner. She knew the way by heart, even though she had never been to
Kayla's house before. The small town was surrounded by countryside, and
only a couple of streets boasted shops. There was the main street, where
most things were, and the diner was a bit further off, near the turnpike so
that it could attract out of towners on the road and looking for some lunch.
Chapter 3
Joy hummed as she drove, her mind turning back to how strange it was that
she was in her hometown again. Everything had seemed frozen in time in
her mind, and when she noticed that something had changed, anything, she
felt a protective surge. How dare they change her town? Although she had
been desperate to disown it and get as far away as possible, it was still
where her roots were, and she wanted it to stay the same way that it had
been imprinted into her mind.
Her favorite song on the radio began to play and she turned up the volume,
singing along, feeling great as she soared down the country roads. She
loved doing this as a teenager, there seemed to be no laws out on the open
road, and she enjoyed feeling like she was completely alone, free to do as
she pleased. The cops were rarely patrolling the country roads on the town’s
outer limits, so she felt a rebellious old urge, familiar from her past, to
speed her car up. She put pressure on the gas pedal and allowed herself to
zoom down the road, singing her song loudly. She paused at a stop sign and
glanced both ways before accelerating again.
Unfortunately, her car stalled. She cursed and tried to turn the engine over,
but it didn't work. She was stranded.
“At least it's not too cold,” she told herself with a sigh, unbuckling her
seatbelt to climb out of the car and lift up the hood of her car so she could
take a look at her engine. Unfortunately she didn't have a clue what she was
looking for, or even what she was looking at. She didn't have a cell phone,
Gordon had stolen that from her too, and so she couldn't call out for help.
All she could do was sit there, hoping somebody might notice her there. Or
she could walk, but it would be a long walk, and if anybody stole her car,
the last of her worldly possessions, she was sure to have a breakdown.
She decided to stick with her clunky old car, and climbed back into the
driver's seat. She put the four way lights on dutifully, hoping that somebody
would pass soon to help her. The idea seemed impossible though –
especially after living in the city for so long where nobody trusted anybody
else, and for good reason. She decided to give it an hour of waiting before
heading out to get some help.
She tried to keep her mood light, knowing it wouldn't help anything if she
got upset. Unfortunately as the hour ticked by, she ran out of ways to amuse
herself and sighed. She locked her car doors and began walking. It seemed a
little dangerous, but she had a can of pepper spray tucked into her coat
pocket and had taken self-defense classes after one of her terrible
boyfriends had decided to sucker punch her one day for not doing what he
said. After years of dating good for nothing men, she felt like she could take
care of herself.
As she walked, the temperature grew cooler and she shivered even though it
was summer. She tried to distract herself by staring up at the moon. She
hadn't seen the sky so clearly in years and years, and the bright glistening
stars above her were enchanting. She paused, stopping suddenly to watch a
shooting star fall through the sky. It was mesmerizing, and she found herself
wishing subconsciously for somebody to help her.
A rumble of an engine met her ears and she turned around, squinting into
the headlights of a motorcycle. It slowed to a stop, pulling over to the side
of the road. The dark silhouette of a mammoth man stepped off the bike and
walked toward her, his bootfalls heavy and clinking. He must have been
wearing chains.
“That your car back there?” he called out, squinting at her. When he was
close enough to make her out he stopped moving, his breath caught in his
throat.
“Joy?” he asked incredulously.
She would have known that voice anywhere.
“Zak...”
The two of them stood staring at each other in the motorcycle's headlights.
Finally, he shook his head with a laugh.
“When did you get here?” he asked, his voice rolling with pleasure and
suppressed laughter. It was a sound she knew well – he was sincerely
pleased to see her.
“About a week ago,” she said, walking forward. “I heard you're an outlaw
now.”
Now he let his laughter escape from his lips, strong and rumbling, piercing
her. She was finally close enough to see him and eyed him up and down.
Kayla hadn't exaggerated – Zak had definitely put on some muscle. His
arms were hard and his face had grown chiseled and lean. Whatever baby
fat he'd had the last time she'd seen him had melted into a firm, handsome
face and grown and expanded into rippling muscle. She couldn't take her
eyes off of him. He'd grown a short beard, groomed tightly to his face, his
dark hair grazing his shoulders.
She noticed a tattoo of a snake around his huge bicep and she looked into
his brown eyes, still gentle but with a hint of steeliness that hadn't been
there before. It gave her the same feeling as seeing the old park being
renovated had given her – a tightening of the chest, but this time, there was
more. She was intrigued, wildly attracted to him. She suddenly found
herself wanting to know everything – how he had become the way he was.
What had happened to him while she was gone?
“Yeah, in a manner of speaking. I prefer to see it as I don't take shit
anymore.”
His deep voice found her in the dark, and she moved a bit closer to him. His
eyes were dancing in the moonlight.
“So is that your car or what?”
“Yeah,” Joy said. “That's my piece of junk.”
Zak hopped on his motorcycle and she felt a pang of panic. Was he going to
abandon her here, the same way she had abandoned him so long ago for a
life in the city? But he just grinned at her.
“Hop on. Let me give you a lift.”
Would it be safe for her to get on the bike with him now that he was an
outlaw? An outlaw who might feel like she had double crossed him? He had
seemed to understand when she broke up with him, and gave her that same
adventurous smile he had on now.
“Conquer the world, babe,” he'd said to her then. And she felt that he'd
meant it. If he knew what she had really done – been used and abused by
every man she'd been with since him – he would be sorely disappointed in
her.
“Thanks,” she said, getting reluctantly on the bike. This was going to be
interesting.
Chapter 4
“You ever been on one of these before?” he asked her.

“No,” she said, sitting close against him. Gordon had a motorcycle but he
had never let her near it. She shook the memory of him away, suddenly very
aware of the raw masculine power exuding from Zak. His spicy scent
surrounded her, and she found herself fighting the urge to kiss him behind
the ear like she would have done ten years ago.
“Right. Well just hold on tight, I won't let you go flying off anywhere. If
you get scared just say so. You might have to shout. Keep your feet up.”
He reached behind himself and gripped her hands in his, pulling them
around his thick, muscled torso and not releasing them until she was
gripping him tightly. The nearness of his body was surprisingly intimate,
and she was glad that it was dark and she was behind him, or he would have
seen the deep blush crossing her cheeks. That was something private,
something that she was not ready to share with this man, who she thought
she had known so well. Now it turns out they were perfect strangers.
The whirring of the motorcycle engine filled the air, they attempted to have
a conversation as they drove. She would yell close to his ear, and his deep
voice would be carried by the wind to her.
“So where were you heading tonight?" he shouted.
“I want to go to the old diner for dinner, I hadn't been there in so long and
Joey's fries sounded perfect. That's out of the question now, they're probably
closed or something. Everything around here seems to have changed.”
“Not necessarily," he said.

To her surprise, he speed up the motorcycle and before she knew they were
parking in the parking lot of the old diner. She didn't know how she felt
about having dinner with outlaw, but there was so much that she wanted to
ask him about his new life, and it had been so surprisingly intimate to be
with him on the motorcycle. She was reluctant to part his company, and
found herself grateful for the excuse to spend more time with him and have
a conversation where she wouldn't have to shout for him to hear her.
“Joy!” Joey exclaimed. “I haven't seen you in years. Come now, order
anything you'd like on the house.”
Joey simply nodded at Zak, and returned to waiting on a couple who were
at the counter.
Zak and Joy sat down comfortably at a booth, the same one they used to use
in high school.
“This brings back memories," Joy said with a smile.
“Yeah,” Zak said. “Hey, isn't this where you dumped me?"
She looked up at him, her face falling in surprise and shame, but he was
grinning and his tone was playful.
“Anyway, that was a long time ago. That doesn't matter. I'm really proud
that you were able to go out and live your life. It's not something that most
people from this stupid town are able to do.”
“Honestly sometimes I wish I would have just stayed put. You know they
say curiosity killed the cat?”
He nodded.
“You've had a rough go at it, huh?” he asked her, his eyes suddenly gentle
and serious.

“That's one way to put it,” she said.

“Well for now try to forget about that stuff. I want to hear about the good
stuff. There must have been something you loved about your freedom right?
Otherwise you wouldn't have stayed out there so long.”
Zak was right about that. She looked at him, searching her mind for the
things she thought he might want to hear about.
“I loved that nobody knew who I was, or had any expectations of how I
should act because of it. I was never confined by anybody else's rules.
Except maybe the cops," she said with a laugh. His voice rumbled with
deep laughter, and she realized how much she had missed him. “Tell me
about you. Rumor has it you’re a no good outlaw. But what does that mean
exactly? Am I going to get in trouble just for sitting here talking to you? Is a
cop going to show up and arrest you?”
His eyes sparkled and his lips pursed into a small mischievous smile. She
recognized the look from when he was about to beat her at a hand of cards,
and he was happy but felt guilty about it because he wanted her to win too.
“I'm not sure you could handle all that over one little dinner," he said with a
wink. “Besides, it's bad dining etiquette to talk about your felonies over the
table.”
“I see. The strong silent type. How mysterious," she said wryly.
“Well, you don't really have to worry about me getting arrested. Me and the
cops have kind of an understanding. I can help them do their job a little bit
better than they can, and nobody around here causes trouble because we
take care of things. We want to keep this town clean, so that's what we do,
no questions asked. I do have a warrant out in a few other counties though,
so I've got to keep my head down. Otherwise, I'm free as a bird."

“That sounds interesting. Thank you,” she said as Joey brought her huge
plate of fries. Her stomach rumbled loudly and the three of them laughed as
she dug into it immediately. It seemed that he remembered her favorite
order and swiftly followed by bringing out her favorite cheeseburger and
beer for Zak.
They quietly studied each other as she ate. He was thicker, but not fat. He
had developed some strong, lean muscles and a chiseled face. His blonde
hair looked really good grown out to his shoulders like that, and she found
herself fighting the urge to touch it and tuck it behind his ears. He was
wearing a cut off leather vest and a tight white V-neck T-shirt that showed
off his strong pecks. His green eyes followed her wherever she went, the
same way he would study her while they were dating in high school.
“So what is it like being back?” He finally asked her once she had cleared
most of her plate.
“I've been staying with my sister and my niece,” she replied.
“Oh, I see them around sometimes. Your sister has a really cute baby.”
“Thank you, I think so too.”
Joy remembered fondly that Zak had a very soft spot for children. It seemed
so strange that he would be a criminal now. She wondered what kinds of
crimes he was involved in, but she was glad to know that he was keeping
the town clean. His brother had overdosed and died when they were kids, so
she could understand why he would take it upon himself to keep drugs out
of their town. She just couldn’t fathom how he might do something like
that, not the sweet kid that she had known so long ago.

She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she had his full attention. The
way he looked at her made her feel exposed, naked and vulnerable. It was
nothing like the way they had looked at each other as kids. Both of them
were more experienced now, with everything, and had become the people
they always dreamed of being. She had taken a lot of effort to change as
much about herself as she could, and she could tell that he had done exactly
the same thing. He had seen himself as vulnerable and weak, and he had
done whatever he could to change that.
Now he was feared and respected all over town, when most people had not
even known his name. It was quite a difference, and for some reason, she
had never been more attracted to anybody in her life. She wondered if it
was just because of their history together, but she couldn't get enough of
him. The way he looked at her and laughed. His strong, capable hands
taking hers and squeezing them as if he could read her thoughts. His deep,
soothing voice and the gentleness of his green eyes, the ferocity of his body
and the way those eyes could harden in a heartbeat. She never wanted her
meal to end.
He seemed to feel the same way. After they left the diner, they lingered
under the moonlit sky in front of his motorcycle, quietly contemplating the
strangeness of being so near to each other once again.
“Where should I drop you off?” Zak asked finally, after riding around in
silence for a couple of blocks. They were both enjoying the peaceful night
air and he hadn't wanted to ruin that. “I don't really know where your sister
lives these days. I don't make it my business to stalk people the way some
small towners seem to do.”

“Well, you could take me to the mechanic's, I can pay for them to tow the
car and then call my sister to pick me up.”
“All right,” he said with a smile. They lingered for another couple of
seconds, neither of them wanting to ruin the still perfection of the space
between them.
Finally, he mounted the bike, waiting patiently for her to sit behind him.
She did, wrapping her arms intimately around his waist. She felt him tense
up at her touch and then relax into it, sighing softly before he started his
bike and took off down the road.
As he drove, the air felt cool and soothing on her hot skin. She laid her head
heavily on his back, imagining how different her life might have been if she
had just stayed put in her rural hometown and allowed him to marry her and
make her the happiest housewife on the block. It just wasn't a fate she could
envision for herself. Although it seemed to work well for her sister, she just
didn't think that it was what she wanted. It seemed that she was missing
something; the urge to settle down with a man and live a normal life that the
other girls seemed to share was something that she never had.
But having him right there, holding him tightly, feeling his familiar body so
close to hers again made her close her eyes and breathe him in as she
thought of how different her life might be. Would they have had their own
house? A white picket fence? Dogs and children? The idea seemed absurd,
but strangely enough, not unpleasant. But look at him now – there was no
way he could balance any kind of home life with the lawless lifestyle he
was living. There was no way it was feasible. She would have to get rid of
those fanciful thoughts and just focus on the present.
The crisp night air rushed over her body, making the warmth of Zak's even
more desirable. She held onto him, squeezing him as if making sure he
wasn't a dream and he wouldn't disappear. He held one large hand over hers
for one delicious moment before they pulled into the body shop. Zak
dismounted, and she couldn't help but notice Zak's jeans, tight against his
ass; how they curved into the forbidden V of his crotch. She forced herself
to look away, hopping off the bike herself and standing on unsteady legs.
The ride had left her feeling a little dizzy.
“Hugo!” Zak called.
A small, balding man that Joy recognized from high school popped out
from nowhere.
“Hey Zak,” he said, a little too cheerfully. He must have been afraid, he was
eyeing Joy and the motorcycle nervously.
“Listen, this pretty lady's car broke down out on N, do you think you could
do a tow?”
“Oh sure Zak, no problem. Anything for an old friend.”
Hugo disappeared into the body shop and Zak turned to Joy.
“What he really means is, I owe you and I know it but let's not talk about it
in front of the women folk. It's degrading.”
“Why does he owe you?” Joy asked, suddenly intrigued.
“Let's just say he was messing around with the wrong people and we helped
him out. But only because he asked. Wrong place, right time I guess.”
“You mean that little pipsqueak tried brawling?” she asked with a bright,
surprised laugh. It brought a grin to Zak's handsome face and she quickly
quieted down before Hugo had a chance to come back and wonder what
they were talking about.
“Something like that. He was flirting with the wife of one bad fucker.”
“That's pretty bold for someone so...”
“Mouse-ish?”
“Exactly.”
They'd been together a little over two hours and they were already finishing
each other's sentences. She sighed up to the moonlight as Hugo returned,
carrying a large ring full of keys. They clattered loudly as Joy and Zak
exchanged meaningful looks, both of them quietly amused.
“You're going to give it a good look, yeah?” Zak said, squinting at Hugo
menacingly.
“Of course, buddy, no problem.”
The too-cheerful smile on Hugo's face made them both flinch, and Joy had
to hide behind Zak to keep from revealing the laughter trying to burst onto
her face. When they were finally ready to leave, Zak revved the engine and
sped off, and she finally crumpled into his back and cracked up. Zak
couldn't help but join her, and they drove together, laughing like lunatics
under the full moon.
Chapter 6
“Oh wow, the old lookout point,” Joy said breathlessly. She'd never been
there on a motorcycle before, and they stared out over the scenery. It looked
more beautiful than ever, the tiny town beneath them and the moon bringing
an icy glow to the trees and the wildflowers as they perfumed the air with
their intoxicating countryside scent. He'd taken a spontaneous turn toward
their old favorite destination, now made a hundred times more captivating
without the roof of a car to confine them.

“I thought it might be a good night to see the sights,” he said with a wink,
hopping off the bike and offering his hand to help her do the same. He
suddenly gestured to the sky and she looked up just as a shooting star
flashed out of their sights. “Make a wish.”
Joy closed her eyes, thinking hard about what it was that she really wanted.
All she knew was that she didn't want this night to end, not the perfection of
the sky, the warmth of Zak's body as she embraced it. She couldn't think of
a more perfect way to have spent the evening, even though it had started out
feeling pretty bad. She wished that the feeling she had then would be able to
last forever – or at least visit frequently. It was a peace she had been
missing for ten years.
Suddenly, Zak's strong arms were enveloping her from behind, his warm
lips sending shivers down her neck as he kissed her gently, savoring every
bit of her as if he was afraid she might just disappear from him again. She
moaned despite herself as his strong, experienced hands gently rounded the
perfect curves of her body, not holding back or apologizing about their
desire; just feeling the push and pull of her as she swayed against him in
pure bliss. She suddenly felt the pressing of his longing against her backside
and inhaled sharply as an overpowering desire to have all of him, right that
moment, engulfed her.
She whipped around, and they stared into each other's eyes. His were
gentle, but there was something different about them. He was no longer the
guy who would take crap from other people, not even her. If she wanted
him she'd better tell him. Otherwise he would hit the road. He might even
just leave her there, stranded, to teach her a lesson. He was a bad boy now,
maybe he would think that it served her right.
But her lips were on his, hot and panting as his tongue slipped inside her
mouth, taking control of whatever was left of her self-restraint. He fingered
her pleated skirt, a sassy number Kayla had picked out for her the week
before, slipping his hands under; cupping her thighs in his big warm hand,
expertly pressing all of her buttons until his fingers were damp and he
couldn't hold himself back anymore.
With a small growl he unbuttoned her blouse, burying his mouth between
her breasts, nibbling and sucking her nipples, holding her steady by the
small of her back. Finally he lifted her, carrying her to his bike with one
hand as he unbuttoned his jeans with the other. Joy gripped Zak's well-
muscled biceps to steady herself as he pulled the panties and skirt down,
dropping them onto the ground and plunging inside of her with one swift
motion. She cried out with a gasp of shocking pleasure.
His handsome face grinned devilishly at her, sending another jolt of longing
through her body as he gripped her ass, laying her over the seat of his bike,
totally naked in the cool night air, tracing the curves of her breasts, from the
warm area over her heart to her hard, erect nipples, with his fingertips. The
gentleness of his touch contrasted with the power of his thrusting, and she
closed her eyes, gasping as the pleasure overtook her.
“I love you,” she whispered, without meaning to. It was something she
hadn't said to any man in the past ten years, and she surprised both of them
by saying it. He paused for a moment, a look she couldn't pinpoint
scurrying across his face. Then his lips were on hers and they were
passionately entangled as he moved inside of her like an expert on her
pleasure. Finally, she shuddered hard beneath him, an explosion of immense
bliss flooding her body, and she cried out with a long moan. She could feel
herself contracting against him as he continued to thrust, until her orgasm
inspired his climax.

A sudden eruption, a feeling she'd never had before – she'd always been
responsible and used a condom – the hot flooding of her insides with the
sweet nectar of Zak's passion; the sensual contact of his body, flesh against
flesh on hers, now slipping out, leaving her empty, dripping with hot seed.
This was the way sex was supposed to feel, she decided, and allowed
herself a moment to relish it before she sat up and looked Zak in the eye as
he tucked himself back into his tight jeans and stared intently at her.
She was worried for a brief moment that she had been stupid and reckless,
setting herself up to be used and abused. Her eyebrows furrowed and he
seemed to understand exactly what she was thinking, because he smiled at
her then, reassuringly.
“I love you too,” he said. And in every fiber of her being, she knew it was
true.
Chapter 7
The next morning, Joy felt guilty sitting across the table from her innocent
young niece and her sister. It was like being a teenager – told time and time
again that giving into those temptations was wrong, there would be hellfire
and brimstone to answer for if you did – and then finally having the night of
your life and having to look into the eyes of the people who, although well-
meaning, would have crucified you where you stood if they knew the truth.
Only it was a little bit more shameful because the man she had been out
with had been an outlaw, and she'd hidden the truth from her sister.
Zak had managed to drop her off just before Kayla and Penny arrived home.
She found herself wondering if she owed the truth to her sister because they
were sharing a roof, but at the same time she couldn't fathom talking about
the experience she had just had, especially not in front of Penny. Or even
with Penny in the house. It made her feel guilty.
And so she managed to avoid the topic until her second egg.
“Where's your car?” Kayla asked. She was doing dishes and had noticed it
was missing as she gazed out the window.
“It broke down on county road N,” Joy replied.
“Oh really? Why didn't you tell me?” Kayla sounded worried.
“It's all right, I took care of it. I didn't want to worry you, and it seemed
trivial. Besides, I was tired last night.”
The last part was very true. Her intense night of passion had left her
winded. She wished she could fall asleep in Zak's arms like she had in old
times, but it didn't seem like it was in the cards for her to do so any time
soon.
“How did you make it back home without your car?” Kayla asked. It was
the question Joy had been dreading.
“I got a ride,” she said vaguely.
“From who?” Kayla asked, suddenly a hundred times more curious. She
could tell by Joy's evasiveness that it had the scent of forbidden fruit all
over it.
“Zak found me,” she answered casually.
“Of course he did,” Kayla said wryly. Joy gave her a grin.
“Shush. Anyway we caught up at the diner and he took me to the body shop
then brought me home. It was really nice of him.”
“Well you should probably be careful, he might think you owe him for it.
He's not exactly the same nice guy you remember him being.”
Joy shrugged.
“It's not like we're eloping. If he wants me to pay him or something, I will.
It's no big deal.”
“All right,” Kayla said, not entirely convinced. She glanced at Penny
meaningfully before speaking again. “Hopefully he knows this isn't the kind
of place he belongs.”
Joy was suddenly angered by the implication that Zak might hurt Penny, or
be unwelcome by her family.
“He just gave me a ride home,” she said coldly. And that was the end of
that.
After breakfast Joy headed up to the guest bedroom and flopped onto her
bed. Penny came in after her and hopped up with her. Joy smiled despite
herself; the child was adorable.
“Were you and mommy fighting?” she asked, her worried blue eyes boring
into Joy's.
“No, honey. We were just talking about something serious, that's all.
Grown-ups change their voices when things are serious, but it doesn't mean
that we're fighting.”
“Zak is the mean motorcycle man!” Penny said, seemingly proud that she
had pieced this together downstairs. Joy heaved a heavy sigh, feeling
guiltier than ever about her tryst the night before.
“People make bad choices sometimes,” she said. “Even if they are really
nice people.”
“Do you think he's nice?” Penny asked, her eyes wide. Any answer she
gave Penny might completely change her view of life as a whole, so Joy
would have to tread carefully.
“Zak is nice to the people he likes,” she said finally. This seemed to satisfy
Penny.

“Is he mean to the people he doesn't like?”

“Yes,” Joy said truthfully. “But don't worry. I don't think he'd ever be mean
to you.”
“Why not?”
“Because he likes me. So I think he would like you too.”
This cheered the toddler.
“Okay! I'm going to go play dragons now.”
“Okay.”
And like that she was off, leaving Joy behind with Zak's soft heart on her
mind.
Chapter 8
Over the next two weeks, Joy and Zak began meeting at the diner on the
weekends when Kayla met with Penny's dad. He picked her up until her car
was fixed, and then they would drive themselves. He seemed to know that
Kayla no longer trusted him, and tried to avoid her as much as possible.
Who could blame her after the things he had done? Kayla had filled Joy in
on some of them – gruesome and unbelievable tales though they were, but
they must be true because Kayla wasn't prone to exaggeration or rumors.
Some things she had even seen herself, like when he beat a man to a bloody
pulp at a gas station for disrespecting an elderly woman and nearly
knocking her over with his car.
“Yeah but can you blame him? If we had the power we'd do the same
thing!”
“I know. A lot of things he has good reason for. He just goes too far.”
Joy couldn't let the stories deter her though, and had him on her mind
constantly. She was drunk on him. It was like they were dating again,
though they made no official declarations and hadn't said they loved each
other again since the first time they'd met in ten years. That could have
meant anything, right? It's not like they were exclusive, and she wasn't
looking for another bad relationship. She had had enough of those. She even
managed to tell Zak about Gordon, who surprisingly enough, Zak had
already heard of. His face had hardened and he muttered something under
his breath that she thought might have been something along the lines of,
“I'll take care of it.”
Zak was always pleased to see her, his handsome face lighting up, his smile
wide and welcoming; intoxicating. They would speak for hours, but they
hadn't had sex again. He would be a gentleman, sometimes kissing her, but
he seemed to be testing the waters, figuring out how far they should go and
never totally wrapped up in the moment the way they had been when they
first reunited.
Then something strange happened. Joy missed her period.
At first she hadn't noticed, but by the next week she was in a full panic. She
drove herself to the doctor's clinic right away, following the routine until
they told her for sure that it was as she had feared the most – she was
pregnant. Suddenly, the most pleasurable moment in her life to date turned
treacherous. They should have used a condom – they shouldn't have acted
so rashly. Fortunately she was still free of any venereal diseases, unless you
counted a tiny embryo growing inside of your uterus a disease; which she
didn't.
She drove morosely home, sitting heavily on the couch until Kayla returned
from a playdate with a neighbor and noticed Joy's pale face.
“What's wrong?” Kayla asked, her face concerned.

“I'm pregnant,” Joy said, and she immediately started to cry. Kayla held her
tightly. It had been a relief to finally say it out loud for the first time but it
also made it real. And this was not a situation she wanted to be real. She
was pregnant with an outlaw's child.
“Look. You don't have to keep it. You don't even have to tell him. It's your
body, he doesn't have to know anything about it.”
This was the exact opposite of what Joy wanted to hear right now. She had
expected her sister to be more supportive, although she was being
supportive how she had expected Joy wanted her to be supportive. She'd
always sworn she didn't want children, that her life would be over if she had
kids, how she didn't want tied down to any man or child. She had worried
that Kayla quietly judged her, but in reality, Kayla was just afraid that it was
Joy who was judging the way she lived her life. Maybe she had invited her
sister to live with them so that she could see what it was to really have a
family, how it wasn't an obligation so much as it was a joy and a comfort.
“I'm not going to lie to him!”
“He's a criminal,” Kayla said patiently, as if she were talking to Penny.
“He's a good man,” Joy said firmly.
And with that she stood and the conversation was over. She was going to
find Zak and tell him the news. She should have done that in the first place.
She glared at Kayla as she left, speeding away toward the motorcycle club
where Zak hung out; the one place she had never been and never had any
intention of going. Until now.
Chapter 9
The motorcycle club was located on the outskirts of town, a couple miles
east of the diner. She drove there quickly, parking next to a line of bikes in a
dirt and gravel paved makeshift parking lot. There were more than she'd
expected – there had to be at least twenty of them there. One in particular
caught her eye, something was familiar about the red leather seat but she
couldn't quite place it.
The building was an old bar named O'Riley's, and she sat in her car for a
few minutes, breathing heavily. Was she really going to do this? It seemed
so reckless. Dangerous. Everything Kayla said was true. But it was Zak.
Zak who loved her. With his sensual eyes and carefree smile, the spirit that
would defend an old woman he didn't know to the death.
She sighed and got out of the car, clicking the door closed quietly behind
her. She knew her car would be conspicuous. They might have seen her
coming from a mile away. Maybe she should have parked further down the
road so she would blend in better.
When she walked into the bar, it took her eyes a few seconds to adjust. It
was dim, no, dark. And loud. People were shouting, glass was breaking, and
suddenly, shots were being fired. She ducked behind the bar, her eyes wide,
though finally able to see. She squinted into the darkness and saw Gordon
bound and gagged on the floor with a few of his buddies. They'd ridden
over, she realized. That's why there were so many bikes. And the one that
she recognized with the red seat had been his. The one he refused to let her
anywhere near unless he told her to pose half naked in front of it for his
camera. She'd only done it once, when she thought he was harmless.
Suddenly, Zak was there. His gorgeous, rugged body was crouched over
Gordon, whose muffled screams were held back by the gag in his mouth.
His eyes were wide and Joy couldn't help but think he looked ugly when he
was pleading. No wonder the villains hated whiners so much. Suddenly, a
huge buck knife was in Zak's hand and he was gripping Gordon by the hair,
pulling his chin off the floor. He sliced a long red line in Gordon's neck and
the man's strangled screams began to gurgle until finally he was dead on the
floor.
The men in the motorcycle club hollered and whooped victoriously, high
fiving each other and slapping Zak on the back. Zak didn't look very
celebratory however, he just stared down at the corpse on the floor,
contemplating it and frowning deeply. And then suddenly, he saw her, the
fear on her face, and the confusion in her eyes. And she was running and
crying, somehow by her car, now being enfolded in Zak's arms, shushed and
rocked, cradled and kissed all over. She wanted to let her feel the comfort
he offered, but he had been the one who had done it, he had killed a man
right in front of her.
“I'm pregnant,” she finally said between gulping sobs. “But I can't let our
child be part of something like that.”
Zak looked at her, his eyes wide with shock. He opened and closed his
mouth.
“You're sure?”
“I went to the doctor's, they confirmed everything. But Zak, this can't be our
life. She can't see you if this is your life.”
She was already sure she would have a daughter. Somehow it just slipped
out and felt right.
She pulled herself out of Zak's embrace and got into the car, gripping the
steering wheel with her hands shaking.
“You shouldn't drive like that, it's not safe,” he said, his voice faraway
through the window glass. “Let me take you.”

Like hell. She tore out of the parking lot and headed home, as far away
from him as she could possibly get.
Chapter 10
The next few months were hell. Kayla and Penny did the best they could to
help her feel better. Kayla had assumed the baby was Gordon's, which was
why she had reacted the way she did. Joy wasn't sure she wanted to tell the
truth, but ultimately did anyway. Kayla was quiet for a moment, and then
exhaled softly. She had nothing to say about it though, which Joy was
grateful for.
She wished for nothing more than to share the experience of her pregnancy
with the man she loved, but she couldn't get the images of him killing
Gordon out of her head. That was something she hadn't told anybody about,
especially not Kayla. But one night they were watching a mobster movie
and Joy started crying uncontrollably, begging her to turn it off. She
couldn't stop thinking about how Zak was a cold-blooded killer. It was too
much to bear. And now he would be a father. What kind of world was it?
Finally she spilled the whole story to Kayla after making sure she swore not
to tell. After she told her, she got an unexpected reaction. Kayla smiled,
shaking her head. “That little bastard,” was all she said.
When Joy pushed her to elaborate, Kayla sighed, the smile still on her lips.
“It's just that...if I could have gotten away with it, I would have liked to do
it myself.”

“What, kill Gordon?”

“Call it the Mama Bear in me. I protect me and mine. I guess Zak's the same
way. But more macho. Because men are just like that.”
Joy stared at her sister, feeling as if something inside of her had started to
thaw out and melt. She began to cry again, but for a totally different reason.
Kayla smiled and stroked her gently, muttering something about how bad
pregnancy hormones could be, and then sent her off to bed with a glass of
tea.
She laid in bed, touching the bump where her child was growing. She loved
it more than she had ever loved anything, even though they hadn't officially
met yet. She sighed, crying softly as she thought about just how much she
missed Zak. She had always missed him, right from the moment she left.
But he couldn't come with her. He had to take care of his grandmother. He'd
had it rough, it was no wonder he'd turned out to be such a hardass. But he
acted from a place of care and love, and although he was rough, he had a
good reason for everything he did. She couldn't think of anyone more
suitable to look after her child as fiercely as she intended to. With a dad like
Zak around, no harm would come to that baby.
The next morning when she woke up, she knew what she would have to do.
She showered and dressed, then hopped into her car. She didn't even stop to
have breakfast with Kayla and Penny. All that was on her mind was Zak.
Chapter 11
She drove quickly, parking her car in the same spot. The bikes that Gordon's
gang members had were still there, at least parts of them. They'd smashed
up some and salvaged the pieces. She was sure she'd find plenty at the body
shop. She ducked into the motorcycle club, waiting a moment for her eyes
to adjust. All activity in the room paused, and finally she could see several
figures around her, each of them eyeing her curiously.
None of them seemed to recognize her, but they knew her car, and they
knew that Zak told them not to mess with her if she came in again. They
were supposed to get him immediately. It took about five minutes before
Zak was standing in front of her. He led her past the bar, fumes of alcohol
and cigarettes lingering in the air, and led her up to the apartment above the
bar, where he lived.
It had the husky scent of a male bachelor, spicy and intoxicating, and
surprisingly clean. If he smoked he smoked downstairs, and kept the
apartment immaculate. Still, there were signs of his deviance all over the
place. A pin up girl calendar on the wall, bike parts scattered here and there,
weapons of several types placed proudly on the wall. She looked away from
them and into his eyes.
“Are you okay? I'm glad you're here. How is the baby?”
“I'm fine,” she said, although in truth she felt like throwing up. It was a
feeling she had gotten used to though, and swallowed it with finesse. “The
baby is fine too. She's growing strong.”
“She,” he said, and his face glowed. She suddenly felt very ashamed of
herself for keeping him out of the loop for so long. She had been afraid, yes,
but having him there with her along the way would have been so much
better.
“I haven't named her yet,” she said carefully. “I thought we could do that
together.”
He stared at her, the meaning of the words hitting him hard. For the first
time in ten years, she saw Zak weep. The first time was when she had left
him in that town all alone, with nobody left to love him. Her heart went out
to him now, and she touched his leathery cheek, wiping tears away and
allowing him to embrace her. She almost groaned out loud, the feeling of
him so near to her was powerful and perfect – everything she had been
needing was right there all along.
“I couldn't fucking handle it if you left again,” he said softly. “You're all I
had for so long. And then you were just gone. I think something in me
snapped then. I figure if there's no love left for me, I've got no love left for
anything else.”
“I know,” Joy whispered.
“But I love you,” he was saying, lifting her up gently, kissing her from the
forehead to the baby bump, holding and caressing it as if it were the most
sacred object on the earth. “And I love her. More than I've loved anything.”
“Me too,” she said. “And I love you. I never should have left. You're the
only man I ever loved.”
And then they were kissing.
She let her hands slide up and down his body, dipping her fingers into the
power over him that she knew her body had. He writhed pleasantly under
her touch, grabbing her hands to kiss the fingertips and her palms, sending
shivers as his soft kisses penetrated the thin, sensitive skin on her wrists.
She tugged them away from him, her heart racing, and held him tightly, her
palms roaming his thighs, resting over the rock-hard bulge between them,
slipping in to hold it, bring it to her lips, and taste him.
And then he was on top of her, and they made love, not like the teenagers
they were when they parted, but like the adults that had been through
everything possible and not been broken. Their hearts were merged and
their bodies knew it, elevating every sensation until they closed their eyes
and came together, falling into bed and clinging tightly to the other's body,
making damn sure that they would never be so far apart again.
Epilogue
“Mommy! Ella's walking!”
Penny summoned Kayla quickly, who ran into the living room. Zak and Joy
were kneeling on the floor, Ella in between them. She was taking her first
tentative steps toward Zak. As soon as she lost her balance, he was there,
cushioning the space between Ella and the ground. He lifted her in the air,
tossing her gently.
“Good job baby!” he exclaimed, kissing her on the nose. The baby laughed
and clapped, and Joy grinned from ear to ear. Life had its ups and downs,
but the one thing she knew for sure was that without her family, she would
have nothing. But with them, she had everything.
She gazed lovingly at her sister, who had allowed herself to warm up to Zak
once again and opened her home up to her sister and her family. Penny
adored her Uncle Zak, and loved Ella even more. And although life was
chaotic and crazy at the MC, there was nowhere to go but up. They would
do what it took to protect Ella and keep the town a safe place for her to
grow. That's all there was to it.
THE END
MC ROMANCE: Valentine Biker
“That’s right,” Summer Jones intoned as she watched him leave. “Go
crawling back to your high school- aged skank. See if something lasting
comes out of that.” She slammed the door, not bothering to look as her now
ex-husband Tom drove away from her in his red pick-up truck. She swiftly
removed her wedding ring and her engagement ring from her finger, and
slammed them down on the table before crumpling up into one of the
chairs.
She finally allowed herself to cry. Her husband of five years had left her.
She’d suspected that he’d been cheating on her, and he informed her that he
had. “She’s twenty-five, and she can provide something for me that you
can’t,” he’d told Summer shortly before ditching her and the life they’d
made together.
This was an insult to Summer for a number of reasons. She was twenty-
nine; she wasn’t exactly old yet by any stretch of the word. The ‘something’
he’d mentioned was children. Summer had been told by at least three
separate doctors that she was not going to be able to conceive. Her body
just did not release enough eggs. Some crap like that. She had gotten past it
somehow, but apparently Tom had not.
Sobbing in her kitchen, Summer didn’t know what to do. At last, she called
up her best friend Rose. She cried into the phone and could barely get any
words out, but finally she was able to say, “He left me.”
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry,” her friend said. “Did he say why?”
Thinking about his reasoning didn’t exactly help. “He said he wanted to be
with someone who could have his kids. As if anyone would want to have
kids with him!”
The truth was that she had wanted that.
She could hear Rose sigh. “Do you want to do something tonight? I’ll buy
you a milkshake at the Shake Shack…”
Summer shook her head even though Rose couldn’t see that through the
phone. “No, thanks, though. I’ve got work.”
“Work?” Rose asked, surprised. “No, no no. You cannot go to work. It’s
Valentine’s Day and your husband is an asshole. You should not make your
day worse by serving customers. No.”
Despite how much pain she was in, Summer laughed a little at that. “I have
to go to work,” she said. “I’m not going to be able to pay for myself if I
don’t keep working for myself.”
She told herself that Valentine’s Day didn’t mean anything to her. It was just
some dumb holiday invented by both the greeting card and the candy
companies. It didn’t hold any significance at all for her. Nope.

When she arrived at her place of work – a restaurant that also served as a
small music-slash-poetry venue, and also housed a bookstore – Summer
groaned when she saw the decorations that had been strung up, laid out and
stuck to nearly every surface in the place that wasn’t going to be used for
cooking. Pink, red and white were everywhere. She had never noticed
before how evil the concept of Cupid was.
“Happy Valentine’s Day!” her manager Megan greeted her, giving her an
uncharacteristic big hug. She was tall with wavy brown hair and blond
highlights. She was about forty years old, and that was part of why Summer
was both confused and chagrined at her boss’s enthusiasm for the holiday.
“I didn’t know you were so into Valentine’s Day,” Summer said, shrugging
away from the hug as soon as possible. Maybe Rose had been right.
Megan let out a laugh. “I didn’t used to be, but now I’m engaged!” she
practically shouted. She showed off the large, diamond ring on her finger,
grinning from ear to ear.
Okay, now it seemed as though the world was playing a cruel trick on
Summer. “Yay,” she said softly.
“Yay,” Megan agreed. “Okay, so, there are appropriate shirts for the evening
for you to pick out and put on in the back. There’s a Valentine’s Day concert
scheduled for seven-thirty. I’m going to have you start in the bookstore and
then move on to being a waitress during the show. Does that sound good?”
None of it sounded particularly good to Summer, but she didn’t want to be
alone on Valentine’s Day, thinking about the husband she had lost and
feeling sorry for herself. The past five years hadn’t all been wonderful,
especially not the last year of it, when Tom had been cheating on her and
not even trying so hard to hide it.
With a slight nod, she went to the back and chose a red shirt. Red could be
taken for something other than romantic. Red was the color of blood, of
fire, of anger. Only when she put it on did she realize that it had a pink heart
on it, right over where her body’s actual heart belonged.
She could deal with it, though. At least it didn’t have any words on it. As
she looked at her reflection, she marveled at the fact that, aside from
looking a little tired, it was hard to tell that her heart was actually broken.
Her short, reddish-brown hair still curled up on one side and curled under
on the other side, making her look lopsided in a way that she liked. She still
had a solar system of freckles on her face and neck. She seemed no worse
for wear. She was still Summer Jones, and she could pretend to be
completely unscathed. Her blue eyes with flecks of gold looked sad, but
their sadness could easily be mistaken for fatigue.
“The bookstore won’t be so bad,” she told herself under her breath. “It’s not
like everyone is going to buy books about romance today. We have a lot of
different kinds of books…”
After telling herself that, Summer gave her reflection a nod and went out to
the sales floor again, ready to go ahead and stand at the check-out podium,
pretending to be enthusiastic about the selection at Cabbages and Kings. It
was a tourist sort of place, but it paid the bills and it kept her out of
Mopeville.
The Philadelphia tourist trap was not exactly popping at five in the
afternoon, however. So far, she and her coworkers, and the crew that set up
the stage for concerts and poetry readings, were the only people in the
place.
Suddenly, Summer heard the sound of a motorcycle outside. It wasn’t that
rare to see and hear them in the city, but it wasn’t often that someone who
rode a motorcycle decided to come into Cabbages and Kings. People who
rode motorcycles were stereotypically ‘cool’ and ‘fearless.’ The people who
went to Summer’s place of work were decidedly not those things. It was a
restaurant devoted to nerds.
The front door opened and she peeked around the wall as it jutted out and
obscured a large portion of the bookstore from the rest of the venue’s view.
She could hear as the rider’s leather boots stomped towards her, however.
The rider came into the bookstore before even asking about a table, which
she did not understand.
He was dressed in a typical biker outfit. Besides the black leather boots, he
wore blue jeans and a black leather jacket with more than a few chains
jutting out of it. He carried a black helmet under his arm, but so far all she’d
been able to make out of his face was that he had sandy, slightly curly hair.
“Please let me know if I can help you,” Summer said to him, keeping her
voice bright even though she was curious and surprised by this customer.
Scanning the shelves, he appeared to be jumpy and in a hurry, and she
thought that he would just ignore her like nearly all of the other customers
she greeted. He kept his back to her and she gave up any hopes of having a
brief conversation with him. Her mind drifted back to her husband – ex-
husband – and what he was most likely doing for his Valentine’s Day…
Two police cars drove past the building, sirens blaring and lights flashing.
As soon as they were gone, the biker guy turned towards her. He gave her a
look of relief. His eyes were as brown as Valentine’s chocolates. She hated
herself for making that connection. He was younger than she had expected.
Most of the bikers she saw around town were middle-aged.
“I am looking for a present for someone really picky,” he said. His voice
was much gentler than Summer had anticipated, too.
She smiled at him. “You’ve come to the right person, then,” she said. “I’m
probably the pickiest person here. What sort of things are you thinking?”
He pulled a book by Neil Gaiman off the shelf. “She loves Douglas
Adams,” he explained. “I’ve heard good things about this author. Would
you say they’re similar?”
Summer smiled and put her hands behind her back so this handsome biker
wouldn’t see that she was fidgeting with her fingers a little bit. She picked
at her nails when she was nervous. Right now, she was nervously excited.
She loved to discuss books with people, which was why she had chosen this
geeky job in the first place.
“That depends,” she said. “That’s a little bit more macabre than
Hitchhiker’s… I would go for this one.” She snatched up a different book,
one that was co-written by Terry Pratchett. “This book is golden. It’s funny;
it’s metaphysical but not really in such a sinister way. Though it is about
Armageddon.” Summer smirked at him. “But if she likes Douglas Adams,
she probably likes books about that.”
This attractive biker was frantically shopping for a female on Valentine’s
Day. Summer couldn’t help but feel somewhat disappointed. She couldn’t
even flirt with a stranger today! The oxymoronic mixture of his biker attire
and cherubic face intrigued her.
“Hey, thanks,” the guy said. He put back the book he’d been holding, and
took the one she offered. He was taking her suggestion. At least Summer
could count that as a small victory.
Once she’d led him over to her podium and he’d paid for the book with
cash, he looked at her as if for the first time. “Are you doing anything
tonight?”
Oh no, she thought. The last thing she needed was yet another cheater in her
life. “But you just bought a present for…”
“For my little sister,” he finished for her. He flashed a grin and Summer
held onto the podium, doing her best to make it seem like a normal thing to
do and not something that was necessary in order to keep her legs from
giving out.
Whoa, but he had a gorgeous smile!
“Oh,” she said. “Well, I’m here the rest of the night.”
He leaned in a little so that only she could hear him. “Can you not be?”
Summer looked around, blushing. No one else was even near them or
paying attention. Some people had started to come in and be seated in the
restaurant, so the staff would be busier over there. She knew that she had a
waitress shift later during the concert. She also knew that Megan was so
very into the emotions of the day this year, so there happened to be a chance
that she could leave, if she gave the appropriate excuse…
“Tell me your name first,” she said, watching him as he tucked the brown-
bagged book into his back pocket and put his helmet back on his head. “I
don’t want to spend Valentine’s Day with a guy if I don’t even know his
name.”
There was that smile again. He looked her straight in the eye. “Eric,” he
said, keeping his already velvety voice soft and secretive as though his
name was something that mere mortals weren’t supposed to know.
She kept her eyes on his and swallowed nervous-excitedly. “Summer,” she
said. “Like the season.”
CHAPTER TWO
Heroes Just For One Day
As expected, Megan squealed when Summer asked to have the night off for
an impromptu date. She called in someone else to cover for her, but it
turned out that there were more than enough people working there as it was
and they would be able to handle the crowd that Megan had imagined
would come for the show. Summer wasn’t really worried about that; she just
hoped losing out on a night of tips for this Eric guy was going to be worth
it.
“Have you ever been on a motorcycle before?” he asked her as he tossed the
bagged Gaiman book into his motorcycle’s storage space under the seat. He
pulled out a spare helmet and closed the seat back down so it was secure.
Summer thought about it. She could lie and say that she had, of course she
had, but she did not want to start their… whatever this was on a foundation
of a lie. She didn’t want to lie just to seem cool; that was the sort of thing
she had sworn off ever since it had gotten her into trouble once in high
school.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’d never actually even thought about it
befo—ahh!” She let out a screechy yelp as Eric lifted her up and placed her,
gently, onto the back of the seat.
He laughed at her reaction, looking around to make sure no one had
overheard and thought something bad was going on. “Calm down,” he said.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
She blushed a little but smiled at him. He climbed onto the seat in front of
her and made sure that both of their helmets were securely clipped on
before kicking off.
“Can I see your license first?” she asked him.
“What are you, an undercover cop?” Eric asked with another laugh. He
pulled out his wallet and handed over his card. It wasn’t his actual license,
though. It was like a business card.
Summer read over it, smirking and narrowing her eyes at him. “Eric
Daniels, The Celestial Sentinels, VP.” She handed it back to him. “What the
hell does that mean?”
He grinned, placing the card back into his wallet and his wallet back into
his jeans. “It’s a motorcycle club,” he said. “And I’m its vice president.”
With that, he started the engine and took off down the street. Letting out
another squawk, Summer grabbed on tightly to his middle. It felt weird to
her to be clutching this stranger, but she did not exactly have another
choice.
“Where are we going?” she yelled over the sound of the bike’s growling
motor. She realized that she had assumed it was a date, he hadn’t exactly
said it was. Now she berated herself for not asking these important
questions before hopping on his motorcycle and riding off into the night.
Suppose he was planning to kill her?
Then she remembered his kind face. No, he couldn’t be like that. He was
surprisingly sweet for a guy who rode this fast, loud deathtrap.
“It’s supposed to be a surprise,” he yelled back. “I hope you like beer.”
She smiled. “That didn’t really answer the question, but okay.” She rested
her cheek against his back as Eric skillfully drove her around, through all of
the looping streets of the city. He took her away from the city center and she
was starting to wonder if his plan was just to take her back to his place, but
then he stopped the bike outside of a small dive bar.
“Sunny’s,” she read on the glowing sign.
Eric helped her down off the motorcycle and stored the helmets away under
the seat. “It’s not the most romantic place, I admit, but I had a feeling that
you’d gotten enough of Valentine’s Day from the way your store was
decorated.”
Summer grimaced. “Yeah… Today’s not exactly my favorite holiday.”
Especially not anymore.
He opened the door for her and she went inside. As she had anticipated, it
was a small, dark place, more like a cellar that the bars she usually went to.
It was made primarily of bricks and it smelled of cigarettes and booze and
fish. Eric led her to a booth near the bar and they sat down, her across from
him. She wished that it was a little lighter in there so she could see his face
better.
“Why is today not your favorite holiday?” he asked her, looking over the
menu and stealing more than a few glances up at her. “Did your job wear it
out?”
She shook her head. She didn’t really want to go into what had happened
with Tom. It was still so fresh, and she had a feeling that this handsome
biker guy did not want to know that, until very recently, she had been
married.
“I’ve just never had a lot of good luck on this day,” she explained. “It might
not even have anything to do with the holiday. Maybe February 14th is just
a cursed date for me.”
Eric raised his eyebrows a little at her. “Aww, well, I hope this won’t be
considered a cursed date.”
So it was a date!
A waitress came over before Summer could comment on that. Eric ordered
himself a beer and looked to her to see what she wanted. “I’ll have a
Stella,” she said. Belgian ales were the only kind of beer that Summer could
really stomach.
Once the waitress was gone, Eric leaned forward towards Summer. “Do you
want to split a spinach and artichoke dip or something?” he asked. “I don’t
know how hungry you are, but I’m starved.”
She smiled and quickly read through the bar’s offered appetizers. Her
stomach growled a little. Normally, she would have taken a break at
Cabbages and Kings and had her dinner there. “That sounds good. I might
get a sandwich or something, too, if that’s okay.”
Eric smirked an attractive, sideways smirk at her. “Of course that’s okay. I
brought you here for dinner.”
“I know, but… Why?” She blushed a little, grabbing at a packet of Sweet n’
Low just to have something to fiddle with while they waited for their
drinks.
“I thought you were cute,” he said. “And I figured that a cute girl like you
shouldn’t be spending her Valentine’s Day alone in a small bookstore.”
The waitress came back to deliver their bottles of beer and ask about what
they wanted to eat. Eric ordered the spinach and artichoke dip. Summer
ordered some hummus.
He seemed amused by that. “It’s practically the only way I’ll eat fresh
veggies,” she explained, sticking her tongue out at him. “It’s funny to me
that you think I’m cute. I could say the same thing about you. When you
came into the shop, I thought you looked way too innocent and sweet to be
riding a motorcycle.”
“Oh, looks can be deceiving,” he countered. He took a long sip of his beer.
Summer nodded. “So, who came up with the name ‘The Celestial
Sentinels’? It’s not the toughest sounding name. No offense.”
He gave her a confused look. “Who says all guys who ride motorcycles
have to be tough? Anyway, it’s pretty heroic to be a guard…”
She supposed that was true. “What do you do when you’re not guarding?”
He chuckled darkly. “Drink your beer.”
Summer took a sip, smiling at the taste. She didn’t drink very often, but boy
did she feel like she had a pretty good reason to tonight. “My husband left
me today,” she said softly, frowning at her bottle. When she looked back up,
she noticed that Eric was giving her a sympathetic look.
“Why the fuck would anybody do that?” he asked, surprised and disgusted
but keeping his voice low like she had because it was not the kind of
conversation that everyone in the bar needed to overhear.
She shrugged sadly. “He wanted someone younger, I guess.”
“Younger?” he asked. “How old are you? …Er, if that’s not impolite. You
don’t have to answer.”
“I’m twenty-nine,” she answered.
“Pfft,” Eric said. “That is definitely not old. I’m thirty.”
Summer smiled ever so slightly. “That’s ancient.”
Their appetizers came and distracted them for a few moments. She dipped a
piece of celery into the hummus and ate it with a satisfying crunch. They
shared the two dips and the assortment of things with which to eat them,
reaching across the table when necessary.
“I’m a security guard,” he said. “Well, I was… I was fired. Let go, they
called it. So I am currently looking for a new job.”
She cringed a little. That was slightly off-putting. She wasn’t sure she
wanted to be dating a guy who was currently unemployed, but maybe she
could help him with that. It wasn’t as though unemployment was so rare
these days. “What are you doing for money for the time being?”
Eric bit his lip and slowly shook his head. At first, she thought that meant
that he had no idea, but then he answered. “I have some saved up,” he said.
“It’s not ideal, though. But I’ll be all right. Enough about me. What do you
like to do when you’re not selling books?”
Summer let out a little laugh. She and Tom used to do a lot of things, like
going on long walks and seeing movies. Lately, she hadn’t done much of
either thing. She’d become a bit of a homebody. She sometimes wondered if
it was depression over what she considered to be a defect. She could not
have children, and that made her feel like a failure for some reason. She
knew she wasn’t. She told herself she wasn’t. But she didn’t fully believe it.
“I used to hike a lot,” she said, keeping her feelings to herself. “I wasn’t
hardcore or anything, but I’d go out for long walks and explore forests and
stuff.”
He smiled. “You eat hummus and you love nature,” he said. “I’m dating a
hippy. This is becoming a set up for a joke,” he teased. “A biker and a hippy
walk into a bar…”
She finished her bottle of beer and, stopping the waitress, asked for another.
She also ordered the avocado sandwich she had been eyeing. “What’s the
punchline of the joke?” she asked.
Leaning across the table, Eric kissed Summer on the lips. She kissed him
back, feeling as though the beer and something else were now going to her
head.
They kept on drinking their beer. When her sandwich arrived, she
ravenously ate it, hoping that she didn’t seem like a drunken pig or
anything. She was hungry and she didn’t often have an excuse to go out and
enjoy something she hadn’t made herself.
Eric watched her eat the sandwich, smiling at her and helping himself to the
remnants of dip that remained on the plates before him.
“Do you mind if I say something?” he asked suddenly. He seemed pretty
tipsy by now, but he was still forming sentences okay, which relieved
Summer because she did not want a ride home with an inebriated
motorcyclist, even if he was the vice president of a club.
She shrugged, swallowing a piece of sandwich before responding. “Go
ahead.”
“I think your husband must be out of his mind insane to leave you,” Eric
said. “Especially on Valentine’s Day. I mean, who does that?”
Summer looked down at her plate. “I don’t think he cared what day it was,
really. I think it had been a long time coming.”
Eric shook his head, irritated with her ex and he had never even met the
jerk. “Well, I guess it’s probably bad to say, but I’m glad that he walked out
on you today… Because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to take you
out.”
She blushed, smiling a little. “That’s one way of looking at it.”
CHAPTER THREE
Making Love With His Ego
As soon as they were done with their food – and definitely done drinking
their beers – Eric led Summer out of the restaurant and back to his
motorcycle. He got their helmets out of the storage space. They put them
on. Summer felt very giggly all of a sudden. “What’s the plan now?” she
asked him. “What else is on your Valentine’s Day date agenda?”
He smirked and helped her onto the bike. “Wait and see,” he said, getting on
in front of her.
Wrapping her arms around his waist was much less awkward when she was
tipsy. She was much less concerned about who he was or what was going to
happen when she had some booze in her.
They rode off down more sloping streets. At one point, she let out an
excited, “Wheeee!” that made him laugh. Their motorcycle finally stopped
back outside of Cabbages and Kings. She took one look at the place and
made a face. “I don’t want to go back to work now,” she complained.
Eric shook his head, smiling at her. “This is where we met. I don’t know
where you live.”
She grinned at him, blushing faintly. “You want to see where I live?” she
asked.
He nodded and she rattled off her address. He put it into his phone’s GPS
and turned up the volume. He wouldn’t be able to look at it, but he’d be
able to hear the directions. At least, he hoped so.
As the bike took off once more, Summer hugged him around the waist and
rested her cheek against his back, smiling. She didn’t care that he was
unemployed anymore. He had saved the day for her and made her feel
better. She felt determined to help her Celestial Sentinel find a new job.
Once they reached her house, Eric parked his bike in her driveway. He
helped her off the bike and she excitedly took his hand. Last time she had
been in her house, she’d been miserable. She wanted Eric to fix that now,
too.
“Wow, this place is big,” he said, looking around. It was a house with two
bedrooms and a master bedroom. It was clearly more space than one girl
could possibly need.
“It was bought with a family in mind,” she told him, closing and locking the
door behind them. She tossed her keys onto the nearby kitchen counter and
shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.
Glancing at the pink outline of a heart on her chest, Eric came closer. He
brought his face to hers and kept his mouth teasingly close to touching her
mouth. “Do you still have a family in mind?” he asked her in a whisper.
She shook her head slightly. “I should warn you right now that I’m
damaged goods,” she whispered back. “I can’t have kids.”
He lunged at her within that small space and suddenly his lips were on hers.
He kissed her hotly and deeply, letting his tongue gently dance against hers.
“You’re not damaged goods,” he said after he’d broken away, resting his
forehead against hers. “You’re exactly what I’m looking for.”
With that, he lifted her up into his arms and carried her through the house,
finding the master bedroom without much difficulty since it was the only
room with a bed in it. He placed her gently down onto the bed and lay down
so that he was practically on top of her, kissing her and running his hands
all over her stomach and breasts and waist.
She pulled off his leather jacket and tossed it to the floor before reaching
down and undoing his fly. Bringing out his penis, she took it into her mouth
and licked and sucked at it, making Eric moan as he got even harder.
After a few minutes of a blissful blowjob, he moved away a little and pulled
off her jeans and panties. Then he ducked down between her legs and
returned the favor, running his tongue all over her clit and lower lips.
“Ohhh,” she moaned. “Oh god!” Tom had never done this for her. He’d
never been too concerned with giving her orgasms and making her want sex
with him. Which was weird, considering that he’d wanted to get her
pregnant.
Tom was a dick.
Eric successfully got Summer nice and wet. Then he sat back up, fingering
her a little as he smirked sweetly. “Are you ready?” he asked. “Do you want
this?”
Summer nodded eagerly. It felt so good to be asked. She hadn’t expected
biker boy to be so polite to her. She wasn’t sure what his deal was, but she
liked it. “Yes,” she said. “I definitely do.”
With her permission, he slowly pressed himself inside her. She let out a
gasp and lifted her legs, wrapping them around his middle. “You’re tight,”
he said with a slight groan. “It has been a while, hasn’t it?”
She smiled up at him. “I was waiting for you to come along and stretch
me.”
“Stretch you with my big cock?” he asked playfully.
“Mmhmm, with your big cock.” She writhed a little against him, her head
spinning from the alcohol and the pleasure.
Eric licked his finger tips and brought them down to her clit, fingering her
as he thrust inside her. Summer closed her eyes tightly as she suddenly
came. “Oh, Eriiicc!” she bellowed. She felt as though fireworks were going
off in her brain but it was dizzying and wonderful.
He clung to her as she came, then pulled her t-shirt off of her and sucked at
her right breast, speeding up his movements. She felt a rush of something as
he came inside her. Summer smiled at Eric, feeling a bit delirious, and he
kissed her.
“There’s nothing damaged about you,” he whispered, carefully pulling out
of her. “You’re perfect.”
She watched, breathless, as he got out of the bed and went to the bathroom
to clean himself up.
When he came back, Eric got into bed again and cuddled with her. She was
used to being alone after sex, listening as the silence became filled with
snores. She didn’t expect to be cuddled afterwards. It felt nice, though she
didn’t quite know what to do now.
“Is your Valentine’s Day going better for you now?” he asked her, kissing
her cheek and the side of her neck as he held her close.
“I think my year is going better for me now,” she answered, smiling at him
and taking his mouth onto hers. After a wonderful make-out session,
Summer shivered. “It’s not fair that you get to keep your shirt,” she said,
only pretending to complain.
He sat up and removed his black t-shirt, handing it over to her. She took it,
grinning an impressed grin, and put it on. It was small and tight on him,
which helped to show off his muscled body. On her, it was long and loose
enough to cover her private bits. It fit like a nightgown, and it was made
even better by the fact that it smelled like him.
“Do you want some tea or something?” she asked him, standing up and
rubbing her face in an effort to get her mind working again and stop
thinking about sex.
That was hard to do when he stood beside her, naked.
She looked down at his sizable cock and blushed, smiling. “Here.” She
picked up her red shirt with the pink heart on it and handed it to him. “You
shouldn’t have to be cold either.”
Eric put her shirt on and she laughed. It didn’t exactly cover him up, but it
sure was funny and cute. “I’m going to stretch it,” he said, sounding almost
embarrassed.
That just made her giggle more. “I don’t care. Do you think I want to wear
that shirt to work again?”
Summer went into the kitchen to make some tea and he followed her. He sat
down on one of the bar stools that she kept by her little breakfast bar. He
hissed somewhat at the feel of the cold surface on his bare butt.
“So, I’m curious,” he said as he watched her put the kettle on the stove and
select two tea flavors from her pantry. “What do you work in that restaurant
if you hate it so much?”
She thought about it. “I don’t really hate it. ‘Hate’ is too strong of a word. I
actually really like working in the bookstore part. I’m glad I met you there.
I just… Well, who likes working in a place where the clientele is so largely
tourists?”
Eric shrugged. “But bands play there.”
“Mostly crappy bands,” she argued. “And most of the time, we just have
open mic nights. I’m starting to think that I should just work in an actual
bookstore.”
She realized that she was complaining about her job to somebody who
didn’t have a job and immediately felt regret. “I’m sorry. A job is a job, I
suppose… What sort of thing would you like to do, now that you’re an
unemployed guard and not a full-time guard?”
He smiled a little at that. “Well, I probably shouldn’t guard anymore.”
They both laughed softly. She poured the hot water over their peppermint
tea and brought a mug over for him, sitting beside him at the bar with her
own mug of cinnamon apple tea. The smells of both flavors mingled in the
air and were invigorating. “There could be a career in your motorcycle
interest,” she suggested. “A lot of places could use delivery people. Does
that sound horrible to you?”
“Nah, it doesn’t sound horrible,” Eric replied. “That’s a good idea. I was
also thinking that I could be a roadie or something, since we were talking
about the bands that play at your place. I guess I’d have to get a car for that,
though.”
Summer sipped her tea, thinking. “You could always join the staff in my
place, who handle the sound and set up for shows.”
Eric snapped, smiling at her. “Now that’s a great idea.” He took a sip of his
tea and moaned softly. “And this is great tea. You are really good at stuff.
I’ve clearly picked out the right girl.”
She blushed, pleased and flattered.
“I don’t know where your ex-husband gets off letting you think that having
kids is the most important part of being in a relationship,” Eric said. “And
what’s even more incorrect is that he made you think there was something
wrong with you for not being able to have kids. He’s an asshole. I’m sorry.”
It comforted her just to know that Eric didn’t feel the same negative way
about her predicament as she did. She needed to stop thinking of it as a
predicament anyway. It was just life. Someday, if she wanted, she could
adopt some kids. She wasn’t so old yet that she even felt the major call to be
a mother.
“No, you don’t have to apologize. He is a colossal asshole. And I’ve found
someone better.” She kissed Eric and gently stroked his hand with her
fingertips.
After they finished their tea, they went back to the bedroom and went to
sleep, nestled warmly in each other’s arms. It felt amazing to be in
someone’s arms again, and no matter how much she told herself she
deserved it, she couldn’t help feeling like she was also completely blessed.
She couldn’t wait to tell Rose and see what her friend would have to say.
Rose would probably say something about karma and signs. She loved that
this time Rose had been right about her relationship and it hadn’t actually
come back to hurt her much. She was going to be okay.
Her Valentine’s Day had been the best one she’d experienced so far. And
the evidence of it would come in the morning, when she rode to her work
on the back of Eric’s motorcycle to retrieve her car.
CHAPTER FOUR
Don’t Fake It, Baby
For a time, it seemed like everything was finally working out for Summer.
She had a sexy, new boyfriend who cared about her. Work was going okay
and had stopped annoying her so much now that Eric was in the running for
a job there. She’d signed her divorce papers and sent them off to be signed
by Tom and processed by their lawyers. She had nothing to worry about
anymore.
She came home from work one evening to find Eric sitting on the couch.
This in itself wasn’t so odd. They basically lived together now. But, instead
of watching TV or looking for jobs or something like usual, he was just
sitting there, watching her.
As soon as she was fully in the house, he rose up from the couch. “We need
to talk,” he said.
Oh no. Those were never good words. “Okay,” she said hesitantly though
trying to keep her voice bright. She set her purse on the kitchen counter and
went over to him. She gave him a hug like she always did when seeing him
after work or after a few days of time apart.
He gestured for her to sit on the couch and she did so. He sat beside her and
took her hand. “There’s something I need to tell you,” he said. “Something I
haven’t been forthcoming about, but there’s a good reason why…” He
sighed.
Summer was concerned. She didn’t want their happy little bubble to burst,
but something was up and she knew that it was upsetting Eric. Was he
secretly married? Her mind was racing, trying to figure out what it was.
“Well, if there’s a good reason, then I’m sure it can’t be that bad.”
“Before I met you, almost right before I met you, I robbed a convenience
store.”
Well, shit. It was that bad.
Her eyes widened at him. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I lost my job and I didn’t know what to do. I was running out of money…”
She moved away from him, staring at him incredulously. “And then you
thought it would be a good idea to buy a book from me?”
Eric looked down. “Originally, I was planning to rob your store, too… I
made up an excuse to get you to open the register. But then I met you and I
just couldn’t go through with it.”
Summer stood up and pointed to the door. “You need to leave,” she said.
“I haven’t stolen anything since.”
“Get out!”
Without another word, he got up and went to the door. He grabbed his
helmet from where it hung on the coat stand. He put it on with a decisive
snap and was gone.
She put her head in her hands and sank back onto the couch, crying. Why
couldn’t she ever have something nice? Why couldn’t she ever get a good
guy, instead of a bad guy in disguise?
At first, she wanted to call Rose but she didn’t want to go crying to her
friend again. She felt like the only times she ever called Rose up was when
she needed to complain about some injustice that had been done to her.
The phone rang and, for a moment, Summer thought that maybe Rose had
sensed a disturbance in the Force and was calling to check on her, but it was
Megan instead.
“Hi, is Eric around?” His name felt like nails on a chalkboard to Summer.
“No, he doesn’t live here anymore.”
Megan let out a sigh. “That’s a shame… Do you have a number where I can
reach him?”
Summer remembered numbly that he had applied to work at her place of
work, and she suddenly was overcome with the desire to not let that happen.
“I don’t, actually, sorry. If this is about the job, he changed his mind.”
She hung up, crying again. She knew that she was going to have to answer
for that down the road, but she didn’t want to think about it right now.
Everything just hurt.

Megan was understanding when Summer finally went back into work and
explained the situation – omitting the part about robbery. She was mad at
Eric for deceiving her, but she did not want to get him in trouble. “That was
something that was a bit worrisome,” Megan admitted. “Coworkers who are
also dating can be a bit messy.”
Summer looked down at the floor, not wanting to talk about it anymore.
Megan patted her back gently, understanding that as well.
At least Valentine’s Day was over. The storestaurant was decorated for
Easter now.
For two weeks, Summer went through life feeling like a zombie. She’d go
to work, she’d come home, eat dinner and go to sleep. On the rare occasions
that she just worked an afternoon shift, she’d go to work, come home, stare
at the internet for hours before it was acceptable to eat dinner, and go to
sleep.
Rose knew that something bad had happened, but she didn’t pry. “You can
tell me anything,” she said. “The good, the bad and the ugly.”
“The world hates me,” Summer told her sadly over the phone.
“Aww, no it doesn’t,” Rose said. “It’s just giving you a lot of speed bumps
right now. But you’re getting past them.”
“My period’s late,” Summer intoned.
Rose struggled to come up with an answer for that. “It’s probably just
stress. Your period skips months sometimes.”
That was something that Summer was well aware of. She was in a rut and
she didn’t know how to get out of it. She didn’t feel like doing anything
anymore. She didn’t feel. This house that her parents had willed to her was
starting to feel as empty as her schedule.
“Maybe I should get an apartment,” she told herself one morning.
As soon as she got out of bed, she felt sick to her stomach. She rushed into
the bathroom and threw up into the toilet, making it just in time. Her head
was throbbing and now she was sick to her stomach over nothing.
Suddenly, she wondered something.
She called in sick to work and went to a convenience store to buy a
pregnancy test. As she waited in line, she briefly thought about Eric and
wondered if this was the store he’d robbed. It didn’t seem like a guy could
make a whole lot of money working there, let alone breaking into its
register.
Once she was home, she peed on the stick and left it on the sink’s edge. She
didn’t wait around to see what it said but instead went back out into the
living room to see what was on TV. She didn’t want to think about the
implications of what the stick might tell her.
Summer couldn’t be pregnant. She had a condition. Several doctors at
several different clinics had told her that her chances of conceiving were
very low. It was why her asshole of an ex-husband had cheated on her and
left her. She couldn’t be pregnant. No.
But the stick on the sink said otherwise.
Stunned and in a flurry of rushing excitement, she called Rose.
“Yeeello,” her friend said, friendly as ever.
“RoseI’mpregnant.”
“Summer? What?”
She took a deep breath. “Rose. I’m pregnant.”
There was a long pause.
“Are you sure?”
“I just took a test! It says I’m pregnant!”
Rose let out a little, excited shriek. “Um, do me a favor. I’m in the car right
now on my way home from work. Get another test and take it, and wait for
me before you see the results. I’ll be over soon!”
Summer did as she was told. She went into the convenience store, shaking
this time instead of feeling so grumpy and upset. She felt more scared and
confused than anything else at the moment. She bought a different brand of
pregnancy test.
As soon as she was home, she peed on it and left it on the coffee table, not
looking at it. She read articles on her phone about pregnancy, false positives
and polycystic ovary syndrome. This was not supposed to have happened.
She was supposed to need hormone therapy and stuff!
There was a knock at the door and she ran over to answer it, feeling too
jittery to sit still. She wanted to have a baby, but she’d spent so long telling
herself that there was no way… Now that she had apparently proven herself
wrong, she wanted to laugh and cry and celebrate.
Rose, her tall friend who looked like Barbie would if Barbie was a hippy,
stood there and grinned at her on the threshold. Summer gave her friend a
hug and welcomed her inside. “Did you do a test?” Rose asked.
Summer nodded and gestured to the little plastic stick that was waiting for
them on the coffee table. It had been long enough to confirm or deny things.
“Ugh, I don’t want to look.”
Rose took her hand as they walked over to the living room and sat down on
the couch. “There are false positives sometimes,” she said, trying to prepare
Summer for bad news, just in case. “Would you like me to look?”
Summer nodded, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She didn’t want to let
herself get too excited. As it was, she was still going to be in a pretty awful
situation. No one knew why she’d broken up with Eric, but he was a thief.
An outlaw! She couldn’t actually be with him, even if…
“It’s a plus,” Rose said with a grin in Summer’s direction. “Girl, you’re
going to have a baby.”
Holding each other’s hands, they screamed happily together and hugged.
“Oh my god, this is so WEIRD!” Summer said, laughing and crying at the
same time.
“Congratulations,” Rose said, laughing and clearly so happy for her best
friend. “You should schedule an appointment at your gynecologist pronto.
In the meantime…” She suddenly looked at Summer with a more serious
expression. “You need to tell Eric. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to know
that it’s Eric’s baby.”
Summer sighed and nodded a little. “I know. The problem is I don’t know
where he is. It’s been nearly three weeks since I last saw him. Nearly a
month. Who knows what he’s up to now or if he’d even have any interest in
me or our baby.”
Rose looked like she wanted to say something but was holding back.
“What?” Summer asked her, prodding her a little with her shoulder. She had
a feeling that she knew what her friend was going to say. Or, rather, ask.
“If it’s okay for me to ask now, why did you two break up?” Rose asked,
predictably. “You seemed so happy together. You were always telling me
about how sweet he was. What happened?”
Summer felt so conflicted about him now, about everything. She had kicked
him out of the house without really listening to him. She had flown off the
handle. True, he had stolen. He had committed a crime. He was probably a
wanted, at large person. And that was troubling, to say the least. But he
promised that he’d never do it again, and she’d sent him away.
What if he’d fallen into a life of crime because she had kicked him out and
broken things off with him?
“He… stole some things,” she said hesitantly. “Not from me. It was in the
past. But something boiled up inside of me when he confessed that. I didn’t
want to be dating a criminal. I’ve had enough of assholes.”
Rose’s eyebrows went up. “Well… Did he kill anyone?”
Summer chuckled bitterly. “Not that I know of.”
“I think if he confessed, there’s nothing for you to worry about,” Rose said.
“As long as it wasn’t his job or main hobby or anything.”
“Oh no, he seemed pretty remorseful. And that’s kind of how I’m feeling
now,” Summer said sadly. “He told me that he was planning to rob
Cabbages and Kings, until he met me there and I changed his mind.”
Rose nodded decisively. “You need to call him.”
Summer sighed again and gingerly touched her tummy, wondering what her
tiny, unexpected baby looked like at that moment. “I would if I could, but
he doesn’t have a cell phone.”
CHAPTER FIVE
I’m Happy, Hope You’re Happy Too
Not wanting to take another day off from work so soon, Summer went to
visit her gynecologist after work the following day. “What seems to be the
trouble?” Dr. Paulsen asked pleasantly.
“I realized I was late, so I took two pregnancy tests,” Summer explained.
“And they both came out positive… I was under the impression that I
couldn’t conceive and have a child of my own.”
The doctor smiled at her. “Oh, that’s great news! There’s really never a
never when it comes to pregnancy, unless you’ve had your uterus or ovaries
removed. Polycystic lowers your chances by a lot, but it doesn’t make it
completely impossible. Let’s see.” She took out a cup and a pregnancy test.
“Please take this into the bathroom and fill up to this line. Then bring it
back.”
Summer took the cup into the bathroom. The problem was she didn’t have
to pee. She had a hard time making herself pee on command in these
situations. Images of Niagara Falls came to mind, but she struggled to get
anything to happen. Closing her eyes and through sheer force of will, she
managed to get just enough urine out of her and into the cup, just reaching
the line of red marker.
She carried the cup back to the doctor, feeling proud of herself and silly
because of the reason. Dr. Paulsen took the cup from her, carefully, and
placed it on the moveable table that contained an array of medical
instruments that Summer hoped the doctor wouldn’t be using on her.
Ripping open the pregnancy test package as if it was nothing, Dr. Paulsen
plopped it into the cup.
“How many partners have you been with?” she asked as Summer lay down
on the uncomfortable table with stirrups. “Any risks of STDs?”
Summer thought it over carefully. She hadn’t used a condom with Eric.
That had been the only time… “I’ve been with four partners in my life. I’ve
only been without a condom once. And… Tada.” She laughed a little. “I’ve
been tested before and everything was fine.”
“Do you want me to test you again?”
She shook her head. “I’ll talk to my… I’ll talk to my most recent partner
about it. I am going to have a lot to say to him.”
The doctor smiled and wrote something down. Then she lifted up the
pregnancy test to look at the results. “You definitely need to tell him that
he’s going to be a father.”

How does one find someone when one doesn’t have their phone number,
email address, or anything? Summer suddenly realized that she barely knew
the young man that she had fallen for. They’d had a great night, a hot night
of passion, and had started to form a sweet life together and she never asked
him for a way to contact him. It had satisfied her to know that he’d be
waiting for her at home and, if he did leave for a while, he’d come back like
a loyal pet, ready to be fed and sheltered again.
God, I’m so stupid.
Then, suddenly, she remembered one piece of info that she did have. His
motorcycle club. “What was it called again?” she asked aloud, with no one
around to answer her or even offer up a suggestion.
It was something about stars. The Celestial something… The Celestial
Sentinels!
A quick Google search led her to their website. She chuckled. It was wild to
her that a group of guys with motorcycles had a website. They took
donations and had membership fees and everything. “Wow,” she said under
her breath, shaking her head.
She spotted Eric in one of the group shots. He was smiling at the camera,
his cherubic face so familiar and handsome. He was a great deal younger
than several of the others, but that just made him stand out more. Vice
President Eric Daniels.
The only phone number listed on the page was for the club as a whole. It
looked to be a membership information number. Summer plugged it into her
cell phone and pressed ‘call.’
After fifteen minutes of listening to a garbled Eagles song that served as
hold music, someone finally came on the line. “Celestial Sentinels,” a gruff,
older male voice said.
“Hi,” Summer said, suddenly feeling nervous and doubting that this would
even work. “I was wondering if you’d be able to help me. I know a member
of your motorcycle club and I need to get into contact with him. Do you
know how I could reach Eric Daniels?”
The man suddenly became more friendly-sounding. “Oh, Eric? He’s just
started in some new band, last I heard. The Pink Hearts.” He rattled off an
email address and Summer quickly wrote it down.
She wrote an email, hoping that this would be the right course of action.

To: pinkheartsnyc@gmail.com
From: wildabandon88@gmail.com
Hello, this is strange but I’m hoping you can help me out. I’m trying to get
in touch with Eric Daniels. I was told he’s in your band. This is Summer.
She couldn’t believe she had let him get away. Especially now that she was
pregnant. And now it might be too late to get him back.
There was no response to her email.
The next day, she went to work. It was another concert night. It was also the
last time she’d have to see the Easter decorations that she’d slowly but
surely gotten sick of. A music venue slash bookstore was no place for the
cheesy decorations that looked more like something a person would see in
Hallmark.
This time, she had to start out as a waitress, working the floor as the open
mic night bands set up. Joy. She was just giving a table their welcome and
specials spiel when she looked up and saw the name on the drum kit.
The Pink Hearts.
Her jaw dropped nearly to the floor. A shiver went through her.
“Miss?” one of her diners asked, looking at her like she’d perhaps gone
psycho.
She shook her head, trying her best to remain calm. “And, finally, my
favorite, the lamb burger. I’ll give you guys a few moments to look over
your menus. Can I start you off with any drinks?”
When she brought her table back their drinks, she took her time, hoping that
by lingering she’d be able to see this open mic band take the stage. How
long had Eric been in a band? Had he quickly cobbled it together in the
weeks that followed their breakup?
Suddenly, the name made sense. The red shirt she had worn, with the small,
pink heart on the chest.
Summer brought a hand up to her chest, over her heart. Her cold and jaded
feelings about the restaurant, Valentine’s Day and everything melted away
from her. She could forgive him for his law-breaking. She had forgiven him.
He came onto the stage, carrying a sparkly red guitar. He messed with the
mic and Summer caught his eye. The left corner of his mouth rose up a little
and he smirked at her. “Hey,” he said into the microphone. His voice
reverberated through the mostly empty restaurant.
Not caring anymore about her table or appearances, Summer carefully
climbed up onto the front of the stage and stood in front of him for a
moment. They looked at each other. His sandy hair had grown shaggier, but
otherwise he appeared pretty much the same. She didn’t imagine that she
struck him as looking different either. She brought a hand to her lower belly
for a moment, then leaned into him and wrapped her arms around him in a
hug.
Eric readily hugged her back. A whiff of pine-like cologne filled her
nostrils. He felt strong and sturdy against her, as he had all the times she’d
ridden his bike and clung to him for safety. Even now, she was clinging to
him for safety. But there was something else, too.
“I’m sorry,” she said into his neck. “I’m so sorry. I’m so stupid. You… I’ve
missed you.”
He pulled away enough to look into her eyes. He was still smiling.
Getting up onto her tiptoes, she kissed away his smile.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered into his ear.
His big, brown eyes got even bigger. “But I thought you couldn’t…”
Summer shrugged, smiling at him. “Apparently, there is no never.”
Grinning a large grin that matched his large eyes, he hugged her gently.
“That’s incredible,” he said. “You’re incredible. Baby…” He suddenly
looked over and noticed that the crowd down below was still waiting. “I’ve
got to sing now, baby, but stay right here. The first one’s for you.”
Leaning forward towards the microphone, Eric spoke in a sexy growl she
instantly wanted to hear more of. “It’s a privilege to sing for you here
tonight on this stage. This is the place where I met Summer. And this is a
song that I learned and wanted to play for Summer. And now… Here she is
and here it is.”
She walked away so she was still on stage, but more to the side so she could
watch him play and be near him. She was mystified. He’d mentioned
wanting to be a roadie and now, here he was, a fledgling rock star before
her eyes.
Love is the opening door
Love is what we came here for
No-one can offer you more
You know what I mean
Have your eyes really seen?
He played a four-song set, joined on the stage for his last song by two other
guys: a bassist and a drummer. They were close to his age and Summer
wondered if he had met them in his club. The small band played sweet
covers of classic rock love songs.
When their set was done, he came off stage to meet her again and greeted
her with a kiss.
“Do you live in New York now?” she asked him, her voice thick with
emotion. She had a feeling that if she didn’t speak up now, she might lose
him forever and never get another chance. New York City was not so far
away from Philly, but she didn’t want him to be far away at all. It had been
confusing and messy for her at first, but she knew now that she and Eric
belonged with each other. There had been way too many signs along the
way for her to be wrong in that.
“I don’t really live anywhere,” Eric replied, giving her a sweet and sexy
smile. “I live in a van mostly.”
“You live with me,” she said. “Please come home, Eric. I don’t care if you
rob the national treasury.”
He laughed. “I don’t rob places anymore. I gave that up after that one time.
Now I mostly just rob people by making them pay to hear my bad playing.”
She leaned in and pressed her forehead against his. “Come home and be
with me… and our baby, eventually,” she pleaded. “I overreacted because I
was scared.”
Eric shook his head slightly. “You overreacted because you didn’t want to
be hurt again,” he said. “I don’t blame you for that. I don’t want to hurt
you…”
“You won’t,” she said, kissing him and keeping her face close to his. “You
won’t if you stay,” she whispered.
He gazed into her eyes. He clearly worried about her feelings. “You want
me to stay with you again?”
Summer nodded. “It’s where you belong.”
He kissed her lips, gently gliding his tongue along hers. Unless she was
mistaken, she felt a rush in her tummy as though their miracle baby was
responding to the kiss, too.
“Come on then,” he whispered. Taking her hand, and with his guitar slung
over his back, Eric led Summer outside to his waiting motorcycle.
After he got the helmets out, she surprised him by climbing onto the large
bike all by herself. She looked at him, biting her lip expectantly, and patted
the seat in front of her.
“Let’s go home.”
THE END
Rebound with the Biker
“We need to talk,” Zach told Allie over their dinner.
Uh oh. That particular phrase usually did not begin a good conversation.
Allie Reynolds and Zach had been dating for two years. They were out to
celebrate their anniversary. After barely surviving her teen years, Allie felt
as though she’d finally found the one. But now, she guessed, he disagreed.
“This past year has been great,” he went on.
If it was so great, why are you dumping me?!
“But honestly, my heart’s just not in it anymore. I can’t be your knight in
shining armor. I can’t go on feeling as though, if I should do anything
wrong in any way, you might relapse.”
Allie shook her head quickly. “Oh, no. Zach, it’s not like that. I don’t need
saving. I didn’t even know you felt like I did.”
He frowned a little at her. “Allie, when we met, you were a mess. If you
weren’t high, you were drunk. If you weren’t drunk, you seemed pretty
depressed… I know, underneath all of that, you were just scared. But I can’t
be your rock for you any longer. You rely on me too much and it’s…
stifling.”
Slowly moving her eyes down to focus on the checkered table top, she
could feel the tears rushing in.
“Do you understand?” he asked her. His voice was so gentle and caring. She
couldn’t believe he was doing this to her, on their anniversary of all days!
“I don’t,” she replied.
Zach patted her hand. “Well, you will,” he said. He stood up from the table,
abandoning his plate full of the remnants of burger and fries. Abandoning
her. “In time, you will. Let me go pay the check. I’ll see you around, Allie.”
That statement was such a lie. “No you won’t,” she said under her breath.
He was going out of her life. He was leaving her. After she had come so far
and they’d been so happy, he was leaving her.
Allie pushed her plate of food away from herself and left the diner. She
hadn’t cleaned her plate as well as he had, but it didn’t matter. Like hell was
she going to just sit there alone, with all of those judging eyes of the other
diners now on her. She threw her coat over her shoulders and went out into
the chilly late February air.
Underneath her long but slightly thin coat, she was wearing a little black
dress, her short brown hair in a bob with bangs swept across her brow in a
slanting style. In her blue eyes, she wore contacts and they were now
stinging as they mingled with her tears.
They had arrived by Zach’s car. Now, without him, she would have to walk
home.
What an asshole.
Thankfully, the restaurant was not too far from her Portland apartment. It
was not exactly a city meant for walking, but there were crosswalks and
walk signs. She’d be all right walking home, provided the drivers were
paying attention and there were no scary homeless guys to jump out of the
shadows at her.
When she was a user, she’d spent a lot of time out and about. It was how
she found dealers and how she made friends, strolling the streets and
chatting with fellow patrons of nightclubs and bars. Now that she was out of
that realm, Allie wanted to stay out. In fact, she was starting to think that a
change of scenery wouldn’t be so bad.
When she finally trudged through the doorway into her apartment, she
collapsed onto her black couch-bed, letting her heavy metal front door slam
shut on its own. Now that she was alone, safe at home, she sobbed into her
pillow. “That asshole!” she yelled, punching at the back cushion of her
couch. She’d left the bed unfurled. The last time she’d been on it, that
morning, she and Zach had made love. She was so fucking happy.
Now she wanted to burn the couch-bed and anything else he’d touched in
the place. They hadn’t lived together. She was glad of that now, because
there wasn’t going to be any kerfuffle with the landlord. But everything just
hurt now. He may not have lived there with her, but he had been there so
often that he may as well have.
She even missed the random piles of clothes that he would leave
everywhere.
Allie didn’t want to let herself be sad and mopey about Zach. She didn’t
want to give him the honor of making her feel like shit. She decided she
was going to take action and move on right then and there.
It had been many years since she’d last done it, but she got out her phone
and logged onto a dating app. She was going to find someone to hook up
with. A rebound would be good for her. She could take her mind off of
things. She could be with someone again, someone who made her feel good
and someone who wouldn’t expect her to be there afterwards. Sex without
the commitment of years.
After flicking her finger through several guys who seemed too sincere or
too nice for what she wanted, Allie’s eyes fell on the profile of one Lance
Chase. She arched an eyebrow, smirking at his pictures. He had dark hair
and brown eyes. There was a sort of James Dean look to him. He wore
leather jackets and rode a motorcycle. When she read his bio, she laughed
to herself. He was the VP of a motorcycle club: The Tomahawks.
“I highly doubt that your real name is Lance Chase,” she said out loud, as
though he could somehow hear.
She swiped right on his profile, deciding that he was the one she needed
right now. He was sexy, casual and nearby.
She hoped she’d read it right and that he was in Vancouver, Washington.
Allie was not driving all the way to Canada.

Lance was a tall man with a lean, muscular body. He had several tattoos
including a tomahawk on his upper left bicep, a roaring panther on his right
pec and a large, colorful Joker card on his right calf. Not all of his tats had a
real inspiration behind them; some of them he’d just picked out because he
thought they looked cool. But those three mattered to him for different
reasons.
He had coffee-colored skin, brown eyes and dark, almost black hair. He
looked very much like a Native American, and that was because he was the
grandson of one. His grandfather was a member of the Nez Perce tribe in
Washington. Lance did not know much about it, beyond the fact that it was
cool to get to say he was an Indian and have it be true. He wasn’t one of
those “2% Cherokee on my mother’s side” posers.
The Tomahawks were his motorcycle club. They were more like his band of
brothers. Everyone in his club had some sort of problem with substance
abuse. Maybe someone’s parent was a user and treated them like shit
because of it. Maybe someone was a former user who had sobered up.
Maybe someone was still a user and was trying to be better by allying
himself with people who would understand and be able to offer them
guidance and comradery.
For Lance’s part, he had been free of drugs for three years. He still drank
and smoked on occasion, but he no longer touched cocaine and heroin. That
was a good thing, because the drugs nearly killed him.
He and his motorcycle club rode their bikes to raise money and awareness
about substance abuse and its victims. Lance was pretty damn proud of
what he did. It wasn’t his job or anything but he sure wished it was. His day
job was working as a pizza chef in this place called The Blind Onion. It
wasn’t much, but it paid the bills and he got free pizza out of the deal.
What he still wanted out of life was a girlfriend. Sure, Lance had been in
many short-lived relationships over the years, but he was hoping for
something lasting. He wanted to sweep a girl off her feet, take her for a ride
on his motorbike and feel real love. That was why he signed up for the
ridiculous dating app. That was why, during downtime at meetups with his
club, he could be found head down and eyes focused on his phone’s screen,
browsing potential dates and hoping that at least some of them would be
interested in him.
Once such potential date was this girl named Allie Reynolds. She looked
cute in her pictures. She had short, brown hair that curled slightly outwards
and bangs that sloped across her face, nearly covering her left eye. Her eyes
were big and blue. She seemed to be a fun-loving person. She was smiling
in nearly every picture. Lance liked that. He didn’t want to be with another
depressing person. He’d spent too long in the game, trying to find someone
who would make him happy. He wanted to be with someone like Allie… If
she would have him.
He swiped right on her profile and then received a message from the app.
She had apparently swiped right on him, too! That meant that they could
message each other now. The only problem was that he didn’t know what to
say.

Allie was gleeful when her phone alerted her to the fact that the biker dude
had liked her back. He had been quick about it, even. She could send him a
message, so she thought it out carefully. She didn’t want to come across as
desperate or slutty… But she didn’t want to just say ‘Hi’ either. That was
not a good conversation jumping-off point.
Suddenly, she smirked a little. Why not go ahead and say it?
“Is Lance Chase really your name?”
She hit send before she could talk herself out of it. Now, she just had to wait
for him to respond. He was local, so at least they were in the same time
zone.
He sent back a message almost instantly.
“Lance Chase DuBois, but don’t spread that around too much. I’ve got a
reputation.”
Allie laughed. “What kind of reputation is that?” she asked in her next
message. She could tell that a guy who rode motorcycles probably had a
bad boy image. That was the sort of thing she was looking for at the
moment. Someone who wouldn’t be looking for anything other than one fun
night.
“You probably don’t want to know,” he replied.
Grinning, she messaged him back without hesitation. “Let’s see about that.
Meet you in Vancouver for drinks? You name the time and place.”
It took a little longer for a response to come that time. Allie decided to use
the pause to go into her closet and pick out something attractive to wear.
She did not want to meet him in her little, black dress. She took that off and
threw it into her hamper, still thinking that anything to do with Zach needed
to be cleaned and burned.
She was standing there, naked and going through her wardrobe when her
phone’s notification sound went off again.
When she picked her phone back up and read over Lance’s message, she got
excited. They would be meeting at a pizza place the following evening, and
from there it was “TBD”…
Allie sank back down onto her couch-bed, cradling the phone in the palm of
her hand as though it was now some fancy, important piece of her new man
friend. The following evening was a Saturday. That made things infinitely
easier.
“As long as TBD doesn’t stand for ‘To Be Dead’, I’m in,” she joked back.
Zach had royally screwed her over, but she was going to have good, excited
dreams tonight.
CHAPTER TWO
The Blind Leading The Blind

Allie drove for about an hour to arrive at the place Lance Chase DuBois had
specified, some place called The Blind Onion. It was apparently a pizza
place, and she was always willing to eat pizza. She parked her car in the lot
nearby and strolled inside. There weren’t many diners in the place. In fact,
aside from her, there appeared to only be one other person in the place.
Oh, please don’t be Lance, she thought as she eyed the guy subtly and sat as
far away from him as possible. He was older, at least fifty, wearing a trucker
hat and a wife-beater. Allie preferred to sit by the window and the front
door in case she would need to quickly make an escape.
Thankfully, Lance had messaged his number to her so she could call or text
him as soon as she’d arrived. She pulled her phone from her purse and
chose to text him so this strange man wouldn’t hear her and get any ideas.
She didn’t know why she’d become so paranoid. She supposed it had
something to do with being in a different place. Even though that was what
she’d wanted out of this. A new place and a new person…
Just then, she heard the sound of a door opening up in the back. She
swiveled around in her chair and craned her neck to see the tall, dark and
handsome man ambling towards her. He had shaggy, black hair and brown
eyes. Allie hadn’t fully realized how exotic-looking he was until this
moment.
This is more like it.
Lance smirked at her. “Allie R?” he asked, even though he had a smug sort
of look on his face. He knew it was her.
Allie nodded anyway. She wanted to give him the pleasure of knowing he
was correct. She wanted to give him all kinds of pleasure… “Lance
Chase?” she asked, grinning a dimpled grin back at him.
“Yep,” he said. He took a chair at her table, turned it around and sat in it
backwards. Then he offered a hand to her and she shook it. “Thank you for
driving up here. How was your ride?”
“Ah, it was no problem,” she replied, waving that away as though forty-five
minutes and a tank of gas were nothing. “It’s nice to finally be out of
Portland. Do you work here?” She noticed that he came from the back,
where the people making the pizza worked, so she assumed.
Lance laughed and nodded. “Very perceptive. Yes. My shift just ended. Do
you wanna go somewhere else? This place is good, but I wouldn’t mind
getting away now.”
“I can’t blame you for that,” Allie said. “I’m easy. What did you have in
mind?”
Thinking it over, he suddenly snapped his fingers. “There’s this great bar up
the street from here called The Corner Pub. It sounds all Irish and shit, but
it’s not. It’s more like a sports bar. They’ve got live music sometimes, and
pool tables. Does that sound fun?”
Allie certainly appreciated that he wanted to do what she thought sounded
fun, instead of just dragging her along with him to places. She needed to
prove that she could be adaptable, too. “Sure,” she answered. “Sounds fun. I
parked my car out front.”
“Ah,” he replied. “Do you want to go for a ride on my bike?”
Sometimes, Allie’s mind could be quite innocent. She imagined him riding
a bicycle for a moment before realizing that he meant his motorcycle. Of
course. That was what vice presidents of motorcycle clubs rode…
“Sure,” she said, a little bit more hesitantly that time. “I’ve never been on a
motorcycle before.”
“It’s like riding a bicycle,” Lance said dismissively, smiling.
Ha ha.
He assured her that her car would be safe in the parking lot and led her out
back to where he’d parked his bike, in the employee lot. His motorcycle
was a black Harley Davidson. She didn’t know what kind. She didn’t care
what kind.
“I only have one helmet,” he told her, “but you can wear it since you’re
new.”
That was both gallant and crazy of him. He handed the helmet to her and
she readily put it on even though she wasn’t even on the bike yet. Lance
chuckled as he looked her over. “How old are you, if I can ask that?”
Allie eyed him. “Twenty-five.”
He suddenly sighed, relieved. “I was starting to worry if you were in high
school. I’m thirty.”
“It says our ages on the app,” she pointed out.
That just made him chuckle again. “Like anyone pays attention to that.”
Without really giving her any warning, he lifted her up and placed her on
the motorcycle. So far, so good. It didn’t fall over and crush her or burst
into flames or anything. At least not yet. Calm down, she mentally
admonished herself. Remember, you’re going to fuck this bad boy later. He
won’t want to bang if you keep acting so jumpy.
Lance mounted the bike in front of her and took her hands, placing them
around his midsection. “You’re going to want to hold on tightly to me now,”
he said. “And then, after several drinks, you’ll want to hold on even
tighter.”
She was pretty sure she knew what that was supposed to mean.
They arrived a few minutes later at The Corner Pub. The ride had been
extremely fast and loud, and she was pretty sure her heart was going to be
hammering in her chest for hours, but she thought it was exhilarating. After
he carefully lifted her up and off of the motorcycle, he took the helmet back
and placed it into the storage space under the bike’s seat.
“After you,” Lance said, holding the door open for Allie.
This man was confusing. He mixed bad boy with gentleman so effortlessly.
It was sort of jarring.
Allie went into the noisy bar. There were about a billion TV screens around,
showing football and hockey at the same time. People were gathered around
each of the screens, cheering for the various teams. Lance took her by the
hand, not even trying to talk to her over the loudness, and led her over to a
place at the bar.
She sat on a stool and he sat next to her, leaning close so he could hear her
and she could hear him.
“What do you want to drink?” he asked her loudly.
Looking up at the menu on the wall, she thought it over. “A strawberry
daiquiri,” she yelled back.
Lance smirked at her and ordered the drink Allie requested as well as a beer
for himself. They drank together for a while, watching the games on TV as
well as the people who actually cared about the games. It was a little
awkward to be in a raucous sports bar like this with someone she didn’t
know, but there was something thrilling about it, too. She’d wanted a
stranger, after all.
“Do you mind if I smoke?” he asked her.
Allie shrugged. “Not really. Everyone else around me is doing it.” She stuck
her tongue out at him.
Grinning, Lance pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket and took
one out, placing it between his lips. He put the pack back before retrieving a
lighter from one of his front pockets. He lit his cigarette and Allie watched
as it briefly illuminated his face. There was a slight, green ring around his
pupils. His eyes technically weren’t brown at all. They were hazel.
After several drinks and several cigarettes, Lance turned to her. His breath
smelled like Marlboros and Budweiser – a smoky, reedy smell.
“Do you want to play pool?” he asked her.
“What?” she asked back.
“Do you want to play pool?!” he asked, louder and with more urgency.
She licked her strawberry lips. “Sure!” she yelled back.
Carrying their half-full glasses of alcohol, they wove in and out of the
people and tables until they found the segment of the bar that was devoted
predominately to billiards. Allie wasn’t very good at pool, but neither was
Lance, she soon found out, so it was okay. They were both so drunk and
silly-feeling that it didn’t much matter whose ball was whose or what the
rules were.
After about an hour of pool, he turned to her. “Do you want to go back to
my place?” he asked her.
“What?” she asked back, downing the last of her daiquiri.
Lance drained his beer glass and set it on the pool table as though it was just
a coffee table or something. “Do you want to go back to my place?” he
repeated, louder.
“Oh,” she said back, louder as well. “Sure!”
Allie felt as though her head was filled with air and her neck was a string. A
balloon. She felt like a balloon. She kept forgetting what was going on, and
then remembering, and then forgetting again as Lance took her outside and
somehow managed to get her situated on his motorcycle.
Everything started off surprisingly okay, she thought. Lance revved up the
engine and they took off down the street. They passed The Blind Onion.
They passed a lot of buildings. They were going very fast. She didn’t know
where she was going because she was drunk and not from there, but it all
must have been okay because Lance was a motorcycle rider in a motorcycle
club. He had to know what he was doing.
About three streets away from The Blind Onion, Lance drove his
motorcycle into a telephone pole.
That wasn’t how this was supposed to work, Allie thought as she fell off the
motorcycle and landed on the cold, hard concrete.
The good thing was that she was wearing his helmet. The bad thing was that
that meant he wasn’t wearing his helmet. But Lance was soon standing and
rushing to her, so that was a good sign that he was okay.
She was lying in the deserted street in her little pink skirt. Her black tights
had a hole in them now. Her knee was skinned and bleeding. But she was
okay.
“Oh my god, Allie, I’m so sorry!” Lance kept saying. He was clearly
panicking.
Allie slowly got back to her feet. Bloody knee aside, she felt fine. Dizzy
and shocked back into sobriety, but otherwise fine.
“What the fuck, Lance?!” she said in lieu of letting him know she was fine.
He continued to look her over, fretting over whether or not she was hurt.
She finally had to laugh a little. “I’m okay, Lance. Just… What happened?
How did that happen?”
Lance appeared defeated. He looked down at the concrete, embarrassed. “I
got distracted by something for a second, I guess… The next thing I knew,
we were on the ground. I’m so glad you’re okay. I promise you, Allie, this
never happens.”
She smiled at him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Well, you can’t say
that anymore, because it clearly does happen… Is your bike okay enough to
get us home?”
He nodded and helped her back onto it. The motorcycle was hefty and made
of sturdy metal. If it had any damage to it, she couldn’t see it right now,
though it was dark outside.
As he drove her along the rest of the way to his apartment, she wondered if
what Lance had said about her car being safe was true, or if that was
something she should be dubious about as well…
“Here we are,” he said, parking his motorcycle at the end of a long
driveway. He lived in a fairly squat apartment building. Allie couldn’t help
wondering how much the apartments cost, considering there were only five
in each building that made up the complex.
She took a deep breath. Stop judging your one-night-stand, she told herself.
After tonight, none of this is going to matter.
CHAPTER THREE
Your Psycho, Vertigo Shtick
Lance held the door open for Allie and she went inside, telling herself to be
cautious but not too cautious. After all, she had wanted this. She had asked
for a night like this, so why was she feeling so nervous now?
“So how did you get into the whole motorcycle club business?” she asked
him as he led her into the kitchen and sat her down at his table.
He opened the freezer and got out the ice tray. Wrapping three cubes into a
paper towel, he placed it onto Allie’s knee. He did so without even asking if
she needed it.
She hissed a little, but it felt good to have the pain numbed off of her. Her
hands still shook a bit from the adrenaline rush and the shock from the fall.
“Thanks,” she said.”
“It’s not exactly a business,” he said with a smirk. “But I joined because my
friends were there. I guess it was a bizarre kind of peer pressure.”
“Mm,” she said. “But do you regret it?”
“Not at all.”
Once her hand was holding the ice pack, he let go and moved to sit beside
her. However, it wasn’t long before he was leaning back towards her. Their
lips met and he slipped his tongue into her mouth, gliding it around and
finding hers.
She hadn’t been anticipating a kiss like this, but now that they were here she
was not complaining either. Allie kissed Lance back and brought the hand
that wasn’t holding onto the ice up to his cheek, stroking his face with
gentle fingertips.
Before long, the makeshift ice pack was forgotten. He lifted her up into his
arms and carried her over to his couch. As soon as he’d laid her down, she
shimmied out of her skirt and tights. He removed his pants and shirt and
leaned over her, continuing to kiss her deeply and sensuously.
Gripping the bottom of her t-shirt, he lifted it up over her head and sent it
floating to the floor. Her bra soon followed, and then he latched his mouth
onto her right breast, sucking and biting.
Allie let out a little hiss. She grabbed the top of his boxers and yanked them
down. After a dizzying few moments, they were there, naked. Two
strangers, making out on a couch.
She did her best not to think of it that way. He was sexy and hot as hell, and
she didn’t have anything to lose with him. She wouldn’t be losing money or
her heart, and certainly not her virginity… So she gave in to the kisses and
sucked in a breath as he spread her legs apart and went between them,
thrusting his big, thick, exotic cock into her.
“Ohh,” she moaned into his ear. The couch was small enough that they
really had to cuddle up in order to stay on it. And what better way to cuddle
than while fucking?
Lance lifted one of her legs up to his shoulder and held it there, pinning her
other leg down beside him. He started thrusting quickly, somehow getting
his full length inside of her little, tight pussy.
Her cheeks went hot as she felt his cock against her g-spot. Allie bit her lip
and erupted into shouts as she came. “Lance!” she bellowed. “Yeah! Yes!”
Smirking at her, he pulled out and lightly smacked the side of her ass. “Turn
around,” he said.
Allie was a bit confused, but curiosity won out and she did as she was told,
turning over and standing on her knees and arms as Lance plowed into her
from behind. He reached out and grabbed her boobs, squeezing and rubbing
at her nipples. “Oh, yeah, do you like that?” he asked her.
She did. She hadn’t had sex ‘doggie style’ in quite a while. Her good boy
ex-boyfriend never did things like that unless she begged him too.
“Mmhmm, yeah,” she moaned back at Lance. “Faster!”
He thrust himself inside her and she gyrated backwards into him, swiveling
her hips in time with him. Before too long, he was frantic in his movements.
He pulled out of her again and, grabbing her, flipped her over again and
resumed fucking her from on top.
Howling, Allie lifted her legs and he bit her left calf. If her knee still hurt,
she wasn’t feeling it at all. Her back bucked away from the couch cushion
as she came again. Lance threw his head back and yelled. “Yeah, come for
me, Allie!! Yeah! YEAHHH!”
She felt him come inside her, his cock throbbing against her pulsating walls.
He lay there on top of her for a few moments, waiting for their hearts to
stop beating so quickly. Then, he pulled out of her and stood up on the floor.
Eye-to-eye with the one eye of his penis, Allie gave it a kiss. She didn’t
know why, it just felt like it needed to be done. She smirked up at him.
“That was wild,” she said. “You’re forgiven for the concrete tattoo on my
knee.”
He laughed. “Do you need more ice?”
She shook her head. “I need a shower… Can I use your bathroom? Does it
have a shower?”
Nodding, Lance gestured down a hallway off the kitchenette and living
room. “It’s not much, but it has hot water, so whatever.” He shrugged.
Allie got up and went to the bathroom, doing her best to walk in an alluring
fashion so he’d keep thinking about her body. He smiled at her and went
into the kitchen to get himself a glass of vodka and lime.
Now that they were here, Allie didn’t know what to do next. Did she leave
by climbing down the fire escape? Did she leave while he was sleeping?
She’d never done this sort of thing before, but she was pretty sure that ‘one
night stand’ meant that she needed to be gone by morning.
Being a bad girl had been so much easier when she had cocaine to satiate
her nerves and allow her to be more loose and crazy. Now she felt the
neurotic kind of crazy.

When Allie came out of the shower, wrapped in one of Lance’s fluffy, black
towels, she found him sitting in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, waiting for
her. The coffee smelled like bananas. He smiled when he saw her. “Hello
again. How was your shower?”
Even though he had seen her naked only a few minutes ago, she felt shy
about him seeing her in this state of undress. “It was nice…” She felt like
planning her escape wasn’t going to work if he was still awake and looking
at her like a friendly host. Perhaps she should have vocalized that she’d
wanted a hook-up and nothing else. But, then again, he did buy her drinks
and food at the bar. She didn’t want to be a bitch about it.
“Your coffee smells like bananas,” she added awkwardly.
Grinning proudly, Lance held out his cup towards her. “Would you like
some?”
She came over and took the mug from him. She sniffed it. It smelled like
bananas and chocolate.
“Taste it and see. If you want some, I’ll pour you a whole cup.”
Allie took a sip of the great-but-unusual-smelling coffee. “Wow,” she said.
“Okay, yes please.”
If they drank coffee, there was a high probability that they would stay
awake even longer, thus moving her quick escape to later tomorrow
morning. Allie sighed. As long as she didn’t have to see him again, she
supposed that she didn’t mind his attention. This Lance guy had turned out
to be sweeter than expected.
Smirking, he lit a cigarette and went over to his coffee maker to pour her a
cup. “So, what’s your story?” he asked her, carrying over the filled cup and
exchanging it with the half-drunk one in her hand. “Are you from
Portland?”
Allie nodded, taking a good long sip of her coffee. She was going to have to
look this flavor up when she got home. “Born and raised. I’m even a
frequent shopper at Powell’s Books.”
Lance laughed. “Wow. I have no idea what that is.”
“What about you?” she asked him, sinking into a chair at the kitchen table
again even though she was still just in a towel. Her wet hair was dripping
onto her, into the mug and onto the tabletop. She needed to dry before
clothes were necessary again.
He didn’t seem to mind.
“I’m from here,” he said. “I’ve spent most of my life explaining, ‘No, not
the Canadian one’ to people. It used to be frustrating, but now it’s mostly
funny.”
He coughed suddenly and spat into the sink.
“You know, you should probably stop smoking,” Allie said. “Speaking of
things you hear all the time.”
Lance ran his fingers through his hair, his cigarette now at odds with his
coffee cup. “I know,” he said, taking the cigarette out of his mouth with one
hand and sipping more coffee with the other. Once that action was
successfully executed, he placed the death stick back between his lips and
puffed a big cloud of smoke.
“I started smoking later in life, if you can believe that,” he said. “I went
from being addicted to heroin and cocaine to being addicted to nicotine.
Fffftt. But I guess we’re all addicted to something.”
Allie understood that. Oh boy, did she understand that. And she did not
need an addict in her post-addiction life.
She finished her coffee much faster than she really wanted to and set the
mug down on the table. “Yeah,” she said. “…I should probably get going.”
The clock on the wall told her that it was three in the morning. She
wondered if that was correct or if he hadn’t changed the batteries.
Lance shook his head. “No, don’t leave so late. It’s dangerous. Here, why
don’t you sleep on my couch bed and I’ll make do in a chair?”
Sighing, she looked at the clock again. He did have a point. It was only
going to get later… And she had an hour’s drive she’d need to take in order
to get home. She supposed the original, unconscious plan she’d had was to
stay the night with him. But that was before she’d discovered the past drug
addictions.
At least it was in the past.
“Okay,” she said with a little nod, resigned to this new plan. She got out of
her chair and went back over to the couch bed, to gather up her clothing and
sit somewhat away from him under the guise of doing that.
As she slowly put her clothes back on, Lance watched her. She was a pretty
little thing.
This time, she neglected the tights. After all, they had a galaxy of small
holes all over one of the legs. She hadn’t landed as softly as she thought at
the time, probably because she was so in shock. And so drunk.
Even though she drank a mug of coffee, the alcohol and the stress from the
evening were still making her sleepy. She realized that it was a good idea to
stay and not go out driving when she felt this way. Lance was so sweet that
she could forgo the walk of shame and just simply walk back to her car
tomorrow.
Then she realized she would probably be riding on his bike again tomorrow,
to get back to her car… She hoped that the ride wouldn’t be quite so bumpy
in the morning.
She went into the bathroom again once she was dressed, and hung up his
towel. She’d been clever enough to pack a toothbrush in her purse, but
she’d left her contacts case and solution back at her place.
Removing the thin plastic from her irritated eyes, she just threw the contacts
into his trashcan. They were a nuisance anyway.
CHAPTER FOUR
Suckered In Too Far
Allie’s alarm went off on her cell phone at seven a.m. She awoke, groggy
and disoriented before remembering where she was and whose couch bed
she was on. Shutting off her alarm, she looked around and found Lance
asleep in one of the nearby chairs in his living room. It was one of those
wooden, straight-backed chairs, so it didn’t look too comfortable but he had
found some way to manage it.
As quietly as possible, she got out of the bed and put her shoes on. Her face
was a mess and so was her hair, but she didn’t want to stay longer than
necessary. She’d slept in her clothes and needed to get home to tidy herself
up before work the following day. Data entry, secretarial stuff didn’t exactly
require looking fancy, but Allie was professional! And she looked anything
but at the moment.
Cautiously and quietly, she crept to Lance’s front door and walked outside.
She didn’t want to wait around for him to wake up, and she wasn’t exactly
keen on getting back on his bike right now, so she decided to just take a cab
to The Blind Onion. Besides, she wanted to feel like a responsible, rational
adult after last night’s craziness.
Gosh, her head hurt.
When she found her car and got in, she remembered that she needed to wear
her glasses because her contacts were gone. Luckily, she had packed her
glasses into her purse along with her toothbrush. She had used some
forethought at least. She wished she’d used more forethought about the
exact type of bad boy she was hooking up with but ahh well. Live and learn.
It was too late to change that now.
She drove home, glasses on and pedal to the metal. That coffee he’d shared
with her was good. She would need to invest in some of that, she thought as
she yawned. Flavored coffee made her like coffee way more than she ever
did when it was plain.
She was quite relieved to be on the road again, and she was determined to
not give any more thought to Mr. Lance Chase DuBois.

Unfortunately for her, Mr. DuBois wasn’t ready to be an afterthought. He

apparently hadn’t gotten the memo that one night stands involved one night
with the person, not multiple nights. Not dates.
“Can I see you again?” he texted her a day after her ‘drive of shame’ home.
Allie thought that the app she’d used was meant for hook-ups and nothing
serious. She supposed that she could have been wrong. In any case, she
should have talked to Lance about what she wanted. She realized that now.
And now she definitely felt like a bitch, because he wanted to pursue
whatever they might have…
“I can’t,” she replied, deciding that honesty was the best policy, even if it
hurt. She had to remove the Band-Aid at some point, right? She didn’t want
to hurt his feelings, but she couldn’t let him hurt her. She didn’t have a lot
of faith in them working out as more than just a one-time thing.
“Why not?” he asked.
She was very glad that they were texting. Actually talking over the phone
would be more personal, and there’d be more likelihood of her chickening
out and saying yes to something she really should say no to.
“Because I don’t want a bad influence in my life. I used to be addicted to
drugs, too. I’ve been doing so well lately. I can’t go back to that. I’m sorry.”
A bad boy looked appealing on paper, but allowing him to take over her life
would be too much. He was sexy and kind, but he was also a hot mess. She
didn’t want someone who smoked to avoid shooting up, and she didn’t want
someone who was in a motorcycle club that did god knew what.
Oh god, she was starting to wonder if she had made a terrible mistake in
spending an evening with him!
About a month later, her heard hurt again; like the hangover headache, but
worse. Allie was pretty sure that hangovers didn’t work like that. She was
about a week late on her period too, so she decided that a quick trip to the
pharmacy was in order.
Great, she thought. Getting pregnant from a one night stand is just what I
need.
She got the stick and followed the instructions. Sure enough, she was
knocked up. By a stranger she had met on the internet. A motorcycle-riding,
tattooed, ex-druggie, no less. As much as she didn’t want to, she knew that
she needed to go see him again and let him know about their baby.
It felt so weird to even think about it as theirs.
“Hey Lance,” she texted to him instead of just showing up, unexpectedly.
“We need to talk.”
She was already getting into her car as she told him this, so it wasn’t as
though she would back out if he didn’t answer or said no.
Allie was grateful when he did respond, however.
“Yo, okay. Your place or mine? ;)”
He was joking with her now. That was possibly a good thing. It meant that,
a month later, he still cared enough about her that seeing her wouldn’t be an
annoyance or anything.
“I’m driving to see you,” she replied. Then she slipped her phone into a
pocket of her purse and started her car. The long drive wouldn’t feel so
long. The fact that she was dreading their conversation would make time go
by so, so fast.
She told herself that there was a chance things would work out well. After
all, Lance was a recovering addict, not an addict-addict… right? If they
were both getting over the same sort of thing, wouldn’t they be able to help
themselves? This could actually be good. The problems had arisen between
her and Zach because she was a former user and he wasn’t. He got tired of
helping her get over things. But Lance wouldn’t get tired of her… He’d
understand.
At least, she hoped he would.
When she arrived at his place, after carefully checking her GPS at every
stoplight, it seemed, she realized that he wasn’t home. His bike wasn’t in
the driveway. Before blaming him for being gone, she reminded herself that
she hadn’t told him when she’d be there and she couldn’t therefore assume
that he’d be at home all day.
“I’m here!” she texted him. “Where are you?”
“The boys and I are having a club meeting at the onion,” he replied.
“There’s a key under my doormat.”
Allie took that as a sign that she shouldn’t go to The Blind Onion and
confront him at the moment. She found the key and was about to just let
herself inside his apartment, but she wasn’t planning to stay over. She didn’t
want to be a booty call, if that’s what he was thinking.
Plopping the spare key into her purse in case she would still need it, she got
back into her car and drove to The Blind Onion anyway. She wasn’t afraid
of a bunch of biker guys. This was important!
However, when she stepped into the pizza place, shit was going down.
There was what appeared to be the endings of a fight happening. Guns and
knives were drawn. The air in the room was intense, and smelled more like
beer and perspiration than pepperoni.
“Oops, sorry,” she said when all eyes were suddenly on her. The jingling
bell on the front door hadn’t worked in her favor. “I guess you’re closed.”
The guy in the dead center of the room pointed his gun at her and scowled.
Allie wasn’t going to be able to just back out of this one.
“Any of you punks know this chick?” he asked the group of other men who
were gathered around, standing with their fists clenches and their various
forms of weaponry out.
At last, she spotted Lance. He was standing near the front door and he
backed towards her a little bit, shielding her from the gun. “She’s with me,”
he said. “She doesn’t have anything to do with this.”
“Now I’m only going to say this one more time,” the big guy with a gun
growled, rounding on the rest of the group and brandishing his gun in all of
their faces. “Vinnie here owes me three thousand dollars… I score for
Vinnie, he pays me. That’s how it’s supposed to work.”
Allie assumed that the guilty-looking, rat-faced guy was Vinnie.
Lance had told her that the motorcycle club was made up of his friends.
Some friends…
While the scary guy with a gun was distracted by this Vinnie person, Allie
crept back out of the restaurant. She took off running as soon as the door
jingled again behind her. She didn’t bother with her car, but ran as far up the
street as possible in order to get away, knowing that the guy wasn’t going to
chase her down while he had a whole bike club to antagonize.
Once she was far enough away, she stopped and pulled out her cell phone.
She called the police and reported a man with a gun in The Blind Onion.
Lance hadn’t had a gun. She didn’t see him holding any weapons, actually.
Was he insane? Or was he just smarter than the rest of them?
She texted him that she’d alerted the cops and to meet her back at his house.
She needed to talk to him and then she would be out of his hair for good.
The cops showed up and arrested several of the people at The Blind Onion,
most importantly of all the drug dealer who’d been threatening all of them.
The officers questioned Lance, but did not take him in because he was
unarmed and was working in the establishment.
Two hours later, he was able to lock up and head home. He didn’t know
what Allie needed to speak to him about, but he had a feeling that she
wasn’t planning to be his girlfriend now; not after what she’d just
witnessed.
Lance arrived at his building and managed to nap a parking spot directly
next to hers. Cutting off his motorcycle’s engine, he dismounted and stored
his helmet inside the seat. He trudged up the stairs of his building, not sure
what to expect and not looking forward to whatever it was.
It had been a pretty shitty day.
“Hey, Allie,” he said, giving her a sweet smile as he came inside and shut
the door behind him. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
She’d been sitting on the couch bed, but she quickly stood up when he came
through the door. She was not smiling. “What the fuck was that all about?”
she asked, her voice a shouted whisper. “You told me you had kicked your
drug habits!”
He put his hands up defensively. “I have,” he replied. “But some of the
members of our club ain’t so lucky, okay?”
Her face suddenly softened from a frown to a pout. “I was really scared.”
“I know,” he said. Lance came to her and wrapped his arms around her in a
hug.
She rested her head against his chest. It felt good to be held like that, even
though she was going to be losing it in just a few more moments.
“I came here to tell you two things,” Allie said, looking up into his brown
eyes. “First of all, and brace yourself… I’m pregnant.”
His arms loosened and he gaped at her.
Well, this was not a severance from him. It was quite the opposite, in fact!
“And secondly,” she said with a sigh. “I don’t think I should see you
anymore. You’re too dangerous.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Coffee And Cigarettes
A long period of silence followed as Lance looked at Allie in disbelief. At
first, he thought that he had misunderstood what she was saying, but there
was no mistaking the fact that she’d said she didn’t want to be with him
because he was dangerous. After working so hard to make his life better and
more suitable for a girlfriend like her, the last thing he wanted to hear was
that word. He had changed a lot since he was a user. And he was willing to
change even more if it would make her happy. His mouth went from
shocked and open to an agitated frown, but then he smiled and laughed a
little. It was a hostile sort of laugh. A ‘you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me’ kind
of laugh.
“You know I’m right,” Allie said. “Unless your brain temporarily shut off
back there, you know what your life is like. It’s no place for a child. I’ve
been trying so hard to change my life around. This is the reasoning I’ve
needed.”
Lance continued to smile at her. She couldn’t tell if it was menacing or
goofy. It was right on the line between those two types of smile.
“Right after the police came and questioned me, and took a bunch of my
friends away… I quit the club.” He looked her in the eyes. “You’re right.
It’s not a good place to be in, surrounded by former addicts who are still
struggling. I can’t stay clean if I’m around them… I want to clean up my
act. Not just for you, but partially for you.”
Allie didn’t know what to say. “You like me a lot, huh?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Is that bad?”
She looked down, blushing. Before the baby, she might have said yes. After
all, she was trying to just have some fun and didn’t want to be in a
relationship. But now… Well, fate hadn’t really given her a choice.
“No, it’s not bad,” she said. “I suppose we do have more in common than I
expected.”
He went to her and gave her a hug. “It’s all going to be okay,” he said. “I
promise. We’ll work together to make the best little happy existence we
can, okay?”
She looked into his eyes, sizing him up a little. He was so handsome and
kind. She didn’t want to blame him for shit he couldn’t help. The dealer had
been there to threaten one of Lance’s biker club friends, not Lance. And
Lance hadn’t been packing heat or anything quite so ludicrous.
“What are you going to do now that you’re out of your club?” she asked
him. She did not want him to give up riding his motorcycle or being in a
club with his friends, she just would prefer it if he be more selective with
who he spent his time with. There had to be motorcycle clubs around there
that weren’t so destructive. Maybe he could join a pizza-lovers motorcycle
club?
He shrugged. “Start a new club, I guess. Fly solo for a while til I figure
things out.”
Allie smiled at him. “Well, you don’t have to fly solo. You can fly duo.
With me.” She smirked slightly. “That sounded better in my head.”
Lance laughed. “Aw, that’s cute. I thought for sure that you were never
going to want to be on my bike again.”
Shaking her head, Allie released herself from his hold and went out to the
kitchen to make herself some of that heavenly banana-flavored coffee. “As
long as you promise me that you’re not going to drive it drunk ever again,
I’ll ride with you.”
The coffee maker only made about two cups at a time. As she stood in the
kitchen to guard the coffee as it was made, she gazed over the kitchenette
and the living room that she could see from her vantage point. They both
lived in small, cramped, studio apartments… That was going to need to
change. A lot of things were going to be changing.
“Can we take it one day at a time?” she asked him.
Lance smiled and let out a soft chuckle. “That’s the only way to live.”
Since Allie had a better job and Lance’s experience as a pizza chef was
more flexible in cities, they decided to search for a two bed-room apartment
in Portland instead of staying in Vancouver. They both dealt with the wraths
of their separate landlords and were eventually able to move in together in
an apartment building that was a short walk away from Powell’s Books and
Voo Doo Donut, in the heart of Portland.
He hung out on the couch, applying for jobs while she went to work. It
wasn’t a solution, but it was a start.
One evening, Allie sat on the floor with a package she’d received in the
mail from IKEA, trying to make sense of the instructions. “This is supposed
to be a crib,” she told Lance.
Looking over the laptop at her, he grimaced. “It looks like a pile of sanded
wood to me,” he joked.
“It would look better if you’d come down here and help me,” Allie retorted.
Lance closed the laptop and set it aside, sinking down to his knees from the
couch and crawling over towards her. He kissed her neck and cheek, still
not exactly helping.
She let a soft giggle escape her. “Lance, this crib isn’t going to build itself.”
“Mm,” he replied through a kiss. “But I have some good news and I want to
celebrate with you.”
Allie pulled away from him to look him in the eyes. “Good news?” she
asked. “Normally you tell people what the news is before you try and
celebrate.”
“Sorry. I’m not used to having good news to share.”
She picked up one of the wooden slats that were meant to form the crib’s
sides and hit him with it, with a light thwack.
He chuckled. “A baby of mine is going to be able to eat through that.”
“TELL me the news!” Allie shouted, but she was laughing. It felt good to
live with someone again. They were taking things slowly, but she could not
deny her continued attraction to him. Crib-building aside, he was showing
her that he could be just as dependable as her goody-goody ex.
Lance cleared his throat and started helping her assemble the ridiculous,
Swedish-crafted cradle. “I got a job,” he said. “And the mythical Powell’s
Books.”
Allie’s eyes widened. “Whaaat!? But have you even been there?”
He laughed. “No, I got the job purely based on my ability to imagine the
place.” He pretended to tap her head with another of the wooden slats. “I
went there for an interview while you were at work. I just didn’t say
anything about it because I didn’t want to get our hopes up for nothing.”
Her jaw dropped. That was so impressive. “I have to admit, I’m jealous. I
love that place. Oh, my god, Lance! Congratulations!”
Beaming proudly, he nodded a little. “Now can we celebrate?”
“How do you want to celebrate?”
He answered by dropping the wood he was holding and making out with
her on top of it. The pile of wood was not much of a pillow, but there was
something kinky about making out on top of their baby’s future bed.
After several minutes of that, Lance finally – and a bit awkwardly – got
back up onto his feet and then lifted Allie up into his arms. He carried her to
the empty bedroom that was going to be their baby’s nursery. But for the
colorful animal wallpaper, there was no evidence of the room’s intention
yet. That was for the best, considering Lance’s intention.
Placing Allie gently down on the blue-carpeted floor, he threw off his shirt
and unfastened his pants. As he got on top of her to continue making out
with her, Allie pulled his pants off of him and he grabbed at all of her
clothing. They kissed amidst a frenzy of flying fabric but, before long, they
were naked together.
Lance pressed himself inside of her and thrust his cock against her walls,
but he was slower this time. They were sober this time, which was a nice
change.
She looked up at him as he took his time with her, exploring around and not
being so rough. Gasping, she smiled at him. “It’s nice to not have an exit
strategy this time,” she murmured into his ear.
“You don’t need an exit strategy,” he whispered back, shaking his head and
placing a finger into her mouth. “Just like I’m never going to exit you, if I
can help it.”
Allie laughed softly, licking his finger and sucking at it.
They fucked each other nice and slowly for a few moments before he pulled
out and lifted her up, bringing her over to the back wall of the nursery
room. She put her hands up against the wall and moaned loudly as he
inserted his throbbing penis into her from behind.
Lance had an insatiable desire for making love to her from behind. She felt
like she could get used to it… particularly when he licked his fingers and
brought them to her clitoris. He stroked and flicked at it until she was barely
able to keep standing.
She came and held onto the wall to keep from falling. His hand was now
surely covered with her female juices. “Aaaahhhh!” she shouted. Their
shouts and moans echoed throughout the empty room and the still-spacious
apartment. All of a sudden, he spun her around and held her up against him,
putting his cock back inside her and holding her as he stood, ramming into
her and watching as her face contorted in indescribable pleasure.
He tightened his grip on her hips, practically drawing blood with his
fingernails as he held on and came inside her.
“Ahh, shit!” he yelled, closing his eyes. “Whooo.”
Slowly and carefully, he lowered Allie back down to the floor and pulled
out of her. He squeezed her boobs for a moment, gently getting her nipples
good and hard before he walked out of the nursery and back to the pile of
abandoned wood.
Allie gathered up her clothes and carried them back out to their living room.
She got dressed while Lance worked to put their crib together.
Once the crib was built and didn’t fall apart at the slightest touch, they
beamed at each other and carried it into the nursery.
“One item down,” Allie said. “And so, so many more to go.”
Lance smiled and put his arm around her. “Well, at least he or she won’t
have to sleep in a drawer.”

When Monday came around again, Allie was pleased to be joined by Lance
in the kitchen at seven a.m. She poured a bowl of cereal for them to share
and they sat together, eating chocolatey cereal and drinking the chocolate
and banana infused coffee. She had become addicted to the stuff, but it
wasn’t the bad, dangerous sort of addiction.
He could have his cigarettes if she could have her coffee.
Once their breakfast was over, they went downstairs to the parking lot and
got onto his bike. She hadn’t been on it since their accident, but as she
hugged him and they took off down the road, she realized that she trusted
him.
Lance drove the motorcycle responsibly and got her to her office building in
no time. “My shift doesn’t start for, like, three more hours,” he confessed
then, smiling a sideways smirk at her. “I just wanted to be with you.”
Allie smiled and blushed. “Careful, Lance Chase. Don’t forget your bad ass
reputation.”
He chuckled. “It’s Lance Chase DuBois,” he said. “And I’m making a new
reputation.”
“Oh really?”
“Yup,” he said. “I think I’m going to start a motorcycle club for Portland
dads. That’s how bad it is.”
Allie laughed, but she knew he was serious. And she loved him for it. THE
END
 Alien Romance
Alien Lord’s Slave
CHAPTER ONE
Cynthia had been staring at the same spreadsheet for what seemed like too
long. She was supposed to submit her analysis of the rolling budget her
manager had prepared from the costings she'd provided. All she had to do
was to simply cross reference the figures to see if they matched, nothing
that should have taken her three hours, but it was hard to concentrate when
her husband’s face kept popping to the forefront of her mind.
And it wasn't only his face, either, but the face of the woman she had caught
him with as well. After five years of marriage, she had thought her life with
him, though not perfect, was good enough to last a few more years. She
certainly didn’t think it would end in this way.
“Cynthia!” she heard her boss call. His office was only three cubicles away,
and he had a terrible habit of calling to his employees from there.
“Coming, Mr. Sloan,” she replied, and stood hurriedly. She would just have
to wing it. She smoothed her skirt and gripped the file in her hand; it
contained the same information as the one in the Microsoft Excel document.
Sloan was drinking coffee when she arrived. He waved her inside as he
sipped and then put the cup aside. He didn’t speak as he took the file she
handed to him. “So?” he asked her.
“Well,” she began unsteadily, “the performance variables show that more
revenue is being generated than costs are being expended. If you look at the
curve--”
“Right,” he said, nodding. “But how does the budget appear this year with
respect to other years before? And are we accurately accounting for the time
value of the dollars here? Miss Scott, I don’t want to allocate less than we
need, nor do I want to overspend in areas I don’t need to.”
There had been times before when she loved her job, but this wasn’t one of
them. Mr. Sloan was speaking, but most of what he was saying was going
right over her head. She felt like a zombie, and Jeffrey’s image came to
mind once more, and her eyes grew glossy. She bowed her head so he
wouldn’t see the telltale signs of her heartbreak.
“Miss Scott?” he asked after a while.
“Yes, sir,” she replied, and tried hard to perk up. She swept her hair behind
her ear, and licked her lips moist. She felt like all the liquid in her body had
been diverted to her eyes.
“Are you all right?” he asked. He looked at her as if concerned, rested the
file on the desk, and leaned into his leather chair.
She sighed. “Honestly, I am just going through some personal issues,” she
told him without looking at him.
He bit the tail of his pen and scrutinized her. Then he opened his file and
looked through it again. “I guess that explains why you didn’t get much
done here. I see the notes section has been left empty.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” she said as she reached for the file. “I will look it over and
give it back to you by day’s end.”
He held it suspended still, and then rested it back on the desk before him.
“Cynthia,” he said, and pinched the bridge of his nose, “you are one of my
youngest and brightest analysts, and I won’t have you here like this. My
suggestion? Take a few days off and get your head together. I'll have
someone handle this and hopefully, when you get back, you will be raring
to go.”
He was smiling, and seemed sincere in his offer. “Are you sure, sir? I mean,
I could--”
“Nonsense!” he bellowed. “I’ll expect you back in a week.
She asked, not wanting to seem too eager, but the truth of the matter was
she could really use some time off. “Thank you, Mr. Sloan,” she said, and
backed out of the office. She could feel the weight lifting from her
shoulders, but another kind of pressure was taking hold of her heart.
She kept her head held down as she made her way out of the office, trying
not to grab the attention of her nosy coworkers, but they seemed too
distracted by the loads of work that accompanied the month's end that she
probably appeared to them as nothing more than a blur in the distance.
When she got to her car, she flopped down into the seat, and took a moment
to catch her breath and steady her heart before she turned the key in the
ignition and headed home.
Home was where most of her demons lay. As she pulled into the driveway
of her suburban home, the manicured lawn only served to remind her of
their picnics in the park; her stoop was where they'd sat many nights and
stargazed; her kitchen was where they'd shared delectable dinners; and her
bedroom…that was a place she could hardly stand now.
She gazed up the stairs, decided against it, went to the refrigerator, and
grabbed a beer, a six-pack she had bought and befriended over the past
week. Cynthia went back to the living room and fell on the couch. This time
she couldn’t hold back the tears, despite the beer.
She was knee deep in her salty lake of tears when she heard the phone
ringing. She glanced at it, and groaned before reaching for the device.
“Hello?” she croaked.
“Is this Miss Cynthia Scott?” the caller asked.
“Yes,” she replied, already planning a response for the potential
telemarketer.
“This is Sally, from Wildlife Reservations. Are you still interested in the
cabin?”
That’s right! She had made plans to go there with Jeffrey, and completely
forgotten about it. She was about to refuse when she thought that a week to
herself was exactly what she needed.
“You know what? Yes, I'm still interested. Thanks for calling,” she said.
“Okay, Miss Scott,” the caller replied cheerfully, and hung up.
The timing was perfect, as she only now had a week to spare. Her trip
would, hopefully, leave her rejuvenated for her return to the office. Her
mind drifted to Jeffrey, and she wondered what he was doing. Her first
assumption made her face grow red, and she stomped to the storage cabinet
where she yanked her suitcase free and hauled it upstairs.
CHAPTER TWO
The air was crisp, kind and forgiving, and she held her head up towards the
green and yellow blanket of leaves overhead. The sun forced its way
through, hitting her arms and feet, projecting colored patterns on her clothes
and body. She was barefoot at the moment, and she wriggled her toes in the
cool grass as she enjoyed all that nature had to offer by way of comfort. She
wrapped the shawl around her to stave off the morning's stubborn chill, and
walked along the path. For the next few minutes her mind had completely
forgotten the name Jeffrey, and her lips managed an upward slant.
She found the boardwalk at the beginning of the pier and walked to the
water’s edge. She sat there and dangled her feet in the water, enjoying the
coolness on her skin. Her eyes wandered along the water’s edge, all the way
to the coast, until a glint struck her eye, causing temporary blindness.
“What the hell?” she asked. She held her head back this time, trying to
avoid the effect, should it happen again, when she noticed what she thought
was a piece of metal through the trees. “Now that’s odd,” she thought aloud.
She had been there before, and technology was usually absent from this
environment. A piece of metal through the trees was a virtually impossible
occurrence, yet there it was now, distinct through the green and yellow
foliage.
As if in a trance she got up, went back down the boardwalk, and back on the
trail. She kept her eyes peeled forward, searching for any signs of a possible
wreckage. Maybe a small plane had crashed and there were injured people
out there. The thought of that made her walk faster, until she got to where
she thought she had seen the object, only nothing was there now. She turned
about, thinking maybe she had veered onto the wrong path, but when she
looked through the trees, she could see the end of the pier where she was
sitting before. She was standing in the right spot, but there was nothing
metallic and shiny there.
“I must be losing it,” she muttered to herself. She pulled the shawl around
her and turned to walk back. Her heart stopped, and her breath caught in her
throat when she saw the figure standing before her. It was like a man, only
not. He was tall, and his skin a ‘whiter shade of pale.’ His yellow hair was
pinned at his nape in a ponytail, and he wore only trousers; the rest of his
body was painted in black and white swirls going around his middle and to
his back. It was hard not to notice his bulging muscles, except, of course,
when she was noticing that he wasn’t human.
Her eyes nearly popped from her sockets when he stepped closer. She
started to retreat, but in the same moment, the gleam struck her eye again,
and she noticed the metal object.
“Over here!” she said and waved, in a desperate bid to distract him. It
worked. When he turned to look, she dashed off in the opposite direction.
The fact that she hadn’t worked out in a long time, or even ran anywhere,
for that matter, made it easy for the muscled alien to catch up with her. She
screamed when she felt his shadow clawing at her, and when he grabbed
her, they both fell. His hand came down over mouth, and then she smelled
something awful. By the time her brain had registered the smell, her head
was spinning, as were the trees above her. The last thing she saw was the
smile on his face as he brought his face closer to hers.
************
Cynthia woke suddenly from her sleep, and the act gave her a terrible
headache. She rested her palms against her temples to quell the rising
pressure there, and looked around her. She could barely make anything out,
but when her eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting, she saw that she was in
the company of several other women. They were slowly waking up, too,
some had already woken, and all of them seemed frightened. This was
exactly the emotion she should be feeling, but for some reason, she felt only
numb instead.
“Oh, you are all awake,” the figure said as he entered the room. He turned
on the blue lights, and she saw that he was the same man she had seen on
the trail.
“What is this?” one woman asked.
He looked at her as if he was about to answer and then turned to the other
women. “I am Bracken, and I am from the planet Argon. You have been
specially chosen to be life mates for our men,” he told them. “Right about
now you should be feeling a slight pinch on your arms, right there,” he said,
indicating the bicep region.
All eyes focused there, and Cynthia could hardly believe she hadn’t noticed
it before. “What is that?” she managed to ask.
“That is how we will be able to communicate. Relax, and enjoy the trip,” he
said, and moved off.
“Hey, Bracken,” she called after him. She had had enough of men at the
moment, and she could hardly believe they were sailing off into space with
a cargo of women destined to become wives for alien husbands. That was
the last thing she wanted.
He stopped and turned toward her. “Do not speak to me,” he said,
condescendingly.
“I will speak to anyone or anything I please,” she replied. “You came to our
world and kidnapped us, and you expect me to be silent and fall in line?
That’s not going to happen, and if you think I'm going to this Argon place to
sleep with any of--” And that was all she said.
She had not seen the other man behind them who had walked stealthily up
behind her and knocked her unconscious.
CHAPTER THREE
This time, when Cynthia’s eyes reopened, the headache was worse, and she
was no longer in the room. Or that room, at least. This time she was
shackled to a chain of women, in a room painted white. She was surprised
that she'd been unconscious for the arrival and the moving and wondered if
she hadn't suffered some kind of concussion.
There was a loud whooshing sound, followed by four men who seemed to
float into the room. “Get up!” one of them commanded. Cynthia wanted to
protest, but the throbbing in her head reminded her to be still, at least for
now. The women rallied themselves to a stand, after which they were led
outside. And that’s where the oddity spiraled out of control.
If Cynthia didn’t believe it before, she had no reason now to think she was
still on Earth. When she stepped outside, she saw air scooters, robots
accompanying people around, and tall buildings shaped like those from the
cartoon she'd watched in childhood, called The Jetsons. She blinked rapidly
as she took in the sight, and followed the men onto the paved street. She
looked around. It was hard not to notice the glaring absence of women.
“No wonder they need us,” she muttered.
“I noticed that, too,” the woman behind her leaned forward and said. “I
think they need us to procreate, but I’ll be damned--”
“Keep moving,” one of the men shouted, and she straightened up instantly,
her mouth clamming shut at once.
Cynthia’s eyes glared at the strange, triangular-shaped buildings, and the
others that seemed to be floating, hanging suspended in the air like a crib
mobile. But where they were headed was not as sophisticated, as they were
all stuffed inside the back of a giant vessel shaped like a blimp, and then
carted off to a destination unknown. What was striking, when she turned
and looked to the street that was now disappearing, was how similar the
men appeared. It reminded her of the virus, Mr. Smith, in The Matrix, when
he multiplied to fight Neo.
The journey didn’t take long, and when the doors opened again, they were
led to a large metal cage. There was a huge tarpaulin-like covering that was
attached from the four corners of a fence. Underneath was a sea of women,
composed of all races, ages, and shapes. They all gasped as they joined the
nameless, faceless throng, and like the others before, they began to protest.
“What is this place?” she asked as she turned around. “How long have you
been here?” she asked a woman next to her who seemed too dazed to fight
anymore.
“About two days,” she said, and then turned and looked Cynthia directly in
the eyes. “They'll like you,” she said, and then faced front again, without
another word.
“What does that mean?” she asked, but the woman had moved on to the
nothing she was engrossed in before.
They spent the majority of the day there, and when it was close to evening,
the gates opened, and several of the women were hauled off.
“Where are they going?” she asked. “Hey!”
“Hey!” an African-American woman shouted at her. “Would you stop
drawing attention to yourself? Damn girl!” she said, frustrated. She shook
her head and wiped the sweat from her chest.
Cynthia creeped closer to the woman, who eyed her suspiciously. “Do you
know what they're doing to the women they take?” It wasn’t that she was
overly concerned about them--she was curious to know her own fate.
The woman looked across at her, sighed, and then responded, “They open
the gate every day and take out a few of the women. I don’t know what they
do with them, but they never come back.”
Cynthia was silent for a few minutes, and then she looked to the gate. There
were two men standing there, and heavily guarded at that. Her chances of
escape were zero to none. “There are no women here,” she finally uttered.
“They take them home.”
“You think?” the woman said sarcastically, and scoffed, “I just hope I get a
good one.”
“How can you hope for that? They took us from our homes to this. Don’t
you have a life you want to get back to?” she asked the woman.
The woman looked at her, and answered her directly, “Not really.” And that
was the end of the conversation.
Cynthia may have had a deep-rooted hatred for Jeffrey, but she had a life
she wanted to get back to nevertheless, and she wasn’t comfortable being
someone’s child bearing machine, besides. “Well, I do.”
“Good luck with that,” another woman, this one Latino, who had been
eavesdropping, responded.
“Yeah,” Cynthia replied.
But as the minutes rolled into hours, and the hours turned to days, her
attitude had changed to match the women who had gotten there first. Each
day a group of women were taken away, and Cynthia waited anxiously for
her walk to the gallows.
It was the morning of the fifth day, after not having showered since she'd
had arrived, and having eaten strange green plants that she could not
recognize with something that looked like venison, that the gates rolled
open once more. By this time, it didn’t bring as much excitement and eye
rolling. She was leaning against the fence, watching that strange world float
by.
“You, there,” she heard a voice say from behind her. She didn’t bother
looking to see who the poor girl was this time. Maybe it was better if she
remained in the tent than be subjected to a life of sexual slavery. “You, at
the fence,” the voice shouted, getting closer as it did.
This time she did turn around, as she realized she was being summoned.
She looked around with wild eyes, and moved off with shaky legs. The
women stared at her, some with sympathetic eyes, and others with
nonchalance. She moved through the crowd, like a prisoner to her
execution, and joined nine other women as they were led through the gates
and to a large, grey building, not too far away.
CHAPTER FOUR
Darius had grown weary of the show he had to participate in every so often.
As Lord of Argon, he was required to oversee the selection process, and to
ensure that the humans were not mistreated. After all, they would serve as
the foundation for their future. Argon had started out as a fruitful
civilization with modern housing structures, playful characters, and plenty
to eat. Then there was the Great War, that left the planet pillaged,
plundered, and looted of both jewelry and women. The aftermath was a
broken world of shattered men. They managed to repair the infrastructure,
but as far as generations went, Darius knew they wouldn’t survive on their
own. Sooner or later they'd die off, and Argon would cease to exist. It was
out of that desperation that was born the idea to ‘import’ women, and from
the best place they could find them--Earth!
But he was growing weary. It had been three years since they'd started this
mass importation, but he hadn’t found a single woman he thought fit to be
his mate. They were all so weak, fragile, or frightened of them. In hindsight,
he couldn’t blame them, either. Who would so easily warm to being
kidnapped and kept on another planet for their usefulness in breeding?
“Are the others ready?” he asked as he stood in the Great Hall, his long,
white coat falling to his feet. His hair was pulled back to his nape in a
ponytail, similar to the way the rest of the men from Argon wore theirs.
“Yes, my lord,” one of the servants replied as he made a slight bow.
Reverence was still practiced, but not out of fear. The people loved and
respected Darius, and they, too, hoped he would find a woman he wanted.
When he entered the room, he saw that the other men were already seated,
and he took his place at the center of them. They were behind a long,
chrome-looking table, and resembled a panel of judges at a beauty contest.
“I hope this is a good batch,” one of them leaned over and said to him. “The
others yesterday left nothing to be desired.”
“I agree,” he said to the man while still looking forward. “We should
perhaps set a standard for the women we bring here.”
“I was about to suggest the same thing, my lord,” the one to his left joined
in. “I was lucky when I got Amanda,” he said, the blush so visible on his
pale skin, he resembled a cherub.
“Well, I can only hope the rest of us can be as fortunate,” Darius said.
“Hush now, here they come.”
The men shuffled in their seats and watched as the batch of ten women
entered the room. Each of them wore a white gown, and was fresh from the
bath they had been given after they'd left the compound. Three guards
walked with them,one at the front, one in the back, and the other walking
between them in the middle. Painted all white, they marched to the front of
the huge room, with a glass ceiling overhead that seemed quite effective
against the sun.
After they were assembled alongside each other, facing the panel of men,
Darius made his announcement: “Welcome to Argon. You have been
specifically chosen to become one of us.” He extended his arms. “Let the
selection process begin!”
The ceremony ended with a line of men entering the room and standing
before the women. There was an immediate buzz of excited chatter as the
men discussed the women, and who preferred whom.
“Let me go,” one of the women snapped when the man touched her.
“I like her,” another said, and then the brawl began as the men started
fighting over her.
“Gentlemen!” Darius boomed. “Keep it clean!”
“I saw her first,” the first man explained. “Now Zar seeks to take her from
me.”
“There are enough of them to go around. Choose another,” Darius said, the
frustration already evident on his brow.
Grudgingly, both men walked along, but their eyes kept wandering back to
the woman. Another man stepped up to her, but like before, she retaliated.
This time she spat, and left her slime oozing down the man’s pale face. He
raised his hand to slap her, when one of the guards caught him.
“I wouldn’t advise that,” he growled. “Move along.”
It was that second incident that drew Darius’s attention, even more than the
first, and he looked over now to see what the commotion was all about. It
wasn’t until the guard moved aside that he understood. She had the same
honey blonde hair as his. It fell to her shoulders. When her eyes swept the
floor and caught his, there was nothing but fire there.
He was electrified and compelled to move. The other men grew still when
he stood and went to her. “What is your name?” he asked her.
She shrugged off the guard, and turned her head away, determined not to
answer him. But he took her face with his index finger beneath her chin--it
felt cold to the touch--and brought her face around. “Cynthia,” she replied.
He could feel her repelling him through the very fabric of her skin, and
somehow it excited him. A smile crept onto his face when he looked into
her eyes and saw only defiance, without fear.
“Well, Cynthia of Earth, I am Darius, Lord of Argon, and you are mine!”
And with that he turned and walked away, and she was ushered off behind
him.
CHAPTER FIVE
Cynthia protested the entire time she was led away, but instead of being led
outdoors like the others, she was made to wait for him inside. The gall! She
folded her arms and stewed in her anger until all the women had cleared
out.
“Come,” he said, and then walked right past her.
He had a strange and overbearing smell that tickled her nose until she had to
sneeze. He paused and looked back at her as she did, a curious expression
on his face. She straightened herself up, locked her fingers before her, head
held high as if she were of royal stature, and walked off again. She thought
she saw a glimmer of something in his eye, and she smiled inwardly. She
still had some sway, even on another planet.
The ride in the hovercraft was uneventful at best. It was constructed mostly
from glass, transparent on the sides and the top, so she had something to
look at to keep her busy. He stared at her. She didn't see him doing this
directly, but she could feel him exploring her, as if he were trying to
mentally tap into her.
It didn’t take long for her to discover her purpose on Argon. As soon as she
stepped inside the room, a smaller part of what seemed to be a large fun
house, he gripped her hand and pulled her to another room.
She knew what was about to happen when she saw the bed. “Oh, no!” she
protested, and pulled her hand from his.
“Look,” he hissed, turning quickly so his ponytail whipped over his
shoulder and landed on his breast. “This is why you are here, and this is
what you will do. Now, go and remove your clothes.”
Darius did not know how the women of Earth reacted in bed, or how to woo
them, but he was pressed for time. He wasn’t even sure how long it took for
an Earth woman to become with child, or the length of time it would take
for the baby to come out. He had seen others before, but he had no idea
what the babies would be like, what his child might become, and he wasn’t
about to postpone the inevitable and further delay his anxiety.
“Is this how your men treat their women?” she asked, as if she'd read his
mind.
“How do men of Earth make babies?” he asked. He was curious to know if
there was another way that went against what he knew.
“Well, he would take her out or something first.” Cynthia knew what she
was saying was irrelevant; she had been kidnapped and taken to another
planet where women were not worshipped. What hope did she have that her
‘master’ would take her out on a date?
Darius wasn’t about to entertain her. Without seeming to move, he deftly
removed his clothing and advanced on her. Cynthia backed away, nervous
and frightened, though she couldn’t help but notice how his body moved to
a silent rhythm. He got to her, gripped her left wrist, and pulled her, kicking
and screaming, to the bed.
“No! Stop!” she shouted.
Darius hesitated when she grew tense and started shouting. He shoved her
onto the bed and stood there looking at her. Her body was moving, but it
wasn’t ecstasy--she was trembling, and for the first time he saw fear in her
eyes. He froze, second guessed his decision, and walked out, before he did
something regrettable. After all, he was a man of honor, and he would not
be called one who forced himself on a woman, not even one kidnapped
from Earth.
Cynthia lay there after he had gone, her heart thumping in her chest, her
thoughts buzzing. She gripped the white fabric, still covering her bare
necessities, and straightened herself on the bed.
She heard footsteps shortly after that, and a woman appeared, a human girl.
She was about Cynthia’s age, with black hair cropped short, and dark eyes.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was in here,” she said, and prepared to
exit.
“No, don’t go,” Cynthia said and got up so quickly she practically flew. She
caught the girl by the arm and clung to her.
The girl stood there, her eyes moving slowly to meet Cynthia's. “I’m sorry,
but I must go before Lord Darius returns.”
“Lord Darius?” Cynthia asked. She released the woman, who stood there,
her hands clasped before her. She was wearing the same kind of clothing as
Cynthia, only in a lighter shade of yellow.
“Yes. He is the master of this house,” she replied.
“Have you been here long?” Cynthia wanted to know. The woman had a
look of familiarity about her, like she had been there a while and had finally
managed to fit in.
“From the beginning. Do not aggravate him,” she volunteered. “He is a
good man, kind on occasion. He chose me then, and I had hoped he would
make me his mate. He didn’t.” Her eyes grew glossy then, and she turned
her head away. “He only wanted someone to keep house. Which means you
are going to be either one or the other.”
“Why would you hope to be his mate?” Cynthia pressed. She couldn’t
fathom that possibility after being held against her will.
“My life was shit before this,” she managed to say. “What more could you
ask for than to be the mate of the Lord of another planet? You would be a
fool to deny him. Excuse me,” she said, and walked off before Cynthia
could get another word in.
After the girl had gone, Cynthia remained there, rooted to the spot. What
was blatantly clear was that she had no hope of ever escaping. Not unless
she was able to make Lord Darius her friend. He, if no one else, had the
power to send her home, and she would rather be free in a life that seemed
meaningless, than one where she was a slave.
One thing was sure: she wouldn’t gain his trust by pushing him away. At
this rate he might just wind up sending her back to the compound. She
knew what she had to do. She walked back to the bed, climbed back in, and
lay there in wait for him, naked beneath the sheet.
CHAPTER SIX
Darius was shocked when he returned later that night and found the human
girl, naked in his bed. Earlier, when he had imagined what she might look
like, he never expected this. Everything he thought before was wrong.
Where he had imagined a body sagging and unappealing, he found, instead,
a woman with pale skin, and breasts that kissed each other as she lay on her
side. Her legs were curled around each other, and one of her arms was
propped against the side of her head. She wore a smile, one that moved him,
and when he looked into her blue eyes--eyes that resembled his own--his
former plan to rid himself of her were dismissed.
He moved closer to her. She lay still, with no hint of fear in her eyes, and
her body called to him in ways he never knew communication was possible.
His eyes moved to her chest, and he captured the way it heaved, perhaps in
her anticipation, perhaps in need. He could not be sure what she felt, but he
was acutely keen of the increasing hardness in his member below, begging
for attention.
He held her stare, and when he got within inches of her, she rose, her firm
and perky breasts beckoned to him, and he yielded to her. Almost as if
hypnotized, he lowered his head, and with the tip of his tongue, which to
her felt as cold as a snowflake, slithered it over her peak. She shuddered,
not knowing what she should have expected, and then bit her lip as familiar
sensations overcame her. She slowly relaxed, and allowed him to have his
way with her. And he did.
He tugged at her taut nipples, commanding them to stay firm, even as his
hands groped her body. He breathed her in, and like toxic fumes, she
poisoned him, filling his mind with only thoughts of her, and his body with
intense lust. Darius groaned, as his lower region enflamed and spurred him
into action. He stood, almost suddenly, and tore his clothing from his body.
Cynthia looked at him in awe, wild eyed amazement setting root, and she
forgot, in that moment, where she was and the purpose for which she had
been taken. Instead, she wanted him in a strange way. When he held his
aching appendage and guided it effortlessly into her, they became lost in a
world of their own creation. She dug her nails into him, and arched her
back, and he penetrated her, with force, and intensified need. Her walls
closed in around him, and Darius found the warmth and pleasure this
human generated quite satisfying. His strokes grew harder and quicker, until
she was rocking and moaning. He could feel the sting in his back where her
nails found home, which only served to make his eyes grow redder.
Soon, he pulled away and lay next to her. Her back was to him, and she
twisted her head around so she could watch him. He swooped down and
brought his lips to hers, kissing her most ferociously until he could almost
feel her blood on his tongue. Then he gripped her hip, and his member
found its home once more. He was breathing hard as he entered her again
and again, and soon, their lips were forced apart as their convulsions grew
stronger. He felt the fluid building up inside him, and his body slapped hard
against hers, as he shuddered and spilled everything inside her.
When he was done, he rolled off the bed and walked away.
Cynthia remained in the same position, breathless. Her panting slowly grew
normal, and anger replaced the passion she had just felt. It had been a long
time since she'd been intimate with a man, not since Jeffrey, and being with
Lord Darius had not been a bad restart. Still, the way he had just cast her off
when he was done with her drove her mad, and she let out a gut-wrenching
scream. She was in the act of punching the bed when he returned.
“Is something the matter?” he asked her. The men of Argon were proud of
their stature and sexuality, and he immediately thought he had displeased
her.
She turned her head toward him, angry eyes glowering at him. “I’m fine,”
she said, and wiped away the loose strands of hair that were clinging to her
forehead. It seemed, even on Argon, the men were insensitive.
“Did I displease you?” he asked. She didn’t know it, but Lord Darius did
not mke it a habit to be concerned with the feelings of the women he slept
with, but something was strangely different about this woman of Earth.
“No!” she snapped. “It was just…odd, the way you walked out just then.
Usually the men stay after.” Her voice lowered as she continued. “Anyway,
where can I wash up?” She stood looking at him, too proud and determined
to appear weak and vulnerable.
He stepped forward, and as with everything else, commanded her attention.
He used his index finger to tilt her head upwards. “What else would the
men of Earth do?” he asked.
Cynthia smiled for the first time since she'd been on the planet. She could
see his desire for her clearly written on his face, and she smiled back. He
would be her ticket out of there, but he didn’t know it just yet.
She reached out, determined to make a show of it, and curled her hand
around his neck. She brought his lips to within an inch of hers, and against
his skin, she whispered, "The men of Earth would do it again." She walked
away, and like a snake charmer, the cobra followed. In the silence of the
great house, only their cries rang out, as Lord Darius gave himself over to
this lesser being he was yet to understand, but greatly desired.
CHAPTER 7
Cynthia woke the following morning, disillusioned and hazy. She looked
around and saw that she was alone in the room. In a different room. She
sprang to life, gripping the thin fabric loosely wrapped around her, and
headed for the opening. She was just at the door when she ran into the
human servant.
“Beg your pardon,” she said as she almost collided with her. She held her
head down and walked around Cynthia. “Lord Darius asked me to make the
beds.” She proceeded to the far wall where she pressed a button. An
opening appeared in the wall and the bed rolled inside it. There was a
whooshing sound, and the wall spat out the now neatly made bed.
“Hmm,” Cynthia said, impressed. “I’d like to have one of those.” The girl
looked up and smiled, and then went over to the table on the other side of
the room. “Is there a button for breakfast too?” Cynthia asked.
The girl chuckled softly. “There is a button for most things. Breakfast, I
make,” she said, and moved past Cynthia once more.
“How do you like living here? What’s your name?” Cynthia asked. . The
girl seemed in a hurry to leave, and Cynthia was desperate for the company.
She wasn’t as of yet sure of the place she was in, and she was anxious about
being alone.
“It’s fine, and I’m Annette,” she said. She walked off when she caught Lord
Darius returning. He gave her a stern look and then looked to Cynthia.
“Was she bothering you?” he asked. He seemed to be making an effort at
avoiding eye contact.
Cynthia took this as a good sign and wandered over. She was tracing her
hand along his spine when he shrugged her off. “I need to get to the
council,” he said, and stepped out.
She stood there, paralyzed by his rejection of her advances. “What am I to
do all day?” she inquired.
“You can go to the courtyard. Be back in bed by the time I get back,” he
said in a commanding tone.
“Speaking of bed, you left mine quite early,” she told him. “I thought you
wanted to make sure we made a child.” She stood there, resembling a
servant of Rome in all those biblical movies she'd seen on late-night
television.
“We don’t usually sleep in the same bed as the women,” he told her. He
eyed her curiously.
Just then there was crash at the back of the room, as if something had fallen
to the ground. His pale face darkened in color, and his voice thundered,
“What was that?”
“I’m sorry, sir, but I wasn’t paying attention, and--” Annette seemed fearful
of Darius, and she continued to ramble apologetically.
“Could you be any clumsier?” he asked and stormed off.
Cynthia looked at Annette for a brief second before she dashed across the
room and disappeared again.
Cynthia stood there, quite appalled that he could be that unkind to
something over something so trivial, and she felt the need to defend the girl.
It was already hard enough being a slave to an alien, but to be one to a cruel
alien Lord as well?
“Darius, was that--”
“Lord Darius!” he corrected her, lest she forget her place. He turned back to
her.
Cynthia’s thought froze and she suddenly forgot what she was about to say.
He peered at her from behind his blue eyes, waiting for the rest of her
statement, but she could see it wouldn’t meet fertile soil, so she recoiled and
tucked her fangs away. “Never mind,” she said, and slowly turned away
from him.
He disappeared behind the wall, and she was relieved she was no longer
under his scrutiny. Her emotions regarding him fluctuated between
admiration and anger, and she grew even more anxious to escape this
godforsaken place. She gripped the thin fabric around her and walked softly
and warily, to the window. She kept glancing behind her, as if she expected
him to come up behind her and toss her back into the room.
The world was already buzzing outside. She saw scooters whizzing by the
window, hovercrafts settling below, and Argonites disembarking from both.
There was laughter and happiness, something she had forgotten the sound
of.
For the first time in a while, she thought of Jeffrey. Things had been so
different a year ago--they had been making plans to start a family and…it
didn't matter. It was useless bringing the rest to memory.
Her mind had grown so blank, she didn’t hear Darius come up behind her.
“So, are you with child as yet?” he asked. That was it—no formality, no
greeting, just business as usual.
“I wouldn't know yet,” Cynthia replied. She wasn’t sure if it was even
possible for the two of them to conceive, and she suddenly wondered what
might happen to her if she couldn’t.
“Then when?” he asked. He seemed irritated and impatient, and he shifted
on his feet as he waited her reply.
“Well, it's only been two times, and the female cycle is different for every
woman. The more times that we…” She paused when she realized what she
was setting up herself for.
He had gotten the gist, and took her by the hand. “Let’s go then,” he said,
and tugged her along behind him.
She was willing to seduce him, to bend him to her will, but how was she
going to overcome his might and dominance? In a desperate attempt to
maintain the upper-hand, she stopped. Her abruptness startled him.
“Is this how you plan to be? I thought you wanted a mate, not just a vessel
for your child,” she said, feigning hurt.
He came closer and leveled his eyes with hers. “What’s the difference?” he
asked. He pulled her to him, kissing her forcefully.
Once again she was swept along by his current, and in control of nothing.
CHAPTER 8
Darius got up from the bed and stole out into the night. He needed to clear
his mind of the human woman he'd left in his bed. It was their custom to
sleep in separate rooms, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to pull
himself away from her. He felt a magnetic attraction when he was with her,
one that even he could not deny.
He wiped his hand down his face and then locked his hands behind him.
“Is something the matter, my Lord?” A young man hurried over to ask him.
“No, everything is fine Jakob,” he told the man. “I just needed some air.”
“Very well, sir,” he replied. He took two steps back, and then turned to
hurry off again.
Darius ventured into the courtyard, which was always kept lit, and walked
the serpentine path that passed beneath her window. He sat on the oval
bench atop the perfectly kept lawn, and sat there looking up at the place she
slept, feeling weak, vulnerable, and very unlike the leader he was. The irony
was he needed her to maintain his position.
His mind was still quite unsettled when he returned to the solitude of his
bed an hour later.
************
Cynthia had never been pregnant before, so she didn’t realize immediately
when the symptoms manifested themselves. She was standing on the
terrace, watching the good people of Argon from the only place she was
allowed, when she felt suddenly light headed. She swooned, and gripped the
steel bars as she tried to compose herself. She reached for the chair and sat,
just as a wave of uneasiness washed over her. She rested her head on the
cushioned seat and closed her eyes, trying to will her upset stomach away.
When she opened them again, he was standing there, looking at her, much
too intently.
Before she was able to analyze his face, he began to smile. He stood
upright, and in that moment he seemed even more puffed up with pride. It
wasn’t until he lowered himself and brought his hand to rest on her still flat
stomach that she acknowledged her present condition. She bounded from
the chair, and he caught her before she could go far.
“You are going nowhere, little flower,” he whispered into her ear, and
crushed her in an embrace.
Cynthia wanted to flee. She did not want to believe she was already
carrying an alien child within her, but she could no longer deny the
attraction she for him. She had convinced herself she was using him as her
means of escape, but somewhere along the way, she had gotten lost. She no
longer saw him as cruel, but as a strong and respected leader. She had also
seen some changes in him, mostly in the way he looked at her, but she
wasn’t quite sure she'd be able to open up fully to another man, even one as
handsome and powerful as Darius. The image of Jeffrey still haunted her,
and she had not yet escaped the hurt he'd inflicted.
“I’m not sure that’s the reason. Maybe it’s the food I ate this morning,” she
offered, already afraid of what being pregnant might mean.
He held her at arms' length, his blue eyes lit and sparkling, and melting the
parts of her she tried to keep hardened. “You have my child growing within
you. You are really mine, now,” he said to her.
Darius seemed to transform before her very eyes. He took her hand and led
her back to the bed, the one he usually slept in, alone. This time, instead of
commanding her, he was more reverent. Cynthia stood there, mesmerized,
as he used both of his hands to slide the silk dress from her shoulders. He
locked eyes with her and held her gaze as he lifted her and placed her on the
strange bed. Her heart was racing in anticipation of what felt like the first
time, even though there had been many in the month she had been with him.
He kissed her hand, her stomach, her breasts, and then ended on lips that
were ready for him by the time he got there. Cynthia struggled inwardly,
trying to deny this was real, that it was no more than a means to an end, but
everything else in her was screaming otherwise.
Her fingers curled around his neck, and despite her inner turmoil, she
opened up herself to him, and her lips accepted his. Their tongues engaged
in a friendly duel until their breathing began to intensify. Darius flattened
his palm against the small of her back, and his touch seemed to sear her
skin. She shivered, and pressed closer to him as his other hand surveyed the
rest of her body.
His long, golden hair fell over his shoulder, and her hand moved to grab a
fistful as his head found the hollow in her neck. She groaned as his tongue
traveled to her ear, then back to her neck, and then to her mouth again. She
wanted him, and she was no longer afraid of letting go. She pressed him
back, allowing him to fall on the bed, and as he lay there, beckoning to her,
she responded, and showered him with kisses. He looked surprised as he
watched her move over him like a snake. Her body seemed to dance, and he
reached out and cupped her breasts as they seemed to reach for his chest.
Cynthia was in her element, and she closed her eyes as she drank him in,
only now realizing he had a pungent smell that had captivated her senses
and caused her to feel enamored. He writhed when her tongue found his
side, and followed all the way to his inner thigh. His skin was smooth,
almost like marble, and she reveled in his taste and feel. Then her head
dipped, and Darius almost knocked her off the bed when his erection
disappeared, inch by inch inside her mouth. She held him back, pressing
him back down on the bed, and he shivered, spilling almost instantly when
her tongue flicked over his peak.
The agony was grew unbearable for him, and he grew impatient with her
torture. He held her thigh, and she appeared as light as a fairy when he
lifted her and planted her onto him. He slowly brought her down, and when
her hands flattened against his bulging chest, he pumped hard and fast
inside her. She screamed as he filled her, his movement seeming to go on
forever. Sweat beads rained down on him, mingling with that which he was
producing. Each stroke he made brought them even closer in ways they had
never expected.
Soon, her cries drowned in his ever increasing moans, until he bolted
upright, caught her around the middle, sank deep inside her, and climaxed.
Her legs shook as evidence of the same in her trickled down over him.
He looked into her eyes, brushed her hair back, gave her one last kiss, and
fell back onto the bed with her in his arms. He spent the rest of the
afternoon in the same manner, and for the first time in a month, they slept in
the same bed.
CHAPTER 9
Cynthia could not believe the euphoria she had felt ever since Darius had
found out about the baby. He was no longer the cold and domineering man
of before, but was, instead, sweet and sensitive.
“I don’t get it,” she said to him one morning at breakfast. He had a habit of
leaving early in the day in order to see to the proper running of Argon, and
she'd started rising early with him.
“Get what?” he asked, and spooned a mouthful of wild bird’s egg into his
mouth.
“It’s like you're a different man,” she told him. She bit into a fruit that
resembled an avocado, but tasted more like apple. She could barely stomach
much of anything else anymore, so she avoided the venison. And the eggs.
“Did the baby do this to you?”
“Darling, I don’t even recognize the man of which you speak,” he said, and
smiled. He wiped his hands with a piece of napkin and leaned back in the
chair.
Someone burst into the room, excused himself, and passed a device to
Darius which he quickly scanned, and handed back to the man.
“Pressing matters?” she asked.
“I’m afraid so,” he told her. “It seems there has been a disturbance among
some of the members of the council who are trying to ratify an
amendment.” He wiped his lips and got up. He went over to her and kissed
her briefly on the lips. “See you later?”
“Where else would I be after spending another long, boring day counting
hovercrafts from the terrace?” she asked sarcastically.
Darius chuckled and slipped into his coat. “You can always go out,” he told
her.
“Yeah, but where?” she asked his slowly disappearing back. She looked
down at her stomach, which hadn't yet begun to show, and decided that
she'd indeed venture into the city, for the first time since she'd left it in
chains.
She went to the bedroom and put on an animal skin coat Darius had given
her. When she pressed the buttons to open the door and it slid apart, she
stepped out onto a marble walkway. She received a few nods from the
guards, and she wrapped her coat tighter around her and went down the
steps. The air was crisp and clean, and life on the streets had already begun
for the day. She didn’t plan on going far, maybe only around the block and
back; the architectural setting made it easy for one to get lost.
She walked farther than she thought she would, drawing the attention of
several other men from the planet, and some humans, too. She passed one
woman, who had red eyes and bruises on her face, and she shivered as she
thought of the life she must have lived so far. She kept her head low and
walked quickly onwards, but she couldn’t help noticing, after some time,
the looks she was getting from some of the women. It wasn’t hard to see
that all the women were human, and obviously from Earth. The thought
occurred to her that she should probably return to the safety of the house, as
she was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
She had barely taken a few steps in the direction from which she had come,
when she noticed a familiar face, only this time, it didn’t seem as bland as it
had been back at the compound.
“I thought they might like that pretty face with the blue eyes, I just didn’t
think it would be Lord Darius,” she said, placing great emphasis on her
owner’s name.
“Look, I don’t want any trouble,” Cynthia said. She took a few steps back.
“I guess now you think you're better than the rest of us, huh?” the woman
said. She took a step or two closer to Cynthia.
“What? This is crazy,” she said. She turned to walk away, her heart
fluttering so hard in her chest she was sure she was about to have a heart
attack.
“I was talking to you,” the woman pressed, shoving Cynthia in the process.
Cynthia stumbled and fell, landing hard, on her side, and she screamed out
in pain. Before she was able to stand, the woman was standing over her,
eyes flaming red. Cynthia pushed against her and twisted her body, causing
the woman to topple over sideways. Cynthia got onto her knees in a bid to
stand, but before her hands had left the ground, she felt searing pain in the
back of her neck.
Her hands found the spot, as her eyes tried to focus. Everything seemed in a
daze. Tears stung her eyes, and she fell to the ground. Through the mist of
her tears she saw one of the guards from the house as he apprehended the
woman, still flailing and kicking in his grasp. The others who had gathered
close quickly dispersed, and the woman was carted off.
Cynthia's head grew heavy, she fell back, and everything grew still.
CHAPTER 10
When Cynthia opened her eyes again, it felt as if her head was bobbing in
water. She saw the sky moving and felt her body rocking before she realized
she was being carried. Her head pounded, and she made no attempt to
move. She looked upwards to see the face of the guard she'd seen earlier,
when she'd left the house.
“Where am I?” she asked.
“Don’t worry,” he replied, without looking down. “You'll be home soon.”
Her head dipped back, and her eyes closed as the door to the house opened.
The guard placed her on a futon-like resting pad, as he and the other guards
busied themselves deciding whether to get Lord Darius, or to wait until he
came from the meeting. They decided on the latter, and Cynthia spent the
rest of the morning and most of the afternoon nursing a head injury and a
nagging pain in her neck.
She was rubbing the bruised spot and walking into the bedroom when
Darius charged through the door. “Why didn’t someone come to get me?”
he barked.
“Sir, we didn’t want to disturb you, and--”
“Nonsense!” he shouted, and he rushed to her side. “There is nothing more
important to me now than her,” he said as he sat down beside her and took
her hand, “and this child.”
“It really was nothing,” Cynthia told him, but he would hear none of it.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for a woman I wanted to be
with? I got lucky when I met you,” he told her.
“They got her,” she tried to tell him.
“Where is the woman?” Darius shouted at the guard.
“In custody,” the man replied, respectfully.
“I will see to it that she is shown the full measure--”
“Darling,” Cynthia said, stopping him. “Don’t be so hasty to make
judgement. She was just…jealous.”
“Jealous? Of what?” He didn’t seem to realize his own station and status,
and how the other humans would perceive someone chosen by him.
“Not all of the women who were taken here are treated well. I saw one with
a bruised cheek and red eyes. The woman who hit me seemed like she'd
seen better days, as well.’
He seemed to register what she was saying, and his features softened. His
eyes sloped downwards, and his hand reached out and touched her stomach.
“Is he all right?” he asked tenderly.
“I think so,” she told him, smoothing the hair that had been hiding half of
his face like a drawn curtain. She could hardly believe he had become
everything she had ever wanted, and had given her even more, this man
from another planet. With each passing day, the memory of her hurt sank
further into the abyss, and she embraced Darius.
“He'd better be,” he whispered, and even while his guests looked on, he
lowered his head and kissed her slowly and deliberately. She curled her
hand around his neck, allowing the emotions within to overcome her. “How
about we go and do something else?” he asked her, a grin spreading from
ear to ear.
“I can barely move,” she replied, though her body had already begun to
react to his words.
“That’s all right--you won’t have to do a thing,” he said, and whisked her
off to the bedroom. By this time, the help had all but disappeared, leaving
the two alone, and as the evening sun grew orange in the background, they
made love, not as master and servant, but as lovers.
************
His little face looked up at them, his bright, blue eyes melting their hearts.
He reached tiny pale fingers upwards, his face displaying features that
resembled his father, and cooed.
“Are you ready?” Darius asked as he bent to pick up the infant. Baby Dane
was just two weeks old, and already the spitting image of his father.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Cynthia replied. She stood and took her place next
to him. There was to be a showing in the large council room where Dane
would be presented to the people in a welcoming ceremony. It was a big
deal, considering his status on Argon, though there were smaller ceremonies
for the other babies when they were born.
“So, do you still want to go back to Earth?” he whispered into her ear as she
walked next to him.
She was clad in an elegant, silver gown that fell to her ankles, and adorned
with diamond accessories. “I wouldn’t dream of it now.” She turned to him
and smiled, remembering the conversation they'd had a few months ago,
when she had told him of her desire to return home. “You’re not as bad as
when I first met you.”
“Not as bad, huh?” he asked.
“Nope. He is adorable, isn’t he?” she asked. She reached over and touched
her son’s chin. He gripped her finger, smiled, and her world seemed to
shake.
“He absolutely is,” Darius replied. Cynthia looked up at his face, her heart
warming when she saw nothing but love there.
When they got to the room, she sucked in her breath. She hadn’t made a
public appearance of this magnitude since Darius had taken her. She
witnessed the smiles and nods she received as they made their way to the
entrance hall.
“Welcome, Lord Darius,” the guard said. He pressed the button and the door
slid back.
“Thank you,” he replied, much to the guard’s surprise, who smiled in turn,
and then faced forward, once more.
The members of the room stood as soon as they appeared, and Cynthia got a
feel of what royalty was really like. The elder councilman held his hand out
to Darius for the baby. Darius placed him in the councilman's outstretched
arms. The two of them stood there solemnly, as the man pressed his thumb
to the babe’s forehead and chanted words in a tongue unfamiliar to
Cynthia's ear.
When it was all over, they retired to the dining hall for the festivities. They
received congratulatory remarks from several of the guests, who were
largely Argonites, with a few of their human mates scattered throughout.
“Come on,” Darius said. He took her hand and led her to a now familiar
room on the other side of the building. Dane was resting nearby in a cot,
being watched by Annette, who had taken to the child, and was less fearful
of her Lord than she had been in the past.
“What are we doing?” Cynthia asked as Darius led her away.
“Overseeing the next selection process,” he told her, eying her suspiciously.
Images of when she had first arrived rushed through her mind, and she
gripped her chest as anxiety beset her. “Don’t worry,” he told her. He
rubbed the back of her hand. “It won’t be like it was then.”
And he was right. This time, the women were brought in, and they got to
choose. Cynthia smiled as she sat there, not approving of the fact that
humans were still being abducted, but that they would have a chance at a
better life. And the men didn’t seem to mind either.
“What did I tell you?” he asked at the end of it. “It’s a part of the new
amendment.”
“I approve.” She smiled. “The women will appreciate it more, too. But tell
me something: does that mean that I am your master now?”
“Anything you wish,” he told her. He kissed her temple, slipped his hand
around her waist, and they all went home.

THE END
Kidnapped by An Alien
Aurora Palmer pulled the throttle back and hurled forward into the
black abyss polka dotted by meteor rocks that whizzed by her ship.
Her eyes focused on the monitor for any signs of the Thraxians, but
all that showed was the red line going back and forth on the screen
and detecting nothing.
“When I get my hands on these sons of…”
“Not on my ship Nora,” Aurora warned.
“Why do you have compassion for these things? The Thraxians
have been terrorizing our planet for years. This last attack claimed
the lives of many, and we can’t seem to get the better of them. I
don’t get why you would even want to sympathize with them.” Nora
slammed her fist on the panel and got up.
“You think I sympathize because I don’t want you to call them
names on my ship? Nora, my brother is dead because of those
things. Why would I sympathize?”
“Look, I’m tired and frustrated and I just want this thing to be over,”
Nora replied and paced the floor.
“Then let’s just find them so we can go home,” Aurora suggested,
and nodded at the seat across from her. “Nora you know I can’t do
this without you. You have been my wingman for…I don’t even
remember how long.”
“Eight years,” Nora said and smiled. Then she walked back to her
seat and took her place as second in command on the starship
Aurora piloted. There was silence for a while as the two checked the
blackness for a motion or heat signal, but there was nothing. “Do
you think they are even out here?”
Aurora took up her communicator and pressed the button on the
side. “Come in base, this is starship one.”
“Go ahead starship one,” the muffled voice said over the speaker.
“We have been circling for over an hour. There is zero activity here.
What should we do?” she asked and waited for instructions from the
command center.
“Hold on a second starship one,” the voice said.
Aurora kept her hands on the device and rested her head against the
padded headrest on her seat. She was tired, and she just wanted to
go home. It had been a long month, and she was sick of chasing the
Thraxians over the galaxy. She had grown up to stories of the
animals they were; they would find neighboring planets and pillage
and plunder them, taking whatever spoils they could return to their
home planet. Their stories were told over bonfires and for bedtime
stories to the children of Earth for centuries. Of late, the stories had
all come to life after repeated invasions on other planets nearby. The
Galaxy Peace Corp had called for assistance from the other planets
since Planet Nirvana, the latest planet to come under attack, was
unable to defend itself.
“Starship one, there is activity about thirty-five miles east of your
location. Do you copy?” the voice from the speaker asked.
“Copy base,” Aurora said and clicked off. She replaced the
communicator and programmed the location into the monitor. The
space ship dipped right and sped off in the direction. Five minutes
later and Aurora heard the monitor beeping and the red lights that
were flashing before suddenly turned to green. But the size of the
vessel they saw was nothing compared to their own, and she looked
across at Nora as she gazed at it in shock.
“Do you think we need help?” Nora asked, her eyes still wide with
astonishment.
“No, I got this,” Aurora said as she opened a compartment below
the monitor and flicked two switches that armed the space craft.
“What’s going on?” someone asked from the back.
“The Thraxians are in sight,” Aurora responded. “We are going in.”
“Alright,” the man hooted enthusiastically.
“Can’t say I blame them,” Nora said and smiled. “We are all itching
to snag some Thrax.”
“Let’s go do just that,” Nora said as she pressed another button and
the guns crept forward and set poised for battle.
The space craft Aurora piloted was about a third of that of the
Thrax, but she was accustomed to battle and knew enough to be
confident that size was not always an advantage. Those big vessels
usually have engines underneath them, and she guided her ship
exactly there. She was only a few hundred feet off when the vessel
started turning, and before she had even begun to engage, she felt
her ship rock as they discharged their weapon.
“Hold on,” Aurora said as she swerved and flew to the other side of
the ship. She targeted a spot on the underside of the vessel and
pressed the button. A torpedo flew out and there was a big ball of
fire as the vessel was hit. She dipped low to avoid shrapnel
backfiring and damaging her ship, and then let fly another. Before it
made contact Aurora’s ship jerked and catapulted a few yards away
from the Thraxian vessel. She hung from her chair after the ship did,
and by the time she realized, she saw smoke coming from the
bottom of her ship.
She looked across and saw blood coming from Nora’s nose, and her
body slumped over the seat. She reached for her communicator and
pressed the button, but all she heard was a crackling sound.
“Mayday! Mayday!” she said with a cracked voice that only came
out as a hoarse whisper.
She tried to sit straight and level the space craft, but when she
looked out, she saw the Thraxian vessel directly before her, with the
guns aimed directly at her. “Not today,” Aurora said and gritted her
teeth. She grabbed the throttle and pulled it back. She hit the seat
hard when the space craft suddenly shot into the air, and when she
was on top of the vessel she levelled it off. She checked and saw
that the Thraxian vessel was too big to turn as quickly, and when it
did, she was already too far off.
She programmed the coordinates for Earth into the monitor, and
hoped she could make it home before they caught up with her. She
was beginning to get hopeful when she heard a loud beeping sound.
She had damaged two of the air ducts, and she felt the panic rising
in her as she mentally calculated how long her oxygen would last.
The space craft was moving too fast, burning oxygen she needed.
Aurora started gasping for air before she decided to set the control
to auto pilot.
Aurora staggered to the back of the ship and strapped the oxygen
tank onto her. Then, unsteadily, she tugged the mask over her head
and worked her way back to the seat. The beeping was growing
louder, and she decided to risk going faster, but one quick glance at
the time signal told her she wouldn’t make it to Earth. She scanned
the perimeter for the closest friendly planet, but there was none;
there was only Thrax. She was left with the decision to die or to try
to make it to the enemy planet she was at war with.
The decision was taken from her when there was a loud explosion
and the ship shot forward. One of the engines gave out, and
Aurora’s heart rate increased dramatically as her vessel hurtled
across the black void and into Thraxian territory.
CHAPTER 2
Aurora’s eyes fluttered open and she gazed around her, trying to
make sense of the hanging wires and contraptions dangling before
her. She grabbed her head when it started to pound, and then she
tried to move. It was only then that she realized she couldn’t when
she felt the searing pain shooting up her leg. She cried out in pain
and slammed her fist into the only solid sheet she could find: the
small space on the floor next to her head. There was fire gashing
from the electrical wires a few feet away, and her conscious mind
did not register the crash until she saw her crew. Her head snapped
upwards as she remembered Nora, and when she looked over to the
co-pilot’s seat. Nora’s body was slumped over the seat still, and her
hands hung limp.
“Nora!” Aurora croaked. Then she held her throat which suddenly
started to burn. She looked around, but there was no other
movement. “Is anyone awake?” she called. She waited, but all she
heard was the increasing crackling of the wires as they dangled.
She tried to move again, and it was then that she saw the blood on
her thigh. She moved the torn cloth away and saw a gash just above
her knee. She winced and closed her eyes as she used her hands to
pry the beam from her. Then she hauled herself along the floor until
she was free of the debris that had trapped her. Her chest heaved as
she tried to catch her breath, and it was only then that she realized
she wasn’t using her oxygen tank.
Aurora tried to stand, but the pain was too much. With tears filling
her eyes, she yanked off the bloody shirt she still wore and wrapped
her busted leg with it. She screamed in pain as she did, and she slid
to the floor again when she was done, pain overtaking her conscious
mind and threatening a blackout. She sat there for a while as she
tried to regain some semblance of time or space, when it dawned on
her that she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. The last thing she
remembered was that she was hurtling towards Thrax. Was she now
on Thrax?
“No, no, no,” Aurora said and pulled herself up again. She looked
out the windscreen and saw a large deserted wasteland. “Where the
hell am I?” She limped back to the dashboard and retrieved the
communicator. “Command center, this is starship one,” she said and
then waited for a response. There was none. “Come in command.
My ship has been downed in enemy territory: come in,” she
repeated, but not even the crackling sound was heard that time.
“Dammit,” she said and dropped the device.
She was limping back through the debris, when something glistened
in the distance. She shielded her eyes and tried to see what was
coming, but the dust and the glare made it difficult. But one thing
was for sure; who or whatever was approaching was not friendly.
She hastily searched the cabins and the compartments for
dischargeable weapons, and by the time she did find one, the
rumbling outside had surrounded the ship.
Aurora pointed the gun forward and walked slowly to the broken
door. She stood there, watching and waiting, fright paralyzing her
movement. It wasn’t long before she saw the making of what
appeared human prying its way into the ship.
“Stop right there, or I’ll shoot,” Aurora said nervously and backed
up further into the wires and metals at her rear.
“Someone is in here,” the man shouted to someone outside, not
daunted in any way by the weapon she wielded.
“I mean it,” she said and trembled. Aurora knew she was no match
for them, not while she was on their planet, but she would die
defending herself.
“No you won’t,” he told her and came closer. “If you kill me, then
you will be stuck here,” he told her. He got to her and pushed the
weapon down. “Now you have to come with me,” he said and
looked around the ship. “Is anyone else here alive?”
Aurora shuddered as she looked at the man; he had strange carvings
on his skin, and his head was shaved clean. He had a dark
complexion, similar to that of the native Americans, and he was tall.
Outside of the carvings, and their gait, he looked like a regular man,
and nothing like the animal she had thought they would be. They
were often given the appearance of hyenas, or something from
Riddick.
“I’m not going with you,” she told him.
“Fine,” he said and flashed even teeth at her. “Stay here and die; one
less enemy to deal with,” he told her and walked out again.
Aurora stood there after he had stepped out and contemplated her
next move; she really had no other alternative than the one he had
given to her. When she decided to accept his ‘offer’ she was
shocked to see another three of them standing there, and seemingly
waiting for her, when she finally disembarked the damaged ship.
CHAPTER 3
Aurora tried to climb aboard the strange contraption they rode, but
she was prevented from doing so; the wound was throbbing and she
felt faintish. The thing walked around to her back and heaved her up
and into the seat, and she adjusted her leg for greater comfort. He
climbed up after her and sat down. She expected at any minute for
them to snag her and torture her, but instead he handed her a pair of
face goggles.
“You need to wear these,” he said gruffly and handed her the device.
She took it from him, and observed how they wore them, and then
decided she wouldn’t be a willing prisoner. “I don’t want them,” she
said and rested them next to her. She flashed her head and smoothed
her hair behind her ears. She jumped when she heard the loud
laughter from the other three men.
“She will learn,” one of them said and slid inside his.
“For all intents and purposes you might be trying to poison my
mind,” she retorted and folded her arms across her chest.
“You have it all wrong stranger from another planet,” the one next
to her said. “Not wearing it is what will poison you.”
Then he pressed down on a lever and the contraption skidded into
gear, raking red dust all around her. They hadn’t gone ten yards
when she discovered the necessity of the head gear and quickly
pulled it over her head. Before long her entire clothing looked no
different than the wasteland, and she looked over embarrassingly at
the things that were now laughing at her.
She ignored them and stared straight ahead, capturing almost
nothing as the endless dirt swirled around them. They hooted and
behaved boisterously as they drove, and she was reminded of her
senior year in high school when the boys drove around in drop top
vehicles on their way from unauthorized gatherings. It wasn’t until
about three miles of riding that they finally left the wasteland and
traverse across an open plane. Aurora couldn’t help wondering why
she had crashed in the worst place possible.

“We will be there soon,” the thing said when it removed the
headgear.
She did the same and flashed her hair free. “Where are you taking
me?” she asked. “I need to get back home. I need to call someone
and have them…”
“You won’t be calling anyone, and even if you did, I’m sure they
wouldn’t come. They don’t come unless they fight,” he responded,
his eyes still fixed dead ahead.
“So what then? What are you going to do with me?” she asked
nervously. She could hardly imagine the horrors he had in mind for
her, and if not him, then surely someone else would be glad to make
game of her.
“We will just keep you here,” he replied. “Now, no more talking.”
“What do you mean keep me here? I don’t belong here. I have a
home and a life to get back to,” she pleaded. “If you let me go, I can
tell everyone how gracious you have been and they won’t attack.”
He looked over at her, disbelief written all over his features and
looked ahead again without saying a word. Aurora tried to convince
him further, but everything else hit deaf ears; he made no efforts at
communicating until they neared a great wall. It resembled
something one would imagine in the days of old when castles and
drawbridges existed; and she was surprised to see one of the same
lowered as they neared.
As soon as the mobile contraptions were through the gate, a throng
of more like him surrounded her and they poked and prodded, and
some even spat at her. Aurora looked at their angry faces, covered
with red and black markings, and cowered as she envisioned them
ripping her apart.
“Stand back,” the man she rode with said to them.
“What is the meaning of this?” a voice boomed above the din
created by the spectators. “Nevaeh, I thought I told you to dispose of
the refuse. Why have you returned with it?” He glared at Aurora,
and as the insult stung her, her face contorted with rage too.
“This one was alive, and it didn’t make sense leaving it there,” the
man called Nevaeh replied.
“And what do you suppose you will do with it here? It looks weak
and frail,” the man said loudly still. Then he walked over and
gripped her forearm and squeezed it. “Not even good for meat,” he
cried, and the spectators laughed at their words. “And what is that?”
he asked as he noticed the bandage on her leg.
“She was wounded when the ship crashed,” Nevaeh told the man.
“And you want to use our resources to care for it? Do you hope to
bed it too?” the man asked.
“I couldn’t leave her there,” Nevaeh told the man.
He looked over at Aurora again, who by this time was seething with
rage but didn’t think it wise to retort, and then spat on the ground. “I
hold you responsible for this monster,” he said and walked away.
His words registered in Aurora’s head, but nothing made sense. She
was classed as ‘it’, in the same way she had always referred to them.
And now this man thought she was the monster. They were the
monsters! Not her! She stood next to Nevaeh as the crowd thinned
and she was left alone with him standing at the drawbridge, and for
the first time since she was a little girl, her entire perception of their
world was altered.
She looked up at him, and saw him clenching his jaw, and then he
hoisted her over his shoulder and whisked her away east of the gate,
and to the building he called home.
CHAPTER 4
Aurora didn’t quite understand what it meant to be a scarf until she
was draped around Nevaeh’s neck. He held her like she weighed a
pound, and it didn’t even make sense fighting; she could feel the
pain ripping through her leg so she did her best to remain still and
hope it would grow numb. It didn’t. By the time Nevaeh pushed the
wooden gate aside, her eyes were barely open-her mind shutting
down as it tried to cope with the pain.
She was barely aware of him setting her down on a chair in the
corner, and him shuffling around the space, making a suitable prison
for her. If she had seen, then she would have protested, but she was
in no position to be feisty and defiant. She fell into a deep sleep, one
where her pain was nonexistent, and she was back home and
relaxing on her porch. When she awoke a couple hours later, it was
dark, and the air was dank. She coughed and sputtered on what
appeared to be the void enveloping the space. She looked around,
but she couldn’t make anything out, so she got up and tried to feel
her way around.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a voice said from the void.
“Who’s there?” she asked. She had forgotten about her feet, and as
she made a step she went crashing on the floor as the pain reminded
her of its existence.
He rushed over and lifted her from the floor. “Are all women from
earth stubborn? You are quite a pain,” he told her. “You never do as
you are told, even though it often results in your demise. Thraxian
women are more submissive.”
“Well I’m not a Thraxian woman, nor will I ever be,” she spat and
shrugged him off. Her eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting and she
was able to scope her surroundings better, and from what she could
see, she was in some sort of cave or dungeon. “What is this place?”
“It’s where you stay for now until we are sure you won’t attack any
of us,” he told her. Then he got up and returned to her with a bowl
of broth. “Now, you need to eat to keep up your strength,” he told
her. He was handing her the bowl and then he pulled his hand back.
“And before you even think about it, this is the only food you get
until another couple of hours, so be careful you don’t make it spill.”
Aurora glanced up at him, and then thought better of it, and took the
bowl from him. She gave him a half smile and then stuck the bowl
under her nose. She cringed and pulled her head back. “What is
this?”
“It may not be the most palatable meal we have, but it has in more
medicine than morsel,” he told her. “I thought you needed a little
help with that leg right there. So drink up,” he said and then turned
to leave.
“Where are you going? You can’t leave me here,” she said, a frantic
look in her eyes as she looked around the dark space.
“Don’t worry. I will be upstairs, and I need to go to work in the
morning, so I need to get some sleep,” he replied.
“So, why can’t I come up there with you?” she asked.
“Is that a trick question? I only just found you a few hours ago, and
you were in full pursuit I’m sure, of attacking my people when you
crashed. Stop me when I am wrong,” he said and folded his arms,
and his features took on a darker expression.
“Am I supposed to feel guilty of that? You attack all the other
planets and destroy and pillage as much as you can. I lost my
brother in one of the attacks led by the Thrax, and you expect me to
feel sorry?”
“I am sorry about your brother, but my own father was taken from
me in the same way-in battle. It still doesn’t change that I am doing
what is right, by helping you to heal, but make no mistake-we aren’t
friends.”
“And what happens after I heal? You still gonna keep me here?” she
asked.
“I don’t know what I am going to do,” he told her. “But I am sure
you are never leaving this planet.” Then he walked out and stomped
up what sounded to Aurora like wooden stairs.
She sat there in the dim lighting, staring at the bowl. Just then her
stomach started rumbling, and she struggled to remember the last
time she had eaten. Despite all her mental defiance, her body was
canvassing for something more basic; she needed to eat and she
needed to heal. She needed a plan, but first she had to get better;
perhaps win him over, and then make her move.
She put the bowl to her head when she didn’t see any accompanying
utensils, and was surprised to see that it tasted a lot better than it
smelled. Then she replaced it on the wooden table next to the
makeshift bed on which she sat. then her mind wandered onto the
last moments she spent with her crew on the starship one. She
relaxed onto the bed and let its strange warmth comfort the hurt she
felt when she remembered Nora. A single tear started running down
her cheek, and by the time it sped past her lips, it had beckoned a
thousand more. She started sobbing, and then her head began
throbbing as well and she covered her ears to drown the pounding
and the incessant noise slowly getting louder in her mind.
The last thing she remembered, as she drifted off into sleep once
more, was how alone she felt, and lost on a planet she couldn’t dare
call home.
CHAPTER 5
“Nevaeh, what were you thinking taking her here?” his friend asked
him as he burst through the door.
“Good Morning to you too Bjorn,” Nevaeh said and closed the door
shut.
“So?” he asked when Nevaeh didn’t furnish him with a response.
“So, what?” Nevaeh asked, already getting annoyed with his friend.
“Where would you suggest I keep her if not here? The commander
already made it clear he didn’t want her using national properties.”
“But that didn’t mean keep her here,” Bjorn growled. “Her kind has
been nothing but a thorn in our sides, and they are weak and frail,
without much intelligence or skill in battle. She will do you no good
Nevaeh. I think you should just take her back to the wasteland and
let her fend for herself, if the Gregor don’t get her first.”
“You expect me to take her out there to be eaten by wild animals?
What kind of Thraxian are you?”
“The kind who doesn’t sympathize with the enemy,” the man blared.
“Keep your voice down,” Nevaeh said and looked towards the stairs
that led to Aurora’s keep.
“What, so now you are concerned about her sensitivity?” Bjorn
asked. “She shouldn’t be here,” he deliberately said and shouted
down the hole.
“Hello?’ Aurora called.
Bjorn pushed Nevaeh aside and stormed down the steps. “Bjorn,
stop!” He shouted after his friend, but it was useless; he was next to
Aurora in seconds.
Bjorn stood there looking at her, the dark cloud on his face
transforming to a thunderstorm by the time Nevaeh stepped before
him and shoved him aside.
“What are you doing here?” Bjorn asked Aurora.
“Wait, you think I want to be here with you?” she asked him angrily.
“I want to go home, but he doesn’t want me to,” she told Bjorn and
they both looked at Nevaeh.
“You agree with that?” he asked Bjorn. “What do you think will
happen if she goes back home? She tells them what she saw here,
our strengths and our weaknesses, and then they use it against us
when they attack next.”
“Excuse me, but how exactly would I see that from a hole in the
ground?” she barked. “All I want to do is go home, but he won’t let
me.”
“Yeah Nevaeh. Why don’t you let her go home?” Bjorn asked. “I get
sick of just the sight of it,” he spat and scowled at Aurora.
She looked at him and all that had been reserved in her spilled out in
an onslaught of words as her anger grew by leaps and bounds. “Why
does it sound like you think my kind is the enemy? The Thrax have
terrorized the galaxy for decades, and we are just united in our front
against you. You are the monsters!” Her rage was all consuming,
and when she had spewed her venom onto unsuspecting victims, her
chest heaved as she tried to regain control of her emotions. But she
realized they were looking at her like she was crazy. “What?”
“We are the monsters?” Nevaeh asked, and then he looked from her
to Bjorn. “We are the ones who have been constantly attacked, or
did the Inter-galaxy police forget to mention that part?”
“No, that’s not true,” Aurora said as she tried to make sense of the
truth that had become a part of her; the truth that had been instilled
in her ever since she was a child.
“See, there is a difference between the truth and what you were told,
and it is no different than the stories that have been spread across
the galaxies,” Nevaeh told her.
“Yeah, you got it twister woman from earth,” Bjorn chimed in. “You
listen to half-truths and go around the galaxy defending what you
think is true. We only defend against those who persecute us, and
that has resulted in our attacking planets such as yours. Planet
Nirvana was the latest, because they got entangled in an invasion
they couldn’t see their way out of. They, much like the people of
earth, are weak. They didn’t stand a chance against us.”
“I don’t understand,” Aurora said. “I was there during the repeated
invasions. I know nothing of our people first attacking. I lost my
brother during the battle three years ago. Are you telling me he died
defending a dream? That he died for nothing.”
“He may not have died for nothing; he believed in what he died for,
which was not true, which does not…”
“Okay, man you don’t need to justify anything to her,” Bjorn
interrupted. “Whatever happened was their fault anyway. Just get
her out of here.” Bjorn waved her off and went back upstairs, and
she could tell he had left by the slamming of the door.
Nevaeh was just following in his wake when Aurora stopped him.
“Is any of that true?” she asked him quietly.
He sighed and kept his back turned to her. “Yes,” he answered. “We
are not the people you make us out to be. You have been misled.”
Aurora’s head begun to spin as the world she had known capsized
and she was left stranded with another reality she was unable to
appreciate. When she became quiet, Nevaeh turned to her, and the
sight of her with her leg bandaged, her hair unkempt and her head
held down moved something within him, and despite what she was,
he could not leave her to rot in a hole.
“You can stay up top if you like,” he told her and then moved off.
“Could you help me up?” she asked. “I think the wound is
festering,” she said and grimaced.
Nevaeh walked back to the strange creature from another planet: the
woman with the long red hair and green eyes, and skin without
markings. She was different from the women he knew, in more ways
than one, and she intrigued him. That was his sole reason for taking
her home-to study her and perhaps find secrets about the enemy that
kept attacking his people. But he learned quickly that she was as
much a victim as he was, and that they were not so different after
all.
CHAPTER 6
“Ouch!” Aurora cried out as Nevaeh applied an ointment to her
wound.
“You have to keep still,” he told her. “Thraxian women are better at
dealing with pain.”
“Why do you always compare me with your people? I am not one of
you, and obviously would behave diff…ouch!” she cried again.
“Sorry,” he told her and then covered the bottle. “All done,” he told
her. “You won’t need this much longer; your wound is healing
nicely.”
“I have to admit it actually works,” she said as she flexed her leg. A
week ago she was unable to walk without support, and as she stood
she barely felt the pinch as her tissue molded back into place. She
walked around the space she had grown familiar with over the last
week that she had been invited to share with him.
“I need to go out,” he told her and wiped his hand in a rag when he
got up. “Don’t let anyone in, and don’t go out either. You may think
I’m keeping you here as my prisoner, but there are others who
would kill you in a heartbeat, so I’m really doing you a favor.”
“Why?” Aurora asked, and waited expectantly for his answer.
Nevaeh heaved an exasperated sigh and looked directly at her.
“Because I don’t believe in killing someone in cold blood, or
leaving them to die either. Just don’t thank me yet; I still don’t know
what to do with you.”
“I have an idea,” she smiled. She had grown unreasonably and
unexplainably comfortable around Nevaeh over the time she had
been in his home.
“Don’t even think about it,” he told her. “I’m not sure what to do
with you, but I have no way to get you back home either.”
Aurora sighed as he went through the door, and then she went to the
window to watch him leave. The streets were made of what
appeared to be cobble stones for the most part, with single lane
tracks that were used for the mobile vehicles they used. It seemed
the people from Thrax were simple when it had to do with their
lifestyles, but they were educationally and technologically more
advanced than her own people. Thus, Aurora couldn’t understand
their simple lifestyle; surely they could afford to make flashy cars
and jets, yachts and hovercrafts. Instead, they seemed to do a lot of
walking.
She stood there at the window just then, watching a woman holding
a little girl’s hand as they walked past the house. The little girl
already had markings, and as the woman walked, she waved and
smiled to other passersby. When she glanced over and saw Aurora
standing at the window, a frown took its place and she scurried her
daughter along, as if only her stare could infect the child. They
didn’t seem like terrorists, but ordinary people.
And as for Nevaeh, he lived a very mundane and routine life of
waking, exercising, gong to work and walking home. He performed
the same routine every day, with the exception being a rescue
operative whenever their planet came under fire.
Aurora stood there, calculating and processing everything when he
pushed the door open. “I’m surprised you didn’t run,” he told her
when he noticed he staring out the window.
“Like you said, where would I go?” she asked without looking at
him.
He kicked the door shut and placed some groceries on the counter,
before he produced a pan and placed it on the stove. Aurora only
called it that because he used it to cook, but there was nothing
much, apart from the level surface, that resembled anything she had
back home. It was huge and had buttons and commands over a
screen that looked like the one on a microwave panel, so all Nevaeh
had to do was marinate what he wanted and enter the command into
the device. She stood watching him, and was awed, and when he
turned he caught her staring.
“It really isn’t that interesting,” he said and laughed. And that was
perhaps the first time she really did. It was like a slight chuckle,
only it resonated in the room, and seemed to make the air come
alive with its melody that she couldn’t help but smile when he did.
“To me it is,” she said when she moved closer to touch it, like it
hadn’t always been there. She leaned over to stare at the panels and
grooves long the sides, and slid out the drawer where he would
place the unprepared meal. “I would have loved this at home,” she
said. “My own personal chef.”
“Well, I still have to do this part,” he said, indicating the raw meat
still lying on the counter.
“True,” she said and straightened herself. Then she walked over and
touched the meat. “What is it?”
“Kushnai,” he replied. “A rare delicacy here,” he said when he saw
the confusion on her face. “I think it’s what your people know as
steak.”
“Oh,” Aurora replied. “You know about my people?” she asked.
“Of course I do,” he replied. “We know about every nation in this
galaxy; it is a school requirement.”
“Then I believe I am at a disadvantage,” she said as she moved
closer to him and touched him on the hand. “If it is alright with you,
I’d love to know more about your people.”
Nevaeh looked at her hand on his, and then deep into her green
eyes. A twinkle emerged there that warmed her on the inside and he
covered her hand with his other. “It would be my pleasure to,” he
replied. “But I must apologize for my rudeness. All the while you
have been here I didn’t take the time to know much about you. I
thought you…well, I don’t know what I was thinking. But I do
believe I would love the honor of knowing your name.”
Aurora smiled when he spoke, witnessing a gentler, nobler side than
the rugged painted man she had seen on her first day on Thrax, and
in that moment she was glad it was he who had found her. “It’s
Aurora,” she told him, and she removed her hand form under his to
formally meet the strange man who was slowly winning her over.
CHAPTER 7
Over the next few days Nevaeh took Aurora out every time he
wasn’t busy with work. It was no easy feat for Aurora, to be out in
public with him, for she received threats, deadly stares and foul
words she could not even comprehend. Nevaeh shielded her as
much as he could, but she was determined not to let their anger sully
the impression she had of them that was already changing. She
didn’t take it personally anymore, especially considering the new
knowledge that she had found, that it was her and her people who
had done them more wrong than had been meted out to her kind.
Oftentimes she imagined herself ambling along the walk of shame,
receiving blows from rotting foods and vegetables tossed at her, and
feeling deserving of each.
This particular day, Nevaeh thought it would be better if they spent
the day away from prying eyes and evil minds. He took her to a
recreational facility which housed a gym, a lounge area, a pool,
various tracks and entertainment for children. Aurora was awed by
the artwork displayed in the architecture of the building, and she
made full three hundred and sixty turns in each area they passed
through.
“Why isn’t anyone here?” she asked when they got to the pool.
“It is my day off, and the children are in school, so there isn’t
usually anyone here at this time of the day,” he replied.
“Is that why you brought me here?” she asked.
He rolled the leg of his pants up, sat at the edge of the pool and
dangled his legs in the water. Aurora stood there watching him and
then she joined him. She wrapped the skirt between her legs, part of
the pieces he had gotten for her in lieu of the fact that she had
nothing other than the torn gear he had found her in.
“You didn’t answer me,” she said when her feet played in the warm
water next to his.
“Yes,” he finally said. “It won’t be easy for the people here to accept
a newcomer, especially one from earth,” he sighed.
“So, why did you?” she asked. It seemed the question resided
between them, and came up at some point or the other, for Aurora
couldn’t wrap her mind around his strange generosity.
“Haven’t we gone through this before?” he chuckled.
“Yeah, I know what you’ve said before, but I don’t believe that the
answer is still the same,” she told him. “I’ve watched you, and you
have taken a battering from your people as much as I have, and still,
rather than casting me out, here you are.”
“It’s the decent thing to do,” he told her.
“But that’s just it,” she retorted. “I’m not sure I would have done the
same thing had you been the one to crash on my planet. I’m not sure
there would be anyone who wouldn’t want to lock you into an
underground lab and use you as the basis for experiments and
torture for years on end,” she said and sighed. “I guess we really
have a long way to go.”
“But look on the bright side,” he said and nudged her on the
shoulder. “If it had been anyone else who had found you here, you
would be dead.”
“Are you telling me you wield that much power over the actions of
others? There were three of you there. They could have killed me
anyway, or any other day on the street.”
“We have honor and respect for the wishes of others here,” he
replied.
Aurora smiled and touched his hand as it rested on the hard surface
that surrounded the pool. She gazed at the still, clear water that
stretched out before her. It looked like every other pool she had seen
since she had come to know of their existence, and if someone had
kidnapped her and taken her to that world, she would not have
perceived it to be anywhere but earth. Except for the extraordinary
man sitting next to her.
She had been his prisoner for three weeks, and in that time her status
had been elevated to roommate-as far as her terminology of it went.
She looked over at him now, and he smiled at her, and his black
eyes flashed, piercing her soul, and she trembled under his gaze. Her
mind started wandering, and somewhere deep in the shadows of her
subconscious, she started developing an attraction for the being who
had saved her life.
Perhaps he saw the look in her eyes, or read her mind of the carnal
thoughts that had started invading its space, but the next thing she
felt was his cold hard lips on hers. She was frightened at first, and
her eyes popped when her mind registered what was happening, but
like caramel in the hot sun, she melted under his touch and her
entire being became a sticky mess. She felt his lips transform from
cold to burning hot, and soon her eyes closed as she succumbed to
her need. She could feel her body floating away like a helium filled
balloon, and when she felt his hand touch her side, she shivered, and
he moved away.
When their eyes locked, he smiled and pulled her to him and they
sat together, at the side of the pool, feeling contented, yet concerned
about their future.
CHAPTER 8
It was no easy feat that Nevaeh took on when he decided he would
show his affection for Aurora in public. In the same way she had
been jeered before and raked over the coals, he was treated in the
same manner when he decided to hold her hand as they left the pool.
“Disgusting,” an elderly woman spat as they walked by her.
“Look at the strange woman,” some kids laughed, and then
proceeded to throw stones at them.
“Stop!” Nevaeh shouted, and they jumped in fright, hung their heads
and dashed off in separate directions. Aurora tried to pull her hand
away, but he wouldn’t allow her to. “No,” he whispered. “They will
never accept us if they think we are weak.”
“Accept us?” Aurora asked. “What exactly is there to accept?”
Nevaeh stopped walking when her words penetrated his colored
face. “You are the enemy,” he said slowly, just in case she hadn’t
comprehended that so far. “Not exactly the girl you take home to
mama,” he said to her.
“That’s not what I meant,” she began. “I meant, are we together?”
“You had to ask? I kissed you. That should in every way confirm
what I feel for you and my intentions for us.”
“From a kiss?” she asked him.
“That’s not how it works on earth?” he asked her. His expression
was one of shock, and she found it noble that he would think a kiss
meant more than just that; a kiss.
“No,” she told him. “A kiss usually means a guy is attracted to you,
and that he is probably interested in a date. Most times it happens
after the first date.” When she paused from her explanation she
caught him looking at her in an odd way. “What?”
“You come from a very strange place,” he told her.
“Well, back in the day, way back in the day, men used to be
chivalrous: showing up with gifts, opening doors for women,
pulling back chairs and asking permission for her hand in marriage,
or even for a kiss. Nowadays that has all but died, and what we have
left are a bunch of ‘men’ who just want to get into a woman’s pants.
If all they do is kiss, then the girl is lucky.”
“Wow,” Nevaeh said when she was through. “We are more like your
men of old; times have changed and we have gotten more advanced,
but some things will always be the same. I only wish I had gotten
the chance to ask you out on a date. The first time we met I took you
home.”
They both laughed at his words, and then she stopped walking to
face him, the curious stares from his people all but forgotten. “Ask
me now” she told him and looked at him from her emerald green
portals.
“Okay. Aurora, will you be my date tonight?” he asked and grinned.
“Why, thank you for asking; I was not expecting it,” she told him
and laughed. “I would love to go on a date with you Nevaeh, to any
place we won’t possibly get stoned.”
He held her hand and let ring a loud and melodious laugh that
reverberated in the streets and drew the attention of another couple
that was passing them by. Maybe it was the happiness in his tone,
but they smiled as they ambled along. Or perhaps, it was in their
own happiness that they could easily accept the strange couple that
didn’t belong.
Later that night, they snuggled up to each other in the 4-D theatre
studio, with the first eight seats around them being vacant. They
didn’t seem too perturbed by it, and when it was over, and Nevaeh
led her through the exit, they were bombarded with insults once
more.
“Get her out of here,” a man behind them barked. “We don’t need it
on our planet.”
“And will you be the one to remove her?” he asked and turned to
face the voice.
“You are a traitor to keep her here like this,” the man continued.
“They killed your father Nevaeh.”
“It may have been her people, but it wasn’t her, and you are wrong
about her,” he tried to explain.
“Wrong my ass,” the man snarled and bore down on them.
“I think we had better go,” Aurora said and held onto Nevaeh who
had started assuming the color of cherries.
“I think you are right,” he told her, though standing his ground and
challenging the man to make a move. He got close enough to
Nevaeh, but he didn’t dare make a move. “That’s what I thought,”
Nevaeh said and grabbed Aurora by the hand, and walked through
the throng of people who had already gathered.
“I think it’s beautiful,” one woman said and gave Aurora a friendly
pinch on the arm.
Aurora smiled at her, and was pleased to find that there was one
voice in the crowd that wasn’t looking to maul her.
Nevaeh pushed the door in, angry and hurt that he wasn’t receiving
the response he would have preferred. He flung himself on the bed,
with his hands sprawled like he was about to make an angel from
linen rather than snow.
“It’s alright,” Aurora told him. “Maybe you can just sneak me off
the planet; this probably won’t work no matter how we may want
it.”
“I will do no such thing, unless…” he started and then got up to
look her in the eyes. “Do you want to go?”
Aurora thought about the question, and immediately she thought of
how lonely her life had been on earth; ever since she lost her
brother, she had found meaning only in her job. And that job had led
her to Nevaeh, who was giving her every woman’s dream. “No,” she
responded. “I think I like being here with you, despite everything.”
Nevaeh leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips, and then more
sweetly the longer his lips played over hers. Then they locked in an
embrace so strong and all consuming, that it filled Aurora’s eyes
with water to imagine she had found love in a strange place.
CHAPTER 9
As the days went on, some longer than others, Nevaeh’s and
Aurora’s affections for each other grew in proportion to the public’s
acceptance of their once taboo relationship. They no longer received
hard stares or curse words hurled at them, but smiles and nods-worst
case, indifference.
“I do believe you have won them over,” he told her once when they
returned home.
“I’m not so sure of that; Bjorn still looks at me like a fly stuck to a
trap,” she said while referring to one of his closest friends-the only
one still having a hard time with them being together.
“He will come around; he is just stubborn and foolish. Who knows?
Maybe you will be the reason earth learns my people are not the
enemy, and we can have some peace between us.”
“I doubt that will happen,” she said and sighed. Shortly after, a
mischievous grin crossed her lips, and she walked seductively over
to Nevaeh. “In other news, there is a ‘peace’ of you I would like to
sign an agreement with,” she told him. She was standing directly
before him now and she pulled him forcefully to her. Aurora had
been tempted to be with him on many occasions, but the gentleman
in him wouldn’t approach her to solicit sex, and she was all but
frustrated with being that close to him and not feeling him.
“Are you sure? It is not customary…”
“Shh,” she whispered. “Enough about your people. Let me show
you some customs of mine,” she grinned and slid his pants to his
ankles and helped his shirt over his head. She had never seen him
naked before, and she marveled at how perfectly proportioned his
frame was. Her eyes roamed his firm body, and he stood there like a
marble statue while she had her fill. Then he reached out and traced
her fingers along the markings on her skin, and as she drew closer
south, she saw his hard member perk up, and its head elevated as if
to meet her touch.
She held onto it, and squeezed and stroked until he closed his eyes.
She felt him quiver when she took him into her mouth and greeted
him in a way she was sure he wasn’t familiar with. Nevaeh looked
down at the woman who was controlling his ebb and flow, and he
grabbed her red head as the unfamiliar feeling escalated into
sensations strange and sweet to his consciousness. He rocked his
head back as Aurora licked from base to tip, and then covered him
inch by inch. The choke effect she felt which caused her to gag,
threw Nevaeh over the edge, and he pulled back and looked at her,
her hair tossed aside, and her green eyes wild with passion.
He pulled her to him, and buried his head in her neck as he slid the
straps of the dress from her shoulders, and Aurora stepped from the
thinly veiled fabric and let her arms envelop his body. Neveah’s lips
moved from the cleft at her neck and down to ripe nipples already
throbbing and aching for his attention. His warmth was welcomed
when he ran his tongue along their circumference, and then he
cupped one with his hands and suckled her. Aurora cried out and ran
her hand over his bald head. She kissed the top of his head as he
moved from one twin to the other.
Then, with skilled hands, he lifted her and gently rested her on the
bed, and as she spread her legs wide, giving an all access granted
path to heaven, he buried himself within her. He stroked hard and
fast and Aurora trembled each time he pulled back and re-entered.
She watched as he held his head back, his eyes closed, and
penetrated her deeper. By the time she felt him increasing in speed
and tremors, she knew he had all but reached his climax, and she
dug into his hips with sharp nails, eliciting cries from him. Then she
matched him, and in one glorious and united effort, they molded
their bodies into one
When it was all over, he relaxed on the bed next to her, a broad
smile on his face. She smiled too, and played with the markings on
his skin that had seemingly gotten illuminated by the passion they
shared.
“What do you think would be a good name for a boy?” he asked her.
“A good name? What are you talking about?” she asked him.
“For our son-the one you will soon have. We have to make
preparations for his arrival, which means our nuptials, and we need
to…”
“Hold it Nevaeh,” Aurora said when she realized his line of
argument. “What are you talking about?”
“Darling, don’t you know?” he asked, and then placed his hand on
her stomach.
“What? No!” she said. “That was our first time, and based on my
cycle I wasn’t even ovulating, so there is no way I can be pregnant.
And how could you know that right off the bat?”
“What does that mean ‘right off the bat’?” he asked, a confused
expression possessing his features.
“We just made love, so how could you know that already?” she
asked. She was feeling a sudden and intense sense of panic rushing
through her because of what he had said. She had not imagined
herself a mother before that time, and the words flowed right
through her like water through a cave before crashing on rocks in
descent to the enormous pool at the end of the waterfall.
“You have much to learn about us,” Nevaeh told Aurora. “Why do
you think we don’t take things so lightly? We only kiss when we
mean it to be more, and we only make love when we are ready for a
family. Just once with a man of Thrax and the woman is guaranteed
conception.”
He looked down at her stomach again and smiled, and Aurora
watched him, but all she heard was the blood rushing though her
veins as they made the endless circular journey.
CHAPTER 10
It didn’t take long for Aurora’ body to prove Nevaeh’s words.
Within a week she was already experiencing symptoms systematic
of pregnancy. She, like her kind, began developing nausea, and what
she once detested in food she now had a craving for.
“My son knows good food,” was what Nevaeh would always tell her
whenever he saw her rushing to the bathroom.
When Aurora returned from one such trip, she plopped down on the
chair, her cheeks the color of her eyes. “I don’t get it. How does that
work? That one-time thing that makes a baby? Is it the
atmosphere?”
Nevaeh laughed when she spoke. “I don’t know the biology of it; I
just know that’s what happens.”
Just then there was a knock at the door. Nevaeh went to answer, and
his face grew cold when he saw who the caller was. “Hi Bjorn.”
“May I come in?” his friend asked.
“That depends on whether or not you will attack Aurora,” Nevaeh
said and stood there blocking the entrance still.
“I won’t,” he promised, and then Nevaeh stood aside to let him pass.
“Hi,” he waved uncomfortably to Aurora. She smiled at him, and
then he turned to Nevaeh, and then back at her. “Is she having a
baby?” he asked with surprise.
“God, is it that obvious? It’s only been a week,” Aurora replied and
held her head down as she felt another bout of nausea.
Maybe it was the idea of the baby, or the time that had passed that
had driven a wedge between the friends that needed mending, that
cause Bjorn to display elation at the news. He went over to Aurora,
and knelt next to her. “May I?” he asked, signaling her stomach.
Aurora looked to Nevaeh and when he nodded, she approved. The
man looked awed when he touched her stomach and then his face lit
up and he looked at her. “This is the first baby between a being of
earth and one from Thrax,” he said as if the baby had suddenly
developed grave importance to his people. He spoke reverently and
with respect that Aurora couldn’t help being filled with wonder.
“I suppose so, though I am dreadfully frightened. I don’t know what
to expect,” she said to him.
“You have a good guide,” he said and stood to congratulate Nevaeh.
“Now I see the stars had something different planned for you
altogether my friend,” he said and clapped him on the back. “This is
big; you need to have the ceremony, and make her official.
“Wait, what ceremony?” Aurora asked.
Nevaeh walked over to her and held her hand. “It is our custom here
to have a celebration when a woman gets impregnated, so that the
Gods can bless the baby even from the womb.”
“But what about…the people?” she asked. “Will your leaders agree
to that? I don’t belong here.”
“You carry a son of Thrax,” Bjorn spoke up before Nevaeh could
even answer. “That is your right to be here.”
Aurora smiled after he spoke, and then she looked back to Nevaeh.
“And this is something you want to do?”
“It is something I must,” he told her. “I was planning to bring it up
today.”
“I will speak for you Nevaeh,” he said and the excitement returned
to his voice as his face lit up. “The first of his kind-that child will be
something special.”
“Thanks Bjorn,” Nevaeh said.
“You two will have to excuse me,” Aurora said as she made another
mad dash to the bathroom.
“Yes indeed,” Bjorn grinned. “I’m sorry man,” he turned to Nevaeh
and said. “But you know we were taught that the people of earth…”
“No need,” Nevaeh said and silenced his friend. “I’m just glad
everything is working out.”
“Me too,” he replied.
The two men stood there in the room grinning like Cheshire cats
when Aurora returned, and she couldn’t help but be affected by their
contagious attitude. She walked over to Nevaeh and kissed him
lovingly, and Bjorn stared as he witnessed the novel yet strange
phenomenon that was about to change the lives of everyone on
Thrax.
************
Aurora stood nervously at the stone pillar just outside the sacred
halls. She was dressed in a long white gown that fell to her ankles.
Nevaeh stood next to her, in a long white robe with a broad golden
belt. It was an important day for her, and for them; the day when she
would officially be welcomed by the people of Thrax and blessings
would be bestowed on their baby. Nevaeh stood there beaming with
pride as he looked at the small swelling on her stomach. The bells
pealed then, and the two marched off to meet the elders as they
waited for them at the end of the march. There were rows of
ministers, leaders, commanders and regular citizens lining the walk,
and two little girls marched before them scattering white petals.
It felt like a grand coronation to Aurora, and she was as nervous as
she was excited, and she returned the smiles of many of the people
who nodded their approval as she passed. She felt Neveah’s grip
tighten on her, and she squeezed his hand in return.
“Will it hurt?” she whispered as they walked.
“No,” he told her. “They have a special technique to applying the
paint. It is usually done just as the baby is born, and sealed into him
forever.”
She drew a deep breath and kept walking into the future she could
not have foreseen. The elder took her hand as she got to the podium,
and then he held both their hands and turned them to the people.
They chanted and hummed something unfamiliar to Aurora, but it
had to be good, because when she looked over at Nevaeh he was
grinning.
Then the elder held both Aurora’s hand and turned her to him.
“Welcome, woman of Thrax,” he smiled.
Aurora beamed when he spoke, and she felt the baby inside her
move, and she knew that though nothing would be the same again,
that it would be better too.
THE END

Star Dragon
CHAPTER ONE
“Shit!” Staff Sergeant Keandra Calhoun carefully got out of her
rocket ship and surveyed the damage. She’d been sent out on a
routine patrol of the area, but somehow she’d lost control of her
ship and crashed into the rocky mountains on Hoth. The cold,
gunmetal gray planet was in enemy territory, and she did not want
to be stuck here. Unfortunately, her ship was inoperable. The
entire front engine was gone, and there were jagged gashes along
the hull.
She also had a gaping hole in her leg, where debris from the
ravaged ship had stabbed her.
Frustrated, Keandra slapped the hull with her hand.
“Goddammit!” She took off her goggles and looked around to
make sure no one was around. Thankfully, the Hoths had not been
alerted to her presence. Not yet anyway.
The Hoths were a brutal, fierce and militant race of aliens known
for taking other species prisoner – the ones who weren’t murdered
became subservient slaves who likely wished they were dead.
They were shifters; half humanoid lifeforms, half slimy monsters
with poisonous tentacles.
Keandra did not want to meet one of these filthy fuckers.
Leaning against her ship, she did her best to stay down and hidden
in case any Hoths were also on patrol and came across her. If her
ship was working properly, she might have been able to use her
invisibility force field, but alas…
“Come in, Terra One,” she said into her communicator. “Terra
One, this is Calhoun.”
There was no signal on her device. Eventually, she had to give up
and put it back into a pocket of her green cargo pants. What now?
Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching. Reaching into her
pants, she pulled out her small, purple blaster gun, ready to shoot
whoever this stranger was. Thankfully, it was only one pair of
footfalls or she would have been in big trouble. Keandra could
take one Hoth. She knew she could.
But what appeared instead was a tall, blueish man with dark green
hair held back in a low bun on his head, and light green scales on
his forearms and neck. He was wearing a green patrol outfit,
similar to hers actually. Instead of coming in to attack her, this
stranger seemed more… curious. He stopped several feet from her
crash site.
“Don’t shoot,” he said, raising his arms to show that he did not
have a blaster. “I am Albion Pogona. I am a weredragon. I am not
from Hoth. Please.”
Keandra slowly lowered her blaster. “Are you with the
Resistance?” she asked him, keeping her blaster in her hand but no
longer pointing it at him.
The dragon shifter swallowed hard and nodded. “I want to get you
out of here before anyone sees you. Come with me.”
Accepting that her ship was a loss now, Keandra nodded and went
to this Albion Pogona. Up closer, she could see that he had gold
eyes and a more reptilian appearance than she had noticed before.
It was much more difficult to notice such traits when all she was
focused on was defending herself.
The green uniform almost matched his green scales. They were a
few shades lighter, whereas the uniform was olive, or whatever
term the weredragon aliens had for olive. Albion was at least six
and a half feet tall. He towered over Keandra, who was tough and
fiery at only five foot two and a half.
More importantly, Albion was gorgeous. He had chiseled features,
a pointed chin and a long, well-defined nose like a Greek statue.
His attractive face and muscled body could almost make up for the
fact that he was covered in scales and obviously an alien.
She did not know if she should feel safe with him, but what choice
did she have now?
Albion walked her back to his ship, which was parked nearby. She
limped along beside him, trying not to noticeably wince or
grimace as the pain of the accident finally got her attention. She
acted tough and brave so that he would not hurt her.
They walked aboard as quickly as she could handle, and he set the
autopilot’s course. Keandra made sure to stay close so she could
monitor his coordinates.
“If I was going to kill you, I would have done it already,” Albion
said calmly, smirking slightly as he turned the dials and pushed
several buttons.
“I thought you said you didn’t have a gun.”
He turned toward her then and produced three blasters from the
recesses of his cargo pants. He placed them on the ship’s
dashboard. “I fabricated that. I knew you would just shoot me if I
had a weapon drawn, and that would’ve been fucking annoying
for both of us.”
Keandra looked at him, shocked and somehow appreciative.
“You’re hurt,” he said then, blinking slowly like she saw a lizard
once do in a zoo, his odd, thin eyelids moving over his reptilian
eyes. “Come with me.”
Before she could protest, Albion lifted her into his arms and
carried her down the main hall of the ship and into a cabin. He laid
her on the bed and ripped her pants open so he could get at her
wound on her right calf.
“Hey!” she shouted. “In case you weren’t aware, this is currently
my only pair of pants!”
Albion ignored her. He turned from her and reached into the
medicine cabinet. He dumped a strange pink liquid onto a piece of
gauze. Then he turned back around and immediately put the gauze
on her injured leg.
No warning. No ‘this might sting a little.’ Just bam! – right onto
her open wound.
“Star shitter!!” she swore, flailing and banging her fist against the
stiff mattress. It felt like lemon juice into a papercut on her
eyeball. The worst pain she could imagine. “Why??”
He looked at her, blinking again. “You’re injured.”
“I know I’m fucking injured,” she snapped. “But you could’ve
prepared me.”
Albion considered that. “Vlwarx may sting a little.”
“Thank you for that,” Keandra said, taking a deep breath and then
exhaling it out hotly through her nostrils.
He continued to administer the unfamiliar medication to
Keandra’s calf, while she bit her lip and kept her swears inside. It
hurt like hell, but at least he was trying to help her. After a few
moments, the medication seemed to be doing its job and she no
longer felt pain. There was a numbness in her leg, but she
preferred not feeling anything to the excruciating pain she had
been experiencing.
Once a liberal amount of the Vlwarx was put on her leg, Albion
closed up the bottle and threw the used gauze into a trash bin.
Then he wrapped some soft, pink bandages around her injured
calf.
“How did you crash your ship?” he asked, looking into her eyes. It
turned out that his eyes were not just gold. They had a thin band of
green around the pupils. His eyes did not help him appear more
human, but Keandra found him attractive in an exciting and
different way. Albion was alluring.
She really hoped she could trust him.
“My ship’s navigation system went out of control,” Keandra
explained. “I think a signal came from Hoth and conflicted with
my software. I was doing a routine patrol of the area to make sure
our enemies are staying in line. Please, I beg you; don’t let anyone
on Hoth know I’m here.”
Albion looked at her as though considering his options. He stroked
his pointed chin. Some green scruff was forming there, the same
color as his scales. Keandra wondered what he would look like
with a beard. If it was possible to internally roll her eyes at herself,
that’s what she was doing.
“I will not tell anyone,” he told her. “You are safe with me.”
Keandra let herself believe him. When she looked into his eyes,
she could see that he was not like the other aliens she had come
across on all of her missions. He was decent. He was
compassionate. He was not out to attack her or her people.
He had to be with the Resistance. After all, the Hoths were
brutally enslaving and killing off many other species in their
quadrant of the galaxy. As far as Keandra knew, his race was one
such species. She wondered what his race was, but of course she
was not going to ask that. It did not matter, as long as he was not a
Hoth.
“Now you should get some rest. I will make some food for us.”
Albion put all of the first aid tools back into the cabinet and then
gently but firmly pushed her back onto the mattress so she would
lie down.
He left the cabin then, the door whizzing open and then shut
behind him. Keandra did as she was instructed and stayed lying
flat on the mattress, hoping that Albion’s miracle elixir would be
enough to completely heal her wound, no matter how unrealistic
that was. She had seen aliens achieve some pretty crazy things.
She wondered what the dragon shifter had been up to when he
discovered her crashed rocket ship. Had he been patrolling just
like she was? Keandra felt extremely fortunate that he had come
across her, instead of the enemy.
If a Hoth had found her, she would have more than a stinging leg
to complain about.
When Albion returned, he was carrying a chrome tray full of food
that looked remarkably similar to food from Earth. Keandra
opened her mouth to question that, but he just smirked a little. For
a lizard-like creature, he had nice, full lips.
“I have been to Earth before,” he said, to explain away her
puzzled expression. “I did not get to stay for long, but I was there
long enough to know what a sandwich is.”
He sat beside her on the bed and placed the tray onto her lap. She
sat up and admired her meal. Sandwich, a salad that seemed
mostly fine except for some purple lumps that she suspected were
not eggplant… And a glass of pinkish milk.
Keandra pointed at her milk. “What is this?”
Albion’s face went red. “Well, there are no bovine here, obviously.
It’s milk from a skrack.”
She had no idea what a skrack was, but it did not sound as tasty as
cow milk. Still, she did not want to be rude to the person who had
rescued her and taken such good care of her thus far. So, instead of
making a disgusted face, like she wanted to do, Keandra just took
a sip of the strange milk.
It did not taste as bad as she expected. Actually – surprisingly – it
did not taste so different from normal milk.
“Wow,” she said. “Way to go, skrack.”
Albion smiled at her, seemingly pleased by her enjoyment of his
offerings. “So, what do you do on these missions you go on?” he
asked, continuing to make an effort for small talk.
“I mostly just fly around, making sure that everything is going in
an orderly way. I seek out enemies and keep them more or less in
line,” Keandra said. “But I mostly just fly around and monitor
things.”
He nodded, understanding.
“What about you?” she asked. She had to know more about this
mysterious weredragon, even if what she found out was not
entirely pleasant.
Albion looked at her and then rubbed the palms of his large hands
against his olive green cargo pants. Keandra got the impression
that her question made him nervous; though why, she didn’t know.
“Same as you,” he said after a few moments of hesitation. “I was
out patrolling the area for any suspicious activities. I suppose you
are a suspicious activity.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you making a joke?” she
asked, surprised.
He smiled and nodded.
“You will be safe in here,” he said then. “The door will be kept
secure and no one is aware of your presence. The Hoths may
know I’m here, but I am flying a Gekkota ship, not an Earthling
ship. Worst case scenario is that they go after me for trespassing
while being a Gekkota.”
Keandra frowned slightly at that. What he said was true; although
he was not a Hoth, that only meant that he was another of their
enemies. She was not any less likely to be captured now. But at
least she would not be captured alone?
“And diverting from your mission would arouse suspicion,” she
added with a nod. “I understand. Well, I won’t get in the way of
your work. I can keep my mouth shut, as long as you can keep
yours shut.”
Albion looked at her, tilting his head. If she ignored his scales, she
could pretend that he was a normal Earthling man. Except he was
light blue. A normal, Earthling man who was cold?
She was clearly starting to feel tired and woozy from the ordeal
back with her ship. She finished up her meal without saying
anything and soon Albion went back to his work elsewhere on the
ship.
Setting the tray aside when she was done, Keandra lay back down
on the stiff mattress and closed her eyes, falling asleep to the soft
sound of the humming ship’s engine and the faint, distant sounds
of Albion at work.
 ***

Bolting back up until a sitting position, Keandra gazed around the

small cabin of the spaceship as she slowly remembered where she
was. She had not been asleep for very long. Twenty minutes, tops.
But she felt well-rested and ready to do something. She was not
the kind of woman who would just sit back and let the man do
everything for her! She was a staff sergeant, goddammit!
As soon as she stood up from the bed, she immediately regretted
it. Her leg still felt like a limp noodle. Keandra held onto the bed
so she would not completely fall to the hard steel floor.
“Albi…” she called, feeling disoriented. “Albion?”
The tall, lizard man strode into the room. He was wearing a face
mask that one might wear whilst welding, but he pushed it up so
she could see his face again and not be alarmed at his sudden,
1950s sci-fi appearance.
Not that Albion knew what sci-fi was. Or the 1950s, for that
matter.
“What is it?” he asked. “Why are you out of your sleeping pod?”
Keandra looked at the bed and then up at him, into his eyes. “I
don’t want to stay cooped up in here. I want to help.”
He pulled off the mask completely and set it aside on the counter
under the first aid cabinet. He scratched his dark blue scruff. “The
best way that you can help me right now is by resting and getting
better,” he said.
She kept her eyes on his. “I don’t need a hero.”
The truth was that she appreciated Albion’s help, and she wanted
to return the favor. They were going to be flying around together
for a while now, unless he planned to just drop her off somewhere
as soon as he could be rid of her… And it did not seem like that
was his plan. They were in this rebellion together, and she wanted
to continue to do her part.
“I won’t do anything that further injures myself,” Keandra added,
trying to persuade him. “I’ll even do a task that can be done sitting
down.”
He sighed finally. “Fine. Come with me.”
 CHAPTER TWO

Albion’s spaceship was much larger than Keandra initially

thought. He led her to a room full of metallic parts. She lifted one
up and admired her reflection. Her light brown skin was covered
in cuts and bruises; her reddish-brown hair was unkempt from
falling out of its customary ponytail during her nap. Her large,
green eyes were sad and nervous-looking.
She could see why he was so keen to keep her resting. He pitied
her, because she looked absolutely pitiful. Looking back up at
him, she cocked an eyebrow. “So, what are we doing here?
Building a robot?”
He shook his head at her, and then gave a small shrug. “Maybe
something like that. Sit on that stool over there and polish for me.”
Keandra did as she was ordered and limped over to a black stool.
She sat down and began polishing the metal bits with a dirty old
rag. It struck her as amusing that the Gekkota were not so different
from Earthlings. They did mundane tasks like anyone else. And
they did them in pretty much the same way.
She looked out the window while she worked, gazing down at the
gray planet below them. It resembled Earth’s moon, but it was
darker, harder, and inhospitable. Turning away from it, she looked
back at Albion, who was assembling the shined pieces together
into something that looked more like armor than a robot.
Was he planning to attack the Hoths? That was pretty bad ass of
him.
“I never thanked you for rescuing me and taking care of my leg,”
Keandra said, feeling a bit sheepish now. “I mostly wanted to
punch you for putting space goop in my open wound. But thank
you.”
Albion lowered the pieces he was working on soldering. He did
another slow, reptilian blink. “You’re welcome,” he said.
Suddenly, the spaceship rumbled and jolted upward. Keandra let
out a scream. Albion dropped the armor and rushed to her,
catching her before she fell. “What was that?” she asked, looking
into his eyes searchingly. “Have they found us?”
Placing a finger to her lips, he shook his head. “Probably just a
passing star.”
“Probably?” she asked him. “I don’t like that word. That’s not
comforting.”
Another jolt, but this time he was holding her so she did not feel
quite so scared.
After looking around, making sure that his metal pieces were
unharmed – scattered haphazardly now, but unharmed – he gazed
into Keandra’s eyes.
“I think you should go back to bed,” he said. “It is not safe for you
to be in here. Anything could happen.”
She pouted, but he was right. At any point, she could be jostled
and thrown into something, or have something fall into her. She
was a distraction for Albion, and a danger to herself by being out
of her cabin.
Albion did not open it up for discussion, but rather just carried her
back down the hall to her room.
Once in the room, Albion placed Keandra on the stiff mattress.
Then he did something she had not expected. He got onto the
mattress with her and started kissing her. She was shocked and
more than a little thrilled when she discovered that he kissed the
way that she thought kisses were supposed to be. He gently ran his
tongue along the edge of hers and Keandra realized, blushing at
the thought, that his tongue was forked.
Whether it was because he was a dragon shifter or because he was
an alien lifeform, she did not care. She simply wanted more of it.
She kissed him deeply, passionately, longingly. Keandra never
knew just how badly she could want him until that moment. He
had seemed such an asshole at first, adding injury to injury. But
she’d been wrong about him. She was not merely safe with him.
She felt like she might flat out need him.
It was not long before Albion went for the fly of her cargo pants.
They were barely even pants anymore; there was a long, gaping
hole in her right pant leg from when Albion tended to her wounds.
Carefully, as if he did not want to damage them further, he pulled
them off of Keandra and let them fall to the floor. He did the same
with her panties before gently bringing his fingers to her opening.
He stroked and prodded at her clit. Keandra wondered if he had
any idea what it was, but from the feel of it he knew exactly what
he was doing. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. “Oh
yeah, that’s good.”
Albion smiled, glad that he was giving pleasure to the human
female. After a few moments of him gently fingering her with his
long, dexterous blue fingers, Keandra came. She gasped out,
writhing against the hard bed’s sheets.
“You liked that?” he asked her softly.
Keandra bit her lip and nodded eagerly, indicating with that one
small gesture that she wanted more.
He stood up and stepped out of his green pants and t-shirt,
allowing Keandra to gaze upon his tall, lean, gorgeous body. His
green scales shimmered along the rest of his naked body, ending
where his forest green pubic hair began. She could now see the
dragon that her dragon kept down below. His penis was long and
sleek, glistening and begging for her now.
“Do you want it?” he asked her softly.
Keandra nodded again, even more eagerly.
Albion climbed onto the bed with her and went between her legs,
kissing and biting her inner thighs, kneading her ass with his long
fingers. She arched her back off the mattress, dizzy from want of
him.
At last, when he had worked her into enough of a frenzy, Albion
pressed his large, lizard-like cock into her opening. He started
thrusting hard into her, penetrating deeply into the tight, warm
recesses of her pussy.
It was Albion’s turn to react. He moaned deeply, feeling his way
around her wet opening like an explorer unearthing treasure at the
bottom of the ocean. Keandra found herself wondering, again,
how he knew about sex with humans. Was Gekkota sex the same
way? She found that difficult to believe, but he was so skilled that
she did not find it so hard to imagine.
She lifted her legs up, wrapping them around Albion’s middle. He
embraced her and gently lifted her up so she was sitting on his lap.
He bounced her up and down against him. She shouted out,
feeling him inside of her and never wanting to stop feeling the
pleasure that came from his alien member.
Albion brought his mouth to hers once more and kissed her with
his forked tongue while his penis explored her other opening. If
this was an alien probe, Keandra did not mind it at all. She wanted
to be probed, faster and faster.
Suddenly, he sped up his thrusts, letting out a guttural moan. He
lowered her back down to the bed and then placed his hand onto
her mouth, thrusting at a pace that seemed to only quicken.
Keandra opened her mouth wide against his palm and screamed as
she came again, feeling her wetness on his cock and the blanket
beneath her. She had exploded against him, and in doing so, she
caused Albion to explode in an orgasm of his own.
When it was over, she felt sticky, wet and extremely satisfied. She
sat up on the bed, cinnamon hair disheveled and eyes bleary. She
smiled at him. “That was amazing.”
Albion smiled back at her, petting her hair. He carefully pulled out
of her but stayed close, holding her in his arms as if he did not
want the good feelings to end. “You’re astounding,” he said.
They cuddled each other on the bed until they were both fast
asleep.

***

The next morning, Keandra awoke to discover Albion at the food

of the bed. He was dressed back in his uniform, his hair neatly
tidied back up in its shiny green bun. From the look of things, he
had been sitting there and watching her sleep for at least a few
hours. It did not appear that he had just woken up.
“Get dressed,” he told her in a soft but authoritative voice.
She got out of the bed, startled by his command and by his
appearance in general. Keandra had slept like a baby, and she
thought that Albion had been sleeping soundly beside her as well.
The last thing she remembered was hearing his soft snoring in her
ear and being ridiculously happy about it.
Putting her uniform back on reminded her of her injury to her calf.
Though it was well bandaged up by Albion, the effects of the
strange medicine had worn off. Now she could feel the dull pain
of it as she stood there, wriggling back into her tight cargo pants.
The hole was still there, of course. She had not had time or
opportunity to mend it. Keandra had thought they might
eventually reach some sort of trading outpost, but it seemed now
that Albion had other plans.
He watched her wordlessly as she dressed. She was confused and
concerned by the look on his face, as though he’d lost his best
friend. She knew she was not going to like the answer. “What’s
the matter?”
As soon as she was dressed, Albion stood up and went to her. He
took her hand in his, and then suddenly closed some iron chains
around her wrist.
“Hey!” she shouted suddenly, aghast. “What the hell?”
He put the manacles around her other wrist as well, shaking his
head wordlessly.
So this was why he was so upset. He had tricked her, deceived her.
He was one of them.
“Forgive me,” Albion finally said gruffly. He attempted to look
into her eyes, but Keandra looked away. She could not look at him
anymore. He was a traitor.
Sensing that he was not going to receive any forgiveness or
affection from her any longer, he took her by the upper arm and
led her down the long hallway of his ship. He pushed her gently
but forcefully into the copilot’s chair and pushed a few buttons,
turned a few knobs. Before long, the spaceship landed back on
Hoth.
Keandra glared at him, her green eyes partially obscured behind
her cinnamon bangs that cut across her forehead and face in a
diagonal line. Albion looked at her, and then at the floor. When
the door of the ship whirred open, he led her by the bicep down
the plank and onto the rocky, desolate ground of the hated planet
once more.

***

Albion led Keandra directly to the Hoths’ main city center. As

they walked, she could see thousands of ugly Hoth faces watching
her, greedy and hungry. Keandra was determined to survive this.
She was not going to die by the hands – or tentacles – of the
Hoths. She was especially not going to die while Albion lived.
The Galactic Federation of Hoth’s leader, President Sluuurb, sat
on his throne-like seat of metal and rock. He sneered down at
Albion and his captive. “How much do you want for the Earthling
girl?” His voice was like a low rumble. Tectonic more than
anything.
“One thousand galsects.” Albion’s voice was firm, but Keandra
detected some fear in it. It was possible that only she could sense
it. Most likely because she knew him. Ugh, she wished she had
never met him now.
Sluuurb considered a moment, his tiny cluster of bug-like eyes
staring and unflinching. “Eight hundred galsects.”
“Nine hundred.”
Silence for a moment. The Galactic Federation all leaned together
in their thrones, whispering like hornets in a nest. Then, finally,
President Sluuurb sat up straight in his chair, eyeing Albion and
then Keandra. “Nine hundred,” he said, nodding with one small
movement.
Two Hothian guards came from either side and gruffly pulled
Keandra from Albion. He gaped a little, looking like he wanted to
say something, but it was done.
She spat on him in her anger. She was aiming for his face, but she
ended up mostly getting a glob on his chest. It glistened along
with his scales. She refused to look him in the eye. She despised
him now.
“Come on, girl,” one of the guards said.
“You’re ours now,” the other said.
When they were not speaking, they continually made slurping
sounds. Keandra was repulsed by them.
I hope you choke on your reward money, you Gekkota bastard.

***

The Hothian guards pulled her along down a long, sloping path
that led into the bowels of the planet. Eventually, the space opened
up into a humongous cavern filled with humans like her, chained
like her, working. They were apparently mining dark blue rocks
out of the gunmetal gray rock that made up the planet. Keandra
did not know what made these rocks special, but she assumed that
it must be like gold was on Earth.
Treasure.
Without another word, the guards flung her toward a waiting
overseer, who glared at her, sizing her up and down. “Get changed
into work clothes and grab a bucket.”
Keandra went into one of the changing stalls and took off her dirty
patrol uniform. She was not sad to be rid of it, but the reason was
less than ideal. Her calf was still bandaged, but she knew that her
wound was going to need to be changed and redressed at some
point. She did not imagine that anyone in this mine was going to
care to dress her wound for her with his magical, stinging, fucking
awful ointment.
Once she had stripped down to her panties and bra, she put on the
work clothes that the overseer had mentioned. They were more
like gray rags. A raggedy old t-shirt full of holes and a similar pair
of gray shorts with torn and fraying hems. The outfit felt like it
was made out of paper. The drafty mine bit at her from every side
until she found herself wishing she was back in Albion’s warm
bed.
She hated him so much, and she hated him most of all because she
missed him. He did not deserve to be missed. But she could not
keep herself from wishing that he was still with her, keeping her
safe, tending her cuts and bruises. Touching her and making her
feel protected and loved.
Now she was just one of thousands of Hothian slaves. She came
out of the changing area, dumped her ripped-up uniform into a
waiting yellow bin and grabbed a chromium bucket.
The overseer led her to the place where she was to join the line.
Keandra got down on her knees and began to work, picking at the
rocks and stones with a pick and her bare hands. She hoped to find
some of that midnight blue stone, just so she could say she had
done something today. She was going to prove her worth.
Because, if she didn’t, there was no telling what would become of
her.
At the end of the day, the overseer and several other people in
command came around to check all of the Earthling slaves’
buckets. One of the commanders came to Keandra and snatched
up her bucket.
She scowled as she looked down into it. “Two?” The Hoth was so
ugly, perhaps even the ugliest that Keandra had seen so far, that it
was only a guess that it was female. Her voice was shriller than
the others, and she had fashioned some ridiculous, hot pink lip
balm to her… well, it wasn’t a mouth. To her facial orifice.
Keandra averted her eyes. “Yes, Commander.”
The fierce female Hoth scowled even more, making Keandra
wonder if she could read her thoughts and had taken offense.
“Not enough!” the Hoth commander shouted. Before Keandra
knew what was happening, the Hoth woman struck her with the
back of her hand. Keandra fell to the floor. The Hoths took
pleasure in shifting into their human forms when delivering
brutality. Fists were not poisonous like their tentacles, but boy did
they hurt.
The Hoth’s human form was perhaps even uglier than her alien
form. Keandra was amazed into almost being impressed by just
how horrid this Hoth looked. She threw up against the icy stone
where she lay.
Shifting back into her alien form, the commander dumped the two
meager rocks into the collection bin and then rolled past Keandra,
tossing the bucket over her shoulder. “Better tomorrow!” she
barked.
The bucket fell with a clang near Keandra’s head, rolling into her.
Keandra wiped the corners of her mouth with the back of her
hand. She felt sick just being there. Around her, she could see
poor souls giving their rock offerings to the guards and then being
beaten. It turned out that Keandra had been one of the lucky ones.
Several Earthlings were taken out on stretchers, and some of them
were clearly dead.
Wherever you are now, Albion, I hope you’re fucking happy. I
hope you’re so happy you choke.
CHAPTER THREE
The rest of the earth week continued on in the same way. Keandra
rose early every morning in the small and packed sleeping
quarters, feeling like she had not gotten any sleep at all. She
showered in an ice cold, tiny shower and then dressed in her
assigned rags. Every day, she worked until her back felt like it was
about to snap in half and every evening she was beaten for not
uncovering a satisfactory number of stones.
She started to notice, early on as she was working and living in
these awful conditions, that something was growing in her belly.
She might have worried that she was possessed somehow, after
one of the bouts with her captors, but the strange sensation
combined with the sickness and headaches that she had been
experiencing indicated that it might have been something else
altogether…
“Are you pregnant?” one of the other captive Earthlings asked,
gasping at her one day while they worked side by side.
Keandra’s face flushed and she looked down at her stomach. This
all but confirmed it. “Possibly,” she said shyly. She typically did
not speak with her fellow workers. Mostly because they got beaten
for it.
The other Earthling continued to gasp a bit, shocked and maybe a
bit horrified. “You better not them know, or they will treat you
worse. I’ve seen people die in here because they were carrying a
baby… But it’s already so obvious.” She said this last part
sympathetically, like Keandra might be a lost cause.
There was nothing to be done with this information, however. She
could not go see a doctor about it. She could not contact Albion
and let him know that he might be a father someday soon. Not that
she wanted to include him in this, being that she was only here in
this place because of him. But still. She couldn’t even if she
wanted to.
Instead, with this little secret growing and moving inside of her
belly, she went to work each day and got pummeled each evening.
One day about two weeks after starting in this foolish errand of a
mine, the door to the shaft opened and who the fucking hell should
appear but Albion. He searched the room with his eyes, finally
catching sight of her.
He smiled at her.
She glared at him.
He came over to her as though the glare was not enough reason for
him to stay away. “Hello again, Keandra Calhoun,” he said.
“Are you here to betray me again?” Keandra asked him icily.
Albion frowned.
“Don’t talk to me,” she said. “I did not ask for you to come here.
You must feel so high and mighty to be able to come back here
and see me suffering…”
“The Hoths hired me to come command the mines in this
compound,” Albion tried to explain.
“So we’re going to be coworkers now?” She was glaring so hard
at him that she wondered if her face might get stuck that way.
“Fabulous.”
She hoped he could understand sarcasm. He may have been an
alien, but he was not stupid.
With that, she turned from him. She did not want to let him hurt
her again. The best way to prevent that was by not letting him get
close again.
He kept his distance from her, which Keandra was both thankful
for and resentful of at the same time. She did not want him
anywhere near her and she also felt oddly comforted by his
presence. Damn him, she thought once while glancing over to look
at him. It was so much easier to be mad at him when he was not
with me. She did not know what she would even want to say to
him now, but she wanted to say something.
Possibly, she might want to tell him about the baby.
There was no doubt in her mind now that that was what it was.
Sex with Albion had, on the whole, been not unlike sex with an
Earthling man, so why should his baby be unlike an Earthling
baby?
She could feel his eyes on her as she worked. She continued to
feel him watching her, taking a keen interest in her progress. He
never spoke to her, but she could tell that he had asked the other
overseers about her because they looked at her even more weirdly
now.
His presence in the mining compound did not diminish their
violent cruelty towards her however. Every evening, like
clockwork, they still beat the shit out of her, leaving her bloodied
and retching on the floor.
As she felt his eyes on her throughout this, Keandra wondered if
he was guilty. She hazarded a quick glance to see if he seemed to
have any feeling at all about her now. Any kindness left in him
towards her. He had healed her, made love to her, and cried when
he betrayed her… Surely he must have felt something.
But even if he did feel something, he kept silent and did not stop
the beatings, either of her or any other Earthling.
He just went around, stoic, listening to the reports by the
overseers. Keandra wondered if his betrayal of her had left him
dead inside.
If so… Good.

***

As time went on, Keandra felt more and more certain Albion was
looking out for her. Now, whenever one of his underlings kicked
the shit out of her, he exchanged harsh words with them and that
overseer eased up a little. It was not completely saving her from
attacks, but it was an improvement. Slowly, Keandra started to
trust him again. She was not going to fuck him again or anything,
but she appreciated him being around. Now that he was actively
attempting to make things better for her, she could forgive him.
A little.
She was not sure that she would ever be able to fully forgive him.
There was only one supervisor Albion was not able to control and
protect Keandra from. He was a gargantuan Hoth named Leeroi.
He was black and red like a spider, with long dreadlocks both in
his Hoth form and in his humanoid form. He had the appearance
of someone from the Caribbean back on Earth. He thought he was
tough shit and the sexiest Hoth. He hid his pride not at all.
And he had his sights set on Keandra.
He started overseeing her work more than anyone else’s. He took
it upon himself to be the one in charge of her, whipping her with a
long black whip that resembled his long, black tentacles.
It stung almost as much as she assumed the poison did.
On one such evening, after reprimanding her for the four pieces of
Hothian jewels that she unearthed, he tucked his whip back into
the belt of his uniform and leered down at her. Keandra writhed on
the ground, spitting up blood. If her baby was still with her, it
would be a miracle, though she supposed that Gekkota spawn was
strong.
Albion was nowhere to be found.
Shit. And I was just starting to like him again.
Suddenly, Leeroi grabbed Keandra by her hair and yanked her up
from the ground. He held her still, close to his large face. He
sniffed her, his irises expanding and contracting as if moving in
and out of the light. “Clean up and meet me back in my chambers.
That is an order.”
With that, he pushed her away from him and moved along the line
of Earthling slaves, checking on their work and then whipping
them accordingly. Keandra collected her empty bucket and her
pick, making sure that the area she had been working in was
devoid of dust or pebbles, and then headed to the back rooms. She
put her bucket and pick in the room where she slept with ten other
slaves, then quietly went into Leeroi’s bedchamber.
His room was the size of the room that she slept in, but it was
clear right away that he did not have to share his room with
anyone else. A large bed sat in one corner of the room, covered in
blankets of jet and scarlet. Keandra definitely did not feel
comfortable sitting on his bed, so she chose his desk chair instead.
He had a computer device on the table there, but it was neither
open nor on and she was not about to do something that would
anger the most aggressive overseer.
Keandra wished like anything that she could send telepathic
messages to Albion. She did not see him in the room while Leeroi
was attacking her. She wondered if Albion would even be able to
do anything against a slave driver such as Leeroi. It was more than
likely that the Gekkota would simply be stripped of his rights as a
supervisor. And where would that put her? Back at square one.
All of a sudden, the door to Leeroi’s chamber zipped open and the
Hoth came into the room, letting the door zip shut behind him. He
came toward Keandra. Not wasting time, he grabbed her by the
hair again as if that was the only way he knew how to grab a
woman. He pulled her out of the chair and then threw her down
onto the floor in front of him. Awkwardly, she sat up on her knees.
That’s when she realized that that was exactly the position that he
wanted her in.
He unbuttoned the front of his regulation uniform and pulled out
his long, thick Hothian member.
Keandra felt her stomach turn. Leeroi massaged the back of her
head a moment, running his sticky fingers through her hair. Her
ponytail was gone; the tie that held it back lost amongst the rubble
somewhere down in the mines. Lost like she was now.
She closed her eyes and felt hot tears falling as he began to push
her head closer to him, bringing her face up to his crotch. His
sticky fingers were worse when she felt them on the back of her
neck, hot and moist from something she did not even want to
guess at.
The door to the chamber suddenly zipped open again. Keandra
tried to crane her neck to see who it was – rescuer or added rapist
– but Leeroi continued to hold her tightly with her face inches
away from his cock.
“Stop it right now, Commander Fkassrt!”
Albion Pagoda. Oh my god, thank you.
Keandra kept her mouth shut tight so Leeroi wouldn’t have the
chance or satisfaction of getting it around him. Thankfully, Albion
posed enough of a threat for him to freeze.
“Let the girl go,” Albion instructed, speaking calmly but
authoritatively.
Leeroi let out a quiet snicker. “By whose orders?” he challenged.
“You are not in charge here, Gekkota. So why don’t you slither
along back to your cave?”
For an excruciating moment, Keandra worried that Albion had
been bested. It was quite possible that he was acting above his
station. As a foreign species to the planet, her Gekkota probably
did not have authority over the Hoth who stood uncomfortably
before her.
But then something wonderful happened.
Albion produced a piece of parchment from one of his cargo pants
pockets. He cleared his throat softly and read from it. “By the
authority of the Galactic Federation of Hoth, Albion Pagoda is
granted full command of Compound Z Hydra 7. Signed, President
Sluuurb.”
Leeroi finally released his grasp on Keandra. As soon as she was
freed just the slightest bit, she moved away from him, crawling
across the slippery metal floor on her hands and knees, calf
screaming in pain. She crawled to Albion, closer to him than to
Leeroi but not quite next to him. She did not know what the
outcome of this would be, and she was not sure she wanted it to
include riding off into the sunset with her betrayer.
“You made that up,” Leeroi said in a growl. “You’re shitting me.”
Albion held the parchment out for him to look at. Leeroi snatched
it from his hands. He read it over quickly, getting angrier and
angrier by the second. “But you’re a Gekkota. A dragonling.
You’re scum. Why would anyone put you in charge of anything?”
Keandra’s rescuer simply shrugged. “Seniority.”
This was the last straw for Leeroi. He flew into an all-out rage,
tearing up the parchment and shifting quick as a flash into his
disgusting, tentacle-covered form.
It was actually hard to call it a form. A globule was not a form so
much as a mass. Keandra felt like retching whenever she saw the
Hoths’ true shape, and Leeroi took the cake when it came to
repulsive. You and that female Hoth should get together. Actually,
don’t. You can kill civilizations with that amount of ugly.
In the blink of an eye, Albion shifted into his dragon form. He
retained his blue and green hues, but became enormous in size. He
filled the room, he was so big, and Keandra wondered if he was
about to completely burst out of the mine. She assumed that he
could control his size… As it was, Albion’s head would have hit
the ceiling if he did not have a long neck. He slithered and
scurried around the room like a snake-like salamander. His forked
tongue moved in and out of his jaws every now and then, sniffing
out the smaller Hoth.
Keandra stayed where she was, protected as she sat on her legs
between her dragon’s hind quarters. He kept her safe there, like a
parent protecting its egg. Leeroi the Hoth darted about the room,
poisonous tentacle stretched out and at the ready. He was trying to
find a good position so he could use it, but Albion moved so much
and was so massive that the amoeba-like alien looked more
confused than anything.
Surging forward in a misguided attempt to sting Albion’s back leg,
Leeroi decided to attack Keandra instead. He lurched toward her,
and his tentacle whipped at her. She jumped out of the way just in
time. Meanwhile, Albion let out a small blast of flame directly at
Leeroi’s back.
The Hoth let out a petrifying scream that sounded like someone
drowning. He was liquid and Albion was turning him into gas
with his heat.
“Keandra,” Albion suddenly boomed down at her.
She stared up at his huge head. He looked the same and different
at once. She was frightened of him, even though she knew that she
should not be. She was glad that he was on her side.
“Leave this room. Go join the others. I will find you.”
Keandra did as she was told. She stayed on her hands and knees,
rushing to the door before finally standing up. She ran to the room
where the others normally slept. They had obviously all been
disturbed by the violent sounds coming from Leeroi’s chamber.
She hid under the tables along with them, watching the door for
any movement that showed it was over. The entire mine began to
shake as the hallway lit up with Albion’s flames. He had torched
the whole chamber.
Leeroi was toast.
When the door to the slaves’ room opened, Albion’s head
appeared in the doorway. Actually, it was only his snout. That was
all of him that could fit at the moment. Keandra had never been so
happy to see a nose in her life.
“Keandra, hop on my back. It is time to leave,” he said, and then
hissed like a snake. “The rest of you, get out of here any way you
can. Go fast and be smart while the Hoths are distracted. Leave
this place. Leave this planet. Go.”
There was no argument there. The slaves all started running in
different directions, all of them going toward whichever exit they
could think of.
Keandra hesitated. “Why should I go with you?” she asked him.
“What makes you safer than all the others, when you lied to me
and gave me to these beasts?”
Albion repositioned himself so his large, golden eye was all that
could be seen in the doorway. Despite its size and the fact that a
fierce dragon was attached to it, the eye was gentle and caring…
and remorseful.
“It was foolish of me,” he said. “I will work every day to regain
and keep your trust… But we can discuss this later. Please climb
onto my back, Keandra. I will keep you safe because I love you.”
All of the wind was knocked out of her when she heard Albion say
those words to her. She had not expected to hear him say that,
especially not while he was a gargantuan dragon. Currently all she
could see was one of his eyes. But somehow, that was enough.
Not wanting to ruin the moment by speaking and likely saying
something stupid due to her emotions, Keandra simply gave a curt
nod and went to the doorway. He graciously moved out of the way
so she did not ask his eye to move. She climbed aboard his spikey
back and wiped the tears from her eyes.
What a day she was having.
Once she was safely on his back, Albion swiftly scurried through
the gaping chasms of the mine, not caring as his large body
crashed through walls and ruined everything the Hoths had built in
his path. What his head and broad shoulders did not break, his tail
smashed. At last, they made it to the top of the mineshaft. They
both felt like they could breathe again.
The Galactic Federation of Hoth was sitting up there in their
throne room or whatever they wanted to call it. They were about
to be cinders, Keandra guessed. But Albion did not set them on
fire. He did not even grumble with smoke. He just narrowed his
reptilian eyes at President Sluuurb, who cowered under his throne-
like seat as if he did not expect a dragon shifter might possibly
shift into a dragon when given power.
Really, this was all Sluurb’s fault. Keandra did not expect that he
would be president – or alive – for much longer.
After scaring the Hoth leaders sufficiently, Albion flapped his
great winged forearms and took to the sky – which meant that he
took the roof off of the Hoths’ mining compound. The walls and
roof fell all around Sluuurb and his constituents. Keandra held on
tightly to Albion’s spikes. She hazarded a curious glance back as
they flew ever upward. Sluuurb was not dead, but he was
definitely pissed off.

***

After flying up high above Hoth, circling around until they were
well enough away from the cluster of mining compounds, Albion
finally landed roughly atop a rocky mountain top. Keandra slipped
off of him as soon as she could, hugging herself as she watched
Albion’s dragon shape languidly twist and contort back into his
more humanoid form. There was no denying it; both as a dragon
and as a blue-green human, Albion Pagoda was a sexy badass.
Keandra was not ready to just completely forgive him, however. It
would take a lot more than sweet words at a tense moment to
make her forget what Albion had done, had allowed to happen…
He never struck her, but he might as well have.
There was a cave nearby atop that mountain, and as it started to
rain thick, heavy, cold raindrops, Albion wordlessly ushered her
inside of it, protecting her even still. Even though she had not
responded to his love confession, or even thanked him.
Her resolve was firm. But her gray rags were basically nothing
against the cold, so she took advantage of his warmth when he
wrapped his arms around her and sat with her upon the cave floor.
“What are we doing here, Albion?” she asked him through
shivers. “Why did you bring me here?”
He looked at her, slow blinking. Keandra felt a pang when she saw
that damned lizard blink. Such a stupid thing to have missed. “I
did not plan to come here,” he said calmly. “I just wanted to get
you away from there… I suppose I did not have a plan at all,
except to save you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him a little. “You’re not planning to
hand me over to the next Hoth you see are you?”
Albion laughed slightly.
“Because, if so, your plan is pretty shitty.”
Albion stopped laughing and gazed at Keandra, petting her
cheekbone slightly with the knuckles of his right hand. “I will
never hand you over to anyone. Please believe me. I love you and
I will do anything to keep you safe. It was an idiotic mistake
driven by greed and a false sense of entitlement. As soon as you
were taken from me, I knew it was a mistake. I worked hard to
make sure that it was rectified. Please… Keandra.”
He sounded like she was not the only one who had been wounded
on this crummy planet. She looked him in the eyes and then
realized that she had forgotten all about her vow to never look him
in the eyes again. Ever since his return, she had been suppressing
her feelings for him. She had secretly longed for his touch, and
that was only enhanced knowing his baby was growing inside her.
That was not the action of someone who was never going to
forgive him. That was the action of someone who still cared
deeply for him.
“I was not myself,” Albion went on, trying to explain himself so
that she might understand. “I was mind controlled by the Hoths
for years. Ever since I came here, working for the Resistance…
Ever since they captured me and made me work for them as their
dragon slave. It was love that broke their control, Keandra. It was
my love for you that set me free from my mental shackles.”
Saying that reminded him that she still wore shackles on her wrists
and ankles. Using his tremendous strength, he set her free.
Bringing his lips to hers, he set her spirits free.
CHAPTER FOUR
Feeling delirious from her rescue still, Keandra eagerly kissed
Albion. He hungrily moved his tongue around her mouth as
though every last inch needed to be felt, tasted, and explored. She
could feel his sharp teeth against the tip of her tongue and it
caused her panties to become wet. Such a man could not really be
her hero. Such a man could not really love her. Not really. Right?
The more they made out, the hornier he became. His erect cock
nudged against her leg, and he pushed her legs apart. They fell
back together onto the floor and he lay atop her, humping her
slowly and sensually through their clothing. In one quick, fluid
movement he had her shirt off of her, letting it fall somewhere in
the corner of their cave.
“I’m not attached to that,” she gasped between kisses.
He smirked and removed her shorts and panties, tossing them in
the same direction.
“I’m not attached to those either,” Keandra said, inviting him to
continue by undoing his pants and pulling out his cock.
Albion, to her surprise, moved away from her hands and mouth. “I
am not going to fuck you like that piece of shit wanted to,” he
said. “You deserve better than that… You deserve this.”
Suddenly, he took hold of her waist and slammed his cock into
her. She let out a yelp and then gasped, combing her fingers
through his thick, dark green hair. Albion held her still and undid
her bra with one hand, letting it fall somewhere in the darkness
beside them. He kicked his pants off and then she grabbed ahold
of his shirt, liking the feel of it in her hands as he continued to
thrust himself inside of her in big, shattering movements.
“Ahhhh, god, Albion,” Keandra shouted, throwing her head back a
little and letting it brush against the cold cave floor. “I forgive
you. I forgive you!”
“Yeah?” he growled, fondling her breasts. He seemed to notice as
well as she that they had grown since last they made love. He
tilted his head a little but he did not ask about it. Possibly he did
not want to embarrass or anger her by asking. She appreciated him
even more for that.
“You like this more than Leeroi?” he asked her, grunting as he
fucked her, clamping his eyes shut and starting to sweat.
Keandra felt her body reaching orgasm. She felt like she might
explode. “Yes!” she screamed, making the cave echo with sounds
of her lust and pleasure. “Better! Ahhhh, this is better!!”
Smirking, Albion licked his thumb and then brought it to her clit,
where he stroked and pressed his thumb against her most sensitive
spot. Keandra opened her mouth in a silent scream as she came
against him, wrapping his big cock in her tightness as the walls of
her pussy expanded and contracted around him.
Albion thrust faster and faster until he came inside her, filling her
up again with the warm, tingly feelings that she had so enjoyed
before when they made love on his spaceship. Before her world
went to shit, or the Galactic Federation just resumed its operations
as usual, whichever way one wanted to look at it.
He pulled out of her and cuddled her a moment on the cave floor,
kissing her and petting her cinnamon hair. She stroked his forest
of green chest hair and gazed lovingly into his eyes.
“I love you,” Keandra confessed. She could not deny it or be
angry at him any longer. He had saved her life twice. Surely that
could cancel out one deception. “I’m sorry I did not say it sooner;
it’s just that you betrayed me.”
Albion kissed her deeply. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, pressing his
forehead against hers. “It does not matter that you took your time.
As long as it is true. I cannot blame you for being uncertain and
wanting to wait.”
She shook her head and then nodded, laughing a little at her
apparent indecisiveness. “It matters to me. I should not have
waited. I forgive you, Albi.” She stroked his green beard on his
pointed chin. “What matters now is that you corrected your
mistake, and you won’t ever do it again.”
He nodded, smiling at her as he gazed into her large green eyes.
He was so smitten with her that the word Smitten was practically
written there on his face. “As I promised, I will spend the rest of
my life protecting you and loving you.”
Keandra beamed at him, and then she shook her head a bit. “Not
just me.” She took one of his hands and brought it down to her
lower belly, where the little dragon-like baby was swimming
around. Albion felt its movements and his gold eyes widened. His
mouth fell open and she laughed and kissed him for it. “Surprise!”

***

They made out for a while longer, enjoying each other on the floor
of the cave without even caring about how uncomfortable it was.
Once they were feeling hungry and uncomfortable enough to want
to move, Albion got up and, taking her hands, pulled Keandra up
with him.
“What is there to eat around here?” she asked him. “I’ve patrolled
around here a lot, but I can’t say I’ve ever been in the mountain
caves of Hoth.”
Albion thought about it. “I have flown around here enough to
know that there is a stream around here. There are some lifeforms
in it that are pleasing to taste.”
Keandra smiled wryly at him.
“What?”
“Sometimes you sound like an alien. It makes me remember that
you can be shaped like me and you can speak English like me, but
that doesn’t mean you are in fact like me.”
Albion blinked at her slowly.
She let out a laugh. “Just go and get some of these lifeforms. …
Please.”
When he went away to hunt, Keandra huddled into a corner of the
cave, doing her best to take up the least amount of space and so
warm herself. She could hear as his insanely long wings took
flight, flapping like a thunder clap as he rose higher and higher,
flying away.
Keandra’s stomach growled. She could tell that her baby dragon
was hungry as well, because he was extra restless. Thankfully,
Albion was correct about the stream and he arrived back at their
cave within the hour, holding two large fish-like creatures in his
hands. They were not moving any more. She was tremendously
grateful for that.
They ate together in silence, mainly because they were too hungry
and the food was too delicious for words. Albion had taken it upon
himself to cook the creatures with his fire breath. Keandra kept
finding new reasons to want to keep him around. “If you can do
that whenever you want, then we should be nice and toasty in here
tonight,” she remarked, licking her fingertips as soon as her
creature was in her belly to be appreciated by Albion’s spawn
next.
He smiled at her as he gulped down the last of his meal. “And so
we shall,” he said.
They cuddled each other in the spot in the cave that Keandra had
picked out and sure enough they did not need a blanket. Albion
kept them both warm and cozy.

***

The next morning, they were awakened by footsteps. A Hoth in its

more humanoid appearance stepped into the cave. He had clearly
not been expecting what he found and quickly pulled out his
communicator to alert his compatriots in the area.
“Earthling and Gekkota spotted in a cave! Send reinforcements!
Gekkota is—”
Albion smacked the communicator out of his hands with his long
tail as he grew and grew into his dragon form. Keandra ran from
him, toward the Hoth. She jumped onto him and her fists started
flying.
The Hoth fought back, grabbing onto her arms and attempting to
sting her with his poison appendage. She nearly got stung a few
times, but Keandra was too tough and too pissed off to give this
bastard the chance. She was too fast for him and kept clobbering
him in the face. But Albion was uncomfortable seeing her in a
precarious position no matter how fierce she was.
Chuckling after a few moments of letting her have her fun, Albion
picked her up with a claw and placed her gently onto his back.
“That’s enough now. Let me handle this.” With one puff of flame
from his scaly lips, the Hoth was nothing but a charred stain on
the stone floor.
“His friends aren’t going to find anything here,” Albion said to her
in a low growl. “Not even him.”
With that, he left the cave at a run, growing ever larger now that
he was not confined to any space. He took off and was soon up in
the air.
“Now what do we do?” she asked him, hugging herself with her
arms and holding on tightly to him with her legs. She was down to
just her panties and bra after electing to sleep in them instead of
naked. She was quite glad she was not naked.
“Now we look for the Resistance,” Albion said calmly. “They will
be able to help us. And we can start with getting you a new, better
uniform.”
Albion flew around high in the air above Hoth while Keandra sat
atop him, marveling at the harsh planet’s prettier aspects. She had
no idea that Hoth had things like waterfalls and forests. She
supposed she never had a chance to look when she was secretly
surveying the area for spies and other such enemies.
Finally, she spotted a small encampment near the foothills of some
mountains. “There! There!” she cried, pointing.
Albion craned his neck toward her somewhat and then looked in
the direction she was indicating. He began his descent, careful to
go down there slowly so as not to arouse suspicion from either the
Hoths or the people down below who surely did not know that the
dragon was on their side.
If it was, indeed, the Resistance.
A cluster of people came out of the tents and pointed up in awe as
Albion came down to meet them. They seemed scared instead of
hostile. They were wearing the white and blue uniforms worn by
the Resistance. Two of them, the apparent leaders, wore shining
blue stars on their chests. One was male, one was female. Both
were humanoid, though the female was clearly not from Earth.
Her hair was purple and her skin was chartreuse.
As soon as they landed, Keandra slid off of Albion’s back and he
shifted back into his humanoid form to greet the strangers who
were their friends. “Greetings,” he said. “I am Albion Pagoda and
this Earthling here is Keandra Calhoun.”
“Staff Sergeant Calhoun,” she corrected with a smile. “I work with
the Earth taskforce that has been assigned to monitor activities to
and from Hoth.”
The chartreuse woman stepped forward and offered her hand to
Keandra. “I am Dehneese Dravrez from Bortho,” she said. She
had kind, black eyes. “And this is Ggregg Underwhood from
Plythar.”
Ggregg stepped forward and shook her hand. “I lived on Earth for
many years,” he said with a wink. He had sandy, dirty blond hair
and blue eyes. Three of them. Keandra could practically hear
Albion’s jealousy. It amused her that merely talking to another
alien gentleman incited such annoyance and unease in him. She
thought it was cute for the moment, but she would not let it fly if it
continued and caused him to be rude.
No hero of hers would be a rude asshole to their friends.
Fortunately, Albion was not like other guys she had been with –
duh. That was an understatement.
He proved himself to be worthy of her continued love and
adoration when he greeted them in turn. “It is wonderful to meet
you at last,” he said, shaking each of their hands and offering them
a genuine smile. “Like the Staff Sergeant here, I worked as a
patrol officer, but I recently fell into a bit of trouble and was held
captive by the Hoths. They had me under mind control.”
The two resistance leaders gasped. “How dreadful!” Dehneese
exclaimed.
“Horrible,” Ggregg concurred with a nod.
“Well, you are with us now,” Dehneese said kindly, gesturing for
them to follow her into the main tent.
It was a large, pinkish, octagonal-shaped tent, much bigger on the
inside. There were tables and chairs set up within, making the
headquarters of the Resistance appear, well, like a headquarters!
Keandra felt oddly relieved by this simple sight. She found that
she could not stop smiling. At last, she and her dragon would be
safe.
Sort of, at least.
Ggregg directed them to some chairs by a desk that was clearly
his, due to the placard with his name on it.
Albion and Keandra sat with Ggregg. Dehneese brought over a
chair and sat with them, crossing her long, yellow legs and
appearing to be quite eager to discuss things with them.
“We heard about a mine being torched last night,” Ggregg said,
looking from Albion to Keandra. “Your doing?”
The pair nodded, proud of themselves. “A Hoth got a bit too rough
with my girl here,” Albion said.
She blushed and smiled, glad to hear him call her that.
Dehneese made a sympathetic face at her, tilting her head a little.
“How long have you been impregnated?” she asked, sounding
concerned.
Keandra brought a hand to her belly and gently rubbed it, gazing
down at it just as the baby kicked. “About a month now, I guess…
It’s hard to tell time here.”
The Resistance leaders smiled at her. “We will take good care of
you. It won’t all be easy, but it will be heaps better than what you
have experienced no doubt,” Ggregg told her.

***

It was wonderful to be sleeping in a bed again. There were plenty

of beds in the Resistance’s tents, but Keandra still elected to sleep
beside Albion in one. She found that she slept best when his
strong, protective arms were around her. Her belly had for so long
prevented her from being able to get fully comfortable but now, in
the bed with him, safe at last, she slept like a baby herself.
The rebellion turned out to be thousands strong. It was impossible
to meet all of the members because so many of them were out on
missions at any given time. Whenever some were on the ground,
carrying out one task, thousands more were in the air, attacking
that way. Ggregg and Dehneese did not assign Keandra to any
tasks that involved endangering herself. At first, she was irritated
and frustrated that they were coddling her, but she knew that they
meant well.
“No one has had a baby in the Resistance,” Dehneese told her
once, when she was sitting with her at the monitoring desk. “As
far as I know, no one has had a baby for years. Except for the
Hoths, of course, who breed like flies.”
Keandra pouted a little at that. She was dressed in one of the
uniforms of the Resistance, and she was stuck doing a desk job.
Never before had she done something so boring. She felt
humiliated. However, now it made sense why they wanted so
badly to keep her from going out and risking anything. The
Resistance needed more allies and could not afford to lose any of
their new recruits. Not even the in utero ones. “Just promise me
that as soon as this baby is out of me and I’ve recovered, I can join
you in every capacity.”
Dehneese nodded. “Sure, of course.”
A light suddenly started flashing on the monitor. An enemy ship
was approaching the Resistance forces they had sent up. “Shit!”
Keandra shouted. “Enemies approaching!”
She and the other ground leaders were fairly safe in their
protective alcove in the foothills, but Albion was out there with
the patrol group. Keandra wished that she had a direct
communicator with him so she could make sure he was okay. As it
was, she had the main channel, which had to be good enough.
“Find him,” Dehneese told her, understanding immediately what
brought on Keandra’s specific sense of urgency.
Keandra lifted the communication device to her mouth. “Come in,
patrol units. This is HQ. Come in, patrol units.”
For a long, intense few minutes there was no response. The radio
silence almost drove Keandra crazy. She and Dehneese looked
each other in the eye, holding their breath.
He has to be okay, Keandra thought, as though pleading to some
unknown, made up deity in her mind would save him. He is going
to be okay…
“Patrol units,” a slightly broken voice said back through the
machine.
Keandra sat forward in her seat. “Albion?!” she cried. “Come in,
Albion?”
Dehneese breathed a sigh of relief but just hearing one phantom
voice was not enough for Keandra. Her heart was racing and she
felt like she was going to be sick. Reaching over, Dehneese took
her hand and squeezed it.
“I’m sure he’s fine,” she said softly. She sounded just as hopeful
as Keandra wanted to be.
Suddenly, there was loud crackling on the intercom. “Yeah, hello?
Hello? Come in, Keandra at HQ. This is Albion. I’m safe. We
made it into a cave.”
Grinning at Dehneese, Keandra felt tears in her eyes. “Great,
Albion. Be safe. Help is on the way.”
She hugged Dehneese and then they got to work rounding up
some troops to go out and find the patrols. The troops were armed
with heavy duty blasters so they could attack any incoming ships.
Keandra wished like hell that she could go out there with them
and bring her Albi back.
She wanted to be his hero for a change.
CHAPTER FIVE
From her place inside the tent, Keandra watched as the ground
troops returned, carrying their large blaster guns. They were also
carrying several people back on stretchers. Keandra gasped as
soon as she noticed that, checking each one with nervous eyes to
make sure that Albion was not one of those sad souls. Fortunately,
she did not see him.
Suddenly, there he was. He was walking toward her, blaster over
his left shoulder, uniform torn in a few places, grin on his face.
She had never seen such a sexy sight in her entire life. Getting up
from her seat, she ran to him, jumping into his arms.
He dropped his gun and it clattered to the stone floor with a sound
of galactic plastic. They kissed each other passionately, deeply, as
though they had never kissed before and they wanted to
experience every facet of it at once.
Keandra wished that their kissing could go on forever, but outside
there was a war going on. Albion carefully let her back down onto
the floor and went with her to the desk with the monitors and the
controls for the ground weapons that the Resistance had hidden
within the planet’s soil or up in the mountains behind the flora of
Hoth.
The Resistance had been on this planet for years; long enough to
make a full operation in order to fight back when need be. And
need usually was.
Albion hit a bunch of switches and suddenly the headquarters
became an armored tent. The cloth changed form and became
hard, heavy plastic like the weapons of the Resistance. It was not
Keandra’s grandmother’s plastic. It was engineered by an
interplanetary scientific coalition. Fancy plastic.
“Get down!” he suddenly shouted, essentially pushing Keandra
until she was on the floor. She scooted under the desk for some
extra cover.
“You get down, too!” she shouted up at him. “I am not going to
raise this baby without his father.”
Albion looked down at her and smiled. He opened his mouth to
say something, but was interrupted by a blast of laser beam fire
coming through the front of the tent. All at once, all Keandra
could see was blue and green flames. All she could hear was
shouts and screams. She covered her ears and huddled down into a
ball in an effort to protect herself. Her heart was racing and so
were her thoughts.
She could not see Albion anymore. All she could see was
explosions and death.

***

When the enemy fire finally subsided and the Hoth starship flew
away from their encampment, the survivors of the blast crawled
out of their hiding places. Keandra awkwardly crawled out from
under the desk and got to her feet. She had a gash on her right
forearm from some fallen debris, but she was otherwise unharmed.
At least physically.
As she was making her way to the group of other mostly-
unharmed people, she discovered Albion. He was lying on the
floor, eyes closed and a huge and bleeding wound on his upper left
shoulder.
“Oh, no no no,” Keandra cried, rushing back down onto her knees
and taking his head in her arms. “Don’t do this to me, Albi. You
don’t get to be hurt. I’m always the hurt one. I was starting to live
with it.”
Dehneese caught sight of her and hobbled over to her. She had
been slightly banged up and was now wearing a bandage around
her head, but otherwise she had made it out in one piece. She knelt
beside Keandra. “I will get anything you think you may need. Let
us take him to the hospital tent.”
“Is it clear yet?” Keandra asked her, panic in her voice. “Is it safe
to go out?”
Dehneese nodded shortly. “As safe as it will ever be here. They
know where we are now; we’re going to have to relocate as soon
as possible.”
Together, the two ladies lifted Albion. Some of the other
Resistance fighters brought over a stretcher and they all carried
Albion from the room. Well, the others mostly carried him.
Keandra was instructed to just follow them.
There was no sign of Ggregg, which she supposed was a bad
sign…
Once they got into the hospital tent, it was mass hysteria. The
amount of injured was high and there were not enough beds, let
alone enough nurses and doctors, to be able to adequately care for
the wounded. Some of the medical crew were hurt themselves.
The blasts had been brutal.
Keandra found a space for them that would have to be big enough.
Albion groaned on the stretcher and they laid him down on the
ground where Keandra directed. Then she knelt at his side once
more.
Dehneese went and got bandages and some of that Vlwarx stuff
that was all the rage. Keandra took the bottle and poured a
generous amount onto his gaping wound.
Albion sat bolt upright and shouted a slew of curse words in some
alien tongue. Keandra couldn’t help but smile. “Oh, sorry,” she
said. “Vlwarx may sting a little.”
Realizing what was going on and who he was with, he grabbed
Keandra and pulled her to him. The godawful medication got onto
the top of her uniform but thankfully did not hurt when in contact
with fabric or skin that was not searing. Possibly it would leave a
pink stain, though, but then so would Albion’s blood.
“You’re all right,” she said softly to him, petting his hair. “You’re
safe now.”
“Safe for now,” he corrected. “The Resistance doesn’t have much
longer. The Hoths are onto us.”
Keandra placed an index finger to his lips. “Shh,” she said. “I
know. But for now, you need to focus on resting and getting better.
You probably have a concussion and you definitely have a
laceration.”
He looked down at the open wound on his shoulder. Then he
shrugged, grinning at her. “I’ve had worse.”
As soon as it was determined that Albion was okay, he was
allowed to leave the hospital tent. He and Keandra went back to
their bedchamber, which was mostly just a closed-off section of a
large bedchamber. They got some privacy but it was not as though
the tents walls were soundproof. They were essentially tarp.
Still, as soon as they were fully into their chamber and the flap
was zipped shut, Albion grabbed ahold of Keandra and walked her
to the bed. He kissed her mouth, cheeks and neck and then slowly
pulled the bottom of her uniform off of her. He placed his
fingertips between her legs and sought out her wetness. Stroking
and rubbing there, he got her wetter and more turned on. Smiling
at him, she got onto the small bed that was bigger than most of the
others’ and opened her legs for him.
Albion took off his uniform bottoms and climbed onto the
mattress with her. They were not going to have long this time, and
they would have to be a great deal quieter, but there was
something about that that made it even hotter.
Quickly, he positioned himself between her legs, lying beside her
instead of on top of her because of the bed’s size and because her
pregnant belly meant that she could not easily be entered from on
top anymore. They would be less conspicuous if someone
accidentally opened their flap this way, too. Keandra moved
against him, stroking his cock for a few moments and then
sucking it to get it nice and wet for her.
“Mmm,” Albion whispered.
Keandra nodded, her large eyes becoming an innocent kind of
seductive as she looked at him while blowing him.
Gently, he tapped her chin in order to signal her to stop. Then, he
pressed his body into hers, holding her close as he entered her.
She let out a gasp that was barely even a sound and her eyes
widened as he thrust far inside her. Because they did not want to
be detected in the close-quarters of the tent – mainly because of
shyness – Albion did his best to use slow, calculated thrusts
instead of his usual quick pace. Keandra absolutely loved it.
Before long, they were both sweating. She could feel every
wonderful inch of Albion’s cock as he moved against her.
Feeling herself about to come, she took the fabric at the top of his
shirt and bit into it so she would not emit a sound. She came hard
against him and looked at him with ever widening eyes as the
waves of pleasure and sweet release rushed through her.
Albion thrust again a moment later and came into her pussy.
How they both managed to fuck each other’s brains out so quietly
was anyone’s guess. They were both shaking, sweating and
grinning by the time they both reached their satisfying
conclusions.

***

The Resistance regrouped the following morning, well before the

Hothian sun had risen in the amethystine sky. They packed up
everything they had and loaded all of their belongings and
equipment into a caravan of long trucks that Keandra did not even
think they had available to them.
They rode in the trucks for nearly two days. It felt a bit like the
life of luxury that a celebrity might live back on Earth, but for a
pregnant woman who needed to pee constantly it was less than
enjoyable. Keandra was very relieved when the line of trucks
finally stopped and everyone was free to get out.
The Resistance had found their new station, and it looked more or
less exactly like the last placed they had staked out. The only thing
separating the two locations was the fact that the Hoths had
discovered the last one.
Well, that and the fact that they were slightly closer to the water
source now.
Albion came to her a few mornings after their relocation, before
setting out on his next daring mission that she would have to sit
out of. He took her small hand in his big one, stroking the back of
it with his long, claw-like fingers. She had not realized it before
she saw him make his transformation into a dragon, but he did
have the body of a man who could turn into a dragon. Everything
about him was tall, angular, and serpentine.
Keandra looked into his eyes. “I’m looking forward to not having
to go through these sad farewells anymore,” she told him.
“Someday quite soon, I’m going to be able to fight alongside
you.”
“That is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about,” Albion said.
“If I come back from this one…”
“When you come back from this one,” Keandra corrected,
snapping it out as though he had offended her with his slight
fatalism.
Albion smirked at her and let a short chuckle escape him. “When I
come back from this one,” he agreed, nodding. “Will you marry
me? I know that I do not have much to offer. A nomadic life of
bloodshed and uncertainly is hardly—”
Keandra cut him off with a kiss. They held each other close. She
felt herself crying and she did not bother to try and wipe her tears
away. When at last their lips broke apart, she smiled up at him.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, of course. You silly Gekkota.”
He smiled back at her, clearly touched and prideful that she had
said yes. “You silly Earthling.”
They kissed each other again, and then he had to be on his way.
She was so far along now that she was confined to their chamber
in the tent, not allowed to leave the bed unless it was to go to the
bathroom or sit in the cafeteria for a short meal with Dehneese.
The other woman had decided that it was her responsibility to look
after Keandra and see to the delivery, whenever it should happen.
Keandra did not want to go into labor while her fiancé was out
there somewhere, possibly being shot at by Hoths. She did her
best to will herself and her baby not to start going into labor or
contractions. She wanted Albion there with her. She needed him
there with her.
She was fast asleep when Albion returned to headquarters. This
time, thank his lucky stars, he was completely unharmed. He went
to the bedchamber that he shared with his beautiful, green-eyed
fiancée and found her sleeping soundly on the bed.
“Keandra,” he said to her softly. “Wake up. We have a surprise for
you.”
Slowly, she let her eyes open and, as soon as she saw his golden
eyes looking at her, so lovingly, she smiled.
“Wake up, we have a surprise for you,” he repeated.
Keandra did not know what it was, but there was urgency in
Albion’s voice.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, sitting up in bed and carefully
coming down off of it. “You’re not hurt again, are you?”
Albion shook his head, smiling at her. “No, not at all. Just come
with me.”
Taking her hand, he led her out of their bedroom, through the
main bedchamber where the rest of the Resistance forces in their
sector slept, and outside. A crowd had gathered there and
everyone cheered as he and she came into view.
There was a twisted and bent metal statue in front of where
everyone was sitting. Keandra let out a laugh when she realized
that it was supposed to be an altar. Someone had found some
abandoned metal and shaped it into an altar for them. She beamed
up at him.
Instead of marching slowly up the created aisle like she was used
to, Keandra and Albion walked together hand in hand and stopped
when they stood just beneath the metallic structure their friends
had designed. Ggregg suddenly appeared. His arm was in a cast
and he had a black eye, but he was smiling and seemed otherwise
fine.
Keandra let out a strange sound that was half a sob and half a
laugh. She was so glad to see that Ggregg had made it out alive
somehow. “I thought he…!”
“We found him on our last patrol,” Albion said softly into her ear.
“He was barely alive and pretty mangled, but we rescued him.”
Ggregg beamed at her. “You didn’t think I’d miss this, did you?”
he asked her. He was holding a little brown book. She realized,
shocked, that it was a Bible.
Where did he find a Bible in space?
Then she remembered that the Resistance was made up of people
from all over. Surely one of the Earthlings had a Bible with them.
Keandra was not religious, but it was nice to be reminded of
things back home.
“Dearly beloved,” Ggregg started the wedding ceremony. “We are
gathered here today in HQ to celebrate in the union of our dear
friends Keandra Calhoun and Albion Pagoda. They have both
been an invaluable part of our operations here, as you all know.
May their marriage and love for each other last throughout the
years and may they come to know peace in our galaxy.”
Everyone bowed their heads a little bit, wishing so badly for that
peace.
“Albion, do you have a ring for Miss Calhoun?” Ggregg asked.
Reaching into a pocket of his uniform pants, Albion pulled out a
sparkling silver ring with a familiar, midnight blue stone on it.
Keandra opened her eyes and her mouth wide in amazement. It
was one of those Hothian galsects. She never in her wildest
dreams could have imagined how happy she would be to see one
of those damned rocks.
She started to cry uncontrollably as Albion placed the ring
carefully onto her finger. “With this ring,” he recited. “I marry
you. With this ring, I make you my wife, my partner, my best
friend.”
This was all so beautiful. Keandra wished that she had been given
some warning. She might have tried to scrounge around and
fashion herself a wedding dress. Though, now that she thought
about it, it made all the sense in the world that they should be
married in their Resistance uniforms. They had worked hard to
finally wear them, after all. They had earned them. Together.
Dehneese, who was sitting in the front row of the crowd, came
forward and placed a small, silver ring into Keandra’s hand. She
winked at her friend and then sat back down.
Keandra, gulping, did the same thing that Albion had just done for
her. She placed the silver ring onto his large finger, breathing a
sigh of relief when she realized that it did indeed fit somehow.
“With this ring,” she said, smiling up at him. “I marry you. With
this ring, I make you my husband, my partner, my best friend.”
All three of his heads grinning from ear to ear, Ggregg went on
with the ceremony. “Keandra Calhoun, do you take Albion Pagoda
to be your galactically wedded husband, to have and to hold, to
love and to cherish, to fight beside in times of war and times of
triumph, as long as you both shall live and even after if from the
flames you both can regenerate?”
She stared at Ggregg, taken aback by the added passages. “I do,”
she said, raising an eyebrow.
Although she was inquisitive in her tone, Ggregg took it as a solid
answer and went on, asking Albion the same.
“I do,” Albion said before Ggregg could even get out the last
syllable of his question.
Continuing to smile at them as though he was quite tickled,
Ggregg closed the little Bible that he had not once actually read
from and held it against his chest. “Then, by the power given to
me by Supreme Resistance Leader Admiral Asquataine, I now
pronounce you husband and wife!”
A cheer went up from the crowd.
“You may kiss. Always kiss each other. It would be a shame not
to.” Ggregg winked at them.
Albion cupped a hand against her cheek and pulled Keandra
gently to him. They kissed each other deeply, passionately, fully.
She felt as though they were kissing each other’s souls. When at
last the kiss ended, she felt dizzy and so happy that the planet
could have exploded right then and there and she would have felt
satisfied with her life.
Suddenly, Albion lifted her up into his arms and carried her
hurriedly down the makeshift aisle while everyone stood and
clapped for the happy couple. She was wondering at first if he was
just that excited to consummate the marriage, but then she noticed
the liquid that was coming out of her from between her legs.
Her water had broken.
CHAPTER SIX
As Albion brought her back into their bedroom, laying her softly
down onto the bed, Keandra realized that she was the last person
to realize that her labor had begun. She blushed a little when she
saw all of the curious eyes in the doorway of their chamber,
watching anxiously as though this baby was their own.
Dehneese pushed through the throngs in the way and came to her
bedside. She took Keandra’s hand and smiled at her. “I’ve got
this,” she said. “I’ve been reading books about this for a while
now. I can do this for you.”
Keandra raised her eyebrows at her. “You can have the baby for
me?” she asked her jokingly. “That’s a relief. I’m kind of afraid of
the pain.”
Her friend laughed and shook a finger. “No, no.”
Albion took her other hand. She could tell that he was nervous. He
had gone a paler shade of blue. It was strange to Keandra. He had
never once lost his cool before. She supposed that having his child
be born was a bigger thing than conquering evil.
Suddenly, the contractions began. Keandra let out a high-pitched
squeal that would have broken glass if any was around. “Oh my
shiiiiiiiit!!” she screamed. She clutched both Dehneese’s and
Albion’s hands and practically shattered their bones.
“It’s okay, silly girl,” Albion said to her sweetly, petting her hair.
“It’s going to be okay. Soon you will be holding our baby.”
“Gaahhhh, don’t tell me that!” Keandra shouted at him. “Don’t tell
me there’s a light at the end of the tunnel—ARGHHH!!”
She threw her head back and convulsed against the bed. It did not
feel like any birth she had ever read about or seen in
documentaries. The babies she had seen and read about did not
have fucking talons and wings!
Dehneese was calmer than both of them. “Push!” she commanded,
moving down to Keandra’s opening so she could watch for the
baby’s head or snout or whatever crawled out first.
Keandra pushed, not wanting to spend more time than necessary
with the little reptile crawling around inside of her.
“The head is out!” Dehneese suddenly proclaimed, faltering a
little bit when she saw how cute he was. “Hello, little one…”
“FOCUUUUUSSSS!”
“Sorry!” Dehneese went back to paying attention to the dilations
and contractions, like the studies had taught her.
Albion looked like he was going to be sick.
Keandra could hear something breaking as she gripped his hand
and pushed.
Suddenly, there was the sound of something flopping into
Dehneese’s outstretched arms.
Waving his injured hand, Albion turned away and threw up into a
wastebasket. At least he was considerate enough to do that.
Keandra was proud of him for not fainting.
Dehneese focused on getting the baby dragon all cleaned up. She
had not been anticipating that Albion’s baby would actually be
born in his dragon form. No one had. But a chorus of delight went
up as everyone caught a glimpse of the little blueish-purplish
baby.
The baby let out a coo sound, and Keandra sat up on the bed. Now
that he was out of her, she wanted desperately to see him. Albion
took her hand, careful to use the slightly damaged hand so she
would not break his other one. The medics were going to have a
lot of work cut out for them today.
Grinning and crying a little as the emotion overcame her,
Dehneese brought the baby to Keandra and gently laid him down
in her arms.
Keandra and Albion started crying along with her when they saw
how tiny, adorable and perfect he was.
“Hello,” she whispered to their baby.
He happily closed his eyes and grinned a sharp-toothed grin at her.
“He’s a dragon shifter like me,” Albion said quietly, amazement in
his voice.
Their baby crawled around on Keandra’s chest, walking in circles
until he finally caught his little tail in his mouth. He soon yawned
and went to sleep against her there. She and Albion touched their
heads together, fondly watching over him as he slept.
The crowd in the doorway eventually dispersed. There was going
to be a lot of drinking and celebrating tonight. No other couple
had made it this far. No other baby was born into the Resistance.
“What are you going to call him?” Dehneese asked Keandra,
making sure to speak only in a whisper so she would not wake the
baby dragon who slumbered so sweetly on Keandra’s chest.
Keandra looked up at Albion, who looked down at her lovingly.
“Albindaro,” she said, uttering the name she had created for the
first time. She loved the way that it sounded on her lips and
tongue. A mixture of his parents’ names. A good, strong name for
a good, strong boy. “His name is Albindaro.”

***

In the weeks that followed Albindaro’s birth, the baby dragon

grew bigger and stronger. Finally, one day, he shifted for the first
time. As a humanoid child, he looked like the perfect mixture
between his mother and his father. He had light brown hair, green-
gold eyes and skin that was robin’s egg blue.
Keandra’s favorite thing about her son shifting and being strong
enough to chill out for a while without needing her was that she
was finally about to go out on missions with Albion. Dehneese
was the first one to offer to babysit the half-Gekkota, half-human.
“I have never taken care of a baby before,” she said. “But I have
read about it, and I am sure I will be fine.”
Laughing a little, Keandra nodded at her. “You will be. It’s not
very hard to take care of Albindaro. Especially here, where you’re
surrounded by other people who can help you.”
Keandra looked around and realized that Albindaro was nowhere
to be found. He was not in his crib or his play area or even his
feeding chair.
Dehneese started to freak out. “Has he been abducted by an
enemy??”
Before panicking, Keandra thought rationally about the situation.
“Wait, wait… I think I know where he is.”
She left the Resistance encampment and, sure enough, there was
her son. He was sitting in his father’s arms on top of one of the
mountain’s many dark gray boulders. Keandra laughed a little and
climbed up there to join them. “There you are,” she said. “I
thought that one of the Hoths had taken you both away.”
Albion smiled at her and handed the baby over to her. Keandra
rocked Albindaro, gazing lovingly down at him. Now that he had
taken his humanoid form, she wondered if he would mostly stay in
it like Albion did. His dragon form had been a shocking and hard
to deliver shape, but he was also quite cute as a dragon and she
hoped to see more of it.
“So, what do you think?” Albion asked her. “Now that Albindaro
is with us, do you want to hop onto a starship and go back to
Earth? I wouldn’t blame you if you did. This planet is not a good
place for a child to be raised…”
Keandra shook her head. She had given it a lot of thought. “I miss
Earth sometimes, and it will always be home to me, but my place
is not there. My place is here on Hoth with you and the
Resistance. Albindaro will be happy here. He is surrounded by
beings who are more like him. And plus, you know how Dehneese
would lose it if we even mentioned that we might take him away.”
Albion did an accurate impression of the yellow alien, gasping and
throwing his arms in the air. “Not the baby!”
They laughed together, and Albindaro giggled along with them as
if he somehow had an idea of what they were talking about.
“Shall we, then?” Albion asked her.
Keandra smiled. “We shall.” She stood up then, still carefully
holding onto their baby. “But we’re not taking him. He’s too
small. He deserves to have a blissful childhood. At least, as
blissful as possible.”
Albion stood up and climbed down from the boulder with her,
making sure that she did not slip or lose her grip on their baby.
“He will have a perfectly idyllic childhood here, surrounded by
thousands of doting fans.”
“They’re all his aunts and uncles,” she joked, grinning down at
Albindaro, who was busily chewing on her shirt sleeve.
They brought the baby back to the compound, and Keandra
handed him over to Dehneese. The other woman practically
hopped up and down, she was so excited.
Keandra laughed. “Don’t do that too much if you want to keep
that uniform looking nice and clean,” she teased.
With their baby in good hands, Albion and Keandra left hand in
hand. She felt like taking off at a run, and that was much more
exiting when he shifted into his dragon body. Then she ran to him
and jumped onto his back like she had been preparing all of her
life for this moment.
She had once thought that she did not want to go riding off into
the sunset with her Gekkota friend. But now, things had changed.
Now, Albion was her husband. They loved each other. And the
prospect of sunset was a delicious one.

THE END
 ALIEN’S MATE
CHAPTER 1
“I’ve never been to Mexico before. Have you?” The excitable
woman next to Valerie had been chattering for the entire tour, and
Valerie zoned out a few times as she tried to keep up with the
information spewing from the tour guide’s mouth.
“No,” she replied abruptly, and hoped the woman would shut up.
But she kept going. “I’ve always wanted to come here, to visit the
Mayan ruins, but I’ve never gotten the chance, and as soon as I won
that ticket, I was screaming and…” She stopped then when she saw
Valerie move forward, a clear indication that she wasn’t listening at
all.
Valerie side stepped the woman, who seemed a little bit too lonely
and in need of company, and caught up with the rest of the group.
She slapped at a mosquito then that had decided it was time for
lunch, and then fanned before her, in a desperate attempt to scatter
the small flying insects that had started to gather into a swarm. She
looked back at the woman, who quickly turned her head away in
embarrassment over her earlier babbling. Valerie thought of
apologizing, but she knew that would lead to more unnecessary and
awkward conversations.
“The Mayan ruins depict a rich history of a talented set of people
pre-dating 1500 BC, and often referred to as the Pre-Classic period.
They were the pioneers of the first formal writing style, the
hieroglyphic script, and they used their knowledge of the stars to
document events in history, and as some would believe, even the
future. It was rumored that their calendar ended in May 2012, and
since their predictions are usually correct, it was thought that life as
we knew it would end then. We know differently now, right?” he
asked, and some members of the group chuckled.
“The Chichen Itza was the most important Mayan city, boasting
impressive Central American architecture, and was oftentimes
considered a magical place. Here, in the Coba, it is hard not to
believe that.”
“I am most impressed by the fact that they had no technology, or
charts, and they were able to make those massive pyramids,
something modern man is yet to copy,” a bald man interjected. “I
would have liked to be there back then.”
“I can understand how they could do that,” another man, perhaps a
professor added. “Consider the early Greeks, like Galileo, who
taught us how to read the stars. Back then, it all came back to the
stars.”
“Or maybe they were aliens,” a young man said, and his group of
friends with him chuckled.
“And that is not far from some of the stories we have heard,” the
guide said. “It is often rumored that the Mayans were connected to
aliens, which gave birth to their genius in architecture, language and
art. It is said that they had pathways that connected both worlds, a
gateway that the Mayans often navigated.”
“No way,” the young man said. “That’s awesome.”
Valerie listened to them, half of the times, as they trudged through
the undergrowth in the sparsely lit and cold jungle. The path was
relatively wide, an indication that it was travelled on a lot, but at the
moment she regretted not wearing better clothes. Mosquitoes, flies
and gnats whizzed by her face and ears and occasionally stopped to
sip from her. She saw some of the others fanning this way and that
too, but she would take this torment over the one that had been
served her by her ex-husband. This trip was a way to get away from
him, to get away from it all. Her weight hadn’t seemed to matter to
him; in fact, he had encouraged her late night eating on occasion. To
find out that he had been cheating with a skinnier woman had been
like rubbing salt in the wound. But he could have her. She was
beautiful enough to get another man on her own; a man that would
love her, warts and all.
So distracted was she by her thoughts that she had wandered away
from the group without realizing it. She stopped dead in her tracks
then and listened, but all she heard were the sounds of the jungle;
the gentle flowing of water over rocks; the fluttering of birds as they
abandoned their nests overhead; the chirping of crickets and the
croaking of frogs. But she hear none else. She stumbled along until
she came to a fork in the trail, and after a moment of hesitation, she
headed onto the path that led to the right.
It brought her to a dense overgrowth, and she called and looked
around for anything or anyone familiar. Her feet were beginning to
rub against the hard rubber of her boots, and she decided she would
just return to the clearing and wait for the group to return. She had
seen enough of the Copa anyway. It was getting darker, and she
wasn’t sure how far back the trail went, so it was no surprise her
adrenaline started pumping as she imagined she might get lost. She
walked as fast as she could, and in her hurry, she didn’t see the
slippery incline a few feet away. She stepped hard against the
embankment, and before she knew it, she slipped and slid about one
hundred feet down, the twigs and leaves slapping against her face as
she whistled by.
Her screams went unheard, and when she came to rest again, she
stood and looked at the muddy mess against her jeans.
“Oh man,” she sighed as she tried to rub the stain out, which only
served to make it worse. Then she looked around and realized she
was as far as she could be from the trail. “How do I get out of
here?” she asked silently as she tried to climb the incline, using the
hanging vines and exposed roots as leverage. They kept slipping
from her grasp, so she decided she would walk parallel to the trail
on the lower level.
She walked for a few hundred yards, and was surprised to realize
she was right back at the spot where she had begun. She had made a
complete circle, but what was most discombobulating was that on
the second time around, the only thing familiar was the incline.
CHAPTER 2
“What the…?” Valerie said to herself as she turned about a couple
of times. “Wasn’t I just here?” She wiped sweat beads from her
brow, an unusual act considering she was in the middle of a cold and
wet jungle.
She started again, but the path that she walked before seemed to
have disappeared, and she stepped into a clearing that led to a
stream instead. “Where did this come from?” She was growing
worried and concerned that she was indeed lost, and that no one
would find her. “Hello!” she started screaming at the top of her
lungs. She knew better than to go across, or she would really be lost.
The tour didn’t feature a stream, even though there were supposed
to be lakes in the Copa. Her idea of a simple getaway had exploded
into something far more than she had bargained for.
She turned around and started walking in the direction she had
come. Maybe if she went up the incline, she would find the path
again before it got too dark. Her heart was thumping and her chest
was heaving as she broke into a slight run. She got to the place, and
just like before, she started maneuvering her way to the top by
clinging to vines and roots. She exerted more effort this time as she
kept her attention focused on the sun taking a darker shade and
dipping further west.
She kicked and grabbed, dragging her oversized weight to the top of
the incline, and when she got there, she flung herself over the
embankment and stretched out on her back. Her breathing came
short now, and she stared at the ceiling made of green that towered
above her for a considerable time while she waited for her body to
slow down. When her breathing resumed normalcy, she flipped over
and grabbed onto an overhanging branch for support, and scrambled
to her feet. She patted her hands against her jeans and started in the
original direction. She came to the fork in the road as before, but
there was no reason to expect there would be anyone waiting there,
and she wasn’t about to wait for them either.
She started running down the path, pushing the oversized leaves
from her path, and stopping once to look at what seemed like a giant
mosquito fly by her face. Panic surged in her now, and she could
hear the blood rushing through her veins as she went as fast as her
feet could take her. And then she felt the sting as something
wrapped around her feet. She fell to the ground. There was
something like a cord wrapped around her feet, and it prevented her
from moving.
She quickly worked her fingers over the hard cords, and as soon as
she stood and started running again, she heard wails and cries
echoing through the trees. Valerie turned around and around, as she
tried to discern the source of the cries. Then she started running
again, and came to an abrupt halt when she saw the giant animal
standing before her. Its head was like a wolf, but it was as big as a
bear, and it growled at her as it commanded her to remain. She did
not, and instead started moving slowly backwards. Terror seized her,
and with the adrenaline still pumping in her veins, she turned around
and started running again.
“Stop!” she heard a voice call from behind, but the blood rushing
through her propelled her movements, and Valerie felt incapable of
stopping.
Valerie started screaming now, even as she felt the animal close in
on her. She felt another sting, and the next thing she knew she was
on the ground. She heard a thump, and when she turned around she
saw the strangest looking thing she had ever seen. It towered over
her, its long hands reaching out to her. She flinched when it touched
her, and scurried back, but he moved too quickly, and was much too
strong for her. He pulled her to her feet, and the rest of them circled
her.
“What…where am I?” she finally found the nerve to ask.
“I am Malek,” he told her. “You are in Tundra. Where did you come
from?”
“I am where?” she asked, even while keeping her eyes trained on
the vicious animal that still growled at her.
“Tundra,” he repeated. “One of the many jungles on our planet
Xenon.”
“Your what? No, I’m on earth,” Valerie retorted, but even as she did,
her mind tried to reconcile what she knew and what she saw before
her.
“You are an earthling?” the man asked.
“Yes…yes!” she cried and turned around again, as if to flee. “I am
trying to find my way back to the group that I followed into the
Copa. I am in Mexico.”
“I thought you said you were on earth,” Malek said, now confused.
“Yes. Mexico is a place on earth. Why am I talking like this is real?
Clearly I slipped when I was running and hit my head. This must all
be a dream and any second now I’m going to wake up in the back of
the bus because someone from the tour found me.”
Valerie started slapping her face, trying to wake up from the dream
that seemed too real. Her eyes grew wild, and when she thought she
could get away with it, she turned right and started off in a sprint.
When she felt them upon her, she grabbed a piece of loose log on
the jungle floor. She waved it about, and panted.
“Don’t come any closer,” she heaved. She swung the stick from side
to side, warding them off, until she felt something come down hard
on her shoulder. She crashed onto the ground, and then everything
went black.
CHAPTER 3
There was something tickling her face, and she turned about to get it
off, but each side she turned, the sensation returned. She lifted her
hand and slapped at it, and then turned again. This time she felt the
sun on her skin, and then a cool breeze blowing against her feet that
appeared to be bare. Why were they bare? She had on sneakers just
before they had started the tour. That’s right! The tour! She shot
upright, and looked around her. There was nothing recognizable in
sight besides the spear that was held against her neck. Her eyes
followed the stick, and met the man’s on the other end of it.
She looked around and realized she was in something that looked
like a hut, made from wood, vines and some sort of canvas acting as
walls. It had a thatched roof and a flap down the front that acted as
the only entrance or exit; she only saw it as the latter at present. She
smiled haphazardly at the man guarding her, and because she had
nothing else to do, she began her survey of him. He was tall, like the
other one, and a neck so long it seemed to be detached from his
body. But not in an awkward way; it gave him an aura of power and
knowledge. He wore khaki pantaloons, and he had the same fabric
covering his upper body. His arms protruded from the shoulder, and
his bronze skin flexed and glistened in the rays that escaped through
the spores in the covering of the hut, and polka dotted the space.
His face was serious, and he held her there with his eyes and his
weapon. “No move,” he told her.
“Okay,” she told him and held her hands up. “So, what is this
place?” she asked. It was obvious she was either no longer in the
Mayan ruins of Copa, Mexico, or there were some native people
running around in the jungle no one else was aware of.
“Masawa,” he told her, and offered nothing more.
“Masawa?” she asked. The name wasn’t familiar to her at all. She
was growing more bewildered by the moment, and just when she
decided to risk it all and make a mad dash to the door, she heard
what sounded like a commotion outside. The man’s face twitched,
but it was obvious he was concerned. She waited, giving him the
opportunity to leave, and as soon as he did, she sneaked to the slit in
the wall. She pulled it back just wide enough to see two men
roughing it out in the center of a small gathering of people. The man
who had just left was trying to break it up, but he was struggling
against the weight of the other two and had his back to the hut just
then.
Valerie thought it a fitting time to try and make her escape. She lay
low and pulled the slit further open. She kept her back to the flimsy
material flapping in the wind, and with eyes searching for an
opening, she slipped to the back. Her heart was racing in her chest,
so she stopped for a second to calm herself. She had only just turned
to make a run for it when she felt someone grab her from behind.
She turned and came face to face with the man she had seen on the
animal before.
“You need to come back,” he said.
“Okay, okay,” she said and conceded, for she knew she could
neither outrun or fight him. Where would she run to anyway? She
was lost in the jungle with a native tribe that thought they were on
another planet.
“Do not try to leave again, or I cannot be held responsible for what
happens,” he told her.
“Why are you keeping me here?” she asked him, and followed him
inside the hut once more.
“You are dangerous,” he told her, and sat on what seemed to be the
trunk of a once huge tree.
“I am dangerous?” she asked, and then laughed. “I’ve been called
many things, but dangerous has never been one of them.”
“You did pull a weapon on one of my men when we saw you in the
Tundra,” he told her.
“Why do you keep calling it that?” she asked. “I was in the Copa,
not the Tundra, or whatever you call it. And I would like to go back
to the hotel now. They must be out looking for me by now.”
“Maybe, but they aren’t looking here,” he told her.
He was wearing the same khaki pantaloons like the other guard, but
he had on a green and white tunic at the top instead. Not only was
he better looking, and seemed more confident, but he had better
command of the English Language too. “So, if we aren’t on earth,
like you said, how come you know the language, and better than
him too,” she said when she noticed the guard returning.
“English is not the language of earth,” he told her. “I just happened
to learn it better than most of my people.”
“Your people? So, that means you are the leader?” she asked and the
anxiety on her face was evident.
“Yes,” he said and stood then to face the man who had just returned.
“Watch her properly this time,” he told him sternly. “Do not leave
this spot for any reason,” and with that he turned and left.
Valerie was about to go after him, even after hearing the instructions
that were given to the man, but her guard planted himself firmly in
her path, filling every possible angle of escape. She backed away
and sank into her seat, prepared to sit there until they decided it was
fit for her to leave. She had wanted an escape from the drama in her
life, back in San Francisco, but she had not signed up for an
excursion on another planet. She still thought she must be dreaming,
but the glare in the eyes of the man who stood guard over her was
making it less of a dream and more of a nightmare.
CHAPTER 4
The only times the slit in the canvas moved was when a woman
entered to give Valerie something to eat. Whenever she had to make
an excretion, she had a special place in the corner, which was
checked regularly. She was feeling hot and dirty, and she was glad
when she saw him return.
“Can’t I go outside? It’s been days since I’ve been here,” she said.
“Only one day.” His eyes swept her frame, and then he grunted and
went back outside. When he came back in, a woman was with him.
“Take her to the river,” he instructed. “Give her a bath.”
The woman nodded and went over to take Valerie’s hand. Valerie
shook her off sidestepped her, not sure whether she should be
feeling grateful or annoyed. She squinted her eyes when she went
out, and she could tell that by the direction of the sun, it was slightly
past noon. She looked around the village as she walked, and saw a
collection of huts like the one she had just exited. Women and
children milled about, and seemed happy and content. She saw a
baby playing with one of the giant wolf like animals, and she
stopped in her tracks. She was horrified at first that it might harm it,
but she witnessed then the gentleness of the beast.
On her path to the river she saw a man and a woman returning; she
was pregnant, and he had her in his arms, her weight not seeming to
matter to him. He looked at her in an odd way, and his eyes
followed her until they passed. There were many more at the river,
and the women were seen washing the men, dutifully, but not
seeming bothered by it. It was all new to Valerie, though she felt too
self-conscious about taking her clothes off. The woman moved
robotically, and began stripping Valerie as soon as she stepped into
the water. She stood still, and allowed her to work, and while she
stood in the river and allowed the cool water to wash over her, she
finally opened her mind to the possibility that this world was
nothing of Earth.
Back at the hut, she went directly to the man in charge. “Where
exactly am I?” she asked him again.
“I told you; The Village Masawa on the Planet Xenon. Come,” he
told her and walked off.
“Where are we going?” she asked as she tried to keep up with him
and his party. The heavy tunic she wore that practically hugged her
ankles obstructed her walking.
“To the place we found you. I want to know how you got here.
Maybe there was a vessel we missed,” he said.
“There is no vessel,” she said when she caught up with him. He
didn’t seem to hear her, and kept walking. She grabbed his arm then,
and he stopped abruptly and turned to her.
“This doesn’t make any sense. If there is no ship, then how did you
get here? What were you doing?”
“I was with some people in the jungle in Mexico when I got lost. I
tried to find them, slid down a slope and lost track of where I was.
That’s when I ran into you.”
He stood there, biting his lips and looking around, and then grabbed
her by the arm and led her in another direction. “Maybe Master
Shakh will know.”
“Master who?” she asked.
“Master Shakh. He is our wise one. He will know what happened
better than any of us,” he replied and tugged her along.
They got to the dwelling place of their wise one and he left them
outside while he went in. After a few moments, he emerged with
who she had expected to be an old man, but instead, he seemed as
young as the rest of them.
“So this is woman from earth?” he asked, and then beckoned to her.
“Come, come,” he told her and waited for her to get to him. Then he
placed his arm around her and brought her inside the hut. “I never
seen earth woman before. My grandfather told me about one he see,
but that was thousands of years ago.” He looked at her, and plucked
her skin, and then smiled at Malek. “She is nice one.”
“That’s not why we are here. We need to know how she got here,”
Malek told him. “Maybe we can send her back.”
“I’m afraid I can give you idea of how she came, but not sure if I
can make a way back,” he said and went over to a table he had filled
with candles and herbs.
Malek and Valerie shared surprised looks and then turned to Master
Shakh again. “You know how I got here? Oh my God!” she
exclaimed. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
“Not so fast,” he told her. “That may not be such good news.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“History tells of gateway from this world to yours. A time portal.
My grandfather privileged to go through two times in his life. I
never did, but would love to see other world.”
“A gateway? But that means if we can find the spot, then I can go
back through,” she said excitedly.
“I’m afraid it isn’t that simple. Gateway only opens once every
generation, and only when sun and moon come together. I can try
and tell when something like that will happen again, but I don’t
think it will be soon.”
“An eclipse!” she exclaimed when she realized what event the man
referred to. “That shouldn’t be so hard to track, and it may be soon.”
Valerie asked and turned about in the hut as she tried to make sense
of it, but even with her limited knowledge, she knew eclipses were
rare.
“Only if Earth woman lucky,” Master Shakh told her. Then he went
over to her and patted her on the shoulder, and with a grin,
“Welcome to Xenon.”
CHAPTER 5
Valerie spent the next couple of days in the Masawa, learning their
ways and observing their interactions. After a while, she lost interest
in returning home. What was she returning to anyway? At least
here, she felt like she belonged; like she was a part of something.
She accompanied the women when they went to gather berries,
herbs and fruits. She helped when the men returned with game from
their hunt, and she even taught them new ways to prepare their food.
She figured anything that was a bird would require the same
preparations as chicken. She even got accustomed to the Tsar, the
wolf-bear creature that was nothing more than an overgrown golden
retriever at heart.
“Everything is so simple here,” she remarked to Naresh one day.
She was one of the women she had grown more familiar with.
“What you mean?” the woman asked.
Valerie smiled when she imagined the girl didn’t understand what
simple meant. “I mean, where I’m from, you had to be busy all the
time; running to catch the subway to get to work; being stuck in a
cubicle all day in a cramped space; smiling at people you didn’t
even want to be around; running again at the end of the day to catch
the train before it leaves; just to get home to a husband who doesn’t
even appreciate that you are there,” she said and sighed.
“What is subway?” the girl asked.
Valerie jumped just then when she heard a twig snap behind her. She
was relieved to find that it was only Malek. “You scared me,” she
told him.
“There is nothing to be afraid of in Masawa,” he said and held out
his hand for her.
“That depends on what scares you. I could be afraid of a spider,” she
said and laughed. He chuckled too, and she couldn’t help but notice
the sparkle in his eyes when he did, or the way his skin color change
from bronze to crimson. She walked next to him, and to the hut that
had been a home to her from the beginning. The women had given
her clothing, and considering that in this world being oversized was
the norm, she fit right in.
“I heard what you were saying to Naresh earlier,” he told her when
they got inside and he was sitting on the trunk that seemed to be his
personal favorite.
“Wh-what did you hear?” she asked nervously and pulled her
golden hair behind her ears.
“You didn’t sound as if you were happy with the life that you had,”
he told her directly.
Valerie smiled then, and hung her head. “No, I wasn’t happy,” she
told him.
“And you had a husband…is that the word for mate?” he asked
curiously.
“Yes, that’s what he was,” she said and heaved an exasperated sigh.
“He wasn’t a good mate?” Malek asked.
“No,” she said, and even though she was far from her ex-husband,
and he couldn’t hurt her anymore, his effect lingered enough to tear
at the strings of her heart and provoke tears she hadn’t set free in
weeks. She quickly brushed them aside, but for each one she did,
another would take its place. “I’m sorry, I’m not usually like this.”
“Why do you cry?” he asked her, and the concern was visible upon
him.
“I gave him everything, and he left me for another woman because
he said I was too fat,” she said and wiped her eyes. “If he had done
it for any other reason, I could have understood; but to know that he
left me for nothing is what got to me. So, no, at first I thought I
would, but I don’t miss being home, and I don’t miss Earth.”
Malek did not know the right words to say that would stop her tears
from flowing. Instead, he stood and pulled her to him, and in the
silence of the hut he held her, and in so doing gave her more than
her ex-husband had in the months preceding their divorce.
“If Master Shakh does find a path home-some miraculous way of
reopening the portal to Earth-I don’t think I’ll want to go back,” she
sputtered, amidst the tears.
“You only say that now because you are upset,” he told her, and then
held her away from him so he could look her in the eyes. “The
feeling will pass and then you will want to go back, but you have to
think about it carefully. When that gateway reopens, and then closes
again, it may not do so for another hundred years, and by that time I
will no longer be here.”
Valerie turned then so that she was facing away from him. “Maybe,”
she said. Then she spun, as if jolted. “I’ve seen the way the men
here treat the women; the way you carry them around like they were
made from glass; how you bring them something from every hunt;
how they smile and float around without a care in the world because
the men protect and provide. I’ve never had that; so why would I
want to go back?”
“Well, if that’s how you feel, then you are welcome to stay here, and
we won’t treat you any differently,” he told her and sat down again.
She sat there looking at him, and then something occurred to her.
“How is it that someone like you, a strong warrior, hunter and
leader, does not have a mate of your own?”
Malek smiled to himself and turned his face outdoors. “I’m not sure
I can answer that question,” he told her.
“You can try,” she urged.
He lowered his body and took up a piece of stick and played with it
between his fingers. “I guess, it has never felt quite right before,” he
told her. “But I’m hopeful.” His eyes scanned her curves, and a
smile escaped.
Valerie blushed when he spoke, and her mind played on the word
‘hopeful’ as she imagined it might just be her.
CHAPT ER 6
It didn’t take Valerie long to adjust to life in a different kind of
jungle. The Village expanded further than the collection of huts
nearby, and was but a small part of a very big planet. There were
several other tribes surrounding the one she was in, and every
couple of days they would host a big feast and have games, and the
women would dance and entertain the men and children. Valerie
was beginning to feel more a part of this world than she ever did
back home.
“Come,” Naresh said and tugged her by the arm. “We dance,” she
said excitedly.
Valerie had never been known to be a good dancer, but by all
indications, no one here would be able to tell the difference. She
held hands with the other girls skipping and bobbing around the
large bonfire in the center of the village. Their laughter filled the
night air, and soon she grew dizzy and weary from all the
excitement.
When she fell down on the ground again, weary with exhaustion,
Malek came to her. “I see you are getting the hang of it,” he told her
and laughed.
“That is a lot harder to do than it looks. See the way Naresh and
Willow move? I can hardly do that,” she said, her words coming in
gasps.
“It will come with time,” he told her.
“I like the sound of that,” she said and smiled.
“Would you like to take a midnight stroll with me?” he asked her.
Valerie smiled and nodded, and then she got up and went with him.
For a while they walked without speaking, and then he held her
hand and turned her to him. “You should never let any man tell you
that you aren’t beautiful, because you are,” he told her. “You are
strange, and different from what I know, but that’s good, because I
was never attracted to what I knew. And I never knew why, until I
saw you on that path that day. You were running and looked so
scared, and I felt like I had to protect you, though I didn’t know
why.”
He placed his hand on her face and stroked her cheek, and she raised
her hand to keep it there. She closed her eyes and imagined all the
times she had wanted to feel needed by a man. And all it had taken
was a trip to another planet by an invisible force. Her eyes were still
closed when she felt something soft and warm on her lips, and when
she opened her eyes, they met his. He held her gaze, even as his lips
moved over hers, slowly and purposely, and she felt the tear as it
raced down her cheek. Then he pulled her closer than before, deeper
into his kiss, so that their bodies almost became one. She received
him gladly, and as they stood there in the dark, with the rays of the
moon celebrating on their skin, making patterns through the leaves,
their differences didn’t matter.
They held hands after that, and he led her to a place by the river
where it was serene and beautiful, and they sat for a long time
watching the waters flow. Valerie had never known peace like that
before, and she nestled against Malek and enjoyed being his
company.
The following day when she went out with the other women to
gather the crops, she became the subject of conversation.
“You go with Malek in the night,” one of the women said to her.
Valerie blushed and bit her lips. “I just went for a walk.”
“Men in Masawa never just take woman in night on walk. There
was something more,” Naresh told her and giggled. “Malek is
strong, and good leader; he will make good mate.”
“Who said anything about a mate?” Valerie asked.
“It true,” Willow chimed in. “Many women in Masawa, but Malek
choose you. It is a good thing,” she said and smiled. “You will not
feel bad after you go with him.” She looked at Naresh and both
women started giggling.
“What’s going? What did I miss?” Valerie asked.
“When he takes his thing and put it here in your…” Willow began.
“Oh, I get it,” Valerie said and stopped the woman before she got
even more embarrassed.
“Malek tall and strong,” Naresh teased. “Make him drink green root
tea and you make baby, first time,” Willow added.
“How is it you aren’t jealous that he would want me and not another
woman from the village?” Valerie asked. “I would be offended if it
were me in your positions. Neither of you are married either.”
“True,” Naresh replied. “But you can’t force man to take you. When
right one comes, then you know. We know Malek for you when you
come. We see how his eyes get black when he looks at you.”
Valerie did not always understand their language, in as much as she
had to clarify some things to them whenever she spoke. But she
knew enough, by context, to fully understand their childlike
innocence and generosity, and what it meant when they mentioned
Malek’s eyes growing black. Did he really feel for her as much?
“You take to our ways very easy,” Naresh told her. “You would
make good leader too.”
“Wait, what leader?” Valerie asked, not fully understanding what
they were saying now.
“You and Malek,” Willow said.
And then it registered. If she and Malek were mates, then she would
be the woman all women in the tribe looked up to. Right away she
felt the weight of the responsibility resting on her, and she looked to
them for emotional support. Their smiles seemed to do the trick, and
Valerie smiled in return, but she wasn’t sure if it was out of
happiness, anxiety or relief, that she was in a place where she was
respected by all. she blinked rapidly as if to wake up, but when she
trained her eyes again, she saw them looking and smiling still, and
already so expectant.
CHAPTER 7
Time passed by much differently on Planet Xenon than it did on
Earth, and by the time Valerie realized, she was already months into
her new life. It felt natural to her, and even more so the longer she
spent with Malek. He took her to the river, on what she termed
dates, and which amused him incredibly. They were on one such
date, at a little spot by the waterfall, the soothing sounds of the flow
creating a gentle ambience. They were sitting on a piece of canvas,
and Malek had his arms around her.
“I didn’t even know there was another planet in the Solar System,”
she said as she curled up against him.
“We always knew there were others out there, but we have never
had the pleasure to travel anywhere. It has been said that some of
the Yacuza, the people who live in the city, they have travelled to
distant planets. I heard that when I went to study there for a while.”
“Didn’t you ever want to though? I’m sure if I knew there were
other worlds I’d want to go.” She shifted so that she could be more
comfortable next to him, and he smoothed her hair that fell flat
against her forehead.
“Wanting to do something and actually being able to are different
things. Not everyone gets the chance to go into space.”
“So, there are more like you out there? Other worlds?” Valerie was
growing more fascinated with the idea that Earth had not been the
only planet all along.
“I guess,” he said. “But no more of that talk now,” he said and
lowered his head to kiss her on the forehead.
Valerie sighed contentedly, and leaned in closer to him. “What else
did you have in mind?” she asked playfully.
She felt his grip tighten on her, and it didn’t take long to understand
just what he was about. He kissed her temple and smoothed her hair,
and she closed her eyes as her heart raced in anticipation of what
was about to happen. His lips, as warm as a summer’s day, and as
gentle as the waters that flowed not too far from them, travelled
down her face, until he buried his head in her enclave. Valerie
shuddered, and he stopped to ensure she was alright. She smiled at
his patience and gentleness, and held her head back to allow him
room. His left hand held her firmly around the middle as his other
stroked her stomach, kneading her flesh and moving slowly upwards
until he cupped breasts that were ripe and ready.
Then, slowly he rose and rested her against the canvas, and hovered
above her, with the moon as his light and the stars making their own
showy display of brilliance. Valerie’s chest heaved, and though she
was nervous, her body called to him, and for each time he touched
her, she trembled. He removed the dress he wore, and in one fluid
motion he tossed it aside and stood before her, his bronze skin
appearing anything but that in the silvery glow of the moon. She
held out her hands for him, and he knelt before her and removed her
clothing. When he came down before her again, he found the hard
surface of her taut nipples, as goose pimples lined her entire frame.
He suckled her breast, and tasted every part of her, crisscrossing her
ample frame and not seeming to get enough.
On his return trip, when his mouth came down over her breast,
Valerie gripped his head and kept him there as she heaved and
panted. It had been a while since she felt a man take control of her
body, and she surrendered to this strange creature on a planet she
had wandered onto. Her hands groped at him in the dark, and she
felt his firm chest, her hands splayed and she dug hard into him. He
let out a howl, and then his eyes grew red with passion. His
manhood, waving uncontrollably, too eager to taste of this beauty,
became too hard for him to control. He held onto it and with
unsteady hands, guided it inside her. Her breathing intensified then,
in the same measure as his, and she jerked as she felt him fill her up.
She tried to push him off, anxious that her experience with the
average man had not physically prepared her for him, but he eased
into her, using her natural lubricant to aid him, and then he buried
himself deeper. Valerie wrapped her feet around him, now
comfortable with his size, and urged him deeper. He was slow to
respond at first, but his speed increased with his heartrate, and soon
their howls and moans challenged the sounds of the jungle. Valerie
dug her nails deeper into his taut buttock cheeks, keeping him inside
her until she felt her hot fluid spilling over him. He paused, as if he
had never experienced that before, and then he pounded. Her body
rocked as he rolled her around on his member, and when he felt his
own passion coming to a climax, he bellowed and let ring a sound
so loud it awakened the creatures.
Malek gripped her, and under the light of the moon, he filled her
with everything she had always needed, but had never gotten. When
it was all over, he fell on his back, his body appearing as if painted,
and she leaned over on her elbows and watched him. Her shivering
drew his attention, and he quickly covered her with the clothing they
wore before. Then he pulled her into his arms, and the heat radiating
from him caused her to sweat profusely. He didn’t fall asleep
afterwards, as she had grown accustomed to. He held her there, and
they talked about her world and his, and he played with her hair as
she did his now flaccid self.
Not long after, she saw a sly grin on his face, and in the wee hours
of the morning, unbeknown to the world around them, they got lost
in another round of making jungle music.
CHAPTER 8
Everything was euphoric for Valerie and she comfortably settled
into what quickly became life as usual in Masawa. She had all but
forgotten that she was in a strange place she wasn’t altogether
intimate with as yet, so when she decided to go exploring in the
jungle alone, something she had seen others do before, she didn’t
anticipate that she would be in any danger. Her smile was as bright
as the sun itself, and she walked along the trail, her hands running
over the large leaved plants that surrounded her. she listened to the
sounds of the animals as they scurried about, getting lost in the
natural trance that pervaded the place.
She was so caught up in the moment she did not hear when the
jungle grew still, until the threat was immediately upon her. She
heard something snap behind her, and when she turned, she fell
backwards as something pummeled into her. she scrambled to her
feet, just in time to see three women bear down on her, armed and
gnarling like rabid animals. She staggered backwards, her arms
thrashing about as she tried to hold onto something.
“What is this?” she managed to ask. She had seen them before,
sometimes at the river, but they had never exchanged words.
“You come to our home. Take our man. Not right,” one of them
screeched. “We make you go back.”
“No,” Valerie said as she started to move back. “Your people wanted
me here. Malek wants me here. I didn’t come here to cause any
trouble.” She was growing more frightened by the minute, and she
tried to delay what she thought to be her inevitable demise. She did
not know how to fight, and the women were trained and angry.
“What if Malek find out?” one of them turned to the others and
asked. “He punish us.”
“We tell him she run off and get eaten by wild animals. Plenty in the
jungle,” the other said, a wicked gleam in her eyes.
“You don’t want to do that,” Valerie pleaded. Everything in her
mind was a muddle of confusion, and she stared into the faces of the
people she had angered. “I didn’t choose to come here, and I didn’t
choose to be with him. If there was a way home I’d take it, but there
is none. So, I am stuck here.”
“No matter,” the first said, and she walked over to her with the stick
poised to enter Valerie’s shivering body. “We don’t want you here.”
“Wait!” Valerie screamed and her hands shot up before her.
“Please.” She was crying now, and she was shaking as she imagined
what they might do to her. But she wasn’t about to stay there either
to find out. As soon as she saw an opening she started running. She
heard them tearing through the trees, twigs and brambles in their
pursuit of her, and when she felt them closing in on her, she
screamed.
Just then Malek emerged from a clump of trees to her right, and she
veered in his direction, stumbling into his path as she raced to the
safety and protection of his arms.
“What is going on?” he asked when he saw Valerie stumble before
him. The women who were hot on her trail halted.
“We play with her,” the outspoken woman said.
“This doesn’t look like play,” Malek said and hopped from the Tsar.
He stooped and helped Valerie to her feet.
Valerie was shocked at first, that the women would tell Malek they
were playing and not actually trying to kill her. But then she stopped
and looked at their faces, and even now they seemed more afraid
than she was. She had never seen a villager punished before, but she
could only assume it was terrible enough to drive fear into the lot of
them.
“Is that true Valerie?” he asked her. She nodded affirmatively, and
brushed off her clothes. “Are you sure? I heard you scream.”
“I’m sure. I was just out walking and saw something that scared me.
That’s all,” she told him and smiled. Malek did not believe that was
all there was to it, but he only had her word to go on.
“Alright. Would you like to ride with me?” he asked her.
She thought about that, and of the possibility that they could
continue with their earlier plans if she were to remain; it would be
ludicrous not to accept his offer. “Sure,” she told him, and he lifted
her onto the animal and then hopped on after her.
In all the time Valerie had been in Masawa, she had never faced as
much aggression as she had that day. She wasn’t sure whether or not
it would be good for her to tell Malek what happened, so the women
could be punished, but how would that help her? How would the
others view her after that? Even though she was the victim, she
would seem like the aggressor.
She was still contemplating what to do later that day when she saw
one of the women approach her. It was the one who had pointed the
stake at her, and Valerie tensed and drifted closer to the hut when
she saw the woman getting closer.
“No need to be afraid,” she told her when she got to her. she folded
her arms and looked around the village at the other people walking
around and getting involved. “Why you not tell Malek what we do?”
“I don’t know what he would have done, and you looked terrified,
so I didn’t. I get that I don’t belong here, and I’m not trying to take
anyone’s place, but I did not ask for this,” Valerie said and brushed
away a tear that was rolling down her cheek.
The woman smiled and went over to Valerie. “It ok,” she told her
and rested her hand on her shoulder. “You ok.” Then she turned and
walked away.
Valerie felt the weight of a thousand anchors lift from her shoulders,
and her heart warmed when she saw Malek walking towards her. He
got to her and swept her up in his arms, and without warning he
kissed her, fiercely and passionately, as he was wont to do on
occasion, and then everything else was forgotten.
CHAPTER 9
Malek stood and watched as the women readied Valerie for the
ceremony. She was beautiful to him, and the people loved her. He
had been waiting for the right woman for the longest while, and for
quite some time he thought he never would. He had resigned
himself to a long and lonely life, or to relocate to the Yacuza,
abandoning his people in the process, in the hopes of finding love.
He was still contemplating his options when he stumbled upon this
strange creature in the jungle of Tundra. At first he had been
alarmed, and frightened of her, until he realized she was more so of
him. He had been fascinated by her difference, and over time, her
complete beauty. Now as he stood waiting for her to be escorted to
him, he felt nothing but pride, and nothing of treason.
“Malek,” he heard someone call from behind.
He turned and smiled when he saw Master Shakh approaching.
“Right on time,” he said and hugged his elder.
“Wouldn’t miss union of Earth woman with Xenon man,” he said
and grinned. “She make good leader with Malek.”
“I think so too,” Malek said and looked over at Valerie who had just
raised her head. She was fully clad in white, and the smile she wore
was her only accompanying accessory.
“If she stay,” Master Shakh continued.
Malek creased his brow and turned to the man. “What do you mean
‘if she stay’? We become one today; she already chose to stay.”
“But that was before discovery was made,” Shakh told Malek.
“What discovery?” Malek asked. He felt his heart rate increase
suddenly, and it thumped against the wall of his chest, the sound
reverberating within him he could feel his temples quake.
“When she first came, woman wanted to return to Earth. She came
here not of free will. She chose to stay maybe because she thought
no way back. Shakh discover way back in three moons.”
Malek heard what Master Shakh was saying, but he refused to
accept it. He looked back at the woman being led to him, and in that
moment his fear was greater than his love. “Must we tell her about
it?”
“Shame on you Malek. You are noble one. It is the only thing to
do,” he said and smiled as Valerie got to them. “Now, let us
continue.”
Malek stood next to Valerie, in the moment he should have been
enjoying the ceremony, with his mind everywhere but there. He was
afraid she would seize the opportunity and leave, but as the wise one
had said, it was not his choice to make; there was only one course to
take.
“Wait,” he said. He sighed and stared at the ground and then turned
to Valerie.
“What is it?” She had been the victim of cold rejection before and
she was not prepared for a second dose.
He stroked her face and gave her a half smile. “I’m afraid I must tell
you something.” She looked at him expectantly, reminding him of a
wild animal trapped in a snare. “Master Shakh just gave me some
great news. It seems the gateway to Earth will be re-opened three
moons from now.”
Valerie’s eyes popped as she thought about the implications. She
could return home, and to a life she had…her thoughts fell flat there.
It didn’t take long for the smile that had begun to form to wipe itself
into obscurity. She looked at Malek, and saw the sadness in him, but
she knew she would not be able to decide right then what the right
course was.
“I never thought I’d get the chance to return home,” she whispered
and let go of his hand. “At nights I dreamed of it, when I just got
here. I…I…”
“It’s alright Valerie,” Malek told her. “I won’t keep you here if you
want to return home. It is understandable.”
“I can’t do this right now,” she said, and then she turned and walked
away.
The gathering parted as she did, and Malek stood there next to
Master Shakh as he watched her walk away. His heart cried out, but
there was no way to appease it. He felt Shakh’s hand on his shoulder
then.
“Be strong great warrior; the day has just started, and it is long.
Many things happen before sun sets,” he told him, and then he
walked off with the rest of the village with him.
Malek heard what the old man said, but he found it hard to believe
in it now. He wanted to get angry at himself, for falling in love with
a dream. Of course she would want to return home; he would if he
ever wandered onto a strange planet with strange people. So he
would never deny her the chance of returning. With his head held
down, he trudged to his tent, his heart a hundred degrees below the
point it had been only a few minutes ago.
When he got there she was waiting for him, and she came forward
to meet him. “I don’t know what to do,” she cried.
He held her, squeezing her to him, and he felt her tremble against
him. “Don’t worry. We will figure it out together,” he told her. He
felt the emotion well up inside him in the same way he suspected it
was consuming her, and not knowing what else to do, he held her
head back and kissed her, so that everything else would be still.
CHAPTER 10
Valerie and Malek spent the next few weeks acting as if the moons
would not pass, and that their future was not hanging by a thread.
They lived as they had before, with Valerie not making a decision in
either direction. Until the day before the gateway would reappear.
She woke up in a sweat on that morning, and sprang from the bed.
“Ssh,” Malek whispered and pulled her back. “Let’s not do this
today. We knew this would happen. Let’s just get through this last
day.”
Valerie’s chest heaved as she allowed him to calm her, and then she
sank back into his arms. He enveloped her, and then his lips found
the smooth skin at the base of her throat. Her heartrate instantly
quickened, and she closed her eyes as she anticipated what was to
come next. He slowly and methodically removed her clothing, and
when she was bare, his tongue went to work making art along her
body. He circled her breasts with his tongue, and groped her sides as
his needs increased with the size of his manhood. He felt her hand
on him now, squeezing him, and he suckled harder as he felt himself
grow with her touch.
He kissed her sides, her navel, her inner thighs, and ran his tongue
over that pink wet spot beckoning to him for more. He felt her
tremble, and as the fire raged within him, he guided himself into her.
She winced at first, and her head fell back when she gripped the
bedding and curled her toes. He slowed until her tension abated, and
her insides hugged him, commanding him to give her more as she
grew hotter and wetter. Then he sank into her over and over again,
matching her rhythm with his, and Valerie moaned long and hard,
not wanting the moment to end.
Malek raged on, and he gripped her thighs as he plunged into her
faster, harder and deeper. She panted, and when he rolled her onto
her side and entered her again, it was too much. She cried out and
dug her nails into him, and the pain she inflicted got intertwined
with his euphoria, and he felt himself tingle as he neared his climax.
He pressed down into her firm skin with his palms as he released
everything into her. She held onto him, keeping him inside her, even
when it was over.
And then they lay there, for hours, not saying anything, until sleep
stole the uncomfortable silence between them. When Malek opened
his eyes again, it was after midnight. The gateway would open when
the sun was highest in the sky and the moon covered it. The time
was close and he still wasn’t prepared to let her go.
At dawn, she rose, her eyes melancholy, and filled with as much
confusion as her heart. Malek wasn’t there, but by the time she got
dressed, he parted the slit in the canvas and stepped inside. “It is
time.”
He held her hand and led her to Master Shakh. “We go now,” he told
her. “We not have much time.”
They got to the spot where they had first found her, and Malek led
her to the entrance of the portal. “This is it,” he said and stood back.
Valerie stood there, the shimmer actually visible now that she was
looking. She reached out and touched the spot, and then her hand
fell to her stomach. “And if I go back, how long before this opens
again?” she asked.
“Not sure,” Master Shakh answered. “May not be for another
hundred years. Not every time moon meets sun it opens.”
“A hundred years,” she said softly and then walked back to Malek.
“That’s a long time to be without the father of my child.”
Malek made a start, and then he made two steps to her with his long
stride. “Your what?” he asked.
“That’s right,” she told him and held his hand and placed it on her
stomach. “We are going to have a baby.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, and the smile trickled slowly onto his
face.
“Not before yesterday, but it’s true. We are going to have an Earth-
Xenon baby,” she said and laughed. Malek howled and hoisted her
in the air.
“So, does that mean you will stay?” he asked, when her face was
level with his.
“I loved my home, but for the last couple of years, I felt like I was
somewhere I didn’t want to be. I tried to run from it, by going to
Mexico, and if I hadn’t done that, then I wouldn’t have found you.
So yes, I will stay with you. I just wanted to come here to get some
closure or peace, or whatever. I needed to so that I would be really
sure I wanted to stay. And, my sweet Malek, I do.”
Malek needed to hear no more, and as Master Shakh nodded his
approval to the couple, he held her and kissed her, more fiercely
than he had ever done. When he let her go, he set her down, and
knelt so that he was facing her stomach. He kissed her there, and she
hugged him, and in the jungle where they had first met, they were
one again.
************
A few months later, right by the waterfall where they first
consummated their union, she held a babe in her arms. Malek was
next to her, and he stared lovingly into the eyes of his first born.
“He looks just like you,” Valerie said and smiled.
“He is the first born of a new line of people. He has my blood, your
heart and the history of our two people. He will be strong and a
fierce leader.”
The baby grabbed a fistful of his mother’s hair then and gurgled. “I
agree with you about him being strong,” she laughed as she
entangled the lock of hair from his arms.
“That’s my boy,” he laughed as he reached over and took him. He
stood with him, the feeling of love and joy radiating between him
and his son, and Valerie sighed, feeling more contented than she had
ever been. She watched the orange glow of sunset as it slowly
disappeared behind the trees in the distance.
“I think it is time to go,” she said as she gathered their things and
got up. Baby Malachi needs his rest.”
Malek turned to her and reached for her with his free hand. “Let’s
go home.”
They walked off together, disappearing into the trees that opened a
path to home. Her last thought then, when she looked back, was of
getting away from the hurt she had experienced. Never in a million
years did she dream she would have found love on another planet. If
she had ever thought love could be out of this world, she had not
thought far enough. She held on to the hand of her mate as he led
her home. THE END
Space Dragon
CHAPTER ONE
The Infertility Crisis

“Alert. This is your president speaking. All volunteers for the

Fertility Enrichment Program must arrive no later than seven a.m.
tomorrow morning,” the tiny, disembodied voice of the President
of Earth boomed over the loud speakers throughout every building
and structure. “Repeat. All volunteers for the Fertility Enrichment
Program must arrive no later than seven a.m. tomorrow.”
Celeste Monroe did her best to plug her ears with her hands. She
was sitting at the kitchen table in her family’s small, squat slum of
a home. For nearly twenty years now, the citizens of Earth had put
up with such grand announcements. For almost twenty years,
Earth’s leaders had been in a state of panic. That was because, for
just about twenty years, no child had been born on Earth.
The planet was in crisis. As soon as the problem came to the
attention of the leadership, they beamed out a message to all
neighboring planets and solar systems. Planet Earth was facing a
major infertility crisis. The human race was dying out, and they
desperately needed the help of another planet and its men.
Celeste thought this was ludicrous. How were men from another
galaxy supposed to help the population? The children of space
men were not really Earthlings at all. She was not kidding herself.
But her family was poor, and it was promised that the families of
those women brave enough to volunteer would be provided with
food and resources enough to survive for life. She may have
thought the plan was hokey, but Celeste was not about to pass up
such a deal. She was smart, but she was not selfish. Say the
pregnancy thing did not work out. At least her family would be
able to live comfortably.
And hey, if it did not work out she would not have to have a baby.
Tall, curvy girl that she was, Celeste did not want to ruin her
figure by running off and getting herself impregnated. She was
only twenty-seven years old, for god’s sake. She figured that she
had time enough for a few dates first.
Nevertheless, she marched out and volunteered when They asked,
and signed her name where They told her to. She knew that, in
time, they would be in touch with her.
And, sure enough, that day came.
That day was tomorrow at seven a.m.
“You should eat something,” Celeste’s mother told her. “You don’t
want to appear too thin. No man is going to want to mate with a
woman who is too skinny.”
Celeste smirked a bit. “Oh yeah?” she asked, putting several more
forkfuls of rice into her mouth and then speaking with her mouth
full. “And what if I don’t want to mate with a man with two heads
and four arms?”
Her mother shook her head at her. “You may find a mate, but you
will never find a husband with that kind of attitude.”
“Well, lucky for you a husband’s not the goal!”
Standing up from the table, Celeste washed her bowl in the sink.
She frowned as she looked down, irritable, at the soapy suds that
encased her used dishware. Because of the food shortage, rice and
corn were just about the only commodities left. As the human race
died out, so did labor for agriculture. Everyone on Earth had pretty
much been biding their time, for twenty years, for either The Big
One, or for savior to come down from the sky.
“What do you think they’re like?” her mother asked then. “The
Daskani? I assume they’re kind enough to offer to help…”
“You always assume on the side of optimism,” Celeste retorted. “I
am not holding my breath. It’s quite possible that the only reason
they answered our ruddy call is because they want to fuck our
brains out and feed our entrails to their babies.”
“Language!!” her mother shouted. “Your sister might hear you!”
Celeste scoffed. “She should be paying attention now. It’s likely
that she’ll end up having to follow suit someday.” Though Celeste
really hoped not. Her little sister Ruby was twenty years old, one
of the last babies born on Earth. She was of age, but according to
Celeste and her mother, she was still much too young to be
thinking about having babies or being abducted by mysterious
aliens from another galaxy.
Her mother gave Celeste a sad little half smile. “Because of you,
she probably and very thankfully will not have to volunteer,” she
said. “Because of your sacrifice…”
“Please,” Celeste said with a grimace. “Don’t call it a sacrifice.
That makes it sound like I’m noble.”
As her mother looked at her, Celeste realized that she was not
looking at her in judgement or annoyance like she usually seemed
to do. No. She was looking into Celeste’s eyes and smiling at her
in a way that said she was proud of her. And maybe even
somewhat sad to see her go.
Give a faint chuckle, Celeste pulled her mother in for a hug.
“Hey,” she said. “I don’t leave until tomorrow. And even then, you
don’t know that I’ll be gone forever. The Daskani are going to be
taking care of our crummy planet from now on, so I’m sure you
will still be seeing a lot of me.”
Tears filled Mrs. Monroe’s eyes now. “I hope you’re right. When
your father died, I hoped that that might be the last time the family
broke apart. And now… You’re not just moving to another town,
you’re moving to another planet.”
“Like I said,” Celeste said, rubbing her mother’s back in a
comforting sort of way. “Maybe I will meet a Daskani who is
really interested in Earth biology for some reason, and he’ll want
to start a colony of space sheep here or something! Ohio is not
what it used to be, but it’s better for space sheep than, say, Texas
would be.”
She was clearly joking. Texas was practically a pile of ash, and
Ohio had not had a sheep in it in at least ten years. Still, it made
her mother smile.
Of course, everything that Celeste said was a front for how she
was really feeling. She did not want her mom or her sister to know
that she was terrified. She did not want to be mated off to some
alien brute that she had never met. The very idea repulsed her.
Only when she was alone did she allow herself to think about
what lay ahead and how much she was really, truly dreading it.
Celeste was a brave woman. She did whatever it took to keep her
family safe. Ever since her father’s passing, she had worked hard
and she had been the one to hold things together. But that did not
mean that she did so without fear in her mind. It did not mean that
she did not feel like crying for help.

The morning of the Fertility Enrichment Program came to greet

Celeste before she was ready, even though she had been preparing
herself for it for quite some time. She got out of bed, short auburn
hair cowlicked in more than a few places. She stretched, and put
on her black plastic glasses, thinking that they might make her
appear better in the mirror. They just made her messy, sleep-
deprived-looking appearance clearer.
She got out of bed and threw on the clothes she had picked out for
this momentous occasion: a lavender jumpsuit with a belt that had
a gold, star-shaped buckle. She thought that it would be better to
dress like she was taking on a mission, not like she was trying to
sex up a stranger.
As soon as her groggy mother took one look at her however, she
was back in her bedroom putting on some black leggings and a
purple dress instead. She kept the belt, though. Celeste liked the
idea of eloping with an alien while wearing such an appropriately-
themed belt buckle. She supposed that she was not always super
mature.
Or perhaps she just had a silly sense of humor.
“You look like you want to be beamed up,” her mother said. “But
I guess that will be appreciated. Do you know who you’re going to
be assigned to?”
Celeste shook her head and bit her lip a little. She did not like that
terminology. They were not going to be lab partners. They were
going to be sexual partners. And she was not going to be the
Daskani male’s ‘assignment.’ If anything, she hoped that she
might be his friend. But she was trying to be optimistic about that.
It didn’t do any good to be negative now.
The alarm sounded, signaling that the volunteers needed to make
their way to the main area of the compound. If any household had
been asleep before, they were awake now.
Celeste’s mother suddenly pulled her in for a hug. “I am very
proud of you,” she said, choking back tears and then letting a
bunch of them escape anyway. “I will miss you so much, but I am
so proud of you. Ruby is too.”
“Ruby is too,” her little sister’s voice said from behind their
mother. She smirked as she came into view. She looked a lot like
Celeste, except shorter and with longer, blonder hair. The same
galaxy of freckles darted across the bridge of her nose; the same
twinkle was in her light brown eyes. Only, Celeste doubted that
there was a twinkle in her own eyes right now.
At least, not a twinkle that wasn’t tears.
“I hope you get a hot one,” Ruby said, then she gave Celeste a
hug.
“Ha,” Celeste said, doing her best to wipe at her eyes while her
face was on Ruby’s shoulder. “You know I’m hoping that, too. Be
good, kid. I will be back to check in on you. Though probably not
until I’ve properly bred something.”
She knew that it was time to go. She hated goodbyes, so she did
not allow herself to linger. Giving a quick nod and wave to her
mother and sister, Celeste turned from their house and walked out
under the bright early morning sun.
The Earthen compound was made up of thousands and thousands
of small, squat homes. They were all gathered in groups, with a
large dome-like structure at the center. That was where important
Presidential presentations were given and things like that.
Today, that was where Celeste and all of the other ready-to-breed
young women were to meet. And wait.
She joined the throngs of young, nervous women and stood there
in the rows along with them, gazing up at the dark triangular shape
in the sky. The Daskani ship was coming in for a landing. At first,
it seemed like it was just going to land and crush all of Earth’s last
hope.
But instead, it landed a hundred and twenty yards to the left of
them. Before long, with a loud squeak that suggested they needed
some oil, the hatch of the space ship opened and a long, shiny
gangplank came down. This was soon filled with tall, uniform-
wearing Daskani men as they marched down onto the ground and
towards the nervously tittering women.
As each one passed her, picking out his mate that thankfully was
not her, Celeste could not help appraising these men. They could
hardly be called men. They were all at least seven feet tall; with
skin that was a bright blue complexion that glowed. However
strange, Celeste could not deny there was a certain beauty they
carried.
And as her eyes darted from one Daskani to the next, Celeste
wondered if any of these one hundred virile aliens would appeal to
her.
That’s when her eyes met with the moss green eyes their leader.
He marched towards her with an expression that said less that he
wanted to mate with her, and more that he wanted to devour her
alive.
Her heart told her to run, but her brain told her to stay right where
she was.
She had been selected.

CHAPTER TWO
General Zephyr

“To the ship!” this moss-eyed Daskani shouted to his men.

Suddenly, the Daskani grabbed the women that they had selected
and carried then, thrown onto their shoulders, back up the ramp of
their space ship. Celeste let out a half-scream before her apparent
mate grabbed her and tossed her onto his hard, rocklike shoulder.
His blue skin was even scaly like a serpent, but she was oh so
thankful that he was not slimy. At once, she took offense to the
way these aliens just took hold of their new brides as if they were
prized cows instead of women deserving of love and compassion.
Celeste was not under the illusion that the Daskani were looking
for love on all the wrong planets, but she did not think that she and
all the other women had volunteered to be mere sex slaves to a
horny alien race.
She knew that the Daskani were helping the people of Earth, and
she should not complain because of that, but there was helping
and then there was taking advantage.
As soon as the lady volunteers of Earth were brought aboard the
space ship, it became abundantly clear that these males liked to
keep rather hot conditions while travelling through space. The
whole place felt like a sauna. It was difficult to even breathe;
that’s how hot it was. Several of the ladies, including Celeste,
began coughing.
The Daskani paid that no mind and instead started shoving the
women into cages. Each of them apparently had a cage that was
designated for their new female mates from Earth. Celeste’s moss-
eyed leader tossed her into a cage like all the others, as though she
was a mere rag doll, and almost slammed the metal door but
Celeste reached out and stopped it.
“Hey!” she shouted at him, practically spitting in his face because
she was salivating and sweating so profusely. “You are treating us
like cattle! You can’t do this! If you keep it this hot, we will all die
before you get us to your planet.”
Her mate stared at her a moment, and at first, she wondered if he
could understand what she was saying. She had always assumed
that the Daskani could speak English, at least well enough to
converse with the President and the other Earthen leaders. “We
will die,” she said again, for emphasis, in case that made things
clearer.
Suddenly, he clapped his two great claw like hands together and
another of the aliens rushed towards him. “Lower the
temperature,” he told the alien of lower rank. “Let’s make things a
bit more… hospitable for our mates.”
Celeste did not like the way he emphasized that word. Nothing
about this was hospitable. And she also did not like the way he
glared at her, almost as if he felt burdened with her like she was
burdened with him.
He did nothing to address the fact that the women were all in
cages however. As soon as the temperature noticeably went down
to a comfortable eighty degrees, her Daskani turned and walked
away down the long hallway, leaving the Earthling women crying
and shouting in their room of cages.
They were in kennels like dogs.
Celeste was pissed. “Hey!” she tried shouting after him, but he
made no motion as if he heard her. He reached the end of the hall
and went into an office, shutting the door behind himself. “UGH,
you ASSHOLE!” she shouted then, hitting the front of her cage
forcefully with the palm of her hand. All that really achieved was
making her palm throb, but it was better than just sitting in her
cage and crying like all the other imbiciles.
“What did you all expect?” she asked then, under her breath, as
she sat in her cage and waited for a Daskani to come her way
again. “Were you expecting a pleasure cruise through space?
Because I certainly wasn’t…”
She had not been expecting this either, though. She sat there and
waited, always making sure to keep one eye open in case a
Daskani came to her cage to throw in some food or grab her or
something. As soon as the door opened, she planned to attack
using teeth, nails, whatever she could to get back at them.
They wanted to treat them like animals? Fine. Then she would
respond in kind.

Several hours later – Celeste tried to keep track, but she lost count
once she got drowsy – a Daskani came to her cage to give her a
metallic dish of foul-smelling meat. As soon as he opened the
door, he realized his mistake. She jumped out at him, utilizing all
of her energy, and bit and scratched at him with her short but sharp
nails. “Get me out of here!” she bellowed. “I want to get out of
here! Let me speak with the leader!”
The Daskani – seemingly frightened of he, nodded his head as he
backed away. She stood there, a bit of blood under some of her
nails, and stared at him like a creature possessed. She was dirty
and she felt disgusting, and she wanted answers.
The Daskani guard was too afraid to touch her, but he nodded for
her to follow him. Immediately upon realizing what Celeste had
achieved, the other women started calling out for them to be freed
and taken to the leader as well. But the Daskani guard had no time
for anyone else. He was not going to make this mistake again.
Celeste walked along the long, shiny hallway towards the back
office where her mate had gone. The walls appeared to be made
from metal, but she could not say which. They looked silver at
first, but then they looked green like old copper, then actual
copper-color, then gold. She thought she would have to ask about
that, but then she realized that it did not really matter to her in the
grand scheme of things. Besides, everyone knew that dragons
liked gold and shiny things. And the Daskani were a race of
dragon-shifting aliens.
So far, to her mind, they were just a race of assholes. She had no
patience for their cutesy quirks. One of their cutesy quirks almost
killed everyone.
When they got to the closed door of her loving, caring Daskani
mate, Celeste read the name that was engraved upon it. General
Zephyr. That explained why the others listened to him. He was not
just some hot-shot; he was the one in charge. Officially and
everything. She felt like she should be more impressed than she
was, but she was too annoyed at him and the way things had
played out thus far. She did not care if he was the king. She
wanted to officially tell him to go fuck himself.
The nervous Daskani guard knocked on the door and then turned
to her. “Wait here,” he told her.
“No, I’m going in to ta—”
He shook his head and said, more firmly this time, “Wait. Here.”
Celeste threw her hands up and sighed, but she did not want to
disobey in case she would end up dead otherwise. She was not one
to mess around if things were that serious. She watched as he
lumbered into the room and slammed the heavy metal door behind
him. The office or whatever that General Zephyr was in was
apparently soundproof. That figured.
Finally, just as Celeste was about think she could not stand it any
longer, the door opened and the Daskani guard came out. He
gestured for her to go inside and then made his way back down the
hall to the cages. She hoped he would be a little kinder to the other
ladies now, but she could not be sure of that.
She entered the office and noticed right away that it was at least a
hundred degrees in there. Heh. She might have considered that.
The general was sitting at a large, bulky black desk. His attire did
nothing to hint at the fact that he was a higher rank than the others.
He was wearing the same maroon uniform pants and vest. He
would have looked more like a bellhop than a general, were it not
for the gold tassels that anointed his uniform here and there.
His outfit did not make him look menacing. What made him
menacing was his sheer size. The Daskani were all large, but the
dragon man who had picked her out was a behemoth. Celeste had
not had time to contemplate that when she stood gaping at him out
in the compound. But now that they had arrived in that tiny office,
she was beginning to think about a lot of things…
“Is your planet a volcano by any chance?” she asked before she
could stop herself.
General Zephyr glowered at her. “Have a seat,” he said.
She sat.
“I am told that you complained about our system aboard my ship,”
he said. Everything he said was like a snarl with an extra hiss
thrown in. “I am sorry that you find our methods uncomfortable,
but you see we must quarantine you females before we can
become… what’s the word you use? Ah, intimate.”
Celeste furrowed her brows at that. “Quarantine?” she asked him.
“So, you’re treating us like animals because you think we might
be infected?”
General Zephyr blinked at her. He was not used to his orders or
rules being questioned. “Well,” he said, faltering a bit. “Yyyes.”
She felt content when she realized that she was cracking him a
little. She had somehow penetrated his molten exterior. She just
hoped she would not find magma or something underneath.
“That might be normal where you’re from, but where we’re from,
it’s considered inhumane and abusive to lock people up in cages
like they are animals.” Celeste looked him in the eye when she
spoke, another thing that jarred Zephyr. She realized this and so
she kept it up. Intimidation by disrespect. That was something she
could surely do. “You won’t get into our pants that way.”
He clearly did not understand that terminology, but the dumb look
on her face made Celeste laugh. It had been worth saying just for
that.
“We do not want to get into your pants,” he said. “We desire to
mate with you, to help your people survive and help bring new
blood to our people.”
She did not see the appeal of having Earthen blood mixed in with
their clearly more powerful Daskani blood… “But Earth people
aren’t special,” she tried arguing. “We aren’t made of fire. We
can’t fly. And we’re nowhere near as massive as you.”
Zephyr suddenly smiled. He had a surprisingly handsome smile
for a dragon man. Sure, his fangs were frightening and he looked
like he was trying to threaten her instead of show a little joy, but
Celeste knew that he was making the effort to appear more
friendly, and that put her at ease that she did not know she wasn’t
feeling until then.
“But you are special,” he told her with all sincerity. “Your
weakness and lack of any trained powers makes you attractive and
different to us. You are called the weaker race, after all.”
“Oh, thanks,” Celeste said.
Then she laughed.
It felt nice to talk to a Daskani in an actual conversation. It made
her feel better that she was now being treated like a guest, not a
bounty. But she still wished that there was a fan in his office.
“So, I guess it’s back to my quarantine cage with me then,” she
said, standing up from her cool metallic seat. She did not have any
idea how the metal was cool in the steamy office and figured that
the Daskani had to have fancy metal that was resistant to melting.
Otherwise their space ship would not have done so well.
“No,” Zephyr said to her. “You don’t have to… I will give the
order for your comrades to be released. I don’t want to be
uncourteous to our guests.”
Celeste raised her eyebrows at him and looked at him curiously.
She knew that she basically did not know anything about the
Daskani other than the fact that they had answered humanities call
and they were some weird dragon-shifters who liked things to be
kept uncomfortably hot. But still, Zephyr surprised her. She had
not expected him to change his mind about things so easily, and
she wondered if it might have something to do with the fact that
she was his mate.
“I don’t know how the rest of my people will respond to so many
beautiful women,” Zephyr explained. “I thought that the cages
might keep them safe… But I am sure that we can find
accommodations that are more comfortable.”
“Thank you,” Celeste replied, assuming that there must be catch to
this. “So, should I go back and await accommodations.”
Zephyr looked nervous again. “No, no… You…” He looked
around his sparse office. “You can stay in here.”
Celeste sat back down in her cool seat, glad that she had that at the
very least. It would have been nice if she could have a bed made
of that metal, along with a nice tall glass of water perhaps, but she
was not about to start getting greedy.
He stood up then and went to the office door. “I think that the
females – women – should be led out of their cages slowly,” he
explained then, pausing in the doorway to look at her. “I want this
new situation to be handled as delicately as possible. My
species… We can sometimes do things without thinking. I do not
want any mating to happen without careful planning. That is how
we plan to help your people, after all.”
She smiled faintly at him at that and gave a nod. She could not
believe that her Daskani leader, was so kind and understanding.
They did not want to go crazy with lust and start just ravishing the
women everywhere. They wanted to handle things in a way that
would ensure pregnancy, not just pleasure. Celeste found that she
could respect this Zephyr guy.
And despite her initial disgust, she could feel an attraction towards
him coursing through her body.

General Zephyr came back into his office a few moments later. He
had a chagrined sort of look on his face, but he nodded at Celeste.
“I have given the order. It will be done. The women will be
released from their cages.”
“Thank you,” she said, fanning herself with a hand. “Now could
something be done about the heat in here? I appreciate that you
are letting me stay in your quarters with you where I can be safe,
but if the temperature stays this high, like I said before I will
die…”
His already big eyes grew bigger and he went to adjust the
temperature. There was a thermostat-like thing on the wall. Huh,
she thought. We’re not so different.
“I picked you out on Earth,” he said then, sitting down at his desk
and looking at her as if he was about to start giving her a job
interview. “But I suppose that it would be best to get to know you
better before… we commence with anything.”
Mating. He meant mating.
Celeste blushed a bit. Now that she was there with him and
partnered up and everything, she felt a bit bashful about what was
to come. She had never really thought of mating with a Daskani
male as ‘sex,’ but that was what it was. She supposed that she had
never wanted to think about it in those actual terms because sex
alone was such a daunting concept to the twenty-seven-year-old
virgin. Sex with a scaly space dragon just added to the whole
‘holy crap’-ness of the situation.
The room got mercifully cooler, which Celeste was so glad of. She
felt like she could relax more now, though she had no idea what
Zephyr expected to happen next. There was nervous anticipation
as long as he did not say anything…
“What is your name?” he asked her. She could see that small talk
was a foreign concept to him, but she appreciated that he was
trying.
“Celeste,” she said, chuckling slightly. “Kind of a fitting name
now, all things considered.”
Zephyr raised an eyebrow, and she realized he had eyebrows.
“Because of space. Celestial…? Never mind.” She blushed a bit;
embarrassed that he did not understand the coincidence of her
name. Maybe it was for the best that he was not a poetic romantic
or something. All of this was new to her and the last thing she
needed was to be mated with Romeo.
“No,” he said suddenly. “I know what you mean now. That is
interesting. My name is like…” He blew a gust out of his mouth.
Thankfully it contained no fire and very low amounts of heat.
Celeste laughed. “That’s true. Were our parents hippies or what?”
Of course, he was not going to know what that meant. But his
confusion made his face look much less severe; softer somehow.
She could get used to his gentle, moss-green eyes and his high
cheekbones. She even found his blue skin less froglike now. Blue
had always been one of her favorite colors…
“What did you do?” he asked her then. “On your planet, I mean.”
She wished that their getting to know each other did not feel so
much like a formal interview. “I spent most of my adult life
preparing for this day,” she told him honestly. “I knew that our
species was in crisis so I volunteered for the breeding program.
Then I’ve pretty much just tried my best to prepare myself for it.”
A lot of vitamins and supplements had been involved, as well as
some hormone treatments and close monitoring of her cycle.
Celeste had almost stopped living for herself and had begun living
with a child in mind. Was that sad? Yeah. But it was her destiny,
too. She wanted to be a mother, especially for a species that was
going to die out if she did not become one.
Zephyr gave a look that seemed to say that he felt sorry for her. “It
has been that dire for your people?”
Celeste nodded. “Somewhere along the line, my people got
wasteful and cocky… Not that I’m thinking you should take my
story as a parable or anything, but I suppose such a thing could
happen on any planet.”
“We are not wasteful,” he said. Each time he spoke, the words
came out almost as if it hurt for him to say them, like his lungs
were on fire. Oh. Oh, she assumed that was probably exactly what
it was. “We are stingy, I suppose. But we do not let things go to
waste.”
“Yeah, you’re probably the opposite of how the men on my planet
are… or used to be. They probably wish they could still be that
way, though.” Celeste tisked a bit. “So, what are you a general
of?”
Zephyr blinked slowly. If he could blush, he would have. “I am
the general of the Fertility Enrichment Program, Daskani chapter,”
he stated. “Mostly I am in charge of the males and making sure
that they follow our strict protocol. Before we learned about the
FEP, I was captain of a battleship, a star destroyer.”
Celeste looked at him, open-mouthed and impressed. She had not
been paired with some lesser Daskani; she had the real deal. And
he had chosen her, out of all those young ladies… “Why did you
choose me?” she asked without being able to stop herself. “I’m a
nobody and you’re practically a Daskani leader.”
He smiled at her then, a sharp-toothed, amphibian smile. “I am a
Daskani leader,” he said.
She placed her hands on his desk and looked him in the eye.
“Well, Daskani leader, will you please turn the temperature down
a little more? Your Earthen mate is sweating through her
clothing.”
Zephyr stood up and made a show of turning the thermostat thing
down even more.
“I can’t wait to see what your planet is like,” Celeste said,
unzipping the top of her purple dress so she could air out her
breasts. She hated sweaty boobs. In so doing, she revealed the
edges of her black lace bra, which Zephyr did not seem to mind.
When he came back to her, he could not stop staring.
Instead of sitting behind his desk, he opted to sit in one of the
cool, metallic chairs beside her this time. “I suppose that you
could say it is on the hot side,” he said. “But no worse than our
ship when you first arrived.”
“Oh great,” she said, rolling her eyes a bit. “…That was sarcasm.”
The alien spoke English remarkably well, though there were quite
a few things that he did not understand. Celeste had not even
expected him to be fluent in English, though, so this was turning
out better than anticipated.
“Do you have hunger?” he asked her suddenly. “Would you like
some food or a drink? We do not have what you are used to, I am
sure, but it is better to nourish yourself than to go without. It will
be a few days until we are back on Daskan.”
Before he said the last part, Celeste was all set to modestly
decline, but she knew that it would be a far better idea to eat
whenever offered than try to try to keep up appearances as some
kind of graceful flower. Zephyr clearly did not go for that kind of
thing anyway.
In her preparation, she never learned how to date a Daskani. She
only learned how to treat her body well so that she could
successfully and easily conceive.
Then again, who were those Earthen doctors to try and teach us
about conception? Celeste thought. They did not exactly prevent
or foresee this whole panic…
She realized that Zephyr was staring. She had not answered his
question.
“Yes, please. I am not really a picky eater. Though I guess there’s
going to be a lot of changes soon, so, heh heh.”
What if there’s just an infertility crisis because no one wants to
have sex with dorks like me anymore?
Zephyr gave her another smile that was all fang. “Okay. I will try
and go easy on you with my selection. Please do not feel obligated
to eat it all.”
He left the office again then, and she heard what sounded like a
key turning in the lock.
“Oh shit,” she said under her breath.
Despite not being in a cage anymore, she was still a prisoner on
this ship. She had forgotten that. She belonged to Zephyr now.
Even though she saw some likeable qualities in him, it was going
to take her a while to feel fully comfortable with him. She
wondered if he would give her a chance for love before he tried
taking things to the next level.
 CHAPTER THREE
Daskani Courtship

It took a while for General Zephyr to return to his office, but when
he finally did he was carrying a large tray full of food. Celeste was
excited just to see him and not be in solitary confinement
anymore. The Daskan food did not actually even smell that
displeasing to her. It smelled a bit like the bread aisle of the
grocery store. She could not remember the last time she had been
to the grocery store, but the memory of that specific aisle stood
out to her for some reason.
Zephyr placed the tray down on his desk and sat beside her again.
The food that he had brought for her seemed to be predominately
pastry-type foods, but there were a few Jell-O-like substances as
well. Celeste looked from the food to him and grinned. “Thank
you, this looks perfect.”
She had never been a big fan of vegetables anyway. She
immediately began eating, letting out some pleased moan sounds
which let the alien know that she enjoyed and appreciated the
meal he had provided.
Now that she was on the ship and with her mate, Celeste did not
have to worry about her intense meal regimens and watching her
hormone levels. All of those things which made the concept of
conceiving more serious and daunting to her. Now that she was
General Zephyr’s mate, she could rest easy… as odd as that
sounded.
“I probably should not ask what these things are made from,” she
said as she ate. “So, I won’t.”
Zephyr smiled at her a bit. There was no doubt in her mind that he
would have informed her about each ingredient if she had asked
for more information. “I am glad that you like them,” he said
instead. “I promise you that I selected only the things that I
recommend and thought you would like.”
She set one of the pasties down on the tray and licked her lips. He
had not provided any utensils, so it was not like she should have
felt embarrassed that she was eating with her hands, but still she
felt a bit bestial, especially once she was sitting there licking red
sticky stuff from her fingertips.
“So, what do you Daskani like to do for fun?” Celeste asked. She
did not want to let the small talk die, especially because she was
going to have her whole life to spend with this bruiser. It was
important to her that she know what she was getting into; not that
she would have much say if he said something that she might have
considered a ‘deal-breaker.’ Now that he had chosen her as his,
she would not be able to escape him even if she wanted to.
“Fun?” he asked her, as though he had never heard of the word
before let alone said it.
She nodded. “Yeah. You know. Enjoyment? Pleasure?”
Zephyr motioned to unzip the front of his pants and she stopped
him with a hand, laughing. “No, no… I mean besides sex. Besides
instinctive behavior. What makes you happy?”
He blinked at her. This was clearly a foreign concept to her alien
husband. Celeste sighed a little, feeling sorry for him. Zephyr did
not have hobbies. He did not even know what hobbies were. At
least, he did not know what they were and therefore could not
articulate them to her. Same thing, really.
“What do you do when you’re not leading on space ships?” she
asked him, taking a new approach to the same basic question.
Zephyr looked away from her in thought. “I like to fly…?” he
said, sounding as if he was asking if that was okay with her. “I like
to fly above Daskan. The views atop the mountains are
particularly spectacular.”
She smiled, imagining him flying high over his molten planet. The
idea of doing such a thing was strange – alien – to her, but she
could understand how it might make her dragon mate feel happy
and at ease. “You make it sound better than I will probably think it
is,” she said, laughing a little. “But I am willing to try it, if it
makes you happy. That’s a hobby, my friend.”
“Hobby,” he said as if he was trying out the word, tasting each of
the sounds the letters made in his mouth. “My people do not know
hobby. We only know directives and initiatives.”
Celeste worked on finishing her pastry, deciding that she would
save some of the food for later. She was bound to feel hungry
again before the ship landed, and she was willing to bet that
Zephyr did not know anything about meal schedules.
“Well,” she said when she was done, wiping the corners of her
mouth with her fingers and then licking them with her tongue to
make extra sure that she had not missed and crumbs or bits of
sauce. “I plan to make hobbies your new initiative.”
She gave him a flirty little smile. Now that she had been fed and
had been treated to a comfortable atmosphere in his office, she felt
much better. Celeste knew that she was there for one purpose, and
she was starting to warm up to the task…
“Are you going to be my hobby?” he asked her, breathing heavily
now that they were alone without distractions.
Celeste shrugged her shoulders. “If you want me to be. I kind of
want to be your passion.”
Zephyr knew what that word meant. She should not have been
surprised. Like the young women of Earth, the Daskani had been
raised to think of conception and sex. Besides flying, that was
probably all that was on Zephyr’s mind. And Celeste did not have
a problem with that for the moment.
Without saying anything, he brought his giant arms around her
and pulled her onto his lap. He kissed her lips and, carefully,
slipped his tongue into her mouth. She could feel his fangs when
she moved her tongue around his mouth. He was big and
ferocious, and hers.
Celeste allowed herself to be lost inside his kisses and caresses,
off on an adventure that involved giving in and letting go and not
being afraid to try things even if they might be scary. Her eyes
were closed and she thought of nothing but him. This beastly, fire-
breathing alien. She had wanted to hit him earlier. What had
happened to that?
The other girls were not with their mates. In fact, she was sure that
the other girls had not been officially claimed yet. That just made
this even more special. Celeste was the first to be chosen, and the
first to go to bed with a Daskani.
Her mother would be so proud.
Well, maybe proud was not the word. But relieved, certainly.
Celeste made out with Zephyr as long as he wanted to, which
ended up being quite a while. She enjoyed it, oddly, and wondered
if he was enthusiastic about kissing her and tasting her mouth
because he had not really done so before. With an Earthling or
otherwise.
Suddenly, before she could fully wrap her head around the fact
that they were making out on a spaceship after essentially just
meeting each other, Zephyr stood up and lifted her into his arms.
The office was not exactly a big one – big enough to contain his
bulk and that was about it – but it did not matter. He set her down
on his desk and then proceeded to remove the other contents of his
desk’s surface with one mighty blue arm.
Communicators, cups full of pens, his name sign… All of it went
crashing to the floor. But he did not care. He paid them no mind.
He continued to kiss her and lick and suck at her face and neck as
he climbed atop the desk and joined her. She was very glad that
the thing was made out of that cool metallic substance, for Zephyr
would surely break a wooden desk. Especially with the way things
were going.
He took hold of her dress’s zipper and slowly pulled it down,
bringing his hand inside her dress without fully removing it. He
gently massaged her skin on her waist and then his large hands
found her breasts. He jerked back a bit and looked her in the eyes.
Celeste grinned at him and placed her hand on top of his there,
urging him to continue to grope her to his heart’s content.
And grope he did. Zephyr went back to kissing her for a bit,
kneading her breast with his strong but somehow tender fingers.
Before long, he had his other hand on Celeste’s other boob and
then it was a party. He swiftly removed her dress not long
afterwards, so he could get a good, long look at what she looked
like naked.
Her body was like an hourglass, all tits and hips. Celeste blushed a
bit under his gaze. That seemed to just turn him on further. His
cock was standing up inside of his uniform, but then Zephyr
reached down without a word and undid his pants like he had
gestured to do before, unleashing the little dragon beneath.
Celeste did her best not to stare at his long, shiny blue cock. His
penis was intact, not like a lot of the poor saps on Earth. Zephyr
had a dark blue foreskin over his shiny, sensitive cock which made
it like a sapphire for her to discover. She leaned forward and
pulled at his uniform until, together, they had wrestled it from him
and let it fall to the floor and join her dress.
She got on her knees then, and he grabbed ahold of the back of her
head, pulling slightly at her long auburn locks as she moved in and
took his shiny cock into her mouth.
“Ohhhh,” he moaned then. It came out like a purr, deep in the
recesses of his chest and throat.
Celeste rolled her tongue around his big member, taking it all into
her mouth and then letting it go so she could lick at his shaft and
suck on his balls. Zephyr made noises like an animal – loud,
guttural things. She wondered with a soft chuckle if the others on
the spaceship could hear what they were up to…
Then, about to burst without even ravishing his mate, he took her
by the shoulders and pushed her backwards so she had no choice
but to lie flat on the desk. He moved between her legs and sucked
on her nipple. His cock dripped with pre-cum and Celeste licked
her lips, wanting him, wanting all of him.
Zephyr pressed his big cock inside of her and she let out a loud,
high-pitched sound. She could feel the girth of him as he stretched
and tore her in the best kind of ways. Reaching up, Celeste clawed
at his muscular back as Zephyr began a rhythmic thrusting in and
out of her. His cock seemed like it was somehow ribbed for her
pleasure and she figured that it was his foreskin’s doing. The
scales on his body probably did not hurt either.
“Oh, Zephyr,” she purred. “You’re good at this. You’re so good.”
He held her left leg on his shoulder and continued to plow into
her, acting downright bestial as he growled and moaned. “That’s
right,” he said with a sideways sort of smirk. “I’m going to
impregnate you four times over, you little Earthling slut.”
Celeste breathed heavily and moaned louder, so turned on by his
talking dirty. She’d never been called a slut before. She bit her lip
and realized that she liked it. Oh god did she like it?
“Oh, oh, ohhh!” she shouted. “Right there, Zeph, right there!
Yesss!!”
He was sliding his cock in exactly the right place for her. She
came hard against him, feeling herself shaking and contracting.
Her heart was pounding in her chest. She no longer thought of this
mating program as just a one-time, saver of Earth type offer.
Celeste wanted to fuck this alien again, and again. And again.
Gripping her to him so her back was up off the desk, Zephyr
increased the speed of his thrusts, continuing to plow deeply into
her. She could see sweat sliding down from his forehead. And then
he came, claw-like nails pressing firmly into her upper arms as he
held her there. That was going to leave a mark.
All of this was going to leave a mark.
“Aaaargh!” he howled, shaking the office with the force of his
howl alone. Celeste felt the hotness of his cum as it rushed into
her in search of her waiting eggs.
She allowed herself to think of that now. She hoped that their
mating would be a success.
The good thing was that, if it didn’t work the first time, they could
always keep trying.

It took Zephyr a few minutes to collect himself, but Celeste did

not mind. She liked having him there close to her. He pulled out of
her but continued to hold her, somehow knowing something that
she had long desired in a lover. No getting up and going to the
bathroom immediately. Not immediate loss of the intimacy they
had just shared. He kept holding her until his breathing and pulse
rate slowed back to normal. He was sticky with sweat, and she
found that she loved that. It was a true sign of their lust for each
other.
When Zephyr did finally pull away, he did it slowly. He stood on
the floor and took his time putting his uniform back on. Celeste
rolled over and watched him, propping her head up with her
elbow. She smirked at him. “Is that what all of the Earthling girls
have to expect?” she asked flirtily. “Are they all going to be
ravaged like that?”
“Not likely,” Zephyr said, carefully zipping his uniform over
himself. “Most will probably wait until we have landed before
they mate. None of the others seem as fiery as you.” He reached
out and cupped her cheek in his hand, gazing into her eyes.
If anyone knew about fiery, it was a Daskani.
Celeste smiled up at him.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “Would you like anything else?”
She thought about it. She had really had her fill of strawberry-ish
flavored pastries, but a meal they did not make. “I could for some
meat or something. Do you have any meat?” She was not entirely
sure that Zephyr would even know to what she was referring, so
she was pleasantly surprised when he nodded at her.
“I can get you some of that,” he said with a laugh. “Though you
might not want to know what it comes from.”
Celeste shrugged a bit. She was a bit past caring where the
Daskani got their food. It did not really matter, since she was now
living amongst them. As long as she was well nourished and taken
care of so she did not die, she was not going to judge the aliens for
their weird sources of food.
“Also, do you have a bathroom on this ship?” she asked. That was
a more worthwhile question. If the Daskani did not have to relieve
themselves like the humans did, the ladies of Earth were in for an
uncomfortable ride through space.
She wished she had paid more attention and could remember how
far Daskani was from Earth. A couple lightyears would likely feel
like nothing, but any longer than that and she was going to be
busting a gut. Especially post-coitus.
Thankfully, Zephyr had a positive answer for that as well. “There
is a restroom aboard this ship. If you go out of this office and go
down the hallway to the left.”
Celeste smiled and let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness,”
she said. “I will meet you back here in about ten minutes?”
He blinked at her, not know what minutes were. But he nodded
nonetheless.
Celeste leapt off the desk and threw her dress back on, not really
caring if she looked disheveled or not – she did – and then she
opened the door and turned to the left, going down the hall that he
had told her to use. The halls and floor and ceiling on the ship
were a dark purple. She had not realized that before, largely
because she had been too concerned with how hot the alien
captors liked to keep things.
Now that she was going down this hallway though, she realized
that she was unable to read any of the signs on the doors. His
office had been easy to figure out, but that was because he was the
man in charge. The Daskani had been picking up all kinds of
people in their space travels, she was sure. And the general wanted
to be respected by one and all of them. But these other random
doors? Celeste had no idea which one was the bathroom and
which was, say, Corporal Spaceman’s office…
She hazarded a guess and turned the seahorse-shaped knob on the
first door she saw. A loud growl greeted her, as well as the shiny,
slimy skin of a black Daskani dragon creature.
Well, now she knew one thing. The Daskani liked to sleep in their
even more reptilian and amphibious forms. Now Celeste would
not be afraid if she reached over in the night and felt Zephyr’s as-
yet unknown and unseen dragon face.
Actually, she would still be afraid. Who wouldn’t be afraid? But
she would be more prepared, which did help.
After backing out of that office room and reclosing the door,
Celeste quickly tried a few more doors. Each one was yet another
small room. All of the Daskani seemed to be in repose, and none
of them had an Earth woman with them. She felt like Zephyr
should have been very pleased with himself.
That was before she turned around in the hallway and found that
she was face to face with one of the guards. He narrowed his red-
gold eyes at her. He was far from repose.

CHAPTER FOUR
A New Home

“What are you doing out of your chamber, Earth girl?” the
Daskani guard asked her.
Celeste really had to pee, especially now that he had crept up on
her like that. “Bathroom,” she blurted. “General Zephyr told me I
could use the restroom out here. He said it was this way.”
At the mention of Zephyr, the guard dropped his tough act. He
realized that she was not just some Earthling; she was the
general’s mate. That carried some amount of clout, she could see
that now. “Oh, I see,” the guard said. “In that case, please allow
me to stay out here while you use the necessary so no one disturbs
you. Then I will escort you back to the general’s chamber. It is not
safe for you to walk around alone. He should have known this…”
She raised an eyebrow at him; sure that Zephyr would have come
with her if it was really that dangerous. It was possible that the
guard only thought it was dangerous for her because he himself
was feeling lustful about an Earth girl roaming free and
unattended. Zephyr had said that the other men needed to be
slowly introduced to the women. “Whatever floats your boat,” she
said to the guard before finding the correct door and stepping into
the bathroom.
Celeste relieved herself and then attempted to clean herself up in
the odd half sink, half tub thing that the Daskani had going on.
The bathroom was clearly not meant for women, as the toilets
were more like large urinals. She was fortunate that they were big
enough for her to daintily sit upon. The sink-tub allowed her to
feel as though she was taking a quick bath, which was good after
being intimate with Zephyr. She had become sweaty, among other
things.
As she stepped out of the bathroom, she felt pink and clean. She
smiled at the guard, who had in fact patiently waited there for her.
“Thank you,” she said. He marched with her back to General
Zephyr’s quarters. She entered the room laughing and Zephyr
looked up at her quizzically.
“I just had a bathroom chaperone,” she told him. “You Daskani
sure are paranoid.”
“It’s like I told you,” he said. “We don’t trust ourselves around
Earthen females. You are precious to us.” As he said this, he got
up and walked over to her. Then she realized that there was
another tray of food on his desk. This time it was piled high with
mouth-watering meat.
Zephyr wrapped his arms around her, giving her a hug that felt
both awkward and surprisingly nice. She could tell that embracing
people was not something that he did very often, and that made
the gesture all the sweeter.
They sat together at his desk, somehow turning it into a dining
table with her on one side and him on the other as they ate the
meat together. “You didn’t have to wait for me,” she said with a
smile.
He looked at her with raised eyebrows. “You do not like that? In
our culture, it is polite.”
Celeste shook her head a bit, but she kept smiling. “It’s polite in
our culture, too, but you don’t have to wait for me. Especially not
if you’re hungry. I am a big girl.”
“You’re not very big,” he countered, and then he smiled a toothy
smile at her.
They ate the meat together and he was right. It was much nicer for
her to be able to enjoy it without knowing which adorable creature
the Daskani had killed to create this meal. It tasted unlike anything
she had ever eaten on Earth. Most meat was scarce for the past
few years. More was wrong than just infertility. Animals and
plants were dying out, which was a sign to the humans that they
very well could be next. That was why the Daskani’s help was so
greatly needed and appreciated.
Celeste wished that it could have felt less like the women had
been sold into sex slavery, but she was glad that the dragon aliens
were at least nice to them. Especially now that they weren’t in
cages. She supposed that she had herself to thank for that. Perhaps
it was a good thing that she was the general’s mate. She had some
amount of power that the other women did not. Hence the way the
guard had treated her upon realizing whose mate she was.
“What is Daskan like?” she asked him as she ate, trying to
imagine the kind of hot, mountainous utopia that could produce
sexy dragon shifters and delicious, juicy meat. “How do you know
that we won’t land there and all of us Earthlings won’t melt to
death?”
Zephyr sank his big fangs into what looked like a leg as he
thought about her question. Something passed over his eyes as if
his memories were being projected there. “I don’t believe that you
will melt,” he said. “It is a rock surface, like your Earth. Not a
gaseous surface.”
She laughed slightly. “I know. I was mostly kidding. I am a fan of
hyperbole.”
“It’s probably not even worth asking what that means,” he said
with a grin. “But I think you will like Daskan. You will probably
have to alter your attire for the climate. I do not think this thick
fabric you were will be comfortable in our atmosphere. But this is
an easy adjustment.”
She looked at his uniform. Reaching across, she felt the fabric and
made a face. “Your clothes are pretty weighty, too.”
“They are for visiting other planets,” he pointed out. “I will
change when we land on Daskan.”
Ooh, I wonder how much skin his clothes will be showing…
Celeste had mated with Zephyr. She had gotten the stressful part
over with. And now that she had made love with him, she felt
more comfortable around him. She knew that it was not the way
that things normally were. Normally, boy met girl, boy kissed girl
and they went on several dates. Sex did not enter the scene until
later. But in times of crisis such as this, there was no time for
normal courtships. She was glad enough to know now that he was
physically striking. He was much gentler than his size and teeth
made it seem.
She was almost going to be sad to return to Earth once they had
conceived a baby. Staying on Daskan with him was out of the
question when bringing babies to Earth was the whole reason for
their coupling.

When it came time for them to sleep, Zephyr pressed a button on

the wall and it opened, revealing a bed which he pulled fully out.
It reminded Celeste of something she had seen in movies set in the
1960s and it amused her to think that the alien species was behind
Earth in some of its technologies. It came down from the wall and
then Zephyr went to a closet and brought out some blankets and a
pillow. He fluffed everything up and made the bed for her. Celeste
watched him, happy and flattered that he was taking care to make
sure that she was comfortable. He was way more hospitable than
she had anticipated, given where they had started.
“Thank you,” she said to him appreciatively. “It is nice to know
that there is a bed in here. Although… Where are you going to
sleep?”
Zephyr looked around as if he had just realized this fact for
himself. Then he shrugged. “I can make do with a chair.”
She got onto the bed and crawled under the sheets. “Don’t be silly.
You can sleep in here with me.”
A lustful look passed over his eyes. “I thought about that, but I did
not want to be too forward.”
Chuckling, she lifted the blankets on the bed beside her and patted
the mattress. “Get in. I’m your mate. If you want to fuck me again,
that’s kind of your prerogative.”
Celeste did not want to push her luck. She knew that she was
fortunate that Zephyr had had sex with her already, but if they had
sex again… Well, she would be twice as lucky, she supposed.
Zephyr got into the bed beside her and spooned her, wrapping his
muscular arms around her. He kissed her neck and her highest
backbone. It jutted out in a way that made it perfectly kissable.
She smiled and closed her eyes, loving the sensation of his lips
lightly brushing against her skin. The urgency of his lust soon
came to her attention when she felt his hardness against her butt.
Her whole world was about to change, maybe even tomorrow. She
wanted to enjoy this night and time with him as much as possible.
She wanted him inside her again.
Turning towards him, she breathed hotly against his chest. “Hey,”
she said seductively. “Will you mate with me again? I can tell you
want to.”
His lips quirked into a smile and he grabbed her, moving her onto
her back and then mounting her. He pushed her skirt up and slid
her panties down. Then he pushed his sizeable cock into her
opening. He did not thrust quickly at first, taking his time to enjoy
the feel of her. Zephyr groaned, closing his eyes as he allowed his
long penis to explore Celeste’s alien pussy. She was unlike
anything he had ever known. She flattered herself, thinking about
how she had taken his virginity – at least in terms of sleeping with
an Earthen woman. His sexual prowess made it seem as though he
certainly had had sex before. She did not want to think about with
whom or what, however.
“Ohh, that’s right,” Celeste said, licking her lips. “Let me feel
every inch of you. Get me nice and pregnant.”
Normally, such a thing would not be a turn-on, but the Daskani
was so into the idea of impregnating her that the mere word
pregnant made him quicken his pace, as though fucking her hard
and fast was the answer. “Celeste,” he moaned. “Celeste… You
are amazing.”
He said her name with such a need, such a desire. As if he might
die if he did not utter it. She had never found her name to be such
an aphrodisiac before.
They came together, feeling their pleasure and their desire for
each other come in waves of electric sensation. Keeping their
bodies entangled in each other, they fell asleep. Celeste was not
sure if she loved this mysterious alien yet. After all, it would take
more than amazing sex and kindness to sway her or make her feel
fulfilled. She wanted to love the father of her baby. She hoped that
Zephyr could be that man. It would certainly make things easier.

The spaceship landed on the planet of Daskan in the early morning

hours – or at least what felt like morning hours to Celeste. Time
was difficult to clarify when whizzing through space. There was
no sunrise or sunset. It further emphasized the Earthen belief that
time was simply an illusion. When the ship landed on the ground
again at last, Celeste was shaken awake. Zephyr slept beside her,
seemingly unaffected by changes in altitude. He was so used to
space travel at this point that nothing really fazed him.
She gently placed her hand on his shoulder, shaking him excitedly
as if he had not seen the planet of his birth before.
“Hmm? What is it?” he asked her. Blearily, he opened his eyes.
“We’ve landed.”
Celeste nodded. “Finally, I feel like kissing the ground!”
She threw back the blankets of their bed and stood up.
Zephyr stretched and got up, joining her by the window of their
cabin. He was less enthusiastic about being back on Daskan,
mainly because he was an explorer. When he was on the ground,
he was not sure what to do with himself.
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on her neck,
causing Celeste to giggle. “I’m looking forward to going home
with you,” she said. “I was beginning to feel like a space prostitute
or something.”
That made him raise his eyebrows at her, which just made her
laugh harder.
Together, they dressed – he put on his general’s uniform again,
and she put on her little dress – and then they made their way from
the ship. Celeste was pleased to see that the other Daskani had
listened to her order and had freed the women from their cages.
Now, everyone was paired up and seemingly happy. Well, as
happy as they could be considering they’d been given no choice in
the matter.
Celeste did not have long to rejoice about being on solid ground.
She realized quickly that the ground on Daskan was mushier than
the one on Earth, and she was not sure that kissing it was a good
idea. Not long after they got off their ship, a bizarre-looking
shuttle came to escort the General and his new mate to his home.
It was orange-yellow like the taxi cabs back home, but it was flat
and driverless. It floated in midair, with small engines under it that
emitted a glowing light blue gas.
“How does that work?” she asked Zephyr.
Without saying anything, just smirking faintly at her, he put his
hands on her waist and carefully lifted her onto it. It was not high
up off the ground, but Celeste was not a fan of heights when they
were wobbly, and this certainly was. She grimaced back at him as
he joined her on the space taxi thing, making it wobble and bob
even more with his added weight.
“Like most things, it is a robot,” he answered. “It will take us back
to our home… Your new home.” He smiled at that, as if he had
only just realized that Celeste was his mate and he was going to
have her forever. At least, he thought that was the plan.
She looked at him uneasily and, reaching over, told hold of one of
his muscular, indigo arms as the small, flat shuttle whizzed them
away from their space ship and towards places unknown.

The home at which the taxi shuttle dropped off Zephyr and
Celeste was not unlike a mansion back on Earth which, she was
surprised to discover, disappointed her. She had not often dreamed
of her time spent away on an alien planet, but in the dreams she
had had about it, she had always been kept locked away in some
sort of hovel or something. She did not imagine that the Daskani
might live a civilized life, especially considering the way they had
treated their guests aboard their ships. She wondered if this was
only because she was chosen by the General.
Deftly, Zephyr leapt from the taxi and then reached up to grab a
strong but gentle hold of her as well. He brought her down and
held her in his arms and she forgot all about her disappointment.
He held her like a princess. She was his princess, and he was her
brave and kind space General. She amazed herself with how much
she cared about him now, after railing against the very idea of
mating with a Daskani for so long.
He carried Celeste into his mansion. It was built into the side of a
jagged stone cliff. The whole planet was rocky and spongey,
almost like it was made of one giant bog. The froglike appearance
of the males was beginning to make sense. She did not see any
other beings when they came off the ship, and she wondered if the
reason the Daskani had answered Earth’s call was because they
were a planet in need of females.
“You have a beautiful home,” she complimented as he carried her
inside and brought her straight to a sprawling bedroom that was
more like a ballroom with a bed. Unlike the chromatic space ship
they had been on, Zephyr’s home was white and bright, with a lot
of windows that looked out on an expanse of water. An ocean
perhaps? “Really, your whole planet is beautiful. The people of
Earth should all just move here. You seem to be doing much better
for yourselves.”
Zephyr smiled and placed her gently onto the bed, the only real
piece of furniture in his bedroom. The windows were open,
allowing a gentle breeze to blow into the room. The bedsheets
were like the curtains, white and opaque. Looking up at him,
Celeste wondered at how this brawny beast had managed to keep
his home so immaculate.
“This is – what do you Earthlings call it? - my bridal suite,” he
informed her, leaning over her so he could kiss her and touch her
breasts through her dress with his fingertips. “Daskani do not all
have a home like this. It is given to those who have a mate for
life.”
Celeste opened her eyes wide. What was he talking about? Mate
for life?

CHAPTER FIVE
Cerulean Savior

Celeste stayed there on the bed and let Zephyr continue to kiss and
fondle her, but she was practically frozen in place. “What did you
mean, mate for life?” she asked him nervously. “I’m supposed to
get pregnant and then bring my child home to Earth, to help the
population problem… I cannot stay with you.”
Zephyr stopped necking her and leaned back a bit so that he could
look into her eyes and face and see that she was sincere in her
statement. “But… I thought you were my mate.”
She felt so bad for him. “It’s not that I want to leave you when this
is all over. But I have a duty to my people.”
It worried her now, that he might not want to have sex with her
anymore. Why did I have to open my big mouth? she thought. I
just wanted to be honest with him…
“What if you can fulfill your duty to your people and still stay
with me?” Zephyr asked thoughtfully. “What if I said that I would
follow you wherever you go, even if I should have to live on Earth
for the rest of my days?”
She looked deeply into his green eyes. “You would leave this
palace for me? Earth is nothing like this place.”
He shrugged and moved in closer to her once more, gently taking
her by the arm and pulling her into him so he could kiss her more
easily. “There is no one like you in the whole of the galaxy,” he
said in a soft tone before kissing her deeply and passionately.
Celeste pulled him further so that he was fully on top of her. She
brought her hands up under his shirt and ran her fingertips along
his curly, dark blue chest hair. Then she relieved him of the shirt
and he relieved her of her dress, and her bra as well. He was
handsy when it came to her breasts. “You’ve never seen these
before, have you?” she asked through a smirk. “Before me, I
mean.”
Zephyr shook his head a bit. “Our females have breasts, but… not
like these.”
As he squeezed, she felt a pang of pain. Could it be that she was
pregnant? She did not want to think about that right now. Nothing
was a bigger turn off for her than the thoughts about her being
forced into this… Although, the more she did think about it, now
that he had proposed to stay by her side no matter where they
landed next, Celeste thought that they were going to make a
freaking cute baby.
Maybe if she was not already pregnant, she would be by the
morning.
He kissed her face and neck and down her entire body, slipping
her panties from her as well.
“Mmm,” she murmured. “You haven’t done this much, but you’re
clearly a fast learner.”
Zephyr smiled against her sensitive skin and then he went down
and kissed her opening, gently nuzzling his nose against it as he
began to lick at her wetness.
Celeste gripped the white sheets of the bed. The room was
immaculate, but not for long. More than the sheets were about to
be tousled, if she got her wish. She lifted her legs up a little,
inviting Zephyr to perform as much cunnilingus on her as he
wanted. She threw her head back and moaned his name.
He used that alien dragon tongue of his quite well. He got her all
hot and bothered and then, grinning a shimmering grin that could
only be shimmering like that for one reason, he rose back up
above her and plowed his long, thick cock inside her.
“Let’s get you good and pregnant,” he growled, thrusting in and
out of her and making sure that he went as far in as her tight pussy
would allow. “We don’t want to return you to Earth without my
spawn growing inside you, now do we?”
“Ahhh, I don’t want to go back until I’ve had our baby,” she said
back, hissing the words out because Jesus Christ he felt so good.
“I want to fuck you as much as possible here, my Daskani
General. I want our baby to know its birthpla-AHH, YESS!!”
She bit her bottom lip so hard it started to bleed a little, but she did
not care. Her orgasm came intensely and fast, and she instantly
wanted another.
Zephyr beamed proudly down at her, happy to see that his
movements and touches were causing such a stir within her. He
kissed her on the mouth again and quickened his pace, feeling her
feminine juices on his shaft. It made his thrusts more fluid with
less friction, which brought him moments away from his own
orgasm.
Celeste had a feeling that this was it. This was the time that she
would for sure become pregnant. She could see herself feeling
miserable tomorrow morning, but this was so worth it. He was not
able to hold on for very long and she could tell by his expression
that he was really fighting his ejaculation so that she could enjoy
herself.
“Come inside me,” she whispered, kissing and nipping his chin.
She did not have to tell him twice. Closing his eyes tightly, Zephyr
came thunderously inside her, feeling as if sparks were going off
under his skin in a way that did not hurt but instead felt wonderful.
He held onto her, holding her close in a hug as the ripples of the
orgasm continued and his heart rate did its best to slow down
again.
When he tried to pull away, she held him fast and snuggled against
his chest. He was not inside her anymore, but that did not mean
she did not want him to stay there with her.
“I love you, Zephyr,” she told him softly, eyes closed as if she was
dreaming. “The old me would probably say that I’m crazy, but I
do not care. I’m not the old me. And I love you.”
He kissed her forehead and petted her hair. “I love you, too,” he
said. He said it with such conviction that she knew he was telling
the truth. She was so glad that he knew what love meant. It was
not exactly an easily-definable word.
They fell asleep together there, in each other’s arms, feeling safe
and contented with their choices of mate. She was not looking
forward to leaving this strange and lovely planet, though she was
excited to see her mother’s and sister’s faces when she arrived
back at home with the handsome and powerful Zephyr holding her
hand.

The following morning looked a great deal like the day in which
they had arrived. The sky was still bright and the weather was still
the sticky kind of hot that Celeste imagined rainforests back on
Earth must have been like, at least until the humans destroyed
them with their greed. She opened her eyes and smiled when she
saw that Zephyr was still right there with her, holding her in his
arms like he had done back when they were on the Daskani space
ship. Like he loved her.
She carefully and slowly disentangled herself from him and went
over to the sheer-curtained window of their room. She gazed out
at the sky of russet and gold. There were thick, green trees for
miles around, as far as her eyes could see. She could understand
now why there had been such a need to keep things hot on the
ship. The Daskani were used to hot climates. She still did not
think it was right of Zephyr to assume the human females would
be okay with that, but she could not blame him as much now that
she knew him and his home planet better.
What was not made of sky or trees seemed to be made of rock.
That dark, metallic looking rock that she had seen before. The cliff
their manse was attached to was made of that type of rock. Celeste
thought that she could get used to that rock. She would not have
minded if Zephyr gave her a ring made of that rock…
The thought of marrying her Daskani man made her stomach do a
nervous flip flop. Either that or it was something else. She bolted
from the room in search of the nearest restroom. Sickness had
fallen over her like a blanket and it was then as she lay there on
the hot floor over the water basin that she knew.
She had a Daskani spawn in her womb for sure.
Unfortunately, Celeste did not have long to feel excited about her
pregnancy. As she was tidying herself up and about to make her
return to the bedroom, she heard a loud sonic boom. At least, that
was what it sounded like. Not fully used to the planet yet, she was
not sure if that was a normal thing to hear. She rushed out of the
bathroom and to the nearest window, which happened to be one in
the living room. She had not looked out of this window yet, or
really explored the living room. Zephyr had carried her to the
bedroom with haste as soon as they arrived; so much of the home
was unexplored by her so far.
The view from the window was a shock. She had not expected it
to be such a big drop. Hadn’t there been a patio or something
yesterday? It was a blur. When Celeste stopped marveling at the
height of her new home, she noticed the giant, sparkly space ship
in the near distance. It was ruby red and it took up half the sky. At
first glance, she had taken it for one of the rocky mountain peaks
of Daskan, but now that she looked at it she could see that it was
a) not a mountain and b) not from Daskan.
Zephyr rushed out from the bedroom to join her, wrapping his arm
around her as they looked out the window together in bafflement.
“Do you know who they are?” she asked him.
He nodded his head in a way that somehow suggested that he was
not happy to see that glistening ship on the horizon.
“Care to enlighten me?”
“They’re the Yaargothens,” he told her, glaring at the space ship
with narrowed eyes as though the ship itself could feel hit wrath.
“They’re a rival planet from just outside this galaxy. They’re
facing a bit of a crisis themselves, but I never thought they’d have
the nerve to come here.”
Celeste turned to look at him, into his eyes. “Outside this galaxy?
What kind of crisis?”
Zephyr sighed. Before he had a chance to tell her, however, the
screech of a loudspeaker could be heard emanating from the ruby
ship. “Citizens of Daskan,” a growly, booming voice announced.
“We come in peace. Well, mostly. We are here because we have
learned about your trade deal with Earth. As you are aware, we
citizens of Yaargoth have also been suffering a fertility crisis. The
last of our females has died. And so, we turn to you, as our…
friends. We have come for your Earthling women. They should
have been traded with us in the first place.”
The loudspeaker gave another screech and silence fell again.
Celeste looked at Zephyr with wide eyes. This was bad. This was
very bad.
“What should we—”
“Look out!” Zephyr shouted before she could finish her question,
grabbing hold of her arm and pulling her down to the carpeted
floor.
He made sure to land first so that she could lie nestled against
him. He wrapped his strong arms around her and she closed her
eyes as some kind of projectile came into the mansion via that
window. Celeste smelled smoke and the scent of what can only be
described as burning hair.
She thought she was going to have a good day here on Daskan,
exploring the hills and rainforest-like beaches. Letting Zephyr
know that he was going to be a father. But no. The universe or
whatever controlled these things had determined that Celeste just
could not have nice things.
“Please tell me they did not just fling alien poo in here,” she
muttered.
“No,” Zephyr replied. “Worse. They flung themselves in here.”
Celeste opened her eyes and looked at him as if he was crazy or
making things up to get a reaction out of her. She tilted her head at
him and arched an eyebrow. “You can’t be serious.”
The projectiles that had burst through the window were indeed
moving on the floor a few feet away. She hesitated to even look as
a sick feeling washed over her. The things appeared to be light
brown, fuzzy balls and they grew and grew as they squirmed and
writhed on Zephyr’s white carpet.
When they stopped growing, they reached quite an impressive
size. Five gorilla-like beasts now stood before Zephyr and Celeste,
staring down at them menacingly. Well, staring down at her.
Zephyr rivaled them in size. They were wearing what almost
looked like brightly colored Speedos, which she could not take
seriously except she had to admit that they were appropriate for
the temperatures on Daskan. Their thick fur, on the other hand,
was not.
“Forgive us this intrusion, General, but we Yaargothens have
reason to believe that you have impregnated your Earthen
female,” the largest and most brutish of the brown aliens said. His
voice was a low, deep hum like that of a vacuum cleaner.
He did not look at Celeste at all when he said this. In fact, he had
not so far given her the slightest attention. She wondered if he
thought she was not the Earthen female he was talking about.
What might he think she was? Zephyr’s breakfast?
All that changed when Zephyr turned his blue face towards her.
His mouth had fallen open a bit at this news. “Are you with
child?” he asked her, his voice so soft and tender that she was
almost able to forget that enemies were present.
She smiled a bit, biting her lip and nodding. “I was going to tell
you…”
The large brown alien growled. “Then our informant was correct!”
Suddenly, he lurched forward and grabbed Celeste by the wrist.
Zephyr leapt forward at once, but he was too late against the
Yaargothen’s shifting powers. The fuzzy alien took off at a jump
towards the window again, shrinking as he went and causing
Celeste to shrink along with him!
The last glimpse of her mate that she got as she rose with her
captor into the sky was Zephyr’s look of complete bewilderment
and anger. She did not know what was going to happen to her
now. She had no defenses against this new alien. She had barely
learned his species’ name.
Suddenly, they crashed together onto a hard floor. Their bodies
stretched and grew until Celeste was lying on the cool, metallic
floor of the spaceship, writhing in space sick agony. The brown
monstrosity stood above her, smirking.
“I can tell that you were not with that Daskani for long,” he
boomed. “You are as puny and fragile as I always expected
Earthen females to be. But no matter. If you are fertile, then you
will come along with me back to Yaargoth, where we shall
repopulate!”
Celeste was scared and overwhelmed, but she was not about to let
this happen without a fight. Shakily, she stood up and looked the
beast in the eyes. His eyes were beady and black, not at all the
attractive green of her Zephyr’s. Was she really thinking of him as
hers now? Had they really come this far? As she looked at the
ruthless Yaargothen, she knew so well that she loved her Daskani
mate and she was not about to abandon him!
“I am not going to Yaargoth with you,” she said. “And I am never,
ever going to be your mate.” She was so much smaller than he
was, so she was not quite sure how exactly she was going to
prevent him from taking her. So, short of doing nothing, Celeste
spat up and into his face.
The alien howled as if she had struck him with hot coals, rubbing
at his eyes to get her phlegm out of them. Then he grabbed her by
the wrist once more, making a shackle out of his claws.
“Hyperspace!” he shouted to some unseen crew.
Without warning, the ship shook as they proceeded into
hyperdrive. She was glad that he was holding onto her now, if
only so she would not meet the harsh floor again. She was not sure
how much her body could take of this, though. The baby moved in
her stomach; the first real proof that she was carrying Zephyr’s
child and was not just having a bad reaction to the food.
“General Zephyr will not let you get away with this,” she told the
alien once she had regained equilibrium and could look him in the
eye without her stomach doing a flop. She did not even know this
alien’s name, and she hoped to keep it that way. She did not want
to become at all familiar with him or his shrinkage power.
He laughed a cannon fire-like laugh and began pulling her away
from the space ship’s big window and down a long, winding
hallway not too terribly unlike the one on the Daskani ship.
“Help!” Celeste cried as she was dragged by her arm, appealing to
the last glimmer of sunlight before she was swallowed up by the
hallway, as if Zephyr could hear her cries from his planet which
was far, far behind her now.

The Yaargothens, it turned out, were not so very different from the
Daskani. The main one – the general? – placed Celeste into a
small cell. She was provided with some water and a dry,
unappetizing cracker thing. The ship was not stifling hot, but
somehow, she missed that aspect. That aspect felt more like home
to her now. The Yaargothens were apparently from a colder
climate, hence their thick fur.
“I am Rawrgoth,” the gruff alien told her. “I am the leader here.
You will respect me.”
Celeste kept her eyes down, as if the floor was the most interesting
thing on the ship. She kept her mouth shut tight, not speaking. The
being known as Rawrgoth soon got bored and left here there in her
cage.
She was fuming. At least the Daskani had come to Earth to help
them. At least it had been a peaceful agreement. This? This was
kidnapping! This was slavery!
“Help me, Zephyr,” she pleaded there in the dark cell, far from her
mate and the planet that had become like a home away from home
for her in such a short time. She had been at peace with him there,
content. She no longer railed against the solution for Earth’s
fertility crisis. But now it did not matter. Her child that grew in her
stomach was in danger. She was in danger.
After a while, the ship stopped moving so quickly and Celeste
knew that they had come out of hyperdrive. They were floating
there calmly, and that calmness irritated her. The Yaargothens
thought that they had nothing to lose now. They felt uncontested.
Safe in their acquisition of her. She felt disgusted.
Suddenly the space ship began to rumble and roll as if a giant
hand was pushing it. Celeste got up from the floor and moved to
the front of her cage, hands on bars, to try and peek out and
ascertain what was going on. She so wished she was still near the
window. There was a loud crash as the window broke and then she
changed her mind about her proximity to it. What now? she
thought.
Bright red and gold flames burst into the hallway and Celeste
jumped back to avoid them. Then, a giant blue and green dragon
came into view. She could not be sure if that was indeed what it
was, but she did not know what else could look like that besides a
dragon. She had read enough fairy tales. It shimmered in the dim
lights of the ship and looked somewhat like a genetically mutated
rainforest newt. It had wings on its back that rustled as if they
were made of paper, but they clearly were not.
Celeste sat there on the floor in the back of her cell and watched,
mystified, as the dragon made its way past her. There was
something strangely beautiful about it. Strangely beautiful and…
familiar.
“fddddddddddddddddddddddtggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
ggggggggggggggtttttttttttttttttg!” Another cloud of flame and
smoke erupted from the dragon’s mouth.
The dragon’s voice was not familiar, but she did not expect that it
would be.
All at once, there was chaos as the Yaargothens were roused from
their births and came into the hallway – or rather, opened their
doors and looked out into the hallway – with much trepidation and
fearful shouting.
“A Daskani!” one of them shouted in their garbled, growly way.
“How did he get in here?”
“Through the window!”
“Look, the window!”
Celeste craned her head and neck, but try as she might she could
not see the window. The dragon was mostly gone from her line of
sight now as well, save for his long, shiny blue tail.
“A Daskani,” she said under her breath. Could it be her Zephyr?
But that was ludicrous! He flew through hyperspace?
The dragon inhaled deeply, gearing up for another outburst of
flames. “WHERE IS CELESTE?!” it bellowed instead.
She froze, spine going ridged. “Zephyr!” she said in a whispered
exhale, too shocked to be louder. The Daskani were, after all,
dragon shifters. It made sense that the General shifted. She just
had never witnessed it before. It was breathtaking, to say the least.
He was a monstrosity when he was in his normal form. Now that
he was a dragon, he was a behemoth.
The leader of the Yaargothens came forth, eying Zephyr with his
beady, dark eyes. “She is my mate now, Daskan filth,” he spat.
Though he was much, much smaller than the dragon, he had no
fear about size. It did not matter to his kind.
The space ship bobbed and tilted with Zephyr’s immense weight.
The ship clearly cared about the size of this dragon.
“Captain, we cannot hold up like this,” one of the Yaargothen’s
stated somewhat timidly. “Permission to land on the nearest
planet?”
“Permission denied,” Rawrgoth snarled, not even bothering to
look back at his underling. “I will take care of this.”
Celeste held onto the bars of her cell as the ship rocked and
bucked forward, clearly starting to go down as the Yaargothen
grew to match the size of Zephyr. She thought for sure that they
were going to crash now, and all of them were going to die. All
this because she would not mate with a new alien. She felt a
strange sort of petty now. But oh, it felt good to know that Zephyr
cared for her this much. He was willing to risk everything to save
her and her honor. His honor as well, to be sure. No entitled alien
was going to come around and steal his female.
There was much snarling and growling as the two beasts stared
each other down. Neither seemed to want to make the first move,
but even as they did not move the ship was sinking fast into the
abyss of space. All kinds of sirens and flashing warning lights
were going off but the monsters did not pay attention to such
trivial matters. Zephyr lunged forward, moving only his head and
elongated neck as he snapped at the now giant-sized Yaargothen.
Rawrgoth managed somehow to dodge that and scratched
Zephyr’s neck with his black, sharpened claws.
“Zephyr,” Celeste called to him pleadingly. “Zephyr, I love you!
But you’re going to get us all killed!”
He snapped again, this time catching Rawrgoth’s head in his jaws.
He chomped down as hard as he could, but the other beast used
his long arms and claws to wrench himself free. Celeste could see
a lot of blood now, coming from Rawrgoth’s head and the wound
on Zephyr’s neck. There was blood in the dragon’s teeth as well.
She could feel herself becoming a bit woozy.
“Captain!” another member of the Yaargothen crew shouted. “We
are going down! Landing on the nearest planet is our only option!”
The members of the crew were in full-on panic mode. They
rushed through the hall, doing their best to squeeze past the two
alien monsters as they bit and scratched at each other. They were
fighting as if in slow-mo, confined to the small space of the ship.
Suddenly, one of the crew members came to Celeste’s cell and
unlocked her cage. The Yaargothen looked her in the eye. “You’re
on your own. Good luck.” He said it in a way that did not sound
hopeful.
Celeste thanked him by hastily pushing past him and going to
Zephyr’s torso. He was so immense that all she could really make
of him was a wall of teal. “Zephyr!” she shouted. “I’m here now.
I’m with you.” She reached out and touched him. He was smooth,
hot and semi-moist to the touch, like the frog she had always
thought he resembled. She thought this was much more appealing.
She found him oddly sexy this way, not at all like the slimy
Earthen amphibian from her earlier imaginings.
The two fighting foes paid her no mind however, and as the ship
careened downwards towards the first available planet, Celeste
held onto her dragon and prayed that this would all end soon and
maybe, perhaps, they could make it out of it alive. She was not
even going to hope for unharmed, just alive.
When at last the space ship did land, the two monsters spared no
time. Zephyr grabbed Rawrgoth by the head again and rolled with
him out of the window. Well, actually, it was the side of the ship.
Nothing but a jagged hole and slightly charred and melted metal
remained in their wake. Celeste stood against the opposite wall,
watching with a hand over her mouth.
The planet on which the Yaargothens had haphazardly landed was
made of rock, thank goodness, though there were patches of lava
where Celeste was used to seeing oceans and rivers. She was
terrified to leave the safety of the ship, which she could hardly
believe was the case were it not for the fact that these two brutal,
deadly beasts were now out there in unknown, dangerous terrain,
duking it out to the death, probably. She had once been flattered,
but now she thought that what they were doing was extreme. She
was never going to be able to forgive herself if Zephyr died for
her.
Cautiously, she stepped out onto the rock of the planet. She
walked towards where the two males were fighting over her.
Though Zephyr was covered in glowing red gashes on his limbs
and face, he was clearly winning the battle. Rawrgoth was little
more than a flailing mass of bloody fur.
Her dragon was breathing heavily, a smattering of blood falling
from his mouth. She could not tell if it was his blood or his
enemy’s but it worried her either way.
“If you make it,” he said to Rawrgoth, “If you live long enough to
leave this place, you go and tell your leadership that Daskan
answered Earth’s call for help and that if Yaargoth wishes to enjoy
the benefits of such a peace treaty, stealing and raping the women
is not the way to do it. This is why no one ever asks Yaargoth for
help.”
Zephyr was difficult to understand when he was in his dragon
form, but thankfully he spoke slowly enough for Celeste to take it
all in and decipher what came out of his large jaws. Once he had
said his piece, he turned away from his injured adversary and
looked down upon Celeste. She was no sure, but she thought that
he smiled at her.
“Now let’s get you home,” he said through a growl that was
almost docile.
She was unsure of what she should do now that the gargantuan
dragon was done fighting. Zephyr could not simply go back onto
the space ship and fly somewhere else. He had apparently flown
through space, though… Feeling silly for doing so, but unable to
think of anything better, Celeste carefully climbed onto his
slippery back. There were not spikes like she had imagined
dragons to have, but his skin was smooth and warm and not
unpleasant to hold onto once she was situated. She held onto his
neck, hoping that no sudden moves would make her go flying.
“Can you fly back through space?” she asked him only after she
was sitting there, holding on as though he was seconds away from
taking off. “I mean, there is the whole oxygen thing to consider.”
Zephyr chuckled deeply. She felt it through his long, thick neck. “I
have ways of managing that.”
Walking back towards the Yaargothen space ship, he began to flap
his wings and soon he was up in the air, a purplish ball of opaque
energy surrounding him and the Earthling on his back.
“Wow!” she gasped out in wonder as she looked down and saw
the space ship going further and further below them. Now she
knew how her Daskani had rushed through space to find her again
and rescue her from the clutches of Rawrgoth.
As Zephyr flew, he puffed out a steady stream of fire which lit the
way and increased his speed. Celeste did not feel entirely safe up
there on his back, but she was far safer with him than she was with
those barbaric enemy aliens. She hugged his neck to her and gazed
at the stars as they passed them.
“Now that I’m not so afraid of dying, I can see that it’s beautiful
up here,” she told him. “But you do make the strangest space
ship.”
He chuckled deeply again. “Let’s not make this a habit.”
 CHAPTER SIX
An Epilogue

The flight back to Daskan was not terribly long, thanks to

Zephyr’s fire ability and the fact that he had kept the Yaargothens
from taking her all the way to their distant planet. Hyperdrive was
no laughing matter, of course, but the dragon could simulate it
with his puffs of flames and his strong, beating wings. Celeste was
surprisingly able to sleep for some of the trip, and it was sleep that
she badly needed. On top of everything else, she was pregnant and
that did not lend itself well to dealing with stress. She was
fatigued, and Zephyr understood. He was more than happy to let
her sleep atop him as he cruised through space faster than the
speed of light.
She awoke as he descended back onto his home planet of Daskan.
Which was fortunate for her, because she was not holding on as
tightly as she should have been, and she needed to do that in order
to not fall off as he zoomed through the planet’s atmosphere.
Celeste clutched his smooth skin as tightly as she could.
Zephyr landed on the side of one of the planet’s rocky cliffs,
clutching onto it with his long claws. Once had caught his breath
some and gathered himself, he flew up into the sky again and
seamlessly floated back to their white, cliffside castle. Once he
landed there, Celeste carefully got from his back and climbed
down to the flat surface where their home lay. She watched
curiously at he shifted from his dragon form and back to his more
humanoid alien form. He contorted, bones cracking and shifting
back into their places. Celeste shuttered a bit, thinking about what
that must feel like. She could not imagine and she did not really
want to, except empathetically, she supposed.
As soon as her dragon was back to looking like her General, she
rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his middle, hugging
him as tightly as possible without hurting him further. The cuts on
his chest and neck looked far worse now that he was more like a
man and less like an unstoppable beast.
“Come on,” she told him. “Let’s get you inside and cleaned up.”
She looked up at him and they kissed tenderly. Heaven help her,
she loved him so much. He was now no longer the answer to
Earth’s prayers. She was her literal hero. And her literal hero
deserved some tender loving care.

Celeste’s pregnancy was not as long as a typical human

pregnancy, but it was long enough for her. By her fifth month, her
abdomen was completely swollen and she spent most of her time
in bed so as not to injure herself or the baby. “I feel so lazy,” she
complained to Zephyr, who continued to work as well as take care
of her. It was as if he had been preparing his whole life for this,
which made her realize that just as the women of Earth had long
been a part of this fertilization pact, the Daskani had been
planning for fatherhood. The people of Earth needed babies, and
the Daskani wanted badly to have children of their own.
“Ahhhhh!” she cried out in the middle of the night, while she and
Zephyr were in bed. He awoke at once and brought her into his
arms, thinking that it had been one of the nightmares that had been
troubling her of late. But no. This was labor pains.
“It’s happening!” Celeste shouted in agony. “It’s contractions!”
Zephyr did not know about Earthling pregnancies, but he knew
what contractions were. He nodded and let go of her so that he
could situate himself at the end of the bed. “Put your legs up on
my shoulders,” he instructed. “Let me help you. It should not take
long.”
Celeste breathed in and out. “This better not take long!” she
snapped at him. Why was it that making a baby was so, so
pleasant but having one was the complete opposite? Science just
was not fair.
Zephyr smirked a bit, but he knew that it was not an enjoyable
time for her so he kept his smiling to a minimum, which she
appreciated. When he saw that she was dilated, he looked up at
her face. “Push,” he urged her gently.
It hurt so much that all she wanted to do was push until it stopped
hurting. But in the end, she paced herself and let Zephyr give her
the command to push when she was supposed to and relax when
she needed to. After several long, excruciating hours, Zephyr was
holding their small, light-blue skinned son in his arms. He was
crying and Zephyr was crying and Celeste was crying, too. It was
equal parts wonderful, exhausting and daunting for all three of
them.
Their son looked like a perfect mixture of his parents. Aside from
the robin’s egg blue hue of his skin, which clearly came from his
father, he had Celeste’s auburn hair and large, inquisitive eyes.
Celeste wasn’t sure how well he was going to fit into society on
Earth, but then he was going to be a being with two planets. And
as Zephyr was so set on the idea of staying with her, their son
would have his weird, alien father with him to fend off any
bullies, at least.
She smiled at Zephyr. He smiled back at her.
“What do you want to name him?” he asked her. “You’re probably
better at that sort of thing than I am.”
“Zenith,” she said with no hesitation. She had been considering
names ever since she found out she was pregnant. “I figure it
would be good to start him off at a high point, at least.”
Zephyr chuckled. “I like it,” he said. He hugged her and gently
petted his tiny son’s head. They made a cute family already.
“Let’s take him home,” Celeste said then. “I cannot wait to
introduce him to my planet and my people.”
 MPREG Romance
Alpha Bear
Chapter 1
I ducked out of the way of the fist hurdling toward my face. I
could feel the disturbance of the air on my cheek from Walker’s
power.
“Fuck off, man!” I growled.
“You fuck off, Decker!”
What a clever retort.
“You don’t want to make me angry, Walker,” I said as evenly as
possible. But it was too late. I was already balling my fists, and
powerful surges of adrenaline were coursing through my body. If I
wasn’t careful, I would shift soon. Then he would be really sorry
for messing with the man destined to be alpha.
Walker’s response was to throw another badly-aimed blow toward
me. Again, he missed. I was getting really tired of him trying to
start some kind of pissing contest with me. All Walker had ever
wanted was to be the most powerful bear shifter in New Orleans,
and had coveted the alpha position since we were kids. Now that
we were adults and it was clear that he was bottom of the barrel in
the hierarchy, he was always trying to climb the ladder by picking
fights with me. Unfortunately for both of us.
“I’m serious, Walker. Leave.”
I couldn’t believe I was able to muster so much patience for this
man. But when he tried to strike me in the face again, that was the
last straw.
“God damn it,” I growled. I unleashed a violent roar that made
Walker’s shit-brown eyes widen in terror. He was about to see
what he got for fucking with someone more powerful than he was.
“Hey, guys, what’s going on?”
I was surprised out of my fury by Jake’s silky sweet voice. I
hesitated before striking Walker and looked over my shoulder at
the man I’d been in love with since junior high. Jake was grinning
knowingly at me. He had seen this fight before, many times, and it
never ended any differently.
“Same old,” I grumbled, my racing heart beginning to feel the
seductive effects of Jake’s comforting presence. I was somehow
sedated, and couldn’t keep my eyes off of Jake as he made his way
toward us.
“You both know this isn’t worth it,” Jake said, walking between
me and Walker. I cringed when Jake’s muscular arm draped over
Walker’s shoulder. They looked briefly at each other and I
couldn’t help but feel a jealous bile rise in my throat. “Why don’t
you guys find something better to do? Like buying me a beer in
the best pub in all of goddamn New Orleans?”
I sighed. Walker was lucky Jake was there. I wouldn’t have been
able to keep from beating his ass for anyone else.
“Fine,” Walker grumbled. He knew he would have ended up in the
hospital without Jake’s intervention, but was still infuriatingly
cocky about it.
I followed a few steps behind Walker as Jake led the way to the
bar that our bear pack owned and operated, right in the hustle and
bustle of downtown New Orleans. Soon, Jake fell behind and
walked beside me, his grey eyes sparkling.
“You almost lost it back there, Deck,” he said. “You know you
have to be careful. What if a human sees you two fight and it gets
out of hand? You could shift right in front of them and really
cause problems.”
“Well I didn’t,” I grumbled.
“Thanks to me!” Jake exclaimed. “You know how sad this place
would be if you got found out?”
“That’s probably what Walker is counting on,” I said, glancing at
Jake. His face seemed dark for a moment, and I felt an odd pang
of concern. Jake was a carefree type of guy. If he ever worried, it
was usually cause for alarm. I liked to think I knew him better
than the back of my hand, and felt a strong urge to ask him what
was on his mind.
“Well, you just be careful,” Jake said, before I had a chance.
His face brightened up with his characteristic grin. I forgot my
worry, and Jake glanced around to make sure nobody was
watching before he squeezed my hand. I felt a surge of warmth
course through me. He was always looking out for me, even when
it meant he could get in trouble for it.
“Aha!” Jake exclaimed. “Beer time!”
We had arrived at the pub, and Walker pushed violently through
the door. I cringed, but Jake smiled warmly at me.
“Don’t let him get to you,” Jake said, his grey eyes boring
reassuringly into mine. “We all know who the real alpha is around
here.”
“Not yet,” I sighed, stealthily kissing Jake on the cheek. “But that
will change soon enough.”
Jake’s face grew dark again, and I frowned. Something really was
on his mind.
“That’s right,” Jake said, with no trace of the darkness on his face
coming through in his voice. “Everything changes eventually.”
I had no idea how right he was.
Chapter 2
“I’m going out, babe,” Jake called.
I opened my eyes and groaned when the light pierced into them. I
was still tangled in the bedsheets, left in the same exhausted
position I’d been in when Jake had finished with my body. We’d
been out drinking with Walker until daylight. When we got back
to our apartment, Jake had been unusually aggressive with me. I
figured it was just from the excitement of the fight he had
prevented.
“Okay,” I mumbled, glancing at the clock. Jesus. We’d only been
sleeping for two hours. What could he possibly be doing?
Whatever it was, I didn’t care so long as I got to go back to sleep.
I heard the front door slam shut, and the jingle of his keys as he
locked up behind himself. I curled up in the spot where Jake’s
body had been, feeling comfortable beyond words as I snuggled
into the feathery pillow that was ripe with his scent. I fell into a
sleep-like state as my mind replayed the first time we’d kissed.
“You looked good out there,” I’d said, trying not to show on my
face just how unbelievable I found Jake’s perfect form as he
sprinted around the track. Black bears were fast – really fast – and
in order to fit in to human society, we had to find ways to channel
our true selves and use it to fit in with the rest of the crowd. It was
a difficult balance, but it was one that Jake had found easily by
joining the track team in high school.
“Thanks!” Jake had replied, straying from the track to the fence
separating the bleachers from the field. “You should join. I know
you would probably blow me out of the water.”
I grinned and shook my head. “No, I’m not interested.”
Jake and I were very different. I liked to be by myself most of the
time, while Jake was the kind of guy who thrived when all eyes
were on him. In fact, he had been absurdly popular all through
school. When we had been partnered in the science lab in junior
high, I’d honestly expected to hate him. We had seen each other
briefly at shifter gatherings before, but he’d seemed like such a
conceited asshole that I’d stayed away from him. But during the
project we did together, I realized that he was actually a smart,
sweet guy. It had been the beginning of a life-long attraction
toward him.
“Well it would make the team a lot more fun if you were here,”
Jake said, his grey eyes looking deeply into mine. He had no idea
how much I wanted for him to mean that. Even better if it meant
that Jake wanted to spend more time with me. I couldn’t get
enough of him.
“I’d feel too out of place,” I said. Still, I was tempted to join. Just
for the opportunity to spend more time with him outside of class.
“Well then we should do something else. Are you free tonight?
Practice is almost over and I don’t have anything to do.”
Jake said this as he toweled off his sweating face, so he likely
hadn’t seen the way my face lit up. I used this to my advantage,
and tried to compose myself before his intoxicating eyes looked
back into mine.
“I think it should be fine,” I said, trying to play it cool. All I ever
had on my agenda was homework, and sometimes I even got
assignments done weeks early.
“Great,” Jake said. “Wait for me in the parking lot. I’ll drive you
somewhere cool.”
I could hardly believe my ears, and waited with butterflies in my
stomach until Jake was completely finished with practice. He
came out freshly showered and dressed in a crisp white t-shirt and
snug jeans. I was embarrassed when he caught me staring at him,
but instead of acting like he was weirded out, he grinned at me
knowingly. It was the first time such a small gesture electrified my
entire body.
“Do you have a curfew?” he asked as we climbed into his car.
“No,” I said. “I don’t live with my parents.”
“What?!” Jake exclaimed. “You live alone?”
I was prepared for him to overreact about it, the way many people
had when I informed them that I’d been “emancipated,” but
instead his face lit up as if I’d told him the best news he’d ever
heard. “That’s so cool!”
I shrugged.
“My father lived in the Bayou…an outcast. And my mother
moved here. But they were both killed. So now I take care of
myself.”
“I’m sorry,” Jake said, frowning. “I didn’t mean that it’s awesome
about your parents…”
I laughed awkwardly. I didn’t want Jake to think that I was some
weird, doom and gloom kind of person. I wanted him to like me. I
wanted him to think I was cheerful like he was.
“It’s not like you knew that. And it really is cool to live alone,” I
said, trying to get the spark back into his eyes.
“I can imagine. My dad is such an ass!” Jake exclaimed, punching
his steering wheel. It startled me. “He expects me to be just like he
was when he was young. He’s got issues or something. Be glad
you don’t have to deal with a dad like that. Sometimes I wish I
was an orphan.”
I laughed, even though half of what he was saying made me
uncomfortable. He wouldn’t be saying that if it actually happened
to him. But it wasn’t like he was trying to step on my toes. He just
didn’t understand how hard it was to lose your family.
“This is the spot!” Jake said suddenly, swerving the car and
pulling over at the side of the road.
“This?” I asked skeptically. It didn’t seem like there was anything
here.
We had driven out of the city limits, to an area I had never been
before. It was wooded, and the afternoon was becoming evening.
Still, I was thrilled to be anywhere with him.
“Get out, I want to show you my favorite thing.”
I got out of the car nervously, and followed Jake through the thick
collection of trees. We walked for about fifteen minutes before we
stopped at a marshy stream.
“I come out here alone sometimes,” he said, his voice low. “To
shift.”
My eyes widened when Jake took my hands in his own and
gripped them tightly. “I want to shift with you.”
His voice was barely above a whisper, and somehow I blurted
exactly what I had been thinking the whole time we were together.
“I’ll shift with you if you kiss me first.”
Jake seemed surprised for a moment, but soon a fire lit up his
eyes.
Soon, his soft lips were pressed against my own, and we spent the
rest of the night running through the woods together, the truest
form of ourselves that we could possibly be.
Chapter 3
I woke up groggy a few hours later, long forgotten memories
dancing in my head. My dreams had been filled of the youthful
adventures that Jake and I had shared. While most of them were
real, a few of them were made up, but they were still really
special.
I was about to have breakfast when the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Decker, I need you to come out here, quick,” Jake’s voice
exclaimed urgently.
“Why? What’s the matter?” My heart thudded. Something was
wrong. Was Jake in danger?
“No time to explain. We’re outside the diner on Route 9. Hurry.”
I dressed in a blind panic and hopped on my motorcycle, speeding
toward Route 9. My mind was racing the whole time. What could
possibly be going on? Jake had been gone for hours at that point.
Anything could have happened.
My bike skidded to a stop and I jumped off with the engine still
running, looking wildly for Jake.
“Ungh!”
Something heavy hit my stomach and I dropped to the ground. It
took me a moment to recover my senses, but by the time I did
another blow to my head knocked me on the ground.
“How do you like that, asshole?” Walker’s voice taunted me.
I got shakily to my feet, ready to shift into my most powerful form
to take him on, when suddenly I heard Jake’s voice.
“Good hit, man.”
What was going on. By the time my vision cleared, I was shocked
to see Jake with his muscular arms draped over Walker’s shoulder.
They kissed in front of me, a long, disgusting display meant to
take me off my guard.
“What?” I whispered.
The sound of my voice seemed to remind Walker of what he was
doing, and he punched me in the face again. I dropped to my
knees, too surprised to even shift.
“I’ll get him from behind,” Jake said. “As usual.”
Their laughter cackled around me as Jake pushed me forward,
right into Walker’s awaiting fists. Pain seared through my body,
but it was nothing compared to what I felt as I began to process
the truth. Jake had betrayed me. He and Walker were together
now, and they had probably been planning this mutiny for weeks.
How could I have been so stupid? I had seen the signs. Jake had
been acting strange for a while now. The passion in his embrace
was gone. Again and again he used my body for his own
gratification without caring how I felt. Again and again he had
disappeared late in the night only to return almost 48 hours later
with alcohol on his breath and an unapologetic smile. How could
this be happening to me?
“I think you know what this means, Deck,” Jake said from behind
me, his voice taunting. “I know you better than the back of my
hand. All your strengths. Your weaknesses. Your strategies. With
me and Walker combined, you’re nothing here.”
“Get the hell out of here while you still have a chance,” Walker
said, crouching down and staring into my eyes. His eyes were
wild, but he was wearing a satisfied grin.
“You’d best listen to him, Decker,” Jake said, circling around until
he was finally within my sight. “It’s over. Walker’s the alpha
now.”
The grey eyes that I loved so much flashed menacingly. The
familiar, bright smile twisted in my direction with a menace I had
never hoped to see. I had never felt so hurt.
I got shakily to my feet. Sure, I wanted to fight them. I wanted to
be angry enough to shift and tear them both apart. But I just
couldn’t summon the strength I needed to do so. I was too broken
inside. The man I loved had been using me. Who knew for how
long? And I had only myself to blame for my downfall.
And so, with my tail between my legs, I left the city where I had
grown up and made a life with Jake. His mocking laughter
followed me all the way to the outskirts of town, where I rode
away and vowed never to look back.
Chapter 4
I was numb with shock as I drove along the winding streets. I had
no idea where to go, and let my body resort to autopilot. My
instincts would take me where I was meant to be.
Before long I began to realize that the roads I was on were
familiar, and couldn’t help but smile to myself when it dawned on
me that I had driven to the Bayou. My father had been born and
raised here, and even after my parents had made the heart-
wrenching decision to part ways, it had been fun to visit him here
occasionally.
The familiar scent of water and earth filled me with a sense of
peace, and I knew what I was there to do. I was glad I had taken
the motorcycle, because a car would have been impossible to
navigate on the narrow roads leading into the marshy land that my
father had once called home.
After what seemed like an eternity, I made it into the familiar
settlement where my father lived and parked my bike. I wouldn’t
need it anymore now that I was here. It was a small place, full of
warm, caring people. Who knew if any of them would recognize
me.
“Krane?” a deep, confused voice said from behind me. I turned
around, surprised to hear my father’s name.
“My name is Decker,” I said apologetically, turning to face him.
He had long white hair and a beard like Father Time’s. I felt
terrible when the man’s face fell. “Krane was my father.”
“A good man, your father,” the old man said. He spoke slowly.
“Couldn’t find a more loyal friend if you tried.”
The man shrugged and turned away from me, headed back along
his way.
“Wait,” I called. “Please.”
The man turned slowly and raised an eyebrow at me.
“What do you want from here, son? There’s nothing for a
youngun’ like you, raised in the city life. It’s best to stay true to
your roots.”
I frowned, tempted to tell the man the whole story. I was aching
from the heartbreak, but I knew that I couldn’t. He wouldn’t
understand about the ways of the bear shifters. And he probably
wouldn’t sympathize with a gay man very much either. I shook
my head in exasperation.
“Well I’m not going back, I can tell you that. Do you know of
somewhere around here I can stay? I have money.”
The old man sighed and was quiet for a moment. Finally he
flicked his head as if to say, “follow me.”
“It gets real damp here at night. Ain’t good for your bones if
you’re not used to it,” the man said.
“What’s your name?” I asked, ignoring his insistence that I go
back home.
“Arthur,” the man said, leading me slowly down a long, unpaved
road. There were a few desolate structures here and there, and the
whole place was surrounded by dense forest and water. I could
smell the swampy air everywhere I went.
“Thank you for helping me, Arthur.”
“Your dad was a good man. But he wouldn’t have wanted you out
here. You should go home.”
“Why wouldn’t he want me out here?” I asked. It wasn’t like I had
anywhere else to go.
“Dangerous in these parts,” Arthur said with a heavy sigh. “No
good for a boy like you. You look softer than your pap.”
“I’m not soft,” I said, prickling.
Arthur shrugged. I fumed quietly until he finally stopped in front
of a big white house.
“This is the Greenwalt place. She borders strays like you. Room
and board, and three meals a day. You can talk to her about what
she charges. Tell her you’re Krane’s boy, might make a difference.
That or she’ll run you out herself. She knew your pap too. Knows
this place is no good for the likes of you.”
Arthur nodded and began his slow descent back in the direction
we had come from without a word of good bye.
“Nice to meet you too,” I mumbled.
Arthur let out a sharp cackle as if he had heard me. But he was
halfway down the road already. That would be impossible, unless
–
“Hi, stranger,” a woman’s voice said, interrupting my thoughts. I
looked up to find a slender young woman with auburn hair coming
through the entrance. She walked gracefully down the wide porch
steps to greet me. “Looking for a place to stay?”
I was surprised for a moment, especially by her attire. Did
everybody in this place dress like an antique? I knew the Bayou
was out of the way and a little bit slow to accept modern trends,
but I hadn’t expected anything quite so classic.
“Yes,” I said, trying not to let my surprise show on my face.
“Mama’s out right now, but maybe I can help you,” she said,
leading me inside. “What are you looking for exactly?”
“It doesn’t matter. Somewhere with a bed for now while I figure
things out.”
“I see,” she said, grinning. She disappeared into a small room and
emerged holding out a key.
“My name’s Penelope. You’ll meet mama at supper tonight. We
all eat together around 6:00. Don’t be late; everyone’s gonna want
to meet you.”
She disappeared swiftly, and I stared down at the key in my hand.
I set my mind to finding room number 3, and tried to fight the
foreboding in my chest. This was where I was going to stay now. I
would have to find a way to fight my attraction to Jake and begin
to make it on my own. No matter how hard it was.
Chapter 5
“Supper!” Penelope’s voice rang a few hours later, followed by
the deep ding of a bell. I had showered and taken off my button up
shirt. It was full of mud from Jake and Walker’s ambush. My
pants were still filthy, but I had a feeling that the people around
these parts were used to dirty men strutting around.
I was feeling a little too embarrassed to go down and meet
everybody in my dirty clothes. Besides that, I wasn’t hungry in the
least. I was too upset about what had happened with Jake, and
decided to be a recluse and skip the meal.
“Come on, Mr. Decker, come and join the crew,” Penelope’s
muffled voice reached me through the door, as she knocked
demandingly on the door.
“No thank you,” I said glumly. I couldn’t even conceive of going
anywhere for food.
“Mr. Decker, I’m afraid you have no choice if you want to stay in
this house. Mama wants to meet you.”
I sighed heavily and caught a glance at myself in the mirror. I tried
smoothing my hair down, but it had ideas of its own. It was a
brown jungle that had grown shaggy over the past few months. I
hadn’t shaved in the past few days, and thick, dark stubble was
beginning to form on my face. I looked a little wild, especially in
my white undershirt and dirty jeans. I was dreading the upcoming
dinner.
“Mr. Decker,” Penelope said, knocking again.
“All right, coming,” I said, unable to hide my irritation.
I slipped my shoes on and opened the door. Penelope smiled at me
as if nothing could be wrong anywhere in the world, and I
followed her sulkily to the dining room.
I felt like it was the first day of school, and was reluctant to meet
the eyes of anybody else in the room. Nobody here would
understand anything about me. What was the point in trying to
socialize? It was like walking into a class full of oblivious humans
all over again.
“Everybody, this is Mr. Decker,” Penelope said, holding her hands
in front of me as if displaying a prize on a gameshow.
“You can just call me Decker, it’s my first name,” I mumbled,
daring to glance up from my personal hell and scope out the room.
There were five other people sitting at the table, some men, some
women. One handsome blonde man about my age was staring
hard at me, and I held his gaze before he looked down at his plate.
“Nice to meet you, Decker,” a tall, elegant woman who was
obviously Penelope’s mother said. She rose to greet me and
smiled, the epitome of southern charm. “My name is Abigail, but
if you could, call me Miss Abby. Please, join us. We’re about to
have us a nice chicken supper. Do you like collards?”
“Actually, I’ve never had them,” I said.
“Oh, young man. I assure you, you have. You just can’t
remember.”
I looked up at her, surprised, and she smiled mysteriously.
“Fanny, please fetch Decker here his meal.”
“Of course.”
I was surprised by the tall, pale woman standing in the corner. I
had been so consumed by my own thoughts that I hadn’t noticed
her. I had a feeling that was part of her job description though; just
be a whisper of a person until you were called upon.
“Sit beside Alex, here,” Miss Abby said, gesturing toward the
blonde man. He didn’t look up from his plate, and I sat down
heavily beside him. I really wasn’t in the mood for socializing.
“What brings you about these parts?”
Miss Abby’s heavy southern accent was intoxicating. It reminded
me a lot of my mother.
“My father was from here,” I said quietly. “Mr. Arthur told me to
let you know.”
“Oh, I already guessed that much,” Miss Abby said, her silver
eyes twinkling. “But what brings you here?
I could feel all eyes turned on me, and shifted uncomfortably in
my seat.
“I needed a change of scenery, that’s all.”
“Ah,” Miss Abby said, wisely dropping the question. About that
time, Fanny brought out a huge plate of food and sat it in front of
me. My stomach grumbled despite itself. “Well, it’s a pleasure to
have you. If there’s anything you need, I’m usually in the
reception hall. And my room is 16, the very top floor.”
I was surprised. Miss Abby certainly wasn’t a spring hen
anymore. It seemed strange she’d insist on climbing so many
stairs. But I supposed it was good to get exercise. The older you
got the more you needed it.
“Now dig in, everybody!” Miss Abby said. Penelope sat down
across from me and the meal began. There was pleasant chattering
as everybody ate, and I took the opportunity to glance around the
table at the other borders in the house. There was an elderly
couple, dressed as if they had walked right out of the 1800s, round
spectacles and all. Two young women were talking to each other
as well, though it was anybody’s guess what their relationship
might be. A very stout, middle-aged man didn’t speak at all, and
focused all of his efforts on eating. At the end of the table, was a
gaunt man, probably around 40 years old, who had his eye fixed
hard on me.
“Disgraceful,” he muttered, spooning mashed potatoes onto his
plate without taking his eyes off of me. “You had plenty of time to
clean up for supper. What happened to you, boy? Who taught you
your manners?”
I glowered at my plate, trying to ignore him.
“Leave him be, Eustis,” Miss Abby said sternly.
“But look at him!” Eustis exclaimed, gesturing theatrically at me.
“He’s got mud up to his ears!”
“I’m sorry,” I said, looking Eustis firmly in the eye. Whether I was
still the alpha of my own pack or not, I wasn’t going to let
anybody else fight my battles for me. “I just arrived to town. I left
in a hurry. There was no time to pack.”
Everybody at the table was silent as the information registered,
and Eustis’ face became drawn.
“Quite a few of us can relate to that,” the handsome blonde man
beside me said, turning to look into my eyes. I was shocked by the
brilliant blue oceans that I was met with, and he smiled broadly at
me.
“That’s right,” the heavy-set man grunted, taking a big bite of
chicken. “Welcome to the Bayou, boy. Miss Abby’ll take care of
you.”
The meal couldn’t end fast enough for me, and I practically ran
out of the dining room once it was all over. Before I could make it
to the stairs, however, Miss Abby called my name.
“How did you like the collards?” she asked, gliding gracefully
toward me from the dining room.
“They were excellent,” I said honestly, surprised by the question.
She nodded knowingly.
“I fixed them for you same as I did when you were a boy,” Miss
Abby said. “Glad to see some things don’t change.”
She smiled and retreated, leaving me in front of the stairs with
more questions on my mind than I’d had when I arrived.
Chapter 6
“Decker!”
I looked up as I struggled to unlock the door to my room, and saw
Alex, the handsome blonde man from dinner rushing toward me.
“What is it?”
Alex doubled over for a minute to catch his breath, and looked up
at me with a charming grin.
“Why don’t you come here for a second? I’ve got something for
you.”
I was surprised and confused, and unsure of whether or not I could
trust this man. Still, something about him compelled me to follow
him down the hall. He unlocked the door of his room easily,
apparently ease would come with time with these old-fashioned
doors, and led me inside.
“Here,” he said, opening his closet. “We look about the same size.
Pick a few things to wear. We can get your jeans laundered and
head to town tomorrow if you’d like. Maybe pick out something
new for you to last your stay.”
I was shocked by the open display of generosity.
“I couldn’t,” I said, trying to back out of the room. “Thank you so
much for the offer, but…”
“Look,” Alex said, closing the door to the room before I had a
chance to escape. “Miss Abby is a proper kind of woman. She’d
have my hide if I didn’t offer. And besides, I don’t mind helping
out. It’s not long ago I was in your shoes.”
“Alex, really. I would rather not.”
I seriously doubted anybody here had ever been in my shoes, and
struggled to find a polite way to refuse his offer. It would be nice
to get out of the clothes that still reeked of muddy downtown New
Orleans. Nicer than I could imagine. But I was an alpha. Taking
from others was not a role I liked to play.
“Decker, man, come on. It’s really no problem. We can go to town
tomorrow. I know a guy who needs some handiwork done and you
can get a job to keep yourself occupied for a while. You can pay
me back then.”
“Well I have some money now,” I said, reaching into my back
pocket and fishing for my wallet. “I’ll pay you to borrow a couple
of outfits.”
“You’re gonna need your money right now,” Alex said, his blue
eye darkening sternly. “Don’t go turning down genuine generosity
when it comes your way.”
I knew he was right, and sighed heavily.
“Really. I just want to be friendly. You don’t have to make it a
power thing.”
I was surprised by the observation, and studied Alex. He was
looking firmly at me, his handsome face creased. He seemed
genuinely worried about me. But how could he be? He hardly
knew a thing about me.
“Fine,” I said. “But I’ll pay you back somehow.”
“Pay me back by coming to breakfast looking proper,” Alex said
with a grin. “Make Eustis put his foot in his mouth. He’s an
asshole, I’d love to see it.”
I grinned.
“He reminds me of someone from where I used to live,” I said,
making my way to Alex’s closet. I picked out a couple of outfits,
feeling lowly the whole time.
“Sorry to hear that,” Alex said with a laugh. He went to a dresser
on the far side of the room and rummaged through it. He came
back to me holding a pair of pajama pants and a soft white t-shirt.
“Why don’t you go get some rest now? Working for Paul can be a
bit grueling. You’ll need your energy.”
“Thanks,” I said, surprised by how easy it was becoming for me to
talk to Alex. He was very laid back, and I couldn’t get over the
depth of his blue eyes. He seemed nothing like Jake. Actually, he
was the kind of guy Jake would tease mercilessly. As far as Jake
was concerned, there was no excuse to show weakness. And
kindness, in his eyes, was a weakness.
“It’s no problem,” Alex said. “See you in the morning.”
He grinned, and I noticed he had a dimple on his left cheek. Why
was he so attractive? I was probably just vulnerable after being
betrayed by my first love.
Alex closed the door behind me with a soft click and I made my
way back to my bedroom. It would be nicer than I could imagine
to get these clothes off.
“Decker!”
Alex’s voice startled me from down the hallway. “I forgot to tell
you. There’s a laundry chute in the bathroom of your room; throw
it down there and someone will throw your clothes in the wash
and return them to you.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks.”
Alex grinned at me and then disappeared.
Chapter 7
“Rise and shine, Mr. Decker!”
Penelope’s voice was followed by loud banging. I groaned and
looked at the clock. It was 6:00 in the morning. I sighed loudly. I
had hardly gotten any sleep. I was haunted by the memory of
Jake’s betrayal, and hadn’t been able to get the sickening image of
him hanging all over Walker out of my head.
“Breakfast is on the table, get it while it’s hot.”
I sat up feeling like death itself. At least this time I wouldn’t have
to go downstairs and face everybody in the same filthy outfit.
Alex really had made the night before go by a lot easier. I don’t
know what I would have done if I had been forced to keep the
clothes that I had been shamed in in my bedroom all night. The
scent of Jake and Walker lingering on my clothes would have
driven me insane.
“Morning, Decker,” Miss Abby said in her deep southern lilt. She
smiled at me. I stared at her, questions welling in my head. Before
I had a chance to ask anything else though, the dining room was
bustling with activity. “Good mornin’ everyone!”
Everybody mumbled a greeting to Miss Abby and arranged
themselves around the table.
“Eustis, I believe you had something you wanted to say to this
young man,” Miss Abby said, her voice genial but her eyes staring
sternly at him. Eustis looked sheepishly down at the table and then
cleared his throat.
“Sorry, Mr. Decker.”
His face was red, and I almost laughed. I could see who the alpha
was around here.
“You didn’t know,” I said. “It is rude to come to a meal so filthy.”
Soft chuckles filled the room, and Miss Abby cleared her throat.
“Thank you, Eustis. Now, let’s get this day started proper.”
The seating arrangement was the same as it had been the night
before, and I snuck a glance at Alex. He returned my look, a shy
smile creasing his face. I couldn’t help but fight the warmth that
flooded my chest. He seemed like such a sweet person. It was a
nice change. Jake was always putting me, and everybody else,
down. Then he would get mad and tell us not to get bent out of
shape if he went too far. How could I not have seen that he and
Walker were more suited for each other all along?
“So what are your plans, Mr. Decker?” the elderly man with round
spectacles asked. “How long do you think you’ll be staying?”
“I’m not sure, sir,” I said. I wished everybody would stop asking
me about the future. I had barely gotten out of the worst day of my
life so far.
“Call me Mr. Lewis. This is my wife, Mrs. Lewis.”
“Nice to meet you, sir. Ma’am.”
Mrs. Lewis nodded in acknowledgement and went back to her
meal.
“As I was saying,” Mr. Lewis continued. “About your plans.”
“Leave the boy alone,” the heavy man said. I felt a surge of relief.
“That’s enough, gentlemen,” Miss Abby said. “Roger, I appreciate
your concern for Mr. Decker. And Mr. Lewis, please do us all a
favor and mind your business.”
Mr. Lewis nodded graciously, and everybody got back to eating. I
was relieved to find that breakfast was a lot more comfortable than
supper had been. I was beginning to enjoy listening to the banter.
They all had their own sense of humor, and it was nice to be
around so much activity. It kept my mind off of the mutiny. But
only a bit. It was still lurking behind my every thought. I was
surprised the darkness inside of me wasn’t rolling off in waves.
“Hey Decker, are you ready to get going?” Alex asked.
“Oh, sure.”
I had almost forgotten that Alex had offered to take me out. I
could barely hold my head up long enough to comprehend what
was happening. Jake and Walker had really taken a toll on me. I
wished I could feel anything but this depressing blackness. Anger,
rage…something powerful. Not this vulnerable, weak depression.
It wasn’t in my nature. Or at least, it shouldn’t be. Maybe I really
wasn’t cut out to be an alpha after all.
“How did you sleep?” Alex asked as we strolled to the dirt lot
where several beat up cars and trucks were parked. He led me to a
light blue truck and got inside.
“I kind of didn’t,” I sighed, ducking into the passenger’s seat.
“I had a feeling,” Alex said. “We don’t have to go see Paul today.
Like I said, he works us hard.”
I glanced at Alex, who was wearing a black t-shirt. It was tight
around his muscular biceps. I could definitely tell that he was a
hard worker. If I wasn’t so depressed I might have been attracted
to him.
“I’m fine,” I assured him. I held his gaze a little longer than I
meant to, and he averted my eyes and focused on the road ahead
of us.
“All right, man,” he said. “It’s your call.”
“No, let’s go.”
I was firm, and Alex smiled; a tiny gesture that electrified me. I
was immediately repulsed by myself though. There was no way I
was ready to move on. Jake had been everything to me.
“All right,” Alex said, his soft voice breaking into my thoughts.
“Let’s go.”
Chapter 8
We were quiet until Alex pulled into a long dirt driveway. We
were heading even deeper into the marshes, into a property that
was almost so far out of town that it might as well have been its
own island. Alex parked and got out.
“Paul!”
A huge, brawny man with dark brown eyes and a bald head
appeared from behind the dingy shack where I was sure he lived.
“What?”
“I brought someone I’d like you to meet.”
“I’ll be damned,” Paul said, bounding toward us with impressive
speed. “You look just like Krane!”
I proffered my hand. “He was my father.”
“Aw man, Alex. You should have given me more notice than this,
man!” Paul reached out and seized my shoulders, pulling me into
a strong hug. I could tell he meant no harm, but it was still off-
putting.
“All right, big guy,” I said, pulling away and patting his broad
chest. “That’s enough.”
“Sorry, man. It’s just I last saw you when you were like 3 years
old. Used to come out here with your folks all the time.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember much of that. Just scents
sometimes…little memories.”
“I understand. So you here just to say hey, or…?”
“I thought maybe you could put us to work for a while,” Alex
said, glancing at me. He could probably tell I was uncomfortable.
“Miss Abby’s putting him up like she did for me.”
“Ah, tough break,” Paul said, shaking his head. I thought it was
odd. Everyone acted like they knew exactly what was going on
with me. But how could they? My mother had always told me that
my father lived in the Bayou because it was a normal place full of
normal people. But I was beginning to get a feeling that there was
more to it than that.
“What do you think?” Alex asked.
“Of course! Anything for Krane’s kid, man. I mean, you’re
awesome too, Alex, your mom was just…she was a classy lady.
But Krane was like a brother to me. Hey man, I’m sorry about
what happened to your dad. That was unbelievable.”
“Thanks,” I said, avoiding his gaze. It was strange to talk about
my dad. I had never brought him up to anybody but my mom.
Most people would never understand the complexities of losing a
parent to another bear shifter, let alone both parents. Although
they were separated, they had both been casualties of misplaced
aggression. Shifting was dangerous, especially around people who
weren’t part of your own pack. It was immediately registered as a
threat, and caused many needless fights and even more needless
deaths.
My parents had always been of the mindset that a person should
be able to shift whenever and wherever they wanted. At first, that
was why they had gone to the Bayou so often. They felt like the
rich foliage was a great cover for them so they could be
themselves without anybody else watching. Unfortunately they
weren’t very compatible.
“So what kind of work do you do here?” I asked, anxious to
change the subject. It was still hard for me to think about my
parents. Although I had been raised to be independent, the wounds
that were left from losing them prematurely were always going to
be painful.
“Gotta be honest, man, it’s tough stuff. Right now we’re putting a
new roof on Ol’ Lady Allestar’s place. After that we have a lot of
projects lined up.”
“So construction?”
“Right,” Paul said grinning. “But we work fast. If you don’t keep
up, you might as well stay in bed.”
“Got it,” I said. I was exhausted, but I was getting the feeling that
spending time with these men was going to be just what I needed.
It was time to get to work.
Chapter 9
Paul led us to the area behind the shack where he had been
working before we arrived. He was filling a wheelbarrow full of
shingles, and had a tool box sitting beside it.
“One of you, grab that toolbox,” Paul said, hoisting the
wheelbarrow up. “The other one, go in the shed over there and
grab the ladder.”
I was closer to the shed so I ducked inside. It was dark and musty,
and the smell stirred something within me. I was suddenly sure I
once referred to Paul as my uncle, and felt a wave of grief wash
over me.
“So,” Paul said casually as we made our way to Old Lady
Allestar’s place, “You do a lot of shifting anymore?”
I looked from Paul to Alex in shock. What a thing to say out in the
open! Even if he had known about my father, he had no right
outing me in front of Alex. What was he going to think?
“It’s all right, kid!” Paul said, his eyes twinkling. “You’re not
alone here.”
“You’re not,” Alex said, removing an amulet from his neck and
looking steadily into my eyes. I suddenly caught a strong whiff of
bear shifter. I was shocked, and more than that I felt unbelievably
stupid. I had been so wrapped up in my own drama and sadness
that I had completely missed the fact that this town was crawling
with others like myself. I had been worrying about nothing.
“That’s right,” Paul agreed. He also removed an amulet, and my
senses were overwhelmed by the scent of two black bear shifters.
But something was strange about them. It was clear that they
weren’t from the same pack.
“Wait,” I said, pausing mid-step. “What’s going on here?”
Paul sighed heavily, dropping the wheelbarrow and massaging his
bald head for a moment. Finally he looked at me and grinned.
“We’re the outcasts.”
Alex pursed his lips, looking down at the ground. Apparently he
was still sore about the subject. I felt a strong pang of sympathy
for him. Alex looked anguished when his gentle features were
drawn in like that.
“You mean…?”
“That’s right, boy. We’re just too hot for the world to handle. So
we made this place for ourselves. And other people like you. And
you know the weirdest part? It works. Lost and lonesome shifters
who have lost everything stumble upon this place like magic. No
rhyme or reason. Just follow their instincts and show up in the one
place in the world they can be accepted.”
It was hard to take all of this in at once. Did that mean my father
had been an outcast?
“Seems you got bit by the bad luck bug,” Paul said pleasantly,
lifting his wheelbarrow again and urging us along.
“Something like that,” I muttered.
“Well, I’m not going to ask you what happened. You’re entitled to
your privacy. It’s kind of against the code here to go prying into
other people’s past.”
That was a relief. “Thanks.”
Paul didn’t acknowledge my gratitude. Instead, he bellowed,
“Here we are!”
My heart sank as I looked upon a dilapidated little house that, if it
had been within city limits, would have been condemned long
ago. A feeble woman was slowly making her way outside,
squinting at us from her porch.
“That you, Paulie?”
“That’s right, ma’am. And company. Krane’s boy is here.”
The old woman paused for a moment, her face slacking in
disbelief. “You don’t mean lil’ Decker?”
“That’s right, ma’am.”
To my surprise, the old woman started crying.
“Well you folks come on in,” she said, turning toward the
doorway without bothering to wipe her tears. “I reckon we have
some visiting to do.”
Chapter 10
If I thought the little town was antiquated, it was nothing
compared to Ol’ Lady Allestar’s place. Going through her
doorway was like walking into another century. Alex glanced at
me.
“You okay?” he whispered.
“Yeah,” I said. But the truth was, I was shaken. All these people
who knew me, or really, who had known my father. Were all of
them rogue bear shifters? I had never even dreamed a place like
this was possible.
“Sit down boys,” the old woman said. She sank down in a big
armchair, and up close I saw that her body was seized with
tremors.
“I’m gonna bring out some lemonade,” Paul said, disappearing
from the room. “Mrs. Allestar here makes the best in the world.”
“What did those bastards do to you, boy?”
The old woman looked hard at me, and I was shocked by how she
cut to the chase. “You aren’t hurt, are you?”
I was hurt. More hurt than anyone could imagine. But she surely
meant physical wounds. I had managed to get out in time.
“No, ma’am.”
The old woman’s lips creased into a smile. “Polite boy. Miriam
did right by you.”
I frowned and looked down at my hands. My mother had refused
to take me to see my father for so many years. And when he did
come by, it was in the dead of night, when she could hardly refuse
him without making a scene. I had taken to sleeping less and less
to make sure I wouldn’t miss him.
“How is Miriam?”
Another dagger twisted in my heart. “Dead.”
“Oh,” the old woman said, more to herself than to me. “I’m
sorry.”
I shrugged. No matter how sorry anybody was, it wouldn’t bring
my parents back.
“You have a home here, boy,” the old woman said, looking hard at
me. “But don’t let that make you complacent. You were born to
lead. Don’t you dare give up after one setback. You know where
you belong.”
Alex looked from the old woman and back to me inquisitively.
Our conversation must have been quite a sight.
“Lemonade!”
The dire look left her face and Mrs. Allestar smiled sweetly.
“Thank you, dear boy.”
Paul beamed and sat a tray down on the coffee table in front of us.
He hadn’t been exaggerating; it was the best lemonade I had ever
had, and stirred another memory from deep within me.
“All right,” Paul said once all our glasses were empty. “Let’s get
started.”
Chapter 11
Work went by with surprising speed, and Paul decided to treat us
to drinks at the tavern once the roof was finished.
“Did you see Ol’ Lady Allestar’s face when we left?” Paul asked.
He seemed delighted by the old woman, and it was no wonder.
She treated him like a favored son.
“She was really happy that she won’t have to fish out buckets to
catch water anymore,” Alex agreed, smiling broadly.
Although it felt nice to do a good deed, I just couldn’t summon up
the ability to smile. The old woman had unlocked questions and
memories I would just as soon forget. On top of everything that
had happened with Jake the day before, I just couldn’t seem to
find any reason to smile.
We drank late into the night, and Paul left first.
“Have some work to do in the mornin’,” he told us apologetically.
I was honestly a little relieved to see him go. I was tempted to ask
him all he could tell me about my father’s life in the Bayou.
Once we were alone, Alex and I sat at a quiet booth together. He
was across from me, and I had a chance to really take him in for
the first time. His face was strong, and had a dependable quality
that made him seem instantly likeable. His hair was short, and he
had a strong neck and broad shoulders. He was strong, and, more
compelling, he was a bear shifter.
“Hey, listen,” Alex said, sipping on his beer. “I know Paul said it’s
frowned upon to ask people what their stories are. But if you ever
want to talk about it…I’m here. I won’t judge you.”
I was surprised by the offer, but more surprised by how quickly
after it was given that I felt compelled to spill my guts.
“Thanks,” I said quietly, fighting back the urge to do so. I wasn’t
sure how many people in town were shifters, but I was beginning
to notice more and more of the mysterious amulets that seemed to
disguise the bear’s scent.
“It’s getting late,” Alex said, glancing at his watch. “I think we
should head back now. Miss Abby’ll have a fit if we’re out too
late. She doesn’t like us coming and going at all hours.”
“What’s it matter to her?” I asked. “We pay to live there, she’s not
our mother.”
Alex’s eyes widened. “Well she worries, Decker. It’s not
particularly safe hereabouts. There are lots of rogue shifters who
wanna take all their anger out on anyone they can find. Lost many
a good man that way.”
I mulled this over as Alex led me through the dirt streets, back
toward the boarding house. We were both too drunk to drive, and
clumsily made it up the long row of steps at the house when we
got back.
“C’mon,” Alex said, turning the corner of the porch instead of
heading inside.
I followed him, and was surprised to find that there was a whole
back porch linked to the front; this one with a porch swing on it.
“Sit with me,” Alex said, plopping heavily into the porch swing.
“All right,” I said reluctantly, sitting down on the edge of the seat
beside him. “What’s on your mind?”
“Oh, I’m just not ready to go in yet,” Alex said, smiling at me. I
couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol or if his eyes lingered on me a
little too long. I felt a little forbidden thrill course through me, but
quickly fought it away. There was no way I could be thinking
about sex right now. Not after what had happened with Jake. He
was the only man who I had ever let touch me.
“All right.”
We were quiet for a moment before Alex began to speak again.
“I came here a year ago,” he said, looking off into the distance.
Our view from the back porch was actually really beautiful. The
porch looked over an overgrown garden and a deep marsh. The
sound of bullfrogs and cicadas in the night was actually really
comforting. I expected there to be mosquitoes, but for some
reason they seemed to leave this place alone.
“I never thought I’d leave my home,” Alex continued. “I wouldn’t
be here if I had a choice.”
I almost asked what happened, but remembered that it wasn’t
polite. Thankfully, Alex answered my unasked questions. There
was something so remarkably transparent about him. It was
nothing like Jake, who was dark and secretive. I had a feeling
Alex would have none of the possessive and competitive qualities
that Jake had.
“I’m the omega in our pack,” Alex said. “Or I was. I don’t have a
pack anymore, not really. We’re all just a quilt work of rebels out
here. That’s why we wear the amulets. We don’t want anyone
from our former packs to find this place we have in the Bayou. It’s
our refuge. Our only home now. But god I miss the city.”
“What city?” I asked.
“Las Vegas,” Alex said. I was surprised. I guess I had assumed
only flashy types were from Las Vegas. Alex seemed anything but
flashy.
“Wow,” I said. “That’s far.”
Alex grinned. “I was alone a long while before I found this place.
But as soon as Miss Abby saw me, she gave me this amulet and
set me up a room. I don’t plan on staying. I want to settle into a
city somewhere. I just haven’t had a chance to save very much.”
“I wouldn’t have pegged you for a city boy,” I said with a small
laugh. “Least of all Los Vegas.”
“It’s not like I was raised inner city,” Alex said, raising an
eyebrow at me. “I just really like the hustle and bustle of it all. It’s
just too quiet for me here. I feel like I’m just too alone. Alone with
my thoughts…even alone with everyone else around here. It’s a
fishbowl, you know. Only the same people to talk to and watch
every single day of my life.”
“Hm,” I said, mulling this over.
“Not that I’m not grateful!” Alex said quickly. “I love everything
they’ve done for me here. I’d never be able to repay them. But this
just isn’t my end game, you know?”
I knew. I had been thinking the same thing myself. I nodded and
Alex seemed to relax.
“I don’t know if I can stay here long-term either,” I said, looking
down at the pants that Alex had lent me. They were surprisingly
comfortable, though I was a little bit taller than he was, so his shirt
occasionally bared my navel.
“I reckon that’s why we’re both here at the boarding house,” Alex
said with a laugh.
I smirked. “I reckon.”
We fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, but it was
soon interrupted by Alex jumping up from the porch swing,
leaving me swinging wildly for a moment. “Fireflies!”
I furrowed my eyebrows and peered out over the marsh, and my
drunk mind became just as captivated by nature’s light show as
Alex was.
“Come on,” he said, jumping off the porch. “Let’s go look closer.”
I glanced back at the big house, knowing I didn’t want to face the
rest of the night inside alone.
“All right,” I said, following on Alex’s tail.
He was surprisingly fast, and it took a little more effort than I
thought it would to keep up. He stopped suddenly on the edge of
the marsh. Unfortunately, I was a little too drunk to stop and
skidded into him.
Alex fell forward with a laugh.
“Whoa!” he exclaimed with a huge splash. I scrambled into the
water to help him out, but he stood up on his own and grinned.
“You just wanted to see me wet, didn’t you?”
I was dumbfounded, but he laughed again, a pleasant, pure sound
that was a nice change from Jake’s malicious cackle. I stared at
Alex, unable to figure out if he had pegged my sexual orientation
or if he was just being playful.
Alex swept his arm across the water as I was working the question
in my head like a puzzle, and soon, my whole torso was drenched.
“Gotcha!” he exclaimed triumphantly. He doubled over laughing
again, his shirt soaking wet and clinging to his muscular chest. He
looked so brilliant in the moonlight, his smooth, clear features so
easy to understand. He didn’t seem the type to hide a thing in the
world.
An unexpected growl started in my throat, and Alex froze, looking
at me in fear. I would have been able to hold myself back if I was
sober, but I guess in most situations, I did what I wanted anyway. I
was an alpha, after all. Even if I had made a mistake by letting a
parasite like Jake get too close to me.
“Whoa!” Alex exclaimed again. This time though, it was because
I had sprung forward, tackling him into the water. The fear and
confusion in his eyes only seemed to fuel me more, and without
any ceremony about it, I kissed him hard on the lips.
He resisted for a moment, but soon I felt him grow still under the
heat of my body, and his soft, warm lips began to tug eagerly at
mine. I stood up and dragged him out of the marsh by his shirt. He
followed willingly, stumbling and falling on top of me. His
handsome face lit up with a smile, and for a brief moment I was
completely transfixed.
Alex seized my lips again, and soon we were rolling in the damp
grass, Alex laughing quietly. I struggled to remove his shirt, but
with his back pinned to the ground and my motor skills impaired
by alcohol, it was difficult. He sat up and stripped the shirt off
himself, and I was awe-struck by his unbelievable torso. It was
more than I could have asked for; nothing like Jake’s lean,
scrawny muscles and beer gut. Alex was solid.
“Your turn,” he said, hoisting my shirt over my head. I was about
to protest, the memory of Jake throwing me off my game, but
instead I stifled a moan when Alex’s hand found its way inside my
jeans.
A surge of bliss made my knees weak. I hadn’t wanted anything to
do with sex because of Jake, but right now I felt spiteful and bitter.
What did it matter what I did with this stranger? I didn’t owe
anything to our joke of a relationship! Whether I thought I was
emotionally ready or not, it was happening. And it felt fucking
good. Screw Jake.
I shoved Alex against the grass, violently tearing his pants and
boxers off. I was impressed by the size of his cock; it was long
and thick, and felt perfect against my skin. I could see Alex’s
abdominal muscles rippling as he breathed heavily, trying to bite
back grunts of pleasure as I began working his shaft in my hands.
He began to rock his hips against me, and I couldn’t resist tugging
him gently until I was gratified by the sound of his voice.
“Fuck,” Alex whispered, his shaft growing thick in my hand.
His clear eyes bore into mine, and I was captivated by him as he
received my touch. Alex’s every slight movement set me ablaze. I
was frustrated so much by what had happened with Jake. All I
wanted to do was find a way to get back in control of my life.
Alex grunted when my aggression reared its head, and I flipped
him roughly to his hands and knees. I knelt behind him, wasting
no time before shoving myself inside of him. Alex yelped, and I
wasn’t sure whether it was pleasure or pain that he was feeling. In
the heat of the moment, I hardly cared. All I wanted to do was feel
myself again. To feel like an alpha.
I reached around and gripped his cock to keep it from dangling in
the air as I used his body for my gratification. He moaned then,
and electricity shot through my loins. It was warm inside him.
Jake had rarely let me express myself like this in the bedroom. He
thought it was novel that he could top the alpha. But with Alex I
felt a shocking need to assert myself. To let him know who was
really in control here.
To my surprise, Alex seemed to be loving every second of it. Jake
would have fought his way from under me by now. He would have
tried to do something to make me submit and serve him. But Alex
glanced back at me and we stared at each other, sparks shooting
from his eyes to mine. He was challenging me. He wanted me to
give him everything I had.
I hissed in pleasure as my cock swelled inside him. I had been
drunkenly operating at half-mast until then, but now I wanted him
to know that he had no choice in the matter. He was mine.
Alex moaned when I squeezed his shaft, running my hand along
the thick cylinder of his cock and down to its round, weeping
head. Heat pulsed through my loins and I could feel his body tight
around me. Every slight movement was electrifying.
I had never dreamed of feeling this good with Jake. Our
relationship had mostly focused on Jake being pleasured by me
and using my body as he liked. It hadn’t felt particularly
satisfying, but I had loved him so much that his immaturity in the
bedroom had seemed like part of his charm. Now, though, I knew
the truth. He had suppressed my alpha ways intentionally. He had
always been after more power. Who knew how long he’d been
plotting this mutiny?
Alex grew limp against the grass, bracing himself with his knees
dug deep in the dirt and his arms extended outward. He was
breathing heavily, and my eyes roamed the muscular curves of his
back, illuminated to perfection by the moonlight. What had taken
me so long to really embrace this side of myself?
My desire to dominate Alex began to grow in intensity the more
he seemed to submit to my power. He was groaning in pleasure
with every thunderous thrust of my hips, and I could feel a hot
tingle beginning to build up low in my abdomen.
When I knew I couldn’t hold back any longer, I gripped Alex’s
shaft hard and began pumping my hand around it. He writhed in
pleasure and struggled against me. I held him still and rammed my
hips against him until he was gasping my name.
We erupted together at the same time. I threw my head back in
rapture as I emptied myself inside of Alex. I could feel the hot
liquid bursting from the pit of his loins. The feeling of his cock
tense in my hand enhanced the power of my climax, and soon we
were panting on the ground together.
“Well,” Alex said, finally sitting up and pulling his boxers back
on. He cast a sidelong look at me. “Are you okay?”
I was surprised by the question. Jake never would have bothered
asking. He would have gone off to do his own thing by now.
“Fine,” I said.
“Cool. Then I’ll pick you up for work in the morning.”
Alex grabbed his wet clothes and headed toward the boarding
house. My eyes followed him until he disappeared safely inside.
Chapter 12
I tossed and turned that night, my mind flooded by horrible
memories of my time with Jake. I couldn’t believe I had already
allowed myself to be sexual with another person. Even though I
knew Jake had done so long ago; I had to be honest with myself, it
seemed way too soon.
And the worst part was that I had basically just used Alex for my
own means. He wasn’t exactly my top priority when I had been
using his body for my gratification. He was a second thought. I
might as well have done to him what Jake had always done to me.
I felt terrible. How was I going to face him again?
Eventually, the alcohol took over and I was pulled into a dark
oblivion. I was torn out of it far too soon by urgent rapping on my
door.
“Breakfast, Mr. Decker,” Penelope said. I groaned and rolled out
of bed. I was used to my routine with Jake, where we did as we
pleased and stayed in bed late. He was happy to live on my
inheritance, and I hadn’t thought anything of it. I just felt good to
be able to take care of the man I loved. It was the alpha in me.
And I was growing more convinced that Jake had known exactly
how to take advantage of that.
“Coming,” I mumbled, dragging myself out of bed.
“About time, Mr. Decker,” Miss Abby said, raising an eyebrow at
me.
I was hungover and tired, and slumped down at the table without
acknowledging her. I was beginning to hate that my seat was
permanently beside Alex, and did my best to avoid his eye.
“I have something I want to give you before you leave today,”
Miss Abby said, unfazed by my mood.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said.
Everybody was quiet during breakfast, and I retreated from the
dining room as soon as I could. I could hardly stomach the smell
of food, let alone keep it down. Everything felt heavy in my
stomach, and I was hoping to avoid Alex.
“Decker,” Miss Abby said, “Come here and put this on for me,
please.”
Miss Abby was holding out an amulet, just like the one that Alex
wore.
“If you put this on, it will reduce your danger while you’re staying
in the Bayou,” she said. “It conceals your scent and helps you to
avoid ambushes.”
I took the amulet and frowned at it. I was proud of my scent. I was
an alpha. It was kind of criminal to go into hiding like that. It
really solidified the fact that now, I was an outcast. Did she think I
couldn’t take care of myself?
“I can guess what you must be thinking right now,” Miss Abby
said. “But it’s your choice whether to wear it or not. It keeps other
shifters from picking fights and making trouble that doesn’t have
to be made. You do what’s right for you, Decker. I know your
father would have refused to wear it. It’s completely up to you.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled, stuffing the amulet in my pocket.
“Hey Decker,” Alex said, striding out of the dining room.
Somehow, despite our late night, he was looking as bright-eyed
and bushy-tailed as ever. “You ready to go?”
“Nah, man,” I said, turning my back on him and heading up the
stairs. “I’m going back to bed.”
I could sense that he wanted to push the subject, but the last thing
I needed was to spend a horribly awkward day with Alex. Our
fling hadn’t meant anything to me, and I didn’t want him to get the
wrong idea. I had given in to temptation, but that didn’t mean that
we had any possibility of getting any closer.
I waited in my room until I was sure Alex had left, and then went
back to bed until lunch time. Alex wasn’t there for lunch, and
everybody chatted pleasantly. They had learned I wasn’t the
talkative type and left me out of most meal conversations.
Especially after Miss Abby had warned them about asking me
invasive questions.
“Have you given the amulet any thought, Decker?”
I turned around, surprised to see Mrs. Lewis.
“No, ma’am,” I said. Mrs. Lewis was normally as silent as I was
during meals, so I hadn’t recognized her voice at all. She was soft-
spoken, and although she didn’t look like she had a mean bone in
her body, from her gaze I could tell that she was the type to hold
her own.
“Well, I’d like you to consider it,” she said, gesturing for me to
follow her out onto the porch. She sat carefully on the stoop. I
stood across from her and she took a deep breath. “My boy was
killed a while back. He didn’t want anything to do with the
amulets. We’d been forced out of our pack. They didn’t like
having a woman as an alpha.”
So that explained her serious attitude. I had never considered that
a female could be an alpha, but I shouldn’t have been surprised.
“What happened to your son?” I asked, trying to hide my surprise.
“He thought he could handle himself out here. Called this place
the boonies. We were from a city far out yonder, and he liked to
think that he was a big shot because he was the son of an alpha. I
am partly to blame for that; he was raised with a soft hand.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being confident.”
“Oh honey,” Mrs. Lewis said, a wry grin creasing her face.
“There’s a fine line between being confident and stupid, and my
boy Rodney walked it.”
“I’m sorry about your loss,” I said, unsure of what else to say
about it.
“So am I,” Mrs. Lewis said, her eye clouding over. “I’m sure
you’re wondering how it happened.”
I nodded, relieved that I wouldn’t have to wonder or pry to find
out.
“He refused Miss Abby’s amulet, then went out into the forest
alone. I hear it’s something like what happened to your pap. He
came across some rough characters looking for someone to rough
up. There’s nothing more rowdy than a shifter with nothing left to
lose.”
“I understand,” I said. And in a way, I could relate to that, too. I
had been a complete pig with Alex, taking what I wanted without
any consideration for him at all. He had seemed okay with it, but
he shouldn’t be all right being dominated by someone who was
feeling as rough and uncaring as I was. He deserved better than
that, and if I couldn’t even keep a jerk like Jake happy, there was
no way I would be able to give a guy like Alex the treatment he
deserved.
“There’s a lot of folks around here who think a lot of you. Do
what you can to take care how you handle things. No matter what
happened between you and your pack back home, you know who
you are. You know where you belong. And you know what? You
follow your own destiny. I have something in mind, myself. You
think I’m just going to sit back and accept being ousted from my
own pack? They’ve got another thing coming, they do…”
Mrs. Lewis looked into the distance and grew quiet. I could tell
she was done talking, so I retreated politely from the porch and
left her to her own thoughts.
Chapter 13
I clutched the amulet as I wandered down the dirt roads of the
Bayou. I had a strong urge to hop on my bike and get the hell out
of there. I wanted to face Jake and Walker once and for all. The
longer I was away, the more angry I became. Every little thing
Jake had ever done wrong was beginning to return to me, until my
head was muddied with righteous fury.
It was strange to be walking around without Alex or Paul with me,
but in a way I liked it more. It had been a while since I had been
on my own. Not long after my mother had died and I had moved
out on my own, Jake had latched on to me and spent more and
more time at my house. He was probably still living there now.
The thought filled me with rage. He had never paid bills or done
anything around the house. Jake had relied on me since we were
teenagers, and used me until he found a way to keep the
advantages I provided him without having to be with me anymore.
Who knew how long he had been hoping to get rid of me?
The settlement was modest, but surprisingly expansive. It was
strange to think that everybody here had a story of some kind,
uprooted from the home they loved and forced to relocate like I
had been. It was nice that they all had somewhere to go, but I
didn’t quite believe I would ever have anywhere that I felt like I
belonged.
I shoved the amulet in my pocket and sighed. What had I been
thinking, coming here like this? I needed to go find my
motorcycle and get the hell out of here. I would face Jake and
Walker head-on and reclaim my place as the alpha in the pack.
I reached the outskirts of town, trying to remember the direction
of the area where I had left my motorcycle. I decided to follow my
nose.
To my fury, it was gone from where I left it, and a trail of malice
was left in its wake. I could tell someone else had gotten their
hands on my bike, and it wasn’t just anyone. It was a pair of
shifters with a sour scent. That was all I needed.
I bounded off into the forest without a second thought, anger
prickling in my breast. Whoever thought they could get away with
touching my motorcycle and live was going to have another thing
coming.
“Hey, new guy,” a voice suddenly growled. It was coming from
my right, and just when I whipped around to face it, I was hit from
both sides.
I fell to the ground, furious. How many times was I going to feel
helpless? Maybe I really wasn’t meant to be an alpha.
“Bet this little beauty belongs to you,” a tall, burly man sneered.
His eyes were unkind; they reminded me of Jake. The other man
on the other side of me laughed as the one who spoke stroked my
bike with a mocking smile.
“Get your dirty hands off that,” I growled, lunging at him from the
ground. I managed to strike a punch, and could feel my hackles
raising. If I shifted, there would be no survivors.
“Down, boy,” a third man said, emerging from out of nowhere.
Why hadn’t I been able to sense them coming?
A surge of pain brought me back to the ground. I scowled, sizing
them up from the ground. They weren’t alphas, but they were
strong and vicious. Mrs. Lewis had been right about the power in
having nothing to lose. But not right enough that I had that power
on my side.
“Nice bike,” the third man said with a sickening grin. “What year
is it?”
“None of your fucking business what year it is.”
All of us were surprised to hear Alex’s voice. I looked over my
shoulder just in time to see Alex bare his teeth. Thick, light brown
fur began to sprout all over his body and he pounced on the man
closest to him. Everybody was surprised enough that I was able to
scramble to my feet and punch the man who had punched me first,
right in the face.
He fell backwards and blood covered his face. As he fell, I
realized that he, and all of the other men for that matter, were
wearing one of Miss Abby’s amulets.
“Do you know these guys?” I shouted to Alex.
But Alex wasn’t able to answer me anymore. He was completely
finished with his shifting and was laying into his victim. I took the
opportunity to fight off the second man, dodging his blow and
grabbing his arm and cracking it over my shoulder. It was a nice
self-defense move my mother had taught me when I was just a
child. When applied with my power, a sickening crack echoed in
the air and the man dropped to the ground screaming.
“Let me help you with that,” I growled, kicking him in the face.
He flew back to the ground and the shrieking stopped. He was
unconscious.
Alex stopped what he was doing and looked at me inquisitively,
taking a break from mauling the man trapped between his paws.
“You don’t feel pain if you’re unconscious,” I said with a shrug.
Alex blinked and then looked back at the man he had pinned on
the ground. The guy was sobbing, trying hard to shift, but he was
already too weak to manage it.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said.
Alex seemed reluctant to let go of his prey, but I looked him hard
in the eye. “I said let’s go!”
Chapter 14
Alex let the man fall to the ground, and I grabbed the handlebars
of my motorcycle. I rolled it away from the group of men writhing
and passed out on the ground, humiliated and angry that I had
allowed myself to be ambushed.
I could hear the heavy footfalls of Alex in his powerful bear form.
They gradually became lighter, and I realized he was shifting back
into his human form.
“Are you all right, Decker?” Alex asked. “I guess nobody told you
how dangerous it can be out here.”
I prickled. Maybe I had been hoping to run into a fight.
“Just leave me alone, Alex,” I said. I was in no mood to talk to
anybody. In fact, of all the people I could be talking to, Alex was
the last man I wanted to see.
“I get that it’s hard, you know. I don’t know what you’ve been
through, but –“
I whipped around, my fury reaching a new height.
“That’s right, Alex. You don’t know what I’ve been through. So
just drop it!”
Alex didn’t seem the least bit hurt by the outburst, and I could feel
the heat creeping to my cheeks. Alex was completely naked after
shifting back to his human form. It had been so long since I had
seen another man shift that I had forgotten how surprising it could
be to suddenly be encountered with someone after a shift. I had
only been a teenager
The energy surrounding Alex was wild and pure as it concentrated
itself back into his body. I was torn between being irritated and
impressed with how Alex refused to hide his essence from me. It
was daring, in a way, and I wasn’t sure how it made me feel. I was
agitated overall, but the bold look in Alex’s eyes made me take a
pause.
He didn’t speak again, nor did he try to hide his nudity from me.
He clearly wasn’t hurt by my outburst. The look in his eyes
seemed to tell me the opposite, as if he was satisfied knowing that
I was being true to myself and my feelings.
“I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me,” I said. “I
just got out of something serious. I mean…I thought it was
serious.”
“Do you feel like talking about it?” Alex asked, striding along
beside me. I did everything I could not to let my eyes wander
across his perfect body.
“I don’t know,” I said with an exasperated sigh. If I didn’t talk
about it, I would be thinking about it. Which was worse? They
seemed equally bad.
“All right,” Alex said, stretching his arms up in the air and casting
his beautiful, clear eyes to the sky. He sighed leisurely and
continued walking quietly beside me.
“I was ambushed,” I finally said, looking down at my motorcycle.
It was the only memento I had of my life in New Orleans with
Jake. That and the change of clothes I had found folded neatly
outside my bedroom the night before. “By the man I love…
loved…more than anyone in the world.”
Alex let out a low whistle.
“People do fucked up things for power,” he said, looking down at
the ground.
“I don’t see the appeal,” I grumbled.
“That’s probably because you have it,” Alex said. I glanced up at
him and he winked at me.
I looked away quickly. “Well, you have no power. Not alpha
power anyway. What’s to envy about it?”
Alex laughed softly, more to himself than to me. “I never said I
envied power. The only thing I respect is honesty. You can’t
pretend to be someone you’re not, or to covet the power that
somebody else has.”
“Tell that to my ex,” I scoffed.
“He’ll get what he deserves in the end,” Alex said.
I looked up at him, shocked by the anger flashing in his storming
eyes.
“I really don’t think it will happen,” I sighed. “I got ambushed
twice in three days. And I couldn’t get myself out of either one of
them. What kind of alpha am I?”
Alex grinned.
“You’re an alpha who thinks with your heart and misses subtle
cues. That’s what the omega is for.”
“I’m not supposed to think with my heart. I have to lead with my
instincts. And lately, they have been utter shit. Have you ever
considered that I lost my place as alpha because I’m not meant to
be the alpha?”
“Not for a second,” Alex said. “I think you’re alpha through and
through.”
I resented his blind faith, but still, it was a brief comfort all the
same.
“Whatever,” I sighed. “I’m done talking about it.”
“Do you want to know why I’m here?” Alex asked, a sly smile
creeping across his face. Again, I was shocked by just how
handsome this man was.
“I guess,” I said, though I was burning with curiosity.
“I’m here because I’m good at revenge.”
“What?” I asked. Alex was many things, but the thought that he
was vengeful and conniving had never crossed my mind.
“My father was the rightful alpha, but his twin brother was power
hungry. My father let him act as alpha just to keep the peace.”
“What did you do?” I asked, but I was already forming a picture in
my mind. Alex, young, strong, and scorned, with his passion for
honesty, feeling the injustice as if it were stabbing him in his own
heart.
“Well, I was born sick, so I was raised as the omega. Nobody
realized that there was a point when I started getting my strength
back. And with strength came confidence. I fought my uncle. He
almost died. Everybody, thinking he was the rightful alpha,
thought I was a menace and banished me.”
“Why didn’t your parents stand up for you?” I asked, puzzled. It
seemed like such a silly misunderstanding.
“They would have if they could have, but nobody wanted to
believe that what they had believed so long was wrong and had
caused my father to suffer. And my father’s closest relationship
was to his twin, not to his sickly, violent son. They had other kids
to raise. I’ve been on my own for a while now.”
I was baffled. Why did such horrible things happen? What was the
true appeal of this alpha power?
“You don’t get it either, do you?” Alex asked, scoffing. “That’s
because you’d never abuse that power to hurt others or to put
yourself at an advantage. That’s what a real alpha is like. They
care deeply about the greater good. They don’t seek power, it’s
given to them because they have earned it. Because they would
never take advantage of it. I know you have it in you, Decker. I
haven’t known you that long, but there’s no doubt in my mind.
Even if you have a few bumps in the road, you’re the true alpha.”
For the first time in what felt like centuries, I looked at the
handsome, naked man standing beside me and smiled. Whether I
believed Alex or not, it was nice not to feel worthless.
“Thanks,” I said.
Alex smiled, his eyes suddenly flashing with a dark energy that
made the air between us crackle.
“Thank me later,” he said, letting his hand fall over the
pronounced muscles of his abdomen. “There’s something else I’d
like to do now.”
Chapter 15
I was irritated by my arousal; it wasn’t as if I was good company. I
had no intention of falling in love with Alex. He was nice and
everything, but I only got involved with people if I was serious
about them. At least, that had always been my rule.
But look where that got me. I was entangled with a manipulative
jerk who had only cared about my status and what I could do for
him. I had lost everything to him. The worst part is that I had done
it willingly. There was no way I was going to make the same
mistake again. I wouldn’t let my guard down to anybody. Not
even Alex.
But Alex didn’t seem to care whether I had my guard down or not.
His eyes were boring into mine, as serious as I had ever seen
anybody before. It was strange to see it; during work he had been
mild, laid back, and goofy. He had an attractive personality, but I
just couldn’t bring myself to feel what I thought I should feel
about someone before I had sex with them.
What was it I wanted to feel? Some kind of life-long
commitment?
My anguished thoughts were cut short by the feeling of Alex’s
hands pressed against my shoulders.
“You’re holding back,” he said, frowning deeply at me. “I can feel
it.”
I pulled away from him growling and continued on my way.
“You’re better than this, Decker!” Alex exclaimed. He had to
sprint to catch up to me. “You’re strong because of the way you
feel and nothing else. Don’t hide from who you are!”
He put his hand on my shoulder and tugged, as if to stop me from
walking. My anger got the better of me then and I whipped around
to face him, snarling. He flinched away, but he didn’t let go.
“That’s more like it,” he said. “If you’re angry, just be angry! If
there’s something else you feel, just be it. It’s over faster that
way.”
“I already told you that I want you to just leave me alone, Alex,” I
growled. He was walking a thin line, and I was growing impatient.
“You’re not making this easy,” he said. “All I want you to do is
fuck me. You don’t have to love me. You don’t have to replace
your ex with your me or something. I get that you’re hurting and I
don’t mind waiting until you’re ready. What I do mind is this shit
you’re putting yourself through. You think I don’t know what
you’re thinking? You’re denying yourself. And why?”
I glowered, but didn’t answer.
“You’re just down on yourself! You have no idea how impressive
you are. You don’t think you’ve earned your place as an alpha.
Am I right? Am I close?”
All I wanted was for Alex to shut the hell up. So what if I didn’t
feel like an alpha? I wasn’t anymore. There was nothing that
would convince me that I had earned that title. It had just been a
mistake, that’s all. A mistake that was rectified by Jake and
Walker. If I couldn’t hold my own against my own pack, what
right did I have to call myself an alpha?
“Just stop talking!” I growled, whipping around to face Alex. He
stared me down, and an infuriating satisfaction lit his eyes. Did he
like pushing me to the point where I lost my temper? Didn’t he
know it was dangerous to pick on somebody bigger than you
were?
“Why should I, Decker? You’re going to lose yourself if you just
hide from all of this. You were wronged, man! You were wronged
and you didn’t deserve that. It doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to
be an alpha!”
“Just STOP!”
I lunged at Alex and he grunted as his back hit the ground. I barely
had enough time to feel bad about it before his lips were against
my own. I don’t know if I was the one who had kissed him or if he
had kissed me, but once it started, nothing could have kept us
apart.
I gripped Alex by his thick blonde hair and growled into his ear as
I allowed my hands to finally roam his body. I could feel him
shiver pleasantly under my touch. His muscles were hard, and
tense from the fight we had just had, and his clear eyes had lost
the infuriating quality that had made me want to rip him apart.
Now, they were almost gentle, if I could ignore that compelling
steely quality in them.
In truth, I was used to people being afraid of me. Although Jake
had betrayed me and tried to assert himself with me, there was no
denying that he was afraid of me. Any time I would get annoyed
about anything and express it, his eyes would grow wide and he
would avoid me. I had more power than I realized back then, but
that was all gone now. How could I have been so stupid?
“You’re beating yourself up again!” Alex exclaimed, pulling away
from my lips. “You get so dark.”
“So what?” I murmured. “Did I ask you to keep tabs on my
feelings? Fuck off.”
“Seriously,” Alex said, sitting me up and pushing me back so that
he could look me in the eye. “I think you’re great. You should
too.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” I said, standing up. Alex
stood too.
“I know enough. Your energy says it all. No wonder people took
advantage of you. If you feel worthless you become worthless!”
“That’s enough!” I roared, shoving Alex as hard as I could. He
flew back and hit a tree hard. I hated what I was doing to him.
Why couldn’t I stop?
“You’re angry because the truth hurts,” Alex panted, struggling to
regain his balance. “You’re mad at me for telling you things you
don’t want to hear. Things you don’t believe. But you should,
Decker. You’re the alpha.”
“Stop saying that!”
I leaped forward, pinning Alex to the tree. He didn’t fight me off
or struggle. He just looked calmly into my eyes. The stability I
saw in him immediately extinguished the rage I felt. I don’t know
how he did it, but it was impressive.
“I say what I believe,” Alex said again. “I do what I think is right.
No matter what happens to me. I’m already the omega. I have
nothing to lose from being myself. And neither do you. You know
why?”
I didn’t answer.
“Because you’re on top.”
I wanted to apologize to him, repent for being so hurtful and cruel.
For using his body and clothes and generosity the way Jake had
used me. But the words wouldn’t come.
“It’s all right,” Alex said, touching my face. “There’s nothing to
apologize for if you’re being authentic.”
I kissed him then, a kiss more tender and true than any I had ever
had in my life. It felt better than any kiss I’d shared with Jake.
Better, in fact, than any of the many memories we had made
together.
What was different this time?
It suddenly dawned on me. I was in control.
Chapter 16
The impressive muscles of Alex’s abdomen rippled with
resistance when I pulled him closer to me. It wasn’t that he was
resisting; he just hadn’t expected the movement. I was faster than
he was, I noted. I was a lot stronger too. It was a strength I had
always been wary of; a strength I felt safe hiding when I was with
Jake. Maybe part of the reason Jake had been able to manipulate
me was because I had never been comfortable with my own
power. Others envied it, and I knew I could use it for either good
or evil. But it never felt real; it never felt mine.
All of that changed with Alex. He pushed and prodded me,
encouraged me to embrace the truth of my power. I was still
uncomfortable, but it was liberating to know that he wasn’t afraid
of what I was. He wasn’t even jealous. He was aroused by it.
I reached between us until my fingers grazed his shaft. It was hard
and warm against my skin, and I gripped him with a gentle
firmness that made his knees buckle. I gave his cock a long,
sensual tug and was filled with desire when a soft gasp escaped
Alex’s lips.
Without thinking twice, I whipped Alex around against the tree.
He braced himself, and I took a moment to admire the perfection
of his athletic body. He was lithe and powerful in his own right, as
all bear shifters were, but it was clear that I was the alpha here.
Urgent desire pulsed through me, and I released my cock from its
confines. Alex shuddered when he felt me press it against his
inner thigh, and thrills of anticipation electrified me. I glanced up
at Alex’s hands, and saw his long fingers gripping the bark of the
tree in an effort to brace himself. He had already had a taste of my
power, and he was ready for more.
The time for hesitation was over. I hissed as tendrils of ecstasy
coursed from the head of my cock all the way through my body as
I slowly began to push inside of him. His body relaxed against me,
letting me do all the work. I reached around and gripped his cock,
squeezing it hard. Alex cried out softly, his shaft swelling in my
hand. It was more than I could bear.
In one, languid movement, I thrust my hips and with earth-
shattering power, I began unleashing the power of my longing on
Alex. I could feel him tighten around my cock, and the friction of
our bodies created the most blissful sensation I had ever
experienced. There was no guilt or reluctance this time; we both
knew exactly what we were doing. All I wanted was to claim
Alex. He would be mine, now, and for all of time. And I had a
feeling that he had known it all along; right from the moment he
had seen me.
The bond between us was unmistakable. Because of their
separation, I had always thought my mother had been
exaggerating about the strength of the force between two shifters
who were meant to be mated for life. I certainly hadn’t felt any
such power with Jake. I could never read his moods or thoughts
the way my mother claimed she could with my father, and I would
too, once I found the right person for me.
But now, I could feel Alex’s pleasure almost as acutely as my
own. I knew just how to move to make a small grunt turn into a
deep moan. His shaft was throbbing in my hand and I knew
exactly what to do to make it weep for me. And, whether he liked
it or not, I could delay his climax until I was ready to join him.
When it came time for me to notice the building of my orgasm,
something about it felt different. I had climaxed before, many
times, but something about this one felt as if all of the energy in
the universe was being channeled right through my body and into
Alex. Pleasure electrified every atom in my body, and Alex began
to tremble beneath me as my wild thrusting became harder and
more concentrated. He was on the brink of a powerful climax, but
I would hold it off, until…
Alex glanced over his shoulder at me and our eyes locked. In that
one, tiny moment, I felt eternity in my hands. I understood the
significance of our roles as shifters and the truth in Alex’s words. I
had to embrace my destiny. I had to be myself. And when I was,
my perfect mate would be waiting.
A deep roar began to rumble from deep within my breast, and
Alex cried out loudly as I unleashed a roar more powerful than
any I had ever done, even in my bear form. It echoed in the forest
as my hot climax spilled out of me, filling Alex completely with
my seed. He shuddered beneath me, and I was gratified by the hot
sensation of his orgasm spilling into my hand. I could feel every
drop of life in it, in him, and I closed my eyes to relish the
moment. It was the first time I had understood sex as a spiritual
act; and myself as a man with a place in the world.
Alex slowly lowered his hands from the trunk of the tree and
stood with his back to me for a few seconds. His breathing was
heavy, and he was looking down, as if something on the ground
had transfixed him. When he turned to face me, his clear eyes
were shining with tears.
“See,” he said, gesturing down to his stomach. “I knew you could
do it.”
What I saw made my heart jump to my throat. Alex had a light
purple rash spreading across his stomach, and beneath his
bellybutton was a tiny mound. I had to blink hard and look again
before it began to make any sense in my mind. Alex was pregnant.
And Alex’s pregnancy could only mean one thing. I was the true
alpha.
Chapter 17
When we arrived back at the boarding house, Miss Abby was
sitting on the porch in her rocking chair, chatting with her
daughter Penelope.
“Glory be…” she muttered, adjusting her glasses to stare as Alex
walked toward her. “Penelope, get this boy the Concoction.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Penelope said, leaving her post by the mailbox to
hustle inside.
“Well,” Miss Abby said, eyeing us both closely. “Looks like you
two have some courting to do.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, and Alex pursed his lips.
“What’s going to happen?” he asked, touching the tiny mound of
his belly gently. He already seemed attached to the baby, and I felt
a small surge of pride.
“I reckon you’ll give birth in two to three weeks,” Miss Abby
said, rocking slowly. “You two will have to get a place of your
own. This is no place to raise a child.”
“I’ve already got a place,” I said darkly. There was no way that
Jake and Walker were going to get away with stealing my home. It
was more than that to me. It was my birthright. If I was going to
have a child, I was going to raise it in the same place where I was
raised. Walker and Jake be damned.
“Well that’s one botheration out of the way,” Miss Abby said, the
ghost of a smile on her lips. She looked hard at me as if trying to
measure me up and determine what I might be capable of.
Fortunately, she seemed to approve of what she saw. “But there’s
the matter of tending to this pregnancy. Things are all right for
now, but this time next week, Alex here’s not going to be allowed
to walk or move anywhere.”
“What? Why?” Alex didn’t like the sound of being bedridden, and
I couldn’t rightly blame him for it.
“Honey, you’ll know why when it happens.”
Alex frowned down at the ground and Miss Abby laughed.
“It’s just the facts of life, that’s all. There’s going to be a lot of
aches and pains and swelling, you know. And you’ll need the
Concoction every day to make sure that baby of yours comes out
healthy and happy,” she said. “It’s good for the father to be, too.
Helps numb some of the pain. Bear babies grow fast in a human
womb; I reckon it’s a comfortable place to stay. You have a long
road ahead of you, boy. But we’ll help you along the way.”
Alex glanced at me, and then looked back at Miss Abby.
“That depends on what Decker is going to do,” he said. It was as if
he could read my mind. I was already plotting my revenge on
Walker and Jake. Our baby would be born in the house I grew up
in. And Alex was going to help me.
“What do you think, Mr. Decker?”
“You said Alex will still have his strength on his side for the rest
of the week, right?”
Miss Abby nodded, but said nothing. The same inquisitive look
was on her face; as if she was waiting for me to say just the right
thing.
“You and I both know I don’t belong here,” I said carefully. “Not
permanently. Or else I would have been raised here by my father.”
“That’s an interesting point,” Miss Abby said. “But just what are
you getting at?”
“I appreciate all your help. I truly do. But I would like to take
Alex and my child back to New Orleans. I have a home there. I
never should have left in the first place.”
Miss Abby’s face broke out into a knowing smile, and she gave
me a low nod. “Sounds like a good plan to me.”
I looked over at Alex, and saw that his face was shining with
pride. He had helped me to embrace who I really was. And now,
with his help, I would be able to reclaim my place among my
pack.
Chapter 18
The next two days went by in a frenzy. I didn’t have much packing
to do, but everybody was talking our ears off, giving us advice
about what to do during a pregnancy. Roger had given birth long
ago, before he had been kicked out of his pack for trying too hard
to help his alpha son grow into a responsible leader, and he had
the best advice for Alex.
They talked frequently in the lounge as Miss Abby and Penelope
put me to work in the kitchen so that I would learn the formula for
“the Concoction” like the back of my hand. I didn’t mind though.
I would do anything to make sure Alex and the baby were safe.
But we wouldn’t be able to settle down; not until my plan went
into action.
“You don’t mind living in New Orleans, do you?” I asked Alex the
night before we were scheduled to leave. Alex grinned and shook
his head.
“You know I prefer the city life,” he said. “There are a lot of
things I love about the Bayou, but it’s not where I would want to
raise my family.”
I grinned at him and his eyes sparkled. We kissed and then settled
in to bed. I couldn’t sleep knowing that so much was about to
change. There was a slight possibility that my plan wouldn’t work;
that I would come back to the Bayou with Alex, both of us
humiliated and ashamed by the fact that we had failed at our
mission. But there was no doubt in my mind about what we had to
do, and I was going to do it, no matter what.
***
Once I fell asleep, the night went by too quickly. Before I knew it,
it was morning, and Penelope was summoning me for breakfast
one last time.
“We’ll be sad to see you go, Mr. Decker,” Miss Abby said, once
the time came for us to leave, despite her face being bright and
reassuring. “But we know that you and your omega will always
have the advantage together. That’s just the way it is.”
“Thank you for everything,” I said, kissing her cheek. “You’ve
been very kind.”
“Nonsense,” she said, waving her hand. “But you boys and that
baby of yours had better come to visit if you know what’s good for
you.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Alex said, moving past me to give her a hug. He
was such a gentle soul. What kind of lottery had I won to deserve
him?
“Y’all take care, now,” Miss Abby said, smiling brightly. “And
mind yourselves on that motorcycle of yours!”
I smiled. “I’ll behave.”
Everybody from the boarding house gathered on the porch to see
us off; even Eustis. Paul and old Mrs. Allestar had come over to
see us off as well, and we said our good byes. It was going to be a
long ride back to New Orleans, and frankly we had a lot of
planning to do.
“Can we pull over, Decker? I have to pee.”
“Again?” I exclaimed.
“These bear babies grow fast, you know,” Alex said, fixing me
with a pout through the rearview mirror of the bike. I sighed and
pulled over, letting Alex relieve himself before getting back on the
road.
“I have an idea,” I said to him. I had been thinking long and hard
about how to get my revenge on Walker and Jake. “But I really
need you to help me out.”
“Like I said,” Alex said, smiling broadly at me. “Revenge is my
specialty.”
I smiled, shocked by this man’s willingness to throw everything
away for me. He was the most vulnerable he was ever going to be,
and letting me drag him into a fight that he had nothing to do with.
But whether I deserved that kind of devotion or not, he was ready
and willing to protect and serve me at all costs, and I planned on
returning the favor.
“You’re going to love it in New Orleans,” I promised him. The
closer we got to my home, the more excited I became. I fully
believed that we were going to come out on top. “Maybe we could
even get married.”
Alex was quiet for a moment, and at first I worried that I had
brought up marriage too soon. But when I looked at him in the
mirror, his beautiful eyes were filled with tears.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I have a feeling that’s going to be happening
a lot.”
I laughed heartily. Between my pregnant omega and riding into
the bright blue sky toward my rightful home, nothing was going to
bring me down.
Chapter 19
I parked the motorcycle a few miles outside of New Orleans city
limits.
“Are you ready?” I asked Alex.
He nodded silently and reached into his pocket. I did the same,
and pulled out the amulet that Miss Abby had given us. I draped it
around my neck for the first time, surprised when nothing seemed
to happen. I had expected some kind of strange feeling or
electricity, but it was just like putting on any other type of jewelry.
I didn’t notice the difference until Alex put his amulet on. His bear
scent disappeared completely, and he smiled reassuringly at me.
He was confident that our plan would work.
“All right,” I said. “Let’s go. Remember, nothing strenuous. You
just give me the signals and don’t fight unless you really can’t
avoid it. If that happens, don’t just fight for your life. Fight for the
baby’s, too.”
Alex’s face grew serious and he nodded. “I’ll do whatever it
takes.”
We headed through the foliage until we came upon the city. Seeing
it again made my heart lurch. I hadn’t expected to ever have to
leave this place. But now, I was back with a vengeance.
“First place to scope out is the bar,” I whispered, walking
stealthily through the crowded streets with Alex on my heels.
“That’s where the pack likes to gather. Jake is usually there. He’s
kind of an alcoholic.”
Alex raised an eyebrow, and we continued until we reached the
bar.
“We’re not going inside just yet,” I said. “I want to give them a
taste of their own medicine first.”
Alex grinned, and we crept to the parking lot, where I confirmed
that Walker and Jake were at the bar.
“Look what I can do,” Alex whispered. He smiled and before I
could stop him, cut the gas lines of their motorcycles.
I laughed in disbelief.
“Come on, we need to see through the window. Watch them until
they come out. That’s when we can strike.”
Alex nodded, and we surveyed the area for about an hour before
Walker finally came out of the tavern for a cigarette.
He didn’t even register our presence when we crept up on either
side of him.
“What the…you’re an omega too!” Alex exclaimed, doubling over
with laughter. Walker’s eyes grew wide and he turned toward
Alex, raising his hand to strike. I lunged forward, tackling Walker
away. We were thrown off the porch together and rolled in the dirt
until we were a few feet away from the tavern.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Walker snarled, once he got a
good look at my face.
“Payback’s a bitch,” I growled. I punched him in the face as Alex
continued laughing on the porch. I was glad he was staying out of
it.
“Like hell!” Walker said, shrugging off the punch and getting to
his feet. He gripped the collar of my shirt and glared into my eyes.
“You think you’re something? You’re shit! I know it, Jake knows
it; everybody knows it!”
“I don’t know it,” Alex said, suddenly behind Walker. Walker
gagged as Alex gripped him in a headlock and I struggled away
from Walker’s grip.
“Stand down, Alex!” I warned. Alex didn’t seem to hear me. I
frowned, my baby’s safety in mind, and shoved Alex away from
Walker. “I said stand down!”
Alex scowled, but raised his hands up and backed away.
“Boy, that was a mistake.”
A familiar voice from behind me made my blood run cold. I felt
every possible range of human emotion I could have felt; Jake was
near me, and I had just given up the advantage.
“You know what was a mistake?” I asked. “Loving you. Trusting
you. Taking care of you like the little bitch with daddy issues that
you really are.”
Even in the dark I could tell that Jake’s face had grown beet-red,
and he reached out menacingly for my neck. I dodged his grab and
punched him square in the face.
“All right!” Alex cheered. I glanced up at him just as Jake threw a
punch at me. It connected and I was thrown backward.
“You never took care of me!” Jake exclaimed. “I took care of
you!”
He liked to make it seem that way when we were together, and it
made me feel a small shred of doubt.
“Remember who the alpha is!” Alex shouted.
“Take care of him!” Jake bellowed to Walker.
Walker, who had been watching from a distance, nodded.
Apparently Jake had a new bitch in his corner to do his dirty work.
“No!” I tried to intervene, but it was too late. Walker, who was
fast for an omega, crouched down and ran toward Alex, knocking
him off balance. He fell stomach first onto the ground and cried
out in pain.
I was filled with blind rage, and I turned my eyes on Jake.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” I said in a low, cold voice.
Jake smirked, which only darkened my energy more.
“You really…shouldn’t…have done that…”
I was losing control. Everything I had ever feared about myself,
about being an alpha, was bubbling to the surface after years of
repression. And, my new target was the man I had repressed it all
for, out of a naïve desire to protect him the most. Jake.
This wasn’t good.
Chapter 23
My body quaked in rage as tufts of dark black fur began erupting
all over my body. I could feel my muscles contracting and
expanding, and I unleashed a hellish roar that made Jake’s face
grow white.
“Decker, I’m just fucking around, man, calm down!”
But I was past the point of no return. Jake glanced over at Walker,
and I was relieved to find Alex getting shakily to his feet. Just as I
had asked him to do, he retreated to watch from a distance. He
must have been shaken up from the close call with the baby. I
hoped everything was all right.
When Jake saw that I was nowhere near calming down, he
shrugged.
“Have it your way,” he said. He bit his thumb (the self-inflicted
pain always got him off enough to shift) and his grey colored fur
began to cover his body. There was a time I would have given
anything to see Jake in his bear form, but now, all I wanted to do
was destroy him.
Jake growled at me and I lunged at him, catching his shoulder in
my teeth. I was gratified by the salt of his sweat, and the bitter
taste of blood.
Jake cried out, slashing at me with his big paws. I barely
registered the pain as his claws penetrated my skin. Instead, I
focused on my next move. I had seen him fight a thousand times.
Now it was my turn.
His favorite move was to go for the throat, even when things were
just playful. He felt a surge of power from that, so I was able to
evade it when his muzzle tried to find its way to my jugular. Jake
whimpered when my sharp teeth grazed his muzzle, and I got a
grip on the soft fleshy area of his neck.
I was prevented from making the final move by Walker, who had
shifted into his bear form while I was distracted. Walker tackled
me from behind, sinking his teeth deep into the skin on the back of
my neck. I sank down to the ground as Jake watched, his eyes
filled with malice. I hadn’t been able to take them both the first
time, how could I manage to take them now?
Walker had me pinned and Jake made his way toward me. I tried
to figure out the best way to take them both down, but I was still
trying to fight Walker’s teeth. He had been wanting to tear into me
for years, and now that he had the chance, he wasn’t going to go
easy on me. I was struggling as I tried to get to my feet, but
between Jake and Walker’s teeth in my neck, I couldn’t go very
far.
A sudden roar echoed in the air, and all of us were startled to see
Alex barreling toward us. Jake tried to intercept him, but Alex was
faster and much more graceful. He leapt over Jake and landed on
top of Walker, sinking his teeth into Walker’s neck. I scrambled
out from beneath him and set my sights on Jake.
Jake was dazed as he watched Alex tear into his best friend. Blood
was beginning to stain the ground, and I looked away, unable to
watch Walker being tortured. I had other things to worry about.
Alex was protecting his family, and he was going to do it to the
fullest. I didn’t have to babysit him. He would take care of
himself.
I caught Jake’s eye and growled, and we began circling each other.
Sometimes with him it felt like I would never win, no matter what.
But right now, I knew I had a chance. Being with Alex had taught
me all there was to know about myself. And I remembered
something very useful. Jake was very afraid of me.
I got onto my hind legs, a powerful display. Jake was much
smaller than I was when we shifted, and he stood too, but fear was
rolling off of him in waves. I roared powerfully and struck him
hard in the throat. A deep gash opened up and Jake cowered away
from me. I was ready to finish him off and tear him to pieces. But
to my surprise, he began to shrink.
“Peace, man! I call a truce!”
He was small and naked and afraid. I had never felt more
revulsion for anybody than I felt for Jake in that moment. He was
exactly what I thought he was; just an insecure, spoiled brat.
I looked over at Alex and Walker to make sure that everything was
okay, and was relieved to find Alex standing over Walker. Walker
had shifted back to his human form, too weak to maintain the
taxing metabolic state of a bear any longer, and Alex had him
pinned to the ground with one huge paw.
I got Alex’s attention and signaled that it was time to shift back to
our human forms. Alex looked relieved. He must have been tired;
pregnancy was hard enough without having to maintain your bear
form.
“I don’t ever want to see you two again,” I growled once we were
all facing each other. “This is my pack, now, just as it always
was.”
I realized that several members of our pack had come out of the
bar to watch the show, and rather than looking angry that their
leaders were being outcasted, they looked prouder than I had ever
seen them look.
“You heard them,” one burly man said, coming forward and
shoving Walker in the back. “Get the hell out of here!”
I took Alex’s hand, and together we watched as Jake and Walker
were booed out of New Orleans, leaving us alone with our pack.
Chapter 24
“This is your new home,” I said, helping Alex through the
doorway. He was a little bit tired, but the light in his eyes was
brighter than I had ever seen it before. “Are you sure the baby’s
okay?”
“She’s fine,” Alex assured me. I stared at him for a moment, my
heart warm.
“She?”
Alex smiled at me and I pulled him close, kissing him gently on
the lips.
“I can’t believe that we actually pulled that off,” I whispered,
laughing and tasting his lips.
“I can,” Alex said, stroking down my broad chest. “There are a lot
of things you’re capable of, and soon you’ll know every single
one of them.”
I considered this for a moment, but quickly forgot as Alex’s lips
became more urgent against mine, and my hands developed a
mind of their own. I touched him everywhere; from the top of his
head, lacing my fingers through his thick blonde hair, down to the
small mound of his stomach where our baby girl was growing.
“I love you,” I whispered.
Alex looked up at me, his eyes flashing. “I know. I love you, too.”
I took his hand and led him to the bedroom, doing my best to be
tender with him considering his condition. I knew it wouldn’t be
long before he was bedridden, and then sex would no longer be an
option. I wanted our break from it to be that night, right then, to
consecrate our union and the home we were going to share for the
rest of our lives.
I kissed Alex tenderly, allowing my lips to linger on his and
relishing in the gentle waves of electricity that traveled through
my body. He closed his eyes, running his hand down my cheek
and under my shirt. I let him pull it over my head, and helped him
to remove my belt and the rest of my clothes.
“Let’s try something new,” I said softly, stripping Alex and
moving slowly to his waist. I could feel myself growing hard with
longing as I took his shaft into my hands and wrapped my mouth
around it. He moaned softly as I ran my tongue lightly across the
sensitive nerve endings in his penis and finally enveloped it in my
mouth.
He moaned loudly, and my cock became swollen with longing as I
pleasured him, taking all the time I hadn’t taken before in order to
appreciate all of the wonders of his body.
“Stop,” he whispered. “I’m going to come.”
I smiled up at him, and he furrowed his eyebrows.
“Good,” I said. “Then you can do it again when I’m inside of
you.”
Alex groaned and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as I
worked his shaft in my mouth, using my hands to caress his
scrotum and explore the landscape of his body. I touched his
nipple gently, making it hard beneath my fingertips, and then
began bobbing my head furiously around his cock.
He hissed in pleasure, and soon I was gratified by the taste of his
semen.
“Fuck,” he mumbled.
I smiled at him and rolled him onto his side. Miss Abby had told
us not to let him put pressure on his stomach, so I caressed his
body and held him from the side, gently working myself between
the hot opening of his ass.
Alex shuddered in pleasure, and I swallowed hard, biting back a
moan as my head, then my entire shaft, disappeared inside of him.
I bucked my hips gently against him, and he slowly writhed,
grinding his hips and teaching me the parameters of his pregnant
body.
I kissed and sucked the nape of his neck, and he shuddered in
pleasure as, again and again, I disappeared inside of him.
My self-control was beginning to wane, and Alex seemed to sense
it, because he began to grind me, harder and a little bit faster, until
it was all I could do to keep from coming. Alex turned to me, his
deep eyes boring into mine, and he kissed me lightly on the lips.
“I love you,” he whispered.
Somehow, that did it, and we climaxed together as our tongues
massaged each other. The unexpected explosion was the most
powerful of any orgasm I had ever felt, and Alex intertwined his
fingers with mine.
“Thank you for being with me,” I said.
“Thank you for being the alpha I knew you were,” he replied.
 I kissed his forehead gently and held him close to my chest. And,
for the first time, we fell asleep together in the bed we were
destined to share for the rest of our lives.

Bear Back
Chapter 1
“What do you mean it’s not going to print this week?” Lewis Olsen cried
into the phone. “I’ve been in Mexico for two months, the least you could do
is print the article on time!”
Lewis frowned as he listened to his editor-in-chief bumble around for
explanations. Lewis was one of the top writers in his field, so when things
didn’t go how he expected them to, he could always find new work
elsewhere. But he liked his boss, and privately enjoyed making the man feel
like he was in hot water.
“Look, it’ll run next week. And we’ll have another assignment ready for
you.”
Lewis sighed. “All right. I’ll talk to you later.” They hung up amicably, and
Lewis briefly wondered what the next assignment would be. He loved his
work, and he loved traveling, but there were times he wished he would be
able to relax and stay put in one place.
Lewis glanced at his watch and stretched. He was sitting in the Houston
airport, waiting for his flight out of Texas before he could return home to
his boyfriend. Peter had been acting extremely needy and catty for the past
few months, even before Lewis went to Mexico, and it had been quite
trying for Lewis’ patience. Although he was older than Lewis, Peter was
quite immature and always wanted to believe that the world revolved
around him. Lewis’ first impression had been that the gorgeous man was a
victim of his own tendency for drama. But all the same, Lewis hadn’t been
able to resist Peter’s lures.
The flight was nothing special—not to mention he was extremely used to
flying—and as he headed back to New York, his mind wandered to Peter. It
had been months since Lewis had been with a man at all, much less his
boyfriend. He was as loyal as they came, so there was no way he would
even consider cheating, even if two months was terribly long to go without
sex. Now he couldn’t keep his mind off of the sinewy pleasures he would
finally be able to experience again when he made it back home to Peter. It
had been a far too long and lonely trip.
He had even been tempted by one of the Mexican men he’d been
interviewing in the city of Tampico. The man’s eye told Lewis everything
he needed to know about him, and he had almost given in to his desires. But
images of Peter had flooded Lewis’ mind, and he’d turned the man down by
ending the interview early and heading back to his hotel room to relieve
some of his frustration on his own.
Lewis had called Peter that night, hoping that hearing his voice would
remind him of why it was better to be loyal to him, but he couldn’t get
through. And when Peter called back, all he could do was complain about
everything under the sun. Lewis forgetting to do his laundry before he left
on the trip. How lonely it was to stay in Lewis’ condo alone all day every
day because he didn’t have enough money to go out to the clubs and enjoy
himself if he wanted to afford groceries.
But Lewis couldn’t suggest that Peter get a job and help pay some of the
bills. Peter was a self-proclaimed housewife, and refused to do anything
that would require him to lift a finger. The title, Lewis had concluded,
didn’t seem to suit him. But he didn’t say anything. Because he loved Peter.
Even if he was tempted by another man from time to time…right?
Chapter 2
Peter had been in a foul mood since before Lewis had ever left for Mexico.
Lewis thought Peter might want to be able to spend more time with him, so
he had requested to leave early after wrapping up the piece in Mexico. He
thought the surprise would thrill Peter. Lewis had already planned a
romantic dinner date at Peter’s favorite restaurant.
Lewis was relieved to finally be home. He unlocked the door as quietly as
possible, hoping to surprise Peter, no matter where he was in the house.
Lewis silently sat his bags down and crept through the house, ready to yell
“Surprise!” the second he saw Peter.
He wasn’t in the living room, or on the balcony smoking where he usually
was. Lewis decided to try the bedroom, and quietly pushed the door open,
ready to jump into bed with his sleeping lover.
But what greeted him was a shock. Peter was in the bedroom, but he wasn’t
alone. He was standing at the foot of the bed, with another man Lewis
recognized from the gay bar kneeling on the ground with Peter’s cock in his
mouth.
“Surprise,” Lewis said weakly, unsure whether to fly into a rage or crumple
to the floor in tears.
“What the fuck are you doing back so soon?” Peter asked, pushing the other
man away and reaching for a blanket to cover his erection.
“Don’t you mean, what the fuck are you doing with your cock in another
man’s mouth?” Lewis retorted, his rage mounting.
“It’s not…I was just…”
“What, lonely? You poor baby. Get the fuck out of my house.”
Peter was frozen, staring at Lewis in disbelief. Lewis had never raised his
voice to Peter, no matter how frustrated Peter had made him. The perfect
patsy.
“Now!”
They gathered up their clothes and Lewis chased them both out of the
apartment with his fists balled. He was glad his answer had been to fly into
a rage. Peter wasn’t worth the tears. In some way he had known that from
the start. But he had let himself get caught up in the idea of being with a
handsome, shallow man, even though he knew he should have been smarter
than that.
Lewis sank down into one of the chairs at his dining room table and sighed
heavily. How could he have let himself fall for such a wily man’s charms?
And the worst part was, he had always known on some level exactly what
kind of person Peter was. If the world didn’t revolve around him, he would
go out in search of people who would make sure that Peter felt like the most
important thing in their lives. He wanted to be the center of attention at all
times, and when he wasn’t he threw a fit. If he gave Peter a chance, he knew
Peter would try to turn this around on him, complain that it was because he
was never around.
But Lewis was a grown man. An adult, and a mature one with a great
career. He wasn’t going to just drop everything to nurture an attention
whore and narcissist. That wasn’t the way they were going to play it, and he
would be damned if that’s what Peter demanded. Drop his life and career or
else he’ll act out and cheat on Lewis? Like hell!
His cell phone began to vibrate in his pocket and Lewis pulled it out
angrily, sure that it was Peter calling to give some half-assed explanation
and try to make Lewis feel bad for being the one who had left him alone for
two months. He checked the caller ID, ready to throw the phone across the
room, but it wasn’t Peter. It was his boss.
“Larry?” he asked, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. If he snapped on
Larry the way he wanted to do with Peter, he might not have a job anymore.
That would make his day just perfect.
“Hey Lewis, I have the perfect job for you. Are you ready for this?”
Lewis sighed. What would Larry know about the perfect job for him? And
what did it matter when it felt like his life was falling apart?
Lewis cringed. He had to pull himself together. It wasn’t as bad as it felt. He
would move on, and Peter would soon be a relic of the past. Everything
would be all right.
“What is it, Larry?”
“I know how into environmental issues you are. And you write so much
better when you’re passionate about your cause.”
“Uh huh…” Lewis said, biting his tongue to keep from telling Larry to get
to the point.
“Black bears are being reintroduced to the Ozark mountains, and I was
thinking we should send you there next to cover the reintroduction efforts
and chronicle the success. Talk to local officials and enthusiasts, people
who might not want the bears to be there. There’s so much opportunity for a
story here, I know you’ll find a good angle.”
“The Ozark mountains, huh?” Lewis said thoughtfully. “I suppose that
could be interesting.”
“Of course it will be interesting!” Larry exclaimed. “There’s going to be a
lot of ground to cover with this one. If you’re lucky, you might even be able
to get up close and personal with some bears of your own.”
Bears had always been a private fascination of Lewis’. He had always
wanted to see them in person, but his life had taken him to NYC, where he
couldn’t always go out into the wilderness, and even the travels for his job
kept him mainly in cities. Although northern New York was beautiful, he
had always wanted to travel to the mountains and see the wildlife in its
natural habitat. Now, apparently, he was going to get the chance.
“Count me in,” Lewis said. “When can I leave?”
“As soon as possible!” Larry said. “I can give you a few weeks home first,
of course.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Lewis said. “Get me a flight out tonight. I’m
ready now.”
Chapter 3
Lewis boarded the flight with nervous butterflies in his stomach. He hadn’t
been expecting to be back on an airplane so soon, but with the way Peter
had behaved, he didn’t want to be anywhere near New York. Everything
about the city just seemed to reflect exactly the same shallow mindset that
Peter had always had. Although it had been pivotal for Lewis’ career to live
in the city so close to publishers and people who could recognize his talent,
there were a lot of issues that he had with living in a place like New York.
He had always felt like he belonged more in a more rural area. He’d been
born outside of New York and moved to the city as a child. His parents were
wealthy, but had disowned him when they’d found out he was gay. He’d
gotten past that years ago, realizing he didn’t need them if they couldn’t
accept who he truly was. It was better for him to strike out on his own, and
every time his parents heard his name on the radio, they would remember
that their son wasn’t a fuckup in the eyes of anyone but themselves.
After a long flight and two layovers, Lewis was finally in the Ozark
mountains. As soon as he stepped off the plane he could tell the difference
between the air quality in the mountains versus the air in New York. There
was no smog here. And nobody was begging for change. In New York, he
would have had to weave through the beggars and stop in to donate to the
local shelter. But there weren’t any homeless shelters here. Apparently there
didn’t need to be any.
A rental car was waiting for him at the airport and he hastily filled out the
paperwork. Throwing his suitcase in the back, he got in. By all rights, he
should have felt exhausted, but instead he really felt like heading to the bar
to drown his sorrows. Even though he knew that he was better off without
Peter in the long run, he had still wasted two years of his life on a person he
had been hoping to make a more significant commitment to. It was
devastating, in a way, to know that Peter had probably been doing things
like this right from the start. This wasn’t the first long trip Lewis had taken
during their relationship.
Lewis was shocked by how tiny the town was, and found the bar nearly
right away. It was a small, out of the way establishment, with a rustic look
and comforting feel. Lewis parked the rental car and headed inside, not sure
what to expect.
The lights were dim and there were bikers scattered throughout the bar. All
of them were dressed in leather and turned their dark, serious eyes onto
Lewis. He waved meekly and made his way to a stool at the bar and sat
down heavily.
“Whiskey please,” he said.
The bartender came to him with glittering eyes and grinned. “New here?”
he asked, sliding a shot of whiskey to Lewis.
“Very,” he said with a sigh. “My flight just arrived.”
“Ohhh,” the bartender said, tapping the bar with his fingers. He looked a
little bit mean and Lewis wasn’t sure he wanted to talk to him. “Interesting.
You don’t happen to know the rules here then, do you?”
“Leave him alone, Ernie,” a deep, masculine voice spoke out from behind
Lewis. Lewis was startled and turned around to face the man who had
defended him. He was tall, rugged, and handsome, with menacing brown
eyes and thick, dark hair that was wild and unkempt, but in an attractive sort
of way. His face was covered in a thick five o’clock shadow. There were
men in New York who would have spent hundreds of dollars for that look,
but on this man it seemed to be his natural state of being. And it was
extremely sexy.
“What’s your name?” the man asked, lowering himself beside Lewis. He
smelled of cedar wood and fresh air, as if he had just come in from outside.
The man’s arms were bare, and he wore only a leather vest with a bear’s
paw print on the back of it. His arms were thick and muscular, full of
tattoos. Lewis did everything he could to avoid looking at the bulge in the
man’s tight jeans. He turned his eyes to his drink, clearing his throat before
he answered.
“I’m Lewis.”
“Lewis huh?” the man snorted, grabbing an unopened beer from the
bartender and popping the bottle cap off with his bare hands. “Sounds like
your parents must have been snobs.”
Lewis laughed, delighted by the man’s honesty. “Try present tense.”
“Ouch,” the man said, his handsome face breaking out into a smile. He
offered his beer bottle to Lewis for a toast and Lewis clinked his shot glass
against it.
“My name is Jake,” the man said, after a long swig of beer. “Why’re you
here?”
Lewis was used to making small talk with strangers, but this question struck
him as odd. It was as if he was being protective of turf that Lewis wasn’t
entirely welcome in. And from the way the other bikers in the bar were
staring at him, he wouldn’t be surprised if that was truly the case.
“I’m a writer,” Lewis said reluctantly, gesturing to the bartender for another
shot. The bartender glowered at him, but when Jake raised his eyebrow at
the man, he reluctantly poured the shot and slid it to Lewis.
“Thanks,” Lewis said.
The bartender said nothing, just sneered and turned his back on the men,
walking to the other end of the bar to wait on three bikers who were staring
at them with the same look of resentment as everybody else.
“A writer, huh?” Jake said with a low whistle. “Most of the guys in here can
barely string a sentence together. That’s pretty impressive.”
The intensity of the glares increased but nobody said anything back to Jake.
Lewis shifted nervously. Maybe he should leave.
“Are you published in anything?”
Lewis couldn’t tell if this man was being sincere or if he was just trying to
lure him into some kind of trap. He was so handsome that Lewis wanted to
believe that he was being sincere. But previous experience had proved that
if a tough guy sensed any of his gay vibe, it could result in some serious
physical harm. Maybe it would be better if he just disengaged from the
conversation.
But when he tried to say he was leaving, the man’s gentle brown eyes kept
Lewis captive in his seat. There seemed to be nothing malicious at all about
him. He was genuinely interested in Lewis’s work. And for some reason,
Lewis really wanted him to be.
“Actually, I’m really successful in my field. So yes. I’m in newspapers and
magazines quite frequently.”
“What do you write about?” Jake asked.
“Whatever it is that my editor wants me to. Usually if he knows it’s
something I’m passionate about. That’s when I do my best work.”
“So then, Lewis, what is it that you’re passionate about here?”
Was that a seductive gleam in the man’s eye? A flirtatious tone in his voice?
Lewis couldn’t be sure. But usually, when a man was interested in him, it
was safer to find out in the city, surrounded by other friends who could
protect him. Out in the country, with all these angry looking tough guys,
Lewis could easily find himself in major trouble.
“Well, I was assigned here because of the black bears being reintroduced in
the mountains. I’m supposed to get some feedback from the locals and learn
what I can about how the efforts are going. Whether or not it’s successful.
Maybe chronical as much of the transition as possible…”
Lewis trailed off as his mind wandered back to Peter. When he’d left
Mexico, he had been hoping to lie low back in the condo for a few months
and spend some much needed time having his carnal desires catered to by
the person who was supposed to love him. Lewis was exhausted. Traveling
constantly could be really tiring. Sometimes he just felt lost without having
anywhere to go to call home and feel settled. And god, he was horny.
“That’s fascinating,” Jake said, his eyes suddenly hard for some reason. Had
Lewis said something wrong? “I’m quite interested in the efforts myself.”
“Oh?”
“But enough about that,” Jake said, moving closer to Lewis. “It looks like
there’s something on your mind.”
Lewis cringed. How had the man been able to tell?
“No…”
“Come on,” Jake said. “It looks like you haven’t slept in days. And now
you’re here taking shots alone in a strange town you’ve never been to. Tell
me what’s really going on with you.”
Lewis took a deep, shuddering breath. Could he really trust this man with
his sorrows? Jake was staring at him, one eyebrow raised and his handsome
face lit with anticipation. Lewis wasn’t sure he could refuse.
“My…relationship broke up,” he said carefully. “I found the person I was
with, with another man.”
“Oh,” Jake said with a frown. “Sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah. I always thought it was going to be easier when you found someone.
You would think after two years, he—”
Lewis cringed. He’d let the cat out of the bag. But maybe Jake hadn’t
noticed.
“So it’s a he, then,” Jake said. “I thought so.”
“It’s not what you…” Lewis stood, knocking over his empty shot glass in a
clumsy attempt to get away from Jake. But Jake just watched him
scrambling away, a wry smile playing his lips.
“Men can be so fickle,” he said, slipping off his stool and facing Lewis.
Jake was about half a foot taller and Lewis peered up into his eyes, unsure
of what to expect. Everybody in the bar was watching them closely, and
Jake took a look around the room. He sighed, then put his hand on Lewis’
shoulder.
“Why don’t we go outside and get some fresh air for a few minutes,” Jake
said.
“All right,” Lewis said nervously. He didn’t have the muscle he needed to
refuse.
Maybe it would be safer out in the open away from the other men in the bar.
He wouldn’t have to worry so much about getting jumped, at least.
“Over here,” Jake said, walking to the back of the bar parking lot, beyond
the area where Lewis had parked his rental car. Lewis gasped when they
reached an area that looked out over the mountains. He had never seen a
view quite so beautiful. The moon was a clear silver over the trees, and Jake
pointed out toward a specific mountain range.
“I heard that’s where they’ll be,” Jake said, looking into Lewis’ eyes.
His heart drummed in his chest. He hated how attracted he was to this
rugged man. But on the other hand, Lewis was feeling a little nervous,
staying aware in case anybody came to ambush him. He couldn’t be too
careful, even if he wanted to relax with this handsome man and enjoy the
view before him.
But Jake moved closer to him and once again Lewis was overpowered by
his delicious, spicy aroma. Lewis had never been so near to anybody that
made him feel so comfortable before. But it was a reluctant comfort. He
wanted more than anything to trust that this handsome man could be
legitimately kind and understanding, even if he was gay. But that wasn’t
always the case and he was scared.
“I’m sorry about your boyfriend,” Jake said after a moment of silence,
looking out over the mountains.
“Thanks,” Lewis said. “But he’s my ex. And honestly, I’m better off
without him. I knew what he was like from the start but…I guess I let
myself get blinded by what I wanted and thought he could be. Stopped
paying attention to what he is.”
“That happens,” Jake said with a short laugh. “I guess there’s a reason I
don’t date much. Not a lot of guys out there who get me.”
“Guys?” Lewis asked, a little too eagerly. He hated how into this man he
was. He wasn’t usually the type to fall fast and hard for anybody, but
somehow this man was irresistible. And he hadn’t been with a man in
months. It was long past time. He felt like he would have done anything to
get into bed with this man. And it was a feeling that scared him a little bit.
He didn’t like to think that he was anything like the superficial gay men
he’d met that couldn’t commit.
But he had already proven to himself that he was nothing like that. Was it
really so wrong to want a quick release after a terrible experience? It made
him feel sick that the last person who had touched him had probably
touched tens of other men not long before or after. He needed to cleanse. It
was time for him to purify. And maybe being with another man was exactly
what he needed.
“Surprised?” Jake asked, smiling at Lewis.
“More like relieved, I think,” Lewis said, laughing and looking up at the
sky. Missouri was full of beautiful, twinkling stars. He couldn’t remember
the last time he had felt so at home in a place where he could see the sky.
He had loved the way the sky looked in Mexico, but he was hardly
comfortable there. If he hadn’t been exploring oil spills in the gulf, he
probably would have preferred to stay home. But the world had the right to
know, and they all trusted Lewis Olsen to tell them the truth about
environmental issues.
“Where are you from?” Jake asked, his eyes twinkling at Lewis.
Lewis grinned. “New York City.”
Lewis was itching for a cigarette. He always did when he drank. But he had
quit years ago. He couldn’t truly call himself an environmentalist if he was
polluting the planet all of his own free will every couple of hours.
“Then you’re a long way from home,” Jake said. Before Lewis had a
chance to reply, Jake’s mouth was pressed against his own and a hot flood
of desire gripped Lewis where he stood.
He was overwhelmed by his lust and didn’t have the willpower to fight
Jake’s advances. Even if this was some strange trick being played on him by
the Midwestern bikers, he didn’t care. The man’s lips felt too good, charged
with some kind of irresistible electricity that nearly brought Lewis to his
knees.
When they broke apart, Jake grinned.
“What would you say about a bike ride?” he asked slyly, gesturing to one of
the motorcycles in the parking lot.
“Really?”
Lewis had never been on a motorcycle before. The prospect filled him with
a childlike excitement.
“But haven’t you been drinking?” Lewis said, trying to keep his head on
straight. The two shots had gotten him feeling pretty good, and he had no
idea how long Jake had been at the bar.
“One beer ain’t shit,” Jake laughed, and Lewis was captivated by the man’s
perfect smile, and even, white teeth.
“All right,” he murmured, surprising himself with his willingness to get on
the bike with a perfect stranger. “Where are we going?”
“Wherever the wind takes us,” Jake said, leading him to the motorcycle and
tossing him a helmet. “Get on.”
Lewis climbed on the back of the bike and Jake straddled the seat in front of
him, kicking the bike into gear.
“Let’s ride.”
Chapter 4
As they rode the bike through the winding mountain roads, Lewis couldn’t
help but feel terrified. He gripped onto Jake’s broad chest as they sped
down roads that overlooked rocky canyons and miles and miles of beautiful
forest. If they took just one wrong turn, they would be goners.
For the first ten minutes, fear gripped Lewis’ heart, until finally Jake
glanced back at him in the rearview mirror.
“Are you doing okay back there?” he asked, smiling broadly.
“Y-yeah,” Lewis replied. It was partially true. He was really enjoying the
feeling of the open road beneath them. The way the bike moved so quickly
that it almost felt like they were flying. Soon, the fear gave way to an
entirely new feeling—a feeling of liberation and excitement. Release, in a
way.
Lewis, who was feeling buzzed but not quite drunk from the large shots of
whiskey he’d received, allowed his brain to fuzzily process the situation
that he was in. He was on the back of a motorcycle with a ridiculously
gorgeous man who looked like he’d just walked right off the cover of some
outdoorsman magazine.
Any of the men he hung out with in New York would be insanely jealous of
Lewis if they knew what was going on. And although it was nice to know
that people would envy him, it didn’t really matter. Those materialistic and
superficial people were thousands of miles away. It was time for Lewis to
just enjoy himself without worrying about anybody else for a change. He
was going to just worry about himself from now on.
***
When the ride finally ended, Lewis realized that they had stopped at a
remote wooden cabin. Jake dismounted and held his hand out to Lewis to
help him get off the bike. They stumbled into each other, laughing. Lewis’
legs were shaky, but he had never had more fun in his life.
“Easy there,” Jake said, his dark eyes twinkling.
He held Lewis closely, his strong hands gripping his hips firmly. Soon,
Lewis could feel Jake’s stubble against his cheek and his soft lips pressing
firmly against his own.
“I missed this,” Lewis said, pulling away and panting. “Are you sure you
want to?”
“Are you kidding?” Jake laughed, kissing Lewis again. “Do I look like I do
anything I don’t want to do?”
A deep thrill electrified Lewis as he was swept away in the sensual
pleasures of Jake’s tongue. Jake wasted no time pushing Lewis inside the
cabin, maneuvering them inside without removing his lips. They were soon
stumbling through a small living room, cluttered with bookshelves, full to
the brim. Lewis made a note to comment on them the second their mouths
broke and he was ready for some conversation.
Suddenly, Jake shoved his hands down Lewis’ pants and gave his cock a
quick squeeze. Lewis forgot everything else he was thinking as he was
shocked into a deep pleasure unlike anything he’d ever experienced before.
He’d enjoyed the company of multiple men, including the two year mistake
he had experienced with Peter, but none of them had ever touched him the
way Jake was touching him now. It was almost as if Jake had some sort of
strange power or thrall that none of the other men in his life had.
Lewis moaned out loud when Jake’s other hand slid under his shirt and
pulled it off, and his mouth moved from Lewis’ and onto his nipple. Soon,
they were kissing passionately and Jake was forcefully stripping the clothes
from Lewis’ body.
He cried out in ecstasy when Jake flipped him around and pinned him
against the wall, showering his back with fervent, enthusiastic kisses as he
started taking off his own clothes, letting them drop to the floor. Lewis felt a
sudden thrill as Jake pressed the length of his cock against his ass. It was
bigger than he had expected, possibly the biggest he had ever felt.
Lewis moaned when Jake reached around and gripped Lewis’ hard member
in his hands and gave it a forceful tug. Tendrils of pleasure shot into Lewis’
abdomen and a hot pleasure took him by surprise as Jake buried the head of
his cock inside of Lewis. Lewis broke out in goosebumps when Jake
grunted with pleasure. It was the most animalistic sound he’d ever heard,
and it aroused Lewis so deeply that he released a long strand of precum
right into Jake’s hand.
Jake buried his head into Lewis’ neck, kissing him gently as he moaned
with pleasure, nodding in approval at the warm liquid in his hand. It
provided lubrication, adding an extra layer of bliss as he stroked Lewis,
tugging him gently as he began rocking his hips in a slow, rhythmic motion,
gently prying into Lewis and pleasuring them both with his body.
Lewis succumbed to the bliss of Jake’s nimble, experienced fingers. He
knew exactly how to work a man’s body. He cried out in ecstasy when Jake
squeezed the shaft of his penis and finally shoved himself wholly inside of
him. Jake took it as a sign of encouragement and continued to unleash short
bursts of his whole power, until Lewis was used to his force.
Lewis moaned out loud, and gritted his teeth as Jake dragged his nails down
his back. Lewis had to brace himself against the wall as Jake, still somehow
able to multitask and pleasure Lewis with his incredible fingers, provided
him with the most gratifying fuck he had ever had. He found himself
already looking forward to the next time.
But that was presumptuous. He couldn’t let himself get swept up in fantasy
just because he had done one impulsive thing in his life by getting on the
back of a stranger’s motorcycle and letting him take him in his living room.
Jake broke into his thoughts by lifting Lewis by the hips and throwing him
into the couch so that he was bent completely over. He released his grip on
Lewis’ shaft and Lewis gripped the edge of the couch, gasping in pleasure
as Jake’s body jackhammered into his.
Lewis exploded with burst after burst of pleasure as Jake’s urgent thrusting
created a delicious friction inside of him. The burning inside of him grew to
a fever pitch, until he felt the rocking of Jake’s hips pause. The sensitive
nerves inside of Lewis were at the height of their pleasure. Jake lunged
forward and gripped Lewis’ pulsing member, squeezing it tightly. He
suddenly felt Jake’s cock shudder inside of him before it unleashed a hot
torrent of cum.
Jake hissed in pleasure and Lewis groaned as his body was overpowered
and Jake’s hand was filled with Lewis’ orgasm. Jake continued thrusting
inside of him until every last drop had been spilled.
When Jake finally pulled away, he looked Lewis in the eyes and grinned.
“Want to do it again?”
Lewis looked Jake up and down, not believing his luck. He had never seen a
more attractive man. His powerful chest was heaving as Jake struggled to
catch his breath, and his cock was already starting to get hard again. His
body was full of tattoos, and his chest covered with thick black hair.
Lewis nodded without a word and Jake grabbed his hand, leading him down
the hall to his bedroom.
Chapter 5
The next morning, Lewis woke up in confusion. He was used to this feeling,
traveling all over the world to get the best stories, but this time, something
was different. His entire body was aching, raw with the results of the
pleasure he had shared with Jake the night before. But where was Jake?
Lewis sat up in bed. His head was pounding and Jake was nowhere to be
found. He crept tentatively from the bed, wrapping a sheet from the bed
around. He had never had such a wild night of passion in his life. None of
his lovers had been able to muster the stamina that Jake had.
“Jake?” he called. But there was nobody there to greet him.
Lewis shuffled through the house, frowning as he tried to find the man from
the night before. When he glanced at the grandfather clock in the living
room, he cursed. He was going to be late for his meeting. And he hadn’t
even brought his rental car with him. He was stranded.
Lewis discarded the sheet on Jake’s couch and retrieved his clothes from the
night before. Why had Jake left him there like that without even bothering
to wake him up? Had he done something wrong? He couldn’t imagine ever
just leaving after being intimate with someone, or leaving a perfect stranger
in his house for that matter.
He dressed quickly, feeling a little bit like he had just swallowed some kind
of stomach bile. Maybe Jake was ashamed of what they had done. Lewis
couldn’t help but feel cast aside. Why was it that nobody ever really gave
his feelings the thought that they deserved? He was always going above and
beyond for everybody else. Even Larry, his boss, knew that.
Shit, Larry! Lewis reached into his pocket and felt a surge of relief when he
found his cell phone. If he could get reception in the mountains, which was
unlikely, he might be able to call for a cab without being too late for the
meeting.
When he turned the phone on, his stomach dropped. He didn’t have any
bars. He would have to go outside and try to find a spot with reception. He
grumbled to himself as he left Jake’s house. He might as well just walk into
town himself.
By the time he found a spot with reception, his foul mood was cemented.
He hadn’t felt like setting up the meeting so soon, but since they would be
expecting him, it would be rude to miss it. He called the taxi service and
within a miraculous fifteen minutes, Lewis was on the road.
He wished that he’d had time to prepare. Maybe if he hadn’t gone to the bar
that night to drown his sorrows he would have been able to grab his
briefcase from the rental car. It was full of prompts that Larry had hoped he
would work on to get an angle on the story. Then again, he usually ignored
the prompts anyway and was able to get to the heart of the matter without
much help. That’s why they always hired him. He was the best at what he
did and everybody knew it.
Unfortunately, that didn’t leave him immune to the first case of wanderlust
he’d had after his break up. And it infuriated him that he had succumbed to
his desires for a man who would be willing to leave him stranded in the
woods as if he didn’t exist. Wouldn’t most normal people leave a note or
something?
It was infuriating how some men just treated others like they were objects
to be used and disposed of at a moment’s notice. Everybody was constantly
trying to just move themselves up in the world and they didn’t care whose
heads they stepped on. At least Lewis had a noble career. He couldn’t step
on anybody’s head. He had gotten there with sheer persistence and hard
work, dedicated to refining his craft and becoming the best at what he did.
When the cab finally made it to the Missouri Department of Conservation to
meet his contact and the guides who were going to help him through the
wilderness, Lewis sighed in relief. He wasn’t even five minutes late. He
must have overestimated how far away Jake’s house had been. He felt a
twinge of guilt for not locking up the man’s house after he left, leaving it
open to who knew what kind of burglars and animals, but he justified it by
thinking that if Jake had just used and abused him for the night, then he had
brought it upon himself.
“Good morning, Lewis,” a jovial man said, coming forward to shake his
hand. “I was told to be expecting you today. Come, come. Let’s go to my
office and discuss your plans for the article.”
Lewis was glad he had gone over all of his briefing documents on the plane,
otherwise he wouldn’t have had anything to say to the kind man, whose
name he discovered was Melvin Blake. He was the head of activities there,
and seemed very enthusiastic about all things wilderness. It was a breath of
fresh air after being stuck in Mexico, where many of the people he spoke to
didn’t give a damn about the contamination so much as they did how they
could profit off of the cleanup efforts. Still, that was the case in every
environmental issue he covered. That was probably why everybody trusted
his reporting. He was never one to mince his words and he called things as
he saw them.
“You’re welcome to stay as long as you like,” Melvin was saying toward
the end of the meeting. He led Lewis out of his office and had insisted on
giving him the grand tour of the facilities. “We will make ourselves
available to answer any questions that you might have. Now if you really
want to get up close and personal though, and track the progress of the
black bears as they begin to adjust to the reintroduction efforts, you’re
going to want to cozy up to one of our bear specialists.”
Melvin beamed proudly at a door before opening it and gesturing for Lewis
to walk inside. When he did, his heart started hammering wildly in his
chest. There was Jake, bent over a large table with a huge map sprawled
across it, staring closely and tracing a line with colored pencil.
“Jake! Come say hello to our guest,” Melvin exclaimed, slapping Lewis on
the back. Jake glanced up from the table and gave Jake a brief nod, as if
they had never met before. Or as if they had met and it had been so
inconsequential that it didn’t even warrant a hello. Lewis couldn’t help but
feel hurt.
“Jake here’s busy with the project, of course. Excuse us, Jake.”
Jake nodded again, this time without looking up from his map, and Melvin
led Lewis through the door once again.
“At about three o’clock, Jake is scheduled to go out into the forest and
check on the bears’ progress. He does good work, so I’ve scheduled you to
follow him and be his shadow for the rest of your time here. It should give
you a firsthand account of the efforts that we’re making to allow this
species to thrive in what used to be their natural habitat. I think you’ll be
very pleased!”
Yes, Lewis thought grimly. Very pleased indeed.
***
By the time that three o’clock rolled around, Lewis was a nervous wreck.
He hadn’t slept enough the night before, and he wasn’t sure he was
prepared to ride through the forest in the little off-road vehicle that the
Department of Conservation had commissioned for the project.
But before he had the chance to back out, Jake emerged from the office, a
pencil tucked behind his ear. He was dressed in a white dress shirt and snug
black pants, and Lewis couldn’t help but gawk when he remembered how
good Jake’s body had felt pressed against him the night before. Lewis hated
himself for still being so attracted to Jake, after how the man had treated
him but nature was nature, he reasoned. It couldn’t be helped.
Jake silently got behind the wheel of the car and, without a word, headed
into the depths of the mountains. Lewis could take a hint and he knew better
than to speak. Jake paused every so often to scribble down some notes on a
clipboard that he had wedged between the driver’s seat and the passenger’s
seat, and then tuck the pencil behind his ear once again.
The white shirt hugged his muscular body tightly, and Lewis couldn’t help
but stare at him. Finally, Jake sighed and caught his eye.
“What?”
“I just…I didn’t expect to see you here,” Lewis replied. “You didn’t tell me
about what you do for a living. I just assumed…”
“What, that I’m a biker?” Jake asked, a smile playing across his lips. “Not
hardly. But I know a lot of guys who are. And they respect me up there. I
keep to myself for the most part thought. That’s how I like it.”
“So you really like bears,” Lewis said, trying to make the excruciating ride
a little bit less awkward. He knew that Jake had to be regretting the choices
they had made the night before. He had all the signs of regret. And although
it hurt his feelings, Lewis couldn’t blame him much. What if he thought
Lewis might blab about him being gay to his friends.
“I don’t ‘really like’ bears,” Jake said edgily, stopping the car abruptly. “Get
out. We have to walk from here.”
“Oh,” Lewis said, his cheeks burning red.
He couldn’t remember the last time a man had been able to make him so
flustered so easily. It was a little bit embarrassing. If he had known that Jake
was a bear specialist he would have to work with for the duration of his
time in the Ozark mountains, would he still have wanted to sleep with him?
He liked to think that he would have had more sense than that. But the truth
was that he probably would have done it anyway. It had been too long since
he’d felt truly wanted.
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Jake said, turning to glance at Lewis as he
led the way through the mountains. “But I take my work here very
seriously. I’d appreciate it if you don’t interrupt me.”
“All right,” Lewis said quietly. He couldn’t tell if he was being reprimanded
or if he should consider it a half-assed apology for the cold way that Jake
was behaving. Maybe they would be able to sort that out after work. He was
going to need a ride back to his rental car, after all.
“Stop,” Jake said suddenly, holding his arm out in front of Lewis. Lewis
stopped abruptly, and was shocked to see two bears just ahead of them.
“Don’t move.”
Lewis didn’t need to be told twice. The bears were playing amicably, rolling
around on the forest floor and eating something off the ground lazily. They
were fairly large, but Lewis got the feeling that they were just babies.
“Cubs,” Jake confirmed into a voice recorder once they had gone.
“Adolescents. Seem to be adjusting well to their new surroundings. Already
found a food source and feeling comfortable enough to play.”
Jake rolled his sleeves up and jotted down a note on his clipboard before
proceeding. Lewis couldn’t help but marvel at the man. Outside of work, he
seemed like a completely different person. But when he was working, he
was so focused and attentive to detail. Maybe he really was just trying to do
his best for the bears. He had left in the morning because he didn’t want to
be late for work. Maybe Lewis was just being over sensitive.
To test his theory, Lewis took a deep breath and walked abreast Jake. They
didn’t speak, and finally Lewis gathered the courage to reach out and touch
Jake’s hand. Jake’s fingers tensed up when Lewis wove his own through
them, and they held hands briefly before Jake stopped walking.
“Look, I know it’s romantic being here by yourself where nobody’s
watching, but I’d really like to focus on my job right now. I already asked
you not to interrupt. Please respect that. This is important to me.” He pulled
his hand away from Jake’s and walked on ahead.
Lewis sighed. This was going to be a long assignment.
Chapter 6
Lewis had been working with Jake for the past two weeks. He had made
himself as comfortable as he could possibly be in the hotel that Larry had
provided for him. His first impression of the town had been wrong. It was
much bigger than he’d thought originally. He’d simply followed the GPS to
the bar nearest the airport, which, coincidentally, was far outside of city
limits. He had been spending his time exploring the area and found that it
was a surprisingly nice little haunt. He wouldn’t mind a few more months
of exploration.
Everything about his job was perfect. Except for Jake. Things had been
awkward between them since the first day. Neither of them dared to speak
about what had happened between them, and had to pretend that nothing
happened, especially when other people were around. The tension in the
room went up sevenfold whenever others were in the room with them, and
Jake usually found a corner to hide in while Lewis had to make small talk
about the progress of his article.
It was a lucky thing that he was comfortable with strangers, and kept
himself armed with questions to ask when things got awkward, whether
with Jake or with anybody else. It was part of the gig as an investigative
journalist. He just couldn’t figure out what it might take to crack Jake.
Whether he liked it or not, he was wildly attracted to the man, and the
longer he spent out in the isolated mountains with him, watching the
professional and distant way he handled his work, the deeper his lust for
Jake grew.
He thought for a while that his feelings might have just been one-sided,
except that one day, while they were deep in the woods, Lewis felt like he
was being watched. It was a feeling he was used to in the forest. Sometimes
the animals would spot them and flee. But when he looked cautiously
around for the source, he met eyes with Jake, who was staring at him with a
hungry, shameless look of lust.
But when Lewis approached him after catching him in the act, Jake moved
quickly away, as if it had never happened. Still, the incident had left Lewis
with the hard-on from hell, and he spent the rest of their time together
trying not to do anything foolish. Especially because they had agreed to
take out an inexperienced field scientist named Mindy to check on the
habitat.
It was encouraging. Jake was constantly on Lewis’ mind. The night they
had spent together had been the most erotic of his life to date. And no
matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move past it. And even though Jake
was pretending like it had never happened and trying to play it cool, the
animalistic lust in his eyes confirmed what Lewis had suspected all along—
Jake wanted him just as badly. But something was holding him back.
Finally, in the third week of research, Lewis decided enough was enough
and confronted Jake about it..
“Jake,” he said, trying to keep his voice even and confident. He didn’t want
Jake to look down on him somehow.
“Yeah?” he asked, glancing into Lewis’ eyes. Lewis frowned, detecting a
hint of sadness in them.
“I know work is important, but can I ask you something?”
Jake sighed in response, but Lewis didn’t let himself get deterred.
“Would you like to go out and, I don’t know…get drinks with me after
work or something?”
Jake looked abruptly into Lewis’ eyes, with the same hungry look of
longing that Lewis had caught him with a couple of weeks prior. But before
he could answer, a loud rumble pierced the air.
“Fuck,” Jake whispered. “The bears!”
The men ran at full speed toward their destination—an intimate looking
post where they had been observing the bears in their natural habitat. Once
in a while, Lewis would get good pictures from the area. The bears had
settled close to the site. But nobody was supposed to be driving this deeply
into the forest. They weren’t even allowed to take the off-roader.
When they reached the site, Lewis’ chest was burning with the effort of
exertion and he gasped out loud. A group of drunken rednecks were
whooping and hollering, aiming their rifles at one of the bear cubs.
“No!” Lewis exclaimed, running forward to try to save the bear.
“Lewis!”
The rednecks cackled when they saw that there were two human targets and
turned their barrels on them. Lewis saw an evil glint in the eyes of the man
closest to him as he prepared to empty a round into Lewis’ stomach. He
knew for certain that he was going to be a goner.
Suddenly, a vicious roar shook the foliage around them and the men paled,
scrambling backward in fright. Lewis was shocked when the biggest bear he
had ever seen, black and beautiful, leapt over him and lunged at the redneck
who was aiming at Lewis. He mauled him with his giant paw, sharp claws
ripping into the man’s flesh, leaving his corpse lying on the ground. He
emitted a mighty roar and the three other rednecks tried to scramble away
and load their weapons at the same time. But they were too drunk to do
either one very gracefully.
Before Lewis could register what was happening, the bear was swiping one
powerful paw after another until all of the men were writhing in agony on
the ground. A deafening roar pierced the air, and the men who weren’t dead
cowered, sobbing for mercy. But it was too late for them now.
The bears they had been after originally had heard the call, and now, several
of them appeared from the woods. It was as if the mighty black bear had
summoned them to finish the job, and they did so, heartily.
Lewis looked away from the gory scene, shocked that somehow he had
survived and was still miraculously intact. He turned to find Jake, to ask the
more experienced man what to do, but then he realized that the handsome
man was nowhere in sight.
He turned back the bears, his gaze settling on the largest bear, and in his
heart, he knew the truth. When the giant black bear walked toward him, its
gentle brown eyes low to the ground, Lewis swallowed hard.
“Jake?” he whispered.
He squinted as a blinding light flashed before him, and soon the giant bear’s
figure was morphing before Lewis’ eyes. The thick black hair disappeared
and soon the paws were hands and the muzzle had turned into Jake’s
teasing, arrogant smile. Lewis wasn’t entirely sure what to think or how to
react. The only thing he knew was that he’d never seen anything more sexy.
“Jake!” Lewis raced toward the other man, who was standing completely
nude in the forest. Lewis disregarded the bears around them and was
promptly embraced by Jake’s muscular arms.
“I’m so sorry I have been avoiding you,” Jake murmured into Lewis’ hair.
“I’ve wanted you so badly that it hurts.”
“Me too,” Lewis whispered.
“But I’ve had a secret to hide. There’s no way you would have believed me
if I just told you outright. And I’m bound by a sacred oath not to reveal my
identity to any normal humans. I’m not even supposed to feel this way
about you. If my pack finds out, I’ll probably be ostracized. Mating with
you isn’t allowed.”
“There’s nothing that they can do to us,” Lewis said, touching Jake’s cheek.
The stubble felt rough under his hand, and he smiled. “I thought you were
mad at me or something.”
“No! I gave you a lot more reason to be mad at me,” Jake admitted
miserably. His dark eyes were filled with pain. “I’m a bear shifter. I fall
hard and fast, forever, to one man. But since I’m the alpha…”
“Doesn’t that mean that you get to make the rules?” Lewis reminded him.
“There’s an exception for everything. Dogma can’t make up our lives in
black and white. I learned that much trying to grow up both orthodox
Christian and gay at the same time.”
Jake grinned and looked back at the group of black bears that were standing
behind them, finishing off the last of the rednecks.
“What do you say?” Jake whispered to them. One of the bears came
forward and bowed its head briefly, before shapeshifting into a tall, naked
woman.
“If the rest agree,” she said softly. “I give you my blessing.”
The other bears were still for a moment before each of them walked
forward and bowed their heads.
“We will not speak of this to the elders, and if we do, we will all take
responsibility for your love. This man was willing to risk his life to protect
us. As far as we’re concerned, he is one of us.”
Jake’s face broke out into a broad smile and he looked at Lewis with brown
eyes, glittering with tears.
“I knew you were the one for me the moment I saw you. Thank you for
doing nothing but proving me right.”
The woman smiled and shifted back into her bear form, and the rest of the
bears followed her lead as she walked deeper into the forest, leaving Jake
and Lewis to kiss passionately in celebration of their love.
Chapter 7
That night, Jake drove Lewis back to his cabin in the woods. They were
both quiet, but a gentle hum seemed to fill the vehicle. Jake was sure it was
the sound of his heavy heartbeat. He reached over and took Jake’s hand,
squeezing it.
When they arrived back to the cabin, Lewis smiled privately to himself. He
had been regretting ever going there just a few short days ago, wishing that
he’d had the self-restraint not to get caught up in Jake’s sensual web. Jake
had hurt him, treating him that way.
But Jake had only done it because he’d broken the rules of his kind and had
been worried about what might happen to Lewis if he mated with him. The
truth had been that, all along, Jake had been just as tortured as Lewis. And
he was working hard to make sure that his family and friends in the bear
clan would be safe.
“Come on,” Jake said, his deep voice soft. He tugged Lewis into the cabin,
where they were finally free to kiss once again, the same way they had
kissed before.
Jake’s passionate tongue slid into Lewis’ mouth, and soon, he was being
stripped and caressed by Jake’s capable hands. Lewis pulled Jake’s shirt off
and unbuttoned his jeans, letting his pants and boxers drop to the floor.
When they were both fully exposed to one another, Jake’s eyes glowed with
an amber desire, and Lewis knew that was why they hadn’t been face to
face the first time that they’d been intimate. He couldn’t control himself
when he was aroused, and it was obvious that Lewis would have asked silly
questions the first time.
This time, however, Jake pushed Lewis into the bedroom and forced him
onto the bed, where he proceeded to kneel over Lewis’ abdomen and bring
the head of Lewis’ aching cock into his mouth. They both shuddered with
pleasure as Jake’s tongue worked his body.
Lewis took the initiative, gripping Jake’s firm muscle in his hands. It made
sense now why Jake was so big, and why the mystical way he touched
Lewis brought him more pleasure than any other man had ever been able to
muster. It was as if Lewis had been waiting for this type of love his whole
life, without even knowing it.
Jake grunted appreciatively as Lewis stroked him, and bobbed his head
rhythmically until Lewis wasn’t able to control himself any longer. He cried
out in rapture as Jake took his hot mouth away, letting streams of Lewis’
semen fall into his hands.
Jake wasted no time in pushing himself up off the bed and lubricating his
massive erection with Lewis’ cum. He pushed Lewis onto his stomach and
lifted his hips in one graceful move. Lewis panted as bliss overtook him,
and Jake began to work his way inside of Lewis’ thighs. He reached around
and began to fondle Lewis with long, bold strokes, until he was nearly crazy
with longing.
Jake immediately set to work in moving his hips, allowing himself to take
pleasure where it could be found. Lewis moaned in ecstasy as Jake’s
powerful body rammed into his, sending endless waves of pleasure coursing
through him. He had never had a lover more powerful, yet still caring and
considerate of his pleasure.
They groaned together as Lewis’ body gave way to another orgasm. But
Jake was far from done. His stamina would impress the most skilled of
lovers, and Lewis wasn’t sure if it was because he was a bear shifter, or
because he was just an alpha type of man.
Lewis gasped in ecstasy when Jake slowed his movement and gripped his
cock one more time, making it hard again with just one touch. He hadn’t
known that men could manage multiple orgasms, but with Jake there was no
other option. The man knew exactly how to work his body.
Soon, Lewis was overwhelmed by immense pleasure and they both cried
out in ecstasy as Jake’s cock shuddered inside Lewis. The rapid bucking of
Jake’s hips grew to a fever pitch as he came close to shooting his load deep
inside of Lewis. Somehow he was able to delay the inevitable and gripped
Lewis’s cock hard, jerking it back and forth until they were both so close to
coming that Lewis nearly cried.
Finally, Jake gave a ferocious roar and an explosion of semen rocked their
bodies. Lewis was overcome by pleasure and joined Jake in his climax, his
body filled by the powerful force of Jake’s orgasm. They grunted together
as Jake thrust until he was finally flaccid, and then pulled gently out of
Lewis with a broad smile.
“I missed you so much,” he said, propping himself up on the pillow beside
Lewis. “You have no idea how hard it was for me to keep myself at a
distance. I thought I would endanger you if I didn’t. My family can be a
little…mean…to outsiders.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Lewis said, stroking Jake’s cheek. They
kissed deeply, a long, lingering kiss that Lewis wished would never end. “I
understand that you wanted to protect me.”
“More than anything,” Jake said, looking suddenly very serious. His deep,
amber eyes bore into Lewis’. “And I’m going to protect you for the rest of
our lives. From now on, you’re mine.”
Jake gripped Lewis by the waist and pulled him close to his warm body,
showering his neck and shoulders with tender kisses.
“And you’re mine,” Lewis said blissfully, as Jake’s strong arm draped
around him.
He closed his eyes, shocked by the pleasure that he had stumbled into
during his random assignment to the Ozark mountains. He had known when
he first arrived that it would be hard to leave the comfortable little place,
but now he had to accept that leaving was going to be impossible. He had
found the place where he was supposed to be. A spot in the world where he
really belonged. And as long as he lived, he was going to treasure it.
Howling for the Bear
“Another one, Zebe?”
“Yes. Just keep them coming, Andy.”
“Will do, partner. Hey, I’m sorry to hear about Caleb. He was a
good guy.”
“He was the best. Thanks.”
Zebe stared down at the bar, feeling like all of the wind had been
knocked out of him. It had been a long day and he felt emotionally
and physically drained. When his brother, Caleb, had been found in
the woods by local hikers, local authorities had chalked it up to a
random bear attack, but Zebe and his family knew the truth. It was
no random attack and it was no ordinary bear.
As the bar filled with members of the community that knew him and
his family, there were continued expressions of sympathy for his
loss. They bought him drinks and tried to console him. What he
really wanted was just to be left alone to dull the pain. Picking up
his glass, he moved over to a quiet booth near the back where he
would be less obvious to them. The quiet didn’t last long.
“You look like you’ve had a rough day, gorgeous,” a quiet voice
said from nearby.
Zebe squinted up at the guy standing in front of his table. He was
tall, broad shouldered and gorgeous. His thick black hair was
closely cropped, giving him a buff military look. Perhaps he was
just what was needed to forget his pain, at least for tonight.
“Something like that,” he replied.
“Do you mind if I join you?”
“Not at all. Have a seat.”
“I’m Blake.”
“Good to meet you, Blake. Are you from Bozeman?”
“Not originally. I just moved over here from Butte.”
“Liking it so far?”
“It’s interesting. How about you?”
“Born and raised.”
“How about I buy you another drink?”
“I have a better idea, how about we just skip the small talk and go
back to my place for another drink?”
“That sounds even better.”
The two of them made their way out to their bikes and headed off
toward Zebe’s house, a large farmhouse on the outskirts of town
surrounded by acres of nothing but fields, trees and streams and, on
one side, mountains.
“This is quite remote,” Blake commented as they parked their bikes
and walked toward the stately wrap around porch.
“It was my brother’s place. He died recently and so, I guess it is
mine now.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thanks. Anyway, let’s not talk about that. Let’s get a drink and
chat a bit.”
“Sure.”
The two of them kicked back on the sofa with a bottle of scotch and
a couple of glasses. Zebe was surprised at how well he felt he
already knew Blake. It was if they just clicked instantly. It wasn’t
long until all conversation took a turn for the physical.
“You have the most beautiful eyes,” Blake said, brushing away a
sandy lock of hair from Zebe’s face.
Rather than respond, Zebe smiled and leaned in to kiss him. For a
moment, it was like fireworks going off, but then something struck
him. Being so close, he couldn’t help but notice the distinct smell of
his skin. He hadn’t noticed it so much earlier due to the amount he’d
had to drink, but they had slowed down quite a bit while talking and
he had sobered a bit. The scent was one he was all too familiar with
and he pulled away for a moment and looked at him, hesitant.
“I don’t care if you don’t,” Blake said, understanding exactly what
was running through his mind.
Zebe sighed and pulled him toward him, kissing him deeply. The
passion ignited between them only made the scent stronger, as Zeke
was sure it did with his own. There was no doubt about what Blake
was, and that he knew exactly what Zeke was, as well. Still, there
seemed to be no stopping them as their passion took on a life of its
own.
“You stink so badly,” Zebe laughed as he pulled away.
“As do you,” Blake replied with a wry smile.
“Oh well, fuck it.”
“My sentiments precisely,” Blake added, reaching for him and
unbuttoning the fly on his jeans.
Zebe began kissing him again, fumbling with the buttons on Blake’s
shirt as he searched his mouth hungrily with his tongue. Their
bodies pressed into one another, all muscle and hard angles. Blake’s
growing erection pressed into Zebe’s rising cock as they stripped
one another bare and began exploring every inch of skin exposed
with their hands and mouths. Blake bit into a bare shoulder, eliciting
a loud groan from Zebe as they enjoyed one another feverishly.
Blake dropped to the floor in front of Zebe and took his cock in one
hand, stroking it firmly within his grasp. Tossing his head back, he
became lost in the sensations of the strokes along the length of his
pulsating erection. Blake’s tongue explored the aching tip slowly
and thoroughly, enjoying the taste and feel of it in his mouth.
“God, that feels amazing,” Zebe breathed, his hips tilted forward as
if to offer himself completely. Tangling his fingers in Blake’s hair,
he allowed himself to just enjoy what he was doing even though he
knew he shouldn’t be with him. It was just one night.
“Yes. Yes,” he moaned loudly as Blake took more of him in his
mouth and began sucking his way up and down the length of his
cock. His hands stroked his balls and fingered his ass as he slipped
up and down his throbbing instrument. It was hard to hold back his
climax with the pressure of Blake’s jaws sucking his cock so
powerfully, but he pushed back the urge. Finally, unable to hold
back any longer, he forced his head downward, filling his mouth
with a heavy load of cum.
“You might smell bad, but you taste fantastic,” Blake smiled, wiping
an escaped bit of cum from his lips. “I bet you feel even better.
Pulling Zebe upward, he turned him around to that he was draped
across the back of the sofa legs spread apart to expose his tight ass.
Reaching between him legs, he paused to wet his fingers and began
slowly trailing them around the outer rim of his ass. Zebe moaned
loudly in anticipation as he inserted a single finger, slowly slipping
more and more of it inside of him and sliding it back and forth to
ready him for his cock.
Blake continued to tease him as he grew hard again in anticipation
of having him inside of his ass. He groaned loudly as the tip of
Blake’s cock finally slid in and he began slowly rocking back and
forth, piercing him more with each thrust. His powerful hands
gripped his waist as he steadied him and sank deeper inside of him
until he was fully engaged.
“Fuck, that feels amazing,” Zebe gasped.
“Feels pretty great from this end too. I can’t wait until you return the
favor.”
“You bet your sweet ass I will,” Zebe replied, his words cut off as he
gasped loudly with the power of a sudden thrust.
“You’re so damned tight,” Blake breathed pulling almost fully out
before slamming back home to his center again. The most
pleasurable twinge rocketed through Zebe’s body as Blake fell into a
rhythm, fucking him with long, powerful strokes. Their combined
sounds echoed throughout the room.
“Fuck me, you big stinky bear,” Zebe barked at him.
“I do love making you howl.”
Blake grabbed a patch of hair and yanked Zebe’s head back,
thrusting into him hard enough that it felt like he was tearing him
apart. It only made him want it more as their muscular bodies
slammed together in perfect unison until Blake couldn’t hold back
any longer and exploded inside of him before they collapsed against
one another across the sofa.
“That was unbelievably intense,” Blake told him as he pulled away.
“I would have to agree with that,” Zebe replied a bit short of breath.
“I’m glad that I came across you in the bar,” Blake said
thoughtfully.
“Not nearly as glad as I am. Come on. Let’s go get a few hours
sleep.”
“That sounds fantastic. Lead the way.”
Zebe led Blake to his bedroom and they climbed naked beneath the
covers. Kissing and exploring the hard angles of one another’s
bodies with their fingers for a while, they lay in the lazy aftermath
of their passion, content with one another despite their considerable
differences. For now, it was simply what it was and that was more
than enough. Drifting off into a deep sleep, they awoke to the sun
shining through the window the following morning.
“It’s a beautiful day out. What do you say we go over to my place
and I’ll show you my favorite hiking trail?” Blake told Zebe,
playing lightly with a small sprig of hair as he spoke.
“I don’t know, Blake. Maybe we should just let this go with a one-
night stand. Us being together could cause ripples that I’m not sure I
want to face.”
“It’s just a bit of hiking, Zebe. Nothing more. If something else
comes of it, then we will face it together.”
“I guess I am getting a bit ahead of myself. Sure, let’s get some
hiking in. Let me change and get my pack.”
“Sounds good.”
An hour later, they were headed up a mountain side behind Blake’s
home, a large cabin every bit as remote as Zebe’s, but across the
river. It was well known that the river served as a dividing point
between their people, and Zebe felt just a bit of trepidation about
being on the wrong side of it, especially after what had happened to
his brother. Everyone knew the rules about staying on their own side
of Montana. Now that he was sober, he realized what a bad idea this
all might be.
“Blake, I think I should turn back and head home.”
“What? Why? You’ve come all this way already.”
“We both know I don’t belong here. It could bring a lot of trouble
for the both of us.”
“This is my private property, five hundred acres of it. No one will
bother you here.”
“I’m just getting more uncomfortable with it. You know, all my
brother did was drift toward the wrong side of the river when his
boat stalled. Next thing I know, I’m down at the county coroner’s
office identifying his body. We both know those weren’t wild
animals that attacked him.”
“Look, Zebe, I know nothing about your brother’s death. I had
nothing to do with it. Our families, the hate between them goes back
to times long before you and I came into the picture, but I’m not
about that. I have no animosity toward anyone who doesn’t bring it
upon themselves.”
“I feel the same, but it doesn’t change the way things are. We can
never be a couple. It would never be accepted. Why waste time and
get too involved in a hopeless situation?”
“It is only hopeless if we make it that way. Let’s just enjoy it one
day at a time and see where it takes us. I’d really like to see our
families get along again and if that has to start with just the two of
us, then I’ll take it.”
“Okay, Blake. I’ll try to get past it, but only because you are so
insanely hot.”
“That’s the spirit,” Blake laughed, leaning in and kissing him softly.
Zebe felt something, something real, down in the pit of his stomach.
Maybe it was just anxiety or nerves, but it felt more like butterflies.
Getting attached to Blake was a bad idea, but damn it if he didn’t
feel a pull toward him that went far deeper than his looks.
“Let’s get moving then. This trail isn’t going to turn into a moving
sidewalk and take us to the top of the mountain.”
“Indeed it isn’t.”
They chatted some more along the way, mostly about how their
families had come to be so at odds with one another. It had taken
place well before they had been brought into the world, but it was
one of many stories handed down through the ages that served to
remind each of them why it was important not to befriend one
another. At least, it was intended to do so.
“My father says he can remember when our families used to run on
both sides of the river together. They played together, fought
together. There was no difference in our people other than the
obvious physical aspects.”
“Mine says the same. It was his father that started this. He and a
man named Pete Featherskull used to be best friends until they fell
in love with the same girl, my grandmother. He used to tell me the
story when I was young. She and Pete grew up together and he was
in love with her from the time he first lay eyes on her as a little girl,
but she didn’t feel the same about him and though our families were
friends, they were forbidden to intermarry.”
“Yes, I’ve heard the story, but had no idea if it was just folklore or
true.”
“It is very true, according to my grandfather. He came here when he
was thirteen from another territory. He and Pete became best friends
almost endlessly. They used to hunt together and run through the
forests as a pair. Then, Pete introduced him to a young woman
named Hilda and it was love at first sight. Of course, Pete never told
my grandfather that, but it became obvious that he had feelings for
her later on.”
“I wonder why he never told him? Surely if they were best friends,
your grandfather would have backed off.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. His feelings for my grandmother were very
strong from the start. He said it was like waking up one morning and
realizing he had been missing half of himself all his life. I’m not
sure he could have stopped himself from loving her and perhaps he
would have thought there was no reason to since Pete couldn’t be
with her anyway.”
“I can see that. I guess it boils down to love or friendship, which
was more important.”
“Guess no one will ever know. My grandfather didn’t realize Pete
was in love with her until the end. He said he thought the jealousy
was more about him spending so much time with her and neglecting
their friendship, so he tried to spend more time with Pete, but he
could see something had changed and it was too late, so he
withdrew. Time passed and he and my grandmother got married.
That was when the tragic events we are told about took place.”
“Yes. I heard that the two men had an argument over a woman and it
ended in a fight which was joined by members of both families,
losing dozens in the clash and more in the years afterward as the
hostilities continued.”
“Pretty much. My grandfather said that he was walking home with
my grandmother. They had only been married for a week and were
still in that state of bliss. They encountered Pete on the street and he
was very drunk, began insulting my grandfather and eventually
attacked. My grandfather told my grandmother to run rather than
fight and she did, but she circled back, with family members she had
quickly gathered from nearby houses. Pete’s family had heard the
commotion and done the same.”
“I can only imagine a fight like that, both families in mass. I hope to
never see one first hand. I am not afraid to fight, but I don’t really
see the point in it all. To have our families at odds for so many years
over a romantic slight is bad enough. I’m glad they at least called a
truce and agreed to stay on our own sides of the river.”
“Me too. I’d love to be able to repair that rift between all of us, but
I’ve no idea where to even start. I’m afraid it may even get worse
again with the death of your brother.”
“There has been talk, but at the end of the day, I think my people
prefer to live in peace and not have to look over their shoulders
everywhere they go. No one is happy about my brother’s demise,
but he was on the wrong side of the river, no matter how he got
there.”
“True. Still, I don’t understand why he wasn’t merely warned and
sent on his way. There was no need for what they did to him.”
“No, there wasn’t. I can only assume it was some of the teens who
saw an opportunity to use skills in a real world situation. Your
brother just landed in the wrong place at the wrong time and
someone saw him as an opportunity to hone their attacks.”
“Well, it would be nice if we could all find peace again.”
“If nothing else, at least the two of us have found peace with one
another.”
“True. Very true.”
The conversation lagged as they reached a steep incline and made
their way up it, finally reaching the top after traversing some jagged
rock facings and almost nonexistent foot paths. It had been a bit
more strenuous than Zebe had expected but well worth the effort as
the pair of them stood looking over the land below them.
“Wow. I can see why you love this place. The view is spectacular!”
“It certainly is,” Blake replied, smiling softly as Zebe turned and
realized he was looking at him rather than the countryside below
them.
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Zebe said with a smile of his
own.
“I sure hope so. Come here and I’ll show you something.”
Zebe walked over to where he stood and watched as he extended his
arm across the river, pointing to an area that was immediately
recognizable. It was his house.
“You have quite the keen sense of direction and sight.”
“I certainly do,” he laughed.
Zebe looked at his home for a minute before walking around the
edge of the mountain top and getting a good view of his own around
the area. There was a perfect view of the entire area from up here.
He was marveling at how much he could see from just this one spot
when a wave of weakness seemed to fall across him, followed by a
feeling of nausea.
“I think we best be getting back.”
“What’s wrong?” Blake asked, noting that something didn’t quite
seem right with him.
“I’m not sure. Perhaps just time to eat.”
“Here. I brought some snacks, munch on some of this jerky and
we’ll head down. Maybe you can get your strength back up along
the way.”
“Sounds good,” Zebe replied, but he wasn’t sure about that.
Something was horribly wrong. He felt peculiar in a way that he had
never experienced before. By the time they had made it down off
the mountain, Blake was having to actively support his weight and
help him walk. It was if he had no strength left and he felt
increasingly ill.
“Sit down here and let me get you some juice,” Blake told him,
seating him on the sofa in his massive den.
“I don’t know what happened. I was fine earlier and now I feel faint
and my stomach is hurting so bad. My strength is zapped and I feel
completely nauseated.”
“Yeah. I have that effect on men.”
“Oh please, don’t make me laugh. Even that takes more energy than
I have,” Blake replied, stifling a chuckle.
“I think we have a problem, Zebe.”
“Well, I know I certainly seem to.”
“You know, there is a legend. I thought it was a myth.”
Blake looked at him with a puzzled expression and then his eyes
opened wide as he realized what he was talking about.
“No way. It’s just not possible.”
“It is possible. Very possible. We used no protection last night,
which was unsafe by anyone’s standards, but I never would have
guessed it would lead to this.”
“I can’t be pregnant! That’s just an old story that is told.”
“You have all the symptoms.”
“I just don’t believe it. I need to go to the doctor.”
“And what happens when he confirms what I’m telling you? How
will you explain your condition to people who don’t understand that
people like us even exist? You’ll end up as the poster child for the
National Query or in a lab somewhere.”
“I’ll go to the club doctor. He’s one of us.”
“Then let’s go. The sooner we know, the better. If we are right,
you’re going to need a lot of supplements and proper care. Can he
be trusted not to let this get out to the motor club just yet?”
“Yes. He knows not to talk about anything when it comes to me and
the other members.”
“Come on then. We’ll take the car.”
Zebe let Blake help him out to the car and get him seated inside of
it. It was surprising to find out that he drove something as upscale
and classic as an old rolls Royce. It wasn’t exactly the sort of car
you’d expect to see a biker driving.
“Nice car.”
“Mint. One owner, my grandfather. He left it to me when he parted.”
“I’m sorry to hear he is gone.”
“He’s not dead. He just went overseas and couldn’t take it with
him.”
“You’ve a very weird sense of humor at times.”
“At all the times, really. Let’s get going.”
The two of them drove in silence to the doctor’s house. By the time
they arrived, Zebe was pale and in considerable pain. Blake helped
him to the door and knocked on it. An older man approached the
door and squinted out at the two of them, wrinkling up his nose in
distaste.
“Zebe, why have you brought this musty smelling creature to my
house?”
“He brought me here, Doc. I’m sick and need you to look at me.”
“He fucking stinks.”
“Doc, I’ve no time for that. Help me.”
“Fine. Come in.”
Blake helped Zebe inside, following the doctor to another room that
sat to one side of his living room. He pushed back a curtain and
indicated for him to lay Zebe across the bed, still looking
distastefully at the bear shifter in his midst as he instructed Zebe to
get undressed.
“Alright, what are your symptoms?”
Zebe listed off all his symptoms and looked at Blake nervously as
he waited for the doctor to finish his exam. The doctor shook his
head ruefully and eyed the two of them.
“Well, the two of you are in quite a pickle.”
“I’m pregnant,” Zebe offered.
“Yes, you are. Everything seems normal. The pain and illness is just
your body adjusting to a foreign entity. Not only is it an anomaly for
a man to be pregnant, but you have the added dimension of your
embryo being part bear shifter. Your wolf blood is reacting to that as
if being attacked by a virus.”
“What’s going to happen?”
“Well, I have to say I’ve never encountered it before, but I’ve read
about the process. Gestation will be short, only ten days. Your body
is going to be racked with discomfort and illness the entire time, I’m
afraid to say, but it’s not fatal. The child appears healthy and you
were healthy when you conceived it, so your chances of having a
healthy hybrid wolf/bear shifter are very good.”
“I don’t know how this could have happened,” Zebe said aloud.
“I’m guessing you had sex with that furrball over there. You’d have
better served yourself and your family by having made a nice
fireplace rug out of him. They aren’t going to take this very well.”
Blake scowled back at the doctor but said nothing. Zebe looked at
him apologetically and began pulling his shirt over his head. He
faltered a bit as he started to get off the exam table and Blake was
quickly by his side to support him.
“Hmmph,” the doctor uttered. “I’ll get you some vitamins and
supplements. You won’t be able to get what you need elsewhere so
just come back to me if you run out . . . or send the bear, I guess.”
“Thank you, Doc.”
“How are you going to handle this with your family and with the
club?”
“I don’t know yet, Doc. We have a lot to talk about. We’ll figure it
out. In the meantime, this is just between us, okay?”
“Boy Scout’s honor.”
“I doubt you were ever a boy scout,” Zebe said with as much of a
laugh as he could muster.
“You’d be surprised what I was in my day,” the doctor replied
before leaving the room to retrieve whatever magic potions he
intended for Zebe to take.
“This is unbelievable,” Zebe said to Blake after he was gone.
“Unbelievable and beautiful,” Blake said with a warm smile.
“I can’t believe you seem excited about this.”
“I can’t believe you aren’t.”
“I have some sort of wolf bear growing inside my . . . shit.” Blake
turned toward the doctor as soon as he walked back in. “Where
exactly is it growing?”
“You have a womb.”
“I have a what???”
“That’s right. You have a womb. Do you know what the odds of
your being gay, having a womb and procreating with a bear shifter
are? That’s why this hasn’t happened for thousands of years. No
wonder everyone thinks it is just a fairy tale.”
“Why has no one ever noticed such an anomaly before?”
“Simple. You’ve always been healthy. Any injuries you’ve ever had
have healed themselves so quickly there was never a need to see a
doctor and get any kind of tests that would have revealed such a
thing. Even if there had been, it lies dormant until such time as it is
put to use. It’s not like the womb of a woman, but more like a . . .
let’s say, collapsible water bottle waiting to be filled. It would have
been lying to one side against muscle tissue, not bothering
anything.”
“Okay. So I have a womb. Where precisely will the child be
exiting?”
“Well, you may not like that part. Here, take these pads. You’re
going to need them.”
“For?”
“Now that the bottle has been filled, the neck of it will begin
extending and making room. It will detach itself to the space
between your testicles and rectum and create an exit for the
newborn.”
“You’re fucking with me.”
“I’m not. Once the baby is born, the womb will exit with it and be
clipped with the umbilical cord. The exit will heal up just like any
other wound you’ve ever had and you’ll never bear another child.
No pun intended.”
Zebe looked positively green at the thought of what the doctor was
telling him. He looked at Blake, who appeared rapt with attention,
hanging on the doctor’s every word.
“That is fantastic!”
“Easy for you to say, you aren’t growing a vagina!” Zebe exclaimed.
“It will be okay, Zebe. I will take good care of you.”
“You’re going to have to. This isn’t going to set well with folks and
he’s not going to be in any condition to fight during his pregnancy.
In fact, he won’t be able to shift at all until after the baby is born.
He’ll need a lot of help and a lot of protection, even from his own,
I’m afraid.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Blake said solemnly.
“You better do that quickly,” the doctor told both of them, handing
them the supplies he had retrieved and seeing them to the door. “Just
call me if you need anything or when it’s time. I’ll be there to make
sure you get through this in one piece.”
“Thank you for everything, Doc,” Blake said.
“Not a problem. Not every day I get to deliver a mythical creature.
I’m looking forward to it.”
“I’m glad one of us is,” Zebe replied.
“Two of us. You’ll join us when you have adjusted to the idea of it
all,” Blake told him, opening the car door for him.
Looking down at his abdomen, Zebe could already see signs of
swelling. The baby was growing fast thanks to his accelerated
metabolism. He suspected that Blake’s was the same, so it would be
a double dose of it, thus why the gestation period was so short he
was guessing. Ten days wasn’t long to adjust to the idea and they
still had to consider how they were going to break this to their
respective families and motor clubs.
Back at Blake’s house, they sat on the sofa and just stared at the
wall for a moment, adjusting to the idea and collecting their
thoughts. It was Blake that finally broke the silence as he turned to
Zebe and pulled his hand toward him, holding it gently as he spoke.
“I think this is an opportunity, Zebe.”
“An opportunity for what? To prove we know nothing about
parenting a child? We hardly even know one another. I’m a wolf
shifter. You are a bear shifter. Who knows what this child will be.”
“Loved, that is what this child will be. Loved by the both of us. I
think you and I were destined to be together. I felt it from the
moment I first laid eyes on you in the bar. Do you not think I
already knew you were a wolf before I came near you? I just didn’t
care. I wanted you, needed you in some weird way. It is like I was
drawn to you instantly.”
“I felt a pull myself, even after I realized what you were.”
“Then, let’s just give this a shot. Us, the baby, everything.”
“I don’t suppose we’ve much choice.”
“This is an opportunity for us to show our families and the
community that we can all exist as equals. We can all be a part of
one another’s lives without having to fight just because we are
different. This baby could bring everyone back together.”
“Or it could just drive us all further apart and us completely out of
town, or worse.”
“I refuse to think that way.”
“Look what happened to my brother, Blake.”
“The actions of a few don’t speak for the whole. I know, for a fact,
that my family and my club are seeking out those responsible for
killing without any serious provocation. If your brother just drifted
and they killed him for it, they will be punished. Unless he attacked
them first, they will pay for their actions. It was excessive and
unnecessary. No one wants to go back to all-out war.”
“Perhaps so, but it won’t bring my brother back.”
“No, but we can possibly be the ones that end this animosity
between our families once and for all.”
“Do you really think that?”
“I’d like to believe it. Time will tell, I suppose.”
“Then, let’s go tell the masses.”
“No. I don’t think we are ready for that just yet. There are those that
will try to stop a reconciliation. I won’t risk having you or the baby
harmed before it can even be brought into the world. I think it is
best that we keep it quiet until it is born and then pursue peace
between our sides.”
“Makes sense. Plus, we don’t know what this thing is going to be.
What if it is some sort of awful creature? I mean, half bear, half
wolf? How does that even work?”
“I don’t know. I suppose we will find out.”
“Okay. We will begin making plans tomorrow. Right now, I feel
exhausted. Do you think I could just lie down for a while?”
“Of course. Go relax in my bed for a while. I’ll start us some dinner
and wake you up in a bit. I’ve got some fantastic steaks. I’m
guessing you like yours rare too?”
“Usually, but I’m feeling a little queasy at the moment, so we may
have to go with medium well.”
“Good enough. Do you need anything else?”
“No, not at the moment.”
“I’ll start the steaks marinating and get the prep work done then.
Rest well.”
“Thanks.”
Zebe lay in the darkness of Blake’s room, the thick curtains closed
to keep out the daylight which had already started to fade. Day one
of ten was already passing and he knew the time would fly by
before it was time for the baby to come. He didn’t want to show just
how very afraid he was. He was a pack leader, for fuck’s sake. Still,
he was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. If only his
brother was here to talk to. He had always made things better. He
didn’t even remember falling asleep, but before he knew it, two
hours had passed and Blake was sitting on the edge of the bed,
stroking his cheek softly.
“Do you feel any better?”
“A bit. I think the supplements may be kicking in. I don’t feel quite
as tired as I did, but now I’m starving!”
“Good. Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes. I’ll leave you to
get yourself together before coming out to eat.”
“Thanks, Blake. You’re being incredibly good to me.”
“Well, you are carrying our child. I’m looking forward to raising it
with you, in all honesty. Even if we have to move to some other
place and hide from our families to do so, I’ll do that with you.
We’re in this together now.”
“Yes, we are. I’ll be out in just a minute.”
“Okay. I’ll be waiting.”
Blake kissed him on the cheek and made his way back to the kitchen
to finish up dinner. By the time Zebe made his way out to the table,
it was already set and the food was out on the table waiting for him.
Blake pulled out a chair for him and then sat on the opposite side to
eat his own meal. He wanted to be polite, but he was ravenous and
scarfed it all down quickly.
“Well, you really wolfed that down,” Blake quipped
“Really? Trying to be punny?” Zebe shot back.
“A little. Are you still hungry?”
“Honestly? Yes. I feel like I could eat a whole wildebeest by
myself.”
“Well, I’m fresh out of wildebeest, but I do have plenty of food.
Come into the kitchen and get whatever you want.”
Zebe followed Blake to the kitchen and waited as he opened the
fridge and the cabinets. He stood at the kitchen counter where he
rapidly ate a leftover pot roast with potatoes, onions and carrots and
then made his way through various fruits and vegetables. He
finished with a small cake from the deli and drank an entire gallon
of orange juice.
“Oh boy. This is going to be an expensive pregnancy,” Blake
laughed.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be. You’re eating for two. We’ll make a list of what you
want and make sure you have plenty. I can duck out to the store in
the morning.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“I don’t think so. You’re already showing. You don’t go from
having six pack abs to having a keg overnight without there being
questions. Even if you didn’t draw attention with that, we can’t be
seen together just yet.”
“I suppose you are right. I’ll at least give you some money to help
out.”
“Don’t worry about that. I have plenty money.”
“Still, I’d like to do my part.”
“I think you are doing more than your fair share already,” Blake
replied, placing his hand on Zebe’s already noticeably rounded
belly.
“What are we going to do, Blake?”
“I don’t know. Come on. Let’s go sit down in the den and we’ll try
to figure out a plan on how to break the news to everyone without
getting mobbed.”
“I think we should start with just the elders. Maybe call them
together for some sort of peace talks and see how they react to that.
When we have them all together in a room and know they are at
least interested in making peace, then we can tell them what has
happened. They are old and superstitious. Surely the fact that we
have born a child into the world that belongs to both families will
serve as a sign that peace is a must for all of us,” Zebe told him.
“I think that is probably the best plan. If we can convince them, then
they will dictate down to the younger members and it will be
accepted, even if not all of them agree with it.”
“Let’s hope so. So, we concentrate on getting this baby born and
then hope for the best. What is our contingency plan?”
“Simple. If they say no, we don’t wait for a skirmish to break out
once they’ve alerted the others. We go there already packed to head
for the east coast, far out of harm’s way.”
“How will we live? Our entire lives are here. We both have the
clubs and our businesses to run. How will we make a living?”
“I have plenty of money saved up for an emergency and I would say
that events unfolding that are not in our favor certainly qualifies. We
leave and don’t look back. We rebuild somewhere else.”
“I have some money saved too. It’s hard to walk away from what
you’ve worked hard to build, but I guess we may be left with no
choice if it comes to that.”
“Then, as soon as the baby is born and you are well enough to get
out, you will go to your place and pack what you need. I’ll keep the
baby here. Once we are packed, we’ll call a meeting with the elders
and present our case to them. What happens after that depends on
their reaction.”
“I don’t know if I’m more afraid of giving birth or facing them.”
“Completely understandable.”
“Tell me it is going to be okay, Blake.”
“It will be fine,” Blake replied, reaching out to caress his cheek for a
moment before pulling him into a kiss. Zebe felt it down to his toes.
If nothing else was clear about their future, the fact that he had met
Blake for a reason and belonged with him was a certainty in his
mind. He curled up against his chest, feeling like it was precisely
where he should be.
The moment was shattered as someone locked loudly at the front
door. Blake eased up from the sofa and peeped through the blinds of
a nearby window. He walked back to the sofa and sat down,
whispering to Zebe.
“It’s just my cousin Jacob. He’ll go away if I don’t answer.”
Zebe nodded, but it quickly became apparent that Jacob was not
going away. He pounded on the door and yelled for Blake to answer
it.
“Come on, Blake . . . man. I know you are in there. I need help. My
bike broke down just up the road.”
“Great. Give me a minute and I’ll get rid of him.”
Blake knew it would have been hard for Jacob to walk out of here.
He had injured his leg in a bike accident a few years ago and it had
healed improperly. Despite Doc breaking it back apart and resetting
it several times, it was just never right again. Jacob walked with a
noticeable limp unless he was shifted and he couldn’t very well
walk down the outer road in were bear form. It must have been hard
for him to even make it down the long gravel road that led here.
“About time, man. I’m sweating my balls off out here.”
“Sorry about that. I was busy.”
“I need you to take me back to town and get the flatbed for my bike.
Motor’s fucked.”
“I can’t right now. Just take mine and leave it at the shop while you
bring the truck back to get yours. I can pick it up later when I come
into town in the car.”
“I appreciate it, man.”
“Just stay here. I’ll get you the keys.”
“Man, it’s hot out here. You care if I come in and get some water?”
“Um, yeah. Give me a minute.”
“What the hell? You hiding a body in there?”
“Not yet, but if you don’t shut up, I might be. I’ll be right back.”
Blake shut the door and leaned against it, looking toward the sofa.
Zebe wasn’t there. Walking toward the center of the room, he saw
that the bedroom door was closed. Good. He walked back over to
the door and told Jacob to come in. The younger man followed him
to the kitchen and accepted the glass he handed him to retrieve
water from the filtered pitcher in the refrigerator.
“That’s better. I was completely parched. Let me get out of your hair
and go get my stuff taken care of.”
“Alright. Just park the bike inside and I’ll get it back later.”
“Sounds . . .,” Jacob started to say, but the words drifted off as his
nose suddenly lifted into the air, sniffing around them. “You smell
that?”
“I don’t smell anything. You’ve been out in the sun too long. Get
going.”
“No, man. It smells like a wolf.”
“You’re just imagining things. I’ve got stuff to do. Get going.”
“No. I’m telling you that there is a wolf nearby. I can smell him, just
like I smelled that one along the river when Harper and me were
hunting.”
“You saw the wolf shifter that was killed?”
“Yeah, man. Who do you think killed him? He was on the wrong
side of the river.”
“Did he attack you?”
“No. He was just dead in the water and drifted over from how it
looked. Harper and I sent a loud and clear message about what
happens to mange riddled wolves who don’t stay on their own side
of the state.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you? He didn’t even mean to come
over here!”
“Didn’t mean to or not, he was in dangerous waters and should have
been more careful.”
Before Blake could react further, the bedroom door burst open and
Zebe came charging out, right at Jacob. The look on his face was
pure hatred, no doubt having heard the conversation from where he
had been concealing himself in the bedroom.
“You worthless piece of shit! My brother never hurt anyone and
would have never harmed you!”
Jacob looked bewildered for just a moment, but as Zebe’s hands met
his chest in a massive shove that sent him flying out the open front
door, his eyes narrowed and he came back up from where he landed
on the ground, shifting into bear form.
“Jacob, no!” Blake shouted at him, but he was already lunging
toward Zebe, who was helpless against him without his shifting
powers. He prepared for the attack the best he could by doubling
over and protecting his growing midriff, which Jacob apparently had
not even noticed. Instead, he heard a heavy thud as Blake shifted
and threw his own weight against Jacob, pushing him back out the
door. The two of them rolled around on the front lawn, all claws,
growls and blood.
Zebe felt sick at his stomach again. He couldn’t even help Blake. It
was his fault that this was happening and he couldn’t do a thing to
intervene. It seemed to go on forever as the two bear shifters clashed
with one another, using teeth and claws to do damage. Though
Blake was a bit larger, Jacob seemed more agile and was getting far
too many swipes in against him. There was blood everywhere.
Blake fell to the ground, heaving for breath, giving Zebe just
enough time to pull away and head for the door again. Zebe stood
his ground, refusing to run from the piece of human waste that had
killed his brother. The bear was almost upon him when Blake once
again threw himself onto him and pushed him away to one side.
Their heavy bodies thudded against the side of the house and Zebe
watched as Blake bite heavily into Jacob’s neck, ripping his throat
out and falling back on his haunches as it lay bleeding and panting
on the ground.
Jacob’s bear form faded away as he resumed human form, his eyes
fixed and his breath still. He was dead. Blake shifted and walked
over to him, looking down at him with tears in his eyes. It was
obvious that he was distraught at what he had been forced to do, but
Zebe couldn’t say he was sorry about it. He made a note that Harper
would be dealt with personally when he was able to do so. Looking
up, he saw a scratched, bloody Blake walking toward him, his
wounds healing rapidly.
“We need to get you out of here until I can deal with this. People
will come looking for him and they will smell you, just as he did.
I’m going to take you home until after they’ve come to deal with his
body,” Blake told him in a shaky voice.
“What will you tell them happened?”
“Just that he attacked me and it was self-defense.”
“They will want to know why he attacked you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll deal with them. I just need to get you
someplace safe first.”
“Okay, Blake. I need to take care of some things at home anyway.”
“Let’s get going then. I’ll call them on my way back.”
Zebe followed him out to the car and climbed in on the passenger
side. They drove back to his place in complete silence, each lost in
thought. Zebe looked out over the water as they crossed the bridge
that divided them. Today’s events with Jacob only made him warier
of how things might unfold when they confronted the elders with
their news. While he’d like to think a hybrid baby might be just the
thing to bring their people together, he had some serious
reservations about it.
Finally, they were pulling into his driveway. Blake helped him from
the car. It had already begun to be uncomfortable just getting up and
down with his growing belly in the way. How women spent months
in this condition was beyond him. It was decidedly obtrusive and
inconvenient for him already. Blake walked him into the house and
looked around to make sure it was okay before kissing him
goodbye.
“Lock the doors and don’t answer them for anyone.”
“No one is going to bother me here.”
“I’d just like to be sure of that.”
“Okay, Blake. I’ll see you soon.”
“You certainly will.”
Hours passed and Zebe was beginning to get worried. Finally,
headlights flooded the front window. He waited breathlessly out of
sight of the window to make sure it was Blake before going to the
door. His heart thudded as footsteps sounded on the front stoop and
there was a knock at the door. He hated being so frightened, but
without his shifting ability and an unborn child to protect, he had
little choice but to exercise caution.
“Zebe, it’s me,” Blake called from the front door.
“Thank goodness! I was getting worried,” Zebe told him as he
unlocked and opened the door.
“It was a bit of a mess, but it’s settled now. I told them that he
confessed to me that he had been the one who killed the wolf shifter
on the river for no other reason than he had drifted into our territory
by accident and that we had words, as I felt it would only bring
more trouble. Then, he attacked and I had to put him down. It was
mostly the truth. I just left you out of it. They will learn that part of
it soon enough.”
“At least it is over now and one of my brother’s killers has been
brought to justice.”
“No, both of them have. I told them about Harper. They will take
care of him.”
“How so?”
“Let’s just say he will be of no harm to anyone else. The fact that
they are concerned with an unnecessary kill tells me that they will
be open to what we will be sharing with them next week.”
“I certainly hope so.”
“They are clearing Jacob’s remains from my house. Do you care if
we just stay here for now? I think it might be best if we steer clear
for a couple of days. I told them I was going to get away for some
fresh air.”
“That sounds good to me.”
“Good. I brought your supplements and the pads the doc gave you.”
“I still am not quite certain what those are for,” Zebe responded.
“I have a feeling you’ll figure it out if and when they are needed.”
“Unfortunately, you are probably right.”
Several days passed during which the couple remained at Zebe’s.
Blake checked in with the club and his family periodically just to
keep up appearances, but mostly stayed by Zebe’s side. Zebe had
been forced to claim an emergency out of town and go into hiding
until after the birth due to the rapidly increasing size of his
abdomen. Before he knew it they were only days away from the
birth of their child.
“We’re going to have to head back to the house now. The doctor
will not come to this side of the river to deliver and I don’t want to
risk having you out and about in your condition when it comes
closer to time,” Blake told him.
“That all makes sense. I definitely don’t want to do this without a
doctor, even if it is an old, crotchety one like him.”
“I agree. I don’t think I’m equipped to deal with delivering a baby,
much less one being born in such extraordinary circumstances.”
“Are you as scared as I am? I mean, I have no idea how to parent
and we are going to have a child that is decidedly out of the ordinary
to bring up. What will he be and how do we train him if we don’t
understand how our different gifts affect him?”
“We’ll be like any other parents with their first child, making
mistakes and just doing the best we can. Hopefully, when the elders
become involved, there will be things they can advise us on that will
help us along.”
“I just hope you are right. It would be a much better benefit to have
them on our side rather than against us. If we have to run, we’re
completely on our own.”
“Let’s just not worry with that right now. We’ll focus on getting the
baby here safely before we worry about all that.”
“I can’t help it, Blake. I am worried. This has all been so sudden.
For the first time in my life, I feel genuinely frightened by
something.”
“I do too, but we’ll be okay. Come here.”
Blake pulled Zebe into his arms and held him. Even their
relationship was different for Zebe. He had always been the alpha
male in his relationships, but it seemed Blake had taken over that
role in this one and it didn’t really bother him. Their relationship
worked. Despite all of the what ifs and concerns, he felt happier
than he had ever been in his life. Perhaps it was just some sort of
hormonal thing due to the pregnancy, but he was very content to just
let things be instead of feeling as if he had to be in total control as
he usually did.
Zebe awoke the morning of the tenth day with the most incredible
pain. He had just been to the doctor the day before due to heavy
bleeding that had really worried him until he was told what it was.
The exit was forming and now he knew what the pads were for. This
must be what women felt like at least once a month . . . bloated,
bleeding and in pain.
“You are going into labor. It’s time,” the doctor told them.
“No. I’m not ready,” Zebe said woefully.
“You are ready. Today is your due date. The baby is on the way. You
have to be ready.”
“I can’t do this, Doc.”
“You can and you will. I will take good care of you. I promise, even
if you do smell like a dirty dishtowel.”
Zebe almost laughed at his continued distaste for his wolf scent, but
it caused a sharp pain in his side to laugh and he quickly stopped,
grimacing instead.
“This is so great. We’re going to be fathers!”
“You’ll be a father. I am apparently a mother,” Zebe said
sarcastically.
“As long as you don’t start wearing dresses and pearls, you can call
yourself what you’d like,” Blake told him playfully.”
“It seems apt. Of course you realize that makes you a motherfu. . .,”
Zebe began, his words cut off by a pain that seemed to rack his
entire body.
“See, that is what you get for being mean to me,” Blake teased.
“Doc, can you check and see if he has a womb? I think I’d like to
return this favor to him once we square all this away.”
“Sure, sure. I’ll get right on that. For now, get undressed and up on
the table. Let’s get you into the stirrups and work on bringing this
baby into the world.”
After several hours of labor, during which Zebe was quite certain he
would pass out or perhaps even drop dead, their son was delivered.
He smiled weakly as the doctor help the baby up and cleared its
lungs, bringing forth a ferocious fit of crying. It was beautiful. He
looked over at Blake, still holding his hand despite his efforts to
squeeze it clean off his wrist during delivery and noted tears falling
down his face.
“You did great. Just look at him. He’s perfect.”
“He looks so normal.”
“What did you expect? A wolf snout and fur covering?”
“I don’t know, some sign of what he will be, I suppose.”
“Time will tell.”
The doctor finished cleaning up the baby and lay him on Zebe’s
chest, letting the two of them enjoy him as his tiny hands grasped
their fingers and he cooed quietly, now calm and at peace near
Zebe’s heartbeat. He was stunning. A sadness passed over Zebe as
he realized that the real work would begin now. They would have to
face the council of elders from both families and they would have to
raise this very special miracle of a child.
“Alright boys. The easy part is over. Now, it’s time for the hard
part,” the doctor told them as he finished tending to Zebe after the
birth.
“The hard part?” the asked, almost in unison.
“Yeah. You have to raise the little booger now.”
They laughed as they went back to admiring the baby. After resting
for a while in the doctor’s makeshift delivery room, Zebe was
allowed to go home. They spent the next few days just enjoying
their child and allowing Zebe’s wounds to heal. He was grateful to
get back to normal, even stepping out into the back yard where he
couldn’t be seen if someone happened to come to the house and
shifting into wolf form long enough to make sure he still could do
so without a problem.
Finally, they each called their respective elder councils and asked to
meet with them, explaining that there would be members of the
other shifter family in attendance so there were no surprises.
Though each side had arguments against attending any peace talks,
it seemed more like posturing than a sincere desire not to make
peace. When the day arrived, both Blake and Zeke were extremely
nervous. They took the baby, whom they had named Michael Darren
after each of their grandfathers, with them.
“You ready for this?” Blake asked.
“As ready as I will ever be,” Zebe replied.
“Just remember, Michael comes first. You make sure he is safe and
I’ll do most of the talking.”
“Sounds good to me. Let’s do this.”
Blake kissed him on the forehead before they walked into the large
building where council meetings hadn’t been held in decades. It sat
on a barge in the middle of the river with a walkway coming in from
either side. Neither was surprised to see that the elders sat on their
respective sides not speaking or looking at one another as they
waited for them to arrive.
“Gentlemen, thank you so much for coming here today to listen to
us. Before we begin, we want you to know that we have the deepest
respect for each and every one of you on both sides. We hope that
you will hear us out and consider what we have to say with the
gravest consideration. As many of you are aware, there was recently
an incident in which a wolf shifter was killed after having drifted
across the river into bear shifter territory. This is his brother, Zebe.”
Everyone’s eyes fell on Zebe and looked curiously upon the bundle
he held in his arms as he greeted them with a warm smile. Of
course, most of the wolf elders knew him from previous discussions
of how to handle the murder of his brother and they smiled
thoughtfully at him. The bear shifter elders remained expressionless
as they waited for more, looking back toward Blake.
“Zebe is my partner and the bundle he carries in his arms is the first
wolf/bear hybrid born in thousands of years. We came here today to
ask that you consider this great miracle as a sign that our people
should restore the peace that existed not that long ago between us.
Our fighting has gone on long enough and we feel it is time you
established your places in history as the elder council that
established a new era of nonviolence and perhaps even friendship.”
“What sort of nonsense is this? That is just a myth. What do you
think you are trying to prove?” one of the elders said angrily,
jumping to his feet.
“I promise you that it is not a myth. This baby is, in fact, our
offspring and while we don’t know what traits he will possess, we
can tell you that it seems to us that he is just the sign that has been
needed that we’ve reached a point in modern times where it is in all
our best interests to make peace with one another,” Blake said
hastily, moving in front of Zebe and Michael protectively.
“Have you any proof of this, son?” one of the bear shifter elders
asked quietly, drawing the eyes of all the others, including the one
who had burst out in anger.
“Doctor Dunson will confirm what I am saying to you. He assisted
us with the birth when the time came. He can provide you with the
assurance that this is Zebe’s child and since only another shifter can
impregnate a man, you will have to afford me the willingness to
accept that I know I am the father.”
“Let me see the child,” a wolf elder said, stepping forward toward
the center of the room. Zebe nodded toward Blake and stepped
forward, opening Michael’s blanket and letting him view the child.
He was surprised when the elder reached for his foot, gently pulling
his toes apart and nodding. “He speaks the truth. This child bears the
mark.”
Several other council members stepped forward to see for
themselves and before long, the entire council was intermingled
looking at the baby. Many of them broke out in smiles and hugged
the men, shaking their hands and congratulating them. Finally, they
all returned to their seats and looked at the two of them.
“Zebe, I am sorry for what happened to your brother. I have learned
that the culprits have paid the price for their actions. We have no
desire to escalate the situation with further acts of violence. If your
elders can agree, I believe it is in everyone’s best interest to make
peace with one another and take action against any that dare breach
that promise,” the Chief elder of the bear shifters said.
“I see no reason not to make such a pact and require our people to
honor it,” the Chief elder of the wolf shifters replied.
“Then we are at peace?” Blake said, more a statement than a
question.
The two chiefs nodded their agreement.
“Then I suggest we have a grand celebration and share the good
news with everyone,” Blake said.
The elders agreed and began calling in other members of the
community to join them in celebrating a new day where bear and
wolf shifters would live among one another peacefully. Blake and
Zebe smiled down at Michael as he smiled up at them happily. It
 was hard to imagine that one day, this tiny child would be found in
the history books of their people as the one who brought peace
between their people. Not only were they his very proud parents, but
they were falling deeper in love every day.
DADDY WOLF
Chapter 1
Greg trudged into the condo he was renting with his fiancé Jorge. Jorge, as
expected, was up in the loft in front of his giant easel. The canvas was
blank, as it usually was, and Greg sighed. Jorge kept promising that his next
masterpiece would sell for as much or more as the first, but somehow he
just never seemed to be working on anything at all. It was starting to weigh
on Greg, who spent nearly twelve hours every day at his soulless, corporate
job. His cousin Brad had started a successful company years ago and had
hired him in early. Although the pay was great, the long, grueling hours
were destroying him.
“Jorge,” Greg called.
“Yes?” Jorge’s falsetto pierced the air and Greg cringed.
“I thought I asked you to take out the trash. And those tissues are still on the
table. You’re going to get me sick! You know I can’t afford to miss work.
We’d be late on rent again.”
“Of course,” Jorge said, his French accent thick and playful. “My bad.”
It was always his bad. Ever since moving in with Jorge, Greg’s blood
pressure had been on the rise. Dealing with his soul-sucking job might have
been okay if he was still living in his affordable bungalow, but Jorge had
insisted they find something fancier, where they could truly start their lives
together. But spending the rest of his life cleaning up after a lazy man-child
who was all talk and no action, was the last thing that Greg wanted to do.
Still, he had made a commitment. Maybe, eventually, Jorge would catch on
and pick up his slack in the household. One could only hope.
Greg didn’t have time to argue with him. He had been working all day and
needed to get some sleep before the next shift. Brad’s company had a big
shipment coming in, and huge deals were in the works. While Brad was on
vacation in the Bahamas, Greg was in charge and pulling double shifts to
make ends meet, and do whatever had to be done to keep the company
afloat while Brad dodged phone calls.
After a long, steaming shower, Greg plopped facedown onto the bed and
fell immediately into a deep sleep. Sometime during the night, he felt the
warm weight of Jorge fall beside him. Normally he would have wanted to
put his arm around him, but neither of them had been in a cuddling mood
lately.
The next morning rolled around like clockwork. When Greg woke up, Jorge
rolled over and smiled at him. Greg’s heart fluttered. Sometimes it was hard
to remember why they were together, but that smile always did it.
“Good morning, love,” Jorge said.
“Morning,” Greg replied, snuggling into his shoulder.
“I forgot to ask, how was your day yesterday?” Jorge shifted so their eyes
could meet. “You showered in such a rush there was no time for us.”
“Oh, it was good. We got some business from the wolf shifters downtown. I
met with one of the alphas and they loved Brad’s plan.”
“Wolf shifters?” Jorge said, crinkling his nose. “They’re such beasts. What
do you need to do business with them for?”
Greg prickled. He had actually very much enjoyed the interaction he had
with the wolf shifters the day before. They were a wild bunch, sure, but
they were loyal and fierce. People you could respect. Jorge just thought they
were dirty and ate out of trash bins.
“Money is money,” Greg said with a frown.
“Too true,” Jorge said. “As soon as I finish with this canvas, we’ll be rolling
in it!”
Greg smiled indulgently at Jorge, wondering when exactly that would be.
“Of course,” Greg said, climbing out of bed. It was time to get ready for
work.
As he walked through the apartment on his way out, he was irritated to see
Jorge’s old tissues still stacked on top of Greg’s business magazines, and
the trash still overflowing in its bin. The easel in the loft was still blank, and
Jorge was snoring loudly.
He arrived at the office as usual and spent the next six hours working like a
mule. When 2:00 rolled around, Greg’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket.
“Yo! Cousin! I’m on the way to the office. Thanks for holding down the
fort. Why don’t you give yourself the rest of the day off!”
Brad clicked off the phone and Greg’s heart pounded with elation. He
would be able to get home. Maybe spend some time with Jorge. Definitely
take out the trash.
He hopped into his convertible and sped home as quickly as he could. It had
been a long time since he had been able to relax, and after two weeks of
twelve hour days, he felt he deserved it.
The condo was eerily quiet when he entered. Jorge was neither snoring nor
in the loft painting. Greg tucked his keys into his pocket and poked his head
into the bedroom, hoping to ask Jorge what he wanted for dinner.
“Jesus Christ!” Greg exclaimed in disgust.
Jorge was in their bed with another man. Someone he had claimed was just
a friend from the gallery. He had been hanging around quite a bit lately, and
now Greg knew why.
“This isn’t what it looks like!” Jorge exclaimed.
“Save it you bastard!” Greg cried. “You can keep the condo. I’m moving
the hell out of here.”
Greg packed his bags and kicked the trash can over as he left. He should
have seen this coming. Jorge was a loser from the start. Now he would just
have to start over.
Chapter 2
“I quit,” Greg told Brad in the same matter-of-fact way that Brad had told
him he would have to pull twelve hour shifts for the next few weeks while
he drank martinis and went surfing. Before Brad could protest, he hung up
the phone and turned to his friend Marty.
He had known Marty since they were sophomores in college, and he was
his closest friend in the area.
“Nice,” Marty croaked between hits on his cigarette. “Stick it to the man!”
Greg smiled and ran his hand through his thick brown hair. It had been cut
close not long ago, a look that suited Brad and his stupid company, but Greg
had never liked it much.
“I think I’m going to grow this out,” he said.
“Cool man,” Marty said.
They drank for the rest of the night, bitching together about the ridiculous
situations Jorge put him in and problems Marty was having with his ex-
wife. By the end of the night, both of them had decided to revert back to the
slogan they had lived by in college. Don’t get mad. Get even.
In Greg’s case, this meant thinking outside the box. The city was full of all
sorts of people. Everyone from strippers to shifters populated the area. Jorge
had always been a close-minded and judgmental type, wrinkling his nose in
disgust even when a shifter had just asked to buy them drinks. Greg on the
other hand had always been strangely drawn to these mysterious creatures.
When he retired for the night in the bedroom Marty had given him to use,
he logged onto Facebook before falling asleep. His feed was littered with
advertisements for a dating app for men to meet other male shifters. The
app was called “ShiftMe”, and it had been wildly successful. He was
shocked to find that his friend Alex had already joined months ago, and was
posting pictures with his shifter husband and their new baby!
It was shocking to see how engrained this new lifestyle was. Greg had never
known that male shifters could impregnate other men. Knowing it sent a
thrill through him. Maybe what he really wanted was a family that didn’t
abide by the rules and regulations set by the majority. Judgmental people
like Jorge didn’t have to be the ones who called the shots about what was
acceptable. Everybody wanted different things, and in that moment, nothing
could have been clearer than the fact that Greg wanted a wolf shifter.
With shaking hands, he clicked on the link that he saw on his Facebook
page, and was taken to the ShiftMe website, where he tentatively created an
account. He had the option of finding friends on his Facebook who had
already joined the site, but chose not to. This was going to be his own
secret. If he liked it, great, he could advertise it to the world. And if he
didn’t, well, nobody would have to know the difference. Still, it would feel
good to give in to his temptations. Who cared if they were too dangerous
for a lying coward like Jorge? Every single shifter he had ever met was
gorgeous. And as he browsed through the site, he realized that the shifters
seeking men like himself were no different.
Greg’s heart pounded as he looked through the pictures of shifter men. He
was looking for something specific about them. Something that he knew
would make Jorge jealous and upset. Finally, the most bad-ass man he had
ever seen was smirking at him, his long dark hair framing his face. He had a
well-groomed goatee and a leather vest. Not only that, but he was ripped.
He had the kind of body that Greg could only dream about. It was the
opposite of Jorge’s lean muscles. Instead, he looked like he could break a
man in half without even meaning to.
Greg realized that he had been staring at the picture for a long time, and that
he had grown hard just looking at the man. This would be the shifter he
tried to hook up with. He went to work finding his most rebellious looking
picture for his profile, settling with himself flipping off Jorge during
Halloween, when he had been dressed as a mock biker. It would have to do.
He nervously typed his message.
Urgent. Hook up needed. Meet at the shifter club downtown? Fangs. 6:00
tonight.
Even if the tough guy didn’t reply, at least he would be in the right place to
find himself a hook up. Fangs was teeming with just the unsavory sort that
made Jorge’s skin crawl. It was the perfect place to exact his revenge.
Greg set to work dressing himself up. It was already nearly 5:00, and he
would need time to drive across town to get to Fangs by 6. He chose a tank
top that showed off his perfect biceps; not bulky and intimidating like the
shifter’s, but still formidable. Hopefully it would be good enough for him.
“Going somewhere?” Marty asked as Greg whisked past.
“Getting my revenge,” Greg said.
Chapter 3
The wolf shifter club was just as seedy as Jorge had always made it out to
be. Still, it was clean and everybody seemed to be leaving each other alone.
The people he had claimed were beasts, at least knew how to hold their
liquor.
He had no trouble spotting the man who had represented the epitome of
rebellion on the ShiftMe site. He was looming in the corner, his dark eyes
fixed menacingly on the ground. For some reason, even though he was
really attractive, nobody was making any effort to talk to him. Maybe they
were intimidated by him. Whatever the reason, Greg was the only one who
seemed brave enough to approach him.
“There you are,” the man said, gripping Greg firmly by the arm. He pulled
Greg behind him, dragging him outside into an alley.
“Hi,” Greg said, wondering what he should say to a man like this. They
clearly had nothing in common. Still, he was a nice guy at heart and wanted
to feel closer to the man. “My name is..”
“Shut up and kiss me,” the shifter said, throwing himself into Greg’s
personal space. They kissed, but it wasn’t the intimate thrill that Greg had
been hoping for. Instead, he found himself trying to pull away for air, or
maybe for some space from the man. It was a little bit too alarming to be
sexy.
Greg yelped as the man’s strong hands groped him roughly. Greg tried to
call for help but the man’s mouth was pressed hard against his, and it was
impossible to get a word out. Finally, he was able to squirm away.
“Stop it!” Greg panted.
The shifter’s face morphed in rage, and his dark eyes bore into Greg’s.
“What do you mean stop it?” he demanded. “You’re the one who contacted
me, remember? Or were you just being a cock tease? I fucking hate little
cock teases!”
Greg cried out in fear as the shifter lunged at him, his hands ready to wrap
around Greg’s neck.
“I’m gonna get what I fucking came here for you little twink. You think I
can’t tell that this is all a game for you? Dress up a little and think you can
roll with the big boys?”
Greg cowered as the man grew furious, his eyes flashing wildly and
changing from the dark brown they had started as and into a deep, void-like
black. The man snarled as he gripped Greg by the shoulders. Greg flinched,
bracing himself for a world of pain.
Suddenly, Greg was being pulled away from the man by the back of his
shirt.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? You leave that boy alone!”
An older man was standing between Greg and the attacker, his salt and
pepper hair glistening silver in the moonlight. The man had his hands on his
hips, his muscular arms flexed and ready to put up a fight.
“But the fuckin twink led me on, Luke!”
“It’s all right, Bruce. Maybe his ways are different than yours and that’s
okay. Right? Remember what we talked about before.”
The furious wolf shifter seemed to deflate, and Greg’s heart finally began to
slow its intense beating.
“Why don’t you go on inside and have a brew. Tell them to put it on my tab.
Sometimes things just don’t work out with people, right? It’s for the best if
we only do what both people agree with and everyone’s allowed to change
their minds. Go on then. Get yourself the good stuff.”
“I’d be robbing the cradle with you anyway, twink. Still in diapers? That
omega bitch doesn’t need a daddy.”
“All right, just go get your beer.”
“I’ll deal with you later,” Bruce promised, and reluctantly turned to walk
back into the bar.
Chapter 4
“What the hell?” Greg breathed, leaning weakly against the brick wall of
the alley. He held his hand to his head and groaned. “That was fucked up.”
“You’re all right now,” the older man said, turning to face him. Greg’s heart
thudded when the man’s dazzling blue eyes met his own. He was absolutely
stunning. He had always thought that older human men looked better aged.
That went even further when applied to wolf shifters.
“Your name is Luke?” Greg asked, hoping he had gotten the men’s names
straight. Luke grinned and nodded.
Greg took a moment to catch his breath, and look the man up and down. He
was unbelievably handsome. He looked like he had been working with his
hands his whole life. His entire body was rippling with purposeful muscles;
not the bulging kind like Bruce’s, that looked like you had to spend hours of
your life in a gym to get them, but the kind that showed this man knew
exactly how to use his body.
He was wearing a tight white V-neck t-shirt, and a tuft of silver hair poked
out, pasted against his firm chest. His legs were clad in form-fitting jeans
that gave a generous hint of the prize concealed beneath them. Luke said
nothing as Greg studied him, and finally turned to leave.
“Wait,” Greg said softly, running after the man. His legs felt like jelly after
being assaulted, but he couldn’t stand the thought that the man would
disappear from his life just like that. “My name is Greg.”
“Nice to meet you, Greg,” Luke said, grinning at him. His teeth were a
perfect pearly white. Everything about shifters was attractive, and
somehow, this man had seemed to find the fountain of youth. Although his
hair was grey, he seemed as spry and agile as the most fit men Greg knew.
“What are you doing here anyway? This doesn’t seem like the kind of place
a guy like you should be hanging around in. Nothing but trouble with some
of these sorts.”
Greg was surprised that Luke would stereotype the shifters at the bar.
“Oh, you don’t like shifters?” he stammered. “I thought…”
“No, I love shifters. I am a shifter,” Luke said, his eyes sending a jolt of
electricity into Greg’s. Greg’s heart hammered as Luke continued speaking.
“I just think this club draws an unsavory sort. The crowds here tend to be a
little on the wild side, you know?”
“I guess so,” Greg said, shivering as memories of the assault gripped him.
“So why are you here?” Luke persisted. He didn’t seem eager to drop the
question. Greg supposed it did seem a little bit strange for somebody like
himself to be hanging around in a place where shifters would get the wrong
impression about him. He certainly couldn’t pull off the look, and Luke
seemed to see right through him. His question seemed to be saying, “You’re
not man enough to be here.” Although it felt like a challenge and
embarrassed Greg, he felt compelled to answer anyway.
“I’m here because I wanted to meet a wolf shifter,” Greg admitted. “I’ve
never been with one before and I thought…”
Luke raised his eyebrow, a wizened, whimsical look on his face.
“I don’t know. My life is kinda upside down right now,” Greg sighed. Jake
grinned.
“Can’t be that bad, you ain’t dead yet.”
“No…I’m still here,” Greg agreed. Still, it felt miserable, and he was sure
that the older man was probably making fun of him. He probably had a
husband out there somewhere waiting for him to get back.
Suddenly, Greg’s phone buzzed and tore him away from the thought. He
checked it and cried out in alarm. It was a message on his ShiftMe app from
the terrifying shifter he had contacted, and had finally gotten out of his
thoughts. With Luke there it was easier to be able to forget what had just
happened. Now it was right in front of him all over again.
“What is it?” Luke asked, prickling and coming close to Greg to see over
his shoulder at the screen.
I’m hunting you down after sunset, baby twink.
“That jackass,” Luke said with a sigh. “Let me go get my jacket.”
“What for?” Greg asked, bewildered.
“I’m going to have to take you home with me tonight to protect you from
that idiot.”
Greg’s heart leapt to his throat and Luke disappeared into the club for a
moment. He returned soon after with a leather jacket draped over his firm
body and a smile playing at his lips.
“Follow me,” he said.
Greg obeyed, not knowing what else to do. It wasn’t every day he found
himself in a ridiculous situation like this, but somehow he had managed to
secure the protection of a man like Luke. What would he expect in return,
he wondered? Maybe he could cook dinner for him, or clean…
“Wear this,” Luke said, stopping in front of a beautiful motorcycle. It was
the nicest in the parking lot, although most people had taken bikes to the
club that night. It was dazzling, even in the moonlight, and looked down at
the black helmet that Luke had just shoved into his hands. He fastened it to
his head.
“Are you sure this is necessary?” Greg stammered as Luke mounted the
bike. “I could just go home. He doesn’t know where I live.”
“Silly boy,” Luke said, shaking his head. “That man can smell you and your
fear. He’ll be on you like white on rice, no matter where you are in the city.
But he knows better than to encroach on my turf. I’m respected here. Now
shut your pretty lips and brace yourself. She goes fast.”
Luke patted the bike fondly before revving the engine. Greg gasped in
surprise when the bike bolted forward.
“Hang on, Greg,” Luke hollered with a pleased whoop into the night. Greg
gripped the older man’s chest for dear life as they sped down the highway,
the bright beam of the bike’s headlight guiding the way to the safety of
Luke’s house.
Chapter 4
On the road, Greg felt like he was flying. He had never been on a
motorcycle before. The closest thing he had was an electric scooter that he
had used in college to save money. It was fun, but nothing like the speed
and power of Luke’s motorcycle speeding boldly down the highway.
“This is amazing!” Greg exclaimed.
“That’s nothing,” Luke called back to him. “Look at the stars!”
Greg wasn’t sure when it had happened, but somehow they had traveled
outside the city. He was only used to seeing a couple of stars twinkling
sadly in the sky as the rest were concealed by light pollution. But out on the
open road, the sky had opened up into a whole new world of bright,
twinkling lights, constellations, and even planets.
“A shooting star!” Greg cried, taking one of his hands from around Luke’s
waist and pointing up at the sky. Luke chuckled, pleased by Greg’s delight.
“Make a wish, boy!”
It was a strange and impulsive thing to wish, but Greg squeezed his eyes
tightly closed, and wished with all he had that he would never forget the
feeling of freedom he had been blessed with by climbing onto Luke’s bike
that night. At first he had been nervous, but somehow, he had been able to
trust the man almost instantly. Whether it was because he had proven his
initiative by protecting him from the terrifying shifter he had hoped to hook
up with, or because he was just a comforting sort of man, Greg had never
felt safer.
Finally, the bike slowed and pulled into a dirt driveway that Greg otherwise
would have missed if he were driving or didn’t know exactly what he was
looking for. They rode through thick forest and finally rolled to a stop
outside a modest sized house. It was sturdy and well-built, but lacked the
refining qualities of many of the modern conventional houses people in the
city had custom made.
“Is this your house?” Greg asked dumbly as Luke climbed off the
motorcycle. The man’s blue eyes twinkled.
“Yes sir. Do you approve?”
“Of course,” Greg said, scrambling off the bike to face Luke. “I didn’t
mean…”
“No, it’s fine,” Luke chuckled. “Of course it’s fine. Come on in.”
They sauntered toward the doorway and Greg hung back, feeling a little bit
apprehensive. The image of Luke having a husband waiting for him at
home hadn’t left his head. They would undoubtedly have the perfect
relationship; a couple of aged wolf shifters who were just old enough to
know how the world worked, and still young enough to take it for all it was
worth.
“What’s the matter, kid?” Luke asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He hadn’t
realized it, but he had come to a full stop outside the front door.
“Do you live with anyone else? Are you sure they wouldn’t mind me being
here?”
“Someone else?” Luke asked, as if confused by the concept. “Hell no. I’m a
lone wolf.”
A surge of excitement swelled in Greg’s chest. The man was ridiculously
attractive. And he was single.
“You coming or what?” Luke asked, opening the door. “Don’t have all
night. I’m ready for supper.”
“You haven’t eaten yet?” Greg asked. “Let me make you dinner. As a thank
you.”
“I don’t do thank-yous,” Luke said, his boots thudding heavily on the
wooden floor as he crossed into the kitchen. “I only do what I want. You
don’t have much to do with that.”
Greg stammered when Luke disappeared into the kitchen and took the
opportunity to look around the room. They had come into a wide, spacious
living room, heated by an old fashioned wood stove. The whole place was
perfumed by the sweet scent of burning wood, and the whole place had a
natural, earthy feel that made Luke feel instantly at home.
“Sit down,” Luke ordered from the kitchen. He couldn’t see Greg and Greg
couldn’t see him, but he instantly obeyed. There was a handmade coffee
table full of books and pens. Greg opened one of them, surprised to find that
it was a sketchbook. Inside were beautiful, intricate drawings of wolves of
all kinds; most of them at home in the deep wiles of nature.
“Don’t recall saying you could look at those,” Luke said with an edge to his
voice when he came back from the kitchen. He was holding two mugs of
coffee and handed one to Greg. Greg took it, lowering his eyes
apologetically.
“I’m sorry, I thought it was just…”
Luke lowered himself beside Greg and chuckled.
“Don’t be sorry, boy. I should be sorry for being such a bad host. I guess I
spend so much time alone out here that anyone messing with my things gets
me a little bit territorial.”
Greg laughed quietly and sipped his coffee. For some reason he had
expected it to be strong, but it had a perfect blend of sweetness. In fact, he
had never had coffee so good.
“So what’s it like to be a wolf shifter?” Greg asked, unable to restrain his
curiosity. This lifestyle seemed so exotic and interesting. It was nothing like
the vapid, shallow life he had built around himself and his ungrateful ex
Jorge.
“It’s exhausting,” Luke replied, leaning back into the couch cushions. “I’m
an old man. You would think you humans would learn a thing or two about
respecting your elders.”
“What do you mean?” Greg asked, immediately feeling as if he had done
something terribly wrong.
“It gets tiring fighting off all the stories of persecution, having to avoid
people who come out to the forest with guns and shoot on sight without
ever stopping to wonder if we pose a threat or not. We’ve lost a lot of our
kind over the years. A lot. We’re close to extinction. But I bet you didn’t
even know that. News stations keep it all under wraps. Everyone’s afraid of
us and think the less the better. But they sure as hell won’t advertise it.”
Greg was horrified. Luke must have seen the startled, sorrowful look on his
face, because he smiled and patted Greg’s leg.
“It’s not your fault, kid. Just the way it is. Way of the world. Humans do the
same thing with each other all the time over this difference or that. Hard to
trust you sneaky buggers.”
“So why did you save me?” Greg asked. He felt like he definitely didn’t
deserve to be saved. Not after putting himself into such a stupid and
reckless situation. And especially not after hearing about the injustices that
humans were doing to the wolf shifters. That had to be a lot to endure, and
Greg was ashamed of the humans for their intolerance and embarrassed to
be among them as a species.
“Oh, I don’t know. Hero complex. Or maybe I just think you’re cute.”
Greg looked into Luke’s bright blue eyes in surprise. They sparkled
mischievously. “But you wouldn’t like an old fart like me anyway. Has
nothing to do with that. I guess I think it’s worth looking past differences
sometimes. Not everyone is a fool. You gave me good vibes.”
“Good vibes isn’t much to go on,” Greg said, laughing nervously. However,
his heart was drumming wildly in his chest. The idea that this incredibly
alluring man had somehow been attracted to him changed everything. He
was single. He was comforting. And he was sexy.
“To a wolf shifter, good vibes are everything,” Luke said seriously. “We
sense things that you guys are oblivious to. I could tell you were afraid. I
could even tell that you were a kind person with a high sperm count.”
Greg grew red and a burst of laughter escaped his lips.
“Are you being serious?” he asked, turning his wide green eyes onto Luke.
“A wolf never lies.”
“Is that true?”
Greg had heard similar things before, but he had always taken it with a
grain of salt. What kind of person never really lied? It seemed impossible.
Then again, he supposed the whole idea of wolf shifters was kind of
impossible. They had only been forced out of hiding a few decades ago,
when humans were encroaching on their territory to build condos. In fact,
the one Jorge had insisted they rent had once been a sacred ground to the
wolf shifters. The whole thing had left Greg feeling uncomfortable, but
Jorge loved it.
“Stick around and find out for yourself,” Luke said.
The man’s handsome face creased into a magnetic smile and Greg found
himself drawn in. He seemed to have no will of his own anymore; just the
simple longing to bask in the glow of this beautiful man. As if he could
sense Greg’s feeling (indeed, he probably was able to do just that, Greg
realized) Luke leaned in close, his eyes dancing with pleasure and mystery.
Greg’s heart pounded when Luke’s lips finally touched his own and they
were swept away by a tidal wave of desire.
“You all right with this?” Luke asked, apparently just in case he had read
Greg wrong.
“Yes,” Greg whispered. Luke grinned and Greg moaned abruptly in
pleasure as his hand plunged deep into Greg’s jeans. The fun was about to
begin.
Chapter 5
Luke led Greg into his bedroom; a simple space with a handmade dresser
and a comfortable bed with a blue blanket draped over it. The end table had
an oil lamp and more books and pens, but before Greg could comment on
that, Luke’s lips were pressed hard against his. The man was certainly
assertive, and Greg found himself loving every second of it.
Soon, Luke’s calloused hands were deeply submerged into Greg’s jeans
again, gripping his hard cock and stroking expertly. He clearly had
experience with pleasuring a man before, but Greg wasn’t about to
complain. The old dog knew a lot of tricks that were new to him, and before
Greg could register what was happening, Luke’s tongue was spiraling
around the sensitive head of his penis, sending a blast of fire shooting
through Greg’s loins.
They moaned in unison as Greg grew harder under Luke’s touch and they
both began to strip. Luke’s eyes widened as Greg’s muscular torso was
revealed, and he tugged Greg’s jeans off for him. Greg’s erection was firm
and tall, curving to his bellybutton. Luke gripped it with his lips as he
tugged off his own pants and shirt, revealing his body to Greg.
Greg had never seen a more beautiful specimen in all his life. Even Jorge,
who had been the talk of the town for so long couldn’t compare. All of his
friends couldn’t shut up about what a catch Jorge was. But it was only to
Greg’s detriment for being swayed by Jorge’s charisma and self-importance.
Luke was nothing like the modest, sexy wolf shifter who was giving him
untold pleasures right that moment. Luke’s body seemed to know exactly
how to move against his to bring him the most pleasure, and it was the
single most erotic experience of his life.
“I want you to go inside me,” Greg panted when Luke surfaced for air and
grinned at the boy.
“No you don’t,” Luke laughed, flipping Greg over and running the length of
his massive, swollen shaft along Greg’s ass crack. They both moaned.
“I do!” Greg exclaimed.
“I guess I should have a condom floating around here somewhere,” Luke
sighed, reaching to the drawer in his end table and retrieving protection.
“Yes,” Greg hissed, watching Luke slip the rubber over his pulsing groin.
He could still see the red tint of his member through the cloudy latex and
soon Luke was behind him again, pressing gently against Greg’s opening
and reaching around to fondle his balls.
“Are you sure?” Luke asked. “You’ve never been with a shifter before. I’m
kind of the big leagues. If you want someone to sweet talk you, you might
as well get back on that fancy dating app you have and find someone your
own age.”
“Just do it,” Greg begged.
“All right,” Luke said. Greg could hear his grin in his voice and the older
man trailed his fingers along Greg’s sensitive back. “Anything you’d like.”
Suddenly, Greg was crying out in a combination of pain and pleasure as
Luke rammed himself completely inside of him. The suddenness of the
gesture almost made him come right away, but Luke was experienced. He
slowed his hips and dragged himself out slowly before entering again. It
was enough to quell the climax but sent a hot fire through Greg.
“Don’t stop,” he pleaded.
“I have no intention to,” Luke said with a chuckle.
The couple moaned as Luke began to speed his thrusts, prying himself into
Greg’s most intimate of areas and bringing them both untold pleasure. Luke
stopped for a moment, leaving Greg to feel his shaft pulsing in the heat of
his hole as Luke fondled him, rubbing the head of his cock in small circles
with his thick fingers.
Finally, Greg gasped as Luke gripped him by the neck and held him firmly
in place so that he could unleash all of his strength on the boy. Luke grunted
with pleasure as he pushed inside Greg again and again, their bodies
merging. He unleashed an animalistic roar as a superhuman surge of
strength urged him onward. Greg was frozen at Luke’s mercy as the man
used his body for all it was worth, pleasuring himself first and foremost,
while at the same time making sure that Greg wasn’t left behind in the fun.
Greg’s eyes widened and his entire body began to shudder as Luke let out
an ear-piercing howl. He was coming, and coming hard. Greg’s eyes
widened as he felt the liquid explosion, bursting through the confines of the
condom that had broken with Luke’s intense passion. They both began to
climax together, Greg into Luke’s open palm and Luke, still releasing
stream after hot stream into Greg’s body.
When he was finally done, Luke pulled away and they grinned at each
other. Luke was panting but otherwise he looked as fit as a fiddle.
“Oops,” he said, looking down at Greg’s abdomen. “You know, I asked if
you were sure for a reason. Did you do your homework kid?”
“Homework?”
“Do you know anything about the ultra-fertility of my kind? The fact that
men can get other men pregnant? The risks involved in intimacy with a
wolf shifter?”
Jorge had spoken time and again about how dangerous shifters were, but his
ranting never had anything to do with unplanned pregnancy. Greg shook his
head in bewilderment and Luke pointed down at Greg’s belly.
“Look for yourself, kiddo.”
“Stop calling me a kid!” Greg exclaimed, looking down at his abdomen. He
cried out in surprise when he saw that it was already swollen and purple.
“Yeah, looks like my seed likes you. Gestation is moving along quickly,
even for shifter babies. That’s a good sign.”
“I can’t be a father!” Greg exclaimed, scrambling to his feet.
“Too late for that,” Luke laughed. He continued belly laughing as Greg ran
from the room and into the bathroom, where he immediately began retching
from the hard toll of pregnancy.
Chapter 6
Greg immediately wanted to go home. What had he been thinking, hooking
up with a wolf shifter? It was the most reckless thing he had ever done in
his life. But the strange thing was, when he was with Luke, Jorge was the
furthest thing from his mind. Although he had originally wanted to hook up
with a wolf shifter for revenge’s sake, somehow all of that went out the
window when Luke was around. It didn’t feel forced or rebellious or
dangerous. It just felt natural.
A knock sounded suddenly at the bathroom door.
“Go away!” Greg exclaimed, embarrassed that he had run from the room to
be sick. He wished he was back in the safety of Marty’s apartment right
now, where none of this would be happening. He looked down at his
swollen purple abdomen and groaned. How could he show his face to
anybody in this state?
“Are you all right?” Luke’s textured voice asked. He sounded gentle
compared to the other wolf shifters he had spoken to. He thought that bikers
were supposed to be all hardass. Somehow he had found himself with one
who was compassionate enough to save a total stranger and check up on
him while he was puking in the bathroom.
“I –“
Greg’s voice cracked and Luke pushed his way into the bathroom, his lips
pursed as if he were trying not to smile.
“There now boy, it’ll be all right.”
Luke pulled Greg into a bear hug and slapped his back. “It’s just those crazy
wolf hormones messing with your body. You might cry off and on but it
doesn’t make you less than a man.”
Greg’s lower lip trembled and Luke laughed quietly, pulling away from
Greg’s body and retrieving a cloth from the closet. He ran it under some
cool water and wiped off Greg’s brow. It felt good, and made Greg dissolve
into another irrational bout of crying.
Luke sighed deeply and rubbed his back.
“I’ll tell you a little story to take your mind off things,” he said. “Now I’m a
construction worker. I own a company and was contracted to build a house
for this guy. He was a real piece of work. Couldn’t stand him at first. Well
one day he came by to check on the house and he howled out in pain. Had
no idea what was goin’ on. So I went over to him wondering what in the
hell was going on with him. Turns out he was in labor, and had been being a
dick because of his hormones. Poor guy’s alpha had recently been killed by
hunters so he was all alone and needed a place to raise his pups.”
Greg listened, mesmerized by the story. He had never heard about the birth
of shifter pups, and he was curious to know what it was like. Especially
now that he apparently had some of his own growing in his stomach.
“What happened?” Greg asked.
“I’d never birthed pups myself, but long ago my mother, may her soul rest
easy, was a midwife. I had seen her work a hundred times, and she spoke
about it candidly enough that I knew just what was expected of a successful
birth. I had the guy lay down, fetched the supplies. Fortunately, the house
was just about done and had running water and everything we needed. We
eventually managed to bring two pups into the world. A girl and a boy.”
“Twins?” Greg said wistfully. “I’ve always wanted twins.”
Luke’s eyes sparkled. “Well, they came out kicking, I know that. And their
daddy was so happy. Said they looked just like his mate who had passed. It
was a really moving experience. Anyway, they moved into the house where
the babes were born and together they started a new life. It was a good thing
there was a legacy left behind. Sometimes these things happen.”
Luke grew quiet for a moment. Greg moved shyly beside him and Luke
draped a heavy arm over his shoulder.
“Feeling better kid?”
“Yeah,” Greg said with a nod.
“Good.”
Luke led him back to the bedroom, where they both dressed. Greg was
surprised when Luke offered him a brand new toothbrush and some
comfortable pajamas.
“Why don’t you shower. It will get your spirits back up. I’ll make us
something special to drink. It’ll be good for the pups.”
“Okay,” Greg said uncertainly. He disappeared into the bathroom again as
Luke’s whistle quietly trailed off as he made his way to the kitchen.
Chapter 6
Greg re-emerged, feeling like a new man. It was nice to have the minty taste
of toothpaste in his mouth, and he gently touched his swollen abdomen as
he wandered through the unfamiliar house in search of Luke. He found the
man sitting at a wooden table in the kitchen, two mugs of steaming liquid in
front of him. They smelled very herbal, and Greg wasn’t sure if he liked
that. They reminded him of the Chinese medicine stores he had lived near in
the city before he had met Jorge.
“Good to see you,” Luke said. “You look great. Glowing.”
“Thanks,” Greg said, looking down at the floor with a blush. He had never
considered the possibility that he would become pregnant, but somehow
this was exactly what had happened. He had wistfully pretended once or
twice during childhood that he could have his own babies, but this was
something that took him by surprise completely.
Luke patted the chair beside him and Greg sat down.
“Bottoms up,” Luke said, picking up the mug and nodding expectantly at
Greg. He picked up his own mug. It was warm, and he felt nervous
butterflies in his stomach. What was it going to taste like?
“Thanks,” Greg said, bringing the mug to his lips. He was surprised to find
that the concoction was sweet, with only a small bitter flavor left as an
aftertaste. It tasted really good actually, nothing like anything he had ever
eaten before.
“Any time,” Luke said with a wink. “What do you think?”
“This is really good,” Greg said, smiling shyly at Luke. He seemed so
strong and capable. Even if he was a biker, when he was at home he seemed
to be laid back and ready for anything. Whether that was soft feelings or
hard, he seemed like he would be a master of them. That type of wisdom
was unbelievably sexy.
“I’m glad you think so. That means the pups are taking well to it.”
“What is this?”
“Oh, trade secret,” Luke said with a wink. “Some herbs and stuff in a recipe
that wolf shifters drink once in a while to keep their morale strong. Helps us
grow and stay strong long beyond the lifespans we would have as normal
wolves. That way we can keep up instead of dying before our time. Though
the phrase ‘only the good die young’ might as well have been coined by one
of our kind. Before this recipe was brewed up, it was hard for us to keep up
with the humans in us.”
“Wow,” Greg said, studying the mug. “So this will help the pups age well?”
“That’s the theory. And look at me,” Luke said with a wink. “I’m getting
some silver yet.”
Greg’s heart fluttered from Luke’s attention but he tried not to let it. He
didn’t want to let himself become too vulnerable. He had seen what the
shifters were capable of, and now that he was pregnant with pups, did that
mean that he would have to associate with them for the rest of his life? He
wasn’t part of the pack, so where did that leave him? He wished he could
call his friend. Maybe he would understand what it was like to be a normal
human carrying shifter babies unexpectedly. But Alex was different. Alex
had been obsessed with wolf shifters since they were in high school. It was
no surprise to find that he had quickly immersed himself in wolf shifter
culture, and somehow found the ideal mate for himself. No, maybe Alex
wouldn’t be so comforting to talk to after all. He would simply rave about
how perfect his life was now that he had achieved his dream of being
accepted into a family of shifters.
“Whiskey for your thoughts,” Luke said with a deep chuckle. Greg was
startled and felt self-conscious at the idea of revealing what he was thinking
to Luke. The man’s cool blue eyes were staring at him, full of mystery and
amusement. What kind of things had they seen? He clearly led a much
different life than anything that Greg would be able to relate to. Maybe he
could just have the pups and leave them with Luke and return back to his
normal life. Luke would know how to raise a shifter. He wouldn’t though.
He would be a clueless father.
“This is all kind of weird,” Greg admitted. “I never would have imagined
that something like this would happen to me. And I’m not sure how in the
world I am supposed to raise a shifter baby. I’ve never done anything like
this in my life.”
“Don’t worry, you’re going to do fine. It’s one of the most natural things in
the world. You’ll see.”
“Yeah, but what if I mess up? Maybe it would be better if – “
“Look, I know you’re scared. Most normal humans are terrified when this
kind of thing happens to them. I’ve heard it all. Some guys even go a little
bit crazy and start clawing at their bellies, doing horrible things to try to kill
the pups so they don’t have to live with the mistake they made in thinking
they could handle getting involved with our kind. All I ask is you don’t hurt
the pups. Don’t hurt yourself. If you can’t handle it, be honest with me. But
give it a chance first. I have a feeling we will be able to work through it
together, you and me. If we give it a chance.”
Greg stared at Luke and his eyes filled with tears.
“Oh hell,” Luke laughed when he realized that Greg was crying again.
“Here we go.”
Luke pulled Greg into a big hug and Greg let it all out. He cried for what
felt like an eternity, wetting Luke’s fresh white shirt as the man’s deep,
rumbling voice soothed him.
“It’ll be all right. Just stick with me for a while and we’ll see what happens.
All right?”
Greg sniffled.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll stick with you.”
***
When they finished their drinks and Greg had finally settled down a little,
Luke led him back into the bedroom.
“Now, it’s late and you have a lot to think about. I want you to sleep here
for a while, all right? I’m gonna make a bed on the couch in case you start
feeling hormonal or something. Might as well give you some space,
especially on the first night.”
“Okay,” Greg said. It made sense but for some reason, he really didn’t want
Luke to go. He felt a small surge of panic at the thought of sleeping alone in
the big room, but Luke’s mind was already made up. He packed up a
blanket and a pillow and grabbed one of the sketchbooks from his bedside
table.
“If you need anything in the night you just holler. I have excellent hearing
so I’ll come and get you in a hurry. Got it?”
Greg nodded and Luke grinned before turning away and closing the
bedroom door behind him.
Greg was left enveloped by the darkness of the room. He could hear Luke
moving through the house like a phantom, stirring the wood in the wood
stove and sinking heavily onto the couch. The rustling of paper as he
opened his notebook and flipped through the pages. It was surprising how
comfortable it felt to be in this man’s home, especially considering how
strange it was to consider that they had never met before. Here they were,
already acting like a married couple. Granted, the kind of married couple
that gave each other all the space they needed, but still, it was funny.
Greg closed his eyes and sighed. What would it be like if he and Luke really
were a couple? What was it like to date a shifter? Maybe a call to Alex
really would be a good idea. He seemed like the person who would be the
least judgmental of his condition. Marty would laugh him into next week if
he found out, but Alex might have insight. But if Luke’s hearing really was
as good as he said it was, then it would be difficult for him to get away with
a private conversation. He would just have to wait it out and see what
happened.
It wouldn’t be so terrible to have a relationship with someone like Luke,
Greg decided. Luke was handsome, strong, and considerate. Those were
some of the sexiest qualities that Greg could think of in a man. Not only
that, but would it be so bad to try and make the best of his situation? He was
going to have the man’s children for fucks sake. They might as well try to
get along. And besides, the sex had been the best thing that Greg had ever
experienced. It was so good that he could feel himself trying not to cry
again just thinking about it.
Those hormones were really screwing him up. He had never been so
emotional in front of any of the men he was intimate with. However, it
seemed that life was Luke was already different than life with every other
kind of man he had ever known. Every experience they had had together so
far have been extremely emotional. From having his life saved to getting
pregnant in the same night by the same man. In the sense that he was
feeling a little bit off-balance. It was irritating and he couldn’t wait to get
back to normal. He had so many questions about what it meant to the
pregnant with wolf shifter puppies. How long would it take him to bring the
pup to term? How fast would it grow, and how emotionally attached would
he be to it? He already felt viciously protective of the unborn child. How
human would it be, and what types of things should he expect from being
its parent?
These were all questions he would have to run by Luke later on. It had
already been a very difficult and exhausting day. Although he wished that
Luke was lying in bed with him, providing him with the same comfort that
he had given him all throughout the day, it was nice to have a little bit of
space so that he could think about these things on his own. No matter how
long and hard he thought about it, the fact remains the same. He had gotten
himself pregnant by a sexy older man, and now nothing in his life would
ever be the same.
Chapter 7
Greg awoke the next morning to the sun streaming hotly on his body from
the window above the bed. For a moment he was confused and wondered
where the hell he was, but when he looked down at himself, he saw that the
bulge in his abdomen had swollen even bigger than the night before. He had
a sudden realization of what was going on.
“Luke?” He asked, sitting up with his eyes darting around the room.
“Morning sunshine,” Luke said, grinning at him.
The man’s goatee had been freshly groomed, and Greg wondered how long
he had been awake. He couldn’t remember his dream from the night before,
and somehow he had woken up feeling as if everything was perfectly
normal.
“Good morning,” Greg said.
Usually, when he had a bad one night stand or an experience that was
embarrassing with someone, such as crying three different times in one
night, Greg felt self-conscious of his company and wanted to make a quick
escape. This time however, for some reason he only wished that he could
get closer to Luke. Luke seemed to sense this and sat down on the edge of
the bed. He had already dressed himself into a new pair of tight jeans, and
splashed himself with a spicy scented cologne that drove Greg wild. Greg
crawled closer to him until they were sitting next to each other on the bed.
“How did you sleep last night?” Luke asked. “Was it weird? I know I hate
sleeping in strange places. I tried to make my den as comfortable as
possible while I was building it. There isn’t a day that I don’t try to get
home to sleep. It’s nice to sleep under the stars and all, but it’s dangerous
out there these days. I feel safe here.”
“I feel safe here too,” Greg admitted.
“It’s good to hear that,” Luke said. “So how are you feeling?”
“Not too bad,” Greg said. “I just have a lot of questions.”
“I’m sure you do,” Luke said with a laugh, his handsome face lighting up.
Greg was half tempted to kiss him, but he had to stop himself. Luke was not
Jorge. Although it felt like they were close and everything was very
comfortable between them, Luke might not feel the same way. It was better
to keep himself at a distance instead of making a fool of himself. Although
Luke was gorgeous and had given Greg the best sexual experience of his
life, that didn’t mean that they were dating. He didn’t just kiss them out of
nowhere. Besides, sex might hurt his pup. That wouldn’t be something a
good parent would do.
“You ask me them over breakfast?” Luke said. “I’ve been busy this
morning. It isn’t often that I have visitors here, but I do try to treat them
properly when I do.”
“Thank you,” Greg said, sincerely surprised by the idea that Luke rarely
entertains other people. He figured a man who looked that good and wasn’t
tied down might want to explore his options. Why else would he have been
at the club that night when Greg needed him the most?
Luke slapped Greg’s back and let him into the kitchen, where fragrant
smells of food wafted through the air. Greg stomach growled loudly and
Luke laughed.
“Sounds like you have a whole litter in there,” Luke said.
“This is just my favorite meal of the day,” Greg replied. Luke’s dazzling
white teeth smiled out at him and again, Greg found his heart palpitating
with desire. He couldn’t believe how attractive he was. Greg had never
considered himself to be the type who is attracted to older men, but in Luke,
he saw every single reason why other men would say they were. There was
so much about this man that Greg adored, and he had only known him for a
few hours.
“So how come you never settle down?” Greg blurted. He couldn’t believe
that someone like Luke could possibly stay single for so long. He was the
ultimate catch. He was talented, smart, and unbelievably strong. His body
was amazing and had total intuition of how to please other people. These
were qualities that he didn’t expect and someone who was a bachelor.
Maybe something terrible had happened to his family. Greg hoped not.
However, Luke only smiled and shrugged.
“I guess I never really found the person who clicked with me,” he said. “I
don’t feel comfortable talking to most people. They piss me off. Being born
a wolf shifter, it’s kind of a common rite of passage to find yourself at a
motorcycle club like the one where I met you. We going to talk about issues
in the community that are threatening our kind. The younger ones mostly
just use it as a place to hook up though. Especially that dirt pile in the city
where you found yourself. You go there often or something? I’ve never seen
you before, but it seems like a stupid move to go there at all if you ask me.
At least if you’re not part of the pack already or you don’t already trust the
guy you’re with.”
“Yeah, that was a pretty stupid move. This was the first time I’d ever been
to a shifter club at all. Let alone a motorcycle club. I guess I was just acting
out after breaking up with my acts. Yours looks down on shifters and I have
it. I’ve never really interacted with them on a personal level, so I thought it
was time. He always said how dangerous it was, but I’m not afraid. Or at
least I wasn’t. I might be a little more terrified now.”
Luke laughed, his eyes crinkling kindly.
“Sounds like you found some perspective on the subject,” he said
approvingly.
“A little bit,” Greg said with a laugh. “So anyway, what kinds of things am I
supposed to expect from this pregnancy? I know it’s different than what
women deal with, but how different is it?”
“Well the wolf pups tend to grow a lot faster than human babies do. But you
have a lot of the same symptoms as the mothers of human babies. You have
some nausea eventually, some bloating. Maybe some incontinence and
mood swings. I wouldn’t worry too much about it though. I can walk you
through every step.”
“You aren’t mad?”
Luke’s face contorted in confusion. “Why on earth would I be mad? You
haven’t done anything wrong. In fact, I’m ecstatic. Out of all the jackasses
in the world I could be spawning with, I found someone who seems to be
sincerely the kind of person I would want to be raising my children. I know
we don’t know each other very well, but I just get a good feeling from you,
you know?”
“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean,” Greg said. “I have a good feeling
about you too.”
“Well good. Now I have a crazy thought. What if we tried doing this
together? It doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out and we can do with it like
adults. We’ll figure out a way to deal with the kid, and it will be all right.
But if it does work out, maybe it will be the best choice either of us has ever
made. What do you think?”
“I think I like the sound of it,” Greg said. “I know this is crazy, but I never
expected anything like this happen to me. And I really do like you. I wasn’t
even thinking about my acts when we were together. Which is weird.
Because the whole reason I was looking for a shifter tonight was because of
revenge. I wanted him to feel like shit knowing what he had done for me
and I thought this was the only way to make you feel anything at all. He
was the last thing from my mind today and yesterday and I have you to
thank for that.”
Luke laughed. “Well you certainly changed my plans for the week. But
that’s not something that I’m upset about.”
“What kind of plans did you have for this week?” Greg asked.
“Shifter stuff, nothing special,” Luke said.
“Like what?”
“I was going to go out into the forest and do some communing with nature.
Maybe a little bit of hunting? I really enjoy being outdoors you know?
Maybe you would like it too.”
“I don’t know; I was raised in the city so I haven’t had a whole lot of
opportunity to be out in the world like that.”
“Seriously? You’ve never slept under the stars? This would be a great way
to get out of the house and get to know each other a little bit better. We can
see if this thing we’re thinking about is feasible or not. What do you say?
How about a camping trip?!”
Luke’s face lit up and Greg laughed. He looks like an excited puppy, and he
could see the wolf shifter in him more clearly than he had yet. It was
actually really endearing, and Greg knew it would be impossible to say no
to that excited face. For an older man, he sure could look quite youthful at
times. It must have been the spirit of the wolf within him.
“That sounds perfect,” Greg said, and Luke let out a whoop.
“It’s settled then; I’m going to start packing right now.”
Luke stood quickly from the table and rushed out of the kitchen.
“What about your breakfast?” Greg called after him, smiling and shaking
his head from all the excitement.
“I’m fine, I’ll eat when I’m done. You just help yourself and don’t worry
about leaving me anything, I ate while I was cooking,” Luke’s voice said,
sounding far away as he bustled throughout the house gathering supplies.
Greg grinned as he finished his breakfast. This man was really something
else, and he was really starting to like that.
Chapter 8
By the mid-afternoon, Luke had finished packing up all of the supplies that
they needed for their camping trip. It was all put together in a rather large
backpack that Luke strapped around his broad torso before offering his hand
to Greg.
“Get ready for the time of your life boy,” Luke said, his face alight with the
prospect of adventure. Greg took his hand and Luke led him out of the
house, locking it behind him.
“Are we taking the motorcycle?” Greg asked.
“No way, were taking our feet. The hike down to one of the best spots I
know. It will take a few hours, but a little exercise is really good for you and
the pup. Studies have shown that pups with parents who exercise while they
were in utero grow up smarter and healthier.”
Instead of asking what kinds of studies have been done and when, Greg
simply nodded. It sounded legitimate. Similar things had probably been
discovered about human babies as well. He couldn’t be sure. It wasn’t as if
he read “Pregnancy Weekly” magazine or something. He had never been
pregnant before and had never thought it was possible. Not even when he
found out that the wolf shifters had the magic touch.
Soon, Luke led Greg to a trail deep in the woods behind his house. They
began walking and Luke inhaled deeply, turning to Greg with a broad smile
that made Greg’s heart flutter. “Smell that fresh air?”
Greg nodded and mimicked the deep breath that Luke had taken. “Smells a
lot different than the city air.”
“Hell yeah it does!” Luke exclaimed. “There is how to take care of its own.
So many people forget that.”
After a few hours of walking, Greg was exhausted. His stomach rumbled
loudly and Luke paused.
“Sounds about time for lunch,” he said.
“That sounds good,” Greg agreed. He hadn’t felt so famished in years. “I
can’t believe how hungry I am.”
“Oh, that must be the pup,” Luke said proudly. “We have voracious
appetites. I’ll build a fire and cook the steaks I brought.”
“You brought steak?!” Greg asked.
“Of course,” Luke said, raising his eyebrow at Greg as if he were stupid.
“It’s what pregnant men always want. Isn’t it?”
Greg frowned as he realized it was right. Nothing else sounded better to him
than a steak lunch.
“That’s because the pups always need a lot of protein. They grow up big
carnivores, though not generally the kind that eat humans, despite popular
belief.”
“I guess I hadn’t thought much about that.”
Luke took his bag off and stretched. Greg’s eyes secretly roamed the man’s
perfect body as he set to work getting the fire going. “We’re going to get
you fed and then move on to the place where we’ll be sleeping tonight.
How’s that sound?”
“Sounds good to me,” Greg replied, grinning.
“Good.”
They fell into easy conversation as Luke worked to cook the steaks, which
he had packed in a small cooler filled with ice. He even brought more of the
herbal drink for Greg in a huge thermos, and pulled him out a glass and
filled it for him to sip on as Luke finished up the steak.
Finally, the food was done being prepared and Greg’s hunger was satiated.
They sat for a few moments beside the fire as Greg digested his meal. The
silence was comfortable, unlike the excruciating silences that Greg had
shared with Jorge and many of his other ex-boyfriends. Luke seemed
comfortable at all times, at ease both with himself and with others. And it
was no wonder. He was masterful and skilled in everything Greg saw him
attempt. There was nothing about him that was incompetent or unlikeable.
“How you feeling?” Luke asked after a few moments of silence. He took
Greg’s plate and set to work cleaning it for him.
“Great,” Greg said, surprised by how deeply he meant what he said. It had
been a long time since he had been able to feel so deeply relaxed. There
seemed to be nothing in the world to worry about. Even the fact that he was
pregnant was far from his mind and didn’t feel like a worry. He was
enjoying the moment for the first time in years. Nothing seemed like it
could be wrong. Everything was in its place.
“Good,” Luke said, casting a handsome smile to Greg. “I thought some
fresh air might do you some good. The pups love it too. Believe it or not,
they can tell the difference even before they’re born. We’re really in tune
with nature. You might notice yourself feeling a little more sensitive than
usual to strange things. Sights, smells, your own natural rhythms. That kind
of thing. But most people don’t find it a bad thing. It just is what it is. I’m
sure you’re going to love it. Most men, after they’ve been pregnant, miss
the feelings of it. A few rare others get to keep the heightened senses. At
least, if they take good care of themselves. The ones who go back to the
same old terrible routines often just revert back to their old selves. But if
you want to be part of the pack, really part of the pack, nature makes a way
for you. You might not be a shifter but you’d still be one of us.”
Greg listened, enrapt by the idea of truly being able to become part of
nature. Now that Luke mentioned it, he had been having really strong
responses to food and smells. But that was something normal of most
pregnant people he had heard. He had never heard that pregnant males
could acquire shifter like abilities and senses. Would he like them? Would
he be able to keep them over the long term? If he gave birth to his healthy
shifter pup, would he be able to raise it or would he have to surrender its
care over to Luke?
“I see that worried look on your face,” Luke said from across the crackling
fire. “I want you to stop and relax. Nothing bad is going to happen to you or
your pups. One way or another, we’re going to work together to make sure
they have the best for them. If you want to raise them alone, that’s fine. But
all I ask is you let me guide them when it comes to their shifter natures. No
shifter to date has been able to fully blend into society. We’re looked down
on you know. It’s not fair but it’s the way it is.”
Greg nodded.
“Of course. I don’t know the first thing about shifter culture…it would be
best if you were involved in their lives. We will figure it out.”
“Good,” Luke said, his face relaxing into a smile. “You just keep that in
mind. We’re going to be all right.”
Greg’s heart fluttered. He liked the way Luke said “we.” He liked being
involved in Luke’s protective sphere. His pack. Nothing sounded more
romantic or appealing to Greg than being able to enjoy the rest of his life in
this same comfortable sort of life. It was exactly what he hadn’t known was
missing from his life until he found it. But did Luke feel the same?
“Well, looks like it’s about time for us to move on if we’re going to set up
camp before sunset,” Luke said, standing and dousing the fire.
“Okay,” Greg said. He tried getting to his feet and was surprised to feel a
searing pain in his back. Luke stopped what he was doing and rushed
immediately to his side, taking him by the hand and helping him to his feet.
“Easy there, boy,” Luke said, his blue eyes worried. “Don’t want to hurt
yourself. You’re carrying a heavy load. Not too great for the lower back.
But don’t worry, I’ll help you through.”
Luke held gently to Greg’s hand as Greg finally was able to regain his
balance. Finally, when he was convinced that Greg was all right, Luke slung
his bag over his shoulders. “Let’s get moving!”
Chapter 9
By early evening, Greg had followed Luke deep into the forest. They were
well beyond anything Greg had ever explored before, and he found himself
getting nervous butterflies in his stomach. What if Luke was only
pretending to be the kind of guy every man would be crazy not to want?
What if deep down, he was truly just as dangerous as other shifters could
be? There was no way of knowing. Although Greg really wanted to trust
him, what if he had taken him home and impregnated him on purpose?
Maybe he was tired of being lonely and just wanted somebody to keep him
company? A family he could take by force?
But when they stopped and Luke turned his kindly face to Greg and offered
him a reassuring smile, Greg felt silly and guilty for doubting Luke’s
intentions. Although it was true that you never really knew the kind of
person you were with, it still seemed ridiculous that he would be wondering
such strange things about Luke. It was probably the hormones, he knew. He
had been given no reason to doubt Luke’s intentions. But still, things that
were too good to be true, like this amazing, rugged, sexy man, usually were.
Or they came with a catch. Maybe the only catch here was that he got Greg
pregnant and his life would never be the same again. That wasn’t something
he would have to feel too horrible about.
Luke had decided to settle down right beside a stream. From their vantage
point, they could see a small trickling waterfall cascading into the stream.
Across the water, the scenery was beautiful. You could see everything for
miles, and Greg was blown away by how beautiful the site was.
“Wow, how did you find this place?” He asked.
“I was running around one day and decided that I wanted to live right near
this area. But I figured if I built a house here, it would ruin the integrity of
the place. So I built my house a few miles away right where you saw it.”
“It must not take you very long to get here when you’re in your wolf form,”
Greg said thoughtfully. It was strange to believe that Luke was more than
just the typical man. And yet, nothing else could possibly be the truth. He
was exceptional in every way, so it made perfect sense that he would also
have something incredible and supernatural about his personality.
“No, I can manage to make it across long distances when I am shape
shifting. I’m pretty fast, if I do say so myself. Most people think that a
silver wolf might have a problem with being able to keep up, but the fact is
that I am able to use my experience and my wits to go even further than
most people would believe is possible of me.”
“Wow,” Greg said, wondering what Luke could possibly look like in his
wolf form. He wanted to ask, but he was worried that it would sound rude.
One of the things that the wolf shifters were always complaining about was
how normal humans were so frequently badgering them to show off their
power. It was something that made them feel like they were supposed to be
exhibitionists rather than living beings with their own lives. It wasn’t a
spectacle for normal humans. It was simply the thing that made them happy
and the natural ability that they were able to use.
Luke smiled over at Greg, and Greg could tell that the wheels in his head
were turning. However, he had no idea what the man might be thinking
about. Soon however, Luke was standing in front of Greg, the same sexy
grin creasing his face.
“I bet I know something that you’re afraid to ask me,” he said. Greg’s heart
pounded. It seemed as if this man was not only gorgeous, but psychic. Or
maybe it was his wolf senses being able to tell what kind of things that Greg
might be thinking. Or maybe it was his age, giving him the wisdom to be
able to understand exactly how other people’s minds could work. Either
way, she was insightful and intuitive, and it made Greg both nervous and
excited at the same time. What else is he capable of?
“Oh yeah?” Greg asked, trying to play coy. “What would that be?”
“I bet you want to see what I look like as a wolf, but you are trying to be all
politically correct so that you don’t offend me or some shit. Honestly, a lot
of the newer generation are a bunch of wussies. They just want to have
something to complain about. There are real problems out there, but people
asking questions and simply being curious isn’t one of them. If we cannot
get along, then most of the problems they are pitching about wouldn’t exist.
But they’re the ones that keep up the negativity. I don’t understand what
they are thinking.”
“Well it’s true, most people if they don’t understand something and they ask
a question, they are doing it maliciously or to hurt you. And you’re right, I
am dying to know what you look like as a wolf. I noticed while we were...
Well anyway, I noticed that you’ve got Wolf tattoos on your back. Is that
what you look like?”
Luke glanced out of the ground and grinned.
“How about I just show you what I look like? I read that would make you
happier than just figuring that I look a little bit like one of the tattoos in my
body art.”
“Did you draw those yourself?” Greg asked. He was carefully avoiding the
topic of Greg actually shifting for him. Although he was curious, she was
also a little bit scared. He didn’t mind waiting to find out what the man
looked like as a wolf. He had never been very comfortable with wolves or
dogs after being bitten as a child. He still had the scar on his arm. He didn’t
want Luke to think that he was afraid of him. He knew that the wolves
could sense fear. But the fear was just of canines in general.
“Actually yeah. In my down time, I do tattoos. I like to draw and figure
things out. I’ve had to do tattoos for most of the shifter’s MC actually, they
really love my art. They feel like it’s raw and tribal and it reminds them of
what it really means to be a wolf shifter. A lot of the new generation of
shifters have been begging me for tattoos, but they don’t understand the
spirit of the pack, so I haven’t given them any. That’s part of the reason why
that guy who was after you, Bruce, was so mad at both of us. He’s been
wanting a tattoo for the longest time, one of mine, but since I refuse he’s
had to settle for a random human giving him his. It pisses him off.
Especially because they know I’m right when I told them that they are
screwing up what we should be standing for. And everybody knows I don’t
keep my opinions to myself.”
“That’s really brave of you,” Greg said, grinning shyly. He really admired
the kind of people who were able to speak their mind without being afraid
of what other people would think. Luke was clearly that kind of man, and
he felt proud to be able to be speaking with him and holding his attention
for so long. He knew that a lot of the time, people who only cared about
their own values were dismissive of other people if they did not seem to
share them. He wasn’t sure what Luke saw in him, but he was glad that
there was something.
“It’s not brave,” Luke said scoffing. “It’s just what a man should do. He
should speak his mind and mean what he says. He should learn what he
stands for and where he comes from and learn how he can keep up the
traditions of the past that made it possible for him to be who he is in the
present. It’s pretty simple if you ask me.”
“I guess I never thought of it that way,” Greg said, looking down at the
ground, a little bit embarrassed.
“Well happy to enlighten you,” Luke said with a chuckle.
“I’ve been having to hide who I am for a long time. My family never would
have accepted it if I was gay. I didn’t have the courage to come out until I
was successful in all the ways they thought I should be. I moved to the city
where nobody knew who I was and where my family couldn’t find me, and
I got that job with my cousin. By the time I finally could afford that condo
with my ex, I felt like it was okay to be honest. But it was still hard. It’s
hard to admit it but my whole life has been a lie until now. Being with
you…this,” Greg gestured down to his swollen belly. “This is the only thing
that has ever fell sincere.”
Greg cut himself off, afraid that he had said too much. It would sound weird
if he told Luke how he was feeling. However, since he had laid eyes on the
man, he had felt a strong pull to spend his time with him. And he thought it
was strange how he had felt immediately a safe and comfortable feeling in
the man’s presence. Those were the kinds of things he would normally hide.
But Luke seemed to demand total honesty. The kind that most people never
were able to admit to. And if they did, they would have to hold their breath
and hope for the best.
“Well I’m really glad to hear that Greg,” Luke said, grinning at him. He
stood and began pulling things out from the backpack. Greg watched as he
set to work unpacking, and then quickly built a fire again to get ready for
dinner. When that was done he started to set up the tents. Greg watched
him, rising once from his seat to see what he could do. But Luke wouldn’t
have any of it.
“You sit on down and let me take care of this. I don’t want anything
happening to you because I wasn’t a gentleman. If you’re gonna have my
pup, I might as well accommodate you right? Now seriously, just relax and
let me show you how this is done. You don’t come across to me as the type
who went camping very much as a kid and you’re gonna need to have all
the pointers you can get if that’s the case.”
Greg last. Although he was embarrassed that Luke was right, he was also
flattered by the attention and Luke’s willingness to show him the ropes. He
didn’t treat him like he was stupid for not knowing things. Instead, he
explained the commonly and generously until he had the right idea. Most of
the time, people looked down on him if he wasn’t exactly the way they
thought he should be, but Luke was nothing like that. He accepted them for
exactly how he was. Every second he spent the man became more intense
and powerful than the last. How had he never known anybody so amazing
before? He had been missing out.
Finally, once camp was set up, Luke sat down beside Greg.
“Are you hungry?”
“Not yet,” Greg said. He had been feeling a little bit nauseated actually,
especially after admitting to Luke that his entire life had been a lie and that
the only sincere thing he had ever felt was what he had experienced in his
brief time with Luke.
“Are you feeling all right?”
“I should probably tell you that I’m scared of dogs,” Greg blurted.
What was quiet for a moment and then he burst out laughing.
“Well I don’t mean to sound insensitive,” Luke said, wiping a tear from his
eye. “But as the parent of a pup, that’s going to be pretty difficult for you.”
“I know,” Greg said miserably. Luke last again, a hearty belly laugh that
started to make Greg feel embarrassed again.
“What’s so funny?” Greg asked.
“It’s not funny. It just seems silly to me that you’re even willing to be out
here in the woods with a wolf shifter and pregnant with my pup when
you’re afraid of dogs. We are more dog than dog you know. We are wolves.
I guess you’re in the wrong place, kid.”
Luke slapped Greg on the back and stood.
“It’s not like that. I mean I can still be around them, I just wanted you to
know that if I get scared, it’s not because I don’t trust you. That’s all.”
Greg lowered his eyes to the ground, his face burning with embarrassment
and misery. Luke seemed surprised by the revelation and raised his
eyebrows. He took Greg by the shoulders and brought him into a warm
embrace.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or something. I just find it
funny whenever people are afraid of dogs. Were the most loyal and
kindhearted creatures on the planet if you don’t mistreat us. It’s just that
there are a lot of people out there who mistreat us. You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know. On the one that attacked me had probably been mistreated
by somebody somewhere down the line. It just left me a little bit scared,
that’s all. I can still be a parent. I mean I think so. All of this is so strange
and confusing. I’m not really sure what I’m doing.”
“Well you don’t have to worry about that. I’m going to be here for you
every step of the way, all right?”
Luke smiled down at Greg, and Greg instantly felt himself relaxing.
“All right,” he said.
Chapter 10
A few hours later, after they had eaten dinner, Greg and Luke sat beside the
fire together talking in hushed tones. It seemed like nature had chosen to
quiet down for the night, and both of them lowered their voices to
accommodate her while she slept. Greg had never been camping before, and
was surprised by how soothing it was to be outside under the stars. He had
always assumed that it would be scary to be deep within the woods, but he
felt safe with Luke, and nothing that would have normally scared him about
being in the woods at night was bothering him anymore.
“You know, even if we part ways, I want you to know that you can come to
me if you need anything at all,” Luke said. “I’ve been around on this earth
for quite a while now, so I’ve got ways to get what I want and what I need.
So don’t hesitate all right? I know we don’t know each other that well, but I
want you to realize that you’re taking care of now. You’ve got me on your
side. And unless you do something to change that, that’s the way it will
always be.”
“Loyal to a fault,” Greg said softly. He didn’t want to do anything to change
the way that Luke felt about him. It was scary to consider that he might be
able to ruin their relationship somehow. He couldn’t imagine going back to
his normal life, sleeping in Marty’s apartment and raising a wolf shifter
child. Now that he had gotten a taste of life with the shifter, he wasn’t sure
that anything else would ever do. But wasn’t he moving too fast?
“I don’t think that is such a thing as faulty loyalty. If you care about
somebody, you stick with them until the end. You know? Anything else
isn’t real. There’s no point in committing to somebody on this is going to go
all the way.”
“What if we went all the way?” Greg blurted. Since Luke seems to care so
much about honesty and loyalty, he might as well be out with what he was
thinking. Most normal people would think it was crazy talk, thinking about
all of this strange ways that things could go wrong, but Greg and Luke had
such an odd and powerful connection that maybe it wouldn’t seem so
strange after all.
“You mean what if we mated for life?” Luke asked, studying Greg
seriously. From the looks of things, it seemed as if Luke himself had been
considering this question as well. It wasn’t surprising.
“Yeah, what if we mated for life?” Greg said softly, holding Luke’s eyes.
They were both serious now, and considering the weight of what they were
talking about.
“Well I don’t think that’s something we should be talking about until you
have been able to see me in my wolf form,” Luke said, casting his eyes to
the ground thoughtfully. “I don’t want you to start deluding yourself with
these fun ideas that seem like it would be easy for you when in reality,
you’re not going to be able to handle me for who I am. That’s why I have
been single this long as it is. Nobody wants to handle me for who I am. And
I’m not going to apologize or make any compromises. The way I am works
for me and that’s just how it’s going to be.”
“That sounds fair,” Greg said, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. He
had never seen anybody actually shifted to a wolf before. There were videos
of it on the Internet that he had seen once or twice, but he knew that it was
nothing compared to witnessing the real thing. And he had never seen
anybody shift back into their human form either. All of this was really new
to him. Maybe if he had been able to talk to his friend before any of this
happened, she would’ve been a little more prepared. But he had gotten
himself into this, and now he would just have to see it through.
Luke stood up and walked slowly toward Greg, his eyes glimmering in the
firelight.
“Not going to do this, and I don’t want to scare you. Do you understand? I
won’t hurt you. Even if you get scared. And if you are too scared, you just
say so. I will understand and I will come right back to you as a human. And
then, maybe if you can handle me as a wolf, we can talk about mating for
life and what that might mean to both of us. Because right now in your
head, as far as I’m concerned that’s a fairytale. And I would take it seriously
only when you know who I am.”
“But if I could handle you?” Greg asked, his heart pounding anxiously in
his chest. “Would you want to be with me?”
Luke answered with a wry smile and then immediately began his
transformation. Greg’s mouth went dry as the man began to shrink and
sprout hair. His muscles reorganized themselves, and a warm, pulsating
energy radiated from his body as he changed. It must’ve taken a lot of
energy for his body to be able to completely shape shift into something else,
and Greg had never considered what it might feel like to be somebody
witnessing another person’s transformation. It was almost erotic in a way as
Luke’s clothes melted away and the hot energy brought goosebumps to
Greg’s flesh.
Finally, a huge flash of light blinded Greg temporarily for a moment. When
he could see again, standing before him was a gorgeous silver wolf. The
wolf’s blue eyes stared into Greg’s, and he knew immediately that he loved
the man in front of him. There was no fear in his heart. Only excitement and
awe. Greg had never seen a creature so beautiful and flawless before. Luke
seemed to be able to sense Greg’s reaction and took a tentative step forward
before nuzzling Greg’s hand. Greg rested his forehead against the wolf’s,
and the wolf’s face broke into a huge, goofy smile. It stood, wagging its tail
for a moment before it turned on his heel and ran with all of its speed into
the woods.
***
About 15 minutes later, the wolf returned from the woods. Greg’s heart
thudded in excitement upon hearing the muted footfalls of the wolf’s pads
hitting the leafy ground. He was happy to see it emerge from the darkness,
and when it stopped in front of him Greg smiled.
“I missed you,” he said.
The smile returns to the wolf’s face and then suddenly Greg was blinded by
another flash of light. The transformation began again and soon Greg was
blinking hard as the warm strength of Luke’s hand took his. He was
shocked, but pleasantly, to see that Luke was completely naked in front of
him. The clothes had not magically reemerged on his body and were still
laying in a pile beside the space where he had transformed. He wasn’t sure
why he hadn’t expected Luke to be naked when he shapeshifted back into
his human form, but the combination of the erotic energy that was omitted
during the transformation and the sites of Luke’s perfect body exposed right
before him immediately made Greg grow hard.
Without saying a word, Greg pulled Luke toward him by the waist and
envelopes the man’s cock with his hot mouth. Luke moaned in surprise and
pleasure as Greg sucked him deeply and gently, coaxing him to grow hard
in his mouth. Luke started to pull off Greg’s shirt and Greg stood up so that
they could kiss.
Luke’s body was glowing golden in the firelight, and Greg had never seen
anybody look so perfect before. He moaned when Luke’s calloused hands
made their way into his jeans and gripped his swollen shaft, squeezing it
and stroking it. Every stroke sent thrills of pleasure up and down Greg’s
body. Greg moaned deeply as they pleasured each other, until finally both
men were fully nude.
Luke lifted Greg and pinned him against a tree, kissing him fervently on the
neck and down his back. Greg moaned deeply when Luke gripped Greg’s
cock in his hand and squeezed him tightly as Luke rubbed his swollen shaft
against Greg’s ass cheeks.
“How’s that feel?” Luke’s deep voice rumbled into Greg’s ear, sending
another thrill throughout Greg’s whole body.
They writhed against each other until Greg could no longer hold back his
orgasm. He came hard into Luke’s hand, and soon Luke loosened his grip
on Greg’s shaft. He used the semen in his hand to wet his erection,
lubricating himself so that he could press the hot head of his penis into
Greg’s opening.
Greg hissed in a sweet combination of pain and pleasure as Luke started
thrusting into him, stuffing himself fully inside. It made him instantly hard
again and Luke stroked Greg as Greg bent himself over for Luke, shivers of
pleasure causing him to tremble against the tree where he was steadying
himself. Luke uttered a deep moan of pleasure as Greg’s body enveloped
him again and again, and he picked up his pace, his every thrust hot and
desperate for release.
Greg tensed up as he felt himself close to the verge of cumming again. Luke
seemed to sense this but he wasn’t ready to finish so he slowed his hips,
bringing tantalizing shivers of desire quaking through Greg’s body. But it
seemed to be too much for Luke to handle, and soon he was back to his
urgent thrusting, expertly pleasuring Greg as he took pleasure for himself at
the same time.
He stopped suddenly and Greg felt the man’s massive cock trembling inside
of him, and a small burst of hot semen flooded his hole. It was a little anti-
climactic and Greg was confused for a moment, until suddenly Luke began
rocking his body hard against him, jamming his cock deeper and harder
than he had ever been penetrated in his life. With every thrust Luke
unleashed another powerful torrent of cum until Greg couldn’t handle
anymore. His body was on fire and he began shooting his load into Luke’s
hand.
They came together, wave after wave of hot pleasure erupting inside Greg,
until finally both men were completely finished and Luke pulled himself
out. They collapsed into each other panting heavily. Luke was the first to
stand up straight. He took Greg by the hands and helped him to his feet,
then walked briskly to the tent and pulled the sleeping bags outside beside
the fire.
“Let’s lay under the stars for a while,” Luke said softly, helping Greg to
lower himself carefully onto the sleeping bag. They fell asleep with their
arms draped over each other, Greg’s head against Luke’s broad chest. He
had never had such an easy time falling asleep before, and decided
immediately that he loved to sleep under the stars.
Chapter 11
They spent the rest of the week camped out together, getting to know one
another intimately. Every day they would eat breakfast together, then Luke
would shift and go for a run in his wolf form. Greg would tidy up the camp
site and sip on the special drink that Luke had prepared for him to help the
pup’s development. It also had an unexpected effect on Greg. His wolf-like
senses became even more acute, and soon he and Luke were able to
communicate with their silences just as easily as they did through verbal
words.
Luke was slightly surprised but mostly pleased by the development, only
showing concern when Greg would become anxious because of sensing
other animals in the vicinity. Luke began prowling around the camp
regularly in his wolf form and he was able to comfort Greg. Eventually they
came to the last day of the camping trip. Greg was getting really pregnant
and Luke decided it was time to make sure that he was comfortable in a
good, safe environment. While they were both enamored with the woods, a
terrible downpour quickly helped them both realize that it wasn’t feasible
for Greg to stay there in his condition. Maybe if he had been born a wolf
shifter it would have been all right, but if he got sick while pregnant, the
pups would be at risk, especially in this stage of their development.
Luke beckoned Greg not long after and they moved together through the
wilderness, heading back toward the house. When they approached the back
yard however, Luke stopped abruptly.
“Luke?”
“Shh!” Luke snapped. Greg recoiled, deeply hurt by the man’s quick
reprimand.
““You don’t have to snap.”
“Yeah, old man, don’t need to wound the poor widdle baby, do you?”
Bruce’s cruel voice wafted toward them and he emerged from the shadows.
Greg gasped. He hadn’t expected to ever see the man again, but Luke didn’t
seem to be quite as surprised.
“Get out of here Bruce, if you know what’s good for you.”
Bruce ignored Luke and walked toward Greg, sneering.
“Looks like you got a widdle pwoblem,” Bruce continued. “Babies having
babies, what a world we live in.”
“Shut the hell up!” Luke growled, putting himself between the Greg and
Bruce. “I told you to leave.”
“Not likely old man!” Bruce exclaimed. “I told you I would have my
revenge and that’s what I’m going to do. I’ve been waiting to get the jump
on you. Didn’t realize the two of you would get along so well. Guess baby
found a daddy after all.”
Bruce advanced once again toward Greg, reaching his hand out toward his
belly. That seemed to be the last straw for Luke, who snarled viciously and
immediately began the stunning transformation from man to wolf. Bruce
seemed surprised, but pleased, and a smug smile curled his lips.
Greg was terrified. He knew why Bruce looked so confident. Luke was an
older man, and although it meant he was worldly and experienced, just like
everything in nature it could also mean that he wasn’t likely to maintain the
same amount of strength that he had when he was younger. Besides, after
spending so long in the woods waiting on Greg hand and foot, the old man
was probably tired out and ready for some rest and relaxation.
Unfortunately, it seemed that Bruce had other plans, and was thrilled by the
challenge. He shapeshifted into his wolf form – a black, mangy looking
thing that Greg could smell from where he was standing – as Luke
crouched, baring his fangs at Bruce and growling ominously.
“Don’t fight,” Greg whispered, his voice wavering. If anything happened to
Luke, he didn’t know what he would do. Luke appeared not to hear him and
continued to bristle, until finally, Bruce seemed unable to wait any longer
and pounced.
Luke met him in the air, as fast as lightning, and knocked the black wolf
onto the ground with a sickening thud. He didn’t stay down long though,
and reared his head, biting Luke’s muzzle as he righted himself back onto
his four legs. Greg flinched at the sight of blood on Luke’s face, but soon
the action was picking up again and Luke was flinging Bruce onto the
ground, intimidating him with his size and muscle.
Bruce was still for a moment and Greg almost let himself sigh in relief.
However, it seemed to be just a ruse. When Luke began to lower his guard,
Bruce got up once again and attacked him from behind, sinking his teeth
deeply into Luke’s neck. A heart-wrenching whimper escaped the silver
wolf’s lips and Greg started to run toward them. Luke whipped his head
toward Greg and snarled ferociously, enough to keep Greg frozen in place
as he regained the upper hand with Bruce.
Greg had no idea what to expect from Luke. The man had everything under
control so often, but there was an unmistakable frailty he thought of when
he envisioned older men. However, this ridiculous notion seemed to shatter
as Luke’s lithe body leaped on top of Bruce and attacked him so savagely
that the man was no longer able to hold onto his wolf form any longer.
He lay naked, trembling, and bleeding on the ground as Luke panted over
him, his eyes fierce and serious as he waited for Bruce to crawl out of his
lawn. Apparently he wasn’t going fast enough because he nipped at Bruce’s
ankles. The man yelped and hurried to his bike, pulling on a pair of
sweatpants and riding away, his shoulders quaking with sobs of pain.
Greg was watching him go and was startled when Luke’s voice, clear and
plain as day, came from behind him.
“You all right?”
“Of course! Are you?”
“Trust me boy, that fight was nothing.”
Greg narrowed his eyes at Luke.
“Then why is your nose bleeding?”
Luke laughed heartily.
“My nose?” he asked incredulously. “Did you even see the other guy?”
“Well…” Greg pouted. “I guess I was worried about you.”
“Oh please,” Luke laughed, coming directly in front of Greg, in all his
naked wonder and putting his hands on Greg’s shoulders. “Just because you
think I’m older than dirt doesn’t mean I can’t hold my own. I’ve been
fighting bruisers like this my whole life. They’re nothing but fluff. And
besides, he knows he’s no alpha now. It’s worth it to see them run off with
their tails between their legs. Means he’ll think twice before flaunting any
of his power from now on. Especially when it comes to you and our pup.
That’s what matters.”
Luke pulled Greg into a tight embrace and Greg gasped at the feeling of
Luke’s hard cock against his leg. The fight had clearly worked him up and
the adrenaline was still coursing through the man’s body. Before Greg could
comment, however, Luke kissed him hotly on the mouth, and their bodies
began to do all the talking that needed to be done.
Luke lifted Greg easily and pushed him as hard. Greg gasped, exhilarated
and aroused by the masculine display. Luke’s blue eyes bore into his as he
stripped Greg slowly, rubbing his thighs tantalizingly against Greg’s body.
The urgent press of Luke’s throbbing member nearly brought tears of
longing to Greg’s eyes. The desire welled up within him and they kissed
again deeply as Luke finally succeeded in pulling Greg’s dick out of his
jeans.
Luke knelt down in front of him and took the head of Greg’s cock into his
mouth. The feeling of the man’s prickly beard heightened Greg’s pleasure
as Luke began submerging Greg’s shaft deeper into his mouth. They both
groaned in bliss as Greg hardened, close to bursting in Luke’s hot cavern.
Suddenly, Greg was flipped around, his hands steadying himself as Luke
took the position behind him, holding his dick firmly in his hand and
pressing the head of his shaft against Greg’s ass.
Greg groaned deeply in pleasure as Luke rocked his hips slowly, on the
verge of pushing himself inside. Soon, the tip disappeared into Greg’s ass
and they both hissed in pleasure. Luke grabbed Greg’s cock and stroked it
up and down firmly. It was enough to make Greg’s dick weep with pleasure,
and soon Luke’s hand was filled with cum. He rubbed it on his own cock
for lubrication and kissed up and down Greg’s neck and back, sending
thrills of desire and pleasure up and down the man’s body.
Greg shuddered in pleasure, and at that exact moment Luke chose to shove
himself fully inside. Greg gasped at the unexpected pleasure and bucked his
hips back. Luke grunted as he began to coax his cock as deeply as he could
inside of Greg. Greg was already hard again, which seemed shocking so
soon after an orgasm. But Luke wasn’t done with him yet.
He held Greg by the shoulders, hammering as hard as he could into him.
“You okay?” Luke’s deep voice rumbled into Greg’s ear, sending another
deep thrill of pleasure through him.
“Perfect,” Greg whispered. “Don’t stop.”
Greg could feel Luke’s lips curl into a grin and suddenly his cock was
submerged once again by the heat of Luke’s hands. He expertly tugged and
pulled at Greg’s shaft until his whole cock was swollen and red, his face
contorted with pleasure.
“I’m not gonna go easy on you, boy,” Luke warned.
“Good,” Greg breathed. “Don’t.”
“I’ve been waiting for someone who could accept me as I am you know.
Not hold me back. Can you do it?”
Greg was quiet for a moment.
“Can you do it?” Luke insisted, his voice louder. Demanding.
“Yes.”
“We’ll see.”
Greg cried out loud in pleasure as his senses were suddenly hijacked by the
deepest pleasure he had ever experienced in his life. Luke’s body had
somehow become even more powerful and intoxicating than ever before.
He was radiating the same sensual and erotic energy that Greg had felt
before, only now he was pure human in his rawest form.
The sexual energy was almost tangible, and Greg gripped the side of the
house as hard as he could to keep himself upright as Luke unleashed his full
power into his body. Every drag of Luke’s cock brought a massive surge of
bliss that shocked Greg’s senses and electrified him. Finally, as soon as he
was sure he couldn’t take a second longer, the dam was breached and Luke
unleashed an orgasm unlike anything Greg had ever felt in his life. The
explosion of cum flooded Greg’s body and seemed to shoot straight through
him and out of his own cock. The wall of the house was covered in a hot
gush of Greg’s semen as Luke continued to rock his body, bringing him
quake after quake of earth-shattering bliss.
Luke thrusted until every last drop of his explosive orgasm was emptied
into Greg’s body, and didn’t stop until he felt Greg go limp in his hand. He
pulled out, their bodies glistening with sweat and cum. Luke pulled Greg
into an exhausted hug and kissed him on the head.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go home.”
Epilogue
“Honey, it’s time!”
Luke popped his head into the bedroom. It had been a month since the
intense fight that had secured Luke’s place as the alpha in the city, and Greg
was more pregnant than ever. Now that he was finally ready to give birth
though, all the composure and control that was usually on Luke’s face had
melted into a surprised panic.
“Now? Are you sure?”
Greg nodded solemnly. He had been propped up on the bed reading when
he’d felt the first contraction. He hadn’t known what it was so he’d ignored
it. Now though, there was no ignoring it any longer. Especially not now that
his water had broken.
“Get over here and help me birth our pup,” Greg said, grinning. “Remember
what your sister did. Breathe sweetheart. It will be fine.”
“Look at you, telling me to breathe,” Luke said, coming shakily into the
room. He was laughing but his eyes were serious and scared.
“Don’t worry, just stay calm and try to remember how it’s done.”
“Of course! I know what I’m doin’,” Luke said, finally getting back in
control after a deep, shaky breath.
After a couple of hours of panting, sweating, and a little bit of screaming in
agony, Luke and Greg’s glistening faces both broke into smiles as a tiny
wail suddenly filled the room. Luke looked over Greg’s legs at him
beaming.
“It’s a – “
Before he could finish, Greg bellowed again as another contraction
overwhelmed him.
“What the…”
Another tiny wail began to join the other and Luke and Greg exchanged
bewildered looks.
“Twins,” Luke breathed, standing up, holding one in each arm. “You ain’t
got another one in there do you? Cuz I’d need a third arm to do that safely.”
Greg laughed.
“No,” he said. Somehow he just knew that there were just two. Somehow he
had always known it.
Luke beamed and lowered the pups into Greg’s arms. Greg held them
closely and melted into Luke’s warm embrace. The pups were beautiful,
one boy, white with blue eyes, and one girl, brindle with amber eyes.
“Let’s call them Nero and Aliyah,” Luke suggested, nuzzling the pups.
They nuzzled back and Greg’s heart felt completely full. He had the most
amazing family in the world and he would never go back to the life he’d
had before, even if it killed him.
“That sounds perfect,” he said. Their family was official, and together they
would begin a new journey.
THE END

Dire Wolf
Chapter 1
Bronson Walker’s skin prickled as he watched the jerky movements of the
elder, wisps of sweet-smelling smoke filling his nostrils. He had to squint to
make out the figures behind the man in the dark. They were tall, covered in
black robes that melted into the skyline, and waving ceremonial censers
filled with burning incense as the elder carried out the ceremony.
“Alpha, Omega,” the figures chanted ominously.
Bronson felt electrified when the elder looked up to the sky and began to
howl, the old man’s body stuck in the painful state of transition. He was at
his truest form this way—part wolf, part man—and it had probably taken
him more years than Bronson had been alive to perfect this state of being.
Still, Bronson couldn’t help but wince. As all wolf-shifters knew, it was
excruciating to try to still the body in the throes of transition, and only men
with shamanic qualities had been able to perform rituals like this on
command.
“The issue arises,” the elder spoke, his voice other-worldly. He spoke
between a whisper and a growl, his voice commanding as it rang through
the mountains of Montana to address his pack. “The Alpha must mate.”
All eyes turned to Bronson, a figure of virility and hope to his tired pack. It
shamed him that he hadn’t been able to produce an heir that would keep his
pack alive, but it wasn’t as if anybody blamed him for it. Nobody could
help that all of the women of his pack had been killed by mountain lion
shifters. They’d been picked off gradually, one or two at a time. By the time
the pack had realized the mountain lion shifters had been doing it as part of
a plan, it had been too late.
“There is hope,” the elder said, his eyes turned to the moon and voice
distant. “But it is not a great hope. Great Alphas over time have been able to
mate with hybrids, and produce offspring that can keep our pack alive.”
“Hybrids?” Bronson asked. He had never heard of such a thing. The
attention of the pack turned from Bronson back to the elder, who continued
speaking as if he hadn’t heard Bronson. In the trance state, it was possible
that he hadn’t.
“The women who were lost to us were not our only hope. However, chances
of a sacred union occurring are slim. I’ve lived many hundreds of years and
have not seen this happen in my lifetime. But the elder before me lived
under just such an Alpha as a young boy.”
A stunned silence brought all eyes back to Bronson. He felt like he should
be offering his men some kind of hope, but he couldn’t bring himself to
speak.
“We must find the hybrid fated to mate with our Alpha to protect the pack.
They exist, surely, and it is up to us to bring them here. The Dire Wolves
will rise again!”
The pack looked to the sky and unleashed powerful howls in unison. It
brought Bronson to his feet and filled him with a new determination. The
pack had suffered a tragic loss, and it was up to him to hold it together and
bring his pack back to greatness. It was quite the challenge, but challenges
were what the Alphas were made for.
Chapter 2
“Why do you have to move so far away?”
The voice of Hunter Lewis’ mother came through the speaker phone as he
drove through the scenic Montana roads. His heart constricted painfully,
both from the reality of leaving his family behind, despite their rocky
history together, and the memories the mountains were stirring in his mind.
“You already know why,” Hunter said, trying to sidestep the issue.
“Honey, living in the mountains isn’t going to bring Tyler back,” his mom
said.
At the sound of his partner’s name, Hunter’s eyes filled with tears.
“I know that! Don’t you think I know that? I know he’s not going to come
back to life or anything, but being here just… I don’t know, I need to feel
closer to him.”
“In the place he died, honey? Don’t you think that’s a little bit morbid?”
His mother’s voice was gentle and concerned, but Hunter couldn’t help but
feel furious at her for broaching the painful subject. It had been almost a
year since Tyler had been attacked at their campsite by a mysterious animal
that had disappeared as quickly as it came. By the time Hunter had made it
back from the convenience store with the hotdogs, Tyler was dying and
there was nothing more that could be done.
“He loved it out here,” Hunter said, trying to keep his voice as even as
possible. “These mountains…this sky…these were the last things he saw.
It’s the last place he ever took a breath. I just need to be close by. I can’t
explain it.”
“Well honey, I hope this is for the best. I wish you would have finished out
that therapy you were doing. It seemed to—”
“I’ve got to go, Ma. I’m sorry. I can’t really talk about this anymore. I’m
driving.”
Hunter’s mom hesitated, and for a moment he was afraid she was going to
continue to pursue the subject.
“All right honey, I’m sorry. I love you. Keep in touch.”
“Sure, Ma, of course. Love you.”
Hunter picked the phone up off the seat and hung it up, throwing it back
onto the seat a little more violently than he meant to. Why did everybody
think they had a right to tell him how to grieve? His mom had never even
acknowledged Tyler as an important part of Hunter’s life until the funeral.
Sure, he wasn’t sure what he would have done with himself without her, but
hearing her say Tyler’s name just filled him with rage. Homophobia had
been more important than embracing her future son-in-law, and that was
part of the reason he’d chosen to move far away from everything he knew
and make the mountains where Tyler had proposed to him his new home.
Hunter had felt happier and more alive here than he ever had anywhere else.
A road sign appeared in the distance, and Tyler had to squint against the
light to make it out. There was a fork in the road. The name of the
campground he had spent Tyler’s last days in was on one side, while a town
he had never heard of was on the other. He hesitated.
A few weeks ago, Hunter had made a reservation at the campsite, thinking
he could stay out in the wilderness while he looked for somewhere more
permanent. He had more than enough money to survive for a while,
especially after selling the condo he and Tyler had shared for the last three
years. But now that the name of the campsite was right in front of him,
Hunter wasn’t sure he could go through with it. Visiting the place where he
had experienced the single most traumatizing moment of his life suddenly
felt like a mistake. He just wasn’t ready yet.
Without any further thought, Hunter put his foot on the gas pedal and
turned, leaving the memories of the campsite behind. He would find a hotel
or something in this nowhere little town coming up. That would have to be
close enough. At least for now.
Chapter 3
“Missed you at Fangz last night, B,” a gravelly voice said from behind the
lat machine.
Bronson let the weights fall and stretched, composing himself before
turning to face Lance.
“Yeah,” Bronson said noncommittally. When he was a teenager, he’d had
the biggest crush on Lance. It had been powerful and consuming for a
while, but he had never been sure if it was okay for him to feel that way. It
had always been clear that Bronson was an Alpha, but submitting to lusts of
this caliber had never been addressed by any of the older, more experienced
pack members before.
“I get it though,” Lance said, peeling off his tight tank top and revealing his
perfect abdomen. He was getting ready to work out beside Bronson.
Bronson averted his eyes skillfully by toweling his face off. If he looked
away from Lance’s gaze outright, it would make him appear submissive.
“The elders really need you now. I guess it’s time for us to step up our
game.”
“Yeah,” Bronson replied. He really didn’t feel like talking about this right
now. Especially not with Lance. Lance had been an unattainable dream in
his youth, the kind of mate Bronson actually wanted to have. In a small,
perverse way, he was almost relieved that he wouldn’t have to choose one
of the females to mate with. Not that he was glad they had all been killed, of
course; that had been a horrible tragedy and he mourned their loss as the
entire pack did. It was just that he had always been more sexually attracted
to men, and mating had always been a subject of dread for him.
“You should drop by tonight though,” Lance said. “The guys and I are
trying to come up with a plan. You know. To sniff out the hybrids and bring
them here. It’s our last shot. We have a lot of planning to do.”
Bronson nodded. “I’ll be there.”
He could feel Lance’s eyes on him as he turned his back and walked away.
The other men in the pack were always watching him. How would Lance
feel if he’d known that a secret, terrible, jealous part of Bronson had been
slightly satisfied at discovering that the female Lance had chosen to mate
with had been murdered by the mountain lion shifters? He was too ashamed
of himself for that perverse pleasure to even look the man in the eyes
anymore.
But that was what an Alpha was like, Bronson supposed. Competitive. They
played to win. He couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of himself in the wall-
length mirrors of the gym as he moved toward the locker room to shower.
His form was impressive, intimidating, and his eyes and hair were as dark
as the black fur that covered him when he shifted into his wolf form. He
was built to conquer and take no casualties.
If he was made to be a winner, then why did it feel as though he was always
losing? He’d lost Lance to the female Lance had chosen as a mate. And
then, when she’d been murdered, his envy had turned into a sick sort of
relief that consumed him with guilt and kept him from even fully being
Lance’s friend, much less anything more.
The dark thoughts melted away as Bronson lathered his taut muscles in the
shower. He winced as he ran his hand over his ribs, and gazed down at the
dark purple bruise that was forming. Another mountain lion shifter attack
had happened after the ceremony. They must have smelled the incense and
come in for the kill.
“Done already?” a young man from the pack asked him. His name was
Jameson, and his eyes always seemed to linger on Bronson a little too long.
In a way, it was exciting to know other men in the pack might have sexual
yearnings similar to his own, and Jameson and Bronson had taken to a
casual, almost flirtatious, alliance.
“I have to take it easy today,” Bronson said, smoothing his hand over the
firm ripple of his abdomen. Jameson’s eyes glittered at the invitation to look
at Bronson’s powerful body, but his eyebrows quickly knitted when he
noticed the Alpha’s injury.
“Ah, on the mend,” he said. “Take care then.”
Jameson walked away, slinging his towel over a broad shoulder. Bronson
allowed himself to soak in Jameson’s confident masculinity from his
vantage point. Vague tendrils of longing filled him, but he pushed them
away. Now wasn’t the time to indulge in fantasy. He had something to
finish.
Bronson stood and stretched, taking a deep, gratifying inhale. He always
felt a little sore after a workout, but it was a feeling that he had come to
relish. He felt alive, and a deep desire to protect the pack drove him
forward. Injured or not, he had to take charge.
Chapter 4
Night had fallen, and the road splayed ahead of Hunter was dark and
ominous. He couldn’t tell if it was creepy because he was so close to where
his partner had been attacked, or if there was something more sinister at
play. It was hard to put his finger on it. Whatever it was, all he really knew
was that he couldn’t shake the feeling of foreboding in his chest.
Hunter slammed on the brakes when suddenly, in his rearview mirror, he
saw three sets of shining yellow orbs behind him. They looked like eyes, set
deep in the faces of dark creatures he couldn’t quite make out. Could they
be the animals that had attacked Tyler?
Hunter felt a sudden, foolish surge of vengeance. He put his car in park and,
with trembling hands, reached for his seatbelt. He fumbled with the latch,
blind with fury. He would get out and shoot every single one of them. He’d
murder them in cold blood the way they had murdered the man he loved.
He reached for the glove compartment, where he had safely tucked away
his father’s old revolver for safekeeping, but when he glanced back in the
rearview mirror, the orbs were gone. Hunter’s rage turned into blind panic,
and without a second thought, he whipped the car into drive and sped
forward, breaking out in a cold sweat. What the hell was going on?
The road was lonely out this way; he hadn’t seen another car drive past for
miles. He was too afraid to look back in case the beasts might be there,
ready and waiting to take him the way they had taken Tyler. Hunter was
somehow certain that there was something malicious about the attack,
something almost premeditated. He had gotten the same cold, fearful
feeling when Tyler had been killed that he had now, driving down this dark
road. For the second time in his life, Hunter asked himself if he believed in
evil.
Before he could answer himself, relief washed over him in waves as he
passed a sign claiming he was now within the city limits of Dire, Montana.
He would find a motel, something cheap and functional, and settle in.
Maybe once he dropped his bags off, he would go find somewhere that he
could have a drink to calm his nerves. It would be nice to be around other
people, even strangers. Especially after the bizarre experience he’d just had.
“Evenin’ son,” an elderly man with a full white goatee said to Hunter when
he stepped into the first building he saw—which was, unsurprisingly, a
motel. His voice was cheerful, but his face was grave. It somehow seemed
to suit the overall feeling of the town in general. The town was small,
maybe a little bit dingy, but it was well-placed among the mountains and the
humble atmosphere was quaint. Or it should have been. Instead, he felt
some sort of shadow hanging over the place. He tried to push the feeling of
foreboding away, telling himself it was just because Tyler had been
murdered so close to here.
“Hi,” Hunter said, surprised by how high-pitched his voice sounded in
comparison to the motel manager’s. He was still scared. “Do you have any
vacancies?”
“Sure do,” the manager said, his cheerful voice somehow contradicting the
stern look on his face. Hunter wasn’t sure the night could get any weirder.
“Just how long are you planning on staying?”
“Oh…I’m not sure. Is it possible to put me down for a month? I can pay up
front.”
“A month, eh?”
This time, the manager’s face was as surprised as his voice, and Hunter felt
oddly satisfied at being able to change the man’s tired expression.
“A month, sir.”
“I suppose that wouldn’t be a problem. Mind if I ask what you’re planning
on doing here during your stay? Most folks head to the campgrounds a few
miles back.”
Mention of the campground tied Hunter’s stomach in knots.
“I’m not sure what I’m doing, yet,” he admitted, just as much to himself as
to the motel manager. “I’m trying to figure that out.”
“Well, Dire is a good place,” the manager said, smiling decisively. “My
name’s Ed. Take this card. If you need anything, my number’s right there.”
“Thanks,” Hunter said, unable to keep a shy smile from parting his lips.
There was something strange about Ed—about the entire place. But if he
stayed on Ed’s good side, he might just get to like him.
“Here’s your key,” Ed said, sliding a key ring across the table to Hunter. “I
assume a one bedroom is good enough for you.”
“More than good enough,” Hunter said. He had been expecting just a single
room with a refrigerator and bed cramped side by side.
“It’s upstairs to the right,” Ed called as Hunter headed out the door to get
his belongings.
Hunter opened the trunk of his car and sighed as all of his worldly
possessions came into view. He could probably just do with bringing in the
essentials for now. At least until he’d had a shower. He slammed the trunk
closed and looked up at the clear, star-blazed sky. A town called Dire.
Nothing to worry about here.
Chapter 5
The forest was alive at night, and Bronson crept stealthily through the
foliage. He was following the trail the mountain lion shifters had left the
night before. He’d gained enough strength over the night to investigate and
now, he was certain, he was hot on their trail.
Bronson’s skin tightened as a surge of static made him shiver. A mountain
lion shifter was close. He would have to be careful. He was injured, and
they weren’t known to have mercy; especially on the Alphas of the wolf
shifter clan.
He stopped in his tracks, hoping to get a sense of where the shifter might
be. He had to get some answers. The fight that had happened between
himself and the mountain lion shifters the night of the ceremony had left
him feeling unsettled. They were getting bolder, and soon, he knew, they
would make their move. But it was his pack’s mission to protect the town of
Dire and the humans who dwelled there, and they wouldn’t abandon their
people.
“A week is all it should take,” Bronson heard the tweedy voice of a
mountain lion shifter say.
“They’re on their last legs,” another man sniggered. Bronson’s chest
constricted with a rage so painful it was almost impossible to hold back. But
this wasn’t an ambush, he reminded himself. It was reconnaissance.
“With the mutts out of the way, we’ll finally be able to take back the sacred
land,” the first shifter said. “It’s been far too long.”
“The blood of the humans who have desecrated the land there will rain
down as an offering to Bast. This will please the goddess.”
Bronson cringed as their laughter echoed in the darkness. The mountain lion
shifters started moving away, back toward the territory line that separated
them from the wolf shifters, and Bronson allowed himself to finally release
the breath he’d been holding.
So that’s what they were planning. If anything happened to Bronson’s pack,
the humans who lived in the town of Dire were going to be in grave danger.
Bronson knew the history of this place, all members of the pack were taught
it when they were young. He wasn’t sure how much of it he believed, but
the rumor was the mountain lions wanted the town because of a secret
source of power, a sacred spot near the town hall that had once been the
resting place of an ancient mural and the bones of the mountain lion’s deity,
Bast. There was supposed to be some kind of underground lair, a sacred
spring they said, that could give the mountain lion shifters supernatural
strength. If they were ever able to reach it, the town would return to them
and all the innocent people who lived there would be sacrificed.
Bronson wasn’t sure just how true the myths were. The wolf shifter packs
didn’t have a deity or any source of secret power, so he didn’t know if it
was possible for such a thing to exist. But it was real enough for the
mountain lion shifters, and their claim to the land was long-lasting and
vicious. When the humans had settled here, they’d quickly become a blight
the mountain lion clan wanted to wipe out as quickly as possible.
But the elders of the wolf pack that lived nearby had watched the humans
moving in. These were ancient wolf shifters, wise beyond their years, and
together, they’d decided that it was right to protect the oblivious humans
from the malicious cruelty of the mountain lion shifters, who saw anybody
outside their own kind to be a virus. They completely refused to try to
coexist with the humans as the wolves did. The mountain lion shifters felt
they were above it all, and turned a hateful eye to anybody who fell outside
of their expectations. Not to mention that supposed sacred spring.
Now it was time for Bronson to take the lead and continue the mission his
forefathers had started so many decades ago. But to do that, he would need
to get organized. It was time to head to Fangz.
***
“Where have you been?” Lance asked when Bronson finally walked
through the bar’s double doors.
“Nowhere,” Bronson said. His mind had been whirling ever since he’d
overheard the mountain lion shifters speaking, but he didn’t think he was
ready to let the rest of the pack in on what he’d heard. It wasn’t like it was a
huge secret that the mountain lion shifters wanted the pack out of the way,
but the new timeline was something Bronson had to really consider before
consulting the pack with a plan of action.
“You didn’t miss much,” Lance continued. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
One of the wolves at the bar pulled a stool out for Bronson. He paused for a
moment before he sat down, letting his dark eyes roam over the familiar
faces in the bar. He had a strange feeling; as if something big was about to
happen. It might just have been his nerves though. Eavesdropping on the
mountain lion shifters had given him a sense of foreboding and urgency.
They needed to protect the town at all costs.
“We’ve decided we’re going to take to the road and split up,” Lance began.
“We have to do something to find those hybrids the elder was talking about.
I’m sure we’ll be able to smell them if we get close enough. If we don’t go
now, it might be too late. We might not get another chance. Are you in?”
Lance’s dark blue eyes bored into Bronson’s. He could tell the pack had
been seriously considering the journey, but there was no way he could go,
not when he knew what the mountain lion shifters were planning. But it
might be just what was needed to protect the remaining wolf shifters from
the vengeful mountain lion clan.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Bronson said, trying to choose his words
carefully. He knew Lance was hoping to get his approval and lead them all
on a quest to reclaim the glory of the earlier years. But he couldn’t leave.
“You guys seem to have this all figured out, so why don’t you head out
tomorrow morning. I have to stay here and speak with the elders about a
few things first, and then with their approval I’ll head out on my own.”
The men around him looked crestfallen, and he knew they had probably
hoped he’d jump on board with no second thoughts. But he couldn’t leave
the human populations vulnerable. There was something that was bothering
him. Something he couldn’t quite place. It felt better to stick around and
figure out what it was, to consult the elders before his feeling of foreboding
translated into something even more sinister.
Everyone in the bar stopped speaking suddenly when the door creaked open
and a human that Bronson had ever seen before walked in. He knew
everyone in the town, so he knew instantly this was a traveler, a stranger to
Dire. Bronson’s heart thudded as he watched the handsome, golden-haired
man cross the room and sit down in a booth by himself, keeping his eyes
low to the ground. He was lean, with sharp features and intelligent silver-
blue eyes. The man’s hair looked like it was normally kept crisp and close
to his scalp, but right now it seemed unruly despite his best efforts to
smooth it to the side.
“Let’s get out of here,” Lance whispered. The rest of the pack agreed and
stood, waiting for Bronson to stand up and join them.
“I just got here. I’m going to have a drink first, but you guys go on ahead.
I’m sure you have a lot of planning to do.” Again, Bronson could tell that
Lance seemed to feel deflated by Bronson’s lack of enthusiasm and
Bronson sighed inwardly. “I think you guys are really on to something. I’m
proud to walk beside men like you.”
For the first time since Lance’s mate had died, Bronson held his gaze and
smiled approvingly. It seemed to reanimate Lance, and he straightened to
his full height.
“Let’s go guys,” he said, and led the rest of the pack out the door.
Chapter 6
The second Hunter walked through the double doors of the bar, he felt like
he had made a mistake. He was hit by a wall of cigarette smoke that stung
his eyes. When he blinked it away, he saw that the whole place was filled
with men that seemed five times his size, dressed in dark leather clothes. He
had inadvertently found himself in a biker bar.
He tried to keep his eyes on the ground, trying to remember an article he
had read once on avoiding confrontation, and slunk into a booth in the back
corner. They had all glared at him murderously, and he knew that one
wrong move could be his last. To his surprise, most of the men left not long
after Hunter arrived. All of them but one mysterious man with a pensive—
almost sexy—gaze who lingered behind. Hunter couldn’t fully see his face,
and he couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of him looked like.
“What do you drink?”
Hunter was surprised out of his thoughts by the voice of a middle-aged
waitress, who was looking down at him impatiently. She looked just as
brutal as the men who had just left, but there was something a little bit
gentler about her. As if she were more like him.
More like him? What was that supposed to mean? He shook the thought
away and answered.
“Got rum and coke?” he asked, trying to keep his eyes from settling on the
handsome stranger at the bar. The man’s jeans were sinfully tight, showing
off the gentle curve of his firm ass. He was wearing a black leather jacket,
and his hair was shoulder-length and dark. Hunter couldn’t make out any
features other than the man’s ruggedly stubbled cheeks, but for some reason
he was convinced that if the man turned around to face him, he would be
absolutely gorgeous.
“Of course,” she said. “You want one?”
Her voice was impatient and sarcastic, and Hunter nodded dumbly, looking
down at the table. He fingered a napkin as the waitress disappeared and
returned a few moments later with his drink. Hunter wasn’t sure if he
should thank her or if it would be viewed as a sign of weakness, so he gave
her a weak smile and brought the drink close to his body.
What the hell had he been thinking coming into this place? He might as
well have bought a bottle of whiskey at the gas station and gotten drunk
alone in his room. But he had been spending far too many nights doing that
since he’d lost Tyler.
The sudden memory of his loss combined with the immense stress of the
bizarre encounter on the road that night and the overwhelming feeling of
being in such an unwelcoming environment brought an involuntary sob
from deep inside Hunter. He was horrified at himself for showing weakness,
especially in a place like this. He probably wouldn’t be able to make it back
out to his car without getting beaten up. And it would be his own damn fault
if that happened. He never should have come here.
But it was too late for second thoughts now, and Hunter bowed his head
into the crook of his arm and allowed himself to hide his face as he cried.
There was no point in hiding it. He was overwhelmed and there was nothing
he could do about it. He almost looked forward to the inevitable beating he
was going to get when he left the place. He felt like a piece of shit.
Suddenly, he felt a heavy hand on one of his quaking shoulders and
Hunter’s chest constricted painfully. Apparently, the violence was going to
start earlier than he’d anticipated.
“Are you okay?”
Hunter was surprised enough to sit upright at the sound of the smooth but
masculine voice. He turned his eyes toward the man beside him and his
mouth immediately dried up. He felt like he was in a scene in a romantic
movie, faced with a man so attractive that he almost appeared otherworldly.
He couldn’t stop the thought that this was the sexiest man he had ever seen
in person, and was too stunned to speak. Fortunately, the stranger smiled
kindly and pulled his hand off Hunter’s shoulder.
“Nobody in here is going to hurt you, so you can relax.”
“How can you be so sure?” Hunter asked, stiffening up as the man took a
seat beside him in the booth. He begrudgingly scooted over until he was
sitting next to the wall. The man’s broad shoulder rested easily against
Hunter’s.
“Well for one, I’m the only guy in here right now,” the man said, smiling.
The playful gesture made his dark eyes twinkle mysteriously. “And
secondly, the guys in here do what I tell them to. So just trust me. Stay on
my good side, and as long as I’m around you’re safe. So what’s the
trouble?”
Hunter wasn’t sure he could trust this man, though every bone in his body
wanted to. Something about him seemed so kind and familiar. And yet one
look at him convinced him that if the guy wanted to, he could bite Hunter in
half and have him for dinner. Though what kind of person would do that?
It’s not like they were animals. Just men, sitting together in a bar.
“Don’t feel like talking about it huh?” the handsome stranger asked. “I get
that. The real problems… Well, there aren’t enough words for them.”
The man had taken the words right out of Hunter’s mouth. It was strange to
speak with someone who truly understood how he was feeling, without him
even having to say a word. There weren’t enough hours in the day for
Hunter to begin to describe what his relationship to Tyler had meant, no
way to express the nagging emotional strain he felt at having to justify
moving to Montana to his oblivious and homophobic mother. And the
incident out on the highway? Well, nobody would ever have believed him if
he’d tried to explain it anyway, so what was the point in finding the words
for it? Nobody was interested in him, and they wouldn’t ever truly
understand, no matter how hard he tried to explain. It was a relief that
someone out there could understand that.
“My name’s Bronson. Bronson Walker.”
He held out his big hand for Hunter to take. Hunter hesitated before
grabbing it and giving it a firm pump.
“I’m Hunter Lewis,” he said, trying to ignore the way Bronson’s strong
hand felt wrapped around his own. It was were warm and welcoming.
Different from Tyler’s, but similarly exciting. The comparison almost made
Hunter lose his meager dinner. Bronson must have noticed the change in his
facial expression because immediately let go.
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s just… I don’t know if I can really talk about that here.”
The atmosphere of the bar was unwelcoming. Hunter wasn’t sure he would
be able to talk about anything there, least of all something as personal as his
feelings concerning his late fiancé. It was hard enough to think about by
himself, let alone trying to explain his feelings to someone else. Someone
who’d never met Tyler and couldn’t possibly know what an amazing man
he had been. It almost made him angry to have to talk about it to people
who would never know what he’d lost.
“Something’s really bugging you. Seems like you could use some time
away from here,” Bronson said thoughtfully.
Hunter jumped in fear and surprise when Bronson slammed his fist onto the
table. At first, he thought Bronson was angry, but when he turned to face
Hunter, his face was brightened by a surprisingly handsome smile. Hunter
was dazzled for a few seconds and had to blink hard as Bronson spoke.
“I have a great idea. You’re going to love it. Follow me.”
Without another word, or even a look back to see if Hunter was doing as he
said—as if he was a man who was used to giving orders and expected full
obedience—Bronson headed out the door.
Chapter 7
Bronson sauntered out of the bar with confidence; he could tell Hunter was
walking close behind him. Just what he was doing, even speaking to this
guy, he had no idea. If anybody caught him fucking around with the
outsider, they would have a fit. He was supposed to be solving all of his
pack’s problems and getting in touch with the elders to let them know what
he had overheard when he was trailing the mountain lion shifters, not trying
to turn some pretty boy’s frown upside-down.
But it was none of their business what Bronson did. Besides that, the boy
was clearly scared as hell, and had been since he’d walked into the bar.
Something was up, and it was Bronson’s job to find out what. It could count
as one of his Alpha duties, couldn’t it? He wasn’t a total slacker after all. It
could mean trouble from the mountain lion pack. But if the boy wasn’t
going to talk about it in the bar, he would just have to make him more
comfortable.
“You ever been on a motorcycle before?”
Hunter paused, his face frozen like a deer in headlights. He certainly didn’t
look the type to have been on a motorcycle before, and Bronson had to bite
his tongue so he wouldn’t say what he was thinking out loud.
“No…not really.”
“Not really?” Bronson asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, there was this one time on a carousel…” Hunter trailed off. If it
wasn’t so dark, Bronson was sure he would be able to see a bright red glow
around the boy’s cheeks. It was kind of cute.
“Well no better time than tonight. Look at the moon.”
Hunter’s silver-blue eyes followed the swift arch of Bronson’s arm as he
pointed up into the sky, and widened when he saw the beautiful night. There
was a meteor shower due for some time that night, and Bronson had been
hoping to catch it.
“Wow,” Hunter breathed.
“Are you going to get on my bike or not?” Bronson asked. He couldn’t help
the commanding tone in his voice. It made him feel kind of bad, knowing a
boy like Hunter would probably have a hard time resisting his Alpha
tendencies. But his curiosity won out over his guilt.
“I…” Hunter pursed his lips before finally blurting out what was on his
mind. “I don’t feel comfortable with that. I don’t know you. I don’t know
anyone here. And to be honest with you, something really creepy happened
to me on the way out here that made me want nothing more than a very
strong drink, but now that I’ve had one and you’re offering to take me out
on your bike, it just seems like a little too much. So if it’s all the same to
you, I’d really rather not.”
“Ah…”
Bronson took a second to mull over what Hunter had said. Something
creepy happening wasn’t a good sign. The outskirts were dominated by the
mountain lion shifters, and they were known for the mind games they liked
to play on innocent people. People like Hunter, who had license plates from
way out of town and who looked like sweetness itself.
“I know some thugs who like to mess with people who aren’t from around
here,” Bronson said, looking Hunter straight in the eye. “If it felt like
somebody was trying to scare you, it might have been those assholes.”
“What assholes?” Hunter asked.
His face was handsome in the moonlight, Bronson noted. His body was
lean, but athletic and capable, and Hunter’s golden hair seemed to carry the
glow of the sun, even in the dark. There was just something about him that
made him want to protect him…maybe claim him. Which was ludicrous of
course. But at the very least, he’d just be happy to carry on their
conversation forever. Either way it was a dangerous feeling. Especially
when he had work to do. Work that involved finding someone for him to
breed with.
“It’s just a group of guys who get up to no good around here. They’re kind
of rivals, really.”
“What kind of rivals?” Hunter asked, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.
Without even realizing it, Bronson and Hunter had begun walking together
with an easy stride. Where they were going, Bronson didn’t know nor care.
They simply walked; out past the back of the bar and down a comfortably
lit path. He had been there a few times before, and as they walked, Bronson
vaguely acknowledged that the trail they were following led to a
conservatory that also functioned as a park for the younger generations, a
place where they could play outside without much adult supervision and
still feel safe. Feeling safe was important in Dire.
“Just some guys who think they’re better than everybody else. They like to
drive people away. Very territorial.”
“I understand…” Hunter said. “I’m not really that kind of guy.”
No, he wasn’t, Bronson acknowledged. That was partly what attracted him
so fiercely to Hunter. He was ignoring all of his responsibilities just to try to
get some time alone with this man, not sure exactly what his own
motivations truly were. He’d never done anything like this before, and
although it was thrilling, it was also unnerving. Just what was going on in
that brain of his? Or was he thinking with something else entirely? That
seemed more likely to be the case.
“You can see the sky really well from here,” Bronson said, glancing up at
the stars.
He hated to be confined in a building too long, especially at night. He found
he missed the sights and smells of nature, especially the stars. They were
right where he’d left them, and he felt a distinct sense of security upon
taking them in.
They had wandered onto the foot path in the conservatory, and seemed to
agree at the same time that this was the place to stop. Hunter and Bronson
sat down at one of the benches. It creaked beneath their weight, and
Bronson felt a sense of peace he had never known before. As if everything
was right and was going to remain that way.
But that was a trick. He knew better than to believe it. Feelings were just
feelings after all; they weren’t rational.
“It really is beautiful out here,” Hunter said. His gaze flickered from the
stars back to the ground. It was almost as if the image had upset him, but
that was silly. Who could be bothered by the stars? “That’s why I came out
here.”
“Where are you from?” Bronson asked, eager for anything he could get
from this alluring stranger. If he was going to ignore his duties anyway, he
might as well go all out, right?
“Seattle, Washington.”
Hunter took a moment to answer, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to be
forthcoming with the information. In fact, he didn’t seem to give much in
the way of replies. It was a little bit offensive, really, but Bronson realized
that it was probably because Hunter didn’t trust him yet. Bronson couldn’t
blame him. A lot of people were iffy around strangers. Especially when
they came from situations where they didn’t feel like they could trust
anybody else. Safety was important to everybody, after all.
“Seattle, huh?” Bronson said with a low whistle. “That’s pretty far away.
You came here just for the sky? Most people would hang around at the
campground for that.”
Hunter lowered his eyes to his hands and didn’t answer. Bronson got the
distinct feeling he’d said something wrong, but he wasn’t sure what.
“Well… I just mean most people wouldn’t be hanging around town if they
were just passing through.”
“I’m not passing through,” Hunter said with a sudden firmness. Bronson
liked the strength in the man’s voice. There was something gratifying when
people who seemed weak were actually steel on the inside. It demanded
respect. “I’m here to stay. I just need to figure out my next step.”
“What, you mean you’re moving here? To Dire?”
Hunter hesitated. “I’m not sure if I’ll stay here exactly. But I want to be
close to the area. I can’t live in Seattle anymore.”
“What, you on the run?” Bronson teased, nudging Hunter’s arm. That
brought a wry smile to the boy’s lips, and Bronson couldn’t help but feel lit
up from the inside out when he saw it.
“Nah,” Hunter said. “And maybe yes, in a way.”
Bronson raised his eyebrows as he sensed that Hunter was loosening up
around him. Whatever kind of story he had to tell, Bronson was sure that it
was going to be interesting.
Chapter 8
Hunter sighed inwardly. What was he doing with this man? And why
couldn’t he shake his attraction toward him? Most baffling of all, he was
starting to feel comfortable with him, when only twenty minutes earlier,
he’d been sure that this man and the lot of his friends were anxious to tear
him apart.
“What kind of thing does a guy like you run from?” Bronson asked,
interrupting his thoughts.
Hunter could feel his cheeks burning. He knew he wasn’t the most
aggressive of men, but was it so unlikely that he would have a dark past?
There were a lot of crimes he could get away with, being lean and quiet,
unassuming. Identity theft for one. But that wasn’t his crime. His crime was
his tender soul and the scandalous gender of the person he’d taken to love.
That was too difficult to talk about though. He just wished there was a faster
way to get over the pain.
“From my mother, if that counts for anything.”
“Of course it does,” Bronson said. Hunter braced himself for the mocking to
begin, but was surprised when Bronson quickly processed the answer and
moved on to more questions. “Why do you want to get away from your
mom?”
Hunter pursed his lips. There was no way of knowing how well a perfect
stranger would receive the truth about his sexual orientation, and Hunter
usually tried not to talk about it with men who looked like they could kill
him within seconds of hearing it. Even if they weren’t capable of hurting
him, it was usually a lot easier not to talk about being gay with people he
had just met. Especially men who were as intimidating and muscular as
Bronson was.
But for some reason, Hunter felt like he could trust him. He had made it a
habit his whole life to trust his own instincts, no matter how hard it could
be, so he took a deep breath before taking the plunge.
“She doesn’t agree with who I am.”
“Who you are isn’t her business to agree or disagree with,” Bronson said,
his expression puzzled. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“Well a lot of people think they have the right to judge a man for who he is
and what he cares about. Who he cares about…” Hunter trailed off. It was
still hard to explain. Even if he could trust Bronson, he couldn’t trust
himself not to break down about Tyler. He just wasn’t ready to talk about it.
“Sounds like you were right to leave, then,” Bronson said. His voice was
surprisingly soothing, and Hunter turned to look at him. The man’s beauty
was unreal, as if an ancient god had walked right off the page of a history
book and sat down on the bench beside him. It almost made him forget what
he was so upset about.
“I guess so,” Hunter said. “But she’s been trying to make me feel guilty
about it. I just couldn’t stay there anymore! It’s so—”
“Hey,” Bronson said, laying his warm, heavy hand on Hunter’s shoulder.
“You don’t have to justify yourself to me. Or to anyone else for that matter.
It doesn’t matter if it’s your mom or your maker. We all do what we do for a
reason. Reasons change, people don’t. At least, not so much. If someone
can’t accept you for who you are, you shouldn’t hide who you are to make
it easier for them.”
“Well, I made it this far,” Hunter said with an exasperated shrug. He had
been waiting so long to be accepted. Only Tyler had ever made him feel that
way. Even when he couldn’t accept himself, Tyler had been there to hold his
hand and help him; Tyler had made him feel like they could face anything
together.
“Hell yeah you did!” Bronson exclaimed. “And you should be proud of
yourself for it. Don’t go beating yourself up so much, man. I know you have
no reason to do anything for me, but promise me you won’t fall into that
trap, all right? It doesn’t do anybody any good.”
“Yeah,” Hunter said, smiling shyly up at Bronson. “Okay.”
“Good.”
When they locked eyes, Hunter was shocked by a surge of power, a static
that crackled almost like electricity. It made him feel hyperaware of
everything surrounding him. Bronson’s dark, beautiful eyes. The way the
man’s broad chest rose and fell with his breath. The dark contours of
Bronson’s muscular arms testing the limits of the materials trying to confine
them. And his own heart drumming wildly as a deep thrill of excitement
began to pulse inside of him.
He hadn’t felt anything akin to arousal since he’d lost Tyler, and he was
overwhelmed by its raw power. He had to swallow forcefully as his cock
grew hard against his leg. He’d lost all ability to be turned on after his loss,
but somehow just a simple look from this mysterious stranger awoke a
deep, pent-up frustration that had quietly been begging for release. It had
been so long since he’d been with anybody. Even if his heart wasn’t ready,
his body was tired of waiting.
Bronson seemed to sense the shift in Hunter’s mood, and stood up from the
bench. He offered Hunter his hand, his face serious and his eyes dark. They
had been beating around the bush all night, Hunter realized. This whole
thing had been a kind of a game, whether they realized it outwardly or not.
Two perfect strangers looking for something meaningful in the place they
were least likely to find it. But somehow they had stumbled upon each
other. And maybe it was exactly what they both needed.
Chapter 9
Bronson’s entire body buzzed when Hunter took his hand and stood to face
him, the man’s angelic face inches away from his own. The energy shift
between them had been sudden, and Bronson seemed to understand in a
single instant that the reason Hunter was leaving home, looking for
freedom, was because he was gay.
It made sense, very rapidly, that Bronson would put off his duties to spend
time with this man, whose vulnerability and courage were at odds with each
other and made him a very intriguing specimen. As Bronson studied
Hunter’s face, he gritted his teeth as huge waves of sexual energy radiated
from the smaller man. His features were delicate but firm, and there was
something familiar about him, something that he just couldn’t seem to
place. But it was thrilling to be so close to him. Hunter’s body was
awakening something unquenchable within him.
Hunter let out a quiet gasp when Bronson pulled him close to his body,
grabbing his hips so that their waists were touching. A surge of ecstasy
coursed through him when he felt the rock-hard mound of Hunter’s cock
pressed against him, and when he thrust his own shaft against it, holding
Hunter’s hips firmly in place, Hunter bowed his head to the ground and
hissed with pleasure. He liked it, Bronson could tell, but he was resisting.
Maybe he should stop.
But when he started to pull away, Hunter’s clear eyes pierced into his own
and Bronson knew they were too far gone for either of them to stop.
Without wasting any more time, Bronson shoved his hand into Hunter’s
pants and wrapped his hand around the man’s swollen cock, stroking it;
gently at first, and then more aggressively as his own massive erection
began to protest being trapped inside his denim pants.
Hunter was losing himself in the pleasure. Bronson could tell it had been a
long time for him, but he didn’t ask any questions. Instead, he did his best
to gingerly remove Hunter’s swollen shaft from his jeans and unzipped his
own pants to unleash his own throbbing member. They didn’t kiss; neither
of them really seemed to be looking for that type of intimacy. This was
bare-bones fucking, because they both needed it. They had both waited so
long to give in to what they wanted.
Hunter moaned as they grinded into each other, their cocks glistening with
precum and glittering in the moonlight. Bronson had never been this
aroused before, and it took all the self-control he had to be gentle with the
boy. He was afraid of unleashing his full power on a human, which would
inevitably end badly. The last thing he wanted was for any of this to end at
all.
He had to stop that line of thinking. They were both just getting off; it
didn’t have to mean anything. In fact, it couldn’t. Bronson needed to find
the hybrid to mate with. This was just to get all of his desire for other men
out of his system. Anything beyond that would be detrimental to his pack.
Bronson closed his eyes, trying to ignore his mind as pleasure engulfed him.
They were playing a game of cat and mouse; Hunter’s swollen cock
touching and sliding along the length of Bronson’s shaft; their lips both
nuzzled into each other’s necks as they slowly pushed and pulled away
from each other, only to be drawn back in by their immense longing.
Bronson hadn’t known his body was capable of such sensuality. But then,
life was full of surprises.
Finally, Hunter seemed to tire of the game and looked up at Bronson with
fire in his eyes. He didn’t have to ask what the expression meant. Hunter
was ready; he was going to submit.
Bronson spun Hunter around, gripping the man’s hard shaft in his palm and
grinding against the firm but gentle slope of his ass. He could feel Hunter
tensing up as he began pleasuring himself in the warmth of Hunter’s body,
slowly rubbing the head of Hunter’s shaft as he prodded his own against the
tight space between the man’s legs.
They slowly writhed like that for what felt like eternity, drinking in the
sensual pleasure of it like wine, until Hunter turned around and looked
Bronson in the eye.
“Please…” he whispered. “Don’t make me wait.”
A switch seemed to flip in Bronson’s body and he grinned as all of his self-
control disappeared. They were just going to have to find out the hard way
if Hunter could handle him or not.
Chapter 10
Hunter turned back around, his eyebrows drawn in confusion. When he’d
asked Bronson not to make him wait any longer, he could have sworn that
he’d seen the man’s eyes change somehow. Their color had grown lighter,
almost golden, and goosebumps prickled all over Hunter’s body. This place
sure was full of strange people.
He was quickly distracted from the thought when a hot pleasure suddenly
erupted in his body. Bronson had pushed the head of his cock inside of him,
and he uttered a guttural moan as sweet tendrils of bliss overpowered his
body. He almost came right then. The only thing stopping him was the
bizarre memory of Bronson’s eyes changing color.
But Hunter had had a long night. He was probably just seeing things
because he was so stressed out. He closed his eyes and chose to focus on the
feeling of Bronson’s firm, warm fingers as they slid up and down his cock,
wave after wave of hot pleasure consuming him. Bronson’s other hand had
moved from Hunter’s hip to his shoulder, and he cried out in shock and
ecstasy as the huge man plunged completely inside him.
Most of the time, Tyler had been the submissive one in bed, so it was
strange, yet oddly comforting, to be the one to submit. Bronson seemed to
know exactly what he was doing, and Hunter’s entire body tingled as the
man’s huge shaft plunged inside him again and again, dragging against the
hot walls of Hunter’s body and pausing to stay buried. Every tiny
movement of Bronson’s cock inside him sent a shocking pulse of ecstasy
through him.
When he began rocking his hips against Hunter with increasing speed,
Hunter was sure he was done for, but somehow he managed to hold out as
Bronson began to unleash a furious torrent of thrusting inside of him.
Nobody had ever fucked him so hard, but it was thrilling and left him on the
brink of climax again and again.
It had been so long since he’d felt anybody else’s touch. He’d sworn off sex
since Tyler had gone, and until now, he hadn’t regretted his decision. But
now, with Bronson, it seemed his physical needs had finally won out, and
every little touch sent a deep pleasure throughout his body.
Bronson grunted, pushing Hunter forward. Hunter gripped the bench, his
cock swinging wildly without Bronson’s hand to grip it as he thrusted. But
Bronson seemed to forget all about touching Hunter’s dick. He was
squeezing Hunter’s waist and shoving his cock as deep inside of him as he
could get. Tears of pleasure sprung to Hunter’s eyes as Bronson’s powerful
body blasted into him again and again. He’d never experienced anything
like this; he felt completely alive for the first time since Tyler had died.
He felt the familiar pressure of his climax building in his abdomen. He
didn’t want to cum yet, not before Bronson had finished. He tried to hold
himself back, but he couldn’t. Amazingly, as soon as Hunter’s cock
shuddered and began to release, Bronson growled and gripped Hunter in his
hand just in time to feel the first hot, milky strand ejected from him.
Hunter’s body was suddenly flooded with the hot explosion of Bronson’s
climax, and they both groaned together as Bronson fucked Hunter all the
way to the end of his orgasm, until both of them were completely spent.
Hunter’s body was buzzing so intensely that he barely noticed Bronson
pulling out of him, and was surprised to look up and find the huge, powerful
man was standing in front of him, a sexy smile on his face.
“Want me to walk you back?”
Hunter nodded absently, tucking himself back into his jeans, and they
headed back to the bar together, neither speaking a single word.
Chapter 11
Bronson watched Hunter drive away, his mood going from elated to
pensive. What in the hell had he been thinking, getting off so irresponsibly
when he’d sent his pack off to look for the Omega hybrid he was meant to
mate with. Sure, he’d started the night intending to find more out about the
new stranger in town, intending to see if Hunter’s fear had anything to do
with the mountain lion shifters. But his original intensions didn’t excuse his
behavior. And besides, he wasn’t so sure he hadn’t just been telling himself
that so he could follow his physical urges.
Time was running out. Bad blood had existed between wolf shifters and
mountain lion shifters for millennia, not just because they both wanted to
stake a claim on the town of Dire. If his pack was caught unawares, there
was no telling what kind of danger they might be in. And yet, all he could
think about was sex.
He was a terrible leader. Bronson groaned inwardly and shifted into his
wolf form. There was no way he could forgive himself if anything happened
to his men. Especially because he was being irresponsible and wasting time
on frivolous things like fucking handsome human men. There were much
more important things for him to be doing.
Without a second thought about Hunter, Bronson ran as quickly as he could
to the encampment where the elders spent most of their time.
The elders refused to be a part of the “civilized” society, and had made their
own settlement on the outskirts of town, just far enough away from the
border that they were safe from the mountain lion shifter’s territory. They
said it was better for a shaman if he lived the life of a wolf, and the eldest
wolf shifter still living among them, simply referred to as Agun, was very
powerful.
Still, because of his age, he was also very fragile. He used a lot of energy to
simply stay alive and outsmart natural aging and mortality. And so other
elders and a few highly trained wolf guardians were living at the
encampment with him, as he didn’t have the strength and energy to fight
should he be attacked.
“Agun,” Bronson called, “greetings and peace to you.”
It was the typical greeting for coming into the encampment. Bronson used
to think the ceremonial aspect of it was silly as a child and rarely came by.
At least, not until his mother had been killed by the mountain lion shifters
and his father had been mortally injured when trying to avenge her. Then,
the encampment became like a second home for him, and the greeting
comforting in its own right.
“Welcome, my child,” Agun said, his gravelly voice reaching Bronson from
inside his small cave. The bodyguards looked at Bronson curiously before
going about their business. When the elder was okay with someone, they
were okay too; they took their cues from him.
“Agun,” Bronson said, ducking into the cool, dark dwelling, “I’m afraid
I’ve made a mistake.”
“What mistake are you speaking of? There are rarely mistakes made that
cannot be remedied.”
“I sent the pack out. They are determined to look for the Omega hybrids
and bring them here. To save the pack.”
“This alarms you,” Agun stated. It made Bronson uncomfortable when he
said things like that, things that made it seem as if he could see inside
Bronson’s mind. Of course the idea of mating with an Omega hybrid
female, whatever that would look like, alarmed him. He would only do it to
save the pack, but not because it made him personally happy. Agun seemed
to sense it whenever anything was even slightly inharmonious.
“I don’t want them to get hurt because I’m not going with them,” Bronson
said, choosing to focus on a half-truth.
“What keeps you here?”
“I heard the mountain lion shifters plotting. They want to pick us all off
now, not just the women. And when they’ve made our population
vulnerable, they’re going to take their anger out on the human population.
The humans have done nothing wrong. I want to stay here to protect them. I
couldn’t convince the men to stay, and without them the mountain lion
shifters have free reign. I had to stay.”
“I don’t see the mistake in protecting your home so that the pack will have a
safe place to return to,” Agun said. “Something else is on your mind.”
“Nothing else is on my mind,” Bronson said edgily. In fact, he was making
quite an effort to make sure he didn’t think about anything but his duties.
He had already acted irresponsibly that night, allowing himself such deep
pleasure with Hunter when his duties were clearly more important. He had
to put his personal feelings on the backburner. It wouldn’t help anybody to
know that he only felt an emotional and sexual connection to men. In fact,
they might blame him for his lack of a mate if they knew. His position as
Alpha could be challenged.
“I see,” Agun said. The most frustrating thing about it was that Bronson
was sure he did. Just how much he knew about what Bronson was thinking
he couldn’t be sure, but it was bound to be enough.
“I just want to make sure I’m doing the right thing,” Bronson said,
exasperation showing through his voice.
“Leading is hard. Indeed, we often question whether we are making
mistakes simply because so many people can be adversely affected by our
actions. But in reality, hard choices need to be made, and none of us live
forever. There are times we don’t always know what the best course to take
is. But when we follow our intuition, things tend to work out in favor of the
greater good.”
“Thanks, Agun,” Bronson said. The interactions he had with Agun were
always a little bit draining, mentally and emotionally. He was anxious to
head home and get some rest. Daylight was coming soon. It was only when
the sun set that he really had to worry.
“Come back tomorrow for a meal with me. I have a story I’d like to tell
you.”
“Okay.”
Agun’s wrinkled old face smiled at Bronson, and he couldn’t help but smile
back. The man was ancient, but he was wise as water and always knew
what to say to put Bronson in a thoughtful and introspective mood. It was
hard to be uncomfortable, but the discomfort was usually something that
stemmed inside himself. And that was the kind of thing that he could solve.
“Good night,” Bronson said to the men posted outside of the elder’s cave.
They nodded courteously to him. Although Bronson was the Alpha of the
pack, these men seemed to fall outside of the pack hierarchy. They served
an even higher purpose; in this place, Bronson wasn’t the leader, Agun was.
And that was the way it would always be.
Chapter 11
“We don’t hire out-of-towners,” the man said again, more firmly this time.
Hunter sighed in exasperation. “I’m pretty sure you’re stomping on my
rights,” he said. “I could talk to a lawyer and she’d tell me the same thing.”
“You ain’t got rights in my store, boy! Now git on out of here! Try
someplace else.”
Hunter left, his heart pounding in fury. That was the third time somebody in
the town had turned him away. He had enough savings to live comfortably
for a while, but he didn’t feel good about just lounging around in the motel.
He wanted to get out of the stuffy little room and live a little. Work on
something to keep his mind occupied. He couldn’t get over the guilt he felt
about having sex with Bronson. The last person he’d touched had been
Tyler, and now all that was gone.
He’d nearly driven himself crazy the night after he’d been with Bronson.
He’d woken up feeling like the scum of the earth, and before he knew it, he
was staying up until daybreak drinking and, every once in a while, crying. It
was clear that he wasn’t over Tyler yet. In fact, he was only in the area
because of him. How could he have been weak enough to give in to the first
guy who was interested in him like that? What kind of a weak-willed shit
was he? He’d always prided himself on his loyalty. Now that didn’t mean
anything. He’d spent the past three days drowning his sorrows and hating
Bronson’s guts.
And so he’d commenced job hunting as a way to get his mind off of things
and become a more productive member of society. He wasn’t going to lay
around doing nothing and hating himself and the man who had stolen his
body from Tyler. But everybody in Dire was very protective of their little
businesses. Most of them claimed they only had friends and family
members working for them and that was just going to have to be good
enough. None of them wanted a guy who hadn’t lived there his whole life to
be part of the local economy. It was maddening.
“Don’t pay him any attention,” a gentle woman’s voice said. Hunter was
surprised and looked around for the woman it belonged to. When he spotted
her, it was startling. He had to work hard not to look surprised. She looked
like she had just walked off the set of an old western movie. She was about
Hunter’s age, with almond, cat-shaped eyes and flaxen hair. “Folks around
here don’t trust anybody. Lots of weird stuff happens in these parts. Can’t
blame them much for just trying to protect their own.”
“I guess not,” Hunter said. “What kind of weird stuff?”
The woman pursed her lips in a patient smile.
“I’m not sure you’d be all that interested. Just sometimes folks have the
inclination to hurt others or disappear. Things like that. It’s nothing to alarm
yourself over.”
“Ah…” Hunter wasn’t quite sure what to do with that statement.
“I’m Bella. Bella Rose. What’s your name?”
Hunter almost laughed. He really had just walked into a western.
Fortunately, he was able to keep a straight face.
“My name’s Hunter.”
“I’m going to do you a favor, Hunter, and tell you that nobody in their right
mind would give work to a city boy like you. We’ve had city boys here
before, you know. They think they know everything, and when something
happens to one of them, Dire gets all kinds of bad media attention. We try to
keep our name out of the headlines, you know?”
Hunter nodded, though everything this woman said sounded like fantasy to
him.
“You seem like a nice guy. Not like most people who come through here.
Hell, most guys who live here have an edge to them. Bet you’ve noticed
that by now, though.”
Hunter looked down at the ground as invasive thoughts of Bronson pushed
into his head. He couldn’t stop the images of the man’s perfect body and the
forbidden thrills that made him shudder whenever his mind brushed upon
the pleasures they’d experienced together. Still, Bella was right. Bronson
looked like a major hard-ass, and if he hadn’t been looking to get laid, he
probably would have beaten the shit out of Hunter. That, or he would have
ignored him completely.
Hunter nodded stiffly. It was true. The men he’d dealt with so far had
seemed less than pleasant. And for some reason this odd woman was taking
pity on him and taking him under her wing. Hopefully she wasn’t attracted
to him; it was always painful to let people down, especially women who
weren’t sure if he was telling the truth about being gay or simply thought
they were repulsive.
Bella smiled. “All the city folk here leave quick if they know what’s good
for them. But you seem pretty harmless. I like you.”
“Thanks…”
The girl was bold, and in a way she made him feel uncomfortable. But it
was nice to have someone who was trying to be nice to him after a long day
of being scowled and growled at by men who wanted nothing to do with
him. It was starting to feel very defeating to be stuck in this town. He had
already made a choice he felt like running from, though running would
never make him feel better about betraying Tyler. They’d had something
very special, and Hunter had fucked it up by giving into a base instinct.
What would Tyler think about it?
“You know, some people say it’s haunted around here,” Bella said,
whispering conspiratorially.
“Haunted? Really?”
Hunter frowned as he considered the strange occurrence on his way into the
town. Maybe a haunting would explain the eerie golden orbs that had been
trailing him. But Bronson had said it was just some men trying to scare him.
Maybe Bella was in on it. Did everybody try to drive outsiders away here?
It was getting old. And for some reason, it was having the opposite effect on
Hunter. The more people tried to intimidate him, the more adamant he felt
about staying right there until he was good and ready to leave.
“Yeah. I don’t know if I believe in all that myself, but I’ve seen some
things. Weird things.”
“Like what?”
“Well…I think I heard a wolf right outside my door one time. But when I
went out to check, there was just this man standing there. Some naked guy
just staring at me. They say there are wolf shifters around these parts. Men
who turn into wolves. Wolves who turn into men.”
“Sounds like a pervert,” Hunter said, though for some reason he didn’t fully
believe himself when he said it. There really was something strange about
the town, and the story she was telling made him feel a little bit on edge.
Like he knew something that he wasn’t quite able to remember. It was
frustrating. But wolf shifters couldn’t be real. Even if the story was
comforting and somehow familiar.
“A major pervert! I called the police but there wasn’t much they could do
about it. The fuzz here are basically useless. They know the biker gang runs
the town. They mostly just sit back and let things sort themselves out. It’s a
nice way to make a salary, but the people like me basically get screwed over
in the process.”
“The biker gang?”
“Yeah, they hang out in that bar out yonder… Fangz. I don’t know why
they’d give it such a name, but that’s the way it is, I suppose. Nothing to be
done about it.”
“I’ve been there,” Hunter said, eager to hear more about it. He had
definitely gotten a strange feeling about the place, and maybe talking more
about it would give him an excuse to think about Bronson in a context that
didn’t make him feel like the scum of the earth, as if he had cheated on the
only man he had ever truly loved.
“What?” Bella exclaimed. “And you lived to tell the tale, huh? They must
really like you.”
“What do you mean? They hurt people?”
“Nah… Well, not really. Depends, I guess? They’re real protective of Dire
these days. More now than ever before. I’m not sure what’s going on. There
were a lot of murders that I think made things personal.”
“This bike gang…they’re murdering people?”
“No, not the gang here. Their rivals.
“Ah, so then they have rivals? Capable of murder?”
“Definitely. They didn’t get to the top of the food chain here selling girl
scout cookies,” Bella said, laughing.
Hunter didn’t feel much like laughing. If the strange event he’d dealt with
on the way into Dire had been the rival gang that Bella was talking about,
that meant he could be in serious danger. But Bronson had said he was safe
with him, and he had fully believed it. In fact, he had gone back to the
motel and had the best night’s sleep he’d had since the night before Tyler
had passed away. He woke up a mess, but the sleep had been restful.
Rejuvenating.
“What kinds of things do the gangs do?” Hunter asked.
Bella shrugged. “Whatever they like. Which is mostly just fighting each
other. They mostly leave the townies alone, but when new folks come
poking around, one or the other of them get worried that they’re going to
bring unwanted attention to these parts. Strange things can happen to them.”
Hunter’s blood turned to ice. “What kind of strange things?”
“Oh, you know. Accidents on the mountain trails…disappearances. Animal
attacks…” Bella’s voice trailed off and Hunter’s heart began pounding
wildly. Animal attacks? Like what had happened to Tyler? If Bronson and
the gangs had anything to do with what happened to his partner, he was
going to go ballistic. He had to find Bronson. Right away.
“Thanks for all the information, Bella,” he said. “But I have to get going.”
“All right. Well I’ll be right around here if you ever want to talk. Guy who
owns the shop in there is my father.”
Hunter was too consumed by his thirst to avenge Tyler to stop and tell her
how rude her father had been, or maybe ask her to put in a good word for
him. He nodded distractedly at her and ran clumsily to his car. He had to
figure out where Bronson was and talk to him. He deserved answers, and he
wasn’t going to leave Dire until he had them.
Chapter 12
Bronson prowled along the outskirts of the town. The scent of mountain
lion shifters was strong here, much stronger than he was comfortable with.
If they were planning on taking out the town while it was vulnerable, they
would have to think again. He had stayed behind for a reason, and woken
up early just to reinforce the boundaries of the territory so the mountain lion
shifters would give it a few more days before they attacked. He wasn’t fully
ready to handle them yet. He had a few things to take care of first.
He was really angry at himself for being so weak the night before. Not only
had he sent his men off and allowed them to separate from each other when
they were clearly stronger as a pack, but he had wasted precious time and
betrayed his pack by copulating with a human. It was an unspoken truth that
the desire to breed with a human was considered weakness in a shifter,
especially an Alpha, but somehow he had been unable to help himself.
Whether that was because he was hoping to get things out of his system in
case the others actually did find an Omega female hybrid who would be
willing to propagate with him or if it was simply his own desires becoming
too strong and difficult to overcome, he still felt like he had made a mistake.
The elder tried to convince him that mistakes were a good thing in the long
run, but this one felt like a black mark on his pride. He’d been weak and put
himself first, ahead of his pack and even ahead of Hunter’s feelings. He had
been bothered by something. Deeply. And instead of getting to the real heart
of the matter, Bronson had taken advantage of the boy’s vulnerability and
unleashed something deep and pent up inside of him that he hadn’t even
known was there. A vague attraction to male shifters was one thing. An
attraction to a male human so intense that he hadn’t been able to resist it?
That was shameful.
A familiar sound that he couldn’t place made Bronson’s ears perk up. It
took him a few seconds to figure out what he was hearing. Hunter’s car
sped along the dirt road at full throttle, coming right toward him. That was
the last thing that he wanted to deal with right now.
“Bronson!”
Hunter’s voice had taken on a powerful quality that surprised Bronson just
as much as he was surprised that Hunter had been able to find him in this
concealed place.
“What are you doing here?” Bronson barked, turning to face Hunter. His
heart pounded painfully when he saw that the man was holding a gun out,
pointed right at his chest. “Whoa, easy there. What’s going on?”
Hunter was hysterical, his hands shaking violently and tears springing at the
corners of his eyes. But his voice was even, and he didn’t let the emotion
into it.
“Animal attacks. Weird things happening to outsiders around here. What’s
going on, Bronson? Did you guys do something to Tyler?”
“Tyler?”
Now Bronson was just confused. Who the hell was Tyler? He could tell it
had something to do with the deep anguish that he’d sensed coming from
Hunter the night before, but it was still hard to connect the dots.
“Yes, Tyler!” Hunter exclaimed, emotion seeping into his voice now. He
marched forward purposefully, until the barrel of his gun was close to
Bronson’s chest. “My… He died here. In the campground! He was
everything to me!”
Hunter’s voice cracked as he was overcome with anguish. Bronson wanted
to reach out to comfort him, but the gun was still pointed squarely at his
heart. One false move, and one of them was going to get very hurt. And the
unfortunate fact was that it probably wouldn’t be Bronson. Even if it came
to blows, for some reason, he really didn’t want anything to happen to
Hunter.
“He got attacked?” Bronson asked, trying to make sense of the situation as
much as he could without encouraging Hunter to pull the trigger. Then he
remembered something. “Is Tyler the man who died in the campground last
year? It was in the newspaper.”
He kept his voice gentle and even, despite the cold fury that was filling his
chest. The mountain lion shifters had probably killed him. Hunter and his
boyfriend had drawn an unlucky lot. The mountain lion shifters liked to
prowl the campground for easy targets, and it sounded as if Tyler had fit the
bill. It was miraculous that Hunter had survived; they usually didn’t leave
anybody alive.
“Yes. He was my world. Is my world. What happened with you, that’s
nothing to me. Nothing could ever compare. I feel so dirty.”
Hunter began to cry in earnest now, his gun drooping a little bit as his
shoulders quaked. Soon, Bronson would be able to reach over to him, take
the gun from his hands. But not quite yet.
“I would never try to replace someone so meaningful to you,” Bronson said,
sincerely hurt by the accusation. For some reason, it really stung that Hunter
would consider him a mistake, even though Bronson had been thinking the
same exact thing. It made him feel miserable to see the ease with which
Hunter apparently brushed off of the passion they’d shared.
It wasn’t as if Bronson had wanted it to happen either. He had reasons to be
angry and upset. But he wouldn’t take it out on Hunter. The situation felt
unfair, and yet Hunter was grieving. He knew grieving people did some
crazy things sometimes.
“My mother died in an animal attack,” Bronson said carefully. “I was about
ten years old. There was this merciless gang of men who were out to hurt
anybody weaker than themselves. The guys I was telling you about. The
ones I call my rivals.”
Hunter was quiet, his eyes closed and head bowed down to his chest. But he
was clearly listening, even though his gun was still pointed at Bronson.
“It felt like I’d lost a part of myself. Like I’d never be whole again. My
father told me it was the gang that had done it, and all the adults were
getting together, making plans to avenge the women who were being
murdered in cold blood. My dad led an attack on them the next week. But
he lost. He died too.”
Hunter lifted his chin, empathetically, and the barrel of the gun wavered
until it pointed closer to the ground.
“Everything I’d ever loved was gone. Lost in the blink of an eye. All
because those bloodthirsty assholes like to pick on people they look down
on. Women. Effeminate men. Strangers who don’t know the area.” He left
one word unspoken. Humans. “We formed a group of men who wanted to
take care of the threat once and for all. These guys want to hurt people, and
they constantly target them in this area, especially in this town, so we made
a pact to protect them. It’s how we can avenge the people we lost and take
matters into our own hands.”
“Why not just call the police?” Hunter whispered. “If you know who they
are, then just arrest them to keep the bastards from hurting other people.
You could have saved Tyler’s life if—”
“These men are stronger than any police force. There’s something about
them that makes them very difficult to fight. They’re strong and have access
to things beyond most people’s understanding. It’s a deep web, Hunter, and
the best way to fight it is in person, without getting other innocent people
involved who don’t understand the group so well.”
“Then let me fight! I need to do something…” Hunter took a deep breath. “I
came here for a reason. I still don’t know exactly what that reason is. But I
do know I need to do something to stop this. To avenge Tyler.”
“Guns aren’t going to do too much to hurt people like them,” Bronson said,
plucking the gun gingerly from Hunter’s hand. “Or to me.”
“What? Why?”
But Bronson didn’t answer. Instead, he held his arms out and allowed
himself to feel the heartbreak as he embraced Hunter, who finally let out the
sobs he had been holding back. So the boy had lost the man he loved to the
mountain lion shifters. All the more reason to put them in their place once
and for all.
Chapter 13
Hunter walked back to his car numb and in a daze. He could feel Bronson’s
dark eyes following him. He wanted nothing more than to return to the man,
to be surrounded by the strength and warmth of his embrace. He felt
completely safe with Bronson. It was unlike anything he had ever felt
before. Not even with Tyler.
Hunter sighed heavily, putting the gun back in the glove compartment of his
car. He furrowed his eyebrows, reluctant to leave Bronson alone in the
woods. For some reason it didn’t seem safe, even though he seemed so
strong and capable. But he couldn’t let himself succumb to the same
powerful longing that had brought them together in the first place. Besides,
he had a lot to think about. Especially if he was going to stay in this town.
He was surprised that he had been able to find Bronson so easily. He’d had
no leads to go on. All he’d done was trust his instincts and he’d found
Bronson’s trail and followed it. It had been almost like magic. There was no
other way to describe it. When he had tried to explain bizarre things like
this, tried to explain his intuition to Tyler, he would look at Hunter like he
was crazy. He had a feeling Bronson would probably be more open and
accepting of his strange talents though.
Why was he still thinking about Bronson as if he was some kind of potential
mate or something? There was no way he would want to share anything
with that man. Just because he had been sexually frustrated and they’d been
together didn’t mean that they were going to date and have a happily ever
after. His fiancé was dead. And Bronson probably knew more about it than
he was letting on. In fact, if Bronson’s gang was responsible for it, why
would he even tell him the truth about anything?
Bronson’s version of the truth sounded like a whole lot of bullshit to Hunter.
If there was a group of men out there trying to fuck with outsiders and
actually killing people for being different, why would it be a bad idea to get
the police involved? Still, he wanted to believe Bronson. And if he was
going to be honest with himself, deep down, he did. If only for the simple
fact that he liked to trust his instincts and his instincts told him Bronson was
trustworthy. But there was just far too much going on out here for him to
feel comfortable with and—
“Shit!”
A huge animal jumped in front of his car. Hunter slammed on his brakes,
terrified of injuring the animal and damaging his car. Fortunately, he was
able to stop in time, but when he saw the creature’s face, he wished that he
hadn’t been so quick to stop. It was huge, with wild eyes and a vicious
smile. Even in his panic, he was able to identify it as a mountain lion. There
was something familiar about its eyes, and they gave him goosebumps.
Almost immediately, he saw another mountain lion beside the driver’s seat
door, and another on the passenger’s side. A fourth joined the mountain lion
in front of him. He was slowly becoming surrounded by the vicious
creatures, and they all seemed to have only one thing on their minds. Hunter
could sense it, even though he couldn’t explain it. They wanted him.
An ear-splitting howl made all of the creatures jump to full attention, and
they took their eerie yellow eyes off of Hunter to look for the source.
Coming from the mountains, in the direction where Bronson had been, was
a jet black wolf, bounding with full force toward the stalled vehicle. The
mountain lions snarled, charging toward the wolf.
Hunter craned his neck to see what was happening. He didn’t want anything
to happen to the wolf. With trembling hands, he removed the gun from his
glove compartment and rolled his window down just enough that he was
able to aim the barrel outside at the mountain lions. One of them yelped in
pain when he shot it, and veered away from the black wolf. It headed into
the forest and disappeared, leaving three other mountain lions behind to
finish the job.
His hands were shaking terribly, but he cocked the gun and aimed again.
Two of the mountain lions were jumping onto the wolf at once, and the
third was ready to pounce. Hunter cursed. He couldn’t get a good aim on
the third, but he knew if it attacked the wolf would probably be done for.
Against all logic, he stepped out of his car and took a shot at the third
mountain lion. It howled in rage and turned to look at Hunter. He held his
gun out confidently, despite the fear mounting in his chest. If the mountain
lion charged at him, he would probably be a goner. But he couldn’t stand
the thought of the wolf being killed. It seemed like it was trying to protect
him, although that didn’t make any sense. And there was something about it
that made him feel safe.
The mountain lion took a step towards him, growling, and he fired another
shot at the beast’s face. It cried out in agony and followed its friend into the
forest. Now all that was left were the two mountain lions fighting the wolf.
Hunter’s hands were shaking too hard for him to trust his aim that well. He
didn’t want to shoot the wolf on accident and make it harder for it to fight
off the mountain lions.
Somehow, the wolf seemed to be getting the better of the creatures. He was
twice as big as they were, which Hunter realized was way too big for a
normal wolf. The wolf gripped one of them by the neck. He shook it
violently before tossing it away, and then did the same to the second. It
looked like the first mountain lion was close to death, but it still got up and
ran toward Hunter.
Hunter ducked into his car just in time, slamming the door closed as the
injured beast tried to paw its way inside. He shoved his gun through the slit
in the window and fired.
It missed completely, but the sound was enough to startle the wounded
creature and cause it to bound off, hot on the trail of the other injured
mountain lions.
Now, all that was left was the wolf and the last mountain lion. They were
fighting viciously, and Hunter gasped when the wolf yelped in pain as the
beast latched down on his neck. The harder he tried to escape, the more pain
the wolf seemed to feel.
Hunter was about to get back out of his car and try to rescue the wolf
somehow, risking his own life, when another wolf—this one brown—
appeared out of the bushes and grabbed the mountain lion by the scruff,
pulling it off the black wolf and flinging it violently away. Hunter watched
in shock as the second wolf took on the mountain lion with heightened
energy, clearly protecting the black one from any further attacks. It was
smaller than the huge black wolf, and soon found that it had met its match
with the mountain lion.
Soon the new wolf found himself in the locked jaws of the mountain lion,
but his rescue had given the black wolf all the time he needed to recover.
Hunter watched with his jaw slackened as the indominable black wolf
gripped the mountain lion’s throat and clamped down powerfully. A
strangled yelp escaped the beast’s lips before it sunk limply to the ground.
The brown wolf stayed on the road panting for a moment as the majestic
black wolf walked slowly to the driver’s side of Hunter’s car. His golden
eyes locked on Hunter’s for a moment, as if checking to see if he was all
right. There was something loving and kind in the wolf’s look, something
that brought to mind the way Bronson’s strong arms felt when they were
wrapped securely around Hunter’s body. He felt a warmth spread from his
heart and outward, filling his body.
The wolf gave an odd, almost human nod, and turned away. He walked to
his friend, who was struggling to his feet on the roadside. Together, they
walked away from the scene, leaving the mountain lion’s corpse on the road
behind them. For a minute, Hunter thought the mountain lion’s corpse
looked like a naked human body. He blinked and drove off before he could
give much thought to whether it was stress and fear or the sun playing tricks
on his eyes.
Chapter 14
Bronson hissed in pain as the elder’s lackeys bathed his wounds in fresh
water. The healers were all confined to the area with the elder, but
fortunately for Bronson, one of the men who guarded him was out on patrol
and had heard the commotion. He had saved Bronson’s life.
When his wounds were all dressed and treated with the special herbal
remedies that Agun had shared with the pack from his deep, primordial
knowledge of their ancient history, Bronson shifted back to his human form
and walked slowly to Agun’s quarters.
“Well I asked you here for dinner,” the old man said. He seemed amused.
“But I didn’t expect that you’d be quite so punctual.”
“You know me,” Bronson said, wincing with pain as he attempted to stretch
out his shoulder. Fights with the mountain lion shifters always ended in
bloodshed. They had honed their fighting skills over the years so that they
had a slight advantage when facing a wolf shifter one on one. They had to
be smart to outmaneuver the strong wolf shifters, who were usually bigger
than they were by at least a size and a half. Bronson was lucky that he was
an Alpha. If he only had an Omega’s strength, he would have been a goner.
It was just lucky that he had gotten there in time to protect Hunter.
“Indeed. And I’ve known many others like you,” the elder said.
“Aw, don’t tell me that. I’d like to think I’m special.”
“Oh, yes,” Agun said, a wry smile playing across his thin, age-worn lips.
“But history has a way of repeating itself.”
The elder’s words sent a chill down Bronson’s spine. Although he knew the
past tended to catch up to people from time to time, hearing the words
coming from a man who had lived through hell and come back again and
again was something new entirely.
“At some point you will be willing to share with me what it is you are
thinking and feeling, my child. You know I love you as much as anyone
alive ever could. I won’t watch you walk on a wrongful path if there is
anything that I can do to help you.”
“Yes, thank you, Agun. I don’t have anything to say about anything right
now. I just wonder how I will find a mate. Time is running out and the
mountain lion shifters are getting sneakier.” Not to mention he could only
seem to think of Hunter… “If we don’t find a way to repopulate the pack,
there’s a chance they’ll pick us off one by one until our kind are extinct.
The men are losing the will to fight.”
“Yes, this is a problem,” Agun sighed. “There is very low morale. Most are
convinced that the fight is already over. But you will show them otherwise.
You have the power to bring the pack back from the dead. The Dire wolves
will rise again.”
Bronson couldn’t help but smile at Agun. Even if it wasn’t true, it was
always comforting to hear the endless optimism of the elder. He had seen
many disasters in his time, but it was what the pack chose to do with the
misfortune that counted. He couldn’t be taken off course. Not when it was
so crucial that he be there for his pack and save his people from extinction.
Chapter 15
Hunter paced around in his motel room, glancing at his watch. He had two
choices. He could either continue on his ill-fated job hunt, hoping to make
himself a functional citizen of the town of Dire, or he could find Bronson
and apologize for brandishing a gun in his face and almost killing him over
his delirious drive to avenge Tyler.
Bronson had been on Hunter’s mind nonstop since the incident in the
woods. He wanted to make sure that he was all right, that the mountain
lions hadn’t hurt him. He had a feeling all was well, but he didn’t want to
make assumptions. If there was anything he could do to make it up to
Bronson, he would do it.
But he had an ulterior motive, too. Every night since the wolf fight, he’d
woken up with a hard-on from hell. His dreams were consumed by
memories and fantasies involving Bronson and his capable, gorgeous body.
He hated himself for feeling any sexual feelings toward anybody but Tyler,
but god help him, he couldn’t stop his dreams. They left him walking
around all day in a daze, slipping into the bathroom to relieve himself when
the desire became too much. He wanted to see Bronson again. He needed to
see him again. To apologize. And, maybe, for a chance to feel something
other than this grief, guilt, and anger.
Hunter picked up his car keys and twirled them around his finger.
Apparently, he had made up his mind about what he was going to do.
On the way out of the motel, Ed stopped him.
“Girl dropped by here. A Bella Rose. Said you should give her a call about
a job opportunity. Don’t know why she didn’t ring your room directly…”
Hunter paused, surprised.
“I didn’t actually give her my number. Or where I was staying, for that
matter.”
“Must have been a lucky guess,” Ed said. “I don’t much like luck.”
Hunter smiled at Ed and shrugged. The man’s dark demeanor had become
somewhat comical to Hunter. It was nice to know that compared to
somebody else, he was actually optimistic.
“How many motels can there be around here, Ed? You’re the only one,
right?”
Ed grunted, and Hunter turned to walk away.
“Don’t worry about it. People are probably talking about me. Strangers in
small towns get small minds racing, don’t they?”
Ed chortled, a rare but pleasant sound. “Truth in those words, yeah,” he
acknowledged. “Still, don’t make it a habit of having me take calls for you.
I ain’t no secretary.”
“Sure, Ed,” Hunter said, grinning. Why was he in such a good mood? It had
been a long time since he’d felt like this. Not since…
But now wasn’t the time to think about that. Hunter ducked into his car, his
mind buzzing with possibilities. A new job. And a chance to see the person
he’d been obsessing over for the past week. It just felt good that he was
going to get in touch with Bronson and do the right thing. It was time for
him to apologize.
Chapter 16
Bronson leaned his back against a tree trunk and wiped the sweat from his
brow. He’d been patrolling the area day and night, and he was tired. He’d
been taking his role as Alpha more seriously than he ever had before. Now
that it was just him and the healers in town, it was more important than ever
to continually reinforce the borders and make sure that the mountain lion
shifters didn’t realize just how vulnerable the town’s population was. If they
did, they might try to reclaim what they considered as their land.
He would have to stay diligent. But if he kept getting into fights like the one
he’d had protecting Hunter, he wasn’t sure how long he was going to last on
his own. He wished the others would come back soon, whether they brought
the Omega female hybrid or not.
Bronson lifted his canteen to his lips and chugged the refreshing cool water,
his dark eyes scanning the horizon. There hadn’t been any attacks in days,
which meant there was bound to be something bad just around the corner.
The mountain lion shifters were steady and methodical. They liked to take
at least one casualty per month, and so far, everyone in the town had been
safe. It was getting to be a little bit too calm for Bronson to feel comfortable
with. But the double shifts were leaving him tired and off his game.
“Hey.”
Bronson whirled around with his fists clenched and struck at the air,
narrowly missing Hunter’s face. The boy’s silver-blue eyes widened in
surprise and he ducked away.
“I guess I deserved that after the last time we saw each other,” Hunter said,
laughing sheepishly.
Bronson quickly pulled his clenched fists back and hid them behind his
back. He felt ashamed that he was too jumpy—or too exhausted—to be able
to smell Hunter before striking. The man’s scent had a way of making him
feel hot and alive. He was the kind of man Bronson wanted to both protect
and dominate. It was distracting.
“Nice evasion,” he said. For some reason, he was lost for words. He had no
idea what to say to Hunter; who wouldn’t even know it had been Bronson
who had saved him from the mountain lion attack. Besides that, he was
tired and surly. All he wanted was to forget that the mountain lions existed
at all.
“Um…so what have you been up to?”
Hunter was looking intently at Bronson, and he couldn’t help but feel an
uncomfortable pressure to perform. People expected Alphas to act a certain
way all the time. They weren’t allowed to have bad days where they just
wanted to sleep in and be weak and lazy for once. But sleep was all that
Bronson could think about right now.
“Nothing much,” Bronson mumbled. How was he supposed to explain what
he was doing? That he was protecting everybody in the town and trying to
keep his pack alive? There was no way in hell that Hunter would be able to
understand that.
“Same here. Listen, I—”
“What are you doing here?” Bronson interrupted. He felt edgy and
impatient. Having Hunter so near him was taking his attention away from
the patrol. Whenever he was there, all of his Alpha logic went out the
window as his body responded to the sensual thrill of being so close to
Hunter. It was bad for him and bad for the pack. He wouldn’t give in; not
this time.
“If you hadn’t interrupted me, you would have heard me say that I came
here to apologize,” Hunter said, a little curtly.
Bronson raised his eyebrow. Hunter was kind of sexy when he was
annoyed. He was probably irresistible when he was really angry. The
thought made Bronson instantly hard, and he inhaled sharply to try to keep
himself from falling into the trap of lusting after Hunter. It was hard though;
he already had experience to draw from. And that experience had been
incredible.
“Apologize for what?” Bronson asked, his voice strained. “You didn’t hurt
me. You couldn’t hurt me if you tried.”
Hunter’s face was turning red and his eyebrows were knitting together. He
was making him mad now. But how would he react?
“Just because I’m smaller than you doesn’t mean I’m harmless,” Hunter
cautioned, his eyes cold as steel. “And it was wrong of me to pull a gun on
you without understanding the whole situation first.”
Bronson gritted his teeth, his shaft slowly filling with blood from the rush
of his excitement. That was what he wanted to hear. He liked to see the boy
stand his ground.
“It wouldn’t have been wrong of you if you’d understood the situation
correctly,” Bronson countered, trying to ignore the heavy drumming of his
heart. His arousal was hard to ignore. Soon it would be obvious to Hunter
how he was feeling just by looking at his jeans. “So I don’t see any reason
to apologize.”
“Fine, then. I don’t know why I bothered to come out here. I guess I just
wanted to thank you for—” Hunter cut himself off abruptly and it piqued
Bronson’s curiosity.
“For what?”
Hunter shook his head. “Nothing… It wasn’t you. I just… Something
happened the other day and I… never mind.”
Bronson’s dark eyes glittered and held Hunter in place before he had a
chance to turn away.
“You’ve got nothing to thank me for, boy. I might not be personally
responsible for the pain in your life, but you’re right. I’ve done nothing to
stop it. And if you don’t get out of here now, I’m going to make it a whole
lot worse.” His voice was thick with arousal, nearly a growl at this point.
Hunter’s chin lifted defiantly, and Bronson nearly groaned out loud as a
surge of desire caused his cock to throb hard against his leg. The boy really
knew what he was doing. He pushed all of Bronson’s buttons in all the right
ways, and he was feeling far too tired to hold himself back, to resist the urge
to dominate Hunter.
“You can’t mess with my life unless I give you the power to,” Hunter said,
his eyes finally wandering to the obvious bulge of Bronson’s erection. He
swallowed hard as his face flushed red and a smile curved his lips. “So, I
guess I’m just going to have to invite you to do your worst.”
Chapter 17
Hunter’s breath caught in his throat when Bronson’s eyes flashed at him. So
he hadn’t been imagining it before; the man’s eyes really did change color
when he was aroused. Hunter felt like he should be afraid, but instead of
feeling scared, it brought the blood rushing to his groin and he groaned
when Bronson’s hands curled around his shoulders, just from that simple
touch. He hadn’t realized just how strongly he’d been craving physical
contact with this strong, virile man.
Bronson’s face hovered inches away from Hunter’s, and they stared each
other down for a few hard thuds of Hunter’s heart. Finally, Bronson’s lips
connected with Hunter’s, and they kissed roughly, passionately, Bronson’s
stubble scraping roughly against the smooth skin of Hunter’s face. Hunter
lost track of all his thoughts. Everything that usually held him back
disappeared as he became consumed by the hot fire that was slowly making
its way through his entire body.
He clawed at Bronson, peeling off his shirt to reveal his muscular torso.
Hunter ran his hands along it, closing his eyes to savor every sensation of
Bronson’s rippling muscles and the firm, rough thrusting of his hips against
Hunter’s pelvis. He was surprised when his hands ran over the risen mounds
on Bronson’s chest, and he opened his eyes. Bronson was injured; he had
puncture marks in his neck and long, jagged cuts along his shoulders and
down his chest. He looked like he’d been mauled by a wild animal.
Hunter’s mind flashed back to the black wolf, to the gratitude he’d wanted
to bestow on Bronson for what the wolf had done, as if his mind sensed
Bronson and the wolf were the same. Which was nonsense, of course.
Before he could say anything about it, Bronson’s mouth made its way to
Hunter’s neck, where he growled as he clamped down. Any words Hunter
was about to speak disappeared in a gasp of ecstasy as Bronson’s strong
hands pushed the fabric of Hunter’s pants away, leaving his cock standing
tall.
He expected Bronson to whip him around and take all of his sexual
frustrations out right away, but Hunter was surprised when Bronson
dropped to his knees and the head of his cock disappeared into the stubbled
mouth. Bliss surged up his abdomen and Hunter doubled over, crying out
softly as little by little, the rest of his engorged shaft disappeared into
Bronson’s mouth.
The man was taking his time with him, the way Hunter imagined a
heterosexual man might need to warm up a woman before going inside of
her. But Hunter didn’t need that kind of foreplay. He was looking far more
forward to the main event.
Still, Bronson’s hot tongue flickering along the sensitive head of his cock
was almost too much to handle. He hadn’t had good head in a long time.
Tyler was sloppy at it and preferred to get right down to business, so Hunter
let himself enjoy it until he felt like he was about to cum.
That was the precise moment when Bronson decided to stop, and pulled the
heat of his mouth away, leaving Hunter’s damp cock cold in the breeze
beneath the trees. He was about to protest when he saw Bronson’s engorged
member. He hadn’t even noticed Bronson strip himself, and the surprise
sight was kind of a shock to his system. But he liked it, and moved swiftly
toward Bronson.
Bronson’s sexy voice came out in a low groan when Hunter grabbed his
cock and gave it a long, firm stroke. Hunter lowered himself slowly onto
the ground, dropping on all fours and taking Bronson’s thick shaft between
his lips. The man was huge, and Hunter relished in the taste of his cock,
slowly sliding his lips up and down Bronson’s shaft and taking in the
sensation of every vein.
Bronson shuddered and pushed Hunter away. At first, Hunter was irritated
and offended by it, but when he looked up to protest, the look in Bronson’s
eyes silenced him. The man was ready to go full force.
He stepped over Hunter, who was still on all fours on the ground, and
positioned himself behind him. Hunter groaned when he felt Bronson’s hot,
wet shaft against the crack of his ass, and they writhed together for a few
moments before Bronson slowly began to push himself inside.
Feeling Bronson inside of him made Hunter’s cock harder than it had ever
been before. When he glanced down at it, it was beet-red and dragging
against the grass, every tiny touch an electrifying sensation that nearly made
him scream with pleasure. But he was a modest man, and bit his lip, only
grunting occasionally when he couldn’t contain the pleasure he felt.
When Bronson finally finished pushing the entire length of his shaft inside
of Hunter, he spoke. Hunter could almost hear the cocky smile in his voice.
“You ready for me, boy?”
Chapter 18
Bronson’s body was electrified, and he could feel every little contraction of
Hunter’s body as its hot folds enveloped every inch of his cock. He waited
to hear some confirmation from Hunter, expecting it to be meek, but the
man surprised him by craning his neck and raising his eyebrow. A silent
way of saying, “What are you waiting for?”
It filled Bronson with a desperate longing for release, and he gripped
Hunter’s waist firmly in his strong hands, steadying him and letting his
longing reach fever-pitch. They were still for a moment, with Bronson’s
cock nuzzled deeply inside of Hunter’s ass, every tiny movement from
either one of them sending pleasure through Bronson.
Finally, Hunter’s body began to tremble, and Bronson took it as a sign that
he was truly ready. All the blood in his body seemed to flow to his massive
shaft, swelling it beyond anything he’d ever experienced before. Something
about this man brought out the beast in him. He was channeling the wolf
right now; he knew it from the way his body was tingling from the inside
out. If Hunter could handle him at his strongest, he was a worthy mate.
The idea of filling this sweet, kind, gentle man with his seed filled Bronson
with a deep, unquenchable desire. He inhaled slowly, surprised by his
shuddering breath. He had never felt so close to losing all of his control
before. Before he was able to stop himself, he thrust powerfully, with all of
his might, sending a shockwave of pleasure up his own shaft. They both
grunted in pleasure at the same time, and Hunter began to move his hips,
begging for more.
Bronson’s cock nearly exploded inside of him, taking on a life of its own as
it sought its pleasure within the safety of Hunter’s walls. It tingled with
bliss as, again and again, Bronson thrust powerfully inside Hunter. Hunter
clenched his hands in the grass, moaning, but Bronson could tell that he was
still holding something back. He wanted to take Hunter to the edge of his
bliss and back again. But he would have to be careful. If he was too loud, it
would attract unwanted attention. He would have to save it for a better time
and place.
He ran his hand down the smooth, lean muscles in Hunter’s back and gave
in as much as he dared. Luckily he was still exhausted, and his performance
wasn’t nearly as powerful as it could have been.
Still, Hunter was on the brink of climax, again and again. Bronson could tell
from the way his cock was grinding against the grass and leaving wet
strands of precum dangling from his cock. The sight was enough to send a
rush of ecstasy through Bronson’s body, and he gripped Hunter’s swollen
red shaft and began pumping it wildly with his fist as his orgasm began to
bubble in his abdomen. He sank his teeth down again into Hunter’s neck,
and the unexpectedly pleasurable sensation brought a cry of pleasure from
Hunter’s lips. He felt Hunter’s cock tense up in his hand and allowed
himself to unleash the powerful torrent of his own climax inside of him.
Hunter’s low groans of rapture enhanced the power of his orgasm, and
stream after stream of cum filled Hunter deep inside as Bronson’s hand
filled with his own hot, white substance.
Bronson collapsed onto the ground panting, and by the time Hunter had
turned around to face him, he was asleep.
Chapter 19
Hunter looked down at Bronson, whose muscular chest was rising and
falling as he dozed peacefully on the ground. What kind of man could fall
asleep like that so suddenly right in the middle of the forest floor? It made
him smile in wonder at the big man he had come to look forward to seeing,
even after everything that had happened with Tyler.
He would just have to accept that he was developing feelings for this
surprisingly sweet man. A gentle giant, Hunter decided. He swept some of
Bronson’s dark hair out of his face, and considered whether or not it would
be all right for him to kiss his forehead, or if the man would wake up
swinging. The thought nearly made him laugh.
“There he is,” a high-pitched, gravelly voice said suddenly. Hunter’s heart
jumped to his throat and he scrambled to cover himself up.
“So he’s finally taken the mate,” another equally sinister voice whispered.
“Do you think they know?”
“What does it matter?” a third voice responded. “It’s happened, hasn’t it?
We must take care of it.”
“We must,” the other two voices agreed.
Hunter gritted his teeth as he pulled his shorts on and shook Bronson’s
shoulder frantically.
“Wake up,” he breathed. “I think we’re in trouble.”
“You take the Alpha. I’ll go after the other…”
“Yesss, get the other.”
“Fuck, Bronson. We need help. Wake up!”
Hunter shocked himself by punching Bronson in the wound on his chest. He
yelped and stood up with his fists balled, ready to fight.
“Oh, shit!” he cried. He looked down at Hunter, who was huddled against
the trunk of the tree behind him. “Whatever you do, don’t run. I’ll protect
you.”
Hunter nodded dumbly, fear racing through his heart as one by one, three
mountain lions leapt from the foliage and surrounded Bronson and Hunter.
But how could he have heard mountain lions conspiring to kill them?
Mountain lions didn’t talk. And what had happened that he should know
about? That they needed to take care of?
Before he could answer those questions to himself, Hunter was horrified by
the sight of Bronson’s body, morphing and contorting. He grew dense, more
muscular, and black tufts of fur began to sprout all over his body. Soon, he
was standing on all fours, and he unleashed a blood-curdling howl that
made the mountain lions flinch in their tracks.
Before him, where Bronson had been, was the black wolf that had saved
him from the mountain lions before. What the hell was going on?
Suddenly, one of the mountain lions made a lunge for Hunter, and Bronson
intercepted it, grabbing the mountain lion by the neck in his sharp fangs. A
high-pitched yelp brought Hunter’s attention to the other mountain lions,
who had pounced onto Bronson’s back. The wolf was clearly in pain, and
Hunter looked around frantically for anything he could use to help Bronson.
He slipped his hand into Bronson’s jean pockets and his hands wrapped
around something cold and metallic.
Hunter pulled it out and examined it briefly. It was a knife made of silver.
Without a second thought, he unleashed the blade and ran around Bronson,
ignoring the danger he was in as he stabbed one of the mountain lions hard
in the back. It growled and unleashed its grip on Bronson. It turned to face
Hunter, fear and rage in its cold yellow eyes. It tried to lunge at him, but
Hunter evaded and stabbed it again. It fell to the ground in a strange looking
heap of morphing colors and swirls, until all that was laying on the ground
was the body of a middle-aged man.
Hunter was too shocked to notice that Bronson had regained the upper hand
in the fight, and was shaking one of the mountain lions vigorously as the
other retreated back into the woods. It would be returning to its den alone
this time. When Bronson dropped the mountain lion, it was already
morphing into its human form; a dead middle-aged woman this time.
“Are you okay?” Bronson asked Hunter.
He nodded, shaken, and Bronson placed a strong hand on his shoulder. “All
right then. Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 20
Bronson and Hunter walked through the darkening forest until they came
upon Bronson’s quarters. It was a house he had built himself in the middle
of nowhere. He had built in a vaguely Japanese style, with huge walls that
opened out into the forest and a roof that was barely a roof at all. In fact,
only a few rooms were roofed, and Bronson led Hunter to one of them.
“Bronson?” Hunter said quietly. His face was pale and his hand gripped
Bronson’s shoulder tightly. “I feel strange.”
“Lay down,” he said, furrowing his eyebrows. Had Hunter been hurt?
Hunter did as he was told. Bronson felt his forehead for a fever and quickly
disappeared into the kitchen to make him something to drink. It was an
herbal remedy that one of the healers had taught him, and he returned to the
bedroom.
“Drink this.”
As Hunter downed the beverage, Bronson’s eyes wandered down his lean
chest to his stomach. It looked swollen under his shirt, and Bronson felt a
surge of fear. Something was definitely wrong.
“Close your eyes,” Bronson said gently. “Try to sleep. I’m going to get you
comfortable.”
“Okay,” Hunter whispered, closing his eyes.
Bronson took the opportunity to lift Hunter’s shirt, terrified of what he
might find beneath it. To his surprise, Hunter’s stomach was swollen and
purple, a condition Bronson had seen before long ago.
Hunter was pregnant.
It took everything he had not to howl out loud in victory. Hunter had been
through quite the ordeal, and waking him up would be cruel. But he
couldn’t wait to tell everybody the news.
In the morning, Hunter walked groggily into the kitchen, where Bronson
was sitting at the table. He had howled late the night before to summon
Agun, and the elder was sitting by his side.
“I guess I have a lot of explaining to do,” Bronson said, offering Hunter a
seat.
“Can I have something to eat?” Hunter asked, looking expectantly at
Bronson. Agun laughed in delight.
“Expectant mothers,” he said, shaking his head. “Always the same.”
Hunter’s eyebrows drew in confusion, and Bronson encouraged him to sit
down gently.
“Of course. Why don’t I do some talking while I cook?”
“Sure,” Hunter said, reaching down to stroke his stomach without even
seeming to realize he was doing it.
“You saw the mountain lions…they attacked you. Twice now. And you saw
me protect you. Twice now.”
“I saw you turn into a wolf,” Hunter said accusingly. “I’m not crazy.”
Agun chuckled again.
“No… I mean yes, you did. You’re not crazy. I just…well…you’ve
probably heard the stories about wolf shifters living here, right?”
“Yeah, but everyone thinks that’s crazy.”
“It’s not. We’re here to protect the people of Dire from the mountain lion
shifters, the group that tried to kill you. The group that killed Tyler. That
killed my family, my friends, and all the women in my pack. They want
Dire for themselves, and the only way to keep that from happening is if I
mate with an Omega. Someone who can carry my child and resume the
power of the wolf shifter pack. The others are out searching for her now, but
with one howl I can summon them back. I will summon them tonight, and
they will meet you.”
“Meet me? Why?”
“Everyone thought it would be a female hybrid… but we were wrong.”
Hunter shook his head. “Why would they want to meet me?”
“Because, Hunter…” Bronson smiled. “You’re carrying my child. You are
our salvation.”
Chapter 21
As tempting as it was to refuse the truth, Hunter had to trust his instincts.
He had always known there was something strange and mysterious about
Bronson, and the town of Dire in general. And especially about the
circumstances surrounding Tyler’s death.
It would be easy to walk away. To say he had bedded a crazy man with
PTSD from an animal attack and let that be the end of it.
Only, that wouldn’t be fair to the child he was carrying, the being he was
fated to give birth to. The heir or heiress of Bronson’s Alpha power.
Bronson had been explaining everything to him for the past few days, and
even though it was a lot to take in, Hunter was starting to understand.
He had known ever since the day he’d come to Dire that he was meant to do
something. He didn’t know what it was, or how he would figure it out, but
now that he had met Bronson, what seemed crazy to other people made
perfect sense to Hunter. And the only thing that really made sense was that
he was going to give birth to an amazing child.
“Come here, Hunter, let me introduce you to the pack,” Bronson said,
leading Hunter to the group of men sitting around the campfire.
Hunter had met a lot of people since he’d become pregnant, as they’d
returned gradually to Dire, and all of them had stared at him with shock and
awe. They had been looking for the Omega themselves, in all the wrong
places. And the Alpha had sorted the mess out himself. It truly was a
miracle. Or so they’d been telling him.
That night, Bronson invited Hunter into his home for the second time.
“Let me take care of you,” he whispered, his masculine voice reverberating
in Hunter’s ear. “At least until the baby’s born. You’ll be safe with me.”
“I know,” Hunter said, bringing Bronson’s hand to his swollen stomach.
“We both will.”
 Bound to His Bear
Chapter 1
“Lance, you’re going to be late for pictures! The drama department wants
you in one last group photo with everyone in their graduation gowns!”
“Be right there,” Lance said, his deep blue eyes reluctantly flickering from
his best friend Orion to Jenny, a friend he’d made in the Drama Club. She
barely seemed to hear him as she rushed off to corral the rest of the
members.
“Hard to believe it’s all over,” Orion said, as if reading Lance’s mind. But
then, ever since they were kids, he’d always seemed to be able to do that.
Lance let out a sigh. “Yeah.”
“You should go get your picture taken,” Orion said, his caramel colored
eyes shining as he nudged Lance. They were lounging in the grass together,
watching all the commotion as their peers walked around, an equal mixture
of giddy and dazed.
But Lance didn’t budge. If he left, Orion would be alone. He wasn’t the
kind of guy to make a lot of friends and join in the group activities.
Everybody was bustling around, happy as clams, talking to their peers, but
the dark and mysterious Orion had nobody to talk to but Lance. And while
he seemed to prefer it that way, Lance felt like it was wrong to just leave
him alone on the lawn of their high school, probably abandoning him to fall
victim to the many burdened love confessions of girls who’d been too shy
until now to tell him how they felt knowing they would see him during class
or be harshly judged by their peers for liking the “bad boy.”
“Come with me,” Lance said, pushing himself to his feet. He offered his
hand down to Orion. He didn’t like the idea of girls throwing themselves at
his friend while he was vulnerable.
Orion hesitated for a moment before taking it firmly, enveloping Lance’s
hand in his strong palm. It was clear that Orion was made of good stock, or
depending on who you talked to, bad stock. The kind of men who were
fighters, sometimes killers. There were rumors all over school about the
terrifying biker gang Orion’s father was a part of. Most people were afraid
to get too close to him, but Lance had always shrugged off all the gossip.
“It won’t be that long until all this is over,” Lance promised. “Besides, I
have to go to the Drama department anyway. I wanted to keep the prop you
helped me make.”
Orion pursed his lips, seemingly embarrassed at the reminder that at one
time, he had succumbed to helping out a dweeby club he had no interest in.
But Lance knew that he had secretly relished being of use to the community
of students who feared him.
“Finally!” Jenny exclaimed when they walked through the door. She
grabbed Lance by the arm, pulling him toward the group, then caught sight
of Orion behind him and balked.
She got over it quickly—by now probably used to the fact that Orion was
often hanging out with Lance—and continued steering Lance toward the
group. He glanced back at Orion, relieved to see that he had found his place
among the shadows, leaning his back against the wall with his hands in his
pockets. Instead of his face showing any sign of hurt feelings because of
Jenny’s reaction, he was grinning, probably making fun of them all in his
own quiet way for how seriously they were discussing what poses to
assume for the picture.
“All right!” Jenny exclaimed once she was finally satisfied. “Let’s do this!”
Unfortunately, she couldn’t find anywhere to prop up her camera, which
resulted in several more minutes of chatter.
“Jesus,” Orion finally said, his commanding voice cutting through the
commotion without even being raised. He walked up to them. “I can take
the picture.”
Lance couldn’t keep the grin off his face as Jenny’s cheeks turned bright red
and she reluctantly handed her camera to Orion, as if she was unsure
whether or not he might run off with it. But she obviously had too much tact
to say so to his face, and returned to her position.
“Thanks,” she said curtly.
“Anything to get the hell out of here faster.” Orion lifted the camera to his
eye. “Say cheese.”
After three quiet flashes and a significant decrease in excited, nervous
energy, the pictures were taken and Jenny’s camera safely recovered.
The others gradually filed out of the room, anxious to visit other rooms in
the school that were meaningful to them. Orion didn’t have anywhere else
to go, and Lance lingered behind with him.
“Well that was interesting,” Orion said, a touch of sarcasm in his voice.
Lance grinned warmly at him and put his hand on his shoulder. “Come on, I
have to get the prop.”
The room was much quieter now, and both of them seemed more relaxed
being alone together than in the middle of a group. It was comfortable,
almost intimate, as they searched the boxes for the wooden bear cub that
Orion had carved and painted for a play. It had taken Lance’s breath away
when Orion presented him with it.
“I couldn’t let you use that stupid teddy bear they used last year,” he had
said awkwardly. “It’s disrespectful to bears.”
In fact, bears were one of the most deeply revered animals in the town
where they grew up. Many men and women had totems of bears out in their
yards, and local lore often told of the men and women who grew up and
transformed into bears, only to stand guard and protect the town from evil.
Not that Lance had ever heard of a real person being a bear shifter.
“Am I going to see you again?” Orion asked suddenly, breaking into
Lance’s reverie.
“Of course,” Lance said, hurt and surprised by the thought that graduation
might actually be the end of their friendship. He moved closer to Orion and
reached out to hold him by both shoulders. “I can’t imagine my life without
you.”
Orion’s deep brown eyes searched Lance’s, and suddenly, their lips were
gently brushing. Lance’s grip on Orion’s shoulders tightened as their
mouths began to explore each other. Suddenly, it all made sense. Why
Lance had such an incredible friendship with Orion despite everyone else
giving him a wide berth. This. He’d been waiting for this.
Lance had never felt anything as good as Orion’s body against his, never
felt anything as incredible as those soft, warm lips exploring his own. But
as suddenly as it began, it ended, and Orion pulled away.
Lance felt his cheeks redden. Orion held his gaze for a moment, his face an
unreadable mask, and then Orion went back to looking through one of the
big boxes.
“Found it,” he said, pulling the wooden bear from inside. He handed it to
Lance and walked away, without saying another word, leaving Lance alone
to catch his breath and wonder what the hell had just happened.
Chapter 2
“Are you done packing?”
“Almost, Mom,” Lance called downstairs.
His heart panged painfully in his chest. He didn’t want to leave his mother
yet. His father had died when Lance was young, leaving the two of them to
fend for themselves. Without Lance, his mother would be completely alone.
But she had worked so hard to send him to college, and beamed with pride
every time they talked about it. Her son was going to go to the city and
make a name for himself. And she was responsible for that.
Lance stared out the window of his bedroom. He could see across town, to
the dark, derelict area where Orion and his brutish family lived. He’d been
there a few times with Orion, although mostly they hung out elsewhere, but
he was terrified to go there alone. Anybody who wasn’t invited was
terrorized without mercy. But he hadn’t seen Orion since they’d kissed.
He’d waited all summer long, sending texts and leaving a few voicemails
that all went unanswered.
“Dinner’s ready when you are.”
Lance moved his duffel bag beside the door. It was stuffed full to the brim.
He had always prided himself on being a minimalist, so it was surprising to
discover how many things he couldn’t bear to part with when leaving on
this new adventure.
“Coming.”
As he made his way to the table, Lance couldn’t help but wonder what
Orion would be eating for dinner. He had made it a habit of coming over to
Lance’s house for dinner at least once a week. Lance’s mom loved him, and
he suspected that Orion was craving someone maternal in his life. The men
he spent most of his time with were definitely not what anyone would call
soft. In fact, they were a hyper-masculine gang of bikers led by Orion’s
father.
Lance sat down glumly, realizing that it was probably because of his gruff
biker father that Orion had cut ties with Lance. The last thing a man like
that would want to hear was that his only son, his pride and joy, was a
queer. No way that would fly.
What had he been thinking, kissing Orion like that? Just because it had
seemed like a good idea in the moment didn’t mean it wouldn’t have lasting
repercussions. And with someone like Orion, he was lucky he hadn’t gotten
his ass kicked. The guy was gentle in his own private way, sure, but he
could also be violent and unpredictable.
Maybe it was better that Lance hadn’t heard from him again. If he did, it
might mean trouble.
“What’s the matter, dear?” Lance’s mom asked, setting a bowl of steaming
soup down in front of him.
“Nothing, Ma,” he said, trying to muster up a smile.
He would just have to forget that he had ever had any feelings for Orion, of
any type at all. He was leaving the state in the morning, and he wouldn’t be
back for a long, long time. It’s not like he’d ever see Orion again anyway.
Chapter 3
Lance hung up the phone numbly. It had been ten years since he’d been
back to his hometown in Washington. When he’d come out to his mother
his second year in college, their relationship had been strained, and he’d
been living in Portland, Oregon. But all that was about to change.
“Your mother is in the hospital,” the doctor had said on the phone. “She’s
been getting over a virus and she needs someone to take care of her. She
can’t afford a live-in caregiver like she needs.”
Apparently, as Lance had excelled through school and made his way to a
top firm in Portland, his mother’s health had been declining, and she hadn’t
told him. It made sense, since they rarely talked these days, but still it was a
shock to find out that, seemingly so suddenly, she couldn’t live without him.
What kind of son was he? He packed up his car with the essentials quickly,
as if getting home faster might ease his guilt. On the way out of the city he
called his friend Curtis, asking him to find someone to lease out the
apartment for him. He was his mother’s lifeline now. No matter how
difficult things had been between them, he was going to take care of her
now.
“You’re listening to 101.3, Oregon’s favorite radio station. Here’s ‘Goodbye
Oregon.’”
A maudlin country tune that Lance had grown up listening to back in
Washington with his mother began playing on the radio, and suddenly he
found himself in tears. Not only was he leaving his life of independence
behind, he was also going home to a woman who had very mixed feelings
for her own son, all because of something as inconsequential as his sexual
preference.
He wasn’t quite sure what to expect from his mother at this point. Not to
mention he hadn’t been in touch with anyone from his hometown in years.
Orion had been his only close friend and that had gone up as quick as a puff
of smoke. Lance had changed a lot since he’d left and he wasn’t sure how
the people of the town would react to the fact that he was gay. Surely there
had been rumors, small towns were like that, but he hadn’t had to confront
any of it. Now he was going to be stuck there.
And he had no idea what to expect.
Chapter 4
“Lance! It’s really you. You came to take me home! I’m so glad.” Lance’s
mother clutched at his hands with fingers that were little more than bone,
her blue eyes brimming with tears as she looked up at him from her seat in a
wheelchair.
“Of course, Ma, I would never leave you alone in the hospital. What kind of
person do you take me for?”
Lance forced himself to smile and to keep it light. He hadn’t been expecting
to find his mother looking so frail, and it took everything he had to maintain
his composure. Sure, he hadn’t made it home for Christmas last year, but
how could she have wasted away like this since the last time they’d seen
each other?
“Well you never know,” his mother said. “I’m just so glad to see you. It
feels like it’s been far too long.”
“It really has,” Lance said, pursing his lips and swallowing the lump in his
throat. “I’m sorry about that.”
“So this is the boy you’ve been telling us all so much about.” A pleasant,
African-American man came up behind Lance’s mother and placed his large
hand over her thin shoulder. They exchanged large smiles, and the man
turned his gaze to Lance. He was shocked by how handsome the doctor was
and couldn’t help but wonder just how much his mother had told the man.
“It’s nice to meet you,” the doctor said, reaching his hand out and taking
Lance’s for a firm pump. “My name is Daniel. I’m really glad to see that
Mrs. Foster is going to be looked after.”
“Oh yes,” Lance’s mother said. “He’ll taking care of me from here. Don’t
worry.”
Daniel’s eyes lingered briefly on Lance for a moment before he smiled
genially. “Well good. You both take care now.”
Lance wheeled his mother outside, where his car was waiting.
“What do you think?” his mother asked, her eyes shining. “Isn’t Dr. Daniel
handsome?”
Lance laughed out loud, completely taken aback by his mother’s
conspiratorial tone. How long had she been wanting to check guys out with
him? He’d thought she was completely against him being gay. Had her
illness changed her that much?
“He certainly is attractive,” Lance said, starting to drive out of the parking
lot. “But I’m sure that he’s already taken.”
Chapter 5
Lance brought his mother inside and had to swallow an audible gasp for
fear of insulting his mother. The house was much farther gone than he
remembered. It was dusty and dark, a contrast to how bright and clean it
had been during his childhood. The floor was dirty and the wallpaper was
beginning to fade, even tearing in some places. Lance tried to switch a light
on, but nothing happened.
“Don’t you have electricity, Ma?” Lance asked, carefully guiding her to the
armchair that he had bought her as a gift a few Christmases ago. He sat her
down gingerly and looked around warily, as if he might see something
terrible.
“Of course,” his mother replied. “It’s just that the light bulb burnt out and I
haven’t gotten around to changing it yet.”
Of course she hadn’t. In her condition, she probably wasn’t able to change
any of the light bulbs. Most of the house was dark, but she didn’t have
anybody that she could ask for help. His mother had always been a proud
and independent woman, so it wasn’t likely that she would have asked for
help anyway, or even accepted help if it was offered by the people of her
church. She would rather live in darkness.
“Well, it looks like I’m going to have to get some materials and fix this
place up a bit. It looks like there are a few repairs I could be doing.”
His mother shook her head gently, resting it against the back of the chair.
“Oh, that’s not necessary. It’s not as though you would get anything from it.
I couldn’t ask you to go out of your way. You’re already here to take care of
me. That’s more than enough.”
“I really don’t mind Ma,” Lance said, smiling gently at her. “This is my
home too. I should have come home more often to help you take care of the
place. I’m sorry I was so selfish.”
“You aren’t selfish honey,” his mother said. She swallowed hard before she
continued. “I was selfish. I let my own judgments drive a wedge between
us. I should never have done that. Maybe if I would’ve made it more
welcoming here, you would have felt like it was still your home and you
would’ve come back more often. That was my mistake.” She patted his
hand. “Please don’t blame yourself.”
Lance gritted his teeth as tears sprang to his eyes. He had never expected
his mother to apologize. It was very bizarre and overwhelming, but it was
certainly welcome.
“I love you,” he said, smiling at her as calmly as he could.
“I love you too,” she said. The look on her face was peaceful, and it was the
first time since Lance had been home that she looked like herself again.
All right…” He cleared his throat. “I’m going to go to town and grab some
lightbulbs and something for dinner. How does pizza sound tonight? I know
we’re going to have to get into the habit of eating healthy, just to make sure
that everything stays how it should for you, but maybe for one last hurrah
we could have some Julian’s? For old times’ sake.”
A huge smile spread across his mother’s face. “I’d love that.”
“You be all right here alone for an hour or two?” Lance asked, furrowing
his eyebrows. He didn’t like the idea of leaving her alone.
“I’ll be more all right here than I would be in the car with you,” she replied.
“Don’t worry honey, this is my home. And they gave me one of those
bracelets where all I have to do is press a button and the paramedics will
come and help me. Don’t worry about a thing.”
Lance smiled one last time at her before heading out the door and letting it
close softly behind him.
Chapter 5
Driving through his own hometown was very surreal. He had never
expected to come back for anything more than a holiday visit, especially
under these circumstances, and he found everything looked just a bit
different now that he knew he’d be around for a while. Not that those
differences prevented him from knowing his way around. He could still find
his way around the place with his eyes closed if he had to, but that made for
bad driving.
He turned into the parking lot for the hardware store and locked his car
instinctively, and then laughed. There was a pretty low chance that anybody
would be around to break into his car in this town. It was nothing like living
in Portland. Still, he left it locked just for good measure. You could never be
too safe.
“Lance!” a familiar voice exclaimed as soon as he walked into the store.
“Tony?” Lance said hesitantly before turning around.
Sure enough, Tony Smith was standing behind him, managing the counter
of the hardware store. He was balding a little bit, but otherwise he looked
exactly the same as he used to. He came out from behind the counter and
walked over to Lance. “Hey man, I haven’t seen you in ages. Are you in
town a while?”
“Yeah it’s been a really long time,” Lance agreed. “Yeah I’m going to be
here for a while now. My mom needs some help around the house. I’m here
to get some light bulbs and, I was wondering, do you have anything I can
use to take off some old wallpaper? I need to replace it.”
“Sure, no problem. But you’re also going to want some wallpaper to replace
it with, right? You can’t just paint over that stuff, it gets really gross.”
“You’re right, maybe you could bring me a book of samples and my mom
and I can pick it out together?”
“That sounds great,” Tony said. “It’s no problem, man. Everything you need
for that is in this aisle over here.” He walked Lance over to an aisle on the
far left. “And if you need any help, just let me know. It’s a pretty self-
explanatory process. You could probably just look up a video about it on the
Internet or something.”
“Great, thank you.”
“No problem, man. Stay in touch all right? I’m sure Jenny would be really
excited to see you.” Tony winked. “You know she always had a crush on
your right? She hasn’t settled down with anybody else since you left. You
might want to follow up on that. She’s Winston’s most eligible
bachelorette.”
Tony turned away, grinning, but Lance cringed. Apparently the rumors
hadn’t spread as much as he’d thought. He had forgotten how strange it
could be to find himself interacting with somebody whose world was so
black and white. People always just assumed that handsome men and
beautiful women were supposed to end up together. But that wasn’t always
the way that it ended up. In fact, Lance probably would be more interested
in dating Dr. Daniel than he would be in dating Jenny. But if he ever dared
to tell Tony that, it would probably be just one more acquaintance that he
would lose to homophobia.
He shopped for the rest of his equipment quietly and said goodbye to Tony,
his friendliness still straightforward but now tinged with discomfort after
Tony’s comments about Jenny. Still, he was oblivious to how Lance was
feeling, so he didn’t make any waves about it.
When he got out to his car, he was surprised to find it surrounded by a circle
of motorcycles. Sitting on the hood of his car was a mean-looking biker,
glaring at the door. When he caught Lance’s eye, he sneered.
“Welcome to Winston,” the man said. His voice was grating and it sounded
as if all he ever did in his spare time was drink alcohol and smoke.
“Actually, I used to live here.”
“We don’t take too kindly to deserters,” one of the men on a motorcycle
said gruffly.
“We won’t take too kindly to newcomers either. Let alone a newcomer
deserter,” the man on the bike across from him said.
“Looks to me like you’re kind of both,” the man who was sitting on the
head of his car said. Lance cringed. He wanted to tell him to get the hell off,
he was denting the hood, but he knew that there was no point in picking a
fight with so many men. Especially the dangerous biker gang that had
always been discussed in whispers when he’d been a kid.
The first man who’d spoken nodded. “Yeah, he is. I guess that means we
don’t like him much.”
“Look, I’m not here to cause any problems. It’s just that my mother is sick,
and I’m here to take care of her. If you don’t mind, I need to get home and
make sure that she’s okay. You don’t want to be the reason that something
happens to her.”
The man on the hood of his car gave him a twisted grin. “Oh we don’t do
we?”
All the men started to laugh, and Lance furrowed his eyebrows, gripping his
shopping bag tightly. What was he supposed to do now? Get Tony?
“No,” a sudden deep voice said from behind Lance. “You don’t.” All of the
bikers’ mouths clamped shut and their eyes widened.
Lance turned around slowly and his mouth fell open. Standing behind him,
arms crossed over his chest, was Orion. His face was unmistakable. His
eyes were still dark and brooding, although his body had gotten much larger
and broader. Still, nobody else Lance had ever met could look so gorgeous
scowling. He had let his hair grow longer, so that the thick black strands
brushed against his shoulders, and he was wearing a black cut off vest and
white tank top that showcased his muscular arms.
“Now apologized to the man and get the hell off of his car.”
“Shit,” the man said, sliding off of the hood of Lance’s car. “Sorry man. I
didn’t know.”
“Yeah, sorry,” the rest of the men chorused, looking like scolded
schoolchildren.
“Get the hell out of here you morons,” Orion barked. Everybody flinched,
including Lance, and then they all rushed to obey, driving away and leaving
Lance and Orion alone in the parking lot.
Chapter 6
“I can’t believe you’re back,” Orion said, his dark eyes roaming Lance up
and down. “I didn’t think you would ever show your face back here.”
Lance’s heart constricted. At first he had been relieved to see Orion, but
now he wasn’t so sure. Was Orion holding a grudge about what had
happened between them on graduation day? He sure seemed to be implying
that Lance had something to be ashamed of.
“My mother is sick,” Lance stammered, holding his shopping bag stupidly
up toward Orion. “I’m here to help her. She needs to have the house fixed
up a bit. And I was thinking about having some things installed in the
bathroom to make it easier for her to be independent. Handrails and things
like that.” He closed his mouth, realizing he was rambling, and offered
Orion a shrug. “She got so old without me realizing it.”
“It happens pretty fast,” Orion said quietly. “I lost my dad a few years back.
It wasn’t old age so much as foolhardiness, but time is still the same. It’s
always over too fast.”
They stood in silence for a moment, the tension between them crackling. It
had been so many years, but still what had happened seemed to rise up as a
large elephant between them.
“Do you know what you’re doing with that stuff?” Orion asked, peering
into the bag that Lance was still holding protectively out in front of himself.
“Not really. Tony said that it was easy enough though, I just have to try and
find some kind of instructional video or something. But I’ve never been
much of a handyman. You know me.”
It slipped out so naturally. Yes, Orion had known Lance, known him better
than anyone. But that had been years ago. Still, some things never changed.
Some people would always be good with their hands, like Orion, while
others were more suited toward intellectual pursuits like Lance.
“That’s exactly why I asked you if you knew what you were doing. How
about I help you out? It’d be good to see your mom again. She always
seemed to feel sorry for me. She wasn’t like other people’s moms, who
were terrified that I would corrupt their children.”
Lance nodded, eagerly accepting the olive branch. “Yeah, I bet she would
really like to see you. She told me that she doesn’t get much company
anymore.”
“Great, well, I’m free tomorrow afternoon. How does that sound to you?”
“It sounds great. It’ll give me some time to research the things I need to buy
to make the house a little better for my mom to use. I think there’s a lot that
we’re going to have to change. But don’t feel any pressure to stick out the
whole project. It’s going to take a while.”
“Are you kidding? You think I would leave you alone in the house with
power tools?” Orion said, with a sharp laugh. “Don’t count on it.
Somebody’s got to be there to protect your mother.”
Lance laughed despite himself, and for a moment it felt as if things had
never changed between them. But when he looked back at Orion, the smile
faded from his lips. Time was always a factor, and it had changed this boy
immensely, changed him into a man. Just because they were going to be
fixing up his mom’s house together didn’t mean that they were
automatically best friends again.
Orion had up and disappeared on him after all. He felt like he should be
angry, bursting with questions, but surprisingly enough he was just happy to
see Orion again.
“All right, tomorrow at noon, sharp, got it?” Orion said, glancing down at
his watch.
“Got it,” Lance said.
“Great. Well my gang is waiting for me. We had some stuff to do tonight. If
you’re going to get those lightbulbs in before dark, you might want to head
back now.” Easily, with the muscular grace of an animal, Orion climbed
back onto his motorcycle. And with a rev of his engine, he disappeared.
Chapter 7
That night, Lance finished washing up his mother’s dirty dishes after he
changed all the lights in the house. His heart broke to discover that she had
only two working lightbulbs, and neither of them were in very convenient
places. She kept the closet light on during the night, but otherwise she
basically lived in darkness. There was a lamp or two that she had bought,
but since she had been so sick it was still difficult for her to maintain them.
Once his mother was in bed, Lance went up to his old bedroom and found
that it was just about the same as he had left it. He found himself wandering
over to the window and gazing outside, wondering what Orion was up to. It
seemed strange that he was the leader of the biker gang now, despite Orion
being the logical replacement for his dad. He’d always imagined better
things for Orion. Maybe his own woodworking studio, since he’d been so
good at that.
He almost picked up the rotary phone beside his bed to dial Orion’s number.
It seemed so natural for him to fall back into old habits again. This was his
hometown, and everything was so familiar. But it wasn’t who he was
anymore. He was a proud and out gay man who lived in Portland, a big
detail he’d left out of his conversation with Orion. Sure, Orion probably had
his suspicions, but a conversation about it in the parking lot was probably
the last thing that he wanted.
Lance sighed heavily, before deciding that he would shower before he slept.
As the water ran down his body, he couldn’t help but keep Orion close to
his thoughts. There had been a time in his life where Orion was on his mind
constantly, and it was completely natural. It wasn’t as if they were dating,
but they had shared so much of their lives with one another. Now that he
was back in his hometown, it seemed as if it was natural for him to rewind
the time as if nothing had changed. But everything had changed.
Lance finally laid down in his old bed, plagued by thoughts of Orion and
the awkward first kiss they had shared in the drama club room. Did it really
count as a first kiss when it was the only kiss? He gritted his teeth, his face
flushing a furious red, and then closed his eyes. He wouldn’t allow himself
to think about it anymore. Orion would be at his house in the morning. He
was the leader of a biker gang for crying out loud. He might even beat
Lance up for mentioning what happened. Lance would just have to try and
forget, and leave the rest to fate.
Chapter 8
“Orion!”
Lance sat up in bed with his heart pounding at the sound of his mother
greeting Orion. He had overslept, by a long shot, but it was too late to do
anything about that now. He could already hear Orion’s heavy footfalls on
the stairs coming toward his bedroom.
“Rise and shine,” Orion said, poking his head into Lance’s room. It was as
if he already knew that he hadn’t gotten out of bed yet. It probably wasn’t
so unbelievable. They had known each other better than they knew anybody
else, and if there was one thing that was hard to change, it was the fact that
Lance was not much of a morning person. Orion had picked up the habit of
calling him every morning before school just to make sure that he was
awake enough to walk with him once Orion arrived at his door. If it weren’t
for him, Lance probably would have ended up suspended for all of his
tardiness.
“Hey,” Lance said, sitting up. A little flush began to color his cheeks. It was
strange to wake up and immediately confront the man who had kept him up
all night, especially when said man had no idea about it.
“I see some things never change,” Orion said, a sexy grin creasing his face.
“Sorry, I guess I forgot to set the alarm,” Lance mumbled, embarrassed by
the way Orion’s dark eyes roamed shamelessly over his body. He had fallen
asleep in just his boxers, and now it seemed as if Orion was teasing him
somehow.
“Sure,” Orion said, not bothering to turn around as Lance shyly got out of
bed, thanking every deity he’d ever heard of for the fact that he hadn’t
woken up with a morning erection.
Lance crossed the room to his suitcase, rummaging through it for something
to wear.
“Don’t bother dressing up real nice,” Orion said. “We’re going to get dirty
today.”
Lance glanced up at him, searching for a snarky reply, but simply nodded
instead.
He pulled an old pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt from the suitcase and
threw them on quickly, still embarrassed by Orion’s presence. But he was
there, stubborn and unmoving, waiting for Lance to get a move on.
“I’m just gonna go brush my teeth,” Lance said, keeping his eyes on the
ground as he pushed past Orion, walking the few feet down the hallway to
the bathroom. He could feel Orion’s dark, steady gaze on his back until the
door closed behind him, and he couldn’t help but let out a huge breath of
relief.
What had happened to make things so strange between them? Sure, it was
as if no time had passed since high school, but now there was something
even stranger there. An electricity that Lance wasn’t sure he liked, as if it
was a looming threat over his head. Was he waiting for the axe to fall?
He tried to push his thoughts away as he finished readying himself for the
day ahead. He finally felt ready to face Orion again, after combing his hair
and giving himself an encouraging smile in the mirror. He had nothing to be
ashamed of, after all. Even if they had shared a strange moment in the past,
he wasn’t going to let it scare him. He was a grown man now, and if Orion
wanted to be judgmental or homophobic toward him, then so be it. But if
not, and his old friend was just here to help him fix up his mother’s house,
then maybe it would even be fun. There was only one way to find out.
Chapter 9
When Lance emerged from the bathroom, he couldn’t find Orion anywhere.
He eventually wandered downstairs and discovered him chatting animatedly
with his mother. She was offering to make them some breakfast, trying to
push herself up out of the big armchair she was sitting in, but Orion gently
put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
“I already ate,” he said. “Thank you.”
Lance was embarrassed by the way the touching scene made his heart thud
harder in his chest. He didn’t want to interrupt it, but he felt like a stalker
standing in the shadows and lurking there without saying anything.
“Where do you think we should get started?” Lance said, bringing Orion’s
dark and pensive eyes back to him.
“Anywhere is fine,” Orion said. “But we should probably prioritize. Do
whatever is most important first.”
Orion walked past Lance, giving the house a look over. He had forgotten
just how practical Orion could be. Once he had a goal, he stuck to it until he
reached the end successfully. He had never seen so much determination in
one person until he had become friends with Orion. It was part of why he
was so sure that Orion would end up somewhere better than a biker in his
dad’s gang.
“Why don’t we start with some laundry?” Orion said, his voice low so that
Lance his mother couldn’t hear them. “It would take a load off of your
mother’s mind. She isn’t well, and right now she deserves to be taken care
of properly. You start that and I’m going to go look around the house and
see what needs to be done.”
Orion took off up the stairs, leaving Lance in the foyer, feeling as if he was
some kind of housewife while Orion went off and did the manly things. But
Orion was right; it was probably good to get some laundry going. So,
although it was embarrassing, he went into his mother’s bedroom and
stripped the sheets and blankets, and took her clothes to the washer and
dryer. He was just closing the door of the machine to begin the first large
load when Orion returned.
“There are some serious problems in the bathroom,” Orion said. “Not only
is the place definitely not accessible to an older lady, but the tiles need to be
grouted and some of them are breaking. If she steps on one of those jagged
pieces that are falling off from the wall it could be a problem.”
“Oh, do we need to go get some grout then?” Lance asked, furrowing his
eyebrows.
“Nah, don’t worry about it. I brought along my toolbox. I figured there was
a lot of stuff that needed to be done around here. Can never be too safe.”
“Right, thanks,” Lance said.
Orion moved past him and back into the foyer, where he started digging
through the large toolbox he had left on the floor there. He came back with
a few tools and a medium-sized bucket of grout.
“Let’s go,” he said, leading the way upstairs to the bathroom. “How is it
that your mom gets upstairs anyway? It seems like it would be really hard
for her.”
“Yeah, actually she stays downstairs now. She’s been sleeping in the guest
bedroom. I was thinking about taking all of her things down there for her. It
would make it easier for her to do everything she needs to.”
“That’s a good idea for now,” Orion said thoughtfully. “But I think that
there’s something better that we could do. At least for the long term. It’s a
little bit expensive, but I could help you guys foot the bill. I know someone
who could get us a discount.”
“What are you talking about?” Lance asked, bewildered. They were in the
bathroom now, and Orion crouched on the floor, mixing the grout.
“We could get a machine that connects to the staircase. All she would have
to do is sit in it and it would take her upstairs and downstairs.”
Lance’s eyes opened wider. “Wow, that sounds really amazing. But like you
said, very expensive. Is there a way that we could do something like that,
without having to pay so much?”
“No, like I said, I would be able to get you guys a discount. Don’t even
worry about it.” Orion paused briefly before adding, “I like your mom.”
Orion had liked his mom for a very long time, and it touched Lance deeply
to see just how far he was willing to go for her. And in a way, he couldn’t
help but wonder if it had something to do with Lance as well. Was Orion
feeling sorry about disappearing on him like that? Maybe he just wanted to
apologize in his own small way, without actually having to bring up the
painful issue of the past again.
The two men got to work, with Lance heading downstairs to the basement
to dig up the spare tiles that had been leftover when his mother had redone
the bathroom decades before. They were still nice tiles, she had good taste
for timeless styles.
When Lance returned to the bathroom, he stopped in the doorway, taken
aback by how gorgeous Orion looked. Orion had rolled up his shirtsleeves
to his shoulders and his dark eyes were focused on the task at hand. His
large muscles were bulging with the effort of prying up the broken tiles and
disposing of them in a trash bag that was open beside him. He seemed
oblivious to Lance, gawking in the doorway. It was funny how time could
change so many things, and yet do nothing to change the way he was
fascinated with Orion.
“Well don’t just stand there,” Orion said finally, without looking up from
what he was doing. “Let’s get to work.”
Chapter 10
Lance and Orion worked well into the night together, only stopping for
water breaks and to make sure that his mother was fed and comfortable. At
about nine o’clock, Lance’s stomach gurgled loudly and Orion laughed.
“Probably about time for dinner break. You think your mom could make it
on her own for an hour?”
“Sure,” Lance said. “We should let her know we’re going though.”
“Well no shit,” Orion said, but he was smiling good-naturedly.
It had been strange working with Orion that day. They didn’t speak very
much, and there was a lot of tension between them. Lance wasn’t quite sure
what the cause of it was, but he did know that every time he looked at
Orion, it filled him with a painful nostalgia that made him wish he had
never tried to kiss him. Maybe things between them would’ve been
different. It would’ve been nice to have a friend over all those years.
“Orion and I are going to go have some dinner,” Lance said to his mother,
kissing her on the forehead.
“Oh good, I’ve been worried about you boys. It’s unhealthy for you to be
working so hard without anything in your stomachs.”
“Don’t worry, we’re doing all right. And you won’t even recognize the
bathroom.”
“Oh sweetheart, I’m not sure I’ll be able to get up those stairs anytime
soon,” his mother said with a wistful smile. “But I’m sure you did a
wonderful job.”
“Thanks Ma,” Lance said, his heart constricting painfully.
It was still strange to see his mother so frail. The doctor said she should
start feeling better as she got over her illness and started to put on weight
again, and it would be nice to see her going back to normal again. But it
was possible that this was the new normal and he was just going to have to
get used to it. The older people got, the more vulnerable they became. That
was just a fact of life.
“Come on Lance, I’m starving,” Orion called from the foyer. “Good night
Mrs. Foster. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Lance was surprised by how forwardly Orion invited himself back. He had
been wondering how to broach the subject of continuing with the home
improvement projects. He didn’t want to assume that Orion was going to
keep helping him out, but at the same time, it was going to be difficult to
finish a lot of the projects without him. It was a relief to know that he was
already planning on coming back. Although another day of that much
tension was probably going to kill him.
“Coming,” Lance said, smiling at his mother before he disappeared out the
door.
“Do you mind driving?” Orion asked. “I didn’t bring my bike today. I just
walked. I don’t want to attract any unnecessary attention to your mom’s
house. Sometimes the people around here can be a little strange about
whoever is affiliated with the gang.”
“Thanks for thinking about that for her,” Lance said, “but I don’t think
either one of us mind being affiliated with you.”
He regretted it as soon as he said it, because it made him sound vulnerable
or weak, or maybe like he was still interested in Orion. He didn’t want
Orion to feel uncomfortable around him. Before he had a chance to read
Orion’s expression, the man had already turned away.
“My car’s in the garage,” Lance said, quickly trying to draw attention away
from what he’d said and move back to the original question. “Do you mind
waiting here while I pull it out?”
Orion raised an eyebrow at Lance as if he was stupid. “Nope.”
“Cool,” Lance said, his face burning furiously as he jogged to the garage.
Things with Orion were always complicated. It would be better if he didn’t
keep putting his foot in his mouth. But depending on what they were going
to do for dinner, he was going to have ample opportunity. Lance sighed. It
was going to be a long night.
Chapter 11
Lance and Orion drove in silence until Orion signaled for Lance to stop. He
pulled into the parking lot of an old Steiner he had assumed would have
gone out of business by the time he came back to Winston. But lo and
behold, there it was, looking no different than it had the entire time Lance
was growing up. It seemed it was one of the fixtures of this town and it
wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
“Remember how we used to come here after school on Fridays?” Orion said
with a quiet laugh. He was gazing out the window of Lance’s car, wistfully
thinking about the past. It had been a long time, but the moments that they
shared at the diner had been the single greatest thing about high school.
“Yeah, and Big Dave would always bring us an extra order of fries for free.
I guess he appreciated our business.”
Orion snorted. “Yeah, that and he was terrified of my father. I always
wondered if he was just sucking up.”
This surprised Lance. He had known that Orion’s father had held sway over
the town, but he hadn’t often considered what it might be like for some of
the local entrepreneurs with such a powerful biker gang in town. Had Dave
actually been scared of Orion and the gang?
“Or maybe he just really liked us kids,” Lance said, though now he wasn’t
so sure.
“Sure. The only reason I wonder is because he sometimes showed an
interest in the gang, but he never really had the guts to commit. My father
always turned him down for one reason or another anyway. There’s a
special quality that we look for in our men.”
“What kind of quality?”
Orion turned to look at him, and for a moment Lance could have sworn that
he was more animal than human. It was eerie, but intriguing. He almost
looked like the carving of a bear cub that he had done for Lance and the
drama club.
“There’s a certain kind of adaptability that our gang looks for in a person.
That’s all. I like Dave, he has good intentions. I still wouldn’t let him in the
gang though. It doesn’t seem right. I don’t think that he would be a match
for some of the kinds of people we deal with.”
They sat in silence for a moment before Orion opened the car door and
stepped out. Lance followed suit, again, instinctively locking the door
behind him. Now he had more of a reason to, after nearly being attacked by
the gang that Orion was just talking about. He wasn’t sure he liked them,
but the way that Orion spoke about them was full of pride. It made it hard
not to feel some sense of respect towards them.
“I didn’t know that you wanted to be part of the gang,” Lance said before
they went inside.
Orion cast a sidelong look at him, his dark, brooding eyes flashing with an
emotion Lance knew all too well. Pain.
“It’s not really something you want or don’t want. It’s something you’re
born into.”
He seemed eager to drop the subject, so Lance didn’t say anything else as
they stepped through the door.
“Well I’ll be!” Big Dave exclaimed, lifting his glasses off his nose to squint
over at Orion and Lance. “Lance Foster came back to ol’ Winston after all!”
Lance couldn’t help but smile as the round little man came forward and
wrapped him in a big bear hug.
“And Orion! Welcome, welcome. To both of you.”
Big Dave’s genial, bright red face seemed to shine with pure joy as he
hustled the men to the corner booth, where they had enjoyed some of their
most meaningful discussions as young men. It wasn’t until he sat down on
the red leather seat, with Orion grinning across from him, that Lance
realized suddenly, and without a doubt, that he was home.
Chapter 12
The table was covered with food; Big Dave was feeling festive and had
brought out one of everything on the menu. Lance and Orion were gorging
themselves, sharing everything they had just like they had always done,
silverware clattering as they ate.
In between bites, conversation began to arise, and Lance soon learned that
he had underestimated his childhood friend.
“Do you remember the summer after graduation?” Orion asked, his pensive
eyes steady on Lance.
“Of course,” Lance said. He thought of it often, the painful memory of
being abandoned by his best and closest friend. He had been haunted every
day by the biggest mistake he had ever made in his life, and he still wasn’t
sure there was anything that could be done to fix it.
“Well… I got a letter. Saying I was accepted into a school in Seattle.”
“What? Really?” Lance lowered his fork to his plate, gaping in awe at
Orion. Of course he had made it into a good school. But he had always
wondered what had become of his friend.
“It was a trade school. For people who are good with their hands and math
and things like that.”
Orion was a genius with numbers and dimensions as far as Lance was
concerned, but he never seemed too eager to flaunt it to anybody else. And
forget about homework. The fact that he’d made it into a school at all was
exciting.
“That’s great,” Lance said, trying to organize all of the different thoughts
that were bombarding him. “Congratulations!”
“Sure, that would have been nice to hear if I had been allowed to go,” Orion
said, smiling bitterly down at his plate.
“What do you mean?” Lance asked. Surely Orion’s father was an ass, but to
prevent his own child from making something better of himself? That
seemed terrible to the point of fictional.
“He had other plans for me,” Orion said, glancing up at Big Dave as if to
gauge whether or not he was listening. “He made me… leave.”
Lance’s heart thudded hard in his chest. Orion’s dad had made him leave. It
was hard to process, but it sounded a lot like Orion was telling him that he
hadn’t been abandoned—at least not by choice. And not because of
anything to do with the kiss they had shared on the day of their high school
graduation.
“Where did you go?” Lance asked, his voice wavering.
Just then, Big Dave interrupted them by setting down two huge glasses, full
to the brim with milkshake.
“This might just be the best day of my life,” Lance said, laughing. He
wasn’t sure he could handle the truth of what Orion was telling him yet. To
think that he had spent ten years of his life agonizing over what might have
ultimately turned out to be a silly misunderstanding seemed too much to
hope for.
“Good! Welcome home, Lance. Don’t be a stranger.”
Just like everybody else, Big Dave had aged and changed. He was plumper
now, and his once abundant hair was thinning and grey. But he still carried
with him a youthful spark that made it a pleasure to be around. For the
millionth time, Lance felt ashamed of himself for being away from home
for so long. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed it until he was
back.
“I won’t,” Lance promised. And he meant it. He wouldn’t go another ten
years about seeing the people who had meant so much to him as he grew up
and became the person that he was. Although the homophobia and
closemindedness could be suffocating, that didn’t mean that he had to
abandon everybody who was meaningful to him the way that he had. It had
been a self-preservation tactic that he had used to maintain his
independence and defend his identity. But that didn’t mean that it was okay
to turn his back on the people who loved him.
“I want to show you something,” Orion said once they left the diner.
Lance was already close to tears. He wasn’t sure that he could handle any
more emotional surprises. But it seemed impossible to turn Orion down.
Especially after so long. When he had so many questions.
“Okay,” Lance said nervously. He wanted to get home, and use his mother
as an excuse to run away from Orion the way he’d thought that Orion had
run away from him. He needed time to process what Orion had told him.
“You don’t have to be afraid,” Orion said. There it was again. His uncanny
ability to sense exactly what Lance was feeling. He had a feeling that if they
were actually lovers it would either be incredible or it would drive him
crazy.
“Okay, are we driving north or south?” Lance asked, unlocking his car.
“We’re not driving anywhere. We’re going to walk there.”
Lance furrowed his eyebrows. What was going on? They were already close
to the outskirts of town as it was. Nothing else was out there except a lot of
forest land. If Orion was leading Lance into the wilderness alone, it could
be a set up. His gang of bikers could be there waiting to pounce when he
was the most vulnerable. And then his mother would really be in trouble.
Nobody else would be able to take care of her.
But why was he doubting Orion after all this time? They had spent the
entire day together fixing the house up. Why would Orion do anything to
hurt him now, when he could have done it a lot sooner and without helping
him make his mother’s life easier? He seemed to genuinely care for her.
Despite his reservations, Lance hurried to catch up to Orion, who had
already started walking. He was a tall, graceful man, who took long strides
as he moved. There was something so raw about him. Almost primal. It
gave Lance shivers to see him moving through the darkness as silver
moonlight passed over through the shadows of the trees. He wished that he
could be more like Orion. More rugged and manly. But he was the kind of
guy who liked to wear sweaters and do crossword puzzles. He was
definitely no match for Orion and his hands-on approach to the world.
After what seemed like an eternity of marching through the darkness, with a
deep feeling of foreboding building in Lance’s chest, Orion finally stopped.
“This is it.”
Lance looked around. He didn’t see anything different about where they
were now compared to the forest they’d walked through. “What is it?”
“On the night of our graduation. This is where he left me.”
Chapter 13
Lance was too shocked to move as a torrent of words began to pour from
Orion’s mouth. It was as if a dam had been broken, and ten years’ worth of
words came out.
“My family has a secret, a secret that we share with the rest of the gang.
We’re bikers because we’re the only ones who would protect each other. We
are the only ones who can help ourselves. I don’t expect you to understand,
but my father, despite being a cruel man, only wanted what was best for me.
He wanted me to be the best version of myself that I could be, and after I
was finally finished with school, he couldn’t wait another second.”
Orion turned his back on Lance for a moment and took a deep breath before
continuing.
“I don’t want you to think it was about you. I went home the night after
graduation, and I wanted to call you right away, but before I had the chance,
my father summoned me. And when my father summons you, you go.
Without hesitation. He had a way of knowing whether or not he was being
obeyed, and he was very good at enforcing his discipline upon us all.”
“What did he do to you?” Lance whispered. The thought of young Orion
being so browbeaten by his father was horrifying. He had always suspected,
but hearing the words was a new experience entirely.
“He told me that it was time for me to be a man. That I had a birthright I
had to claim. And it was now or never. There was no time for any more
school. The rest of my life was predetermined for me. And I had to accept
it.”
“That’s bullshit!” Lance exclaimed. “Nothing about the world is
predetermined. We make our own way in this world. Your father was just
abusive.”
Orion smirked. “I won’t argue with you about that, but he was right about
one thing. There is something about me that is different. And I had to figure
it out for myself out here, alone. For the entire summer. And then
throughout the winter. And during several more summers and winters. By
the time I came back, my father was old and dying, and I was stronger than
I had ever been in my life.”
Lance opened and closed his mouth, but he wasn’t sure what to say.
“The point of this is, this is where I was forced to be, instead of being with
you, where I wanted to be. Instead of telling you…”
Orion cut himself off, and cast his dark eyes to the ground. Lance noticed
him make a tight fist, before finally looking up into Lance’s eyes again.
“I didn’t hate… what happened. I didn’t hate it.”
Lance blinked and then burst out laughing. He didn’t hate it? He didn’t hate
the kiss. He wasn’t angry about it. Lance being forward wasn’t what ruined
their friendship. It was Orion’s father.
“You didn’t hate it?” Lance repeated, unable to stifle his laughter.
Orion grinned and shook his head, his long dark hair brushing his shoulders.
“I didn’t hate it. In fact,” Orion said, taking a cautious step toward Lance,
“you were my world back then. You were the only thing that really made
sense.”
Lance gasped as Orion pulled him roughly forward and wrapped his arms
strongly around Lance’s body. They kissed passionately, every inch of
Lance’s body electrified by Orion’s touch. He had been waiting so long to
resolve these feelings, to understand what had happened between them the
summer that Orion had left him. And now here it all was, right out in front
of him, too good to be true.
He couldn’t resist the powerful thrall that Orion had over him. It just felt too
good to be in his arms after so long. To feel the scrape of his stubble on his
cheek and the soft, angelic lips that brought shivers up and down Lance’s
spine. There was undeniable chemistry between them, there always had
been, and he was going to drown himself in it for every possible second, no
matter what the cost. They had already waited far too long.
“I’ve wanted to see you for so long,” Orion whispered into Lance’s ear,
nipping at his earlobe. “But the time was just never right. There was always
something going on; something getting in the way. But now you’re here.
And I’m not going to lose you again.”
Lance dared to let himself believe it as Orion’s hot mouth began to consume
his neck. He’d been with men before, but never had he experienced
anything quite so sensual. Every touch made him tingle, and his cock was
hard enough to burst. He would never have guessed that this could happen.
And even if it was just a dream and he was destined to wake up, it was the
greatest moment of his life.
Orion growled, forcefully gripping Lance by the waist and pulling him hard
against his muscular body as he burrowed his head in the nape of Lance’s
neck. The friction of their groins grinding against each other through their
jeans nearly made Lance cry with need.
It wasn’t enough for Orion, who quickly began to wrestle with the buttons
on Lance’s jeans. Lance shivered when the night air blew over his exposed
shaft, and then groaned with pleasure when Orion began to gently stroke it.
It had been so long since he’d been with anybody that Lance nearly came
immediately, but fortunately Orion pulled away to lift Lance’s shirt over his
head.
Lance followed suit, stripping Orion and pausing to gawk at the other man’s
buffet of abs. He was surprisingly hairy and virile, and Lance liked it.
Everybody he had been with before suddenly looked like they had barely
escaped puberty compared to this man, who was the very definition of
ruggedness.
Without thinking twice, Lance plunged his hand into the warmth of Orion’s
pants and ran his fingers greedily along the swollen shaft inside. His own
cock was throbbing so hard it almost hurt, but he gritted his teeth patiently
as he held Orion in his hands. This was the moment he had been waiting for
ever since he’d started to understand his feelings towards other men, ever
since he’d understood what he’d felt for Orion all those years. And god, it
felt good.
Lance dropped to his knees, eliciting a hiss of pleasure from Orion as he
wrapped his lips around Orion’s cock and curled his tongue around its head.
He allowed his hands to roam up and down Orion’s muscular legs and
thighs, moaning appreciatively every time Orion thrusted a little in his
mouth. Soon, Orion was fucking his mouth in earnest, and it took
everything Lance had not to come all over himself. Fortunately, he had
mastered the art of self-control, and focused all of his energy on pleasing
Orion, whose sexy dark eyes had turned down to him.
Lance felt a chill when suddenly those gorgeous eyes flashed a reflective
green. But instead of being afraid, for some reason it made Lance want him
more than he ever had before.
He stood up and faced Orion, who seemed to know instinctively what to do.
He whipped Lance around, and had him prop himself up against a tree.
Orion shoved Lance’s pants down to his ankles and suddenly he could feel
the heat of Orion’s shaft pressed up against him. Lance’s cock shuddered
and was soon engulfed by the warmth of Orion’s hands, slowly rubbing him
up and down, and circling his thumb around the engorged head of Lance’s
penis.
Lance grunted in surprise when Orion began pressing against him—into
him—softly at first, and then more firmly and urgently as the heat of
Lance’s insides began to envelope him. They both groaned out loud in
pleasure as Orion entered him from behind, their cocks both red and
swollen as he started to thrust. He seemed to know exactly how to pleasure
Lance, taking his time to warm up Lance’s body before using his full power.
They were both pleasantly surprised by just how much of Orion’s power
Lance could take, and soon, Lance’s heels were digging deep into the soft
earth as Orion plunged into him again and again, each thrust better feeling
than the last. Lance wasn’t sure he would be able to hold back his climax
any longer, but Orion was a step ahead of him. He was quickening the
speed with which he rubbed Lance’s cock, and bracing Lance by gripping
him firmly by the waist with his free hand.
Before he could register what was happening, Orion unleashed a victorious
roar that shook the trees around them. A sudden, powerful explosion
erupted inside Lance, and he lost himself as his body tingled with the heat
of an orgasm unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It almost
seemed like nothing in comparison to the wave of hot cum that was rolling
into him as Orion thrusted into him until every last ounce was spent inside
of Lance.
They were both out of breath by the time they were done, and it seemed like
they didn’t need words for how they felt about what had happened. It had
been a long time coming, and although Orion hadn’t come out and said
what his family’s secret was, Lance was starting to suspect it. Orion was
one of the ancient bear shifters he had heard so much about as a child; the
tribe of powerful men whose only safe place was with each other. He didn’t
have to say it. Some part of him had known all along.
“Let’s get you back home,” Orion said, stretching lazily before reaching for
his clothes.
Chapter 14
That night, Orion left Lance on the porch of his mother’s house. The gang
was going to be wondering where he had been for so long. And although he
was their leader and he didn’t owe anybody an explanation, it still felt kind
of wrong to desert them. He was anxious to get back, although spending
some time alone seemed really nice. Especially after what he experienced
with Lance.
“Orion, so what’s the deal with that little prick anyway?” Lars asked as
soon as Orion stepped into the bar where the biker gang met up.
“That little prick happens to be one of my best friends from high school, so
you guys are just going to have to deal with that.”
“Is that a fact?” Paul asked, circling around Orion and sniffing. “Because it
seems to me like you and that little prick are more than just best friends.”
This brought everybody’s attention immediately onto Orion. He cursed
quietly at himself. He should have showered. Now, he might have put
Lance’s life in danger.
“It doesn’t matter what any of you guys think. Lance is just a friend.
Nothing more. And if you lay a hand on him, I will personally see to it that
you never touch anything again. You know. Because you’ll be dead.”
Nobody else dared to say anything more, but Orion didn’t like the way that
the rest of the men were looking at him. He should have washed the scent of
Lance away. It would have been better and far less dangerous for them both.
But as of yet, nobody could prove anything. Lance was safe for now. That
was all that mattered.
“We still have a little matter to attend to,” Orion said, hoping to take
everybody’s mind off of his ambiguous relationship with Lance and move
them on to more important things. “Besides Lance, there is another person
who is new to town, and this time, I know for sure that it isn’t just an old
friend from high school. Whoever it was came to Winston looking for a
fight.”
As expected, the news got everybody’s attention. Soon they had all
forgotten about Lance and had turned their eyes onto Orion, waiting for
more information, and possibly more answers.
“It’s another bear shifter, from another town, and he’s not particularly well
known for his good attitude. In fact, he’s from an area that is particularly
rough-and-tumble, and he told me that he has a score to settle with
somebody in our gang, somebody who went down there and bought some
drugs on good credit. On my name. And never returned with what he was
owed. Whoever you are, I expect you to make good with him. If you don’t,
I’m just going to let him have his way with you. And nobody else is going
to interfere or they are going to have to deal with me too.”
All eyes turned downcast onto the floor, and Orion grinned inwardly. That
was always a good way to put them in their places. He knew that the men in
his gang often carried out terrible deeds that he disapproved of and they
used his name to try and get away with it. Everybody knew who his father
was. He was a diabolical man, but he was fair in business. He was well
respected by everybody he met, and it was a point of pride to Orion,
although it was a secret type of pride, that his father was so successful. He
hoped to be like that to some degree, but in order for that to be true, the men
in his gang had to respect his authority and stop bringing drugs to Winston.
“That being said, there isn’t much else to report about. I checked in on
everything and so far that’s the only threat I see to our gang. If this isn’t
resolved by three o’clock tomorrow, then whoever is responsible for this is
going to have to pay the piper. Along with anybody who tries to defend
him. And don’t think that I’m joking.”
With that, Orion walked out of the bar, sighing silently with relief. It was
kind of a handful to be in charge of so many grown men. Especially men
who wanted so badly to exert their control. He knew that they didn’t respect
him very much, but because of how much they respected his father, they
were all willing to at least pretend to let him be in charge. The only way that
would change was if he took a mate as an alpha from the group.
Many of the men had been trying unsuccessfully for years to become his
alpha, because that meant that he would be able to have control and
influence over the biker gang and still respect the wishes of their former
leader, whom most of them were still loyal to. He had warded off all of their
advances, knowing exactly what they were up to. What would threaten
them the most however, was knowing that somebody like Lance existed. A
man who had his heart, and even had his body.
He had never been able to tell anybody about how he felt about Lance; he
had barely been able to tell Lance what he told him earlier that day. He
shook his head, defeated by the prospect of his men turning against him. Or
worse, doing something to hurt a hair on Lance’s head. He had worked so
hard to come to terms with the feelings that he had for Lance, and if
anything ever happened to him, he would be back at square one with
nothing to show for all of his years of agony.
He wondered if it was too soon to call. He had never felt so lonely before.
And it seemed silly, because he had just spent all day with other people. It
was probably because he had just experienced something so intimate, only
to come back home to an empty house once more. Whatever Lance was
doing, Orion hoped that he was feeling less lonely.
Chapter 15
Orion was back at Lance’s house bright and early the next day. They were
both excited about finishing all of the projects, but Lance was fairly certain
as soon as he saw the wide smile spread across Orion’s face, that they were
also just as excited to see each other.
“Good morning,” Lance said, opening the door and letting Orion inside.
“This is a change,” Orion teased. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you fully
awake when I get to your doorstep. Are you planning on making this a
habit?”
“I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you,” Lance said, laughing. “People
like me need their beauty sleep.”
“Ah, so that’s what does it,” Orion said, winking subtly at Lance as he
walked deeper into the house.
“I figured we should probably get started with the wallpaper today. Since
you guys spend so much time in the living room, it would be nice if you
were able to have something that looks nice.”
“Sounds good,” Lance said, smiling at Orion. “I think that we can get a lot
done today. My mom is doing physical therapy, and then she has a lunch
date with her doctor. He’s actually pretty good looking for an older man.”
Orion crossed his arms over his head. “A good looking older man? Is there
something that I should be worried about?”
“What?” Lance asked, his face reddening. “Nothing whatever compared to
how I feel about you. Especially not Dr. Daniel. My mom can have him.”
Orion burst into laughter and shook his head. “No wonder you’re up early.
You really can’t miss those doctor’s appointments.”
“No, my mother can’t afford to. I think once she has gone through some of
the physical therapy, she’ll be back on her feet again, but she’ll be moving
more slowly. It’s kind of sad, but I am really hopeful that she will be
happier with the way things are moving along.”
“Your mom is a strong woman. She can take a lot of hits from life and get
back up smiling. It takes a lot for people to be able to learn from everything
that they’ve experienced and still come back for more, instead of shutting
themselves off from new experiences altogether. I really admire that. I
would like to be more like her.”
Lance raised his eyebrow. “You don’t seem like the type of guy who doesn’t
face up to their experiences.”
“Honestly, I’m terrified of feelings,” Orion said, laughing. “I’m surprised
you haven’t noticed that by now. Although my spiky exterior is a way to
help me ward off all the stuff on the inside. Now where were we?” He
turned back to the wall, hands on his hips. “Help me to start peeling off this
old wallpaper. It’s a perfect project to do while your mom isn’t here. We
really wouldn’t want her breathing in any of this stuff. We could probably
get it done and have the house airing out by the time she gets home. Maybe
you guys can go to the park. At least until it’s finished drying.”
“Right,” Lance agreed.
They moved all the furniture away from the walls and the living room and
slowly began tearing the wallpaper off. Lance and his mother had picked
out a wallpaper that they both liked earlier that morning in the waiting room
for the physical therapy appointment. Dr. Daniel had offered to drive his
mother home, so it was all taken care of until probably about four o’clock
that evening. Lance had already stopped by the hardware store to pick up
the wallpaper that his mother had picked out. It was a gentle blue color that
made Lance think of his childhood.
They started working in silence, and every once in a while Lance could feel
Orion’s dark and penetrating eyes on him. Every time, it made his heart
palpitate, and he would remember all of the ways that Orion had touched
him the day before. It sent a deep thrill throughout his entire body, and
every once in a while he would have to close his eyes so that he wasn’t
overwhelmed by the feeling entirely. They wouldn’t get any work done if he
allowed himself to become so wrapped up in his own fantasies. Even if they
were rooted in truth.
“You missed a spot,” Orion’s deep voice suddenly said in his ear. It sent a
tingle down his spine, and Lance closed his eyes and swallowed hard. He
wasn’t going to be able to control himself much longer, especially if Orion
continued standing so close to him. He could feel the warmth of Orion’s
body behind him, and it made him want nothing more than to repeat the
experiences of the night before.
It almost seemed like a dream, especially when he had been agonizing over
Orion for so long. But now, it seemed as if this flirtatious nest between them
was the most natural thing in the world. Neither of them were ashamed of it,
and even if Orion was setting him up for a giant joke, or some kind of
horrible experience with the gang that he was in charge of, it didn’t matter.
All he wanted was to make the moments between them last forever.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you,” Orion said, making
Lance’s heart pound hard. Orion put his hands over Lance’s chest, as if in
an effort to calm him down, and nuzzled his neck. A torrent of bliss surged
through Lance, and his first thought was to push away from it. Something
that felt so good couldn’t be healthy. There was no way he would be
allowed to enjoy himself this much.
“But what does it mean?” Lance asked, pulling away from Orion’s touch.
He looked him square in the eye, and although it felt like torture to stop him
—after all, it was what he had wanted for so long—he couldn’t bring
himself to enjoy it fully. Not without having a talk first about what the hell
they were doing. He still didn’t even know if Orion was gay or not!
“What do you mean, ‘what does it mean?’” Orion asked, his face darkening.
“Man, this was always so annoying about you. You always overthink
everything and never trust yourself. Maybe you and I are too different for
this.”
He started to turn away from Lance, heading out of the living room, but
Lance gripped his arm firmly.
“That may be, but it’s hard not to overthink things when I have no idea
what’s going on in the head of another person. At least I only get myself
worked up about the things that actually matter to me.”
“Sure… Like getting the lead in a meaningless school play. And
questioning my feelings for you when, for the first time in ten years, I’ve
had the chance to be honest with you.”
Lance’s stomach knotted. “If you really felt that way for so long, why didn’t
you even try to find me?”
“I did! It’s just that I had a lot of things going on. Not only was my dad
insistent on me taking his place, but this town needed protection. There are
things that happen here that you have no idea about. Things that have
haunted me ever since I was a small child. And I had nowhere to turn. Not
even to you. I wasn’t allowed to talk to anybody. And now that I’m an
adult, I don’t need you to shame me for the things that you don’t
understand. If you can’t take me at my word, then you don’t need me at
all.”
Lance was chilled by the anger that he saw on Orion’s face. He almost let it
put him off enough to let him leave. But something in him was determined
not to let this man go again. They had to fight through their differences
instead of letting them divide them forever. It just wasn’t worth it to fight.
Not when they finally had each other again.
Lance took a deep breath. “I’m just saying, couldn’t you have tried a little
harder for me? Do you know how hard it was to try and imagine what you
were going through because of what I did? Even after all these years, my
biggest regret was kissing you. And if that wasn’t a problem for you, do you
know how much anguish I could’ve avoided if I had known that? Even if it
meant that we couldn’t be together right away, at least I would know that I
hadn’t lost my best friend because of something rash and impulsive that I
did.” Lance’s voice broke. “I haven’t been able to forgive myself for that.
All I ever wanted was to have my friend back.”
“Well I guess that’s just too bad, because after that kiss things could never
have gone back to the way they were,” Orion growled, though his face was
softening. Lance was used to his temper, but he hadn’t been around it for a
long time. It was still startling. But if he was still the same as he used to be,
the anger would come in a short burst, followed by serious reflection.
“It wouldn’t have to be the same. If you didn’t like me anymore, I just
thought maybe you would have ended our friendship and been honest with
me. But I thought maybe your dad had something to do with it. I’ve always
heard that really tough guys are homophobic…”
“My dad wouldn’t care who I mated with. The real issue was always
whether or not I would be able to take care of the others.”
“What others?” Lance asked, suddenly confused.
Orion sighed heavily and sat down on the couch. He looked up at Lance
with his dark eyes clear and brooding.
“I guess it’s time I told you a story,” Orion said. “But I don’t think that
you’re going to love it.”
Chapter 16
“When I was a little boy,” Orion began, “my father was my idol. I looked
up to him more than I looked up to anybody. He represented everything I
wanted to be when I grew up. And that was just the way it was meant to
be.”
His entire demeanor changed as he told his story, he seemed to fold in on
himself, and Lance couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. It wasn’t that he
had been angry at Orion after all this time. He had just been so angry at
himself. He thought that being too forward had cost him his most precious
friendship. And now, hearing the truth after all this time was harder than
he’d thought it would be.
“My dad had a secret that he had to keep from most of the people in this
town, and it cost him many friendships. Eventually, it also caused him great
bitterness and he turned hard and angry toward everybody, even me.”
Lance frowned. He hadn’t considered Orion’s father as a normal person
before, especially not someone who wanted to have any kind of
relationships with people in the town of Winston. It must have been hard for
Orion to see his father turned from someone warm and loving to somebody
so bitter.
“Did you understand what was going on with him?” Lance asked.
“I heard how angry he was. How bitter he could be when people
misunderstood his intentions. He was a fierce-looking man, with a fierce
secret, and that can cause a lot of problems. He really wanted to find a
mother for me, but there was nobody willing to mate with him. The women
in this town avoided him like the plague and he turned out to be very lonely
despite having the gang. They weren’t enough for him. He wasn’t
emotionally fulfilled after my mother died.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Lance said. “It must have been hard for you as a
child that young.”
“It was different,” Orion said with a grim smile. “I didn’t want a different
mother. I sort of remember the one I had, and she was perfect enough for
me. Every once in a while my father would bring home a woman and it
would just turn out to be so strange and awkward. She was never really with
him because she liked him. She was just so curious about what his life was
like and drawn to whatever kind of darkness she saw in him. One woman
we even overheard talking on the phone to a friend about how it was
rumored that my father had killed my mother. That was the last time my
father ever tried to date.”
“God, that’s messed up.”
“It was hard for him. Nobody could understand him, or his secret. He never
felt comfortable telling anybody about it. None of the women he met would
have understood the way my mother died.”
Orion still hadn’t come right out and said it yet, so Lance waited patiently
for the truth. It had to come from Orion himself, and telling Lance
something so incredible and personal would be hard for him. And so Lance
remained quiet, silently encouraging Orion to continue the story.
“You probably won’t believe me when I tell you this the first time, maybe
not even after I tell you a second. But when I was a kid, I saw some
horrifying things. Things that only sound like stories to most of the people
who live here.”
“Like what?” Lance dared to ask.
“It started out with a lot of death. People that I knew were always seeming
to die. I probably went to twenty funerals before I was five years old. They
were always beat up almost beyond recognition. It was disturbing to see it.
My father told me that one day I would understand. But I didn’t until his
best friend, a man I called my uncle, was killed.”
Orion paused for a moment, his dark eyes filled with pain. Lance put his
hand on Orion’s shoulder and he seemed to soften under Lance’s touch.
Finally, he began speaking again.
“The night my uncle died, my father was so angry that he woke me up out
of bed and told me that I would have to keep a secret, and I was going to
have to help him to get revenge. He was going to leave me alone for three
weeks, and I would have to act as if he was at home and everything was
well. Teachers and friends would have to believe that my father was at
home and nothing was strange. But in reality, he was out there, he was
going to be fighting.”
“How old were you?” Lance asked.
“It was the week of my sixth birthday; he left before it. He gave me a few
one-liners to say to make it sound as if he was still at home so that teachers
wouldn’t get suspicious. There was nobody to babysit me either, so he told
me I was going to have to take a bath by myself every day and showed me
how to prepare some meals so that I wouldn’t go hungry. He promised that
he would be home soon, but I didn’t know if that was true. I had seen so
many people die that I was terrified. I asked him why he had to do it and
finally he showed me.”
The tension between them was so high that they could’ve heard a pin drop.
Lance wanted desperately to ask Orion what his father had shown him. But
Orion seemed lost in his own world, and Lance worried that if he
interrupted his thoughts, the story might end for good. If that happened, he
would never know.
“The night he woke me up, he took me outside into the woods. It was the
same spot I showed you. The same spot that he abandoned me for my rite of
passage ceremony, when I was initiated into the life of a bear shifter. In a
way, I already knew what was going to happen. Sometimes when I looked
at him, I was able to see the truth. The bear seemed to be within him, even
when he wasn’t shifting into it.”
Lance’s heart began to pound rapidly in his chest. He knew exactly what
Orion meant. In fact, he had seen the bear within Orion several times
before. Not only when he was losing his temper, but also when he had been
with Lance in the woods.
“That night, my father shape shifted in front of me and let out the most
bloodcurdling roar that I had ever heard. I haven’t heard anything that
haunting since then.”
Orion grew quiet and Lance instinctively knew that that was the end of the
story. If he hadn’t already suspected it, he might not have believed Orion.
He might have though Orion was lying just to score points with him and
make it easier to make up for all the time they had lost together.
“Whether you think I’m crazy or not, it doesn’t matter. Because you mean
enough to me that I can prove to you that I’m telling the truth. Do you want
to see?”
Orion was looking hard at Lance now, and Lance knew that it was his time
to prove himself to Orion.
“I do believe you,” Lance said softly. “I’ve always kind of suspected that
about you. But if you still want to show me, I would like to see. Not
because I don’t believe you, but because I want to know everything I can
about you.”
Orion smiled, sincerely and fully, for the first time since they had seen each
other. It was a mesmerizing sight, and Lance never wanted it to end.
“Well alright. Follow me,” Orion said, and headed out the door.
Chapter 17
Lance was surprised to see Orion’s motorcycle parked outside the house.
Orion walked toward it nonchalantly, obviously expecting Lance to follow.
He did, with a nervous flutter in his chest, pausing beside the motorcycle.
He had never been on one before, and it made him a little bit uncomfortable
just to invite himself onto Orion’s bike.
“Just get on,” Orion said, mounting the bike and rummaging in the trunk
area of the motorcycle. He produced a helmet and tossed it toward Lance.
“We don’t have much time.”
Lance swallowed hard, and put the helmet on his head. He tentatively
climbed on top of the motorcycle and settled down behind Orion, surprised
by how intimate it felt to have his body pressed so close into the back of
Orion’s. The feeling of Orion’s firm ass vibrating against him when the
motor was running instantly sent waves of heat through Lance’s loins, and
he had to close his eyes and try to think of the least sexual things possible to
try and avoid getting hard. Unfortunately, he failed.
“Hold on,” Orion called behind his shoulder, and soon they were speeding
off through the rural roads of Winston. Lance was scared at first, but soon
began to really enjoy the feeling of the air flowing over his body. There was
nothing between him and the earth around him, and he wondered how it
was that he had ever been able to settle for life cooped up inside a car.
Orion really knew how to live.
They sped down country roads, and Lance was able to catch Orion’s eye in
the side-view mirror of the motorcycle. Orion winked, a sexy smile curling
his lips, and Lance found himself overwhelmed by the man’s incredible
energy. He wondered if Orion could feel how hard he was sitting behind
him on the motorcycle, and surprised himself by reaching around Orion’s
waist to check if the feeling was mutual.
Apparently, the move surprised Orion as well, because the motorcycle
swerved briefly as Lance clasped his hand around Orion’s groin. Lance felt
another surge of arousal as he felt how hard Orion was. Lance began to
gently rub Orion’s shaft through the thin fabric of his pants, and he snuck a
glance at Orion in the side-view mirror. Orion had his jaw set firmly, and
was focusing intently on the road in front of them. He was going to
continue driving until they got where they were going safely. But there was
no reason why he wouldn’t also be able to enjoy the feeling of Lance’s
warm hands against his cock.
A sharp longing overwhelmed Lance, and he couldn’t help but take it a step
further. He had wanted Orion for so long, and the more he thought about the
time they shared in the woods together, the more aroused he became. He
wished they could pull over and replicate the experience, but more than
anything, he just wanted to touch Orion and give him a taste of the pleasure
that he had shared with Lance.
He could feel Orion tense up when his hand suddenly snuck inside the
confines of Orion’s jeans through the zipper opening. Orion was massive,
and Lance almost couldn’t fit his whole hand around his shaft. Feeling
Orion’s skin, silky and hot in his palm, was almost enough to make Lance
cum, but he was able to restrain himself. Instead, he focused all of his
energy on pleasing Orion, who was still focused on the road ahead of them.
But his cock seemed to have other ideas.
Lance groaned out loud when he felt Orion swell in his hand. The man’s
body was so virile and sexy. It was hard for him to restrain himself. If he
took Orion’s cock out of the jeans, it would be far too obvious to anybody
who might pass by them. He couldn’t risk Orion’s reputation like that, so he
had to be slow and steady. But that was almost more fun anyway.
He caught another glance at Orion through the mirror. This time, Orion
looked back, his dark eyes flashing with longing. Lance wondered just how
long the man would be able to continue multitasking, and made it his own
personal mission to find out. If he could make Orion pull over and indulge
himself, it would be a huge victory.
Lance stuffed his hand further inside Orion’s pants, gripping the hard head
of his cock and giving it a gentle squeeze. A small spurt of hot liquid wetted
his hands, and Lance pressed his groin hard against Orion’s back, dragging
it sensually toward his firm ass. It sent a wave of heat between them that
nearly made Lance lose it, but Orion was gritting his teeth, determined to
continue driving. Still Lance could feel Orion’s cock bursting at the seams,
every vein pumping with blood and trembling with every movement of
Lance’s fingers. If he wasn’t going to give in yet, he would soon.
Lance closed his eyes and rested his head against Orion’s broad back,
focusing fully on every curve and texture of Orion’s cock as he slowly
stroked it. He couldn’t believe just how much this man’s body could get to
him. He’d woken up with the most massive hard-on of his life that morning,
just from half-dreaming, half-remembering their encounter in the woods.
And now they were heading back, and Lance couldn’t hold himself back.
He wanted Orion, and he was determined to get what he wanted.
Suddenly, a deep growl seemed to reverberate from deep within Orion, and
the motorcycle swerved off the road and headed down a dirt path through
the forest. They rode through the trees for about ten minutes, heading deep
into the woods before Orion finally turned the bike off and hopped off,
dragging Lance off the bike by his shirt collar.
At first, Lance was scared by the aggression, but when Orion planted his
lips firmly on his, Lance moaned in pleasure. Orion worked hurriedly to
strip him, roaming his rough hands up and down Lance’s soft, firm torso.
He wasted no time in shoving his pants off, leaving his swollen cock erect
in the air. He grabbed it and then shoved Lance forward, until he was bent
over on all fours on the ground, his knees digging into the dirt of the forest
floor.
Then, Orion was inside of him. It was a little bit painful, but the pleasure
overrode it, and Lance gasped as desire overwhelmed him. They grunted as
Orion unleashed his full power on Lance, plunging inside of him again and
again as Lance’s tight body gripped his cock and begged it to stay inside.
Every movement Orion made brought Lance closer to the brink of ecstasy.
The power of Orion’s body seemed to be limitless, and both of them were
able to fully indulge their longing. Lance stayed bowed down, enjoying the
feeling of Orion using his body as a way to pleasure himself. He seemed to
know instinctively just how to pleasure Lance, and his cock would
sometimes slow down and remain still inside of him, pulsing as Lance
became overwhelmed by ecstasy.
Orion’s hand gripped Lance’s cock tightly, and he somehow managed to
continue to pleasure Lance as he pleasured himself, keeping a firm but
gentle pressure on him and sending electric thrills up through Lance’s shaft
and into his abdomen, where a powerful orgasm was brewing. He wouldn’t
let himself give in though, not until Orion had taken his fill.
It seemed like Orion had the stamina to go on forever, keeping them both
suspended in an unbelievable state of rapture as again and again, his
powerful body thrust into Lance, sending waves of bliss through them. It
was the single most intense sexual experience Lance had ever had in his
life, and Orion didn’t even seem close to finishing.
Lance gritted his teeth as he did his best to keep from giving in to the
mounting ecstasy, but Orion leaned down and whispered into his ear.
“Cum.”
Lance cried out as his body finally gave in. It wasn’t until he filled Orion’s
hand with the milky pleasure of his climax that Orion finally unleashed his
own explosive orgasm. Lance’s body was suddenly filled with a torrent of
hot, liquid pleasure, and they came simultaneously. There was something
different about this, something that made him feel utterly complete and at
peace.
Orion continued to thrust using his powerful abdominal muscles until he
had emptied every last drop of his climax into Lance, and then he carefully
pulled away and gripped Lance by the hand, pulling him up onto his feet.
“Come,” he said, tugging Lance by the hand and pulling him a little further
into the woods. It was a beautiful day, and the sky was a crisp blue, not a
cloud in sight. Lance grinned and followed, leaving all of their clothes
behind as Orion pulled him deeper into the forest.
Chapter 18
Lance paused when Orion stopped suddenly, turning toward him with an
intense look in his dark eyes.
“I came out here to show you something, something that I have never
shown anybody else before except for the people in my clan. I hope that
you are able to accept me fully, because I want to keep you in my life. I
don’t want to be like my father, who gave up on people entirely and became
a bitter recluse. I’m not going to spawn a child that I can’t take care of
because I forgot how to love. So please, for better or for worse, accept me
as I am.”
Before Lance had a chance to answer, Orion unleashed an earth shattering
roar and, as he held Lance’s gaze, he began to change.
Lance’s mouth fell open as Orion began to grow. His body, already
humongous and powerful, began to sprout dark tufts of black, course hair,
and his handsome face began to grow broad, and then more narrow toward
the snout, until he resembled a gigantic black bear. He stood proudly in
front of Lance, his dark eyes glimmering and full of emotion that was
difficult for either of them to express, an emotion a lot like love. Suddenly,
Orion started, and moved toward Lance. It took a lot of willpower for Lance
not to flinch away. He had never been so close to such a large animal
before. But he managed to stay calm, and allow Orion to investigate.
He sniffed Lance, and then moved his cool wet muzzle down to Lance’s
abdomen. An unmistakable look of surprise crossed the bear’s face, and his
dark eyes widened when he looked back into Lance’s eyes. Lance looked
down at his abdomen, wondering what in the world the bear might be
thinking, and was shocked to realize that his stomach was swollen and
purple. Instead of being afraid however, Lance looked into Orion’s eyes and
they shared a moment of quiet understanding. Lance was Orion’s mate now.
And for better or for worse, mating with the leader of a bear clan meant that
there would be children involved. Lance was going to be a parent.
“What have we here?” An unpleasant and familiar voice suddenly rang out
from behind Lance. Orion gritted his teeth and started to growl, squinting
his eyes. At the approaching figure. Lance turned around, suddenly
realizing that he was still naked, and sighed in frustration when the man
who had been taunting him from the hood of his car approached.
“I’m not sure I like the look of this, do you boys?”
A chorus of negative responses came as a group of about five other bear
shifters appeared out of nowhere. “Nope.” “Not at all.” “Not one bit.”
“In fact, this looks like something really terrible. What would your father
say? Mating with someone who isn’t even within the clan?”
Suddenly, the men started shifting into bears until Lance was completely
surrounded by vicious-looking animals. One of them lunged at Lance, ready
to tear him apart with his sharp teeth, but Orion jumped in front of him
protectively. He let out a warning growl, obviously daring anybody to come
toward Lance again.
Most of the smaller bears backed off, but the biggest bear, the one that
Lance had begun hating the most, refused to submit. He walked toward
Orion, his teeth bared, and struck at him violently. Lance scrambled away to
safety behind a nearby tree. He wished that he had brought some kind of a
weapon, but he had nothing. There was no way that he would be able to
help Orion fight off these angry bears. He couldn’t even figure out why they
were acting so abysmally toward their leader. All he could figure was that
they didn’t like him hanging around with someone like Lance. But it
seemed to go beyond homophobia. There was something else on their
minds.
The fight had already gotten bloody, and part of Orion’s beautiful mane was
matted down and shining with the dark liquid. Lance was looking around
the ground for a stick to smack the other bear with, when suddenly Orion
gained the upper hand. He growled mightily and slammed the man to the
ground with a powerful blow. He stood over him, growling viciously, his
teeth just centimeters away from the other man’s neck. If he’d wanted to kill
him then, he obviously could, but instead Orion appeared to be waiting for
him to submit so that it wouldn’t have to come to that.
It seemed as if he was going to refuse, but just in the nick of time, he shifted
from his bear form and back into his human form, looking at Orion with
irritation and defeat.
“Have it your way,” he growled, scrambling away from the huge black bear
and standing with the rest of the men he had brought.
They all walked away, leaving Orion standing in his bear form, heaving in
irritation as the adrenaline coursed through him. Lance had never seen
Orion fight so viciously before. He knew that he was capable of it, and he
had seen a few fistfights, but never anything like this. He’d forgotten how
impressive it could be to be near someone so powerful.
Orion finally began to shrink, the fur disappearing from his skin until he
was in his human form again. Lance ran toward him as he fell to his knees,
gripping a gaping wound on his shoulder.
“Are you all right?” Lance asked, his eyes wide.
“Of course,” Orion said, grinning up at him. “But I think what we need to
worry most about right now is getting you inside somewhere.”
“Me? Why?”
“Because you’re pregnant.”
Chapter 19
The motorcycle ride back to his mother’s house was quiet. Both of them
were exhausted from the fight with the other gang members, and Lance was
deep in thought. He had always suspected that the myths about the bear
shifters were true, and if they were true, it meant that the mate of the leader
was meant to have the children that carried on the next generation of bear
shifters. He had never imagined that he would be able to have children of
his own, especially not a child growing right inside his body. He couldn’t
help but wonder how his mother would feel about it. Did she know that the
bear shifters were more than just a myth? Or that men could get pregnant?
When they arrived back at the house, he was relieved to find that his mother
wasn’t home yet. Apparently things were going pretty well with Dr. Daniel.
It gave him enough time to head up to the bathroom that he and Orion had
just fixed up so that he could tend to Orion’s wounds.
“That’s not necessary,” Orion said, gritting his teeth as Lance began to clean
the wound.
“Too bad,” Lance replied, digging through the drawer for medical gauze
and wrapping up Orion’s shoulder.
When he was finished, Orion stood from the rim of the bathtub and led
Lance to his bedroom. “You need to sit down, you’re with child now.”
Lance pursed his lips. He wasn’t sure he would ever get used to hearing
Orion say things like that.
“Take off your shirt, we should check the baby and make sure that
everything is going alright. It’s not really good for the mothers to endure
such stressful situations, especially right after conception.”
Lance obeyed, and was surprised to find that his abdomen had grown even
since the encounter in the woods. The discoloration on his belly was
growing darker, and Orion studied it seriously.
“You’re going to have to lie low for a while,” Orion said finally. “It looks
like the baby is going to be fine, but if you end up having to deal with those
guys again there could be problems.”
“What’s the deal anyway?” Lance asked. “I didn’t do anything to them.
They’ve been after me from day one. Why?”
Orion sighed, running a hand over his face, and sat down on the bed next to
Lance. “Well at first they were just doing their duty to protect the town. It’s
hard to tell who’s a friend and who’s a foe here. There are a lot of rival
gangs, and some of this territory used to belong to different groups.
Unfortunately, the area of Winston was still unsettled by the time the
humans began to start building. There have been debates between the bear
shifter groups for centuries about who owns this land, and right now, it’s us.
“My gang is here to protect the humans that live here so that none of the
other rival bear shifter gangs will hurt them. My father took it really
seriously, because his mother was a human. My mother was a human too.
But when a bear shifter mates, you become part of the pack. You might not
necessarily be able to shift, but certain changes might occur. That’s
especially true once you are with child.”
Lance nodded slowly, trying to process it all. “Okay, that makes sense. But I
still don’t understand why they would mess with me after seeing me with
you today. What’s going on with that?”
“They must have sensed me in the area, and seen me with you. They were
always jealous of each other, thinking that whoever I chose was going to
become the alpha of the pack. They wanted to be the alphas. So they served
me loyally. But they must have been able to sense it when you became
pregnant. That means that none of them have a chance anymore, so now
you’re in danger, because a lot of them are ruthless and they would do
whatever it took to get the power that I have given you.”
Lance was surprised. All he had wanted to do was to love Orion. He had no
idea what that fully meant though. What with all this being pregnant and in
danger from a bunch of bikers who could turn into bears. But did he regret
it? Would he have still done what he did if he had known that he would be
in so much danger? All he’d really wanted to do was to take care of his
mother. Raising a family had been the bottom of his list. But now it looked
as if that was his destiny. He wasn’t sure if he was okay with that.
“I know that you’re probably going to have a hard time with this,” Orion
said, putting a hand on his arm. “And if you need help to tell your mother
about what’s going on, I’ll be here for you. But I really think that it’s best
for you to stay out of sight. I’ll protect the house, but if you leave, you’re
going to find yourself in danger.” He squeezed Lance’s arm, hard. “Never
leave this house without me. Not until the baby is born. Only then will you
be safe. That is when it will be official, that you are my alpha. None of them
would dare to mess with you after that. But until then, it’s all fair game.
They will do whatever they feel like they have to do in order to get the
power of the alpha.”
Lance’s stomach dropped. He had never been in danger like this before.
How was he supposed to take care of his mother if he couldn’t even leave
the house?
“Try not to worry, okay? I’m going to take care of it.”
Orion’s words were soothing. They were exactly what he needed to hear.
Suddenly, Lance heard a car pull into the driveway and Dr. Daniel’s deep,
jovial voice speaking kindly to his mother as he dropped her off.
“Well,” Lance said, “I guess we’re going to have to come clean.”
Orion grinned, and offered his hand to help Lance off the bed. Even though
there was danger, they would deal with it together.
Chapter 20
“You mean I’m going to be a grandmother?!”
Lance was taken aback by his mother’s excited response. It was the last
thing he had expected to hear from her. When he had told her that he was
gay, she hadn’t responded particularly well. But this time, she couldn’t be
more excited.
“Orion, I’ve heard things about your family for quite some time, and I just
want you to know that I’ve never once looked down on you all for being
different. In fact, your mother was a close friend of mine.”
Lance was shocked, but when he looked at Orion, it didn’t seem as if he
was surprised at all by the news.
“She told me everything,” Lance’s mother continued, “and for a long time I
really wanted to try to do something about your situation. I know your
father was devastated by her passing. But don’t worry, son. You have
always had a family with us and you always will.”
Lance was dumbfounded as his mother rose unsteadily from her chair and
moved forward to embrace Orion. Then, she moved to Lance and hugged
him tightly too.
“Why don’t you guys let me cook dinner tonight?” Orion said. “I feel really
badly for putting you in danger. And besides, I don’t want to leave Lance
alone in his condition.”
“You’ve always been such a sweet boy,” Lance’s mother said, touching his
cheek. Orion smiled gently at her, but turned away, obviously
uncomfortable with the blatant show of emotion.
“I’m just going to get started, it seems like you to probably have quite a bit
to talk about.”
Lance was about to protest and offer his services in the kitchen when Orion
turned to him and raised his eyebrow.
“I’m serious Lance, take a load off and sit down. We can’t have anything
happening to the baby.”
“Orion is right honey.” His mother nodded gravely. “Bear shifter children
grow a lot more rapidly than normal children. In fact, you can probably
expect to be due within two weeks rather than nine months. We’re going to
have to set up a nursery for the baby, but until then, you’re going to have to
stay off your feet. They have very delicate constitutions, especially when
they’re mixed with human blood. Orion’s mother had to stay in bed all two
weeks. I know you’re not going to like it, but it’s important.”
Lance was shocked by just how knowledgeable his mother was about the
bear shifters. She had never told him anything about it. Perhaps she had
been sworn to secrecy by Orion’s mother.
“I never knew that about Orion’s mom,” Lance said, sitting down
reluctantly. Orion, satisfied to see him off his feet, disappeared into the
kitchen.
“I’m sure there are a lot of things neither one of us know about each other.
I’m afraid that communication hasn’t always been my strongest suit. And
I’m very sorry about that. Maybe we can start fresh. Right now. I know that
it’s a little late in life, but it’s better now than never don’t you think?” She
offered him a hopeful smile.
“Yeah Mom, I think that’s true. Thank you for being there for me. And
Orion. This is kind of an overwhelming experience.”
“When you told me you were gay, I was worried that you would end up
with a man who didn’t care about you. I haven’t had a great track record in
that department after your father passed, and maybe I let my own personal
biases get to me. A lot of the time, anger comes from fear. And let me tell
you, I have always been very afraid for you. I want only was best for you
and I’m sorry I didn’t always know how to show it.”
Lance was touched. He had never expected to hear anything like that from
his mother before. But now that she had said it, and he was expecting a
child, it seemed more natural than anything else might have. He was so
grateful for her understanding.
A sudden pounding at the door startled Lance and his mother. Before Orion
had a chance to come out to investigate, three men broke the door down and
were standing in front of Lance.
“Time to die,” one of them sneered.
Lance was frozen in fear, even as his mother shouted at them to get out of
her house and to leave her family alone. The man lunged toward Lance, and
before he knew what was happening, he felt a surge of power rush from his
abdomen to his fists, and sliced the man’s face with his hand. He gaped
down at it, and saw that he had somehow shifted his hand into a bear paw.
The men were stunned, as their leader lifted himself from the ground,
clutching his bleeding face and staring at Lance in disbelief.
“What the hell?” he murmured.
Suddenly, Orion was in the doorway of the kitchen, laughing. “That’s my
boy,” he said, winking at Lance. Lance blushed, and soon, Orion was
beating down the men that had entered the home while Lance helped his
mother to her feet and ran with her to the back bedroom, locking them in
while Orion finished off the intruders.
After about five minutes, the sounds of the fight grew silent, and they heard
footsteps approaching. Lance stood in front of his mother, his bear claws
out and ready to fight. His entire being was flooded with relief when he saw
Orion open the door and smile at him.
“Nice job,” he said, hugging Lance. “Is everybody okay?”
“We’re going to be fine,” Lance’s mother said, getting to her feet and
hugging both boys close to her. “Everything is going to be fine.”
Epilogue
“Open your eyes,” Orion finally said, releasing Lance’s hand. They had
been walking through the woods for a while, and Lance was getting tired.
The baby was due any moment now, and it was the most exercise he had
gotten in two weeks, as his mother had tended to him during his pregnancy.
“Oh my god, Orion! What is this?”
Lance was shocked by the beauty of the cabin that stood before him, and
Orion beamed proudly.
“Surprise.”
Lance was overwhelmed with emotion and tears sprang to his eyes. “I had
no idea… So this is what you’ve been working on for the past two weeks!”
Orion grinned. “It’s for us. For our family.”
Lance’s heart swelled with pride and he embraced Orion. Their lips met in a
passionate kiss, and when they finally broke apart, Orion led Lance inside.
“Your mother thought it would be a good idea for us to have a place of our
own. She knows we’ll be there to take care of her too, but since she’s gotten
better and even been going on dates with Dr. Daniel, things have been
looking up for her.”
“Yeah,” Lance breathed, fingering the intricate carvings that Orion had done
throughout the walls of the cabin. “This is so gorgeous!”
“I’m glad you like it.”
A sudden pang in the abdomen made Lance buckle over and Orion’s eyes
widened.
“Are you okay? Shit, I knew I shouldn’t have made you walk so far!”
“No,” Lance said, laughing through the tears streaming down his face. “The
baby is coming.”
“Oh!” Orion’s eyes widened and he burst into a flurry of activity. He led
Lance immediately to the bedroom and stripped him down, retrieving hot
water and towels.
“Are you okay?” Orion asked, fear in his dark eyes.
“It will be over before we know it,” Lance said, strained with pain.
And it was.

After a few painful contractions, Orion was holding a beautiful baby boy in
his arms. He was the tiniest baby Lance had ever seen, and soon Orion was
in bed beside them, holding them both with tears of joy streaming down his
rugged face.
The next few weeks were the happiest Lance had ever experienced. Orion
was the perfect father, and soon brought Lance’s mother to the cabin for a
visit with her new grandchild.
Lance was overwhelmed. He had spent the past ten years feeling more
lonely than he had ever felt in his life. He felt like he had no family to speak
of, and really struggled with the idea of having love of any kind in his life.
But now, after being back in Winston for less than two months, he was
living the complete opposite. Not only was his mother more accepting and
loving than she had ever been before, but he had found Orion and they had
settled their differences. He was left with the most rugged and masculine of
protectors, and the most tender and powerful of lovers.
Most surprising of all, he had grown life inside of his own body and
brought it into the world, creating a bond unlike anything he had ever
known before. He had never been more satisfied and happy in his life.
“A toast,” Lance exclaimed over dinner with his mother and lover. “To
family.”
“To family,” they all agreed, raising their glasses in the air. The baby was
sleeping in a bassinette beside the table and wouldn’t be due for another
feeding for at least an hour.
Orion caught his eye from across the table and they shared a secret grin. As
usual, he seemed to know exactly what he was thinking.
“Everything is perfect,” he said softly. And it was.
 Highlander Romance
Time of the Werebears
“And to the left you'll see a portrait of Lord Lachlan, who ruled
with an iron fist. He had a deep intolerance for Highland rebels
and pushed for their total annihilation. In the display case to your
right is his sword, which shed the blood of countless Highland
men, women, and even children, though some were taken in to be
re-cultured in the ways of the crown.”

Studying the blade sent a shiver down Sadie McNeil's spine. She
was enjoying the tour of her family's castle, and although her
heritage trip had just begun, she couldn't wait to see what might
happen next. She hoped to learn about her distant family's history
as much as possible. The guide spoke on about Lord Lachlan,
painting a vivid image of the tyrant in her mind. She could
imagine the man's stern face in battle, his eyes narrow and ready
to spill the blood of anybody who dared defy him. A series of his
portraits lined the walls, and by the time they reached the end of
the hallway, she was sure she wouldn't have liked him.

Suddenly, she thought she heard somebody yelling her name. A

faraway echo made her turn, her heart thudding rapidly. Where
had it come from? Nobody here knew her; she had traveled alone.
She looked around the group; nobody else seemed to have heard
it.

“Sadie!” it called again. She heard it clearly this time, a man's

voice; urgent and afraid. She broke away from the group,
following the sound of her name. Everybody else was engrossed
in Lord Lachlan's sword. She looked around for the man who
seemed to know who she was. She walked slowly, staying close to
the wall where the paintings hung proudly in a line. Suddenly, the
man's voice seemed to be right in her ear, an intimate breathiness
that brought a shiver down her spine. She turned to her right and,
to her surprise, found herself gazing right into her own face. At
first she thought she had encountered a mirror, but quickly noted
the frame, and theother people surrounding her. Somehow, her
likeness had been captured in the middle of an ancient painting.

She backed away as if the portrait was on fire, clutching at her

heart, and then stared again. That was her all right, right down to
the mole on her left cheek, and the fiery red curls that she pulled
back into a braid. But how could it be? Surely it was just some
ancient ancestor. Still, the resemblance was uncanny. She
wondered if her mother had ever noticed.

Sadie studied the painting more closely, holding back the urge to
touch it. The woman, who looked identical to Sadie, was standing
next to the fierce Lord Lachlan. The tour guide caught up with her
and began telling of the painting's history.

“Here we see Lord Lachlan with his wife, just before the
execution of a particularly meddlesome Highland rebel. You see,
he is holding the sword from the display case. Lord Lachlan liked
to dispose of the rebels himself, told his troops to keep them alive
until he dealt with them personally.”

The group moved away from the painting, but Sadie stayed rooted
in one spot. She was suddenly overpowered by an intense nausea,
and she ran out of the room, desperate to get away from the image
of the terrible man and her doppelganger, standing mournfully
beside him.

She raced down the hallway, turning a corner and pausing to catch
her breath. She had been seized by a momentary panic, but if she
could just distract herself, maybe she would feel better. Her eyes
wandered to the painting in front of her – a group of muscular men
scowling and attacking three large bears head-on. The absurdity of
the image made her burst out in laughter. The sound of her own
voice comforted her, and she took a deep breath. It was reasonable
to be uncomfortable; the painting in the other room probably
didn't actually look that much like her. She had just been under a
lot of stress lately with the divorce looming over her head. Most
people wouldn't be holding up anywhere near as well as she was
under the same circumstances. Her entire life had just been turned
upside down.

She was filled with anger as memories of her soon-to-be ex-

husband's infidelity penetrated her. She had trusted him more than
she had trusted anybody. Maybe that was because he was a solid,
reliable type, whose wandering eye had been carefully concealed
behind his thick glasses and gentle smile. He hadn't been
particularly exciting. In fact, the most her heart had raced for him
was in the anger after discovering that he had been cheating on her
with any woman who pitied him enough to sleep with him. He had
made her out to be some sort of insufferable hag, never having
time for him because she was so busy with her own career.

“You know those types of women,” he would have said to his

conquests. Independent. The kinds of women who said they didn't
want kids and meant it, or who made sure they had their own bank
accounts to rely on. Terrible wives and mothers, the lot of them,
according to common knowledge. He had been distressed when
she asked him to wait to start a family until she was more settled
into her career and held it over her head any chance she got. The
most unfair part about it was that, yes, she did want kids. She just
wanted to wait to feel more settled and fulfilled first. But he had
taken it and ran as a reason to resent her. He certainly felt justified
in destroying her trust and their marriage. Stupid Alfred. Good
riddance to him anyway.

But she was in Scotland to forget about all of that. She wandered
absently into the first doorway she saw. She peered into the dim
room, realizing that it probably wasn't scheduled to be on any part
of the tour. In fact, she was surprised the door wasn't locked.
Inside, the haggard green curtains were drawn, letting only small
streams of sunlight in to illuminate the old antiques strewn
recklessly about, as if somebody had been rummaging through it,
discarding what they didn't deem useful. Broken glass cracked
under her feet as she peered onto tables and shelves, fingering old
relics of the past that were within arm's reach and not partitioned
away from her through a glass box.

She suddenly saw an intriguing glimmer of gold, glinting

tantalizingly from beneath a fallen stack of old musty papers. She
pushed the papers gently away and lifted a primitive-looking
necklace from the rickety wooden table. Her eyes roamed the
intricate but simple designs carved into the gold. She looked
around the room, making sure she was alone before draping the
long chain over her delicate neck.

As soon as the pendant touched her breast, she crumpled to the

ground, and the world went black.

Chapter 2

She was falling, swirling. She felt her body being lifted and
contorted in ways she had never before imagined it could move.
Alfred, the divorce, jetlag, a lifetime's worth of difficulties. She
seemed to re-live it all within the darkness of the portal. By the
time it was done, she was filled with peace, but she was so
exhausted that she felt herself being pulled into the depths of a
powerful, rejuvenating sleep.

But that didn't last long. A loud, muffled call from the hallway
roused her from her slumber, and she looked up with a start. Her
eyes narrowed in confusion. She was in the same room, but
everything was different. The curtains were no longer tattered;
they were crisp and beautiful, letting in a cheerful ray of golden
sunlight. None of the old antiques were scattered about. She
recognized some of them, sitting in perfect condition, like new, on
a handsomely carved shelf. She sat up in confusion, and her eyes
widened. Hanging in front of her was an elegant wedding dress.
Before she could register what was happening, the door burst open
and a woman's rosy face beamed up at her. She was wearing a
white apron around her plump body and carrying a tray with a
glass of water and a spool of thread on it.

“Well, go on, dear, try the dress on. We have a couple of mends
left to do but you're going to be fine. Lord Lachlan doesn't like to
be kept waiting. We have to hurry. He's getting anxious to have
you as his bride.”

“Lord Lachlan? But...”

“Come along, dear, you look absolutely beautiful in this dress.”

“That's not my dress!” she exclaimed, suddenly panicked. She had

no idea what was going on, and her face must have betrayed her
confusion, because the servant approached her and gave her arm a
reassuring pat.

“Are you feeling all right?” she asked.

No, she wasn't feeling all right. How did she get here? What was
happening? How could she possibly marry such a tyrant? Even if
this was a terrible dream, she refused to be shackled to the horrible
monster.

“I can't marry him,” she said, gripping the table beside her,
suddenly unsteady.

“But you must!” the servant said, her bubbly face now contorting
in fear. “You don't know what he will do to you if you refuse.”

“I don't care what he does to me, I have to get out of here right
away!”

“Listen to me. You cannot run from Lord Lachlan. He is capable

of great terror – if you run he will find you and kill you, track you
like a dog, he will! And not just you, lass. He'll wage war on your
family for generations, find them and kill them, too. Just stay put,
dear, you're far better off being his wife than his enemy.”

“I don't see the difference,” Sadie said somberly.

How had she gotten here? She closed her eyes and brought her
hand to her forehead. There had to be an explanation. She was a
smart and reasonable woman. Somebody was probably playing a
trick on her. Maybe her playful cousins had followed her to
Ireland and decided to give her a heart attack – it would be just
like them to think it would be just what she needed to get out of
her slump. She waited for them to come in and tell her everything
was going to be okay, or hear the familiar cackling of pleased
jokesters, but nothing happened.

The servant fretfully left the room, begging her to put the dress on
and promising not to tell Lord Lachlan what she had said. She felt
guilty for upsetting the woman so deeply, but there was nothing
much to be done about it. Especially not if she was just an actor in
her cousin's prank. She was left alone in the room, and she began
rummaging around, looking for any explanation for what was
happening to her. She opened a drawer, digging through it quickly.
She hissed and pulled her slender hand out. A jewel-encased blade
had sliced her finger, leaving a thin red line of blood.

She was staring thoughtfully at the dagger when the door to the
room burst open, and suddenly in front of her was the man from
the paintings, in the flesh. Suddenly he was pressing into her from
behind and cackling, his voice a lot coarser and his body a whole
lot smellier than she imagined he would be. She pulled away from
his embrace and he grinned. His dark eyes followed her, his
pockmarked face sneering in satisfaction. He seemed to have her
exactly where he wanted her.

“There's my lovely wife Sadie,” he said, moving uncomfortably

close to her. “I see you haven't undressed yet. You must be
needing some help with that.”
He put his meaty hand on her shoulder, letting his forearm brush
against her breasts as he moved to unfasten her dress. If this was
really one of her cousin's jokes, it had just stopped being funny.

“Best get to it, I won't be having my wife leave everybody waiting

around while she drags her heels.”

He eyed her up and down, laughing as she pulled away. He was

staring into her eyes now, the leer on his face nauseating and
infuriating her.

“In fact, don't think I'd mind a sample taste right here and now.
The priests won't know any different, will they? After all, you’re
my own wife.”

He tried to push her down onto the bed, but Sadie broke free from
his grasp and ducked into the drawer, pulling the dagger out. Lord
Lachlan blanched and backed away from her. His beady eyes
roamed from the serious expression on her face, down to the
pendant resting on her breast, to the dagger in her trembling hand.

“What is this?” he asked, his face growing very red. “You're a

traitor! Guards!”

Suddenly, there were two men gripping her by the wrists. The
dagger fell from her hands and clattered to the stone floor of the
castle, and she was pulled forcefully out of the room.

“See to it that she doesn't receive any food tonight!” Lord Lachlan
raved from behind her. “She has made a mockery of me! And to
think that I almost had her as a wife. A woman like that will never
be wifely material! To the dungeon with her!”

He could have been quoting her ex-husband, and the blood boiled
inside of her. She turned her fiery green eyes toward the man,
craning her neck to get one last look at Lord Lachlan before the
guards banished her down into the dungeon.
Chapter 3

The dungeon was dark and dank, like something Sadie had seen in
a movie about medieval times. She was tossed onto the floor hard,
with only a few threads of hay to cushion the blow. She sat up,
rubbing her scraped elbows, suddenly realizing that there was no
way this was a joke. Somehow, she would have to start believing
that it was real. Whether she liked it or not, this was really
happening to her, and she was just going to have to deal with that.

“Oh, company. Thanks, gentlemen,” a man's low, playful voice

rang out from the opposite corner of the dungeon. “You all right,
love?”

The man rose and walked slowly toward her, as if doing his best
not to scare away a wild animal.

“I've gone through worse,” she said, though the words felt hollow.
She wasn't sure if it was true, but she didn't want the stranger to
think she was soft. He was still half hidden in the shadows, and it
wasn't until he moved into the torchlight that she could make out
his features.

Her first thought was that he was stunning – this was the kind of
man you only saw on television or in calendars made for women
with too much time on their hands. He was bare-chested, his
rippling muscles marked with fading blue war paint, in a design
that was familiar, but from where she couldn't bring to mind. He
was wearing a tartan kilt around his waist, revealing the muscular
V-line leading to the forbidden area, barely concealed by the plaid
cloth.

She let her eyes roam up to his face, which she wasn't able to
make out until he came much closer. He had long, curling sandy
blond hair, sweeping down his broad back in wisps. His eyes were
gentle and friendly, though she had the feeling that it wouldn't take
much to reveal an animalistic instinct lying just beneath the
surface. In the dark, it was hard to make out their color, but she
had a feeling they were light, maybe blue, or an ocean green.

He offered his wide hand to her, engulfing her pale hand as he

lifted her to her feet to face him.

“First time in a dungeon?” he asked casually. His voice lilted with

a teasing Scottish accent. She had heard them all her life and never
thought much of them, but the way this man formed his words
brought the words to life with a lilt that nearly drove her off the
edge. She hadn't known any man whose lips could make words
sound so powerfully sexy.

“You could say that,” she replied, letting her hand drop from the
warmth of his. She suddenly shivered. It was cold in the dungeon.

“Here, take this,” the man said, turning away from her. He
returned briefly to the corner where he had been lounging when
she'd arrived and came back, holding a threadbare potato sack.
“I’ve been using it to keep m'self warm, least I did when I first
arrived. Used to the place now; the sorry old bugger is going to
pay for this. Anyway, best you use it before you catch your death.”

He handed her the potato sack, cut at the seams into a makeshift
blanket. She sat down in the corner of the room and shivered
beneath it.

“Don't worry, lass. It'll be all right. My name's James. You look
well smart; I'm sure we'll figure a way out of this together.”

His broad face brightened with a smile that made her heart thud in
her chest. She'd never been paid any attention by a man of such
impressive aesthetic beauty; there were none of that description in
the small town where she grew up and lived out her life. She was
sure he was an actor. A good one, but still, an actor nonetheless.
Someone was joking with her, but it was someone a lot more
sinister than her cousins. She would have to get herself out of this
somehow. It was cruel to put her in such a small room with such
an unbelievably attractive man. She sighed and leaned her head
against the brick wall.

“My name's Sadie,” she said softly.

“Are you telling me you’re Lachlan's fiancée?” He looked at her

in awe, as if she were a celebrity. “Why would he put you down
here?”

“He tried to make an advance on me...I panicked and pulled a

knife on him.”

James gave a loud burst of laughter and curled over, slapping his
hands together. “Atta girl!” he exclaimed. “You're a feisty one
then! Good for you, lass. I bet he didn't like that much.”

“I'm here, aren't I?”

“That you are,” James acknowledged. “Well, like I said, not to

worry. A woman like you will surely be able to get herself out of
anything.”

“I don't know about that,” she said, taking the necklace in her
hands and fingering it. She sighed deeply. Even if this wasn't a
joke, all she wanted was to go back home, where things were
boring and predictable and safe. Whatever was happening to her
now was going to make her lose her mind if she had to endure too
many more surprises.

“Where did you get that necklace, lass?” His face was suddenly
serious, and he was peering at it intently.

“You wouldn't believe me if I told you,” she sighed. “Unless you

are just an actor. If you are, you should tell me now.”

He looked at her blankly. “A what?”

She laughed. “Come off it already.”

“Is that like a wizard? Mischief maker? Because I certainly am a
mischief maker.”

He beamed proudly. “That's why I'm here.”

“Never mind,” she said, ignoring his dazzling smile.

“No, lass. Sorry to make light of your plight. Please, tell me what's
on your mind. I'll listen.”

She studied him. His handsome face seemed sincere, and she
sighed. What would it hurt to tell this man the truth? It was crazy
and unbelievable, but so were so many things.

“Well, I think...It really does sound ridiculous, are you sure you
won't laugh at me?”

He put his hand over his heart. “May the wisps take my soul if I'm
lying.”

She raised her eyebrow and sighed deeply. “I don't know how I
got here. It's like I'm in another time. This necklace you're asking
about, I put it on while I was taking a tour of this castle...The one
we're in, I mean. I was here, but in the future, when it's all
dilapidated and old. People don't live here anymore. None of these
bricks are new, none of the furniture...everything is old and used
up. But after I put this necklace on, I felt like I was...I don't know.
And then I woke up here and everything is new again. I think I
went back into the past.”

James nodded solemnly, looking at her, then past her, as if lost in

his own thoughts.

“I know there are things in the world that are unexplainable,” he

said. “I'll help you figure out what's going on. But only if you'll do
something for me in return.”
“What's that?” she asked, her heart thudding. She was sure she
sounded like a lunatic. But James took it all in stride, and he
seemed to accept what she was saying.

“Help me find a way out of this place. It might be easier with

someone else on my side now. If we get out, I swear I will help
you however I can.”

She looked into his clear eyes, her heard thudding hard in her
throat. “Okay, James. I'll help you.”

A dimple pierced his cheek, and she suddenly believed him.

Everything was going to be all right.

Chapter 4

When dinner was served, a single tray was pushed toward James
before the door was closed loudly. Sadie's stomach rumbled, but
she made no mention of her hunger.

“Hey, why doesn't the lass get any supper?” James asked, banging
the bars loudly with his wooden spoon.

“Lord Lachlan's orders. Now shut up and eat before we take your
food away, too,” the guard replied.

“Well, that doesn't seem right,” James murmured to himself,

turning away from the guards. “Here, lass, take mine. I already ate
today.”

He pushed the plate toward her.

“No, please don't do that,” she said. She couldn't tell how long he
had been down there, but it was surely longer than she had been.

“It's all right, I'm not exactly skin and bones,” he said, thumping
one of his hard pectoral muscles with a macho grin.

“Oh jeez,” she said. “All right.”

“Good lass,” he said. “Now sit next to me, pretend to be begging
me for food or something. And I'll be all cold like I'd never share
with a woman like you, royal snob.”

“Begging you?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.

He grinned boyishly.

“You'd like that, wouldn't you?”

“That's beside the point,” he said. “We have to make them think
we can't stand each other. It's all part of my plan.”

“How do you know I can’t stand you?” she teased. He laughed and
winked at her.

She felt herself blushing and looked down at the ground.

“That's how,” he said. “Now quick, look like you're really

hungry.”

“I am really hungry!”

“Great, you'll look the part then!”

She tried to repress her smile and did as he ordered. The guards
walked past their cell, talking in low murmurs, glancing in at
them. She took it as her cue to beg, and he took a bite of his
dinner, a gloating grin on his face. When the guards were gone, he
fed her a few bites until they returned and they resumed their little
game.

“Why should we hate each other?” Sadie asked softly as she

chewed.

“Well, if the guards think we're miserable together, they'll keep us

together and laugh about it. We'll have time to plan, and I think...”
A guard passed and James said, “Bugger off!” loudly, taking
another spoonful into his mouth and chewing pointedly. “Just
because you're royalty doesn't mean I owe you the skin off me
back!”

Even though he was joking, it stung a little to be spoken to like

that, but as soon as the guards were out of earshot he gave her a
wink that instantly made her feel better.

“Besides that, we can create a diversion. Get their attention, you

know, so we can get out of here once and for all. Soon as I have
the key, we're home free. Would you mind doing something a bit
improper?”

“That depends,” she said, taking the big wooden spoon into her
mouth. The spoon itself tasted old and moldy, but she tried to
ignore it.

“I need you to flirt with the guards. The big one passing by in a
bit, specifically. The best way to get away with something is to
distract them. When their attention is elsewhere, as it surely will
be if a lady such as yourself were to pay attention to one of them,
little old me will be invisible. Once I get the keys, you'll see, I can
get us out of here safely, no matter how many guards are out there.
I just can't be stuck in here like a caged bear.” His features
darkened, and he seemed lost in his own thoughts.

Sadie's mind wandered back to the castle tour, where she had seen
a painting of a group of men fighting against three unbelievably
large bears. She thought the artist had a love of exaggeration, but
the unlikely possibility that it actually happened would probably
have resulted in the group of men being massacred. James' voice
broke through her thoughts and she forgot about the painting.

“Can you do that, lass, or is it against your upbringing?” he said

the last part as a tease, but she could tell that he would have
respected her had it been the case.
“Sometimes you just have to flirt with a terrible man to get
yourself out of a dungeon,” she said with a shrug.

James laughed and gave her an approving nod. “It's all part of war,
I'm afraid. And getting that man's mind on his trousers will be just
the thing we need. We should wait until nightfall though. It's just
the one lad for guard duty and it will make our jobs easier. No one
will be watching him, and I can pretend to be asleep.”

“All right, James.”

James gave her a comforting smile, and she wondered if he liked

the way his name rolled off of her lips as much as she liked
everything that brushed his.

They finished their meal, and he leaned back against the cold
stone wall. “I expect my blanket back by nightfall!” he exclaimed
loudly. “I didn't know I was bunked with such a wench.”

She was ready this time. “You call this a blanket, you rat? It's just
a tattered bag. Get over yourself.”

They heard the guards cackling to themselves further down the

corridor and smiled at each other. Now all they had to do was wait
around for nightfall.

Chapter 5

Although it was fun to pretend they hated each other, it left Sadie
feeling guilty. She had never spoken unkindly to anyone before, so
she wasn't sure she would be any good at it. In the time they had
alone, she told this to James and he grinned.

“Do you have someone in your life you can't stand?”

“Actually I do,” she said, and told him all about her ex-husband
and what he had done to her.
James' face grew dark as he listened. “You deserve better than
that,” he said decidedly. “But I have an idea. And maybe this will
help you feel better – just say to me what you wish you could say
to him. Don't be afraid to hurt me, I'll just laugh about it. And
maybe you'll be able to put it behind you, eh lass?”

“Are you sure?” Sadie asked. “I have a lot of angry thoughts about
that little maggot.”

“All the better!” he exclaimed. “Give me your worst!”

He seemed eager enough, and delighted by the idea. It was hard to

let him down. She wouldn't want to know what his bright face
looked like when it had fallen into darkness. She was sure he was
capable of fierceness.

“If you're sure. It might be weird at first. But all right, let's try
that.”

Sadie didn't know she could enjoy thinking up so many insults,

and the mock, wounded faces he gave her were hysterical. She had
to hold in her laughter for fear of the guards catching on. Once,
she even slipped up, and she had to cover it up by pretending that
she was sobbing.

“Oh, I wish I never met you! Or Lord Lachlan, or anybody! Won't

somebody get me out of here?!”

James nodded his approval, an impressed expression on his face.

She grinned, laughing quietly to herself as a guard's voice echoed
down the hall.

“Nobody here who's going to help you, wench. Now quiet down!”

James and Sadie vibrated with inaudible laughter, hiding their

faces into the walls. If she knew the dungeon could be this fun,
she would have pulled the knife on Lord Lachlan sooner.
***

Finally, night began to fall and the amount of shuffling through the
corridors decreased. The voices stopped shouting, and the constant
clanking became a soft shuffling and the gentle metal rattle of
keys clamoring against each other. James gave her the signal, and
she moved to the front of the cell, close to the bars where the
guards would sit during the night time hours to keep an eye on
things. Sadie and James were the two main prisoners, so instead of
staying outside the cells of a drunkard or a raving madwoman,
shouting slurs against the crown and Lord Lachlan, claiming they
were cursing her and all deserved to die, the guard would surely
perch there between his rounds.

James leaned against the wall, his head slumped down into his
chest. He let it drop and breathed gently. If she didn't know better,
she would have sworn his act was the real thing, and that
somewhere he was off in his own head, perhaps dreaming about
the future as she was dreaming of the past. She took the chance to
study him in the torch light. Her eyes had adjusted to the dimness
of the dungeon, and now he was illuminated to her enough that
she could gaze upon him properly.

He was just as handsome as her first impression of him, and she

allowed her gaze to secretly roam the gentle slopes of his muscles
and the war paint that was beginning to peel off his torso. She
longed to touch it, to help him peel and scrub it off of himself, or
at the least to have its texture under her fingertips, her palms
against his warm chest. She tried not to think too much about that
and simply shivered. He had taken his potato sack blanket back by
force, though she knew he was acting. When she had asked him
again why it would be helpful for the guards to think she hated
him, he gave a soft laugh.

“Everyone hates me around here. It wouldn't be proper for us to be

getting along. Do you think the guard would want his stallion in a
Highlander lover? I'm here because I'm exactly the kind of man
Lord Lachlan can't stand. I uphold my beliefs and protect my kind.
I cause trouble in his kingdom. He captured me and kept me here
so he can execute me himself just before or right after he married
you. Apparently that's the only way he'd be able to get his rocks
off on his wedding night.”

Another crude wink, and then he was back to tugging the blanket
away from her and making himself a comfortable nest with it in
the corner, near the entrance where she had been instructed to
whisper into the guard's ear. It didn't take long before the guard
was outside, standing in front of the bars dutifully. She looked
over at James, who seemed to be watching beneath his seemingly
closed eyes. He gave her a reassuring nod.

She inhaled deeply, pressing her body against the bars and into the
guard's back, exhaling gently into his ear. “I always thought I
would experience the touch of a man before my death,” she
whispered, moving her body gently up and kissing the back of the
guard's neck gently.

He stiffened and said nothing, seeming to weigh his options.

“I'm going to die a virgin. I'll never get to find out about these
feelings. If I should die a sinner, is it not possible to die having
done God's most pleasurable sin?”

James had moved forward silently, reaching his hand tentatively

through the bars toward the keys. He motioned to her hands, and
she knew she was supposed to take it another step further so he
wouldn't think the movement of his keys suspicious. She could
almost hear James smiling, trying not to laugh out loud. The guard
was captivated, completely under her spell, and she wrapped her
arms around him, touching his chest and trailing her hands down,
hovering over his groin and bringing a soft groan to his lips.

“Please don't let me die empty,” she whispered.

It had been a long time since she considered her own physical
attractiveness. Her ex-husband hadn't been keen on praising it or
pointing it out, and somehow she’d forgotten that it was a part of
her identity. But the guard hadn't, and neither had James, who
slipped the key off its ring and fled back to his corner with it.

“Hey! What's going on over there! Guards! Guards! This woman

is being a succubus!” James shouted gleefully.

The guard stood quickly and pushed himself away from her,
clearing his throat. “Mind yourself, miss!” the guard said sternly,
then walked away quickly, no doubt to calm himself down.

They were left alone in the dungeon and James grinned, holding
up the glimmering key ring. “Let's get ourselves out of here.”

Chapter 6

Sadie crept behind James as he crouched, his golden muscles

rippling in the torch light. He paused suddenly, holding his hand
back to stop her. After a moment, he motioned her to continue
following. Her heart pounded nervously. She had begun to believe
that whatever was happening was real, and whether it was a dream
or not, she wanted to escape without having to face Lord Lachlan
again.

“Listen, lass, what do you know about the layout of this place?”
he asked under his breath. His whispers echoed hauntingly off the
stone walls, and she thought back to the tour she had escaped
from. What had it been like when she was roaming around with
the tour group? It seemed like only hours ago that the world was
normal, and now here she was, sneaking around a dungeon with
this handsome stranger. Fortunately, she had been through the
dungeon first; it was a place of grotesque interest to most of the
tourists, especially considering Lord Lachlan's bloody history and
preferences.
“If we keep going, there's a staircase. It leads up into a
closet...well, I'm not sure what that would be here. But back in my
time it was a closet, with brooms and things like that. But it's close
to a door coming in from the back. We met in front of the castle
then went around to see the dungeon first.”

“Right, must make it easier to put captives in their place without

disturbing his royal slumber,” James said bitterly.

He must have lost people close to him, people he had loved, Sadie
realized suddenly. She had gotten used to his playful nature, but
now, hearing the grim note in his voice, the plight of the
Highlanders never seemed so real. These were real women and
men, children, who had been terrorized. All because they wanted
to defend their way of life from the crown. Whether he was just an
actor or not, having this reality brought to her mind was disturbing
and sad. She wished she could go back in time and change the
atrocities...

Then she realized that may be exactly what she was supposed to
do. Whether she knew it or not, there was something
unexplainable at work – magic maybe, or maybe just a deep
dream in a haunting old castle. Either way, she was here and there
was no waking herself up out of it.

James continued creeping along the corridors, listening intently,

with his muscular neck craned. They made it safely to the
staircase, one that wound in a slow circle up to the next level. She
nearly ran into him when he slowed to a stop. The nearness of his
body quickened her heartbeat. She was sure he would hear it, but
instead he turned to her and grinned.

“I smell fresh air. You did well, lass. Let's get out of here.”

Sadie couldn't smell anything but the fuel of the torches and the
musky stones, but she trusted his rugged senses. It felt good to
make him proud, and she smiled privately to herself as he turned
back to the stairs ahead of him. They walked carefully up toward
the closet, listening intently for any sound of movement.

When they reached the top of the staircase, the sound of voices
echoed toward them. Suddenly, Sadie was weightless as James
picked her up in his strong arms and ducked into the room that she
remembered being a closet. He held her protectively close to his
chest, curling himself so that he was in front of her with his eyes
fixed on the door, ready and alert.

Being so close to him that she could practically feel his heartbeat
made her nervous. She peered up at him, the chiseled features of
his face, his eyes, narrow but beautiful. His mouth was full, for a
man's, and he didn't have the same steroid-buff look of the men
she saw at the gym. Rather, he was solid, almost meaty, as if he
had earned every muscle in his body. She had never thought that
the muscular look was particularly attractive, hence her ex-
husband, but now that she was pinned in James' strong arms,
forbidden curiosities of what else he might be capable of playing
on her mind, she had a sudden change of heart.

He seemed to sense the shift in her energy and glanced down at

her, a soft smile spreading on his lips, barely there before it was
gone, and he was back to listening to the voices of the men as they
neared, ultimately passing the closet and heading down the
staircase. They were telling crude jokes about women, and she
recognized one of the voices as the guard she had been ordered to
seduce. When they were about halfway down the stairs, out of
sight but not out of earshot, James lifted her again, apparently not
trusting her to keep silent, and carried her out the open door of the
castle. They were free.

Chapter 7

James ran swiftly with her in his arms. There was no way she
would have been able to keep up with him. It was thrilling to be
pressed into his chest as they ran, but she imagined she would
have different feelings about it if it were any other man. Somehow
though, she trusted him with her life, and they were running
through the trees now.

Wait, trees? Last she remembered, there were no trees there, just a
huge grassy yard and a large parking lot. Since when was the
castle surrounded by foliage? She didn't have time to pursue the
thought before a sudden commotion met their ears. The guards
had discovered their empty cell, and now they were on the
rampage. The whole castle seemed suddenly alive with activity,
and she heard the galloping of hooves as men mounted their
horses and followed after the fugitives.

What had seemed to be a romantic dream suddenly turned into a

nightmare as James and Sadie were surrounded by a huge group of
men. James wasn't able to outrun the horses, not when they were
being whipped and kicked. He stopped, setting Sadie down and
pushing her gently behind his broad back.

“Well, now, looks like we've got company!” he said to her

cheerfully. She was frightened, but his effort to keep her feeling
calm made her feel a little bit better.

“Stuff your face!” the guard that Sadie had manipulated shouted.
He was the most embarrassed and angry of all of them. The rest of
them just looked predatory, excited for the hunt. “You have
violated Lord Lachlan's orders, and for that you—” he leered at
Sadie, “the both of you—will have to pay the price.”

“Lord Lachlan wants them brought back alive so he can finish

them himself,” one of the guards said dutifully.

“Well, Lord Lachlan should have put his knickers on and come to
join us for the hunt then,” the angry guard shouted. “Do your best
to follow orders but show no mercy! The little wench is a
Highlander lover; it's why she's down there in the first place. Don't
you think Lord Lachlan figured that out?”
With that, the troops began to advance upon Sadie and James. An
involuntary gasp of fright escaped her lips and she clenched
James’ back. But he wasn't James anymore. She was surprised
when her fingers gripped a handful of fur. She looked up in
confusion as the man in front of her grew taller and taller still,
until he towered above the group of men. The blood drained from
her face as she realized that James had shape shifted into a huge
black bear. He unleashed a mighty, earth-shattering roar, and she
fell back onto the ground in shock. The roar spooked the horses,
and they took off running. Many of the men were thrown from
their steeds, while others hopped off just in time. Some were
trapped on their horses as they bolted through the dark forest,
cursing at their mounts but clinging for dear life.

They were left facing off with seven men, all of them panting in
anticipation of the battle before them. Sadie's heart thudded in her
ears as James, or the bear, rather, lunged into the group of men. He
gave a swipe of his large paw, disarming most of them of their
swords. Those left defenseless either scrambled to retrieve their
swords or ran into the dark forest, back toward the castle. If they
stayed on the frontlines, it was to their detriment. James showed
no mercy and pounced at them, sinking his teeth into one as he
batted still another with his fierce paw, craning his neck quickly to
tear into another man who fumbled with his weapon.

There were three dead and bloodied on the ground, and two still
standing. James stared them in the eye, giving another no-
nonsense growl. It chilled Sadie – she had never seen anything
like this before. Now she knew it had to be a dream; there was
nothing left of reality in this situation. Nobody was joking with
her. All of this was either real, or at least real inside her own head.
The angry guard was still there, glaring at her from behind James.
James crouched in front of her protectively, his hackles raised.

The resentful guard lifted his sword and charged. Sadie was sure
James would dodge it, but he let out a growl as the little blade
pierced his flesh. He smacked the guard hard, and he went flying
over the treetops. James glared into the eyes of the one man left
standing. Sadie could tell the guard was frightened, and his hands
shook as he held up the sword. He significantly lacked power
without the others to back him up.

“You should go before he kills you,” Sadie whispered as loudly as

she could. It was difficult to get any words out; the slaughter she
had just witnessed had been seriously gruesome, and she sincerely
didn't want to see anybody else get killed. The man's face was
white as a sheet, and he glanced at her, a quick flick of the eyes,
before dropping his sword and running into the darkness of the
forest. James gave a final powerful, victorious roar before his
huge body began to shrink back into his human form.

He looked at her with a cheerful glint in his eye, and she realized,
with some embarrassment, that he was completely naked. His kilt
had fallen off during the transformation, and she averted her eyes,
but she had already seen him in full, his body a ridiculously
flawless sculpture of what bodies were meant to look like in their
perfection.

“That was close,” he said, pursing his lips. “It's time we get a
move on. They'll be back, no doubt. Lachlan's furious with you,
lass; there will be a search party.”

James slipped his kilt back on with a taunting casualness and led
the way through the darkened forest.

Chapter 8

“Unfortunately, we're a long way from home,” James said.

“You're telling me,” Sadie said with a sigh.

James laughed. “So you really just put that necklace on and
appeared here out of nowhere?” he asked, gathering dried wood to
build a campfire with. He had lifted her again and galloped as
quickly as he could to the west, to an area where he felt safe
enough to make camp and allow Sadie to rest.

“That's right,” she said with a sigh. “There is nothing I can think
of to explain why this is happening.”

“Maybe you were just meant to help me get out of there,” he said
with a wink.

“I doubt that,” she said with a laugh, though she was secretly
wondering the same thing herself. She watched him dab the small
wound left on his arm by the man's sword and was sucked into the
unpleasant memories of the battle between man and bear.

“So...what happened back there?” she asked reluctantly. The

images would surely haunt her forever.

He had treated his transformation like it was an obvious fact of

life, one that she should shake off as if he had simply changed
clothes. But Sadie had never seen anybody shapeshift before, and
it brought to mind the painting she had seen in the castle, where
the bears were surrounded by a group of men, dressed exactly like
the guards they had just escaped from.

“What do you mean?” he asked, dumping his armful of firewood

into a pile. He set to work starting a fire, something she had seen
her ex-husband struggle with and fail at many times before. She
had learned how for herself because she was tired of his
impromptu camping trips and waiting a taxing curse-filled three
hours for crispy hot dogs.

“I mean I've never seen anybody turn into an animal before, is

what I mean!” she said, a little too loudly. She was disturbed by
everything that had happened that night and felt the need to
protect herself from all the overwhelming experiences. There was
no way she could explain these things to herself.
“Oh, that... Well, why do you think Lord Lachlan hates us so
much?” James asked, plopping down onto the ground.

“I don't know; he feels threatened by your way of life? Thinks it's

bad for business?”

James laughed heartily. “Something like that. He's a scared little

man, full of anger and fear. He doesn't understand us, and he
doesn't like it. Knows we could kill him in a heartbeat. But he gets
off on picking us off one by one, with unfair numbers, so he can
feel powerful.”

“Right, but how do you change into bears? Do you all do that?”

“All Highlanders?”

“I guess so.”

“Just my clan, as far as I know. But he doesn't know that.”

“So he tries to kill you all because he thinks all Highlanders can
shift into bears?”

“He doesn't like our song, or our dance, or our ways. Especially
not the bear ways. It wouldn't matter if the others weren't bears.
He is a small man who wants to feel big and will plow big people
down to do so. We rebel against the rules he sets to try to feel in
control of his little world, and many of us pay the price.”

“I see...”

This little history lesson was taxing on Sadie. After everything

else she had gone through that day, it made her head swim. She
suddenly felt exhausted, as if she could curl up on a rock and sleep
as soundly as if it were a feather bed.

“I promised I would try to help you figure things out,” James said
after a long silence. The fire crackled between them and she
looked up at him.
“How do you plan to do that?” she asked.

“In my clan, there are wise people, a council we could talk to

about your situation. Maybe they would be able to shed some light
on how you got here. If nothing else, we would protect you from
Lord Lachlan. No harm would fall on you with us, I would see to
it personally.”

He said the last part seriously, the charming humor in his eyes
completely gone. “If you don't mind living in a rebel camp, we
would do our best to help you.”

“That depends,” Sadie said. “Will they turn to bears and eat me if
they don't like me?”

James laughed, the sparkle back in his clear eyes. “Perhaps, but
it's doubtful. I'd keep you safe.”

Her mind drifted to the way his strong body had cradled hers, and
how she had never felt safer in her life than she did pressed
against James' broad chest. She gave a small nod, and he returned
it. Both of them smiled privately, and suddenly, she wanted him as
close to her as possible.

“Come here,” she said softly.

“Why?” he asked with a grin, not budging.

“I want to check the wound on your arm.”

He obliged and walked over to her, his muscular body moving

languidly. Her eyes were fixed on his perfect abs despite herself,
and she gripped his arm tenderly to examine the cut.

“It's not too deep, that's good.”

“We Highlanders fight hard and heal fast,” he said with a laugh.
“You'll soon find that out for yourself.”
“I think I already have.”

He grinned down at her, and Sadie did something she so rarely

had the confidence to do throughout her life; she made the first
move.

Her soft lips were suddenly tasting the fullness of James', and she
squealed in delight as he kissed her back, gripping her by the waist
and lifting her until she was sitting on top of him. She ran her
tongue against his and was startled by the unexpected desire that
hijacked her, bringing a flush to her cheeks.

“Maybe we shouldn't—” he said, suddenly pulling away.

But no, it was too late for both of them. She could feel the
powerful rod testifying to his desire, and she held him firmly,
letting their lips linger together. He bit her lip gently with a playful
little growl and buried his head in her neck. The contrast of his
gentle, warm kisses and the rough stubble on his cheek brought a
moan to her lips. That was all the encouragement he needed, and
before she could stop him—not that she wanted to—he had
stripped her and thrust his hard cock inside of her, as powerfully
as thunder. They cried out simultaneously, and she closed her eyes
as he had his way with her, using all of his strength to his
advantage, moving her easily however he wanted her, holding her
up and allowing her to feel completely helpless in his arms. His
strong hands grabbed on to her breasts, squeezing them and
flicking her nipples. She surrendered to her own pleasure in a way
she never had before.

She closed her eyes as her bliss overpowered her, and she let out a
low moan as her body began to quake under his. She gripped his
hair tightly, and he hissed in pleasure as her climax contracted
around his rod and made it impossible to avoid a climax of his
own. She cried out loudly as he unleashed a hot explosion inside
of her, enhancing her orgasm and leaving them both panting in
disbelief of how unbelievably good the sex had just been.

Sadie yawned loudly, and James gathered her up into his muscular
arms.

“Rest, sweet lass. I'll see you in the light of the morn.”

With that, Sadie fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Chapter 9

Sadie was wakened bright and early by a gentle nudge on her

shoulder.

“Wake up, lass,” James whispered. His voice sounded worried,

and he was no longer holding her. He seemed to be keeping his
distance, and suddenly, the night before came in a powerful
memory that left her embarrassed.

When her eyes fluttered open, she swallowed hard. James was
peering down at her, his handsome face creased with concern. He
gave her a gentle smile and moved away, leaving her body cold
and her heart aching with an inexplicable loneliness.

“We have to get a move on; the guards will surely be after us. If
any of them were smart, they would have been tracking us through
the night. We will have to find a way to get them off our trail. If I
shift into a bear, do you think you would be able to hold on while I
run? We can outdistance their horses that way.”

“You want me to ride you?” she asked, the sudden sexual

implication of her words hitting her with an embarrassing clarity.

“If you can handle it,” he said with a grin. She couldn't tell if the
past made him naively oblivious of the innuendo, or if he was just
that confident. Either way, it did nothing to take her mind off of
the raw attraction she felt toward him.
“I guess if there's no other choice,” she said with a small laugh.

“Afraid not. Not to offend you, but you're not very fast, even by
human standards. Not that it's a problem, you know, if we were
settled in a camp somewhere safe, but since we're kind of on the
run now, lass, you don't want to be lagging behind. You never
know who might pop out of the bushes. So don't wander off, all
right?”

“All right,” she agreed.

She didn't think it was a point he needed to stress very much. She
was terrified of this unfamiliar world, and the men who had
locked her up and were now pursuing her. There had to be a way
back, and if this man could help her find it, she would stick with
him.

“Are you ready?” he asked. “When we get far enough away, I can
catch you some breakfast.”

“I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be.”

“You have an interesting dialect, lass,” he said. “Mind grabbing

my kilt when the transformation is over? It's a favorite. Besides,
you don't want to be stuck with me running around as nude as a
babe, do you?”

She wasn't so sure she wouldn't, but she just laughed and shook
her head because that answer was easier. She promised to pick up
his kilt, and he straightened himself up, looking toward the sun. A
strong wind rustled the leaves around them, and suddenly, instead
of James, the large black bear from the night before stood before
her.

She bent down and swiped the kilt. It was still warm from his
body and she swallowed hard, shaking her head sheepishly. Did
this mean she would get to see him naked again? But surely since
she knew it was coming, she should cover her eyes, right? But if
he didn't seem embarrassed about it, why should she? She sighed
shakily and mounted the bear's back, gripping its fur as she had
the night before, and held on tightly as he began to bound forward
through the forest.

It was an exhilarating feeling. She had never felt so free. She had
ridden a horse once as a child, or at least, been trotted around on
one until she begged to be let off, but nothing she had experienced
in her life could compare to the experience of swiftly rushing
through the forest, dodging limbs and branches, the wind blowing
through her fiery red curls and bringing her to life.

When James finally slowed down, she couldn't help but feel
disappointed. He slowed to a stop near a running stream and lay
down, signaling that it was time for her to get off. One of her legs
was asleep, so she stumbled when she hit the ground. She had to
rub her leg and try to walk off the pins and needles surging
through her muscles. She heard James laugh and turned around in
surprise. She had forgotten his powerful masculine form, just as
impressive as his bear form. He had slipped his kilt back on while
she wasn't looking, and she felt embarrassed again for even
considering whether or not she would be able to peep at him
again.

“I don't know about you, lass, but I'm getting hungry. Why don't
you get some water in you while I go catch us lunch?”

“All right,” she said, realizing with some embarrassment that her
heavy footfalls and slow body would scare off any of his potential
prey.

“I'll be fast, don't worry,” he promised. He gave her one of his

grins, which were becoming somewhat signature to her now, and
disappeared into the heavily wooded forest.

When he was alone, James let out a deep sigh. What had he done?
The clansmen would surely lynch him. What would Sadie do if
she knew the truth? He had better lay low and keep his hands to
himself from now on. It wouldn't be good for either of them if he
allowed himself to give in to temptation again. His face was hot as
he remembered the night before. Although it had felt incredible, it
couldn't happen again. He would have to hide his secret well and
cover his tracks.

***

Sadie sat beside the stream, dipping her hand into the cool water
and scooping a palm full of it into her mouth. She would never
have been able to do that with the water back home. It would be
murky and gray-green; not particularly safe for consumption
without filters and boiling involved. She wondered how long it
would be before James returned and took the opportunity to take
in the scenery. The greenery was shocking and vibrant, and the
sky a crisp blue. She doubted that she would be able to see
anything quite so beautiful back home, at least not in her own
timeline.

Her curiosity was piqued by a family of deer, wandering

peacefully through the forest. They ambled slowly, lapping up
some water from the stream and not seeming to notice her at all.
She was shocked by their nearness, how they didn't perceive her
as a threat to their well-being and simply continued to move
forward. If it was her own timeline, the trauma of gunshots would
have made all of them wary of her, and she wouldn't have been
able to blame them.

They sauntered quietly into the forest, and she was unable to resist
the urge to follow them. They tolerated her company, going about
their business as they grazed, their heads raising lazily, an ear
twitching here and there as they checked for signs of danger. She
felt honored to be accepted into the group, even if it was just
temporarily, and she stayed quiet and respectful, amazed by their
fearlessness and beauty.
Suddenly, a twig snapped and the little family of deer froze in fear
before taking off through the trees as quickly as their long legs
would carry them. James must be back from his hunt. It had gone
faster than she thought it would, but then, that didn't surprise her.
He was turning out to be more competent than any man she had
ever met before.

“James, you wouldn't believe what just happened! There were so

many deer! I've never seen that many at once. And they were so
beautiful. You should have seen them,” she exclaimed, turning
around.

Suddenly she was face to face with the scorned guard – the one
she had led on and humiliated.

“James isn't here, and there's no way he will be able to help you
now,” he said with a cold grin. She tried to scream for help but the
guard clamped his hand over her mouth, his eyes wild with anger
and delight. “You thought you could get away from me so easily,
you bloody bear lover? Not likely.”

And with that, he cackled and gripped her arm tightly, twisting it
around her back and shoving her forward. To keep her from
screaming, he stuffed a cloth in her mouth.

“I'm going to make you pay for humiliating me, wench. And it's
not going to feel very good. Not for you anyway.”

Sadie’s eyes widened in panic as she squealed uselessly for James

to rescue her. But James was gone.
End Book One
Book 2
“Sadie?” James called uncertainly when he came back to the
clearing by the stream. He was holding two dead rabbits, and his
beautiful companion was nowhere in sight.
Fear suddenly gripped his heart as he caught a whiff of something
familiar – the sour scent of Lord Lachlan's men. He dropped the
rabbits on the ground and immediately transformed into a bear,
roaring ferociously the moment the shift was complete. He sped
off, galloping as quickly as possible, following the blood-boiling
stench of the guard, and the blood-curdling scent of Sadie's fear. If
he was too late, he knew he would never forgive himself. He
should have known better than to leave her alone!

His sharp ears picked up a whimper in the distance, and he

bounded toward it as quickly as possible, cursing himself for his
carelessness. If he hadn't been so embarrassed about overcrossing
his boundaries and worried about losing his place in the clan, he
wouldn't have put her life in danger for a hunt. They could have
stayed together. He had been so foolish.

James leapt through the trees toward the whimper and landed right
in front of the guard as he was beginning to tear his uniform off.
He unleashed a deafening roar that made the man pause in his
tracks and pale. His pants dropped to the ground, and James
wasted no time in sinking his massive teeth into his neck. A
gurgling shriek erupted from the man and James began shaking
him wildly, until he felt the life leave his victim. He tossed him as
far away from Sadie as he could, howling with anger as he
transformed back into his human self.

Sadie was bunched up on the ground, sobbing with a gag in her

mouth. He ran swiftly to her and removed it, throwing it to the
ground as he pulled her into a comforting hug. His strong body
was still tense with the throes of battle, and she cried against him.
He soothed her, stroking her long red curls and kissing the top of
her head.

“It's all right now, lass. I'm so sorry that happened. I shouldn't
have left you alone.”
“It's not your fault,” she said through broken sobs. “I left to go see
the deer and...”

“Hush, lass, all that matters is that you're safe now. You won't be
leaving my sight until we get back to my clan. Come now, I
fetched us a meal.”

He lifted her to her feet, pursing his lips in an apologetic smile. “I

don't have my kilt,” he said. “But don't worry, it's with our
breakfast. Do you want a ride back?”

Sadie didn't know what she wanted. Being comforted by the naked
James held a guilty appeal, but it would quickly become awkward.

“All right, lass,” he said, seeming to read her thoughts.

He shifted back into his bear form and looked at her with soulful
brown eyes, giving her an innocent, eager to please look that
reminded her of a puppy. As if to solidify this image, he gave her
a gentle lick on the arm that made her face break out into a smile.
She climbed onto his back, laying down with her cheek against his
fur, gripping it tightly as he walked briskly through the forest,
back to the stream where he had left his rabbits and his favorite
kilt.

***

They ate quietly, a small fire crackling between them. When they
were finished, James insisted that he look her over for wounds.
She allowed him to run his large hands up her arms and down her
legs, his clear eyes searching for signs of distress. Fortunately, he
found none, and he lifted her to her feet. Their faces were
unbearably close, and the thought of just how easy it would be to
take her full lips into his, to take her again, haunted James. But he
had already made his mistake. He would be crazy to do it again
and risk his place in the clan. He'd worked hard for it.
When she reached out as if to touch him, he turned away, as if he
didn't know what she was doing. He bundled up the supplies he'd
used to create the fire and tucked them away in his kilt before
dousing the fire with stream water and making sure that it was out.

“The spirits won't let me hear the end of it if I burn the forest
down,” he said with a grin.

“What spirits?” Sadie asked, frowning.

“Oh, you know, lass. The spirits! The dead who speak to us. They
have a soft spot for the wee ones, animals like the deer you were
chasing after. If I endangered them, leaving this fire lit, they'd
haunt me.”

“I see,” she said, storing the little tidbit of knowledge into her
brain. Things in the Highlander's world were not like her own. She
should do her best to get used to it so she could keep herself out of
harm's way. Trouble was always likely to follow those who were
unprepared and willfully ignorant.

“There's good news,” he said, straightening his back so that his six
pack of abs rippled tantalizingly in front of her.

“What's that?” she asked, somewhat distracted by his body.

Luckily he didn't seem to notice. “We're almost back to my clan.

We made it halfway last night before having to stop for rest.
There's a lot of daylight left, so we should make it by dawn.”

Sadie smiled at him, eager for any opportunity to sort out

whatever was happening, but doubtful that it would make any real
difference. Sometimes she almost forgot that she had a whole
other world to get back to. Remembering home was strange, and
comforting, but it also made her a little bit apprehensive. Back in
her own time, there was no James, the man-bear who could lift her
with one hand and fill her body with pure bliss. And there were no
clear streams to drink from or deer who would approach you as if
you were a friend, even without being fed by you. She was
becoming quite fond of this world she was in.

Without warning, James shifted into his powerful black bear form
and waited patiently by his fallen kilt. He bowed in front of her
when she picked it up and used it as a saddle for his hairy back,
pressing her head against his as he bounded through the
wilderness and toward his clan.

Chapter 2

The sun was just beginning to paint the sky with the pinks and
golds of twilight when James stopped trotting abruptly and lay
down. Sadie had been nearing sleep and stirred as he growled
gently. She slipped down his furry back and leaned against a tree,
crossing her arms over her breasts as he began to shift back into
his human form. He was facing away from her, and she eyed his
lithe body as he slipped his kilt back on before turning to her.

“We're here,” he said, looking into the distance. “Before we go in,

would you mind if...”

James trailed off and sighed heavily. Something was weighing on

his mind but he was reluctant to say what it was. She peered at
him and he sighed again, actively trying to avoid her eyes.

“What do you want me to do, James?” she asked, frowning.

“Nothing, never mind. But what happened back there can't happen
again. I hope you understand.”

“What?” she asked, genuinely puzzled.

“I can't be with a Lowlander, not here,” he said thinly, looking

down at the ground and kicking awkwardly at the dirt. “Things are
a bit different in my clan. You'll soon catch on, I'm sure. But
please try to remember that I'm not the man who made the rules.
I'm just the man who broke them.”
She stared after him, her heart contracting painfully as he moved
forward, leading her through the brush and toward a warm orange
glow. The smell of a campfire filled her senses, and she suddenly
forgot the cryptic words James uttered as she followed him into
the camp. She felt self-conscious as all eyes turned to her, and
James laughed, scratching his head as if he wasn't sure he would
be welcome to the party. She half expected them to yell at him, he
looked so guilty and sheepish, but instead everybody began to
cheer and rush to his side, slapping his bare back excitedly.

“James! Everybody, it's James! We thought we'd lost you!” a man

said excitedly. “Wait ‘til we tell the council, they'll be so
relieved.”

“I doubt the council gives any care about me,” James said
modestly.

“Who's the lass ye brought with you?” they asked.

Suddenly, one of them dropped his jaw. “I know that face! Isn’t it
Sadie? Lord Lachlan's fiancée?”

“Oh, James,” an old woman said, shaking her head. “This may
turn out badly. You may find yourself in some trouble, lad.”

He was about to respond when suddenly the woman's eyes locked

on the pendant dangling between Sadie's breasts. She opened and
closed her mouth, grasping at the air as if to try to find the words.
But they didn't come.

James lay his heavy hand on her shoulder and steered her away
from the scene, changing the subject.

“It's best we talk to the council about this first,” he whispered, and
she nodded enthusiastically. “Please tell the same to the others,
before word of the girl makes its rounds.”
“Of course,” she whispered and hurried off to inform the council.

“Now then,” he said loudly, turning around with his most

charming smile. “I believe I could use a drink.”

“Aye!” the men shouted, laughing and throwing their fists and
glasses up into the air.

Sadie and James were surrounded by the crowd and led to a

bonfire in the middle of the camp.

“Princess Sadie, meet the rebels,” James said with a grin, waving
his arm toward the Highlanders who were gathered in front of the
fire. They acknowledged her, somewhat suspiciously, all of them
hushed and reserved when their eyes fell upon the pendant. She
glanced down at it self-consciously and wondered if maybe it held
them captive in the same mystical way that it had drawn her in.
Maybe she shouldn't have put it on. Maybe it was cursed and they
could tell.

“Now where's my ale?” James exclaimed, disappearing into the

crowd and leaving Sadie alone. She tried to follow him, but she
quickly lost him in the crowd. She was learning that Highlanders
moved quickly – very quickly – and she sighed, sitting down in
front of the fire on a fallen log. She took the opportunity to be lost
in the commotion and look around at the Highlander camp.

A scattered collection of tents littered the area surrounding the

campfire, one tent standing importantly and looming higher than
the rest. She realized that James was heading in that direction, a
glass of ale in hand, and she fought the urge to follow him. If he
wanted her there, he would have made sure she followed him. She
smiled politely when someone offered her a glass, and she took it,
sniffing curiously. The smell was strong and she threw her head
away from it in surprise. Still, you were only in the past so often.
She figured that you might as well live a little. Sadie brought the
glass to her lips and swallowed, raising her eyes as the bite of the
alcohol warmed her insides, almost helping her to forget that
everyone there considered her a Lowlander.

“Got a nice bite to it, eh, lass?” an old man laughed, giving her a
toothless grin. She nodded, giving him a shaky smile.

“Leave the poor lass alone, Ivar,” a woman about Sadie's age said,
shooing him away. He gave her one happier, drunken smile before
nodding and hobbling away. She promptly plopped down beside
Sadie and smiled.

“You don't have to drink that rot if you don't want to,” she said.
“Nobody will think any differently of you. In fact, the heathens
will probably just be glad to have more to themselves.”

Sadie smiled at the woman and offered her the cup she was
holding. She took it with a delighted laugh and drank it down with
a few hearty gulps.

“My name's Gail,” she said, wiping her mouth. “I'd wager you
don't really know what to do in a Highlander camp, but don't
worry. I'm sure James is explaining everything to the council as
we speak and they'll get you settled in. And if it's too late to take
action, you're welcome to come back to my tent. I'll give you a
change of clothes if you need it, we look to be about the same
size.”

Sadie nodded gratefully. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome. You stick out like a sore thumb in that green
dress of yours,” Gail laughed. “And trust me, you don't really
want extra attention. The Highlanders aren't generally very
welcoming of strangers. We like to keep to ourselves and protect
our own. But as I said, if James sorts it out with the council, things
should be fine.”

“He said he'd make sure...” Sadie said, feeling suddenly betrayed.
James had led her to believe that she would be accepted into the
clan, as easy as that. And if she wasn't, he would intervene on her
behalf. But something about him had seemed different when they
had reached the borderlines of his camp, and she hadn't been able
to reach the man she'd met in the dungeon again since. Had he
simply charmed her to get himself back home with a prize,
thinking he might be able to use her against Lord Lachlan?

Sadie sighed, dejected, when suddenly James was standing before

her like the answer to a question she didn't know she had asked, a
faint smile on his face.

“The council said it was all right for you to stay here and that it
would be important to get you used to our customs,” James
reported. He had taken on a self-important tone that she wasn't
sure she liked.

“Oh good!” Gail exclaimed. “Do they have a place for her to
sleep?”

James nodded. “There's a room open in the council's tent for her.”

Gail's mouth opened and closed. “But why?” she asked, a little
apprehensively. Her reaction made Sadie nervous.

“They'd just like to ask her a few questions and keep her safe from
anyone who might think it's a danger to keep her here, considering
she was Lachlan's fiancée. They know she's not one of the same
breed of Lowlander, they trust me, but they want to talk to her for
themselves and keep her separated until the official announcement
tomorrow morn. It's best not to surprise everyone; it will be better
to put her up safe.”

Sadie listened to James speaking in his intoxicating Scottish lilt.

He seemed like he was important in the clan, possibly the leader.
If not, something close. The men were all flocking around him,
hoping for his attention, but he ignored them and turned to Sadie.
“Let's get you settled in,” he said, and offered her his hand.

***

Sadie stood before the council, a group of stern elders with deep
frowns etched into their thick faces. They looked as if they'd lived
long, hard lives but were all the wiser for it. Many of them had
long silver hair and beards, while others had their locks cropped
close to their heads. They sat in tantalizing silence as they studied
her before finally, one man stepped forward and cleared his throat
to speak.

She looked around for James, who was standing dutifully by the
entrance, his hands crossed in front of his kilt and his broad chin
tilted up like a soldier at attention. She felt very alone and waited
nervously for the councilman's words.

“Sadie,” the man said. “What do you remember about Lord

Lachlan?”

“He's a tyrant,” Sadie said, her eyebrows creasing in anger. “And a

rat.”

“What he means is,” another man interjected, “how many

memories do you have of him?”

Sadie frowned. “Just the one. I'm afraid I don't know how I
um...got here, exactly.”

“Yes, James mentioned this. He also said you sought our help in
unraveling the mystery,” the first man said.

“If it's possible, sir.”

“Aye,” he said, glancing to the other council members, who

nodded their approval. “As long as you follow the rules and learn
how to pull your weight in the camp. Everyone does their share of
work, you understand.”
“Of course,” she said. “I understand.”

“You'll stay in the council's tent for tonight,” the stern man said.
“We will summon you when it is time to learn our ways. Until
then, we implore you to stay put, as your presence puts our camp
in danger.”

“I'm sorry, I—”

“James will show you to your accommodations,” he interrupted,

not acknowledging her apology. “James?”

James moved forward, ducking through a flap in the tent and

pausing for her to catch up to him.

“I thought you said I'd be welcome here,” she hissed as he led her
into the little makeshift room.

“You are,” he said. “Just give it some time.”

He gave her a sweet smile and a wink. With that, he disappeared

from her sight, leaving nothing behind him but the swaying fabric
of her entranceway.

Chapter 3

Sadie awoke early, dazed and disoriented when she discovered

that she still wasn't back in her own time. She half expected to be
transported back every time she closed her eyes. Unfortunately,
the longer she spent in this strange place, the more real it began to
feel to her.

There was a tray of food near her bedside, and she pulled it toward
her. A plate of berries and a slab of cooked fish. She ate hungrily,
downing a cup of fresh spring water. A parcel of clothing was
sitting on the foot of her cot and she sighed, undressing and
putting it on. She wondered where she would be able to shower,
but soon the thought left her head as she heard a commotion.
Deep voices were shouting – she couldn't tell if they were angry or
excited. Maybe a mixture of both. She had been strictly ordered
not to leave her room until they told her she could, which felt
stifling. Still, she was more afraid of breaking the rules than she
was tempted to find out what the commotion was about, and
waited restlessly in the tent for a sign that she could leave.

She was captive until finally, a stooped-over man poked his head
in. “It is time to introduce you to the clan,” he said.

She looked down at her dress and back at the man, her face
burning red. “Do I have this on right?” she asked, gritting her
teeth.

He examined her for a moment and uttered a light sigh. “Excuse

me, lass, I'll be back with someone to help you.”

Sadie sat down on her cot and put her head in her hands. This
whole thing was incredibly embarrassing. Suddenly, Gail was in
the room and began chuckling heartily.

“Look at you, lass,” she laughed, poking at the buckle that Sadie
had clasped around her waist. “It was a nice try, but actually that
goes here,” she said, pointing to Sadie's chest.

“Oh!” Sadie exclaimed in surprise and tried not to squirm as Gail

began tugging at her dress, fastening the buckle between her
breasts.

“There!” Gail said, beaming at her proudly. “Come on now, the

clan's ready to meet you. They'll only trust whatever the council
says, so it was best for you to stay here last night. Don't worry
though. They will be treating you like family in no time.”

“Sure they will,” Sadie said doubtfully. But when she looked at
Gail, she was smiling, so Sadie tried to banish the nervous
butterflies in her stomach and follow behind with a stoic face.
Gail led her out of the tent, where she was intercepted by the elder
who had asked whether or not she was ready. He led her to the
center of the camp, where the entire clan was gathered. James was
standing sternly beside the council, who were in the center of the
group. He looked particularly handsome now in the daylight,
grinning at his comrades. Still, something seemed to be making
him uneasy, and he avoided her gaze.

“Today we must welcome to our clan Lord Lachlan's former

fiancée Sadie. It seems that fate has brought her to us and we must
honor this with the highest respects possible. We must all do our
best to teach her our ways, as her journey has been a wee bit
unconventional.”

Sadie had been led to stand in front of the council, and she was
nudged to step forward. She gave a meek bow, unsure of what else
to do.

“Introduce yourself, lass,” one of the council members said. His

voice was neither kind nor unkind and she sighed.

“My name is Sadie. I'd tell you where I'm from but I don't really
know. This is all very unfamiliar to me so I appreciate your
guidance.”

She bowed and backed up, standing beside James. She had the
strong urge to lean into him, but it seemed wildly improper. And
besides, he had backed away from her, his face grim. Something
was going on with him, and she was beginning to feel very put off
by whatever it was. She wished he would just talk to her about it.
The rules somehow prohibited him from paying any attention to
her? Was that what he was implying? What kind of rules were
those?

“Sadie may roam about the camp and do as she likes, just as
anyone else. But if anybody causes her any trouble, you will
answer to the council. Be as considerate of her requests as
possible and guide her however you can. That's all for now.”

The meeting was adjourned and the council members marched one
by one in a single-file line to the big tent and disappeared behind
its flap. James lingered outside for a moment before turning away
from her, his muscular back rippling as he sauntered away, toward
a group of men who were summoning him. She wanted to follow
him and ask him what in the world she was supposed to do now,
but there was no reaching him. And she refused to embarrass
herself in front of James or his clan. She would just have to do
what she had always done best – prove how independent she could
really be.

Chapter 4

Sadie wiped her fiery red curls away from her sweating forehead
as she ran, attempting to keep up with the stocky, fiercely
beautiful Highlander women who were prowling the hills. Their
job had been to look for berries and wildlife, and hunt if they were
able. While she had never killed a thing in her life, she was
determined to do her part. But the women were much faster than
she anticipated, springing many feet ahead of her before she could
stagger up the hill behind them.

She would have been completely miserable if it weren't for Gail,

who had taken her under her wing and hung back from the rest,
cheerfully explaining what they were looking for and giving her
valuable advice about how to survive using the Highland wildlife.
She shared a flask of water with Sadie and did her best to keep the
mood light, using it as an educational experience rather than a way
to show her up, as it seemed the other women were doing.

They had treated her bitterly since the moment she was allowed to
roam on her own and given her own tent to stay in outside the
council's watch. They fully expected her to become a highly
functioning member of the community, and she had scarcely had
any time to see James, not that he had given her the time of day
since the moment they had arrived. He had been busy carrying out
his duties, and she had seen his face covered in war paint as he
sped through the camp after hearing rumors of strangers in the
midst. She had never seen anybody so captivating as his vibrant,
serious eyes shone passionately and his body moved in a sexy,
almost panther-like way as he made his way toward the threat.

She blushed as memories of their passionate night in the woods

came back to her.

“You all right, lass?” Gail asked, concerned.

“Yes,” Sadie replied, turning her attention back to gathering

mushrooms in a basket.

“Don't let these women worry you,” Gail said, snatching a berry
from Sadie's basket and sticking it into her mouth. “They're just
jealous.”

“Why would they be jealous of me?” Sadie asked miserably. It

was good to talk about this and get her mind off of James, but it
left her feeling as if there was something wrong with her. It was
never much fun to feel like you didn't fit in.

“Well,” Gail said. “I'm sure they have their reasons.”

She was mysteriously quiet for a moment before they moved

forward in their search. The other women began brushing past
them pointedly, their baskets full to the brim with edibles. Sadie
watched them saunter back to the camp, their strong, thick legs
and fiery hair descending down the hill, snickering as they left.
They were probably laughing about her basket being only part
full, Sadie thought miserably. Gail gave a cheerful squeal and
soon her thoughts were back on the only friend she had made in
the camp.
“Look it that, Sadie! I found me a baby bird,” Gail said,
approaching it gingerly. “Do you see where it might have come
from?”

Sadie peered at the trees, finally spotting the nest. There were two
other birds much the same as the tiny bird on the ground.

“Up there,” Sadie said.

Without hesitation, Gail scooped the small bird up in her apron,

careful not to touch it, and held it gingerly against her breast as
she climbed up into the tree using only her long legs and strong
arms. She placed the baby bird gently in the nest, bringing
alarmed cries from all three of the babies, before dropping down
to the ground with a satisfied grin.

“That'll do,” she said proudly. And with that, they collected their
baskets and headed back to the camp.

***

Sadie hadn't been able to keep her mind off of James, and that
night she finally had a moment alone with him. It had happened
purely by chance – he had left the comfort of his group of friends
and nearly ran into her as she emerged from her tent.

“Oh!” she exclaimed in surprise, before she realized it was James.

“I'm sorry.”

He looked down at her, a faint grin on his lips. “Careful there,

lass,” he said with a wink.

“Where were you heading?” she asked as he backed up. She was
reluctant to let him get out of her sight now that she finally had
him there.

“Just looking to get some water,” he said.

“I have some inside,” she said. “Come on in.”

He stood hesitantly in front of the tent, bringing his broad hand up

to his forehead and running it through his hair.

“Come on, I won't bite,” she said.

“That a fact?” he asked with a grin, and she laughed, looking

down at the ground in embarrassment. He was referring to their
tryst in the woods. But he'd made it clear that it wouldn't happen
again. She could see why he had become so formal, it seemed like
he was under constant supervision, working hard under the Elders
to carry out some important position in the clan.

He stood just inside the tent, to make it obvious to anyone who

might be watching that he didn't intend to fully enter. She poured
him a glass of water and brought it to him, biting her bottom lip
and looking into his eyes. He held her gaze, his eyes soulful but
pained. Was he holding himself back? What was keeping him
from being the man she had met in the dungeon?

“Thank you, lass,” he said finally, taking the glass and drinking
deeply. “How are you liking your accommodations?”

“They're...” She didn't quite know what to say about the tent the
Highlanders had set up for her. It was flattering to be thought of
and given her own space, but she wasn't used to sleeping on a cot,
or being so cold, for that matter. The women who had been in
charge of her placement had decided that she should be put as far
away from the campfire as possible. “It's cozy.”

“Well, you take care then,” he said with a nod. He began to leave,
and then thought better of it and turned back to face her. She
watched him hopefully, secretly wondering if maybe he was going
to say or do something romantic, but instead he cleared his throat
and straightened his back, taking on the self-important look he got
when he was on official council business.
“The council wants to summon you to their tent tomorrow for an
announcement.” His face was flushed, and she tried to read his
expression. It had gone cold though, and she frowned.

“Oh...okay. Thank you.”

James gave her a formal nod and ducked out of the tent, leaving
her alone, her eyes fixed on his broad back as he made his way
back to the bonfire.

Chapter 5

The next morning, the light filtered through her tent, and she woke
up feeling alone. All that ceased when she heard a familiar voice.
James was at her entrance again.

“Hi,” she said sleepily. She'd been finding it difficult to adjust to

the intense schedule the Highlanders kept. They were up late into
the night laughing and drinking, singing and dancing, and woke
bright and early, even before the sun finished rising. She had been
doing her best, but her body was confused and exhausted.

“The council is ready to meet with you,” he said, swallowing hard.

“Do you know what they want to talk to me about?” she asked,
looking down at herself. She was still in her night clothes.

“Well,” James said thoughtfully. “I think it's about your plight.

They have some things they want to explain to you.”

“Great!” she exclaimed, rushing to her dress and slipping her

nightshirt off to slip into it. James cleared his throat, clearly
embarrassed.

“Oh, I'm so sorry,” she said. That had been absent-minded of her.
She had dressed casually in front of her husband so many times
before that she didn't think twice about undressing in front of
James. She really needed to get more sleep. And it might help if
she stopped wondering if the two of them might ever be a couple.

“It's all right,” he said, his voice strained. “I'll wait for you
outside. Just come out when you're ready, lass.”

Sadie nodded, pulling the dress on and buckling the brass buckle
over the cloth on her breasts. She did her best to smooth her
rebellious red locks, but had to be contented to tuck them behind
her ear before meeting James outside of her tent.

“Ready?” he asked, his voice smooth and gentle. He took her by

the elbow and she fought the urge to lean against his broad,
muscular torso as they moved swiftly through the camp together.
But he dropped his hand from her arm once they reached the
scarcely populated bonfire. Most of the Highland rebels were still
tucked securely in their tents, preparing for the day.

He lifted the tent flap for her and they walked in, first Sadie, then
James.

“Welcome, Sadie,” the lead councilman said. She had finally

discovered that his name was Ivar.

“Thank you, Ivar,” she said.

“We brought you here today to discuss the pendant that you are
wearing. We have cause to believe that you came upon it in
another time.”

“Another time,” she acknowledged. Even though it was clearly the

truth, it still sounded startling and unbelievable coming from
anybody else.

“Yes. You are from the future, aren't you, lass? It seems time to
tell you the story of the necklace you are wearing.”

“All right,” Sadie said.

Ivar gave her a small smile. “You may sit down for this, lass, it's a
long tale.”

Sadie sat and watched Ivar curiously.

“It began on a day much like this, nearly ten years ago,” he said.
“These strange things somehow happen in plain sight. A girl,
matching your description, had been sighted coming in and out of
the Highlands. Not wandering or journeying as you might
envision, but more like fading, in and out, in different places.
Most people thought of her as a spirit, and were fearful and afraid.

“Fortunately, it soon became understood that there was a thin veil

between certain points in time. And many of the spirits agreed that
this was the case with the fire-haired girl who was seen walking
between the realms. She was absolutely beautiful, and as time
went on, she aged normally as any girl does. She was the
Highlander's secret, she was, and one of the best kept.”

Sadie tried to picture this strange phenomenon and how it must

have made these superstitious people nearly go insane trying to
figure out what kind of omen such a woman might bring. Would
she be a sorceress? A teller of evil? A bringer of good luck? Only
the community could decide.

“Eventually, this woman was discovered and sought out by many

clans, and Lord Lachlan heard her tale as well. He became
obsessed with seeking out this woman, claiming she was a
Highland witch who could give him the power to defeat the bear
clan once and for all. He was convinced that she would be the
most beautiful woman in the world and give him everything he
had been desperately seeking – power and control over the
Highland tribes.”

Sadie frowned, remembering Lord Lachlan's disgusting, pock-

marked face as he had tried to force himself on her. She looked at
Ivar, anxious to hear the rest of the tale.
“Lord Lachlan was part right. He went out to seek the specter, and
the first Highland woman to meet her description was the fire-
haired beauty, Alana. Alana met all of his fantasies, and he
captured her immediately without another word.”

The whole council bowed their heads at this, their faces frowning
deeply.

“She was able to help him fulfil his dark intent in a way he had not
anticipated. She was the leader of the bear clan, fearless, strong,
and beautiful. But Lachlan and his men had overpowered her and
taken her by force. She'd been taken to his castle and thrown in the
dungeon, where Lachlan enjoyed himself as he tortured and killed
her. The necklace you wear belongs to Alana. She who finds it
around her neck is able to carry the new spawn of the Alpha of the
bear clan within her, thus continuing our clan's legacy. Without
that necklace, our clan is barren and we are left with no heir to
continue the Bear Clan's blood line.”

Sadie looked down at the pendant, her eyes wide, and suddenly
realized that the war paint James had been wearing when they met
in the dungeon was the same symbol on the pendant. Did that
mean that James was the leader of the clan? Were they destined by
forces stronger than fate?

“What if we just gave the necklace to somebody else?” Sadie

asked, fingering it.

“I think you'll find that removing that pendant, once on, is a

difficult task,” Ivar said with a soft, private laugh. “It has come to
you by way of fate.”

“Oh,” Sadie said.

She tried to remove the necklace, but her body seemed to have no
desire to take it off and it stayed put.
“I see what you mean,” she said, dropping her hands back in her
lap.

Ivar smiled. “When Alana was killed, Lord Lachlan took the
necklace and hid it away in his castle as a trophy. He considered
her death a small victory against the Highlanders, as he was aware
of her status among the top seniority of the clan. She was a leader.
But that wasn't the impact he wanted, at least, he didn't know it.
Without his knowledge though, he had left us with the inability to
bear any more children to the clan by removing the source of our
female leaders' power. Normal women cannot bear the bear shifter
children. It takes a lot of strength and power. Normal women are
not even chosen to wear the necklace. Our brides have come from
far and wide, and apparently,” Ivar's eyes twinkled, “through
time.”

“This doesn't make any sense,” Sadie said, exhaling. She sneaked
a glance at James, who was standing dutifully, staring forward and
making no notice of her.

“Well, maybe it will, my dear. Remember, Lord Lachlan wanted

the specter. He had tested poor Alana and discovered that she was
human after all. And with that, she had been killed and he had lost
his temporary sense of victory. That being gone, he was back on
the hunt for the Highland specter. He found her just a few days
ago, and somehow, he was able to capture her in a special room.
The spirit looked just like you, lass. You've come and gone from
this place since you were a wee one, traveling in your dreams and
walking through the hills of Scotland, waiting for your chance to
come once and for all. Perhaps you have an old soul and missed
our beloved land.”

“Wait,” Sadie said, holding her hand up. “That doesn't make any
sense. How could that be me? I never left my little town. How in
the world would I have ended up here?”
“As I said, lass, your dreams. Every leader of the clan has had
extraordinary gifts. It takes a lot of power to find this rebel clan –
we are masters at disguise. It's only through careless mistakes that
we have been discovered over time. You clearly are capable of
immense power, and now that the necklace found you again, no
doubt in the future, right where Lord Lachlan left it, it summoned
the whole of your body back to the time of your dreams, when you
were the mysterious Highland specter.”

Sadie was glad he had invited her to sit for this story, because now
she was feeling extremely tired. If she was standing, she was sure
her legs would be shaking. She looked up at the top of the tent,
unable to meet anybody's eyes, and exhaled loudly.

“It's important to tell you this now, because it marks another

change for our clan,” Ivar said. “Now that the female leader has
returned, allowing the bear clan's unique gene pool to thrive well
into the future for generations to come, we must explain to you the
role that you are expected to uphold in this clan. I do hope to help
you discover a way back into your own time. It is a certain course
of action. After, of course, you are mated with our leader.”

Sadie's heart lurched. Did that mean she would have an obligation
to be with James? And he would be able to finally express his
affection for her without worrying what the rest of the clan and the
council said? She was sure that he still harbored feelings for her,
secret, private feelings that he was scared and worried about for
some reason. She caught his eye across the room, but for some
reason he was staring at her with a hopeless, helpless expression.
It almost looked, in that brief moment, as if he might cry.

“Broc will be back tonight, and you will finally meet your
betrothed.”

“My be—” Sadie said in an exhale, her voice barely above a

whisper. She was surprised and a sinking in her stomach suddenly
overwhelmed her. She glanced over at James, who had his eyes
squeezed closed and his face pointed up toward the ceiling. He
was clenching his fist hard.

“I don't understand,” she said toward James, but it was Ivar who
answered.

“As payment for us helping you to get back to your own time,
where you so clearly belong, we would ask that you follow our
customs. Once you have the child in your womb and give birth to
a new heir to the clan, we will be able to open the portal.
Returning to your own time should remove the necklace so that it
can seek a new leader.”

“This is unbelievable,” she breathed. She could tell that James was
having a hard time keeping his composure, but nobody in the
council seemed to notice except her.

“Please stay in the council's tent for the rest of the day to prepare
for the welcoming ceremony for our leader Broc. Gail will help to
dress you in the appropriate attire.”

And with that, she was led from her chair and into the room where
she had stayed during her first night in the clan.

Chapter 5

Sadie waited nervously beside the council, dressed in a fancy

tartan dress, her buckle no longer brass, but silver. They were
standing around the campfire, the rest of the clan seated and
circled around them, quietly awaiting Broc's arrival. Gail had
helped Sadie with the proper greetings and customary way to wear
her hair, and sighed wistfully.

“It's such an honor, being the matriarch of the clan,” Gail said. “I
used to dream of it when I was a wee cub. But of course there's no
way I could have done it. It makes sense for it to be someone like
you. Me, I'm too excitable.”
“Is Broc nice?” Sadie asked, ignoring Gail and cutting right to the
chase. She was nervous and grew even more so when Gail danced
around the subject and began brushing her long red hair with a
hum.

“Broc is very handsome,” Gail finally said with a faltering smile.

Sadie sighed, considering what might happen to her if she ran

away. Lord Lachlan would most likely catch her, and if he didn't
she would probably catch her death in the winding hills of
Scotland. That was the last thing that she wanted. The worst part
would be that she would be unable to get home. Had James known
all of this the whole time?

“What happens if I don't want to be with Broc?” Sadie asked.

“Are there any other men in the clan I could be with?”

“Only the Alpha,” Gail said thoughtfully. “Nobody else has good
enough genes to carry on the blood line.

“Oh,” Sadie said, sorely disappointed.

James had kept his word and brought her somewhere that she
would be able to get back home, but from the looks of it, he had
been miserable about the whole affair, from the moment before
they entered the camp and right up until the crowd of Highlanders
stood in anticipation of Broc's heavy foot-falls. He must have been
in bear form, because everything around her vibrated with the
sound of a mighty roar as he marched into the camp.

His face was bristling with negativity, and he demanded food and
drink at once. He didn't seem to notice Sadie standing beside the
council, and she was happy to feel invisible as he sat down and
tore into food, scowling around at the clan.

“What are you all staring at?” he asked, his mouth open and food
spilling out as he spat at them. Nobody answered. “Make
yourselves useful and get some firewood or something.”
Several of the men rose immediately and walked into the forest. It
was dawn, and the light was beginning to leave the camp, cloaking
them in an inky darkness somewhat illuminated by the low fire
crackling in the center of the group.

“Welcome back, Lord Broc,” Ivar said with a low bow.

Broc ignored him and kept eating, leering at one of the women
across the fire from him. She looked at Sadie nervously, but
pleased with the attention.

“My lord, we have something of an unexpected surprise,” Ivar

said.

Broc looked up at him, still chewing, waiting for him to proceed.

Sadie's stomach churned – he was almost as disgusting as Lord
Lachlan. James was nowhere in sight.

“Well, what is it?” he finally asked. Ivar smiled and nudged Sadie
forward. Broc's eyes roamed her greedily and her heart thudded in
her chest. Why was this happening?

“The pendant has returned. You may take a mate to ensure the
survival of the Bear Clan.”

Broc opened his mouth in disbelief, food being exposed and

making Sadie recoil. He stood abruptly and tugged her closer to
him by the arm, looking her up and down, examining her in the
same way her ex-husband might have examined an antique car.

“Looking for dents in the hood?” she asked coolly so that only he
could hear.

“Huh?” he grunted. His greasy black hair fell in front of his dirty
face, and his brown eyes looked into hers expectantly.

“Nice to meet you, my lord,” Sadie replied begrudgingly,

remembering her manners and the greeting that Gail had pushed
her to remember. He was stocky, meatier and less lean than James.
Overall much less refined in every way, she decided, watching
him shove another piece of meat into his mouth as he stared at her
as if he had just won the grand prize.

“When do we mate?” he asked.

“Well, of course there would be the ceremony, but unfortunately

she cannot stay with us for the long term, so it won't be necessary.
But you will be able to mate with her as many times as you wish
until she has conceived a child. Then we will send her back to
where she came from. That was the deal we made with her, and
we must honor that deal,” Ivar replied.

Somewhere in the distance, a loud cracking sound grabbed

everybody's attention. They all stared out into the distance,
startled, but the sound wasn't repeated.

Ivar smiled. “We still have some lads chopping wood,” he said. “I
think it's enough to meet for tonight. In a week's time, we can
schedule the first mating.”

“Why not tonight?” Broc demanded, licking his lips and leering at
Sadie.

She shuddered.

“There is much to discuss and preparations to be made,” Ivar said

firmly. “Until then, Sadie will stay in the council's tent again.”

And with that, it was decided.

***

That night, Sadie lay in bed, wide eyed with horror. Broc was
terrifying and aggressive, and there was nothing about him that
she liked. What did they expect her to do? How had she gotten
herself into this mess? What about this horrible place in the past
made the men think they could have their way with women and
give them no say in the matter? Of course she wanted to get home,
it would be safer and women were a little bit more empowered,
but did she want to go home at a cost that high?

A moment of panic seized her and Sadie sat up suddenly, her heart
thudding rapidly in her chest. She would have to escape. There
was no way she would let them mate her with Broc.

She slipped out from the tent, surprised but grateful that there was
such lax surveillance. If she could just disappear into the woods,
maybe she could find a better Highlander clan, one that would
help her, instead of limiting herself to the thought that maybe she
would suffer a fate worse than death by being forced to wed Lord
Lachlan or starve to death on the ground.

She snuck behind the tent, avoiding the bright campfire light, and
ran into the inky darkness of the trees. She cried out when she ran
into a warm, firm body.

“Oomf,” came James' voice from the blackness.

“James?” she asked in a hushed whisper.

“What the – what are you doing out here, lass?” he asked.

His breath reeked of booze and she peered up at him, frowning.

“Are you drunk?”

“That's a silly question,” he said, cackling unkindly. “What bloody

point is there in being sober?”

He lifted a glass to his lips and she saw a liquid glistening on his
knuckles.

“Why is your hand bleeding?” she asked, frowning.

“Oh, I punched a tree,” he said, stumbling a little as he looked
down at her. His handsome face was still contorted in pain.

“What's going on, James?” she asked. “Why haven't you been
talking to me?”

“Isn't it obvious, love?” he asked. “The council would have my

head if they knew I'd already been – you're supposed to be the
savior of the clan.” His voice lowered to a stage whisper. “If they
knew we mated, they'd have my balls for it. And I'm not keen on
that. Mighty fond of the little buggers.”

He grinned at her before his face contorted back to the worried

look he'd been wearing since they arrived at the camp.

“James,” she said, touching his face gently.

“You watch yourself around ol' Broc, lass. He's a scoundrel. Much
worse than me, though I'm sure you'd doubt that if you're smart.
Probably seems like I set you up to be our clan's baby producer.”
He spat this out, and now she was sure that he was going to cry.

She sighed and leaned against a tree. “James, all I think is that if
you don't like the rules, you should find a way to change them...or
go somewhere with better rules.”

James quirked his eyebrow at her before his eyes suddenly grew
wide. “You should get back into your prison cell, lass, one of the
members from the council is coming back. They'll probably be
checking on you to make sure you've kept your purity.”

“But I haven't,” she said, looking deeply into James' eyes,

unapologetically aroused as they were both taken back to the
blissful memories of their first encounter in the campsite James
had set up after they escaped from Lord Lachlan's men. “And I
wouldn't want to. Not for him.”
Sadie turned away, leaving James staggering as he stared behind
her, his drunken mind reeling with difficult thoughts and feelings.

Chapter 6

As the days passed, Sadie grew more and more miserable at the
idea of sharing anything, especially bodily fluids, with Lord Broc.
He was a dim-witted, brutish man whose temper was short and
demands on others high. She hated him with all of her might, but
it didn’t matter.

On the morning before they were to be mated, she found Broc

sneering at Gail.

“But please, I gave my rations to the lad next to my tent; he was

nursin' a young fawn back to health and needed the extra food. I'm
just asking for a piece of bread or something to stave off hunger
‘til supper,” Gail begged.

“You shouldn't have been stupid enough to give it away,” Broc

said, deliberately pulling a handful of berries from a bowl beside
him and eating them pointedly. “You learn, being an Alpha, that
all you should be caring about is yourself. Who cares about the
little deer when your own stomach will be empty? Your own
survival matters just as much.”

Gail groaned loudly and turned away, shuffling quickly and hiding
her face when she realized that Sadie had seen the interaction.
Sadie was furious and ran to her own room in the council's tent to
bring Gail a plate full of food. They had lunch together, quietly
bashing Broc and lamenting the fact that they were to mate the
next day.

Gail shook her head sadly. “I don't know whether to be happy that
with you here, all our troubles will be over, or sad that it means
you have to be with that...that thing out there.”
“It's all right, Gail. Please don't let my troubles weigh you down.
I'm happy to help your clan,” Sadie said, inhaling bravely. That's
all there was to it. She would do it for Gail, and the incredible bear
shifters, so that they wouldn't be lost to time and only remembered
by obscure paintings in castle museums.

***

The next morning, Sadie awoke with a groan, her heart fluttering
with apprehension. This was the night she was going to be forced
into mating with Broc. She had always imagined that her first
pregnancy would end a little bit differently, but apparently it was
her fate to give birth to a half-bear child. There were many things
about the union that she found regrettable. If James had been the
leader of the clan, the choice wouldn't have been quite so
difficult...

But there was no point in thinking about that. Over the past week,
he had been staring at her meaningfully whenever they passed
each other, his eyes intent and his face alert. His handsome body
still left her captivated as he passed her, and he was growing
stubble, something she hadn't known could look so sexy on a man
until he wore it and gave her that burning look.

As night fell, she looked again for James, who had disappeared as
had become his custom. She was tired of trying so hard to get and
keep his attention. He had been too worried about his life and her
ability to get home to approach her, so what made her think he
would show up and save her somehow from being forced into
mating with the horrible brute?

She was to wait by the fire for Broc to approach and take her to
his private tent, and she sat beside Gail, quivering in fear. She
didn't anticipate that he would be very gentle or skilled with her
body and felt very nervous about what might happen to her behind
closed doors. He seemed very self-interested and she knew that if
she stood any chance at all, she would have to try to stay in
control of the situation.

Finally, he showed up to the campfire, his face contorted in a

sickening leer that made her blood curdle. His stomach, somewhat
droopy from a few too many pints of ale, drooped over his kilt
with a blue symbol scrawled onto it – the one that the pendant
bore as well. It looked much better on James, she decided, and
cursed at him for getting her into this mess.

Suddenly, an earth-shattering roar quaked the ground beneath her

feet. She could feel it pierce through her, and Broc's eyes widened.
Suddenly, brown fur sprouted from his thick body, and his face
strained as it morphed into that of a large brown bear. From the
forest strode James; she would recognize his huge black bear form
anywhere.

“What's going on?” Sadie asked Gail in a hushed voice.

Gail was speechless for a moment, watching as the bears began to

face each other.

“James is challenging Broc,” she said in disbelief. “For the Alpha

role.”

Sadie's heart melted as she realized what this meant. James had
come up with a way to save her. He was willing to risk his life to
be the man she laid with, the man to carry on the legacy of his
clan. Her eyes filled with tears, and she covered her mouth with
her hands, awed that James would be willing to go to such
measures to protect her from Broc, and knowing that this meant
that the entire time they'd been in the camp together, she had been
on his mind.

Chapter 7

The world quaked as the giant bears roared before lunging

violently at each other. The council had come running upon
hearing the challenging roars and were watching, rapt, as James
and Broc fought. The battle was terrifying and exhilarating, and
Sadie cheered for James to win. Every so often, his gentle bear's
eyes met hers, and she would smile at him, cheering.

Suddenly, Broc clamped his huge fangs around James, drawing

blood from his neck and shoulders. Broc pulled back, swaying
smugly, no doubt relishing in the hit he got, when James surprised
him with a powerful tackle, biting him fiercely on the neck. Broc
roared in pain, the sound becoming gurgled and weak, until
suddenly the bear went limp under James. James roared
victoriously, shaking the foliage of the trees around him, and
shifted back into his elegant human form. He walked toward
Sadie, completely nude, his handsome, muscular body glowing
golden in the firelight. The clan was hushed, quietly accepting his
victory, and he took her by the hand, leading her into his tent.

***

“James! Are you hurt?” she exclaimed, the moment they were
inside. Broc's teeth had punctured his shoulder badly and scraped
his neck. It was still bleeding profusely, and she dabbed it with a
cloth, tending gently to the wound as he hissed in pain.

“Nobody can keep me from you now, lass,” he said with a grin,
sweat beading his brow.

“No, not ever again,” she said gently, and they fell asleep
entwined in his cot.

***

Sadie spent the next day tending to James as he recovered and

regained his strength. The council told her that the battle had
changed everything, but she would still be allowed the portal if
she were to provide them an heir as James' mate.
She ran to him with the news and he smiled, sitting up good-
naturedly despite wincing in pain.

“Well, that's good news,” he said, his charm returning in full along
with his strength.

She nodded and was surprised when his arms, arms she had
declared weak and injured, gripped her and lifted her with so
much force that she cried out in shock. He had lifted her and
pulled the blanket off his nude body, tracing her face with his
hands. She trembled with desire, gripping his muscular shoulder
tightly.

“James,” she whispered.

He grinned at her and slipped his hand up her thigh, under her
dress, pressing his skilled fingers lightly against her, rubbing
gently and filling her with a hot, urgent longing. She could feel it
as his arousal began to take root, and he rubbed the length of
himself against her as he stripped her dress off, kissing her wildly,
passionately. She tried to be careful of his arm, but she had wanted
him for so long that they were losing all sense of propriety.

“Aren't we supposed to wait for—”

“Shhh,” James said, pressing his hot mouth over hers and
maneuvering himself between her legs, pressing tantalizingly
against her middle. “No more rules. They almost took you from
me once, I'm not taking my chances.”

She moaned as he kissed her breasts and pushed his cock deep
inside of her. She buckled against his strong body, gasping softly
as her entire being was filled with pleasure. He was still somewhat
weak, and his love brought a tenderness to their lovemaking that
sent pulses of heat all through her. He trailed his tongue against
her neck as he pushed fully inside of her and groaned when she
sighed, her hair falling in front of her face. He brushed it away and
they kissed as he thrust himself in and out of her gently, until she
was so overwhelmed that she closed her eyes and felt herself
cumming against him.

Her climax milked a sweet, hot explosion from deep in his loins,
and he gripped her hard as they came together, their bodies in
unison. When Sadie opened her eyes, panting heavily, she knew,
beyond the shadow of a doubt, that she was pregnant. They lay
peacefully beside each other, their bodies entwined.

***

Suddenly, the world around erupted in a commotion. James

struggled to get to his feet but Sadie shushed him and gently
pushed him back down.

“It's all right,” she said, pulling her dress back on. “I'll go see
what's going on.”

“All right,” he said, frowning deeply. “Hurry back, love.”

“I will,” she said with a sexy smile.

When she ran out of the tent, the smile on her face quickly faded.
Lord Lachlan was standing in the bushes behind the tent, hidden
behind the trees. Horses in the stables were whinnying, and the
birds were all fluttering as if in warning to the Highlanders. She
opened her mouth to cry out, but a hand gripped her tightly and
waved a vial under her nose. The last thing she saw was Lord
Lachlan's sickening smile before she blacked out.
End Book Two
Book 3
“James!" Sadie tried to scream, but Lord Lachlan had his hand
over her mouth, peering down into her eyes with sadistic glee.

“Nobody is going to help you, lass. You have done it this time. I'll
have my revenge yet.”
She could feel his erect shaft against her back, and it brought
shivers down her spine.
“Get your filthy hands off me," Sadie demanded, biting down on
the fleshy part of Lord Lachlan's thumb. He howled in pain and
anger and shoved her away. She took the opportunity to try to run,
through the forest and back toward the Highlander camp.
Unfortunately, he had brought reinforcements as he explored, and
one of the brutish guards gripped her hard by the shoulder before
she could make her escape.

“You will never get away with this, not a single one of you," Sadie
cried. “They will know it was you who took me and you'll regret
the day you did, as it surely marked the beginning of your last.”

“Will you please shut your wench up?" the guard growled,
pushing Sadie into Lord Lachlan, who sneered down at her.

“I would gladly put her in her place," Lord Lachlan said, licking
his lips. “Right now, we have a long trip back to the fortress to
worry about. I’d like to get her there in one piece. There is
something special that I have planned that I'm sure will make a
very, very sorry woman of her.”

Sadie’s skin crawled in fear at the thought of whatever the brutal

Lord Lachlan may have in mind for her. She had been informed of
some of his sickening appetites by the brief tour that she had taken
of his castle in the future, and even just a brief description had
made her shudder. That was when she had heard the strange voice
calling her name, a voice that now, she realized, sounded vaguely
familiar.

She didn't have time to think about that as Lord Lachlan pushed
her ahead of him, whistling an ominous tune that gave her goose
bumps.

“You're really going to regret this,” Lord Lachlan said pleasantly.

“You see; I have thought of everything. Those damn bears are not
going to know which way we came from. They will be busy
hunting you down in the wrong direction. And I can see that the
damn rebel James has taken a shining to you, and I bet nothing
will make him angrier than knowing that I have his woman in the
palm of my hand. Do you have any idea what I do to the women
in the palm of my hand?”

He said this part close to Sadie's face, and she could count the
pock marks on it. Her stomach churned, and she tried to pull away
from him. But he was too close, and his nauseatingly bad breath
wafted in front of her, bringing the bile to the back of her throat.
She wished that she could will herself to throw up all over him,
but she knew that would get her into even more trouble.

“I really outsmarted those miserable creatures this time,” he

bragged. “If the council heads have noticed that James' beloved is
missing by now, they're probably hot on your trail in the opposite
direction. Which means, now you're mine. And when you are
mine, I think you will find that bad things start to happen.”

Lord Lachlan stuffed a gag into her mouth and gripped her by the
delicate wrists. She looked ahead of him urgently at the blue sky,
wishing for a miracle. She hoped that James would find her in
time.

Chapter 2

James rolled over onto his side with a moan. He had fully
recovered from most of the minor cuts and scrapes that he had
suffered from challenging the Alpha bear, but there was one deep
wound that still gave him a whole lot of trouble. He grunted as he
sat up, alert and waiting to hear from Sadie, who had disappeared
a while ago. He was used to her coming and going, getting caught
up in helping out the clan and doing her best to socialize and fit in
among the bear shifters. And she was doing a great job of it, too.

He had known since the moment that he laid eyes on her in Lord
Lachlan's dungeon that she had a fiery heart and a noble spirit.
Even if she had the body of the Lowlander, she had the heart and
soul of the Highlander, and it shone through like fire. He had been
instantly attracted to her, but when he saw she was wearing the
pendant of the chosen, indicating that she would be the next wife
of the Alpha of his clan and bear his shifter children, he had been
crushed. James wasn't the Alpha of his clan, although he had been
an important and high-ranking official on the committee. If he
wanted anything to do with Sadie, there would be hell to pay.

When they had been in the dungeon together, James had

remembered hearing her speak and thinking to himself of the
legend of the Highland wisp – the woman with the strange accent
and the unearthly good looks. When he was a boy, he'd had his
own encounter with the woman, and now that he laid eyes on
Sadie in person, and not just the memories of the Sadie from the
song and his childhood, he couldn't take his eyes away.

“I don't know why you're looking at me so strangely,” Sadie had

said to him. He'd simply grinned at her, bringing a bright red flush
to her already rosy cheeks.

“Maybe I think you're interesting,” he'd said.

In the time that Sadie had grown to trust him, he had listened to
her tale of traveling through time and pursed his lips. He knew the
world was full of strange, inexplicable things, and Sadie appeared
to be one of them. For it was only when he was singing her song
in the dungeon, after he had been caught by Lord Lachlan's men,
that Sadie appeared in the castle, in the flesh. He had never
considered that she might be a real person before and had thought
back to the Highland lore of spirits wandering the world,
sometimes helping the living and other times playing cruel tricks
on them. Maybe the spirit world was going to have some fun with
Lord Lachlan.

The thought had delighted him, until he found himself in the

dungeon with the beautiful woman, who was just as confused
about how she had gotten there as everybody else.
“I know this is crazy,” Sadie said, “But please try to believe me.”

It was easy for James to suspend his disbelief, and listening to her
helped him put together a theory about what had happened to her.
He didn't want to tell her what he knew until he'd spoken with the
elders of his clan, especially when he realized that she was
wearing the Tur Aheil – the pendant that was only to be worn by
the chosen women of his clan, those who could bear children with
the same unique ability to shapeshift into bears that he had.

Still, he felt guilty for keeping his theory to himself, even though
he was sure that he had been right. She was so lost and confused.
He almost told her that night, by the campfire, but instead, they
had given in to their unbearable longing, and he'd gotten himself
too distracted by guilt and worry to explain his thoughts to her.

“Lord James” was a title he never thought he would have, and he

sipped his water as he thought back to the strange encounter he'd
had with Sadie and the even stranger encounter he had
experienced when he came to the council with news of her arrival.

“You must send her away at once,” one of the elders had said.

“Send her away?” James asked, frowning. “But why?”

“Maybe it's for the best that we go extinct,” the man said. He was
very old and very bitter, and the others chuckled softly and patted
him on the shoulder.

“It's possible, James, that this is some kind of a trick. Maybe a

trap. We will need to test her before we can really welcome her as
part of the clan. I'm sure you understand,” Ivar said.

“No, actually I don't. She is who I say she is, that should be good
enough for you. I know what I saw. I know what I heard!” James
was angry and not bothering to conceal it. The committee
members glanced at each other, quietly amused but tolerant of his
outburst.

“It might be good enough for us if you were the Alpha,” Ivar had
said carefully. “But as it stands, Broc is away and these matters
are left in our hands.”

James glowered but said nothing, afraid they might somehow find
out about the horrible secret he'd buried in his breast – he'd slept
with the Alpha's fated mate. If they knew about this, it might mean
he lost his place in the council, maybe even in the clan itself. He
didn't know what he would do if he lost his home. It was all he
had ever known. All that he cared about.

“So what should we do with Sadie then? I promised that we would

help her. You do realize that she's the wisp, don't you? From the
stories? She arrived when I sang the song.”

“James, we are considering the potential truth of what you believe.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but we have to do our best to
seek the truth at whatever cost, even if it is your loyalty to us.
There is still the possibility that it is all part of an elaborate hoax
by Lord Lachlan and his men, a way to lead them to our camp. It's
been a great secret until now, but if she has led them to us, we
cannot forgive that. Until Broc is here to look after her and we
know whether or not fate is coming to pass, she will have to stay
with the council.”

“I understand,” James said begrudgingly, and left the tent.

After that it had been difficult for him to look at Sadie, and he
knew she'd been hurt by his coolness. But she could have been
there to undo his clan, take away his entire family. Lachlan was
ruthless and murderous, and if he could do it, he would. James
hated it, but he knew he the council was right, and he would have
to be careful.
Of course the poor lass hadn't known any of that, and she certainly
would have looked at him like he was crazy if he'd tried
explaining that she was the wisp of the Highlands, come to life to
help save the Highlanders and their most precious bear clan. None
of that would make sense to a woman from another land, who
would think everything he said was all part of some fairy tale. His
heart still burned with guilt when he thought about how he had
concealed the truth from her, and he sighed, staring out the open
flap of his tent.

It was letting the fresh air in, and he kept staring outside
expectantly, waiting for Sadie to pop in and smile at him, the
smile so full of love and promise that he had come to cherish so
much. Knowing her actually made him feel fortunate that he'd
been a screw up when it came to fulfilling his orders by the
council.

“We need a yew branch, James. One from a special tree in the
Lowlands. We want to do a ceremony to increase the odds of our
clan's survival.”

The elders had stared at him solemnly, and James nodded. “Of
course.”

He had always hoped to hold a high position in the clan, and

because he knew there was a slim chance of being the Alpha, he
had worked hard to work his way into a position of importance
with the council. They had ultimately decided he was noble
enough to work with them and used him as their errand boy. He
was strong, humble, and willing, and it worked in everybody's
favor.

“Look what we found,” a seedy voice said from behind James as

he was poking at the yew tree.

James sighed, prepared for a fight as he shifted into his bear form.
Unfortunately, the men who had surrounded him had been hunters
and trappers from Lachlan's army and outnumbered James by a
multitude. He was dragged down to the dungeon kicking and
screaming, unable to fulfil his obligation to the council.

He was dejected and humiliated. And although he didn't want to

admit it, he was terrified. Lord Lachlan was a monster and had
killed his parents and sister when he was a boy. The council had
taken pity on him and raised him the best that they could, but it
was all to no use. Lachlan’s men were going to finish what they
started and get their hands on James. He might as well have died
with the rest of his family.

Legends of the wisp cluttered his mind and he sang her song, a
desperate plea for help. It must have been around the same time
that the council was performing their ceremony, and the castle
began to quake around him. A bright light flashed, and the guards
all shouted in fear and anger. And then news of a woman
appearing out of thin air, sleeping in the room reserved for Lord
Lachlan's wisp came to him in broken shouts. And then the wisp
was in front of him, and he had never seen anybody more
beautiful.

But someday she would return to her own world. The Highlands
was no place for the wisp. And he would have no choice but to tell
her the truth – that he had suspected how she got there from the
beginning. That he could have spared her the confusion and the
pain and helped her convince the council to send her back home.
Love demanded this sort of honesty, and it took a courage he
hadn't known about to brace himself to tell the truth. And he
would, he was sure he would. Just not yet.

Chapter 3

James was startled from his thoughts by Gail, who popped

cheerfully into his tent with a fresh basin of water.

“Good morning, Lord James," she said with a small bow.

James shook his head, finding the new title funny. She returned
the smile but did not backtrack it. Even though they had been
friends since they were young, the name suited him and she was
going to make sure that everybody in the clan addressed him
formally.

“Good morning, Gail,” James said with a smile. “Why do you

look like the cat who caught the canary?”

It was true. Gail was smiling as if she had a secret. Something that
she was just bursting to tell, but she wanted to wait until the time.
It was just like the time when they were kids and she had shifted
into a bear for the first time, before he had, and had drawn out the
suspense all day long. Finally, she had broken the news to him and
he had been jealous. She was pleased by this. Now, she had
something else that he didn't know, and he was insatiably curious.

“I saw your mate," Gail said, drawing out the suspense.

“What about her?" James asked.

“I think that she is with child," Gail said, a large grin spreading
across her face.

“Are you pulling my leg?" James said, sitting up painfully and

flinching.

“No, and if you don't believe me, I even did a rite to make sure.
You should be very pleased with yourself. The clan will live
again. And it's going to be your spawn that litter the Highlands.”

James smiled widely, his handsome face lighting up with

excitement. Sadie was pregnant, with his child. He was going to
be a father, and his clan was saved. He felt a twinge of guilt
however, and knew that it meant that he would probably have to
tell her the truth about how she came to be in the past. He hadn’t
been sure if he was right or not, but he knew he should have at
least let her know about his theories. It would have given her some
kind of truth to hold on to if all else failed.

He didn't have a chance to figure it out before another man pushed

himself into his tent and looked around, narrowing his eyes in
confusion.

“What's wrong, Kane?” James asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I smell Lachlan and his men. And your mate. Where is she? Do
you think she's working against us?”

“That's ridiculous, Kane!” James spat, sitting up and forcing

himself not to cringe at the pain. “You have no idea what you're
talking about. I'll have your head for treason if you make an
accusation like that again. Now get out of my tent!”

Kane frowned, but listened to his Alpha and left the tent.

“What the hell was he talking about?” James demanded. Gail had
no idea.

Soon though, another man was barging into the tent and looking
James into the eye. “Lachlan and his men have been here, I can
smell it. Is your woman safe? I'm worried about the Savior. If they
get their hands on her, that means the end of the clan. I don't know
if they know this or not, but if they do, that's all the more reason
for us to keep a closer eye on Sadie. Is she with you?"

James looked at Landon, whose dark and sincere eyes were staring
at him for answers. Suddenly, he knew that Sadie was in danger.
He sat quickly, realizing that she had been gone for far too long.

“Landon, I need you to start a search party. I'm worried that Sadie
has been captured. We need to get to her immediately.”

Landon nodded and left the tent as quickly as possible. James

rolled off of his cot and got to his feet, gasping in pain.
“My lord, what are you doing?” Gail cried. “You should stay in
bed. You don't know what will happen to you if you go out there.
What use will you be to your woman if you are dead?”

“What use will I be to our clan if my woman is dead?” James

growled.

Gail backed up against the wall of the tent and sighed in

exasperation as James rushed out, leaving a small trail of blood
behind him.

Chapter 4

“Why in the hell do the Highlanders go so far uphill?” the guard

gasped as he dropped to his knees panting.

“The bastards can go hundreds of miles in a single day on foot.

You have to remember, the bloody animals can change into bears -
bears of all things! - and move forward through this terrain like it
is nothing.”

Lord Lachlan's voice rang out over the campsite where the
exhausted guards were finally allowed to sit down and have a rest.
He finally felt like they had been able to travel far enough that
they would not be pursued any further by the camp of Highland
bears.

“We have to make sure, you know, and although my mages have
been able to concoct a way to make our scent seem as if it was
going to the east to keep the Highland devils off of our trail, better
to be safe than sorry. I'm sure you would rather climb a couple of
hills for your own safety rather than lay out in the open without
the assurance that you will be safe.”

Sadie was tied to a tree in the corner of the campsite, near Lord
Lachlan, who was roasting a rabbit over the fire. Sadie thought
back to the first time that James hunted for their breakfast and
sighed sadly to herself, wishing that she was back in his arms safe
and sound. She didn't know when she would be, but she believed
their capable bear shifters would notice her absence and come to
rescue her as quickly as possible. However, she was nervous about
the fact that Lord Lachlan had supposedly found a way to keep the
shifters off of their trail and prevent them from rescuing her.
Somehow, their scents would be going to the east as they traveled
further and further west, back toward the castle. But surely, they
would know to go to the castle and not chase after random smells,
right?

It was hard to be comforted by this, as the bear shifters showed a

noticeable lack in judgment when they transformed. They
followed their instincts above all else, making them vulnerable to
attacks of strategy. She didn't want to leave her life in the hands of
others, but if she had to, she was glad that she had thrown her lot
in with the noble bear shifters of Lord James' clan.

“Tell me, wisp,” Lord Lachlan said, removing the gag from her
mouth. “Why exactly did you choose to appear in my home if you
didn't want to marry me?”

“It wasn't a choice,” Sadie said coldly.

“Oh no? I find that hard to believe. You surely knew that I had
been pursuing you all this time, right?" Lord Lachlan said quietly,
out of earshot of his men. The guards were already drifting into a
deep sleep, as they had been worked to the bone by the demanding
Lord Lachlan.

“I don't know what you're talking about," Sadie said, quirking her
eyebrow at him.

“Sure you do," he said, moving toward her and pressing his face
close to hers. It made her shudder and recoil, but she had nowhere
to run. “I have been looking for you for so many years, when I
finally spoke your name, I knew that you would be mine. It just
makes sense. I knew you would be the one to help me take down
the Highlanders. Without you and your power, they would rule
forever. You don't know how terrible that would be. The world
would be roaming with freaks of nature like those bear shifters.
Half man, half animal. They have no sense of decency; they are
totally evil."

“They are not evil. I think the evil is in the shape of a man who is
willing to do anything to harm others and destroy their way of
life.”

“Shut your mouth, wisp,” Lord Lachlan barked. “These are

creatures without a God, and they should never have existed at all.
They are freaks of nature; don't you understand? You are my ticket
to eradicating them from this land once and for all. Without you,
they will be free to roam and continue destroying life as we know
it. Don't you think that's a problem?”

“I don't see why you hate them so much," Sadie said. “They keep
to themselves. They don't hurt anybody.”

“They don't hurt anybody?!" Lord Lachlan exclaimed. “Haven't

you seen that man James, that bastard, plowing through my men
like they were nothing? How can you say that they don't hurt
anybody? They would kill you just as soon as they would look at
you.”

“The problems between the Highlands and the Lowlands are

caused by fear and greed. And you will get away with mistreating
and murdering these people simply because they don't fit into your
small idea of what normal should be. It's completely unfair to
expect that of them, when they are so much more than normal.
They are better than normal. It is you who is the evil coward,
causing problems between the Highlands and the Lowlands. You
just want to control them all, but you are never going to be able to
pull it off. If you want my help, I say you will have to kill me
first.”
Lord Lachlan's face grew red, and Sadie flinched, expecting him
to take his temper out on her at that moment. But as she had
learned from her tour in the dungeon, he did not feel comfortable
unleashing his wrath anywhere but the privacy of his own bleak
dungeon. And that was exactly where she was heading. At the
very least, she had gotten her last words in, and nothing could
infuriate a tyrant like the truth.

Chapter 5

“What are you doing here? You should be in bed healing. Lord
James, I don't think that this is safe for you."

James ignored the well-meaning protests of his clansmen and

continued moving forward, running as quickly as he could in his
ferocious bear form. The men watched him in admiration and
concern, as blood leaked from his fur in the middle of his
stomach.

“There is no time to be in bed right now," he snapped. “Not when

Sadie is missing.”

“My lord, please reconsider. It may be just as useful to have you

back at the camp to protect everybody else. If Lord Lachlan
knows where our camp is now, that means that everybody is in
danger. Who is going to protect the rest of the clan if we are all
going after Sadie? This doesn't make sense and it might be a trap.”

James paused and thought about this for a moment. He was

listening to a man named Dodd, who had always had a gentle
voice of reason. James had come to respect him a lot over the
years, and he stopped running for a moment to listen.

“Why don't you let us go forward and see what the trouble is? We
can come back and report to you as the others move forward to
deal with the situation at hand. We will bring Sadie back to you, or
you can come and meet us and get her for yourself. But I honestly
think that it's a mistake to have the Alpha leaving the clan
vulnerable right now.”

James could see the logic and what Dodd had to say made sense to
him as the Alpha. He heaved a heavy sigh and turned around,
heading back to the campsite with his mind racing. As he ran, a
sudden and powerful feeling came over him. He felt Sadie was
calling to him from the west, and as he turned around and headed
west toward the campsite, it was as if his heart was soaring as he
made his way closer to his beloved. He closed his eyes and willed
the spirits of the forest to guide him, and instead of stopping back
at the campsite, he continued moving with all of his energy toward
the west.

***

“James is going to find you, you know," Sadie said quietly.

“James is a stupid bear who will follow his instincts and by the
time he figures it out, it will be too late for you. I will have already
done what needs to be done.”

“Are you going to kill me?" Sadie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Eventually, but I am going to put you away for a very long time
and enjoy myself while I do it. Torture you until you have no
choice but to help me get rid of the Highlanders. I will figure out
exactly what you know and how I can use that to help me. We
have been seeing you for years, and now it is time to hear you
speak. I don't know how this happened, but I can only assume that
it is divine intervention on my part. I have been doing God's work
by eradicating the Highlanders from this land. And now, God will
expect me to continue doing his work by forcing you into
obedience and giving you the opportunity to serve His divine will.
You will serve me and pleasure men as I see fit.”

“You think like a primitive beast," Sadie said dismissively.

Lord Lachlan was angered but he gave her a terrifyingly calm
smile. “You may think so now, but I think that you will change
your tune when you are in my dungeon. Nobody stays lost for
long. We are all the lambs of God and will find our way
eventually.”

“Oh please,” Sadie grumbled.

“Now, don't trouble yourself, dear. You will be of great use to me

yet, so I will not be killing you. Not right away, anyway. You will
only wish that you were dead and find that the Lord's salvation is
the only thing that will save you.”

“If you cared so much about purity and the Lord, why did you
want to take me before our wedding night? It doesn't matter if the
priest knew or not, God would know, right?”

“Shut your mouth, woman,” Lord Lachlan sneered, “or I will

finish what I started before you pulled a knife on me right now."

Sadie clamped her mouth shut and leaned as far back against the
tree as she could. The last thing that she wanted was for Lord
Lachlan to touch her before James and the others could rescue her
from him. If that meant that she had to stop taunting him and
taking out her anger on him, that was exactly what she would have
to do.
As James slowly approached the area where Sadie seemed to be
heading, a sudden, sharp stab of pain caused him to buckle to the
ground. He quietly whimpered and transformed into his human
body. The wound on his stomach was pulsing agonizingly, and he
suddenly regretted not listening to Gail and his comrades.

James was laying naked on the ground, gripping onto his stomach
and looking around for something that he could use to bandage his
wound. He closed his eyes and silently asked the spirits for
guidance, and suddenly his eye fixed upon a plant that was laying
in front of him. He recognized it vaguely as one that he had been
taught about in his youth, and he quickly picked it, chewing in his
mouth before using it as a salve to put on his wound.

It helped him to feel better almost immediately, and he got to his

feet, panting slightly. Unfortunately, he had to conserve his
strength and use his human form for a while. That was the only
way that he would be able to make it to Sadie in time. Who knew
what the disgusting Lord Lachlan would do to his beautiful mate,
and the thought filled him with rage that drove him to move past
his pain and bound through the forest as if it were nothing. He had
to get there before Lachlan and his men did anything to Sadie.
They would feel like she deserved it, but he would not let them
harm her.

Not only that, but they might harm his unborn child, and that
would be unforgivable. Especially if Sadie did not know that she
was bearing a child for him. Maybe in some way she would know,
but he felt it was very important to let her know that she was
going to be a mother, and the soul reason his clan would be able to
survive throughout the course of history. Maybe that had been her
destiny, whether they knew it or not. Sometimes fate had a funny
way of working. Of course she’d had a terrible husband in her
own timeline, but fate had made up for that and provided her with
an escape to the Highlander clan where she would ultimately be
able to make a better life for herself. He could only hope. If he let
her down and allowed her to be harmed by the most disgusting
man who had ever grazed the Lowlands, he would never forgive
himself.

The idea made him want to scream with agony, and he let out a
mighty roar. He ran for a few paces before dropping to the ground,
still in agonizing pain from his stomach wound. He lost
consciousness on the ground, his head floating in a dizzy darkness
between time and space. As he began to pass out, he had a strange
thought that maybe this was where Sadie had come from.

***
“All right, lads. Up and at them," Lord Lachlan's voice rang out
over the campsite. The guards began to stir and grumbled, but they
got up and began packing up their supplies. “We have to get back
to the castle before the Highlanders get on our trail. There's a lot
we have left to do with Miss Sadie here. The wisp isn't going to
talk willingly. Of course, I already planned for that in advance, so
as long as we get to my castle in time, everything will be fine.
Hurry though, the disgusting animal people are fast. Much faster
than we are.”

The soldiers readied themselves to leave. Lord Lachlan gripped

Sadie by her dress and untied her from the tree. He held onto her
wrists with his big clammy hands, pushing her forward ahead of
him as they began to march downhill toward his castle. He looked
down at her from time to time, and Sadie couldn't help but think
that he looked even uglier in the sunlight. His face was blotchy
and broken, and his teeth were broken and black, like his heart.
She had learned of all of his horrible exploits from the tour of his
castle in the future, and discovering the painting of herself
marrying him had been enough to make her want to vomit.

“You call me a wisp," Sadie said. “What exactly do you mean by

that? I don't understand the reference. Could you please explain it
to me? Who do you think I am?"

Lord Lachlan looked down at her, a pleased grin on his face. He

seemed to enjoy the fact that she was talking to him. And so, her
question seemed to engage him immediately. It was a great
opportunity to hear himself speak, and she knew that he would
take it.

“My lady, do you not know your own legend?"

She shook her head, batting her large green eyes at him sincerely.
The more she knew, she felt, the more likely she would be able to
escape. She would have to play it very carefully.
“You’ve been here before, you know. In the Highlands. We've
seen you here for years. But before you were just the wisp, you
were not flesh and blood. Just a wisp of a person. Here, but barely
here. We all knew your face from legend, and even your name.
When you suddenly appeared in my room, I knew that you were
meant to be my bride. And I knew that you would be the one to
help me get rid of the Highlanders once and for all. If I could just
keep you, and keep you away from them, for myself, then you
would be the one to help us to make us victorious in our war
against the shifters. The bloody devils are just too uncivilized to
live in this world, but now that you are here, we will be able to
stop that. Won't we?"

Sadie said nothing as she contemplated his strange story. Instead

of acknowledging his question, she just tilted her head at him. He
took this as a sign of acknowledgment and grinned, and they
continued marching on toward his castle as the cold air blew
against her face. How much of this legend was true? And how
much of it had James known?

Chapter 7

“Lord James, are you all right?"

Gail cradled his head in her arms and peered down at him with her
friendly concerned face.

“I heard you roar and knew that you didn't go along with the rest
of them. They're heading further east, I can tell. I feel it. That’s
why you came back west, wasn’t it? You felt Sadie this way. That
must be where Sadie really is. I have to help you, but first I need
to know if you can stand up. I gave you some herbs to help with
the pain. Can you move?”

James groaned quietly as he got to his feet. Gail dusted off his
shoulders and offered him a small cloth bag. He pulled his favorite
kilt out of it and grinned at her, slipping it on.

“Right. Now that you're all good and proper, maybe we should try
moving now.”

James nodded and they began walking further toward the area
where Sadie's scent was coming more strongly. James collapsed
against a tree, and Gail rushed to his side.

“James, do you need help?” she asked, frowning.

Before James had a chance to reply, she was transforming into her
bear form and nuzzling his shoulder. He knew that she wanted him
to climb onto her so that they could move through the forest more
quickly. He did as she wanted, knowing that it was just his
childhood friend suggesting it and not somebody who would hold
it over his head later.

“So, are you happy to be a father?" Gail asked him. The bear kind
could speak to each other without words, which was good for
James because he was lacking in energy.

“I would rather not think about that until I have Sadie and my
unborn child back,” he said.

“Understandable," Gail said.

“I'm worried though. What if something has already happened to

her?"

“You would already know," Gail said. “In your heart. You know,
when my father was killed, my mother just knew something was
wrong. I think that the same thing would happen with you and
Sadie. She has been captured yes, and she could be in terrible
danger, that's true. But she’s still here. And I'll help you see to it
that she gets back home safe and sound.”
“Thank you, Gail," James said, laying his head against her. And
with that, they bounded along as quickly as Gail could carry him,
into the uncertainty of the forest ahead.

***
When the darkness fell around them, Gail paused in her tracks.

“You know, I'm beginning to think that Lord Lachlan and his men
don't know this forest very well,” Gail chuckled.

James was about to agree when suddenly he perked up, distracted.

“Gail, do you smell that?”

“I do! It's the remains of a fire. They've been here. We're on the
right track.”

Gail was about to start running again when James jumped down
and put his hand on her shoulder.

“I smell her,” he whispered.

Gail gazed at him as he walked up to a tree, smelling it and

contorting his face with fury.

“He had her tied up here. He wanted to...he wanted to do terrible

things to her, but he kept it inside for the time. He's going to take
her to his dungeon, I know it. We have to get there. Now!”

Gail roared ferociously as James shifted into his bear form. They
both began to growl and roar, as loudly as they could, alerting the
rest of the clan to their plight. Their angry growls shook the forest
and rippled throughout it, causing birds to fly away and deer to
flee. Now that they knew for sure where Sadie was, everybody
had to be on high alert and should head toward the castle. Lord
Lachlan had Sadie, and it was time to show him what they were
made of. Every man, woman, and child was invited to storm the
castle and guarantee the survival of their clan.
Chapter 8

Sadie could see the silhouette of the castle coming up in the

distance. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was lit with
bright colors. Suddenly, the horses began to whinny nervously.
Lachlan and his men looked around in confusion, trying to figure
out why their steeds were making such a commotion, but suddenly
a very distinct sound reached their ears.

Sadie, who had been feeling pessimistic as the castle began to

draw nearer, suddenly felt hopeful. She knew that sound
anywhere. It was James. And he was furious. They could hear his
roars throughout the entire forest, and as Lachlan's men finally
emerged from the trees and headed out toward the clearing where
Lord Lachlan's castle was, the sound became even more ferocious
and intimidating. Sadie couldn't blame the poor horses for being
afraid, especially not when they remembered what had happened
the last time they encountered one of the mighty bear shifters.

“Get the horses into the stables quickly," Lachlan said, jumping
off his own horse and gripping Sadie by the waist. He pulled her
down with him and they stood squarely on the ground. “Make sure
they are locked out. We lost too many in the last encounter. I will
not let that happen again. We need to get the girl into the dungeon
before any of the bear shifters show up. We need to be ready for
them. Tell the guards at the castle to man their positions and begin
preparing flaming arrows. This is going to be a massacre, and I'm
going to enjoy every second of it.”

Sadie glowered at him as he forced her to run alongside him

toward the castle. The horses were too spoked to move, and so it
was up to their own willpower to get inside. And Sadie didn't
particularly want to get inside. She did her best to take her time
until Lord Lachlan pulled the sword from his sheath and pushed it
against her firmly.
“You are going to keep up, or you are going to die right here and
right now," Lord Lachlan said to her in a seething voice. His
pockmarked face was dark and angry, and Sadie swallowed. She
didn't want to die now, not when she could hear James so close to
her. He was so near to rescuing her from this tyrant.

And she realized gradually that she wasn't just hearing James
either. Sadie and the soldiers could hear other bear shifters on the
horizon, growling and roaring as loudly as they could. It sounded
like the entire clan had come to rescue her, and she knew that she
had to do her duty and stay alive until they were able to pull off
their rescue mission. She had to live to see James again. And so,
she moved alongside Lord Lachlan, who was so out of shape that
it didn't take too much effort to keep up with him. In fact, it was a
rather easy and slow pace. But as long as she seemed to be doing
her best, she would stay alive.

“It's too late," Lord Lachlan said, as if he could hear her hopeful
thoughts. “You are going into my dungeon, and my men are going
to take care of the rest of the meddling bear shifters. We have
poison arrows and fire arrows and everything else that could be a
bear's worst nightmare. And the funniest part about it is that
they're so angry that they won't even think about walking right
into a trap. We have the whole area full of traps, and they're all
going to die. It's going to be your fault, and I'm going to really
love watching you suffer.”

“They're not going to die, but I think you are," Sadie said, turning
her fiery green eyes onto Lord Lachlan. He growled in anger at
her belligerence and pushed her hard ahead of him. She stumbled
but righted herself, straightening as proudly as she possibly could
as they continued along toward his castle.

***

“Wait,” James said. “Everybody be quiet. I hear something. I need

you all to listen carefully with me."
Everybody paused and listened carefully into the distance.
Suddenly, a tiny voice came to them, and James nearly fainted. He
knew it was the voice of his unborn child, speaking psychically to
him through his mother. The shifters could speak without words,
and now, his child was doing the same, both to him and to the
other bear shifters who were heading toward the castle.

There had been many legends about the bear shifters

communicating with their unborn children, learning all the secrets
of the world before birth. But James had thought that they were
stories and had dismissed them most of the time, thinking of it as
ways to get everybody to behave. But his tiny son was warning
him now, telling him that danger was ahead and that they needed
to look where they were stepping or else their rescue mission
would be a failure and he would die along with his mother.

The rest of the clan was quiet and hushed with awe as they
listened to the tiny voices of the infants Wait, infants? There were
two voices. A boy and a girl, both speaking softly but urgently,
warning of arrows laced with fire and poison, and traps at their
feet much like the one that had gotten James stuck in the dungeon
in the first place. The bear clan was afraid to make another move
until James acknowledged that he heard the child. They might all
have thought they were going crazy.

James gave a sudden powerful roar and turned his thoughts back
to his men. They all had heard what they had to do and were ready
and willing to get out there and do it. It might very well have been
the most important thing they had ever done in their lives, and the
future of their entire clan depended on it.

“We are going to have to go around to the back of the castle and
enter in toward the dungeon entrance, back where I escaped from
originally. All of the guards are going to expect us to emerge from
the forest, but nothing about what we do should be what they
expect. My wife and children are on the line, so we have to do this
right. Without them, our clan will be wiped off the face of the
earth forever. No bear shifters will exist after our generation has
gone on to the next realm. We need to do this right, so everybody
follow my lead.”

He turned to Gail. “I need you to stay here, Gail, so that they think
that we are going to come from this side. I want you to roar and
continue approaching, but be careful. I want someone to volunteer
to stay with you so that you can stay safe. Keep your eyes on the
ground for barbs and tricks; these traps can take us down in an
instant. Step over them and stay quiet, except for Gail and Dodd.”

Everybody agreed on the instructions, and began to approach.

James led them quietly around to the back of the castle, helping
them to avoid stepping into traps and triggering them so that they
did not get into trouble. He could smell Sadie and knew that she
was both fearful and relieved. He tried to will his voice to reach
her, but because she was not part bear, he knew that it would not
work. So instead, he willed his voice to his unborn children,
telling them that he was on his way and would do everything he
could to bring them safely into this world.

Chapter 9

“I want to have your wedding dress on for this," Lord Lachlan

said with a seedy smile as he pushed Sadie into the entrance of the
castle. He summoned the servant, the same one she had seen the
first time she opened her eyes in this new world of the past, and
told her to fetch the wedding dress. The woman gave Sadie a
fretful look, but disappeared up the spiraling staircase to retrieve
the dress.

“Nobody humiliates me like you and lives to tell about it," Lord
Lachlan said, running his finger along the polished wooden table.
"Then again, few people are as beautiful as you are, so it's almost
funny to me to be shamed in this way. I almost like it. Almost."
Sadie said nothing, just glared at him as they waited for the
servant to bring down the wedding gown. When she finally
arrived, she gave the wedding dress to Lord Lachlan and retreated.
However, she cast her eyes upon Sadie, fixing on her a worried
but caring look, and disappeared up the stairs again, peeking over
the railing to watch what became of the wisp of the Highlands.

“Put it on,” Lord Lachlan ordered.

Sadie stared at the dress, her nose crinkled in disgust. Although

the gown was beautiful, she did not want to humor this sick man
in that way. She refused, and Lord Lachlan instantly grew furious.
He was used to everybody doing exactly what he said the first
time he said it. That was what he thought obedience should be.

“I said put on the dress!” he shouted. He pressed the tip of his

sword against her throat.

Sadie's hands shook as she picked up the dress. She was about to
pull her clothes off when a huge banging noise startled them both.
They turned to find the cause of the commotion and were met with
a loud, malicious roar. It was James, and he had come to rescue
her just in time.

“James!” she exclaimed, running toward him. He gave her a

gentle nuzzle and pushed her behind him with a large paw. James
wasn't alone. Lord Lachlan was left staring at a huge circle of
warriors, who had surrounded him within his own home. Most of
them recognized him and had stories of vast personal loss
associated with him, and so tearing this man apart limb from limb
was actually some kind of closure for them. She stared at them
with wide eyes, and Lachlan held his sword in his quaking hand as
if he could somehow prevent the inevitable from happening.

Soon, the bears advanced upon him, and Sadie could hear the
sound of his screams shrieking from in between the giant bear
forms devouring him. Finally, one last gargle escaped his lips, and
a snap cracked through the air crisply. With that, the vicious tyrant
Lord Lachlan was gone.

Chapter 10

James motioned for Sadie to get onto his back. She climbed up on
him gently, worried that he might have been wounded in the
battle. However, he seemed to be fine, although he moved slowly
across the yard. The guards had wisely avoided attacking the
massive group of bears, knowing that they were vastly
outnumbered and would have been slaughtered if they had tried
anything stupid. James carried Sadie to the point where he had left
Gail and Dodd, and Sadie ran to Gail, who was covered only in a
scrap of tartan cloth, and embraced her. Dodd remained in his bear
form, ever alert to the danger.

“Are you all right, lass?" Gail exclaimed, looking Sadie up and
down. “I can't believe we almost lost you and your precious ones."

“My what?” Sadie asked, looking at Gail and confusion.

Gail clasped her hands over her mouth and exclaimed, “Oh, I'm so
sorry. You didn't know yet, did you?”

“What's she talking about, James?" Sadie asked, turning to James.

He was no longer in his bear form, instead in his striking,
muscular human form, naked in all his glory and glimmering
silver in the moonlight.

“I even heard them, it was unbelievable," James exclaimed,

looking up to the sky in reverence. "You're pregnant, lass, you're
having my twins. I didn't know that it would happen so soon, but
it has. That was how we were able to avoid danger. They warned
us of the traps. They heard Lachlan talking to you and did their
best to give us a warning.”

Sadie gazed at James in disbelief; he had to be joking with her.

But Gail was looking at her with a bright smile and nodding
enthusiastically. She couldn't help but believe what they were
saying.

“I know, it seems crazy. And about the babes speaking in the

womb, using their bear voices...I just thought that it was old
ridiculous rumors, but they truly could talk to us when it mattered
the most. It must have taken a tremendous amount of energy, so I
doubt they would try it again, but they were able to this once. It
was amazing." James picked up Sadie and twirled her around in
the dark, both of them laughing in disbelief. She was going to
have his babies. And they had saved their lives.

Chapter 11

James and the rest of the clan were very tired after their battle with
Lord Lachlan and his men. It had taken a lot out of them to arrive
in such a short amount of time, and so as they approached their
camp, they decided to take a long rest by the river. Sadie and
James camped a little ways apart from the rest of the group,
knowing that having each other back finally would be a cause for
celebration. They had a lot to talk about and wanted some privacy.
Gail understood and did her best to keep everybody from
protesting their camping separately.

“You know young love,” she said, although she wasn't very old
herself. The rest of the clan begrudgingly agreed and allowed
them to have their privacy.

James lay on the ground naked, his muscles rippling handsomely

in the moonlight. Sadie ran her hand down his chest as they spoke,
letting her palm roam the firm, warm curves of his body. He
smiled at her, his eyes twinkling in the moonlight, and pulled her
on top of him. She nestled there, instantly aroused by the feeling
of his bare groin pressing against her middle. She buckled against
him and he grinned at her, knowing what was on her mind,
squeezing her ass in both his hands.
He thrust against her, his rod growing hard as it pressed between
her legs, and she sighed softly, feeling the bulge of the tip of his
penis as it massaged her clit, sending tendrils of pleasure winding
throughout her entire body. He sighed as she squirmed out of her
clothes, pressing her naked body on top of him. Her hot breasts
trailed along his cool body, the hard mounds of her nipples
arousing him uncontrollably, making him groan as he grew hard to
the point of bursting. She nestled on top of him, her hot loins
enveloping him inside of them, and he slid fully inside of her,
eliciting a groan from both of them.

Her groan turned to a cry of pleasure as he thrust hard inside of

her, going as deep as he could go, burying himself in her and
pumping again and again. She moaned with pleasure as he made
love to her, their bodies entwined on the ground. James brought
her nipples to his mouth, his strong, skilled hands roaming her
body expertly and lovingly, resting gently on the mound of his
unborn children for a moment before finally he bent her over and
began pounding her in earnest, until she gripped the grass in her
hands and cried out, pushing her mouth into the crook of her arm
to muffle the sounds of her intense orgasm.

Her body quaked around James, contracting and pulling on him

until he uttered a low moan, flooding her inside with his hot
explosion. They collapsed into each other, breathing heavily,
gripping one another with pure love as they instantly fell asleep.

Epilogue

When they finally returned back to the camp, Ivar was waiting
expectantly with a smile on his face. James had confessed what he
knew of Sadie's past on the journey, but she had taken it
surprisingly well, gripping his muscular arm and leaning her head
into it. She asked him never to lie to her again, and he promised he
wouldn't.
“What is it, Ivar?” James asked with a grin, slapping the old man
on the back.

“We figured out how to send Sadie back to her own world,” he
said. “We weren't totally sure we could, it was risky, but we know
it will work now. Once she delivers the twins, we will open the
portal and she can return.”

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Sadie asked, her heart
thudding. “I'm not leaving my twins.”

James and Ivar looked at each other nervously.

“You don't have to leave them,” James said softly. “Not if you stay
here with me. And even if you just want to go home, that's all
right, too. You can take them. I don't know how you'll teach them
the bear ways, but we can manage. Maybe I can go with you. I
think Gail would make a great Alpha.”

He winked at Gail and she laughed.

“What would you like to do, Sadie?” Ivar asked, furrowing his
brow. He had been so relieved just moments before, but now he
was back to his old brooding self.

“I'd like to stay here with you,” Sadie said. “I want to be a

Highlander.”

The clan was silent for a moment, until finally eruptions of glee
and excitement followed. Everybody was cheering; they couldn't
imagine life without Sadie now that she was there.

James picked her up and swung her around and they laughed,
kissing passionately. They would raise their family together, free
to be bears.
THE END

Clan of the Werebears

Lady Arabella Armstrong looked out of her window. The day was
bright for travelling and her heart fluttered with excitement. Today
she would be travelling from her home in Stirling to the baronial
castle of her betrothed, Lord Andrew Grenville Stewart, the
wealthy Laird of Inverness. The marriage had been arranged many
years ago by her father, Lord William when she was just a girl. He
had no son and heir and the match would be a good one. As well
as uniting the two clans, she would live out her life in luxury;
nothing would be too good for the new Lady Arabella Stewart.
Although her father was a rich man, it was nothing in comparison
to the wealth of the Stewart Clan, and she would have her own
suite of rooms within the castle and maids to look after her every
whim.
For months she had been measured and fitted for her trousseau, a
beautiful peach silk gown inset with ivory lace. In fact several sets
of new clothing had been made especially for her new life in the
Highlands, expertly sewn to be both practical against the winter
chills and attractive. Most of the items had been packed away, but
she had kept out a deep blue woollen tunic for travelling in. It
matched the colour of her eyes and she wanted to look her best for
her soon to be husband.
She had only met Andrew Stewart the once, when he had visited
her family in the summer to make the arrangements for their
nuptials. She had felt shy back then, being presented to the
worldly wise and older man. He was an enigmatic stranger, the
future husband with whom she would share private intimacies. He
was very handsome, with jet black hair swept away from his face
in a somewhat rather severe manner. His eyes were steely blue and
his lips red and thin against the pale skin. He had a reputation for
cruelty but he had been kind, bringing her a present of a sparkling
blue amethyst necklace, set with diamonds. She remembered how
he had fastened it around her throat; his long fingers brushing the
nape of her neck, as he bent down to kiss the bare flesh of her
shoulders when no one was looking. At the time she had recoiled
at his touch, it was the first time a man had been so intimate with
her, and the feel of his hot sticky breath against her soft skin had
made her flush with embarrassment. If he had noticed, then he had
been too much the gentleman to say, but her mother Margaret had
seen her daughter’s reaction and had remonstrated with her later.
The match was important and Arabella must be brave. Her mother
had told her all about the needs and passions of men and it had
quite shocked her young mind. At 18 years of age, she had led a
very sheltered life. She was amazed that her prim and proper
mother had actually committed the acts that she embarrassingly
described; she could not imagine her parents clutched together in
conjugal bliss, but obviously she was the proof of their past union,
and possibly why she was an only child.
Looking at the image of herself in the long mirror, Arabella smiled
approvingly. The new dress fitted well and complimented her
long, dark hair that fell around her face in soft ringlets. The
wedding would take place in a little over a week and she
wondered if she would look so young and innocent after her
marriage, after her wedding night?
The carriage was prepared and she hurried down the stairs to bid
goodbye to her parents. Matilda, her maid would be travelling
with her on the long journey and continue to be her ladies maid at
the castle. The two girls were good friends and it made the
prospect of her new life less daunting.
Her mother and father were waiting in the hall to say goodbye.
They were both undemonstrative in their affections, but her father
had tears in his eyes as he waved the carriage a fond farewell. Her
mother’s last advice had been that she must do everything she
could, to please Lord Stewart.
Anything would be better than her mother’s continual instructions,
and now she would be free, Lady of her own castle. Surely the
sacrifice would be worth her liberty? Once she had given him
children, he would probably leave her alone, her mother had said
by way of a comfort.
The carriage had been made cosy with blankets and cushions to
keep them warm and comfortable on the long journey. They had
packed a small meal of bread, cheese and preserves, and would
stop off at a halfway point for a comfort break and to drink a glass
of warming ale. It would be late by the time they reached the
castle and would need some sustenance en route.
As the figures of her parents diminished into the distance,
Arabella felt the first stab of fear in her stomach. What if she
wasn’t happy, what if she could not please Lord Stewart in the
ways her mother had imagined? Margaret had been rather vague
about the actual deeds she would be expected to perform, talking
in riddles of 'men's ardour' and certain 'urges'. She had also hinted
that the first time might be painful, but apart from that she was
clueless, and her maid Matilda seemed as naive as she was.
The young maid was very pale except for two red spots on her
cheeks. She hadn't wanted to leave Stirling, she had been with
Lord Armstrong for most of her working life and she would miss
the old familiar place, her own family. But she could not desert
Arabella in her time of need.

Looking out of the window she blinked rapidly in an attempt not

to cry. She would be sad not to see John Wilson again, the young
man who had recently joined Lord Armstrong as stable hand. She
had become very fond of him.
"Do ever think that you shall marry Matilda?"
It was the wrong thing to say at that moment, for the young maid
was soon in floods of tears, much to the alarm of her mistress.
"Why whatever is wrong with you, surely you are not homesick
already?"
Matilda sobbed between words "No Mistress, not really Miss, it is
just that..."
"I hope you're not wailing over that new stableman, John
Wilson?" she lightly scolded.
"He is a charming young man I have heard but not one to be
trusted with the ladies. I hear he was walking out with a young
woman from the village, but was caught kissing the cooks
daughter, Bessie in one of the stables. Broke both girl’s hearts I
believe and he has only been here a couple of weeks. You are well
away from that young knave Matilda, just think of all the
strapping Highlanders you are bound to meet soon".
The young girl wiped her tears and laughed. Young hearts seldom
stay broken for long, and soon the two girls were soon chattering
away to each other.
"So, what do you think it will be like on your wedding night,
when you are first alone with your husband, in his bed?"
Matilda giggled and blushed at the same time. She had seen the
pigs and cows on her uncle’s farm, but she did not think it would
be the same with people.
"Imagine seeing a man naked?"
"And him seeing YOU naked!"
"I fear I would die with the shock."
"Or with the pain? I have been told a man’s Roger can be this big,
as big as a bulls," and she held up her hands in such an
exaggeration that both girls tumbled back into their seats in fits of
laughter once again.
"But what does he do with it?" The young maid had no idea.
"Why, he sticks it inside you and wiggles it about until he gives
you a child."
The whole thing seemed so preposterous that it wasn't long before
the girls were giggling once more.
"In that case I do not want to be married and will remain an old
maid all of my life."
Matilda stuck out her bottom lip in mock defiance and crossed her
arms.
"Yet I shall be married in a week’s time and I suppose I must
endure my husband?"
"You must, it is his right as your spouse and keeper." The two girls
had now ceased their laughter and sat in quiet contemplation.
"I must confess, I am a little afraid Matilda."
The girl grabbed hold of her companions hand and their fingers
entwined.
"Do not worry. I don't think it can be that bad. After all, my
mother gave birth to 10 children," and that set the two girls off
laughing again.
It didn't seem long before they were stopping at ‘The Moulin Inn’
near Pitlochry, to rest the horses and give the girls a chance to
stretch their legs.
As the coachman helped the two girls down the steps, a group of
rough looking characters stopped their drinking and all eyes were
on Arabella. She was a fine sight to behold in her new dress, the
tiny waist and blossoming bosom, her long flowing black hair
catching the wind.
She was a beauty, there could be no denying and the man smacked
their lips as they eyed her slowly from head to toe.
One man, with broken teeth and an eye patch whispered
something to the others and they all broke out in a peal of lusty
laughter.
No doubt it was something coarse about her and Arabella felt her
cheeks flush.
On hearing the noise, the landlady of the Inn, Mrs. MacBrayne
rushed out to see what was afoot. She was a cheerful, plump
looking woman with a red nose, who would settle for no nonsense
in her establishment. On seeing the poor girl’s plight, she quickly
ushered the two into a private room at the back of the place, where
they could eat their refreshments in peace, away from prying eyes.
On bringing two glasses of warming ale to the table, Agnes
MacBrayne sat with the girls, intrigued to know their story.
Arabella soon told her the details of her forthcoming marriage to
Lord Stewart and Agnes wrinkled her colourful nose.
"Lord Stewart. Aye, I have heard folk speak of him. He's a cold
fish from what I have heard. But don't ye take any notice of me,
my loves. I'm sure he will make ye a good and proper husband.
He's rich enough, that's for sure. Many a man has been changed
through marriage."
She looked sadly across at the young woman.
"And many a maid too if I'm not mistaken, still I'm surprised you
are travelling alone, two unescorted ladies with only a coachman
for protection?"
"Papa said we would be safe. That no one would dare to harm the
future bride of Lord Stewart- he is too powerful and rich a man to
cross."
"With wealth and power also comes enemies, and Lord Stewart
has many of those. There are men that would like to harm him. He
has stolen land that does not belong to him and imprisoned men
that have stood against him. It does not tell a pretty story I am
afraid, and you must be always on your guard."
Arabella felt a cold shiver inside. She had not thought how
vulnerable she and Matilda were, and her father had never
mentioned the troubles. She could not believe that the man she
was about to marry could be so wicked. It was probably all lies
and gossip anyway.
Soon it was time to climb back into the carriage. The coachman,
Thomas, had been drinking with the men outside, and she
wondered what they had been talking about. The less people knew
about her journey until they were safe within the castle walls the
better, and she urged him to continue their journey as quickly as
possible.
The light was almost fading and there would be many more hours
until they reached their destination.
The landscape had changed from the gentle hills of the Lowlands,
and now they were among the barren heather clad moors of the
Highlands. Great mountains loomed above them, their white caps
just distinguishable in the growing darkness. Mountain streams
cascaded down the rocky surfaces, and the smell of pine and wild
heather filled the air.
The two girls had fallen into a silent stupor as they watched the
shadowy world pass by the little carriage window. Soon they were
both fast asleep.
A sudden jolt of the carriage woke them simultaneously and
Matilda was thrown into the lap of Arabella. The horses had
stopped and there was an eerie silence around them. Arabella
shouted out to the coachman to see what was happening, but there
was no reply. After a short while she opened the window and
poked her head out into the night air. The coachman was not at his
station and the girl felt the fear rise in the pit of her stomach.
Maybe he had to answer a call of nature and had fled to the bushes
to relieve himself. That must be the case. She looked back at
Matilda, pale and wide eyed in the corner of the carriage.
"It's alright Matilda, he won't have gone far. Relieving himself of
all of that ale he drank at lunchtime no doubt," she tried to laugh
but her humour did not lighten the mood, and the young maid
grabbed at her Mistresses hand for comfort.
"Whatever shall we do Miss?" Matilda was almost crying.
Being the elder of the two, Arabella felt she was the one that had
to be brave for both of them. Indeed she was almost a married
woman and felt it only right that she should take charge of the
situation. Opening the carriage door she placed her foot on the
step.
'Where are you going, don’t leave me," The maid’s voice was
small and weak.
"Don't be silly Matilda. I won't be long. I am going to find out
what has happened to Thomas. Stay here or I may lose you."
Hopping down onto the ground Arabella walked around to the
front of the carriage to where the horses stood, nibbling
contentedly at the grass. They appeared calm and she was sure
everything would be alright.
The air was chill and her breath made white patterns against the
darkening sky. There were thick clumps of forest surrounding the
rough road on both sides and the tall shadows of the tree’s rose
menacingly all around her.
An owl hooted in a distant tree, but everything else was still,
almost too quiet.
Stepping towards the undergrowth she could feel the wetness of
the grass start to seep into her thin slippers, staining the silk with
dark patches. There was a rustle in the bushes to her right and she
stood still peering into the gloom, the loss of vision putting her at
a disadvantage.
A hand was around her mouth before she had time to scream, as a
strong arm grabbed her roughly around the waist and dragged her
under the cover of the trees.
Her feet hardly touched the ground as she was lifted and pulled to
a clearing set some way back from the road where she was
roughly dropped to the floor. The sudden drop knocked the wind
out of her sails and she caught her knee on a sharp stone, causing
her to wince.
“Careful with the goods,” a gruff voice shouted and the air was
filled with the sound of vulgar laughter.
Picking herself up as daintily as she could under the
circumstances, Lady Arabella looked around. They were a motley
looking lot of men, dirty mainly, and wearing the traditional tartan
of the area or plain breeches and boots. Even the stable lads at
home looked better than this rough –hewn lot and she tried to lift
up her head and hide the fact that her heart was stammering inside
her chest.
Another of the men let out a low whistle and walked towards her.
She thought she recognised him as one of the men from the Inn.
“Haven’t we a pretty little thing ‘ere then? Lord Stewart may be a
bastard but he certainly knows how to choose a bride.”
Approaching her, the man lifted his hand to her face and attempted
to pull a strand of dishevelled hair away from her cheek, to get a
better look at the stunning girl. Instinctively Arabella pushed his
hand away, she did not want to be prodded and poked by such a
person.
The man’s smiling face quickly turned to anger as he grabbed at
her wrist and wrenched her near to him.
“See my lads, we have a cat here that will scratch and claw if we
are not careful. I wonder if Lord Stewart knows what he is letting
himself in for. Maybe we ought to teach this kitten to curb her
claws, I’m sure the laird would be very grateful for our
instruction?”
Grabbing her other arm he pulled her face closely to his. She
almost wretched at the smell of rotting teeth and stale sweat. His
mouth was wet and greasy, and tiny flecks of spittle bubbled on
his lips with excitement. Soon his fleshy lips were on hers to hoots
of encouragement from the other men. Arabella thought she would
die there and then and almost fainted with the sensation. The wet
and rubbery mouth engulfed her own delicate lips as his thick and
slobbering tongue probed into the depths of her mouth. She could
hardly breathe and feared she would suffocate, but eventually she
was released and pushed back onto the hard ground.
The pack of men had now gathered all around her, there were
about a dozen in number and all were looking at her with greedy
and lustful eyes, as if she were some kind of animal. Her bosom
was heaving in its tight trappings and she thought her heart would
burst.
At last she found her voice.
“Don’t you dare touch me? I am betrothed to Lord Stewart and he
will see you all hanged if you dare harm even a hair on my head.”
Her voice was shaking as she defiantly looked back at the group.
She thought she had made an impact until the man who had kissed
her broke out into a sly grin.
“We don’t want to hurt her do we boys? We just want to have a
little fun.” His eyes were steely and full of desire as he approached
her. She started to stand but he grabbed her and held her to the
floor. His hand reached up to her breasts and pawed at the soft
flesh, licking his lips in anticipation.
“Come and hold her down boys whilst I teach her a lesson.”
Two men approached and one took her arms and the other her
legs, spreading them slightly apart.
She felt a hand underneath her woollen dress, the dirty fingernails
digging into her skin as they crept further and further up towards
her inner thigh and intimate places.
Arabella wanted to scream for help, but a filthy hand was pressed
over her mouth so only a small muffled cry could be heard. It was
no use, there was no-one to hear her anyway and it was useless to
struggle against the strength of these men.
The first man had now kneeled down beside her and was pulling
at the fastening of his breeches. His fleshy cock fell out of the
dark material, a floppy, half solid thing that he grasped in his
hands and started tugging. The other men shouted in approval and
the girl tried to avert her eyes.
“She’s never such a thing in her life, look how it offends the ladies
eyes.”
“I’m not surprised,” shouted another. Billy’s is a poor specimen,
here she needs a real man,” and with that the man from earlier
with the eye patch started to loosen his clothing. His cock was
thicker and much larger than the others and Arabella’s eyes
widened in fear.
“See, she likes mine much better, see how the thought of it makes
her eyes shine.”
Another round of crude laughter ensued as the man with the hefty
manhood stepped near her.
“Now, let’s get down to business”
As he knelt beside her and started to lift up her dress, there was a
shout from the back.
“Stop that ye heathens, stop that at once.”
A man stepped forward into the clearing. He was handsome and
not like the rest and although his clothes looked worn and in need
of some service, he looked cleaner and more respectable than the
others. He had with him an air of authority and the others seemed
almost afraid of him.
“What on earth are you doing? Are ye but animals? Get away
from the poor girl now. The instructions were not to harm her. She
is to be used as a bargaining tool against Lord Stewart, not as a
plaything to amuse you scum.”
The man with the eye patch rearranged his clothing and stepped
forward.
“We did not mean any harm to the girl. We were just having our
wee bit of fun.”
Before he could finish his sentence he was knocked by a powerful
punch to the floor, leaving his nose bloody and broken.
“Is there anybody else here who was thinking of having their way
with this poor lassie?”
The men shuffled their feet and looked away. Their leader was a
strong man and no-one wanted to challenge him.
Arabella looked up gratefully. The man stood before her was
definitely handsome, not in a sharp, cool way like Andrew
Stewart, but in a more rugged and manly fashion. His hair was
dark with an auburn glint, and fell in waves upon his shoulders.
His eyes were a smouldering deep brown and his jaw square, with
just the hint of a dimple. In any other mood she would have felt
subdued under his quiet gaze, now she was afraid and angry and
wanted to be away from here and back on her journey to
Inverness.
“If you will help me up Sir, I would like to be on my way,” she
tried to be brave but couldn’t help her bottom lip from wavering.
The man held out a strong arm and took hold of her hand, delicate
and slight in his and pulled her to her feet.
Straightening out her dress and brushing back her hair she looked
the young man in the eye. “And what is your name Sir?”
He couldn’t help but smile at the brave young woman stood in
front of him. She was very beautiful and her eyes glimmered with
emotion.
“My name is James Macadam Miss,” he bowed politely and held
out his hand for hers which she declined. Although he was
charming he was still one of them and therefore could not be
trusted.
“Well Mr Macadam, my future husband, Lord Andrew Stewart
will be very grateful for your intervention to save me, and I am
sure that when I am safely within his castle walls he will reward
you handsomely.”
The men stood around her laughed incredulously and James held
up his hand to silence them.
“I am afraid that is not quite how Lord Stewart will see it. You
see, these lands and those around as far as the eye can see
belonged to my clan, back to my father and his father’s father
before him. Generations of Macadam’s have owned and lived in
this land without conflict for hundreds of years, that is until your
beloved Laird took everything away from my family by force, and
burned our forests.”
“I’m sure there must be some mistake?”
“There is no mistake my Lady. As we speak my father is held
prisoner in the Castle up in Inverness. He is an elderly man that
should not be locked up in a cold and damp cell; and his crime?
To speak out against your future husband for taking and
destroying our lands.”
His brown eyes were fiery with an amber glow as he spoke, the
words pulled from the depth of his heart.
Arabella stood quietly for a moment. James Macadam spoke with
such conviction about Lord Stewart that she didn’t know quite
what to think. His speech had caught her off guard, and any
feeling of protection she thought she might have under the name
of Lord Stewart was quickly diminishing. Hiding a shaking hand
behind her back and jutting out her chin, she continued in the best
way she could.
“That maybe so Sir, but what my future husband has or has not
done cannot be blamed upon myself. I am innocent of this act but
can promise that on my safe return to Inverness, I will put in a
good word for you and your father and this mis-understanding can
be put right.”
“Mis-understanding?” James shook his head sadly, as the men
scoffed at her comments.
“I am afraid your ladyship that you will have to be our prisoner for
the moment. The only way to bargain with Andrew Stewart is
through something he loves, and apart from money, these things
are rare indeed. It was unfortunate for you that you happened to
stop at the very Inn in which my men drinking. Your driver was
easily bribed.”
“Thomas?” Arabella was shocked to know that her father’s trusted
servant had been party to such a wicked act.
“Don’t be too hard on the man. We made him an offer he could
not refuse”
“And where is Thomas now?”
“We have sent him back with the horses to Stirling. I have told
him to tell your parents that no harm will come to you and you
will soon be returned to Lord Stewart.”
“And what of Matilda, my maid?” The thought of her young maid
had slipped her mind completely and she felt responsible for the
wretched girl.
“Do not worry, she was sat safely waiting in the carriage. I gave
her a start and she started weeping, saying she would not leave
without you. She is on the road back to Stirling as we speak.”
Arabella could imagine her father’s reaction when the coach
returned. Her mother would probably faint.
“My father will not let this lie either; he will come looking for
you.”
“My quarrel is not with your father but with Andrew Stewart, I
would not like to harm an innocent man, but if your father attacks
then we must fight back.”
Her father was not a warring man and he would be no match for
James. He would not do anything but pray for divine intervention.
Her position grew more hopeless by the minute and she could feel
her bottom lip start to tremor once more. This time, there was no
holding back and the tears slid down her pretty cheeks as she
started to sob.
James was not used to women crying, he was used to living with
his men, yet he was not hardened to her grief. She was a beautiful
young woman and he was not unaware of the fact, and to see the
poor thing weeping before him, stirred his heart.
His voice was gentle as he reached for her arm.
“Come Arabella, I promise that we will not hurt you. I will be
personally responsible for your safety and wellbeing at all times.
Now it is getting late and we must get back to the camp. You will
feel better after food and a rest.”
Arabella was reluctant to take his offered hand but she had no
choice in the matter. She was tired and wished the business over
quickly.
James threw her over a pair of men’s breeches and a woollen
cloak to wear. She was hardly dressed for riding, and it would
look better if she was dressed more like them. It would remove the
worry of suspicious glances that her appearance might spark.
“We’re going to have to do something with that long hair of yours
too,” and with that James produced a leather cord and gently
gathered the hair at her nape and fastened it securely. Passing her a
black cap to complete the outfit she changed behind a thicket of
trees.
When she finally emerged she looked just like a handsome young
boy. Only her blossoming figure gave her away and that would be
well hidden beneath a flowing cloak.
Taking her hand he led her to where his horse was patiently
waiting, a magnificent black stallion called Jet with a white star
marking on its nose. He helped her up and she sat beside him,
refusing at first put her arms about his waist as they galloped
through the dark night, but as they rode faster through the
darkness she found she had to cling on to him to keep her balance,
her arms tight around his firm and muscular body. At first she
buried her head deep into his back, afraid of the speed and the
dark shadows all around her. But he was a good horseman and
eventually she relaxed and opened her eyes, enjoying the thrill of
the ride. She had never felt so liberated.
Too soon they arrived at the camp, a makeshift place that had been
the men’s home for a few days. A few shelters had been made
from branches and leaves, to offer some protection from the
elements. A few of the men had already started a fire that was
already blazing a magnificent cornucopia of colours; deep gold
and amber against the black canvas of night. A large cooking pot
had been hung over the flames and a delicious smell drifted
through the air.
Arabella was still reluctant to become civil with the men,
especially the ones that had tried to molest her. James had been
kind, but he was the sworn enemy of her betrothed, and it would
not be seemly to form any kind of relationship with him.
She was given the best seat by the fire and several woollen
blankets were laid out for her to sit on. The warmth penetrated her
bones and she curled her slippered toes towards the heat. Tired
and hungry she hastily accepted the wooden bowl of broth
accompanied by a dense chunk of dark coloured bread. The soup
was mutton; her favourite, and she had soon devoured the lot, the
fresh air adding to her appetite. Although simple, it was one of the
tastiest dishes she had eaten for a long time.
She was determined not to fall asleep. However kind James had
been, she did not trust his men.
James Macadam watched the girl from a distance. Her face was lit
up; burnished by the glowing fire. Her cheeks had already been
flushed from the brisk ride and now she was positively radiant. He
had never seen such a beautiful face in all of his life.
As he observed her slight form, her shoulders began to slowly sag
within the great cloak around her shoulders, and her head began to
droop against her chest. Finally her eyes closed and she was sound
asleep.
Picking her up gently, James carried the girl to lie under one of the
sheltered spaces. She was so light in his arms, so beautiful, that it
made his heart heavy. She was betrothed to Lord Stewart and
would be used as a bargaining tool for the return of his lands and
the release of his father. That was all; he could not allow himself
to get involved.
Lowering her down onto a woollen blanket he had to control a
desperate urge to kiss her on the lips. Instead he brushed her
forehead slightly with his mouth and she stirred quietly in her
dreams, the softest of smiles playing on her lips.
He would not sleep; he would be as good as his word and keep
watch over her all night.
When she awoke the next day it took Arabella a while to work out
where she was. She had slept well, but was aching from lying on
the hard ground. When she looked up, James was there, smiling
down at her.
He was so handsome that her heart fluttered; he had been in her
dreams and she blushed to think of it. She had been walking down
the aisle, approaching Lord Stewart waiting for her at the altar. He
had slowly turned towards her, but it wasn’t the face of Andrew
Stewart that waited, but the smiling face of James Macadam, and
she had been glad with all her heart.
It was a ridiculous notion, her course was set and she had to get to
Inverness as soon as possible and she pushed the foolish thoughts
to the back of her mind.
Over breakfast, a bowl of simple porridge and ale, James told her
of his plans. One of his men was already riding to Inverness to
meet up with Lord Stewart to bargain Arabella for the return of his
lands and release of his father. James was no fool and knew that it
would not be easy. Andrew Stewart was sure to raise a small army
and come looking for them –yet he had the upper hand, he had
Arabella and even in the eyes of the cold Laird, surely the prize
was worth it?
He could hardly dare think about the poor young woman being
bound to such a man, but it was not his problem, the girl had
obviously agreed to the union. At least she would be well cared
for, she would want for nothing in the castle, more than anything
he could hope to provide her with.
He shook his head sadly; it was a stupid thought to even entertain.
His lifestyle was not fitting for a lady such as Arabella Armstrong.
It would be several days at least until they expected word back
from Lord Stewart and the plan was to stay concealed in the camp
for as long as they needed.
At first Arabella sat silently, aloof from the men and thinking over
her forthcoming marriage. She had been shocked to hear some of
the stories about her fiancé, but was sure they were exaggerated;
her father would never have given such a man permission to marry
her; however wealthy he might be.
Occasionally she would watch James slyly out of the corner of her
eye. All the men seemed to respect him and he worked with the
men on all tasks, nothing was too lowly for him. She delighted in
seeing him demonstrate his strength, either chopping down a tree
for firewood or fixing one of the temporary shelters. Occasionally
he worked stripped naked from the waist and she loved to watch
the rippling biceps and strong shoulders at work. Never before had
she felt sexually attracted to a man and a dull ache rose inside of
her that she could not dismiss, however hard she tried.
For most of the day she was sat alone with her thoughts and with
James not always by her side, she felt the she must keep a close
watch on the other men. She caught them looking at her when they
thought she wasn't looking and she did not like their stares. It was
only when they sat once again around the camp fire that night, and
James was sat next to her, did she relax. After they had eaten, one
of the men stood up and brought out an old battered set of pipes.
She expected the music would be disharmonious and was amazed
when the soft haunting melody floated out into the night air. It was
a tender, melancholy piece that she recognised from her childhood
“The Bonny lass of Ballochmyle’ and she started to sing the words
in her head.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice, sweet and low, singing
the very same words she was thinking. It was James. He sang with
a rich baritone, and the more he sang, the more she loved him. It
was a tale of innocent love and it hit her straight in the heart.
Fair is the morn in flow'ry May,
And sweet is night in autumn mild,
When roving thro' the garden gay,
Or wand'ring in the lonely wild;
But woman, Nature's darling child -
There all her charms she does compile;
Even there her other works are foil'd
By the bonnie lass 0' Ballochmyle.
James was looking straight at her and she mouthed the words
along with him. Soon the men were clamouring for another tune
and invited Arabella to sing for them. At first she was shy, but
emboldened by the ale she stood and asked what songs she knew.
She could remember the words to ‘Early one Morning’ and soon
the piper had struck up a chord and she was soon singing of a poor
maiden’s plight.
Oh, don't deceive me,
Oh, never leave me,
How could you use
A poor maiden so?
Her voice was light and crisp and as she grew bolder the notes
soared high into the night sky, as tuneful as a lark at evensong.
James felt his eyes well with tears; the sound was so plaintive that
he turned his head away so that his men could not see. In a few
days she would be miles away and in another man’s bed. She
would soon forget her time here.
When she had finished he went over to sit with her and they talked
until the moon had swung around the great mountain to the west.
He told her how frail his father had been following the death of his
mother. Theirs had been a long and true love and when he had lost
her, he thought his whole life over. That had been when the greedy
Lord Stewart had struck, when they had all been grieving, and he
had taken their lands by force. When his father had tried to
complain to the Sheriff, the Laird had imprisoned him in the castle
on a charge of trespass on his own lands. His father had been a
peaceful man and had always been kind to his tenant farmers. The
new Laird had doubled the rents and increased the taxes, driving
out families from their homes and livelihoods.
Arabella listened without comment, as she looked into his dark
and honest eyes; she knew that he was telling the truth. The more
she heard about Lord Andrew Stewart, the less she liked him, let
alone wanted to marry him.
It was late and Arabella yawned. James promised to watch over
her and walked her back to the shelter that would be her bed for
the night. As they walked through the darkness their hands
brushed lightly and a spark of electricity passed between them.
His heart was beating loudly in his chest and he could hide his
feelings no longer. Grabbing at her waist he pulled her close to
him, his hot breath on her hair.
Her whole body tingled as she was held, suspended, in the
moment of his magical first kiss. His lips found hers with an
urgency and fervour that was all consuming. Arabella felt her feet
lift from the floor; she was floating on air, her head light and
reeling on the heights of passion.
The ache had grown within her and she surrendered softly to his
touch. His hands caressed her body, reaching up to find her small
and perfectly round breasts. She moaned softly as he gently
squeezed and caressed the soft yet firm flesh, yielding under his
strong hands.
His lips were demanding on hers as his passion increased; her
sweet and innocent mouth tasting like the fruits of heaven. He had
never known anything sweeter nor more desirable and he felt
himself being swept away on the tide of his own passion.
Yet he stopped, suddenly, pulling himself away from her as if the
force were killing him. She was not his to have and was betrothed
to another. If he took her she would be damaged goods, it would
ruin not only her immediate prospects, but her whole life. His
blood was pumping fiercely around his body as if his heart would
explode with the sheer frustration, his hands shaking with unspent
desire.
Arabella gasped as she opened her eyes. She was breathless from
her passion and did not want it to stop. His eyes were dilated and
burning deep amber, his face contorted as if he were in pain.
Lifting up her arm she brushed his face softly with her fingertips
and a deep tremor shook his body, as if he had been struck by the
very force of Mother Nature herself.
“What is it James?” The girl looked up to him, her innocent blue
eyes, gentle and trusting.
His voice wavered as he spoke.
“I cannot do this Arabella. You are to be returned to Lord Stewart,
to be married to him, and while I hate to think upon it, I do not
have the right to take your innocence in this way. If I took you
now, I would never be able to let you go.”
James looked away as if he could not bear to see her sweet face.
Arabella could feel her heart thumping in her breast. Never had
she felt so strongly, so deeply, cared so absolutely about one man.
“Then let me stay with you James,” she whispered softly, her
voice hardly disturbing the silence of the night.
Looking at her, his eyes brimming with passion, he sadly shook
his head.
“What have I to offer you Arabella? I have no lands and no real
home. I live a life that changes with the Seasons; it is not a life for
a Lady. As much as I hate Lord Stewart he can give you a
comfortable home, everything you desire will be yours.”
“Everything except love that is.” The girl reached over and took
his hand in hers.
For a moment he sat silently, looking at the beautiful and brave
young woman set before him. He could not believe that she could
love him in return.
“What about Lord Andrew?”
“What about him? From what you tell me he is a cruel and evil
man. How could I love such a man, live in the same household as
a man such as that, even with all the wealth in Scotland I could not
be happy.”
“But you could be happy with me? I cannot promise a comfortable
life, but I can offer myself, my unconditional love and protection,
as long as I breathe Gods air.”
Arabella could feel the tears start to well behind her eyes. The
emotion was almost too much to endure. She knew at that moment
how much she loved him and her mind was made up, she had
decided upon her destiny.
“I do not want a comfortable life without love James; I just want
to be with you, but what about your father and your land? If I am
not returned to the Laird, what will happen?”
James frowned. He loved his father very much, he was more
important than the land, but now he had Arabella, he could not let
her go. There had to be another way.
“Do not worry, there will be a way, there is always a way. I cannot
let you go now that I have found you.”
Her eyes shone through the darkness and his passion started to rise
as he reached out for her once more.
“Do you love me Arabella?”
Smiling she brought her lips to his “I have never been so certain of
anything in my life.”
This time his passion was gentler, sat easier in his soul. She loved
him and would stay with him, and together they would battle
through life’s hardships.
His lips were softer now upon hers, supple and tender. His tongue
tentatively explored the moist recesses, their tongues joining and
embracing as the depth of their passion grew.
His hands were once again upon her breasts and he could feel the
small nipples hardening at his touch. He needed to feel the soft
flesh beneath her tunic and pulled at the material until his fingers
reached the bare flesh beneath. Arabella had never been touched
so intimately by a man, yet she was not afraid. She trusted James
with every fibre of her being.
Arching her back she pushed against the warmth of his hands as
they cupped the soft flesh of her breasts. As he squeezed and
rolled her nipples between his fingers she started to moan with
pleasure, her head reeling under his touch.
His kisses became more urgent as his body covered hers. She
could feel his hardness grinding into her and the ache within her
started to grow, almost instinctually she needed to feel him inside
her.
His hands now lowered and tugged at the breeches she was
wearing. Raising herself off the floor, she allowed him to pull the
garment down, leaving her exposed in her long woollen stockings
and little else.
James gasped as touched the soft taut skin of her inner thigh.
Bringing down his head he kissed the supple, sweet flesh, parting
her legs slightly.
He could smell the sweet musky scent of her hollow as his mouth
travelled up to her soft mound, covered with a fine coating of
light, downy hair. Her virgin recesses were like honey on his lips
as he dipped his tongue into her fleshy folds. It was though a
shock rippled through her body and she writhed beneath him, lost
in the pure pleasure of his lovemaking.
He could not wait a moment longer to be inside her and standing
up pulled at his own breeches and shirt until he was stood naked in
front of her.
At first she was a little nervous to gaze upon him, but he was
beautiful. His body was lean and tanned from living outdoors, the
muscles highly defined on his legs, arms and torso.
His cock stood proud and erect, slightly glistening with precum.
“Are you ready for me Arabella my love?”
Suddenly feeling bashful she smiled and lowered her gaze. She
did not know the words, only that she wanted him more than
anything.
Kneeling before her, he kissed her reassuringly before pushing her
back amongst the blankets.
Spreading her legs further apart he positioned himself between her
thighs, his thick cock in his hand, guiding himself into her.
He did not want to hurt her and knew that his large manhood
would stretch her tight hole as he entered and he tried to be as
gentle as his ardour would allow. The tip of his cock pushed
lightly against her moist lips and she arched her back to receive
him. She was so tight that he almost came as he slowly started to
enter her, the walls of her soft flesh moulding around him like a
perfect glove, squeezing his hard flesh until he could hardly stand
it and had to lie still for a moment.
“Arabella, my sweet love,” he whispered in her ear over and over
again.
As he started to push deeper she winced slightly, gasping and
asking him to be gentle.
Her pleading words made his passion flare and he had to restrain
himself from thrusting his full length completely inside her.
Inch by inch he eased the way, feeling her tighten and then relax
beneath him as he filled her completely.
With one final thrust he was there and she could feel his thick
flesh, throbbing and hot inside her.
He lay still for a second until he could bear it no longer and started
to thrust within her. His animal passions took over as he thrust
deeper and longer inside her until he could feel himself on the
verge of no return.
Arabella was breathing heavily and her pupils were dilated. As he
pumped into her he could feel her pleasure rising, the soft walls
trembling around his hard member.
His orgasm exploded inside his brain as his penis erupted inside
her, splashing his seed in soft creamy swathes that trickled from
her hole , warm and wet on her thighs and slightly pink with her
virginal blood. She had never experienced such a wealth of
emotion and had though her brain would explode with pure
pleasure. Now his penis was slack within her and his body warm
and perspiring against hers. Wrapping his arms tightly around her
they fell into a soft and dreamless sleep.
When she awoke she was alone inside the shelter. She had been
covered in a swathe of blankets and could still feel the sticky love
making between her thighs. She had a slight dull ache in her
abdomen and she remembered the lovemaking and smiled. Now
she was truly his, she did not care what happened now, cushioned
by the soft glow of love.
At the sound of footsteps she pulled a woollen shawl tightly
around her, but she did not need to fear. It was James, bringing hot
water for her to wash with.
“I thought you might need this after last night,” he smiled gently
at her and she blushed remembering him inside her.
Kissing her softly he made to leave. He and his men would spend
most of the day devising a new plan, how to get back his father
and the lands without forfeiting the young girl.
Arabella looked worried “Do your men know about me?”
James smiled and winked “Do not worry about my men, they are
true and loyal. Now you are one of us, they will not harm you.”
And it was true. As Arabella left the safety of her shelter to sit
around the fire to eat her breakfast, the men either smiled or
nodded to her. Not in a ‘knowing’ or ‘lewd’ fashion, but one of
honest friendship and camaraderie.
After a breakfast of bread and cheese, Arabella wondered what to
do with her day. She was not a girl who was generally idle,
although her class and station in life meant that she seldom had
anything pressing. At home she would embroider or play the piano
her father had bought her for her 14th birthday. She was quite an
accomplished artist and often sketched or painted watercolour
scenes from the countryside around her, but she could do none of
that here.
The girl sat by the fire and watched as the man designated cook
chopped at the rabbit and vegetables in readiness for their supper
that night. As a child she had helped Mrs McGregor in the kitchen
many times, chopping vegetables and herbs to accompany her
gastronomical delights, or tasting the pudding mixture before it
went into the oven, to make sure it was just right. She had learned
a lot from the old cook but had never found the need to practise
her craft. She looked at the dish and knew what would help; a few
wild blackberries would bring out the flavour beautifully. She had
noticed the bushes around the edges of the forest were full of the
dark purple delights and a stroll would do her good. Dressed in her
breeches and cap she would be inconspicuous enough and after
all, she wouldn’t stray far.
The day was beautiful and the sunlight filtered through the
branches creating a soft green glow over everything it touched.
The berries were abundant and there were too many to carry. The
forest was empty around her, apart from the genial sing song of
the native birds. Quickly she took off her cap, releasing her long
hair around her shoulders. There was no-one about to see her and
no harm would be done and quickly she started to pick the berries,
placing them inside the cap for easy carriage home. She began to
sing ‘Early One Morning’ softly to herself, remembering the
previous night and her heart was light.
Very soon the cap was full and her fingers sticky and stained with
the juice. She had walked to the edge of a trickling brook, clear
and shimmering in the soft sunlight and putting down the capful of
berries, decided to stay a while longer, enjoying the peace and
quiet of the open air.
Arabella must have fallen asleep for she was wakened with a start
by a noise behind her. She thought she had heard men talking,
probably just the men from the camp, but she gathered the cloak
loosely around her and shrank back into the undergrowth.
She listened intently, all was quiet. Perhaps they had gone away;
perhaps it had just been the gurgling of the brook after all/.
Whatever had woken her,it was time to get back to the relative
safety of the camp.
Standing up she brushed the dry leaves from her clothes and bent
down to pick up the cap full of berries. A twig snapped in front of
her and she looked up.
There stood Andrew Stewart and two of his men, they had been
watching her all along.
The Laird eyed her suspiciously. This was not the picture of a girl
who had been taken against her will. She was happy; he had heard
her singing a short while before, the refrains of a love song if he
was not mistaken. The anger rose inside him as he thought of his
enemy, James Macadam, but he tried not to let his feelings show,
“Well my dear, this is a nice surprise, I hardly recognised you in
that outfit. You are a proper Robin Hood and no mistake. You will
be pleased to know that I have come to rescue and take you back
to Inverness where we can be married post haste.”
The girl shrank from his gaze. What she had once thought of as
handsome, she now saw as cruel and heartless. She could never
love this man, ever.
For a moment she stood defiantly, trying to hold her head high and
stop herself from shaking.
“I no longer wish to marry you sir. I am grateful for your offer but
I will not be coming with you.”
Lord Andrew felt the ire rise within him.
“So, you are going to stay here, but a young girl on her own, under
whose protection will you be?”
He was playing games with her but she had to continue.
“James Macadam.”
He could no longer contain his jealousy. He loathed James
Macadam with a passion, he was everything that he was not and
now it seemed he had the love of his betrothed, his Arabella. He
had not loved the girl but she was attractive and would have suited
him well between the bed sheets.
He smiled down at the girl with the eyes of a serpent.
“I’m afraid I have made a pact with your father and I am a man of
my words. You will come back with me now and we will be
married tomorrow. I am prepared to overlook your little
indiscretion, but you will remain under lock and key in the castle
until you can be trusted. I can think of many ways to keep you
entertained,” he licked his lips lasciviously as he looked her up
and down.
“Get her into the carriage men, we head back immediately.”
Arabella tried to struggle but the men soon had her captive and
she was soon bundled into the back of the carriage. It was no use,
there was nothing she could do, only hope that somehow James
would get to her in time.
She did not weep, she would not allow herself to weep in front of
this terrible man, and she dug her nails into the palms of her hands
to stop her from crying.
“At least now you have me, you can relinquish the lands you have
stolen from the Macadam Clan and release James’s father?”
Andrew Stewart snorted in derision. “Then you are more naive
than I thought my dear. Of course I will not be giving back the
lands. The old man will be put to death and the others will shortly
follow, including your beloved James.”
She wanted to tear at his face but her hands were bound and she
sat, hopeless, pondering her fate, as the carriage rumbled on
towards Inverness.
The men had decided quickly on a plan and James hurried to tell
Arabella the news. When he could not find her in the camp he
began to worry. Some of the men had seen her wander off into the
forest a little more than an hour ago but had not seen her return.
James was angry that no-one had stopped her, and getting up a
small band of his men they started to comb the forest. Soon the
little cap of berries was found and James feared the worse. The
tracks of a carriage and horses was found a little further out and
his fears were confirmed – it could only be one man that had taken
his beloved Arabella – Lord Andrew Stewart.
Racing back to camp James saddled his horse and with two of his
most trusty men they set off on the trail of the Laird. They would
ride much quicker than the lumbering carriage and they would
soon be able to track it down.
Andrew Stewart had been asleep, dreaming of bedding the
delightful Arabella when the coach came to an abrupt stop and the
lurching motion of the carriage caused him to wake.
He pounded on the roof of the carriage and called out to see what
the matter was.
The driver’s voice was thin and afraid.
“I think you had better come and look for yourself sir.”
Frustrated with the stop to his journey, Lord Stewart stuck his
head out of the window. He could not see anything and opened the
door and jumped out into the open.
Walking to the front of the coach he froze in fear. There stood
three enormous brown bears, directly in their path.
Turning back towards the carriage, he raced forward to collect his
gun, but was too slow. The largest of the bears had him trapped in
its gigantic paws and dragged him away into the undergrowth. The
sharp claws tore at his skin, the large teeth gorging into the soft
flesh until he was no more.
Arabella had sat quietly in the carriage, she had managed to work
on the bindings to her hands and finally break free. There had
been strange noises outside and she had been afraid. Now it was
silent and she cautiously stepped outside to see what had
happened. At first she wondered where Lord Stewart had gone,
and then she noticed a trail of blood on the grass leading into the
bushes. The coach driver was missing too and the air was eerily
silent. As she walked towards the undergrowth she thought she
saw something move. A crackle of dry leaves followed by the
snap of twigs, and then she saw it, the magnificent brown bear. It
had seen her and she froze. She had heard stories of these
creatures and how they could tear a man apart with their sharp
claws and teeth.
It lumbered towards her, its brown deep eyes staring deep into
hers. It seemed calm and yet she closed her eyes, braced herself
for the inevitable. All was quiet again.
Opening her eyes the bear was stood a short distance away, still
gazing at her. A large paw came towards her and she held her
breath, yet the claws were pulled back and the dry leather paw
touched her face softly. She almost fainted with fear, yet there was
something about this creature, something almost familiar.
With a great bellow it raised itself onto its hind legs and waved its
gigantic paws into the air before falling down onto the ground.
The poor thing looked ill, it seemed to writhe around in agony and
she could only stand and watch. The face twisted and contorted, it
was changing before her very eyes. The body was changing shape
and instead of brown fur there was bare skin. Soon James
Macadam was lying naked before her and she eventually
swooned, the whole experience being too great for her mind to
contemplate.
When Arabella next awoke, she was back at the camp. She did not
know how long she had been asleep, but it had grown dark and
she was very hungry. James was sat next to her, he looked tired
and worn, deep shadows forming under his eyes, yet he smiled
when he saw her wake and his whole visage changed to one of
joy.
“James I had the most fantastic dream.”
His smile changed to a look of concern.
“Arabella, there is something you need to know about me.”
As she looked into his dark, brown eyes, she thought of the bear
and deep inside already knew. There had always been something
different about James Macadam, and although she could hardly
believe it, knew it was true.
“I would never hurt you Arabella, you must trust me. My family is
ancient and we have handed down the werebear gene from
generation to generation. It is said that one of my ancestors was
cursed by a witch for not returning his love and was turned into a
savage bear, but through the centuries we have learned to tame our
bear and use it only when we must –that is our code”
She placed her hand in his for comfort, not knowing what to say.
“Can you still love me after this Arabella, I understand if it is too
much. I should have told you but I was afraid?”
Weaving her fingers into his she looked openly into his deep, dark
eyes.
“I love you, no matter what James and I always will.”
The pair kissed and James gave her a knowing smile.
“It’s good job that you do. I fear that our first night of passion has
produced a new life within you,” he touched her stomach tenderly.
She had felt different too, something that she hadn’t quite grasped,
but there had been a fullness about her, a blossoming that she had
put down to love, yet how could he know? She looked up at him
quizzically.
“Call it my animal instinct.”
The new Laird of Inverness was a kindly, younger man, a nephew
of the late Lord Andrew Stewart. His had been a terrible death,
ripped to pieces by a pack of wild bears, but many said it was not
undeserved. The lands were restored to the Macadam Clan by the
new Lord Stewart and the old man was immediately released and
recovered well in his ancestral home.
James and Arabella were soon married with the full blessing of
her parents. With Lord Stewart dead there was nothing more to be
done. Besides, they had never fully understood who was behind
the kidnapping of their daughter in the first place.
Their joy was complete with the birth of their son, James
Macadam the second, a bonny baby with dark brown eyes like his
fathers and a shock of wild brown hair.
He was her baby bear.
*****
Clan of the Cave Wolf
A group of men thundered by on horses as Lady Catriona emerged
from her tent. The animals’ hooves tore up the ground, tossing
clumps of mud and grass across the encampment. In the lead was
Lord Hector - Catriona’s husband. They rode into camp, throwing
up whoops and hollers, having captured a single Highland rebel.
Hector turned his horse ‘round and kicked it towards his wife.
“What do you think of our game, my love?” He asked loudly, to
put on a show.
Catriona suppressed a curl of her lip and raised her chin. “It is
very grand, my Lord.”
The Lord laughed, barked, in amusement. “This mangy cur?” He
spat on the ground, “first time he’s ever been called grand, I’m
sure.”
The other men joined in with their own thick laughter. Jeering at
the man they held captive - though the prisoner’s face remained
still, distant. Catriona bowed her head, quitting the conversation
without further comment. Her husband spurred his horse and
returned to his task. Looking up, Catriona took a brief glance at
the stranger. Mangy cur was not the phrase she would choose to
describe him. The man held his head high, and his shoulders
straight - despite the harsh pull of the rope around his wrists. His
body was well toned, muscles taught - there was an animal-like
quality about him to be sure. But not one of weakness or frenzy.
He was strong and lean - and his presence couldn’t help but
remind Catriona of what her life might have been, had Hector not
chosen her as a bride.
The captive turned his head, meeting Catriona’s gaze before he
was dragged from her sight. His eyes were piercing even from a
distance - and they made Catriona shiver. Before she could blink,
he was already gone - spirited away to another part of camp, to be
bound and ridiculed. Her husband out of sight, Catriona did little
to hide the disgust on her face. Life had turned out so much
differently than she had once expected as a young girl. Marriage
to Lord Hector seemed the only practical choice at the time - he
would provide security and wealth in a time when the Scottish
lands were in uncertain upheaval. The Highlanders were fighting
back against the Englishmen who continuously stole their land and
enforced their rule. In truth, Catriona had been lucky to catch
Hector’s eye. Instead of leaving her to be taken by the men of his
camp, he instead took her aside to woo for himself. With this,
Catriona ensured the safety of her own family - if not those of her
former village.
The first year or so was easy - she was still in Hector’s good favor.
He doted upon her and showed her off as frequently as possible.
But soon the question of a child became an issue. Hector hadn’t
the gall to force himself upon her, but the few times Catriona did
allow him into her bed, it was cold and unpleasant. His sweet
words quickly turned into admonishments and strings of hateful
whispers into her ear. She had never suspected Hector a kind man,
but the strength of his cruelty was sharp. While he still played the
part around his men, or men and women of the court, Catriona
dreaded being left alone by his side. Over the course of a few
years, Catriona had become attuned to her husband’s moods, his
movements. She knew when a strike would come, when he was
merely yelling, or when he would destroy the room to intimidate
her. To confront Lord Hector directly…Catriona couldn’t be truly
sure of the outcome. That is why she decided to make a fool of
him behind his back. To make him small in the eyes of his men.
She would free the Highland rebel that night.

The camp was subdued, muted, as the moon’s wavering light

drifted through the clouds. Catriona had feigned illness to her
husband - claiming the constant travel was doing her no good.
Hector had scoffed, “and I thought you Scottish women were
supposed to be hardy. Should have chosen a girl with better
constitution.” But he let her be, more inclined to join the men in
their drinking and rabble-rousing than interrogate his wife.
When the sounds of their revels died down, Catriona crept
carefully and silently from the back of her tent. Her long black
hair was held back in a tight bun as she snuck through the
darkness - she didn’t want it hindering her in any way. In her boot
was a small knife - it once belonged to her father, mainly used to
gut fish. But tonight she would use it to cut the stranger’s
restraints…and perhaps bequeath it to him. Catriona realized the
man would have been stripped of his own weapons, and if she
were going to give him half a chance, this was the best she could
do. She comforted herself in the loss of such a dear item with the
thought that her father would have done the same. Across the
camp sat a small tent, separated from the others and guarded by a
single man. Judging by his absent stare and poorly stifled yawns,
he would be easy enough to creep by. As long as the captive inside
let up no alarm as she entered.
Crouching, balancing on the balls of her feet and her fingertips,
Catriona couldn’t help but smirk. Crawling about in the mud. This
certainly wasn’t the image Lord Hector had in mind for his bride,
she was sure. Taking a long arc around to the back of the
prisoner’s tent, Catriona sliced herself an entrance with the small
knife. It was duller than she expected and took a few moments to
truly cut a hole big enough for her. She hoped the rebel captive
would remain quiet until she was finished.
Poking her head in at last, she came face to face with the man. He
was sitting, hands tied to the wooden pole behind his back. He
wore a ragged shirt, with no sign of buttons or string, and a heavy
kilt tied about his waist. His boots were leather, battered by
unknown years of mud and travel. The man’s head was tilted, his
amber eyes sparkling with bewildered amusement.
“Hello,” he whispered, “is this meant to be a rescue - or are you
simply redecorating?”
Catriona blinked, taken aback by the unexpected quip. Her cheeks
flushed, a slight indignation brewing beneath her skin.
“I beg your pardon?” She uttered as quietly as possible, while still
maintaining an air of offended dignity.
The man chuckled under his breath. “Forgive me. I was trying to
think of something clever to say all that while, and that was the
best I could muster - under the circumstances.”
He shrugged, tugging lightly at his restraints. Catriona hesitated
only a moment more, bemused by the stranger’s odd nature. She
shuffled into the tent and knelt on the other side of the pole.
“Well, you’ll have more time to think of something better,” she
slipped the knife between the man’s hands and began to saw at the
rope. “I still need to cut through these.”
“Saints preserve us, let’s pray you finish before sun up.” His voice
was light, joking more than disparaging.
Catriona shook her head silently. She had envisioned their first
encounter many times before nightfall - expecting the man to be
stoic, noble, and certainly more grateful than this. But here he was
teasing her, jesting. It was odd, however…somehow this did not
feel out of place. It was as if the two of them had known each
other long before this moment. As if two good friends were finally
reuniting.
“What’s your name?” The man broke into her thoughts. He turned
his head, looking over his shoulder to get a glimpse of his savior.
“Lady Catriona,” she replied quickly. “And you?”
“My name is Conall,” he began - then a thought seemed to strike
him, “wait a moment…Lady?”
He attempted to twist himself around even more, but Catriona kept
her focus on the ropes and the movement of her knife.
“Lady?” Conall repeated, keeping his voice low despite the
curiosity in him.
“Yes.” Catriona said simply.
“As in the Lady married to our lovely Lord Hector out there?”
Catriona could feel her cheeks growing hot again. She had also
envisioned leaving her husband unmentioned that night - but so
accustomed to Hector’s own flaunting of the title, she let Lady
slip. Her eyes flitted up for a moment to look at Conall’s face.
Instead of the resentful scowl she had expected, his face sat in a
playful grin.
“I fail to see the humor of the situation,” Catriona muttered. The
ropes were finally beginning to fray. A few minutes more and the
man would be free.
Conall laughed out loud involuntarily - but quickly caught
himself, turning the laugh into an awkward cough before trailing
off. The two of them sat frozen for a moment, listening for the
sounds of the guard outside - he appeared to be unperturbed by the
noise. Catriona cut with more ferocity.
“It’s brilliant though, isn’t it? The man’s own wife freeing a
Highland rebel? I only wish I were his wife so I could pull off
something so dastardly.”
Catriona choked, only just managing to hide her own laughter.
“Excuse me?” She asked through stifled giggles.
“Well, I mean,” Conall shrugged, “not literally of course…”
Finally, the last of the rope gave way and Conall’s wrists were
free. He stretched his arms, bringing them around and massaging
the life back into his hands. Catriona sat back on her heels,
watching him - his hands were rough, broad. And yet she
imagined they were much warmer than her husband’s.
“Shall we be off?” Once again, Conall interrupted her thoughts.
Catriona looked up, startled. “We?”
Conall nodded. “I can’t imagine you entered this tent and freed me
because you like your husband.”
Catriona didn’t reply right away. Despite the hatred she held for
her husband, despite the risk she had decided to take, despite
everything, she hadn’t, in fact, imagined herself leaving. In
Catriona’s mind, it wasn’t even possible - how could it be? When
he had held her with such a deadly grip all these years. But now,
on this quiet night, suddenly freedom was before her - staring at
her with earnest, amber eyes.
“I’m afraid the longer we delay -.”
“Yes.” Catriona answered abruptly, causing Conall’s face to break
into another grin.
He took her hand. “Then off we go, my Lady. And I promise,
since you have done me the honor of saving my own life, I will do
everything in my power to protect yours.”
Now this was the sort of noble behavior Catriona had hoped for.
And she was right, the man’s hands were incredibly warm, and
softer than they looked. Another moment and the tent was empty,
save for the tattered ropes - and Catriona’s knife. She had not
noticed it slip from her hands before they disappeared.

Morning was grasping its way up the horizon as Catriona and

Conall rode towards his home. When they had snuck their way out
of Hector’s camp, Conall suggested they would have better luck
on horseback. In truth, Catriona didn’t believe they would be able
to get one away without raising suspicion and alarm - but as she
watched from the shadows, Conall treaded the ground so lightly,
that she began to wonder if he were more specter than man. As the
two of them rode together, however, Catriona felt the weight of
Conall’s arms around her, holding the reigns. Perhaps it was the
cold wind, or the dawning realization that soon Hector may be
nothing more than a bitter memory - but Catriona’s heart
hammered in her chest like a war drum, dizzying her senses. In the
distance, the mountains loomed and grew taller as they
approached.
Conall gestured. “We should be there within another hour or so,
my people reside within the mountains - to keep out of sight.”
He added this last comment, as if he already sensed the question
on Catriona’s lips. Catriona only nodded. Within the mountains…
Conall and his people must have once lived in a village of their
own, on land of their own. Her expression hardened - it was men
like Hector who were driving these people out, bending them to
English rule or otherwise erasing them from the countryside. A
sharp ire grew in the back of her throat. She had traded her
countrymen for her own safety, sitting idle for years as Hector
lead her from encampment to encampment to drive out the
Highland rebels. She shook her head - but this was the last of it.
The sun was rising on a new day for Catriona and she refused to
turn back now.

Conall pulled up on the reigns gently and guided the horse to a

slow trot. They had reached the base of the mountains. Here,
Conall slid from the saddle.
“I’ll lead us towards the caves - it will be easier to lead the horse
on foot.”
“Then I’ll join you, there’s no reason I should ride up here like
some sort of noblewoman anymore,” Catriona offered, already
moving to jump down.
But Conall stopped her with a quick hand on her calf. The
movement startled Catriona, making her flinch - her body was still
trained to guard itself against the touch of men. Conall seemed to
notice her stiffen and quickly removed his hand apologetically.
“No,” he said a little awkwardly, then recovered himself. “No, you
ought to remain saddled. The path is uneven and unkind to
delicate feet.”
His mouth curled into an impish smile. Teasing again. Catriona
pursed her lips but didn’t argue. “Very well, then. Lead the way,
sir.”
Conall gave a mock bow, then took the reigns in one hand and
began the final stretch of their journey. They fell silent as Conall
concentrated, and Catriona took the opportunity to absorb her new
surroundings. The mist was thicker here, leaving a fine layer of
dew on the rocks and the dull grass. Casting a look over her
shoulder, it appeared they had already climbed a fair distance.
Catriona could see the vast fields behind her - hazy curtains of
rain obscuring a portion of them, while other areas remained still
untouched. Ahead of them, an invisible path drew them towards a
dip between the slopes, disappearing around curves and mossy
rocks. Conall stepped with certainty, however, clearly familiar to
each step. Catriona shivered, whether due to the cold or the
growing sense of anxiety in this strange territory, she wasn’t sure.
Gradually, the fields fell away and soon Catriona and Conall were
enveloped by the mountains on either side. It became a world in of
itself - the many peaks and ledges offering different forms of
shelter and pathways. Catriona wondered just how many people
could live here without ever being detected, as she quickly
realized there were also a series of cave openings along the way.
Many were deceptively hidden by rocks or plants, but soon she
was able to pick up on a pattern and spot some of the less
concealed entrances. A quick flutter of movement disturbed the
moss hanging down in front of one of the caves. Catriona strained
her eyes to see what sort of animal it might have been, but
whatever had been there a moment ago was gone. Conall,
meanwhile, paid no mind.
“Are we very close?” Catriona asked uneasily. Her voice felt
foreign in the unworldly silence.
“Very nearly, my Lady, have no fear,” Conall replied without
turning his head.
Catriona muttered quietly, “I am not afraid.”
Conall halted abruptly, cupping his hands around his mouth. He
then let out a ghostly howl that echoed off the rocks. As it faded,
he waited, ears pricked. Just a moment later, another howl came in
return - somewhat faint, still a distance off. The sound of it
cheered Conall immediately - Catriona could see a marked bounce
in his step as he continued leading the horse once more. They
turned a final corner and came upon a large cave mouth, no longer
discreetly hidden. It led into the mountain - how deep, Catriona
could only guess. At the entrance stood a few men - guards armed
with spears or swords. Their reaction to Catriona and Conall’s
appearance was mixed. One young man - thin, wirey, and bright-
eyed, left his post immediately and ran to Conall’s side. They
embraced happily, the young man exclaiming in excitement - as if
he hadn’t even noticed Catriona. The two remaining men did gaze
upon her. The older man of the group appeared skeptical. He stood
casually, weight balanced on one leg, a hand resting on the hilt of
his sword. His face was etched with lines that added authority to
his character. The remaining man must have been roughly
Conall’s age. His dark brown hair fell close to his shoulders in
smooth waves. His expression was one of suspicion that leered at
Catriona without any pretense of manners. He stood upright, a
spear in his hand - which he methodically turned as he stared at
the woman on horseback.
“I can’t believe it!” The young man was still speaking to Conall.
“Back in one day, and with a woman as well! You had a better
night than we did, didn’t you?”
He laughed and punched Conall in the arm playfully. Conall
grabbed the young man and kept him in a headlock while he
ruffled the other’s hair with vigor.
“Now don’t be rude, Arran. This woman saved my life and freed
me, which is plenty more than I can say for you lot, eh?”
Arran squirmed out of Conall’s grip and bounced back a few feet,
still grinning. Catriona hardly knew how to read the situation.
Thus far, she hadn’t even been acknowledged directly - only about
spoken as if she were simply an accessory Conall had brought
home. Meanwhile the two men by the entrance clearly held doubts
about her presence. She cleared her throat and spoke up.
“My name is Lady Catriona,” - Catriona stopped short. She had let
the Lady slip once again. And judging by the sharp looks on all
three of the new mens’ faces, she could tell it didn’t sit as well
with them as it did Conall. But she soldiered on. “I have come
with Conall by invitation, in exchange for freeing him from Lord
Hector’s encampment.”
“Aye,” Conall joined in, “I owe her my life.”
The brown haired man snorted derisively. Conall was about to call
him out, when Catriona cut in instead.
“Excuse me,” she said firmly, locking eyes with the surly man. “It
is no simple task sneaking through an entire camp, into a
prisoner’s tent, and then out again without raising a single alarm -
and I won’t have it snorted it at.”
The older man cracked a smile. “Well said, my Lady.”
He stepped down from his post and approached Catriona at last.
Holding out his hand, Catriona allowed him to take hers, and he
touched his lips to it briefly.
“My name is Eamon, and this unpleasant gentleman is Lenox.”
Lenox diverted his gaze self-consciously, but also lowered his
guarded stance. After that moment, it seemed the tension had been
broken and Catriona was welcomed into their dwelling. Arran
took the horse and let it away while Conall and Eamon showed
her inside. The following days were certainly an adjustment - from
Lord’s wife, to hide-away rebel. While Catriona was glad to be
free of the grip of her husband, she was still unaccustomed to
sleeping on the ground, without luxuries or niceties. But there
were other aspects of her new life that outweighed some of the
less appealing changes. For the first time in many years, Catriona
was in the company of women again, friendly and warm, without
the mask of court hiding their true natures or intentions. To pay
her keep, Catriona had volunteered to help the other women in
Conall’s clan. Without hesitation, they had welcomed her into
their fold - cheeks bright, smiles broad. They treated her like a
new sister-in-law.
Despite this warmth, however, there was still a sort of
apprehension that seemed to follow Catriona about the caves.
While the women were kind, there were many moments when a
conversation would be suddenly cut short and nervous glances
would be cast about the room - as if they had just narrowly
avoided letting something slip. The men were just as secretive, if
not more so. Their reception was often mixed - while some treated
her kindly, like Eamon and Arran, there were many others like
Lenox who would look at her askance with suspicious eyes. There
finally came a night when Catriona could no longer put up with it
and she went to confront Conall is his chambers.
While she had not visited them before, Catriona knew that Conall
resided alone in his own den in a particular part of the caves. She
wound her way through the tunnels - they lead even further into
the mountains than she could have imagined - and marched into
Conall’s rooms. Her timing, unfortunately, was misjudged as she
walked in to discover Conall undressing. The two of them stopped
short, Catriona in the doorway and Conall standing frozen in the
middle of his chambers, hands just about to remove the kilt tied
around his waist. Unable to stop herself, Catriona stared openly at
his body - it was marked with many scars, faded white lines that
etched themselves across his chest and arms. But his figure
seemed unmarred by them, blood still beating hot beneath the
surface.
Conall cleared his throat. “Is there something I can do for you, my
Lady?”
Catriona flushed deeply and shook her head. “Forgive me, I didn’t
realize - I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Conall secured his kilt, and hastily grabbed a shirt to pull over his
head. Catriona looked with regret as his muscles were quickly
obscured by the fabric. “Yes?” He asked.
She did her best to put such thoughts out of her mind and focus on
the point at hand. “There’s something you haven’t been telling me.
Something everyone seems afraid to speak of in my presence.”
Conall smiled, but something about it seemed forced. “They’re
just nervous having a noblewoman among us - it’s not something
everyone here can easily accept.”
“That’s not it, I can tell you’re keeping something from me.” And
it was strange, because Catriona knew for certain that was true.
Conall was holding something back. She could tell this not
because of everyone else’s behavior, but because of his. From the
moment they had met, she knew his body language, was able to
read him like an old friend. And right now, as he tried to smile,
Catriona saw the shoulders slightly raised, the tension in his legs
as he seemed to be holding ground - and knew exactly what that
meant.
Conall caved at last, and exhaled a guilty laugh. “I suppose we
can’t hide it forever, eh? Not with you living under our own roof.”
Catriona’s breath quickened. “What do you mean?”
Conall hesitated, he seemed to be searching for the right words.
“Here,” he gestured, “why don’t we sit down.”
He led Catriona to his bed, a blanket of furs atop rocks, wood -
Catriona wasn’t sure. They sat and Catriona couldn’t help but feel
her heart beat faster as Conall took her hand in his. She hadn’t
been alone with a man apart from Hector in so long…and then she
began to grow anxious. Unsure of what signs to look for, the cues
she would need to protect herself. But as she looked up at Conall,
Catriona realized - she wouldn’t have to, of course she wouldn’t.
Conall had sworn to protect her, and aside from that, she could see
in every inch of his body that he meant her no harm. Conall
seemed to notice her falter, and squeezed her hand in concern.
“Are you all right?” He asked, his eyebrows creasing ever so
slightly. Catriona smiled at the endearing expression.
“I’m fine, I…I’ve spent so long with Hector, I didn’t think I would
be safe with a man again.” She tried to brush it off, but the relief
was thick in Catriona’s voice.
Conall moved closer - which might have frightened Catriona were
she with anyone else, but with Conall it only felt reassuring.
“My Lady, you’re always safe with me.”
Catriona looked Conall in the eyes. They shone like gold in the
low torch light. “Please,” she said, “call me Catriona.”
Conall’s expression of concern softened into one of his own relief.
“Catriona,” he said softly. He lifted a hand, absently, to brush a
few strands of hair from Catriona’s face; before he could draw it
away again, Catriona took his hand and placed it on her cheek.
Closing her eyes, she pressed her skin into the warm palm, feeling
the creases of his fingers and his lifelines. Conall did not retreat,
allowing Catriona to hold him there. She opened her eyes again, to
see Conall’s golden eyes gazing back at her. The room was
comforting and safe, and for the first time in many years, Catriona
pulled someone towards her for a kiss.
Her purpose in Conall’s chambers was entirely forgotten, his
imminent confession fluttered from her mind without a second
thought. All she could think about was his lips on hers, his hot
breath as they moved closer to one another. Too long had she gone
without love, without someone who would enter her bed for her
alone, for her pleasure. Conall carefully leaned Catriona back and
they laid upon the furs. For just a moment, Conall pulled back.
“Are you sure?” He asked.
“Yes,” Catriona replied fervently and pulled him back towards her,
“yes, please.”
Conall laughed, grinning as he left a trail of kisses down
Catriona’s neck and shoulders. She gripped his hair, feeling the
weight of him on top of her; she longed for this, her body growing
hot as Conall continued to her collar bones and the small dip
between them. Catriona could feel his body reacting in kind, and
quickly they began to remove the layers that stood in their way,
Conall barely letting his mouth leave her skin in the process.
Catriona giggled, enjoying herself for the first time in too long. As
the two of them embraced, Catriona ran her hands down Conall’s
back, his sides, taking in his touch, breathing in his scent. She was
about to reach between his legs, to help him along - but Conall
gently stopped her hand.
“Wait,” he breathed into her ear.
He then began to travel down her body, his mouth brushing her
breasts, her stomach, the sensitive skin of her thighs. Catriona’s
breath caught in her throat as Conall at last placed his mouth
between her legs, caressing her with his tongue, warming her with
his breath. Catriona closed her eyes and let herself be washed
away by the experience, almost melting into the furs as Conall
slowly brought her to climax. Catriona gasped, she moaned,
without realizing it - gripping the bed. She had forgotten it could
be like this; she had forgotten that sweet feeling that grew within
her, gradually peaking with each motion. She felt Conall run a
hand up her torso, resting it on one of her breasts. She placed her
hand on his, following the movement of his fingers, tracing her
shape, teasing her nipple. Catriona’s back arched, her lips parted,
she greedily leaned into Conall as he stroked her. Her spirit could
leave her body at this point and Catriona wouldn’t have noticed or
cared - finally, she was having a moment of pleasure for herself,
not a distant, cold attempt to achieve a child, but simply a night to
be with another person as greatly as they wished to be with her.
Her mind went blank as she climaxed, her body flooded with the
sensation - it had been too long. She could feel Conall’s grip
tighten as she gave into it, and he worked more eagerly to keep it
going. At long last she fell limp against the bed, breathing heavily,
dizzy from the experience. Conall allowed her a moment’s rest,
not saying anything - perhaps catching his own breath as they
paused.
But Catriona would not let him wait for long. She opened her eyes
and reached for him, pulled him up towards her again and they fell
to kissing once more. This time Conall entered her, still tingling,
and she held on to him tightly. She pulled her face away, unable to
focus on their lips any longer - she buried her face in Conall’s
shoulder as their hips rocked together, his thrusts going deep.
Conall’s breath was hot in her ear, small moans of his own
escaping his mouth as his pleasure grew. Vaguely Catriona
wondered if he had been with any other women recently, but she
was hardly going to let that thought distract her from the moment.
They breathed together, moved together - all this time Catriona
felt that somehow she and Conall had been a part of each other’s
lives long before they met, and now in this moment she couldn’t
feel more sure of it. Conall groaned helplessly as he came, making
Catriona shiver with pleasure as he sank into her. The two of them
laid in each other’s arms for some time after that, sometimes
giving the other lazy kisses, or tracing their fingers along the
other’s body. They didn’t speak, there was no need. Both Catriona
and Conall wanted to simply take in the moment for what it was,
to absorb it undiluted. Eventually sleep came to them both and
they drifted into the night.
Morning crept into the caves, waking Catriona more by instinct
than by light. Still content from the night before, Catriona rolled
over to stretch her arm across Conall’s body. But as she did so, she
discovered that he was nowhere to be seen. She sat up quickly,
pulling the furs to her chest. Conall’s room was empty, quiet.
Perhaps he had something to attend to early in the day - but a
sense of unease couldn’t help but tug at Catriona’s heart. Perhaps
the night before had been nothing but a brief tryst after all.
Disoriented, Catriona gathered her things and dressed hastily.
Throughout the morning, she subtly searched the caves for Conall
- asking his whereabouts as casually as she could. But by the sly
grins on many of the women’s faces, she feared her state of
disarray was only too obvious. After some time, a young woman
by the name of Molly told Catriona where she might be able to
find Conall. She had spotted him slipping away with Eamon and
Lenox earlier that day, likely to visit one of their usual haunts.
Catriona was pointed toward a mountain stream that curved its
way into a small pond, hidden in a nearby valley. Catriona
considered confronting Conall at once, but as she realized Eamon
- and Lenox - would be there to witness her embarrassment, she
decided to hang back before the men noticed her. She crept up
carefully and obscured herself behind an outcrop of rocks. From
her position, she could just make out their conversation. Conall
seemed harried, pacing while Eamon stood back cooly, and Lenox
gestured in irritation.
“Thank god you let her body distract you, Conall,” Lenox
exclaimed. “That woman shouldn’t be here to begin with, and you
were just going to hand away our secret?”
“How do you expect it to remain hidden forever? Catriona has
every right to know if she’s going to be staying here -,” Conall
began heatedly.
“Is she?” Lenox interjected, making it clear he desired otherwise.
Conall rounded on Lenox, coming close - his shoulders taught.
“Do you expect me to simply abandon her? After what she -?”
“Please, Conall!” Lenox scoffed, “You cling too tightly to your
misguided chivalry - she released you from the encampment.
Why?”
“What are you talking about?” Conall practically growled.
“You tell us she is married to Lord Hector - have you ever stopped
to wonder if she was meant to free you?”
Conall didn’t answer, processing Lenox’s words. Catriona’s chest
tightened, aghast that Conall might consider them.
“That she was meant to lead Hector back to our camp for a
slaughter?”
“Lady Catriona has been here for days, Lenox.” Eamon at last
spoke up. “And there has been no sign of attack.”
“Because she’s been waiting for this fool to open his traitor mouth
- .” Lenox waved his hand at Conall, but before he could drop it to
his side again, the man was barreled to the ground by a dark
shape.
It took Catriona a few skipped heartbeats to realize that Lenox was
now being attacked by a wolf - unnaturally large, with thick dark
fur. Her skin went cold, unable to move, she watched in terror as
Lenox was pummeled by the wolf’s claws. Oddly Eamon barely
reacted - in fact, he almost seemed annoyed by the commotion.
Her eyes darted around the pond; Conall was no longer anywhere
to be seen. Had he fled just as the wolf attacked? Another
creature’s growls rang in Catriona’s ears and she looked back to
see two animals now fighting, Lenox having disappeared in a
matter of seconds. Their teeth gnashed, they clawed at each
other’s hides, screaming in unnatural tones. Catriona put her hands
on her ears, quaking in her hiding spot. She closed her eyes,
praying for it to end without the animals coming near here.
Distantly she heard Eamon shout.
“Enough!” He barked, louder than she would have expected from
him.
The noises immediately died down, though a few growls and low
whines lingered in the air. Reluctantly, Catriona peered around her
cover once more. The two wolves were lying low at Eamon’s feet,
their ears back in submission. Catriona marveled - they seemed to
be under Eamon’s command. The older man looked at the now
cowering animals scornfully. He stepped forward and grabbed
both animals by the scruff of their necks - a feat that surely should
have been impossible by their mere size.
“Acting like a pair of ill-bred pups.” He shouted, as a father would
when scolding his children.
Then before Catriona’s own eyes, Conall and Lenox reappeared.
She blinked. Where the wolves had strained, panting, in Eamon’s
hands, now stood Conall and Lenox, their shirt collars pulled
around their necks. The two of them glared at one another, faces
flecked with blood and sweat. Eamon let them go roughly, causing
the younger men to stumble.
“This is no way to act in front of a lady.” Eamon gestured towards
Catriona’s very own hiding spot and she felt the blood drain from
her face. Conall and Lenox went just as white as they realized an
audience had been present all this time.
Eamon smiled, his anger seeming to dissipate as he approached
Catriona. He held a hand out to her, as she was still crouching on
the ground. Sheepishly, Catriona allowed him to help her up and
lead her to the side of the pond with the others.
“Well, Lenox, it seems you and Conall both have given us away,”
he said wryly.
Lenox stared at Catriona in shock, the color returning to his face
as his cheeks went red. He turned abruptly and ran from the scene,
leaving Conall to flounder on his own.
“Catriona - ,” he stammered.
But she too turned on her heel and fled.
She wasn’t sure where she was going, her body moved without
thought. All Catriona knew was that she needed to get away, to
think - to be alone. The caves would provide her no solitude - and
the rest of the clan…were they all those things? Catriona
shuddered as she realized she had been residing all these days with
monsters. But last night…could a monster have truly made love to
her like that? She shook her head, forcing the memory out of her
mind. First she had to come to terms with what she had seen, what
she had discovered.
After some time, Catriona came to a stop, slowly aware that her
surroundings were no longer familiar. Her breath ran sharply
through her lungs and she sat heavily upon the dew laden ground.
Catriona pulled her knees close to her chest and wrapped her arms
around them. Wolf Shifters; she had heard tales of them as a child
- men and women who would cast aside their earthly skin to
become ghastly creatures that prowled the night. She furrowed her
brow. The imagery didn’t match up. When Catriona thought of the
people she had come to know, to live with, all she could think of
were their smiles, their kind nature. And Conall…But she had
seen with her own eyes how he had transformed into a snarling
beast. How he tore at Lenox. Catriona’s body ran cold again,
remembering the sounds that had rent the air. Catriona exclaimed
in confusion, burying her face into her dress. How could it be the
same man? Had she left her previous life with a monster, only to
walk into the jaws of another? But no - despite all this, Catriona
knew she would not, could not return to Hector. She realized
grimly that she would pick supernatural shape-shifters over that
wretched man any day. Granted, Catriona laughed to herself, she
never expected that sort of ultimatum to present itself.
A cold breeze blew through the mountains, and with it brought a
steady rain that darkened the ground around her. Catriona got to
her feet, hoping the clan would allow her back amongst them. She
began her return, casting about for the path to the caves only to
find unmarked ground. Catriona lifted her eyes to the sky,
guarding her face against the rain as best she could - the sun
would tell her which direction to go. But of course it was raining,
the clouds obscured her only point of direction. Catriona cursed
herself. She hugged her arms close to her chest as the rain began
to seep through the thick cloth of her dress. The rain could last
anywhere between twenty minutes to an hour; it may not be worth
the wait for it to clear. Catriona took a hold of her skirts, hiking
them up out of the mud and made her way roughly in the direction
she had come - hoping for the best.
Her boots were heavy with mud in a matter of minutes, slowing
Catriona’s footsteps. Perhaps these mountains were enchanted like
its people, she thought idly - keeping strangers away by losing
them in the twists and turns of the slopes, obscuring the true path
to those who did not belong. Catriona pushed the wet strands of
hair from her face, rain dripping from her fingers. Perhaps the rain
too was enchanted - to never end, she mused bitterly, pulling her
feet from another hidden puddle. She trembled in the cold,
pausing to get her bearings. The weather breathed a heavy mist
through the hills, tricking her eyes to make them believe the world
was constantly shifting about her. Then, as the fog dispersed,
Catriona saw a figure approach. It was dark, padding along the
ground with its nose down. The dark wolf. She breathed in sharply
at the other worldly sight, the creature emerging from the mist.
The wolf stopped at her sound, and lifted its head. His amber eyes
glowed, even in the dim, dull light. The world shifted again,
obscured, blurred, and then reappeared - and there was Conall,
standing before her. A small tremor seemed to run through his
body, which Catriona realized was Conall’s attempt to keep
himself from running to her, or making any sudden movements.
For a moment, neither of them moved, the silence interrupted only
by the haze of the rain.
“Conall,” Catriona said at last, softly.
Conall’s face brightened with tentative hope. Catriona then held a
hand out and they walked to meet each other. Conall took
Catriona’s hand and gasped lightly.
“You’re frozen through,” he remarked with alarm. He put
Catriona’s hands to his lips and tried to warm them with his
breath.
Absently, Catriona thought she ought to have pulled away,
flinched at the gesture - that mouth hid dangerous teeth after all.
But when Conall stood there as he did now, as a man, nothing in
her body spoke of fear, even if she tried to will it.
“I’m sorry,” Catriona said, “for running away.”
Conall shook his head. “No, I should have told you much sooner.”
Catriona breathed a laugh, her eyes falling closed without her
notice. She leaned forward to rest her head against Conall’s chest -
to feel the warm heartbeat within. He placed his hand on her
forehead, it was soothing.
“You’re catching cold,” she heard Conall say.
Catriona didn’t reply, her body felt heavy, as if she were sinking.
Suddenly Conall was lifting her from the ground, holding her in
his arms. Catriona’s eyes fluttered briefly.
“This really isn’t necessary,” she muttered. Nonetheless she made
no other protests.
Conall kissed her forehead and said nothing, only turned and
hurried them back to the caves.

Catriona breathed in deeply, slowly. She didn’t know when she

had fallen asleep, only that she was now waking among something
soft and that someone was stroking her hair. She cracked an eye
open to see Conall watching over her. Catriona was in his bed,
curled up in the furs. It was an oddly familiar sensation -
comfortable, safe.
“So you’re wolves, eh?” She said with a small grin.
Conall himself smiled sheepishly, “I wish you could have seen me
in a better light. Lenox just…”
“Gets your hackles up?” Catriona offered.
Conall looked at her pointedly, which made Catriona grin all the
more.
“What does this mean for me?” She asked, more seriously. “Or for
us?”
With a sigh, Conall laid his head on the bed - bent over where he
sat. He jogged one leg uncertainly, closing his eyes in thought.
“You can stay here, nothing has to change if you don’t want it to.”
“And if Hector finds this place?”
“He already has.”
Catriona bolted upright. “What?” How could Conall sit there so
simply and deliver that news.
“Some of our scouts have returned, having sighted his camp
moving in.” Conall looked up, “they came back while you were
resting, I didn’t want to wake you with bad news.”
“Well, good lord, Conall - how much time do we have?” Catriona
could feel her throat tightening as her heart tried to force its way
upwards.
“Eamon and the others are making preparations now. We should
be able to move everyone by nightfall.”
“Move everyone? What? Do you mean we’re simply abandoning
this place?” Catriona’s anxiety was quickly replaced by confusion.
She pushed the furs aside and got out of bed to retrieve the rest of
her clothes - the outer layers having been removed to dry. Conall
sat up, alarmed, but Catriona paid him no mind as she re-dressed
herself.
“We have done it before,” Conall stated simply.
Catriona stopped in her tracks and looked to Conall. “How many
times?”
Conall shrugged. “Too many to count after all these years. We
have to keep our people hidden. If it there is too much of a risk,
we find somewhere else.”
The thought was hard to stomach. How many times had the clan
been forced out of their home, only to find the next one knowing it
would not last? Catriona’s expression grew steely, and Conall
must have noticed because he straightened up with worry.
“What are you thinking?” He asked.
“You’re not moving,” Catriona replied flatly.
At this, Conall stood up. “Excuse me?” He almost laughed,
“Catriona -.”
“No,” she interrupted, “I will not have my husband ruin another
life. I cannot account for the others in your past who have done
you wrong, but if it is Hector who is to threaten you, all of us -
then I must do something.”
Conall shook his head, a bewildered smile crossing his lips. He
crossed the room to Catriona and put his hands on her hips.
Catriona held her chin high, worried Conall was going to attempt
to talk her out of it.
“Then what is your plan, my Lady?” He simply asked.

That night, the clan gathered around a large bonfire in part of the
caves that led deep into the mountain. The heat filled the room,
making the air dance above them as it swam to the high arching
ceiling. It had taken some convincing but with Eamon’s support,
Catriona and Conall were able to present their plan. Hector would
be upon them by morning; those who could not fight would hold
down the caves - lock off entryways, disguise passageways, turn
their homes into a trap for the Englishmen should it come to that.
Many had been hesitant, but shockingly enough, the one to win
support for the plan was Lenox. He had approached Catriona and
Conall grudgingly, unreadable - until he turned to the listening
crowd and voiced his eagerness to fight for their home at last. Too
long had they been hiding behind the image of rebels, when all
they truly did was turn tail and run at the first sight of danger. The
room murmured with agreement and dissent at his words, but in
the end, their pride and eagerness for a battle at long last won out.
Now, as they passed drinks around the fire, Eamon stood to raise
what might become a final toast.
“It’s been some time since any of us have seen real battle.
Skirmishes certainly,” he tipped his glass to a certain group in the
corner who whooped loudly. “But tomorrow could cost us blood,
and lives. Let’s make sure we’ve made them worthwhile, eh?”
He let out a howl that echoed loudly through the chamber. It was
taken up by the rest of the pack, ringing in all different tones as
the voices melted into one. Catriona could feel it shake through
her bones, stirring up something primeval in her soul. A part of
her that longed to howl and dance like an animal too. Somewhere
in the room, someone took up a drum while someone else took up
the penny whistle. Soon the room was moving with more than just
air, but with bodies. The clan did dance - celebrating, and
preparing their souls for what may come. The energy grew and
grew until men and women were embracing, shedding clothes,
taking to the furs in heady delight. Catriona’s eyes dazzled in the
light, sweat trickled down her neck as she swayed to the drums, in
Conall’s arms. She gave way to the passion of the room, kissing
Conall deeply, clinging to him in an almost desperate hunger.
There was no longer anything outside of this moment. Tomorrow
didn’t exist - there was only now, and them, and the clan, and the
life they would create for those that may be lost.
Dizzy with energy, Catriona and Conall tumbled together to the
floor, fumbling for what they could remove - joining those already
in ecstasy. The fire burned brightly, even behind her eyelids.
Catriona felt as if she could almost see Conall’s specter with her
eyes closed, his gold aura shining before her as they made love
once more. The beat of the drums pulsated through her body, their
bodies, pulling them ever closer. Conall’s hands explored her skin
as she lay on top of him and she groaned with pleasure as he
slipped his fingers into her, massaging her lips as they grew wet.
Catriona bit into Conall’s neck, running her tongue against him.
He took this as encouragement and bent his fingers, making
Catriona gasp. She wouldn’t allow him to finish her there,
however - she wanted to be together, in every sense of the word.
She kissed him, and whispered this to Conall. He ran his fingers
along her one more time, sending shivers through Catriona’s body,
then let himself slide into her as Catriona pushed him in deep. The
room was alive with pleasure, with voices cooing and moaning
and gasping, all to one purpose. Catriona sat up, arching her back
into Conall’s movements. With one hand on her hip, Conall held
her steady, while he reached with his other hand to grasp her
breast. Briefly, Catriona opened her eyes, gazing up at the ceiling -
the embers of the fire swirled above them like stars, caught up in
the trails of the smoke, and the collective breath of the pack as
they all seemed to breathe as one.
Catriona inhaled sharply, her vision going hazy as she climaxed. It
grew deep within her, spreading from her legs, into a swarming
heat that traveled up her stomach and through her chest. She let
out a cry - one she was almost surprised to hear from her own
mouth. Beneath her, Catriona heard Conall exclaim as well, his
grip tightening on her as his body trembled with the force of it.
The both of them gasped, breathing deeply as if all the air had
been drawn from them.
It was a moment before Catriona came back to her senses, now
lying next to Conall on the floor. He ran a hand down her cheek,
gently, his eyes warm and wavering. He moved in closer, leaving
small kisses on Catriona’s cheeks, her lips, her eyelids.
“You must promise to be careful tomorrow morning,” Conall
spoke softly.
Catriona smirked, “I ought to be telling you that, shouldn’t I?”
“I’m not the one carrying a new life within me,” Conall placed a
hand on Catriona’s stomach. Catriona’s eyes widened, putting her
own hand atop his.
“Good lord, you wolves are potent,” she said before thinking.
Conall blinked in shock at the comment, clearly expecting a
different sort of reaction. Then the two of them broke into
laughter, unable to contain themselves. Catriona took Conall’s
face in her hands and kissed him — eagerly, happily, savoring the
moment for all it was worth.

Morning came slowly, allowing the night to step away at its own
pace, along with the mist that blanketed the ground. Catriona
stood alone near the base of the mountains - not far from the path
that she and Conall had traveled on their first journey. She waited,
wrapped in a heavy cloak that hung draped from her shoulders.
The blood rose to her cheeks against the cold, contrasting sharply
against her pale skin as she watched Hector and his men approach.
He advanced with a large army of men and horses - they had seen
her from some distance away, and deemed it safe to approach for a
parley of sorts. Catriona watched with steely eyes as Hector drew
his horse before her and looked down from the saddle.
“My darling wife,” he said without affection, “I thought you dead
- having been taken captive by these ruthless men.”
It was clear that was the fate he wished for her - perhaps that was
the excuse he had been using amongst his friends at court.
Catriona wondered why he bothered to put on this show now.
Hector tossed Catriona’s knife to the ground with distain. Her
heart fluttered for a moment, having forgotten the small weapon
long ago. Hector knew the truth, how could he not? If the day
proved fatal for the Shifters, the look in Hector’s eyes made it
plain that it would be her last as well. Only a short time ago, this
would have made Catriona tremble, would have sent a chill
through her bones. But now, she lifted her chin and returned his
stare.
“We’re offering you a chance to surrender, before there is any
needless bloodshed.” She told him calmly.
As expected, Hector laughed, throwing back his head - his men
joined in, as always, and the army rippled with their amusement
before Hector waved a hand for silence.
“Their own, I’m sure. My Lady -.”
Catriona’s skin rankled as the words passed Hector’s lips. She was
no longer his.
“Step aside, or die like an animal along your new friends.” He
drew his sword, signaling to his men who too readied their
weapons.
“They are not the animals, Hector,” Catriona said - and then all
hell broke loose. The wolves burst from the mountains, Conall and
his people. They charged the field in their shifted forms, howling
and snarling, without warning. Half of Hector’s men fled
immediately at the sight, scrambling to turn their terrified horses
as dozens of the huge beasts streamed towards them, teeth bared.
Those who remained to fight stood little chance. Catriona
watched, transfixed, as men were dragged from their saddles -
fangs sunk into their legs - or toppled to the ground as wolves
heaved their entire bodies against the horses. Where silence hung
only moment ago, now the clamor of battle rang. For a moment, it
seemed victory would be an easy thing - but as soon one of the
men managed to land a blow, he took courage in the sight of the
creature’s blood. He cried out, to rally the men, and they returned
with renewed vigor to their fight. The wolves flagged, only
slightly but enough to allow Hector’s men a better footing on the
battleground. Still Catriona did not - could not - move, gazing
from the sidelines as men and wolves alike began to soak the grass
with the red stains of their blood. Her eyes searched the melee for
Conall, for his dark fur and a flash of his amber eyes, but there
was no discerning wolf from wolf in this confusion. A wretched
yowl pierced the air and Catriona saw one of her comrades fall to
the ground, the animal form shed as he lie in the dirt. Arran - the
young man Catriona had met upon her arrival. A wound on his
side bled freely as he tried to scramble back to his feet - but the
soldier before him was already raising his sword again.
Without thinking, Catriona grabbed her discarded knife from the
ground and ran into the fight. She had no idea what she was going
to do, she could only move forward. Throwing herself at the man,
Catriona managed to leap on to the man’s back. He exclaimed in
anger and confusion as he tumbled to the ground. Arran watched
with shocked amazement as Catriona dug the knife into the
enemy’s arm - it wasn’t sharp enough to do much damage at this
point, but it was enough to keep him from picking up his sword.
The man howled in pain. Catriona pulled out the knife and gazed
in disbelief at her work, but there was little time to pause.
Suddenly Arran had his arm around her and was pulling her away,
staggering as they both ducked for cover and made it out of
harm’s way.
They collapsed on the grass, far enough from the fight. Arran
panted. “Conall would never forgive me if I let you stay out
there,” he said with a strained laugh.
Catriona removed her cloak, all she had at hand, and began to
dress Arran’s wound. She looked back at the field distractedly, her
terror growing - how many more would be hurt, or be killed
before Hector would retreat? As if he could hear her thought
echoed across the field, Hector appeared before them, his sword
dripping. He spotted Catriona, and a flame seemed to burst in his
eyes; he hefted his weapon in his hands and began to charge the
woman and the injured man. Catriona took hold of Arran and
turned her face away, closing her eyes tightly. But a vicious growl
was heard, and Catriona turned her head again to see Conall - at
last - crashing into Hector with great force. Conall pinned the
Lord to the ground; the body of a man was nothing when weighed
down beneath the huge body of a wolf. Conall sunk his teeth into
Hector’s arm, forcing him to release his sword. Hector cried out in
agony, clawing at the great wolf with his other hand, but it did
little. Conall then brought his face close to Hector’s, baring his
teeth so that the saliva dripped from them onto Hector’s clothes.
The wolf’s hackles stood on end, his ears back, nose wrinkled and
drawn. Hector gazed up at the creature before him in terror -
trapped.
“Hector!” Catriona called to him, her own voice turned into a
growl.
He looked to his former wife helplessly.
She offered no help, only this; “Leave this place - leave Scotland
or you will die here.” To back up her statement, Conall snapped
his teeth, causing Hector to yelp in fear. The words barely made it
from his throat - but he swore, swore to retreat, to remove his men
and return to England without word of what had happened there
that day. It was that or have his head torn from his body - and
Catriona knew how fond he was of keeping it there.

The battle had not been without its losses. The bodies of the fallen
were gathered, and Catriona’s heart stung as she saw Lenox’s face
among them. Conall reassured her that the man would have been
happy with such a death, but the words would take time to truly
sooth her. She leaned into Conall and let him hold her tight. They
had driven Hector’s men away at last. Catriona thought grimly
that more armies could come. Word may still spread of their
presence in the mountains, if not the story of their supernatural
secret. But as she thought of the child that would soon grow
within her, Catriona could only look to the future with hope and
happiness.
That night beneath the stars, they held another celebration. More
somber but still with spirit. The clan made a bonfire for their lost
ones, honored them with story and song - and most importantly
with drink. Catriona sat with Conall, a sweet sadness in her chest
as she watched the people who had so quickly become her new
family say farewell to Lenox and the others. Conall placed his
hand on hers and Catriona looked to him.
He brushed a few strands of hair from her face and tucked them
behind her ear. “You know, I do have to thank Hector for
something.”
Catriona balked. “What on earth could you possibly have to thank
him for?”
“You.” Conall smiled. “Had I not ended up being captured - like a
fool, I must say,” he chuckled, “we never would have had the
chance to meet.”
Catriona blushed despite herself. “That is true. I have to
congratulate you on being such an incompetent little rebel.” She
needed him, poking her fingers into his ribs.
Conall laughed and grabbed Catriona, keeping her from any
further attacks. Catriona squirmed with delight, giggling. “Unhand
me!”
“No, I’m afraid you’ve wounded my pride while I was trying to be
romantic,” Conall teased, holding his grip.
Catriona kicked her legs, managing to push them both over onto
the ground. With a bit of effort she pushed herself closer to
Conall’s face. He looked up at her coyly.
“Well, if you shan’t let me go, I shall simply have to overpower
you,” she said with a smirk.
Conall was going to reply with another clever quip, but before he
could do so, Catriona kissed him. He breathed another laugh and
released his hold on her. Catriona pulled her head up.
“Oh, you give up so easily!” She exclaimed. But Conall shushed
her and pulled her back to his lips with a smile. They kissed
tenderly, not with the excitement of the night before but with the
contentment of knowing they were safe, and in each other’s arms.
The fire burned brightly, warming the two lovers, and the rest of
the pack. That day marked a new life for them all - Catriona had
found her new home, and the clan had at last laid claim to one of
their own. Who knew if the future would bring more enemies,
more fights to be fought - but they knew where they stood, and the
clan would never let another army drive them away.
THE END
DRAGON LORD
DRAGON LORD
“I don’t see why I have to be married off to such a loathsome
man!”
Alva McCraig circled around her brother, matching his strikes as
well as any male swordsman in the land. Their father, Lord
McCraig, found her penchant for sword fighting with her brothers
unacceptable for a young woman of her stature. He only allowed it
as long as she maintained her duties in a society that treated her
like a delicate flower, which she abhorred. The only female in a
house of six brothers and a mother long passed into her grave, she
was more tomboy than lady.
Alva never fit in at the society functions, but her father trotted her
to all of them, hoping to marry her off to an eligible member of
their rank and file. Recently, he had found success with Lord
MacEwan, a man she found as unattractive in looks as well as in
personality. Though she had only met the man briefly during a
grand ball, he was rumored to be arrogant, ruthless and aggressive.
She couldn’t imagine being married to such a man.
“You know that this will seal the peace treaty between our clans.”
“So, I am to be trotted off to get married to someone I despise in
order for everyone else to be safe and secure.”
“That is pretty much the case, yes.”
Infuriated by the notion, she quickly countered his thrust and
dropped her boot behind his leg, knocking him off kilter and
bringing him to the ground. His sword flew from his hand and she
stood over him with the tip of hers touching his breast. Smiling
down at him, she held him there a moment longer than necessary
before pulling the sword away.
“I’d rather fight.”
“Yes, we all know you would. I’d wager that you’d come out
victorious too.”
She watched as his body changed, shifting before her eyes. A
large black wolf with bright yellow eyes slid easily from beneath
her sword and stood looking at her from just beyond the edge. It
was something she could never get used to, seeing her brothers
shift into wolves as it suited them. She was deeply envious of the
ability. Just as quickly as he changed into a beast, he reformed into
his human state. He stood smiling at her, still wearing the tattered
clothes that had ripped apart in the transformation.
“I hate it when you do that.”
“You just hate that you can’t do that.”
“It is entirely unfair not being able to shift. Our family is one of
the original clans in Scotland. We’ve been here for thousands of
years and are full of wolf shifters, everyone but me, it seems.”
“Not just you, but all the females in the family. You act as if being
a woman is a curse. You have no idea how good you have it. We
have to work. We have to fight. You get married off to some fancy
Lord and instantly create peace while moving into his wealthy
estate and being waited on hand and foot.”
“You think being a woman is that easy, huh? You’d feel differently
if you were subjected to the pawing of a man you don’t care for
and forced to bear his children.”
“I wonder what they’ll be?”
“What do you mean? They’ll be children.”
“No. I mean will they shift into wolves? I hear that the MacEwans
are dragon shifters. You might have a son that shifts into a fire
breathing wolf or a howling dragon!”
“Are you seriously making light of my predicament? I should
have sunk the sword into your chest before you shifted!”
“You’d never do that to me. You love me.”
“Yes. You are my sixth favorite brother.”
“You’ve a sharp tongue, Sis. I hope you intend to temper that with
Lord MacEwan. Peace treaty won’t be a lasting long if he doesn’t
treat you well.”
“Of course. I will be a perfect lady so that all the land may have
peace while I have peril.”
“You shouldn’t look at it like that. You might enjoy all the finery
you’ll be granted. There’s hope that you’ll be a lady, after all!”
Alva swatted at him playfully as he dodged her hand and laughed.
He grabbed his sword and motioned for her to come back with
him. She followed behind, still scowling. He was lucky that he
wasn’t female. He would never have to suffer being married off as
if he were livestock being traded for barley. It was demeaning. If
her mother were alive, somehow, Alva thought she would not
have allowed such a thing to happen to her.
“There is nothing unladylike about me. You just don’t want to
admit that you had to shift into your wolf form because you were
defeated by a girl!”
Alva laughed playfully as she pulled her long honey wheat hair
out of the neat bun it had been pinned into and shook it free about
her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes twinkled in the sunlight as her
laughter sang along the pines that surrounded them in the nearby
forest. She might well be a tomboy and given to sport with her
brothers, but she was one of the most beautiful girls in the land.
There was many a saddened suitor who had sought her heart and
failed.
Walking into the house, she considered the misfortune of having
been so picky about who she would like to marry only to have the
choice taken away from her. There had been some boys she had
dated that would have been preferable to Lord MacEwan, but she
had not known a day like this would come. She told herself that
there was no rush to marry though some would deem her an old
maid. Her mother had loved her father very much and that is what
she wanted for herself, a house filled with love and devotion.
“It’s not fair!”
The words she uttered to herself still echoed along the walls of her
childhood home. She looked around, knowing it would be far
behind her soon. She would live elsewhere with a man she did not
care for. He would take her as his wife and she would bear his
children. The thought made her shudder. Children were wonderful
and beautiful, but not something she had ever envisioned for
herself. She had believed she would find someone as passionate as
herself given to adventure and fun. There would be none of that
where she was going. Of that, she was certain.
It seemed like the day to leave for Lord MacEwan’s estate had
arrived before she knew it. The servants had all of her things
neatly packed and loaded into the carriage that would take her to
her new home. Giving it one last shot, she begged her father for a
change of heart.
“Please, I’m begging you. Don’t’ send me off to that horrid excuse
of a man.”
“You hardly know him, Alva. You might be well surprised how
well suited for one another you are.”
“Exactly! I hardly know him and I’m being shipped to him like a
neatly wrapped gift. How could you do this to me?”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Alva. You’ll quickly be an old maid if I
leave it up to you to choose a husband. You’d rather spar with
your brothers than court a suitable mate. This pairing will create a
much needed peace between our clans and I think you’ll find it
isn’t as unpleasant as you think.”
“You have no idea if it will be unpleasant for me or not! You don’t
care!”
“Of course I care. You are my only daughter. Just give it a chance,
Alva. You’ll do just fine.”
“So you say. I’ll never forgive you for this. Never!”
Her father looked at her forlornly as she hugged each of her
brother’s goodbye, tears falling down her face. Moments later, she
was seated in the carriage and on her way to her new life. It felt
like a death sentence as she made the three-day journey, stopping
periodically in towns along the way for food and rest. At each rest
stop, she contemplating running away, but she had no means of
support and nowhere to go. Far worse could happen to her out on
her own than having to marry a man she didn’t care for.
The trip seemed endless, each day felt like she would just be
traveling forever, never really getting anywhere. The idea of
running still occurred to her each day. Her thoughts whirled with
considerations of where she could go and how she could survive.
She could cut her hair, strap down her chest and don the clothing
of a man. She was good enough with a sword to pass herself off
with the best of them. Still, it was frightening to consider. The
question was really just if it was more frightening than the
destination toward which she traveled.
“Finally!”
She looked out the window as the carriage pulled to a halt in front
of the great castle belonging to Lord MacEwan. It was quite the
sight with its large towers and heavily guarded walls. To Alva, it
looked more like a prison than a place to be happy. She doubted
that she could ever see such a place as home. As the door opened,
she found that she was greeted by Lord MacEwan himself,
standing just outside of it with a large smile and open arms.
“Ah, there is my beautiful bride. It is so nice to have you arrived
for our blessed nuptials. Shall we get you settled in and then
partake in a bit of celebration?”
“Thank you. Of course. That would be divine.”
It wasn’t divine. It wasn’t at all, but she had no choice but to play
the role she had been assigned. Lord MacEwan was not
unattractive, but there was something about him, something dark
and sinister. He was well known to be a ruthless pillager and
unyielding overlord to the people that inhabited the lands
surrounding his castle. He was feared by all and liked by none. He
was not the sort of man to which Alva had ever considered she
would be married. She silently cursed her father once more and
feigned happiness as she was led up to her chambers.
Her arrival was celebrated with great fanfare. Lord MacEwan had
arranged for the local society types to come out for a great feast to
welcome her with open arms. So far, it wasn’t too bad, but she still
felt incredibly nervous and sullen about the entire situation.
Though he was quite pleasant to her, there was something amiss
about him. She had sensed it the first time they had met and it was
even stronger now that she had arrived at his palace.
It didn’t take long to see exactly what the problem was. Lord
MacEwan was nothing in private like he was in public. The
hospitable, considerate man that had greeted her was just a façade
for the cold, rude man that confronted her behind closed doors.
She shrank back a bit as he issued orders for how she would and
would not behave within the walls of his home. It was quite
obvious that this place truly never would be her home, only his.
She didn’t belong here, but that is something she had known prior
to her arrival.
“Make no mistake. You aren’t exactly the sort of woman I
intended to marry. You’re attractive enough, I will give you that,
but you have the manners of an uneducated tart and I won’t
tolerate being embarrassed by you. You will attend private classes
I have set up from a proper Lady in hopes that you might learn
how to present yourself.”
“There is nothing wrong with my manners!”
“There is everything wrong with your manners. If you had any,
you would know that it is not proper to address me with such
sullen indignation. I have no time for such games.”
“Games? You insulted me! I’m not allowed to defend my own
honor?”
“You are not allowed to talk back to me. I assure you that I will
not hesitate to lash your backside for it. Also, I won’t have any of
this nonsense of your sword fighting. It is improper and it is not
allowed.”
“You can’t tell me what I can and cannot do!”
“Oh, but I can and I just did. You and I will be married tomorrow
and you will do exactly as I tell you. Don’t forget that the peace
between your clan and mine depends on this union. It would be a
shame for your stubbornness to bring about harm to your kin. If
you think for a moment that I will hesitate to break the peace
treaty just because you bat your eyelashes at me, then you are
sorely mistaken. You mean nothing to me. I was in need of a bride
and your father was cowardly enough to hand over his only
daughter in exchange for my not slaughtering your entire clan.
Nothing more, nothing less.”
Alva glared at him but said nothing. There was really nothing she
could say that would make a difference. There was really nothing
she could do. If she talked back, if she ran, if she did anything to
cross him, her family would pay the price. Though her brothers
were wolf shifters and usually very capable of taking care of
themselves in battle, they had never had to battle dragons. If what
was said of the MacEwan clan was true, it might be a match they
could not win.
“Very well. I will do as you ask, but only because I really haven’t
a choice it seems.”
“I am glad we have come to an understanding. I will have a
servant show you back to your quarters. I suggest you remain
there for the rest of the evening and not burden me with your
presence.
“That suits me just fine. Have a pleasant evening.”
Alva tried to keep her tone polite and respectful, though she was
seething inside. This place would be misery for her. Already she
missed her brothers and her father. Tomorrow was a dreaded day.
Once she was married to Lord MacEwan, he would expect things
of a carnal nature from her. The thought made her skin crawl. The
man didn’t even like her and would paw at her like the animal he
was. There wasn’t much she found more revolting than the
thought of pleasuring the likes of him.
As the sun rose the next day, Alva found herself feeling quite ill. It
was all she could do to get out of bed and begin getting ready for
the big day. Within moments of her rising, the room was flooded
with giddy servant girls, all eager to help her into her wedding
gown and do her hair. They doted on her as if she were a princess,
something Alva had never been or wanted to be. Though when
they were done and she looked at herself in the large mirror
standing to one side of the room, she had to admit, she looked the
part. Other than the terrible emptiness she could see in her own
eyes, she was quite the perfect bride.
“Ah, there is my beautiful betrothed!”
Alva turned toward the sound of Lord MacEwan’s voice. He was
dressed in a very fine suit sewn with rich mahogany and gold
threading. His boots were polished to a sparkle. He wasn’t a bad
looking man, but it did nothing to hide what he was beneath his
handsome exterior. She had heard about his raids upon nearby
villages under the guise of cleaning up the realm. They were
nothing more than pillagings as far as she was concerned. It was a
condition of the marriage that they be stopped. She reminded
herself of the good coming from this union as she feigned a smile
in return.
“Do you find me suitable for the day then?”
He frowned at her. Though she had said it in the most pleasant
manner, the sarcastic meaning had not escaped him. Rather than
replying, he turned neatly and walked away. Alva smiled to
herself a bit as she heard this boots retreating down the nearby
steps. Hopefully, he would not return before the ceremony. The
less she saw of him, the better it would be.
The wedding itself was beautiful. If Alva had wanted to wed in the
first place, she could imagine that this might have been a dream
wedding for any girl. Instead, it felt more like a death sentence
and her veil, a shroud. It was all she could do to maintain her
composure without crying until it was done, reciting her vows
through clenched teeth and smiling broadly as the priest
pronounced them man and wife. Once the despicable deed was
done, they turned and presented themselves to the crowd in
attendance.
A loud cheer went up through the guests as the newly married
couple made their way back down the aisle to a grand reception in
the great hall of the castle. Alva played her part as expected, dying
a little inside as she thought of the wedding night that would
follow. Though she had dated a little, she had never done
experienced more than a light kiss from a suitor at the end of the
outting. Now, here she was about to be most personal with a man
she barely knew, husband or not. Her thoughts were disrupted by a
man’s voice behind her.
“We haven’t met.”
Alva turned to see the most beautiful man she thought she had
ever laid eyes on. His flaxen curly hair was pulled back in a loose
knot, but strands of it fell around his chiseled jawline. The light
seemed to dance in his playful blue eyes as he looked at her
thoughtfully and smiled, perfect white teeth visible beyond soft,
full lips. He was tall and muscular. Mostly, he was just
breathtaking.
“I suppose we haven’t. Alva McCraig. Well, I suppose I am Lady
MacEwan now.”
“Heath MacEwan. It is a pleasure to meet my new sister in law.”
“Oh! You are Lord MacEwan’s brother! I didn’t know you had
made it for the ceremony.”
“Yes. A bit late, as usual. It’s a bit of a family joke that I’m never
anywhere on time. I apologize for my tardiness. I actually made
only the very end of the nuptials. You are quite a striking bride.”
“Thank you.”
The two of them stood for a moment wordlessly, just looking at
one another. There was an odd chemistry in the air about them.
Alva felt like she was being pulled to him in a way she couldn’t
describe. Just as quickly as the feeling had come over her, it was
dispelled by the appearance of her new husband.
“Well, I see you have met my new bride, brother. I’m surprised
you made it before our first child was born.”
A shudder went through Alva and she shivered visibly. Lord
MacEwan seemed to miss it, but his brother didn’t. She noticed
that he looked at her and smiled a little before looking back at his
brother.
“Always so quick with the acerbic wit. That’s why I do love you
so, brother.”
“I’m sure. How long do you intend to stay here on our good
graces then, Heath?”
“I don’t know. I had just intended to pop in for your wedding
nuptials and then be on my way, but I think now I might just stay a
while. I trust you have plenty of room for your darling brother?”
Alva could feel Heath looking in her direction as he said the
words and thought she might blush right there in front of the both
of them. Instead, she excused herself, making her way far enough
away to break the spell cast about her by Heath’s mere presence.
What was it about him that she found so irresistible? It wasn’t as if
it mattered. She was now a married woman and he was her
husband’s brother. Still, he did something to her when he was
near. It had been instantaneous.
The celebration went on for hours, leaving Alva exhausted. She
had gotten little rest between her travels here, yesterday’s
celebration and today’s wedding events. All she wanted to do was
sleep, but she suspected that wouldn’t be on her agenda either.
When she finally made it to her room, she sat brushing her hair in
front of the mirror in her sleeping gown. A sense of dread was
knotted up in her stomach, causing her to feel positively ill. When
she heard Lord MacEwan’s footsteps approaching, she was
terribly afraid she was going to purge at any moment.
“I think that was just a lovely wedding, don’t you?”
“Yes. I’d say that it was a spectacular event. You put on a grand
show. I’ll give you that.”
He approached her, his hand reaching out to brush away some hair
from her shoulder. His face was only inches from hers and she
waited for him to kiss her, praying that she could get through this.
Instead, she heard his voice, clear and concise, in her ear.
“Don’t worry, my dear wife. You’ll not be suffering my loins this
evening or any other until I feel it is time to bear a child. Only
then will I stomach the likes of your flesh. You are hardly my
type. You will maintain separate quarters and you will tell no one
that you remain untouched by your dearly devoted husband.”
With that, he turned and left the room. Alva stood looking after
him, bewildered. A part of her was relieved that he had no
intention of fouling her this day, but it was still very confusing that
he had no desire to consummate the marriage. Instead of
pondering the reasons, she elected to be grateful. She suddenly felt
a lot more lighthearted. She would worry about that whole child
bearing thing when it became necessary.
The following morning, she made her way downstairs to venture
out onto the grounds. Lord MacEwan had already left to see to
some business that would take him away for at least a week, so
she would have the run of the place while he was gone. It was a
lovely day and she thought that going for a ride might be nice. It
wasn’t something she was sure he would let her do when he was
here, so best to take the opportunity while he was away.
“What are you doing, Lady MacEwan?”
Alva turned to find herself looking into the smiling face of Heath.
He stood leaning against the inner walls of the stable, watching as
she examined the horses to determine which might be suitable to
take out for a ride. They were beautiful animals, the finest stock,
but being out on the wrong horse could be dangerous for a woman
riding alone. She was about to seek out a stable hand to prepare a
suitable beast when she found herself face to face with Heath.
“I thought I might go for a ride, but I know nothing of these
horses. I’m not sure which one I should take.”
“Well, then you are lucky I am here. I was thinking of taking a
ride myself.”
“Then, you will join me?”
Alva wasn’t sure why the idea made her feel so giddy, or maybe
she was sure but refused to acknowledge it. She was attracted to
Heath in a way that she certainly didn’t feel for her husband. In all
honesty, it was probably best that she keep her distance. Looking
at him standing there smiling back at her, she knew she wouldn’t
do so.
“I think it sounds like a most wonderful idea.”
Heath called in one of the stable hands to prepare two of the
horses for riding while he chatted with her to one side of the
stable.
“I hear that you are an excellent swords woman, Lady MacEwan.”
“Please. I feel like someone’s old aunt. Call me Alva.”
“Very well. Alva it shall be.”
“I am okay with a sword I suppose.”
“Better than just okay from what I am told. I’d love to see a
demonstration of your skills.”
“Nothing would delight me more, but your brother has forbidden
it now that we are wed.”
“He did, did he?”
“Yes. He was very adamant about my being a lady.”
“Of course. Appearances are everything to my brother, after all. I
tell you what. Let’s have a little secret. You and I will practice on
our ride. We can go out to the moors and no one will see.”
“Really? I would adore that. Are you sure he won’t find out? If I
do anything to break the peace between our clans . . ..”
“Peace? Is that how he conned such a sweet and beautiful woman
into marrying the likes of him? I should have known it was not for
the sake of love. I mean, I am assuming you don’t love him.”
“Love him? I hardly even know him. I only saw him once before I
came here to be married to him. My father arranged this.”
“It all makes perfect sense then. Enough of this small talk about
unfortunate events. Let’s ride, shall we?”
The ride through the woods and onto the moors well beyond them
was euphoric. Alva felt like she was as free as the wind that
whirled about her. They settled into an area blanketed all around
by a thicket of trees. If anyone were to happen into the area, they
should well hear them in the branches before they reached them.
Tying off the horses to a nearby tree, the two prepared to fight.
Alva was unhappy without her own sword, but the spare one he
had brought would have to do.
The time flew by as they sparred playfully with one another.
Heath was an expert swordsman himself and was very good with
pointers on how to improve her stance and thrust. She loved that
he didn’t come across as condescending or act as if she was less
inept because she was female.
“Here, let me show you something.”
Alva watched as he lay down his sword and walked over to where
she was standing. Walking around her, he put his arms around her
and took both her hands in his, positioning the sword they held
and demonstrating a well-balanced swing designed to disrupt her
opponents grip on his weapon. As he moved with her, his body
pressed gently against hers, his muscles rippling as he flexed
upward. It sent a shiver through her that didn’t go unnoticed. He
stepped away and turned to face her.
“Are you cold out here?”
“Um, no. I just had a chill. It passed.”
He looked down at her, searching her face and then something
unexpected happened. Before Alva realized what was going on, he
cupped her chin in his hands and tilted her face toward him,
bringing his lips to her own. Her sword fell to her side as she took
in the taste of his hungry mouth upon hers. Her heart thudded in
her chest. Everything about this felt so right, except . . . it was
wrong. She yanked away.
“Heath, your brother! I just married him yesterday.”
“I’m sorry, Alva. I just got carried away. You’re so beautiful and
he’ll never appreciate that about you.”
“Perhaps he will. I haven’t given him a chance and here I am out
on the moors acting like a common tart with his brother!”
“Trust me when I say he won’t, but I suppose it is not my place to
make that assessment. I apologize if my kiss offended you, but
I’m not sorry that I did it.”
Alva studied his face closely as he continued to meet her gaze.
She couldn’t help but think that he was beautiful. Perhaps she had
never seen a more beautiful man in her life, in fact. It seemed like
an odd thing to say about a man who was so obviously virile and
strong, but the thought remained. Before she could stop herself,
she leaned forward and kissed him again.
His lips tasted divine on hers as his arms wrapped tightly around
her, pulling their bodies closer. She sighed deeply as his mouth
drifted down the side of her neck, kissing her pale, delicate skin.
This was wrong. She knew that, but there was something about
Heath that she couldn’t deny. The way she wanted him was
something she would never share with his brother and she found
she couldn’t stop. Her hands tangled in his long curls as his kisses
fell across the exposed tops of her breasts.
“Heath, please . . . “
“You want me to stop?”
He paused, looking up at her breathlessly. The look of desire in his
eyes was unmistakable. She could only imagine that it mirrored
her own. She didn’t want him to stop, but she knew this wasn’t
right. No matter what she thought of her husband.
“I just. What we are doing is wrong.”
“It doesn’t feel wrong to me. In fact, I wish that for once in my
life that I had not been late. If I had gotten here before the
ceremony, I would have put a stop to it on first sight of you. You
were positively radiant in your dress, but you looked so sad. I
knew you were not marrying my brother for love. Later, I found
out it was arranged and why.”
“Still, Heath. I am married to him now.”
“My brother will never love you, Alva. He isn’t the sort to fall in
love with a woman. I was halfway in love with you when I laid
eyes on you.”
“How could we ever be together, Heath?”
“For now, like this. Out here, there is no one to bother us. He is
gone. We are completely alone. Perhaps by the time he figures it
out, we will find a way.”
She stood looking at him a moment longer, at his sharp jawline,
regal in appearance. It didn’t take a huge push to realize that she
felt the same immediate pull toward him as he did to her. Her head
nodded slightly as he pulled her close again, kissing her even
more deeply than before. They were soon lost in one another,
consumed by the other, giving in to their needs.
Heath lay her gently in the grass, slowly stripping her clothing off
layer by layer. His lips trailed every inch of her skin as it became
exposed to the glorious sunlight beaming down upon them from
above. She let go of feeling this was wrong. It felt right. It felt so
completely right that she knew she would do whatever she must
do to stay with him.
Her back arched upward toward his touch as he parted her legs
and kissed her untouched folds. It was like nothing she had ever
experienced before as he slowly toured her pussy with his tongue,
kissing and licking his way along each and every inch. She felt
herself growing wetter, reacting to his touch. Her heart raced and
pulse quickened as she drew in a sharp breath.
She watched as he stopped for a moment, smiling down at her as
he stripped free of his clothes. His body was spectacular, muscle
and sinew. She tried not to stare at his manhood, standing fully
erect. Though she should be afraid of what was happening, she
found that she felt no doubt, no fear. Being with Heath would be
the most natural thing in the world.
“You look so beautiful like that, all spread out on the ground,
naked for me.”
“Heath, I’ve never done this before. I don’t know what to do.”
“There is nothing to know, Alva. Just feel your way.”
He sank back down to the ground beside her, taking her in his
arms again and kissing her. The fire she had felt before was
renewed, burning deeper than even moments before. His hand
found its way between her legs, his fingers slowly parting her
center and massaging her as she squirmed beneath his gentle
touch. Their eyes locked together, his watching as hers grew
darker with desire. Her moans scattered across the wind blowing
through the meadow.
“I love the way your pussy drips along my fingers. You feel like
wet velvet on my skin.”
Alva blushed at his words. It was new to have a man be intimate
with her, much less be so vulgar in his description of her lady
parts. She found it oddly titillating. Her excitement only grew as
he continued to massage her gently until she could feel a pressure
welling up inside her, as if she might swell and burst. Every nerve
ending pulsed wildly until she felt a sudden explosion that seemed
to run throughout her body, causing her to quiver and shake
beneath him. A loud cry of pleasure escaped her lips as Heath
smiled knowingly.
“Heathhhhhh.”
It was all she could manage to say in the moment of passion. She
felt like her body had been blown apart and then snapped perfectly
back into place. Perspiration dotted her brow as Heath moved
across her, pressing his body closer to hers. The sudden pain as he
pushed slowly inside of her tight opening was blinding, she cried
out again and he hesitated, letting the discomfort pass before
pulling back and slowly slipping back in. Each stroke brought a
fresh pain, but it was lessening, replaced with a new pleasure.
“You feel so wonderful, Heath. I never knew it could be like this.”
“It will be like this forever. Somehow, someway.”
Alva smiled up at him, a few tears escaping her eyes as her breath
slowed, became more labored with his increasing passion. Her
hips met his again and again as he took her for his own, making
love to her feverishly beneath the open sky above them. His grunts
filled the air, mingling with her own as they slammed into one
another, unable to get enough of the other.
“God, I’m coming. I’m going to explode.”
“Yes. I want to feel everything you have inside me.”
With one final stroke, Heath pushed deeply inside her, erupting
with a thick load of his seed destined for her womb. Alva didn’t
care if she became with child though she knew it could well mean
a disaster for the both of them. She wanted to experience what it
felt like to have his seed flowing through her. The warm rush of
his fluids inside her only made her happier.
They lay in the grass, holding one another and kissing until the
day began to grow long. It would be getting dark before they
arrived back at the stables if they didn’t hurry. Jumping up to get
dressed, they mounted their horses and made the ride back before
they were missed by too many. Careful to keep their distance from
one another around the castle, it felt like torture to be so far apart
from him as they went about the business of appearing that
nothing was any different than it should be.
“That brother of Lord MacEwan’s is quite the handsome one isn’t
he?”
Alva paused, listening as the two giddy servants discussed him.
She smiled a little to herself as she stood pretending to admire a
nearby trinket with her back turned to them.
“He certainly is. Quite a bit friendlier than the Lord too. I wonder
if he is interested in a woman of slightly lesser breeding than
himself?”
Alva felt herself stiffen a little at the idea and turned suddenly to
face them, angry despite her self-admonishment to mind herself.
“Don’t the two of you have something you should be doing?”
They looked at her and then each other, a stricken look exchanged
that she had overheard their discussion of both her husband and
his brother.
“I’m sorry, Lady MacEwan. We were just going out ot mind the
linens.”
The pair scurried off hurriedly. Alva could still overhear them as
one of them whispered a bit too loudly to the other.
“She’s probably just upset because she has already figured out that
her husband prefers his own kind over what’s beneath the skirt of
hers.”
Alva was stunned. Was it true? It made perfect sense with what he
had said to her, the lack of a marriage consummation and some of
Heath’s comments. Instead of being distraught, she found that she
was absolutely giddy about it. If he didn’t enjoy the pleasures of
women, then she certainly wouldn’t have to worry about him
touching her. It meant she would have no issues of maintaining
her complete faithfulness to Heath instead.
Smiling, she went upstairs and prepared for dinner. She sat at a far
end of the table from Heath, trying her best to avoid eye contact,
not because she wanted to but because she was afraid everyone
would be able to see what she had done with him just from the
look on her face. Of course, Heath, infinitely playful was having
none of it.
“Lady MacEwan, did you have a good ride this afternoon?”
“I did. It was most splendid.”
“I’m not sure that you should be going out alone on the horse
without a proper escort.”
“Why is that?”
“This land is not always a fit place for a lady of your stature to be
out alone. There are thieves and kidnappers that would love to
find you separated from any assistance.”
“Perhaps I will ask one of the guards to accompany next time.”
“You could do that, but I would be more than happy to go with
you tomorrow. I’m an excellent swordsman. I can protect you
from any harm.”
“I will take it under advisement. Thank you kindly for the offer.”
Alva smiled a little to herself as she took a bite of her food. He
was toying with her, but he was also setting up a very public
excuse to ride with her again tomorrow. She was glad to know that
he wasn’t just some sort of cad that had taken her maidenhead for
sport. Everything had felt so real today and she didn’t want to lose
that feeling ever. In fact, she already found herself looking
forward to their next rendezvous.
The days that followed were absolutely blissful. Each day, she and
Heath went riding together. They used swordplay as if it were
foreplay, sparring with one another until neither could bear not
touching one another any longer. They ended each day making
love in the moors as if it were the first time, every time. Their
passion for one another only increased until it was hard ot leave
one another alone even when back in the castle.
“Kiss me.”
“Heath, no. Stop. Someone will see.”
Alva was pushed up against the stone wall that led to the lower
level of the castle where valuables were stored behind locked
doors.
“I don’t care. I can’t stand being so close to you and not being
able to touch you. It’s maddening.”
“It is for me too, but if we get caught, I don’t know what he will
do.”
“I’m not scared of him.”
“I know you aren’t, but I have my family to consider, as well.”
“We have to get you out of here, Alva. You don’t belong here with
him. You belong anywhere else with me.”
“We can’t, Heath. We have to stop this. It has gotten out of hand.
He will be back any day now. It’s dangerous.”
“You can’t leave me, Alva. I need you. You are my heart. I love
you.”
“I love you too, Heath. I do, but I am married to your brother and
we have to let it go.”
“I won’t let it go. I will never let you go.”
Heath kissed her, despite her earlier protest. His fingers tangled in
her hair as his mouth searched hers greedily, hungrily. Their
bodies pressed together closely until he finally yanked himself
away, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her toward the dark
cellar just beyond the hallway. Clearing off the top of a barrel in
one quiet corner, he pushed up her skirt and hoisted her panty
looms down, fumbling with the fasteners on his pants.
“Heath, you can’t! We can’t!”
Her voice was little more than a whisper as she protested, only
half-heartedly pushing him away. This was risky, but she wanted
it. She wanted him to take her right there, right beneath everyone’s
noses. He didn’t disappoint her by holding back. Her teeth bit into
her lip deeply as he thrust into her forcefully, taking what he knew
could only belong to him. There was nothing soft or sweet about
their lovemaking. It was rough and animalistic. He slammed into
her again and again as she stifled her cries of delight.
Afterwards, they returned to the upper levels of the castle
separately. Alva could do nothing to temper the huge smile that
adorned her face the rest of the evening. It only grew larger at
dinner as Heath, once again, decided to toy with her at the table.
“You seem particularly pleased today, Lady MacEwan. Did you
have a good day?”
“I had a most splendid day. Thank you for asking.”
“Of course. It is always nice to enjoy my dinner with such
pleasant company, especially when she exudes such radiance with
a grand smile like yours.”
“Flattery. All flattery.”
“All truth. What do you have planned tomorrow? Will you be
going out to ride again? I will be happy to accompany you again if
you like.”
“That would be very nice of you. Thank you again.”
Alva saw the two servants that had been talking about Heath
previously exchange glances. Was it possible that they knew?
Could they tell from the way she and Heath spoke? Or had
someone unknowingly seen them in the cellar? As much as it
pained her, this had to come to an end before things went badly.
“Well, if it isn’t my lovely wife and my beloved brother breaking
bread with one another.”
Alva whirled around at the sound of Lord MacEwan’s voice
behind her. When had he gotten home? Why had no one told her?
She felt a sense of panic that she couldn’t’ quite explain knowing
that he was back from this trip. Then it hit her why it was so
upsetting. How would she be able to sneak off to be with Heath if
he were underfoot? She was right. This had to end.
Several days passed during which she avoided Heath. She had
been pretty successful until he finally caught her in the stables,
sneaking away for a ride.
“I thought you would want to know that I’m leaving in the
morning.”
“What? Leaving fo where?”
“I don’t know. Anywhere but here.”
“Very well.”
Alva’s heart felt as if it might stop, but what could she say? She
wanted him to stay, but knew they had no future together here. It
was best that he go. So, why did she feel like she might die if he
did? The last few days without him had been torture enough. The
idea of never seeing him again was devastating.
“Damn it, Alva. That is all you have to say? I love you and
leaving is tearing me apart, but you just don’t care at all?”
“What am I supposed to say, Heath? We have no future. I’m
married to your brother. Just go!”
Tears ran down her face as she jumped on the horse she had been
preparing for a ride and directed it out of the barn, past him. She
was well into the woods, letting the horse lead the way. Her tears
were so heavy that she couldn’t see her way. Once out into the
clearing, she became dimly aware of the sound of galloping
behind her. She turned to see Heath in close pursuit, having
grabbed the horse that one of the stable boys had been bringing in
as she had left.
“Alva, stop!”
Instead, she dug in hard, sending the horse galloping wildly across
the field. Heath still called to her from behind, but she ignored
him. Then, everything was upside down, whirling about her head
as the horse reared and tossed her to one side. Her body hit the
ground with a solid thump. She lay there stunned, the sun going
black above her as Heath came running to her side and leaned
over, blocking the light.
“My God, are you okay? Are you alright, Alva?”
“Yes. Yes. I’m fine. Just jarred me a bit.”
“Something startled the horse. He’s calm now. Standing nearby.
Are you sure you are okay?”
“I’m fine. Help me up.”
Heath wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to
her feet, brushing off the debris from the ground as she stood. He
looked down at her, his face full of concern. Alva melted against
him, holding onto him as if her life depended on it and sobbing.
“Take me with you, Heath. We can’t be together here. I know that,
but we can go away together. We can be with one another
somewhere else.”
“Thank God. I thought I had lost you. Yes, Alva. Yes. We’ll get far
away from here.”
Their lips met once again out in the field where they stood. A
renewed urgency overtook them as they lost all sight of anything
around them and drank each other in completely. This was right,
the way things were meant to be.
“Well, what do we have here?”
Alva and Heath sprang apart. They were so involved with one
another that they hadn’t heard the approach of the horse riding
toward them. They both looked up at Lord MacEwan, his face a
red mask of anger.
“I should have expected as much from such an ill raced trollop as
yourself, my dear wife, but I should think better of my own
brother! I’m barely married a week and you’ve decided to take my
bride for yourself? Are you really so jealous of me that you would
stoop this low as to soil what is mine?”
“Yours? I am not yours. I was forced here by my father. I don’t
love you. I will never love you. I love Heath!”
“Love? So, this isn’t the first time the two of you have stolen
away with one another I take it? How long has this been going on?
Love? I’ve not been gone more than a handful of days!”
“There is no accounting for love, brother. Of course, you would
know nothing about that. I’m not sure one of such a deviant nature
could ever understand it. Father will be sorely disappointed when
you cannot provide him with an heir.”
“Provide him with an heir? I think you are very incorrect about
that, Heath. My preferences have nothing to do with my abilities.
In fact, I think that I will be taking my bride back to the castle
right now to get started on that very thing. No doubt you’ll not
want her when she fat and swollen with my seed.”
“Over my dead body will you touch Alva.”
“Well, that can certainly be arranged, little brother.”
Alva watched as Lord MacEwan jumped down from his horse and
drew his sword. Heath pushed her away and drew his own,
brandishing it lavishly.
“Swords, eh? You surprise me. I had thought for sure that you
would have gone with fire.”
“Where is your sense of adventure, Heath? Sword fight to the
death? To the winner goes the spoils.”
“Alva is hardly spoils. She is the woman I love and I will not let
you hold her hostage in exchange for peace that you could freely
give if you weren’t so greedy and self-centered.”
The two men danced around one another, waiting for just the right
moment to strike as Alva stood to one side, shaking all over out of
fear. She was not afraid of what would happen to her, but she was
terrified of what he would do to Heath. Heath was a fantastic
swordsman, but he was emotional and his brother was more
focused, driven by rage.
“I think it is a fairly generous offer considering she is my wife and
nothing to you but a common whore for the taking.”
It was enough to set Heath off as he lunged forward and took the
first strike. Lord MacEwan countered and blocked him, the swords
glancing off one another as they moved back into fighting
position. Everything seemed to move very fast after that, the two
men exchanging blow after blow. It was way too fast for Alva to
keep up with as they fought violently in front of her eyes, Lord
MacEwan shouting taunts the entire time.
Suddenly, they were locked into a blow, their bodies pressed
against one another as they struggled for control of the battle.
Then, Heath was flying backward and Lord MacEwan was
standing over him with his sword at his chest. Alva screamed.
“NO!”
“Oh, Alva. You hurt me. I thought for sure that here in the end,
you would rally around your husband rather than your lover. You
truly are a harlot to the end. I had thought that I would let you
watch my brother die for your adulterous ways, but he’s my
brother. He’s just a man and he has needs that your wickedness
took advantage of. I think maybe it is best that he watches you
bleed into the ground instead.”
His attention was focused on her, just enough for Heath to take
advantage and jump to his feet, quickly driving his sword into
Lord MacEwan’s side. Blood spurted everywhere as he stumbled
forward a few steps and staggered. Alva’s eyes grew wide,
looking from him to Heath and then everything seemed to shift.
He began to change, to grow, right before her eyes. The sword
went shooting backwards as his skin rippled and scaled, his nose
turning to snout and a tail forming behind him. She took an
involuntarily step backwards as she found herself looking at a
very large, foul smelling dragon.
It advanced toward her menacingly, drawing its head back and
breathing in deeply. Alva realized what was happening and ran,
just seconds before a long flame shot from his mouth, scorching
the trees that had been directly behind her. An errant thought that
she was surprised he shot fire rather than ice crossed her mind.
She was dimly aware of the fact that behind him, Heath too had
transformed into a similar beast. Suddenly, he was on his brother’s
back, tearing at him as they shook the earth beneath them with
their large bodies.
Alva ran as far away as she could get, hiding in a grove of trees as
the two dragons rolled about the moors, their teeth and claws
flashing. Fire shot from each of them, attempting to roast the other
as they continued their fight to the death. Alva realized that they
looked very much alike and that with the constant moving around,
she no longer knew which was which. Her heart pounded against
her chest as she waited and watched, afraid for Heath and afraid
for herself.
It seemed to go on forever as they fought mightily, attempting to
tear one another apart. It all seemed so surreal watching two actual
dragons go at it out in the open meadow on a summer day. This
was her fault. If she had resisted Heath, he wouldn’t be in danger.
She should have just said no and accepted her unfortunate lot in
life. Instead, she had behaved like a prostitute and would now pay
the price with the loss of the only real love she’d ever known.
Their bodies rolled across the ground in a terrifying fight. She
watched as one suddenly shot down, clamping his powerful jaws
shut on the neck of the other. He tore furiously from side to side,
ripping open the scales and flesh as the blood poured everywhere.
Her heart almost stopped beating as the dragon on the ground
grew limp and lifeless. It was over and she was overtaken by fear
as she waited.
Looking around, the victorious dragon stumbled a bit and fell to
the ground, exhausted. Alva was afraid to move as she waited.
The temptation to see if it was alive was great, but she had yet to
know which brother lay dead and which brother just lay. If it was
Lord MacEwan that lived, surely she would meet her death if he
came to while she was near. Then again, if Heath was dead, what
reason was there for her to live?
Timidly, she made her way from the grove of trees and examined
the living dragon for any sign of its condition and identity. Finding
none, her fear only grew worse. Tears fell as she glanced over at
the lifeless body of the other dragon and wondered what to do
next. Beneath her the ground shifted as the dragon by her side
suddenly stood and stumbled again. She began backing away, but
stopped as she watched it change, shrink, turn back into a man.
“Heath!”
“Alva, my love.”
His voice was weak and he had a look in his eyes she couldn’t
quite describe as she ran back to him and pulled him into her
arms. He held her tightly, holding onto her as if she were a much
needed life source. They remained that way for quite some time,
just trying to regroup and sort what happened in their heads and
hearts before finally pulling apart.
“I’m so sorry, Heath.”
“It’s not your fault, Alva. It’s done now.”
Heath glanced over toward the dragon that lay just beyond them
and cast his eyes downward for a moment in prayer.
“Will he change back?”
“No. His heart is stopped. He will remain that way.”
“Then it will just appear that you have killed a dragon.”
“To the outside world, I will have slain a dragon, but my family
will know. I will have to explain to them what has happened and
accept their punishment.”
“Why? It wasn’t your fault. He came after you.”
“He came after me because I committed adultery with his wife.”
Alva looked at him. He was right. In the end, they would be the
ones judged. Their love for one another was the most wonderful
thing she had ever felt, but in the eyes of others, it was wrong.
“We were going to run away. We can just go. We can get far away
from here.”
Heath looked at her and smiled a knowing smile. Brushing her
hair away from her face, he kissed her forehead and held her some
more.
“Let’s get back. It will be dark soon and we’ll have a lot to deal
with. When we get back to the castle, you need to go directly to
your chambers. Don’t speak to anyone. I will come for you as
soon as I can.”
“What do you mean you will come for me? What are you going to
do?”
“It will be okay, Alva. Just let me take care of it.”
They made their way back to the castle in silence, riding side by
side through the woods and back into the stable before returning to
the castle separately. Alva did as she had been asked, taking to her
bed and crying throughout the night. When the morning sun began
beaming into the window, she flung herself from bed and dressed
hastily before heading downstairs in search of Heath, but he was
nowhere to be found. Days passed and he was still absent. Alva’s
fears grew and her heart faltered. By the end of the week, she had
taken to the bed completely, unable to raise her head.
“Lady MacEwan, please eat some soup. You have to keep up your
strength.”
Alva looked at the nurse wearily and nodded. She had no appetite.
Truly, there was nothing really wrong with her but a broken heart.
She could only assume Heath had gone to confess to his family
and paid a price from which there was no returning. There was
nothing left for her here. The only thing she wanted was to join
him.
In her dreams, she could hear his voice calling to her. He was
holding her hand and smoothing her hair softly, whispering her
name.
“Alva, my love. Come back to me. I love you.”
“I’m coming, Heath. I will be there soon.”
She could feel herself getting closer, nearing the darkness at the
edge of where life ceased and eternity began. It was here that she
would find him again. Here that she would find herself in his
arms. Their love had been fleeting, but it had been true and she
would take it with her when her mortal coil fell free and released
her from this hellish life without him.
“Alva, I’m here. Don’t go, Alva. Wake up. Wake up!”
His voice was so far away. How could she ever catch him? She
was drifting along, nothing to speed her along the path to him. It
felt like the most awful torment to be so near and not be able to
get to him.
“Alva! Stop this! Wake up!”
He was louder now and all around her, coming from another
direction. Why had he moved when she was getting nearer? She
tried to call out to him, but no words would come and then
everything seem to move, her body shook though she was
standing still in the nothingness that seemed to be all around her.
“Alva! I need you to listen to me! I need you to come back to me.
Follow my voice. Alva! I love you!”
There was something wet on her face. Was she crying? She didn’t
think she was. There had been no tears for a while now as she
refused food or drink. Her eyes fluttered open, barely slits as they
met those of Heath, looking down at her. His tears fell on her
cheek as she realized he was here, not in her dreams, but by her
bed.
“Heath.”
It was all she managed to whisper before collapsing again into the
darkness. Her body tried to pull away, return to the dream, but her
head and her heart screamed, waking her back into the light.
“There you are. There is my love.”
Alva smiled weakly. He was here. He was really here.
“Are we okay?”
It was all she could manage. All the questions she could ask.
“I am okay. You are not. You have to eat and drink for me now,
Alva. I need you. We are going to be okay.”
Weeks later, Alva was back up and around, her body recovered
from the days of not eating and drinking she had forced upon
yourself. Heath stayed by her side, never leaving her for a
moment, bringing her back to him. When she was well enough,
they left for his home. His family had understood the nature of his
love for Alva and forgiven him for his brother’s death, one they
considered self-defense, despite the circumstances from which it
evolved. Heath had left as the new leader of the dragon clan, his
rightful place with the demise of his brother.
This was what love was meant to be, Alva thought to herself as
they set on the cliffs surrounding their new home and admired the
sun sinking deep into the canyon below. She put her hand to her
midsection. There was not yet anything to tell, but she knew that
there soon would be. She could already feel a certain warm
springing forth from their earlier lovemaking. A tiny dragon seed
had been planted and a new generation would emerge.
The End.

DRAGON FIRE
Adair McKordia scowled off into the distance. There was smoke
rising from the trees to the north, and he was concerned that it
would somehow affect his clansmen. This was alarming, but he
wasn't sure if he should sound the alarms, or investigate it himself.
However, if he went alone, the clan could be left vulnerable. He
summoned his most trusted friend to him.
“What is it, Adair?” he asked, his eyes flashing with concern.
“I have a potential situation to the North, but I don't want to alarm
any of the men. Do you think you could keep an eye on things
until I come back?”
“Of course. If they ask where you've gone, I can just say you had
something to tend to.”
“Atta lad,” Adair said, patting him on the shoulder before
bounding off. As soon as he was out of sight, he gritted his teeth
and allowed himself to shift into his dragon form. He kept his
head down low, because he didn't want anybody to see him, but he
knew that in his enormous dragon form he could cover more
ground quickly.
He raced to the scene, sniffing wildly for some indication of what
might be causing the smoke. Nobody entered the north woods
without his knowing about it. This was his turf, and anybody who
was there uninvited was a threat. He was the last of his kind, and
his clan carried on a special bloodline. If he wanted any chance of
keeping his blood line of dragon shifters alive in the future, he
would have to give his life for them. The key to his form was
somewhere in his clan's blood, and unless it was unlocked
somehow, there would be no dragons left once he was gone. It was
a tragedy worse than anything else he could have ever
comprehended.
He closed his eyes and felt the cool air rushing under his wings.
To imagine the end of the McKordia clan was a fate worse than
death. There was nothing he loved more about life than the fact
that he could change whenever he pleased, and provide the
ultimate protection for his people. If there was a threat, he would
find it.
***
Iona Carmichael trotted pleasantly through the forest. It was much
better than being back home, where everybody treated her like a
burden. She was just the female pup in her family, and her
brothers constantly spoke over her and got all of the attention. She
was constantly frustrated by their tendency to act as if she wasn't
important, simply because she didn't have the same depth of howl
that they had. She couldn't stand how self-important her brothers
had turned out to be. They were a rather large family, and most of
the time she felt like just another mouth to feed.
The one rule she and her brothers had all been told to follow was
to stay within their limits in the south. They hadn't been told why,
only that it wasn't their territory and it may be unsafe for them to
travel far. It was much better for them if they could all just stay
safe and sound in the area they had already secured for
themselves. Iona felt that this was extremely boring and longed for
something to set her apart from the rest of the pack. They all just
listened to the leader's instructions, and never questioned it. The
whole unexplored world summoned her and brought excitement to
her soul.
That morning, she had been trying to tell her father about
something that she had been thinking about–her marriage
prospects in the clan–but nobody wanted to listen to her. Her
brothers were speaking over each other over their breakfast and
interrupting her any time she tried to get a word in edgewise. Her
father had looked at her with patient tolerance, but it was clear that
he wasn't interested in what she was saying either. He would
choose her betrothed and nothing she had to say about it would
make one little bit of difference.

After she ate, she decided to get some fresh air by herself. She
thought of her mother, who had passed away a few years earlier.
There had never been a more beautiful wolf shifter, and her form
was unbelievably strong and powerful. Iona remembered being
impressed by her mother and hoping to grow up to be just as
strong and majestic. She'd been getting far too much male
attention from the clan lately though, and wondered why in the
world she would ever have wanted that type of attention in the
first place. She caught the leering stare of one of the men in her
clan and clenched her teeth. She didn't want to marry any of them,
and she didn't want to go back home where she was constantly
ignored by her brothers and father.

Suddenly, an idea struck her–she would go off on her own.

Nobody would notice her absence anyway. They were all so
obsessed with themselves that it wouldn't make any difference.
And she would go in the direction she had always wanted to go.
North. With a heart full of adventure, she hurried off into the trees
and transformed into her wolf form, galloping north as quickly as
she could go.
Chapter 2
The smell of smoke suddenly struck Iona's sensitive nostrils. Her
ears perked up as the sound of a fearful cry reached her. Her heart
swelled with panic, and she raced off as quickly as she could
toward the sound. As she neared it, the smell of smoke burned her
nose and eyes, and she squinted to find the source of the loud
cries. A child was sprawled out on the ground, a small hut behind
him in flames. She lunged toward him, her teeth bared, and
transformed quickly into her human form so she could grab him.
Before she reached him though, she was hit by a huge burst of air,
and a huge black dragon intercepted them, roaring ferociously.
She shrank back, intimidated.
“There's a boy!” she yelled, trying to match his volume with her
voice. She quickly became annoyed, feeling exactly the same as
she did when she was trying to speak over her loud brothers. The
dragon made no indication of hearing her, and quickly
transformed into his human form. They stood facing each other,
both completely naked and breathing heavily in front of the small
boy. The man pointed at her and backed away, not turning his
back to her, until he was cradling the small boy against his broad,
muscular chest.
“Don't you harm a hair on this lad's head!” he cried, lifting the
child gingerly. “You're coming with me, you're officially a
prisoner of the McKordia clan.”
Her jaw dropped in disbelief and she felt the hackles on her skin
rising.
“If you dare to think about shifting against me, I will have you for
a snack!” he snarled, preventing her from acting before she
realized it was exactly what she had intended to do. She groaned
and knew he would have her beat easily and powerfully, and didn't
want to make a scene in front of the child, who was shivering and
crying in the man's strong arms.
“Fine,” she said. “I was just trying to help him though.”
“I'm sure you were,” he said, blowing her off. She was beautiful,
but he had known many beautiful creatures to contain a fierce
venom that could bring a man to his knees. He would not try to
listen to her based on beauty alone. That was for sure.
He glared at her and gestured in front of himself, silently ordering
her to walk ahead of him as he lifted the boy and cradled him
against his chest. Iona sighed to herself, knowing that anything
she said would be ignored. She was a stranger to these lands, and
if she were to try too hard to prove her innocence, she would
never be able to do so. It would be worse than if she had kept her
mouth shut. At the very least she could keep herself from
appearing to be too guilty.
They marched for a long time until finally they arrived at a
settlement. She suddenly became acutely aware of her nakedness.
It was a normal state in her wolf clan, but in a new place, where
people had never seen her body before, she was apprehensive.
“March forward and meet the eyes of nobody,” the man behind
her said in a low voice. She was surprised by the softness of his
tone, despite his fierce appearance. She realized it must have
something to do with the boy nestled against his chest. She would
have been angry but she was touched by his protectiveness.
She could feel the eyes of the men and women of his clan upon
her as they walked. It made her somewhat uncomfortable, but she
lifted her chin high and squared her shoulders, walking
confidently. Adair watched her move gracefully in front of him,
his eyes roaming her perfect proportions, unable to help himself.
Her confidence was alluring but he could not let himself be
swayed. As far as he was concerned, she was the enemy. Who
knew what happened between her and that boy, and he had seen
her in her wolf form himself, coming toward him as if to attack.
He gripped the child more tightly in his hands. He had been
whimpering the whole time, and Adair was frightened for him.
“I need the healer,” he ordered loudly, looking down into the boy's
face. The boy would be able to tell him what had happened, so he
would have all the evidence he needed to bring down the woman
who had destroyed his home and killed his family. He couldn't
believe somebody so beautiful was capable of something so
treacherous, and yet nothing in the world surprised him. He was
the leader of the clan, he had seen many evils in the world. One
woman's petty vengeance was nothing to him, and yet she had
destroyed the life of this child.

“Lock her up somewhere out of sight, I will deal with her later,"
He said viciously as an elderly man with a long white beard
rushed forward from the crowd and took the child from Adair's
arms.
Iona glared at him as two men gripped her shoulders and wrists on
either side of her body and whipped her around. She faced the
Dragon man head on, and a deep electricity was exchanged
between them. Her eyes bore into his, and he watched as she was
dragged off by the arms, staring at him steadily with a look that
was hard to pinpoint until she disappeared behind the flap of a
tent.

He felt it shake his confidence. What if she truly was innocent?

That would change everything. She would have to really earn his
trust if that were the case though, there was no other explanation
for what he had witnessed in the forest. She was very aggressive,
and had lunged at the child as if to strike. Upon remembering the
child, he followed the healer to another tent, where he laid the boy
down and was examining him.
“He has breathed in much smoke, and his voice is raspy, but he is
going to be okay. I would give it a couple of days and make sure
that he drinks plenty of fluids. Do you know this boy?"

“Yes,” Adair said quietly. “I met his parents a few years ago when
they wanted to settle in the north. They did not know that this was
Dragon territory, and I had to make sure that they were well
prepared for whatever may happen here. There is magic in these
woods, and many types of shifters all over the world. Our prisoner
happens to be one as well. This family was not magical, but they
were kind. I wanted people just like them to populate my land.
They were very hard-working, and they built their settlement in
the hopes of building a new future for their young son. They had
escaped war and poverty, and chose to be self-sufficient here. I
will have to go and look for them to see if what I fear is true.”

“And what do you fear, Adair?” The healer asked, his voice drawn
and concerned.
“I fear that the wolf shifter I've imprisoned killed his family and
set fire to the home, and was about to go after him as well.
Through some quirk of fate I was able to save the boy, but I was
not able to save his parents.”
“That's truly a shame," the healer said. “Fortunately, his injuries
are slight. He was able to escape somehow, and with your help
and mine he will be fine. If what you fear is true, he will be safe in
our clan. He won't know any of the different. We will keep the
memory of his family alive for him, and he will soon grow
accustomed to our ways.”
“Yes, that is very true. Thank you for your words and your service
to this child. I don't know what I would do without you.”
Adair gave the healer's arm a firm pat and headed out the door.
The boy gave a weak cry as he left, and so he turned and gave him
a confident smile. The boy returned the smile and he left to go talk
to the wolf shifter. His blood was boiling at the thought of
anybody who could harm such an innocent and kind face.
Chapter 3
“I'm not the kind of person you seem to think I am," Iona said
with a groan.
She was tied up to a stake in a tent that was guarded by two burly
men in kilts. They had not given her anything to wear yet, and she
gritted her teeth down at the ground before looking back up at the
man who had brought her here.
“What did you do with the boy's family? We will find out
eventually one way or the other. Soon you will be able to speak
and we will know the whole story. So don't even think about
lying.”
“I already told you that I didn't do anything to the boy's family, I
was just trying to help them. I could smell the fire from far away
and when I saw the boy on the ground crying, I wanted to go and
help him.”
“Lies, you left them for dead didn't you?" Adair growled.

Iona couldn't help but feel a deep attraction to the man as he paced
in front of her. He had dressed into a regal looking kilt, and his
long, sandy brown hair cascaded down his back and floated
behind him as he paced quickly.
“I'm telling you the truth, and you're going to find that out for
yourself."
Iona looked up at him, her eyes flashing with annoyance. “I know
you have no reason to believe this, but the fact is that you are
wrong about my intentions. Eventually the boy will tell you this
himself, so why don't you just save us both the trouble and let me
go? What's the point of wasting two guards on an innocent, nude
woman?”
Adair scowled, suddenly realizing that his two guards wouldn't do
any good if she chose to shape shift into her wolf form. He was
going to have to keep an eye on her himself, he was the only
person powerful enough to stop her if she decided to turn on them.
“You're right, I have no reason to believe you.”
He summoned the guards into the room and dismissed them.
“She's going to be staying with me until this whole mess is cleared
up. I would like to keep an eye on this myself. Thank you very
much for your help so far.”
She looked at him in disbelief. He really wasn't going to back
down about this. She wondered what his clan would do to her for
believing that she killed an innocent family. The family been part
of their clan? She couldn't be sure, but she just knew that she was
going to suffer for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Maybe she should have just stayed home annoying her brothers.
But no, she had longed for freedom and adventure, and had done
exactly what she had been forbidden to do. Now she was paying
for it. Still, she couldn't help but feel she would rather be prisoner
of the Dragon clan than the only daughter of self-important
wolves.
“I'm going to untie you and take you to my own personal tent,” he
said. “I doubt any of the men here would be able to handle you. I
saw the way they were looking at you, the dumb lads would be
just as soon to bed you as to kill you."
She rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder as she untied her.
She let her roughly by the hands, which were still bound, and into
his personal quarters. Her hypersensitive senses picked up on
many smiles, and she was intrigued by them all. He was a man
who smelled of the forest, and of many types of trees and smoke.
Suddenly, she wondered if dragons could breathe fire, as the
whole area smelled very charred. The idea intrigued her, she
couldn't help but ask.
“Do dragons breathe fire?" Iona asked, looking around at his
personal belongings
“We can bring you all types of dark and dreary death, lass,” he
said. “I wouldn't exactly recommend testing that out though.”
She gazed at him quietly, but didn't speak. He felt himself getting
nervous under her scrutiny, and realized that he couldn't seem to
distract himself from her perfect skin and flawless body. Her
unwavering gaze just seemed to make him feel more drawn to her,
and he avoided her eyes, looking around his abode for something
that she could wear. Eventually, he found a dress that his mother
had made but had never gotten a chance to wear. He wanted to go
out and find something from one of the women in his clan, but
something stopped him. He tossed the dress over to her and turned
toward the doorway of his tent.
“Put on that, won't you? We don't want you dying of a cold before
we execute you now do we?"
“I think I would rather die of a cold than be killed at the hands of
any man,” Iona said stubbornly. “Besides, how do you expect me
to put this on with my hands tied up?"
Adair sighed in annoyance and had no choice but to go toward the
woman and untie her. His breath caught in his throat at her
nearness, and he tried to think of anything but how good it would
feel to bed her right then and there. He swallowed hard the
thought, and soon the sound of her breathing was driving him
crazy. He had to leave. He untied her quickly, trying not to reveal
his hands shaking in anticipation of something that would never
happen. He waited patiently, trying hard not to watch her as she
dressed, but not being able to help it.
The dress was loose on her muscular body, and hung over her
shoulders, the neck line low and revealing the ample beginnings of
her breasts. Still, it was better than her nakedness, and once she
was finished dressing, he tied her hands together against the frame
of his tent. He would have to keep a close eye on her, especially in
the event that she might shift back into her wolf form and kill all
of his men. It wouldn't surprise him if she did so, after seeing what
she was capable of. Imagine what she might do with a grudge.
Although she was beautiful, she was also lethal.
“I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you," he said. It was to
his advantage that she didn't know he was the only person in the
clan who could shape shift into a dragon. All the other people
lacked that ability, which was why he was the ultimate protector.
However, she knew nothing of their hierarchy, and that she had
been watching. He seems to do that though, normally he could
sense another shifter from a mile away. No, this girl had just been
the wrong place at just the right time to unleash her evil instincts.

“I may be powerful, but I would never hurt anybody. At least not

on purpose."
“What, so you hurt the boy and killed his parents by accident?
Started at fire out of nowhere?”
“If dragons can breathe fire, how do you know it wasn't one of
them who ruined the house? Why are you so insistent on blaming
me?"
It sounded as if she was beginning to suspect that there were fewer
dragons there than he was letting on. He would have to be more
careful about what he told her. She found out the secret,
everybody would be in danger. The moment she was vulnerable or
out of sight, she would be able to strike. Fortunately, he still held
the advantage, and he was used to staying up late at night. He
could have another one of the men staying in the tent with them
when he slept and rouse him should anything happen.
“I never said that dragons could breathe fire," he said, although
they could. “But you should beware, we are even more powerful
than we might seem.”
“So there's little bite to your bark," she said with a challenging
smile. He could feel himself being drawn closer to her, lured in
like a simple man to her attractiveness and confidence, but the
idea of being swayed by her charm infuriated him. He would not
allow himself to forget the evils that she had unleashed on that
innocent boy and his family.
“All I can really say honestly is that if you are not telling the truth,
and you are responsible for the death of that boy's parents, you
will suffer. And you will suffer by my hands," he said, looking at
her evenly. He sat down on his bad and leaned back against the
frame, folding his hands behind his head and staring at her. He
watched her until she fell asleep, twisted and uncomfortable on the
floor. She whimpered like a scared pup, and his heart felt a twinge
of remorse and concern. If she was innocent, he wasn't treating her
very well. He would have to account for that in the morning. In
the meantime, he didn't care how well she slept.
And that's exactly what he told himself as he took the blanket off
his bed and covered her gently with it.
Chapter 4

Iona awoke the next morning to the smell of food beside her face.
The ground had been uncomfortable, but nothing she wouldn't
have been able to handle if she shifted into her wolf form. As she
sat up she drew her eyebrows in confusion. A heavy chain was
dragging behind her as she sat up. A large collar had been placed
around her neck, anchored to a large boulder that hadn't been there
the night before.
“It's in case you turn on us and decide to shift into a wolf,” Adair
said to her. “Now eat.”
“How's the boy?” she asked, genuinely concerned for his well-
being. “Were your healers able to do any good for him?”
Adair opened and closed his mouth, unsure as how to respond.
“He is well, but he is asking for his parents.”
He said this pointedly, as if trying to elicit some form of guilt from
her. She leaned over her plate and grabbed a piece of bread with
her teeth, tearing off a chunk expertly without using her hands.
Adair shifted uncomfortably, but continued watching her.
“You do know I had nothing to do with that, right? I mentioned
that once or twice but you didn't quite seem to hear me.”
“I know nothing,” Adair said. “And I will know nothing until the
boy is ready to talk about what happened that day.”

Iona sighed loudly and took another bite of her bread.

“Think I could have some water?” she asked. He gestured toward
the bowl on the floor beside her. She rolled her eyes. “You want
me to shift?”
“How else will I know if the restraints will hold?” he asked
pointedly.
“Right, yes, of course,” she said with a sigh. “You know it will
ruin this dress though. It seemed significant to you so you might
want to take it first. What was it, an old lover's?” she asked,
unable to hide an irrational twinge of jealousy.

“No,” he said firmly, and she felt sorry for asking. It was
obviously a sore subject for him, and he turned around quickly to
hide his face. “I suppose you should just remove it then. I will
untie your hands just for now. Take the dress off and hand it to me
slowly.”
She knew that he would be able to bite her in half no matter what
she did to try and escape, and so she did as she was told. He
watched her undress steadily, and she suddenly felt very
embarrassed to show her body to him. It was different when she
shifted, because she didn't really have control over what might
happen to her wardrobe. However, there was something more
intimate about the act of undressing in front of somebody in her
human form. It made her want to hide, and she began to resent
him for watching her.
“I hope you like what you see," she said sarcastically as she
slipped her arms through the sleeves of the dress and let it drop to
the ground. He pursed his lips but said nothing, and she felt a little
thrill. Obviously he did. Of course he wouldn't say anything like
that to her, and she was glad for his silence. She decided to shift
into her wolf form as quickly as possible. She would be more
comfortable that way, and could sleep on the floor without any
problem.
Iona closed her eyes and felt the change began to take form within
her. Adair watched with wide eyes as a glow began to emanate
from within her, before the entire room was bathed in light. When
the light lowered, standing before her was a majestic white wolf.
The wolf stared steadily, and he had the strangest feeling that there
was nothing aggressive about this wolf. She was tame, and not
interested in picking trivial or petty fights. Maybe he had been
wrong about her all along. It was a lot easier to sense the truth
from animals that it was from people, and because of his Dragon
shifter blood, he had a feeling that she was more herself in this
form then she was in human form.
The collar around her neck was a little bit loose, and he
approached cautiously to tighten it. She watched him warily, but
didn't move, and allowed to graze her soft mane with his strong
hands after he completed tightening the collar. She was the most
beautiful creature he had ever seen, both in human and in animal
form. This train of thought was troubling him, and he knew he had
to take a break. Otherwise, she might get into his head. He decided
that it would be a good time to have the men watch her, so that he
could go investigate the area where the fire was and make sure
that it was true that the boy's parents were truly dead.
She watched as he left the tent. After she was left alone, three men
entered and sat around her. She knew she shouldn't shift back into
her human form if they were around. For some reason, she was
not comfortable exposing her body to them, at least not as
comfortable as she was with their leader. As they spoke amongst
each other and waited for him to return, she gathered that his name
was Adair, and that he was the clan’s leader. The men seemed to
adore him, and she felt somewhat privileged to be sharing and
abode with him. Even though she thought he was arrogant, he was
very handsome and well mannered. If he wasn't so against her, she
might actually like him as a person. She sighed and laid her head
on her paws, staring at the door, anxious for him to return.
***
Adair flew toward the scene where he had found the child and the
wolf. He realized on the way there that he still did not know her
name. He could only think of her in terms of her physical
appearance. She was unbelievably beautiful, and if she wasn't
such an unusual case of potential evil, he would have liked to get
to know her better. Unfortunately, he cannot trust her, and he
would have to discover for himself whether or not the boy's
parents had survived whatever had befallen. He kicked himself for
not checking sooner, but in the heat of the moment, all he could
think about was tending to the boy's wounds.
When he reached the hut, he was disturbed to find that it had all
turned to ash. On the ground there was the remains of a man, he
could only assume that it was the boy's father, the same strong and
proud man who had come to him years before and asked for
permission to settle in the forest. Adair had admired his spunk and
his tenacity, and his very pregnant wife was absolutely lovely.
They were the kind of family that he had wished to have one day,
but he could not envision himself having such a family with
anybody in his own clan. Everybody there he knew too well,
almost as if they were already family. He was never able to
sexually express himself with any of the women there, it just felt
too strange.
For some reason, his mind turned to the woman in his heart. She
had awakened something deep within him that had remained
dormant and sleeping for many years. Although the man was
dead, Adair envied him for finding a woman that made him feel
that way and being able to keep her. Of course the only woman
Adair had ever felt such longing for was a wolf woman who
probably had killed such a kind person. Adair looked around in
the ashes for the remains of a woman, but found nothing. He
frowned, wondering what had become of the man's wife. Perhaps
the wolf had eaten her. The thought brought Adair's blood to
boiling, and he rushed back to the encampment, ready to confront
the woman.
He ordered the men out of his hut, and noticed the wolf's tail start
wagging when she saw him. She glowered fiercely into her face,
and her ears laid back in apprehension and confusion. The wolf
got to her feet and tilted her head at him, expecting him to speak
and listening closely.
“You did it, didn't you?" he snarled at her, a small flame trickling
from his nose. “I saw the father's corpse, what did you do with the
boy's mother? Did you eat her? Did you gobble her up? You do
realize that humans are not food right? Nobody deserves to be
eaten like that, or orphaned and left alone to die! And you were
even going to kill the child. I don't know what's wrong with you!”
She tried to speak, but realized that he wouldn't be able to
understand her Wolf dialect in his human form. Instead, she
transformed back into human form and sat naked on the blanket
that he had given to her the night before. He watched her as he
paced around, fuming with rage and indignation.
“I did not kill anybody, but I could probably help you find the
boy's mother. If she disappeared, she's got to be somewhere out in
the woods.”

“I'm not taking you anywhere until the boy tells us what he saw.
As far as I'm concerned, you are my enemy. You are an enemy to
humanity. You are a danger to my clan. I want to execute you, but
because I believe in fairness, I will wait to see what proof there is
of your innocence or your guilt before I act. You don't understand
just how lucky you are that I am able to keep my head right now,
lass.”
Iona watched him pacing, his handsome face contorted with rage.
She tried to put herself into his shoes, and imagined that she had
seen an angry man lunging toward a small and helpless child. This
helped her to relax, and she bowed her head, closing her eyes and
a meditative attempt to find the right words to calm the man down
and soothe his anger toward her.
“Maybe you could take me to the boy now or bring the boy to
me," she said thoughtfully. "If he is truly able to understand what
had happened to his family, and he thought that I was the one
responsible, would he not cower in fear of me? If he recognizes
me despite his inability to speak, but may react physically to my
presence?”
“I would never do that to the poor child," Adair snarled. “For I
know you would just treat him as a snack to get the last laugh on
me. You could snatch him up before I have the chance to kill you
out right. No, we are going to wait into the boy can speak. If he
says his mother is out there somewhere and you did not kill her
and eat her, maybe then you can help us to look for her.
Otherwise, I am convinced that she is rotting in your belly as we
speak."
“That is the most disgusting thing I've ever heard," Iona laughed
scornfully. "I would never eat human flesh. Do you know how bad
it smells?”
Adair did know how bad human flesh smelled, in fact, and he was
often surprised by it when he was in his Dragon form. He paused
and stared at her for a moment, unsure of himself. Maybe she
really was telling the truth. He would not touch the flesh of any
creature either, he was a devout herbalist because of his ability to
sympathize with the rest of the animal kingdom. Now he thought
about it, when he was in his Dragon form, she had not smelled the
same as other humans. Did that mean that she was less than
human, or that she did not eat the flesh of others just as he would
not?
“You cannot fool me with your words, Wolf," he said, sitting
heavily down on his cot. “I am weary of you, and although I
would like to believe the best in every creature, I know what I
have seen and it did not look favorably upon you.”
“I know what you saw, and I also know what you think you saw,"
she said, sitting back against the pole that she was tethered to. The
collar around her neck dangled loosely over her bare breasts, and
he suddenly realized that she was no longer tied up. However, she
made no move to run. He had to fight another powerful urge to
touch her body, and he gestured toward the dress on the floor
beside her.
“Please cover yourself, it gets cold at night." He said in a low
voice, looking down at the bed. "I will tie you back up
afterwards.”
She said nothing, but did his words and slipped the dress on over
her naked body.
“I am Iona by the way. Your name is Adair, right?" She asked him.
When he looked with a paranoid glint in his eyes, she laughed and
rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "The men who were here were
talking about you. They think you're quite incredible. It makes you
wonder what it might be like if I wasn't your prisoner."

“If you were smart, you wouldn't be in the north woods. You
would have stayed down south where you belong with your clan."
“You are going to discover that I am innocent, and you are going
to feel very guilty about the way that you have been treating me.
However, I understand and I am likely to forgive you. I am
concerned about the child’s safety as well, as I keep trying to tell
you. Unfortunately, sometimes it is just very difficult when
miscommunications arise. But don't worry, we’re going to be all
right once this blows over. Maybe I'll just go back home and you'll
never have to see me again."
For some reason, the mention of Iona heading back to the south
caused Adair to feel very unhappy. He frowned deeply and she
gazed at the deep crease in his eyebrows as he thought. Finally, his
striking blue eyes looked up into her green ones.
“Well if you weren't here to kill the child, what in the world were
you doing going outside of your limits? It is completely unsafe
and dangerous. Don't tell me nobody has ever told you that. I have
killed you on site, everybody knows the understanding between
the territories here.”
“I knew there were boundaries in the territories, but I never knew
why," she said to him. “My family doesn't really understand me,
or care what I have to say about anything. I was just curious about
what else was in the world. I wanted some kind of an adventure.
And now I'm somebody's prisoner, I guess I got what I wished
for.”
“So it would seem," he said with a small laugh. “Well lass, how
are you liking your freedom?"
“If that was some kind of a joke, it wasn't funny," Iona said,
smiling despite herself as Adair burst into ripples of deep laughter.
“Assuming that you are innocent as you claim, I would like to
extend my humblest apologies for any inconvenience. Still, you
are within my territory and I could do whatever I please with
you."
“Is that so?” she said, an unexpectedly flirtatious smile spreading
across her lips. She had never forwardly flirted with a man before,
and it was clear that she had taken Adair by surprise. A deep smile
crossed his cheeks, and she realized that he had already seen
everything there was to see about her body. Maybe it wasn't a
good idea to flirt with him. But she had surprised herself, and
didn't expect the comment to escape her lips. She had never
actually wanted to flirt with anybody before, but for some reason
this man held a distinct appeal to her. His reaction to her
forwardness brought a flash of heat to her loins, but she ignored it
and held his gaze once more.
“We will see how your trial goes," he said to her, carefully
avoiding her loaded question. He stood from the cot and
approached her now that she was fully dressed, and tied her
slender wrists behind her to the pole. She sighed and leaned back
against it, the sound of her voice bringing another deep flush to his
cheeks. She watched him curiously, surprised by the power her
own body had over others. She didn't want to use that power
unwisely, but it was intriguing to her to discover it there
nonetheless. For some reason, Adair's attention was not as
disgusting as the attention of other men that she had known
throughout her life.
Soon, it was time for dinner, and Adair was served at his bedside
and Iona's dishes were refilled. This then the rest of the night and
silence, and she quickly fell asleep, snuggled into the blanket he
had laid over her the night before, curious about what was going
to happen next.
Chapter 5
Over the course of the next week, Adair and Iona spent a lot of
time together. Adair couldn't help but feel drawn to the magnetic
personality of the woman in his hand, and she found herself
returning his gaze, conflicted and confused about the feelings that
she was developing for him. She loved watching him taking care
of his clan, and working hard to protect them all. She couldn't help
but remember how enormous he was in his Dragon form, and all
of that raw power seem to be bridled and bouncing energetically
behind his broad and muscular chest when he was in his human
form. She felt lucky to be able to shift into an animal of a
reasonable size, such as a wolf. It didn't seem that Adair had that
same freedom, but he certainly exercised it out in the wilderness
whenever he had the chance to.
Finally, the young boy was feeling well enough to talk about what
had happened to his family. It was the day Iona had been waiting
for expectantly, concerned that his mother may have been ill or
died by the time she was finally allowed to go and help her. She
begged Adair to try and find the woman if they would not use her
nose to help them, and he had listened and sent men out to search
for her. The search had turned up nothing, and she was very
frustrated with the fact that he did not trust her or her senses to
help in time of crisis. Especially if it meant that the boy didn't
necessarily have to be an orphan. Unfortunately, Adair was still
suspicious of her, and now that the boy could speak, he was going
to find out the truth.
Adair was summoned to the boy's bedside, and he stroked the
young lad's hair, trying to soothe him.
“Do you remember me, lad?” He asked with a grin.
The boy nodded. “Where's the girl?" He asked.
“What girl?" Adair asked him.
“The girl who was with you. She can turn into a wolf. Is she
okay?”
Adair swallowed the lump in his throat. If the boy was concerned
about her safety, which meant that maybe he had acted a little bit
too rashly.
“She's fine lad, don't worry. How are you feeling?"

“I feel a lot better. But I want to see the girl.”

“Why do you want to see the girl?" Adair asked him.
“I think she can help find my mom. My dad always talked about
dogs being able to smell things out. My mom was missing for a
day or two and my dad was trying to cook me dinner. A big fire
started and he told me to get out of the house while he tried to fix
it. I don't think he fixed it. It burned for a long time. When I called
him he didn't answer me. Do you think he's okay?”
“He's not okay lad," Adair said, honest but sad. “Your dad didn't
make it. But I bet you're right about that woman, she can probably
help us find your mom. Do want to go talk to her with me?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically and Adair lifted him easily and
carried him to his tent.
“Hi!" The boy said to her brightly. He didn't seem to realize that
she was tied up.
“Well hello there," Iona said happily. It was a relief to see the boy
was safe and able to speak again.
“Can you me find my mom?" he asked.
“I can certainly try," she said with a warm smile. When she looked
away from the boy and up to Adair, her eyes were shimmering as
if to tell him I told you so. He offered her a sheepish smile and
then patted the boy on the back.

“Let's get you some grub, lad," he said with a grin. The boy
nodded enthusiastically and ran out of the tent, leaving Adair and
Iona alone. Adair inhaled, preparing to speak, but Iona stopped
him.
“It's all right," she said soothingly. “You were just protecting the
boy and your clan. I respect that."
He gave her a faltering smile and knelt down quickly to release
her from her findings. Their faces nearly touched, and they were
both surprised by the deep magnetism between them. Iona pulled
away and inhaled sharply before Adair gave her a grin and a
hearty laugh.
“How does this sound to eat with your hands for a change?" He
asked her, his eyes glimmering. "It's about dinner time, you can
eat with me and the rest of the clan tonight if you would like. I'm
really sorry. Thank you for being so understanding. Do you mind
setting out to find the boy's mother as soon as possible? I fear
we've lost a lot of time."
“We can head out after we eat if that's okay,” she agreed, standing
up and stretching. She hadn't been allowed to walk for a while, so
she stumbled as she tried to move forward. Adair caught her in his
strong arms.
“Easy lass," he said quietly, helping her back to her feet. “It may
take some time to get the blood moving again.”
Iona nodded, her cheeks a bright red. Her heart thudded, both
from the fear of falling and from the adrenaline that was released
when she was cradled into Adair's strong body. She felt that she
should say something, but when she looked into his eyes, she lost
all ability to speak. She straightened up, and they walked out of
the tent together, the air between them gentle and peaceful.
She felt suddenly insecure when she was led to the campfire
where Adair's clan was sitting with the child. They were all
talking to him, but at the site of her, the conversation ceased. They
looked toward Adair for instructions, before saying anything. She
wished that she was anywhere else, and although she had always
wanted more attention from her family, this is not the kind of
attention that she had in mind. She wished in fact, that she could
disappear, away from all of their curious and skeptical glances.
“This young lady here is going to help us find the boy's mother,"
Adair said firmly. "We're all going to accept her into the clan as if
she were one of our own. Anything that anybody has done to
offend her, should be apologized for now. She was under
suspicion, but those suspicions have been long cleared with the
boy's ability to recall the events of the day we met.”
“Well what's her name then?” One of the men called out.
“Yes, what do we call the lass?" another said loudly.
“Her name is -”

“If it's all the same to you, I would rather speak for myself," Iona
said firmly, touching Adair's shoulder gently.
“Of course lass," he said with a grin.
“My name is Iona, and I'm from a tribe of wolf shifters down
south. I crossed over the territory looking for a new life, and
maybe I found one and maybe not. Either way, we're going to help
the child find his mother. Thank you all for your patience with me
and for treating me kindly despite not knowing whether or not I
was a murderer."
Adair looked at her fondly, and gave the men a nod.

“The lass need some food, before we go out to fetch the boy's
mother.”
“All right then," one of the men said, standing up and bringing her
a bowl of food. She took it gratefully and sat down on a tree
stump, and began to eat heartily.
Soon, everybody was speaking amongst themselves again as if
nothing had changed. She found herself feeling more at home and
more included than she ever had at her family's dinner table, and
breathed a sigh of relief for the fact that she was finally out of
chains for good.
Chapter 6
Soon after dinner, Adair took her by the arm and let her out of the
encampment. She shifted into her wolf form immediately, after
slipping out of the dress that Adair had given to her. She left the
dress by a tree outside of the encampment walls, and followed
Adair to the hut where the boy’s father laid dead. She needed a
good general idea of what the boy's mother might smell like.
Although the boy smelled a lot like her, it wasn't enough for her to
get the scent.
Adair had changed into his Dragon form, and was flying around in
the sky, looking out over the area for the woman. Now that he
trusted her, they kept each other in much better company.
Suddenly, Iona found a shawl a little ways away from the hut. She
gave a howl and soon Adair was landing powerfully beside her.
He glanced at the shawl and saw the direction that she must have
been heading in after she left the house. Iona sniffed it and took
off immediately in the direction where Adair was looking.
She ran as fast as the carrier, until she reached a lake. The woman
had probably gone to get some water, and maybe she had fallen
into the lake. The rapids were strong, and could easily have
carried away the boy’s mother. Adair and Iona exchanged worried
looks, and quickly she crouched, signaling her to climb onto his
back. She changed into human form and mounted him, and he
took off flying over the landscape.
“Do you smell anything?" He asked her. “I'll take you in any
direction. Just tell me if you find anything.”

Iona furled her brow and continued smelling the air, until finally
she caught wind of the same scent of the boy's mother's shawl.
“Go more to the east!" Iona cried. "I smell her in this area.”
Adair flew down, swooping into the trees, and lo and behold, there
was the figure of a woman and tattered clothing, shivering in front
of a small fire. Adair landed beside her, and her eyes widened
until she recognized the familiar shape of Adair as he transformed
back into human shape. He studied with Iona in front of the
woman, and held his strong arms out to comfort her. She ran
toward him sobbing.

“My boy, my husband. I miss my family! I need them so much,"

she cried.
“I've bad news about your husband, but your boy is fine there's
some twist of fate, he was able to survive. There was a terrible
house fire and your husband was not able to make it out. However,
we were able to save your boy. I will take you to him now.”
Adair transformed back into his Dragon form, and Iona offered
her hand gently to the woman, who climbed onto his back beside
her. They held on tightly as Adair rushed her to the encampment,
and he landed outside the gates. The woman rushed in calling for
her son, and he ran to her, his face lit up and shining brightly.
Adair and Iona watched the reunion from afar, before retreating
into his tent to give the family some time alone.
It was late in the evening, and the sky was dark. Adair lit a torch
in his tent and looked at Iona.
“Seems I don't quite know what to do with you now lass, you've
outgrown your chains here.”
“I'm going to take that as a good thing," she said with a grin.
“Yes, I would certainly say so," Adair said, his handsome, broad
face breaking out into a large smile.
“Should I head back to the South now?" Iona asked. "I already
caused too much trouble here, I don't want to be anymore."
“You were never any trouble lass, I was just concerned about the
boy and my clan. I have to be careful you know. Our type are rare
now."
“I'm very sorry to hear that," Iona said softly, approaching him
slowly. “The dragons are very beautiful, it would be a shame for
them to die out.”
Adair sat heavily onto the cot and sighed. “I'd be lying if I said I
wasn't concerned,” he admitted. “But that's enough draft talk for
now. Sit down and tell me more about yourself now that you're no
longer my enemy."
She studied him, shamelessly naked and sitting on the cot,
offering a seat beside him to her. If she did, they would both be on
his bed in the nude, and she wasn't sure what would happen after
that. All she knew was that she was curious about it and willing to
find out. She approached the bed cautiously before sitting, and
noticed his eyes rest upon her round breasts. She swallowed hard,
and thought quickly about how she could make more
conversation.
“Thank you for your help today," Adair said, before she had to try
to speak. She looked down at her hands and laughed nervously.
“It was no problem, I'm just glad that she's okay now. I was
worried that something might happen to her by the time you
actually let me go out and look for her."

Adair laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I just

couldn't be too careful. If my clan is in danger, there may be no
dragons left after myself."
“You mean you're the last Dragon here?" She asked, her face
contorting in surprise and concern. "That's terrible. You must feel
so lonely!"
"Well it's a big job to fill, but I have to do it. I don't mind
protecting everybody, I'm just concerned about the future. And it's
not like I like anybody here enough to sire an heir, so who knows.
There may be no dragons from here on out."
“You don't like anybody enough?” She asked, her bold, flirtatious
smile tracing her face again. Adair stared at her, his desire for her
welling up stronger than it had ever been before. Now that he
knew that she was not a murderer, her eyes widened in surprise as
she saw his member swell along the length of his leg. She had
never been with a man before, nor has she heard much about what
to expect, but seeing this change in his body brought a change in
hers as well. She bit her lip and looked him in the eye, and before
she knew what was happening, he lifted her with his strong arms
by the hips until she was nestled on top of him.
“Well I may like somebody, but she's not from my clan," he said
with a sly grin.
“Well that sounds inconvenient," she said, slowly touching him
and sending sharp thrills down his body. She felt the effect it had
on him between her thighs, and she groaned as her desire for him
swelled and pulsated. She thrust into him gently, and he gasped
quietly as his strong hands around her body sent pleasure all
throughout her. She closed her eyes and experienced the pleasure
that he gave her, her hips buckling against him as he began to push
himself slowly into the folds of her body. She had never
experienced such ecstasy before, and soon she was throwing her
head back and pleasure coursed through her powerfully.
He grinned at her and ran his hands through her long hair, before
holding her hips with his hands and pushing her body the rest of
the way down his shaft. She cried out as he began rocking against
her, answering her with slow and steady thrusts that drove her
mad. Finally, she couldn't help herself any longer, and gave a
wolfish growl of excitement into his ear. This seemed to arouse
something deep and primal within him, and he let go of all of his
human inhibitions. She began to smell the crackling impressions
of embers burning in the fireplace, and she knew that dragons
could create fire without a doubt as he turned her on her backside
and began thrusting powerfully into her, losing all sense of
gentleness and purely satiating a deep need in both of them.
She cried out softly in pleasure, gripping his hard muscles in her
hands and sighing with pleasure as his mouth found her sensitive
nipples and sucked them gingerly as he made love to her.
Suddenly, she felt herself being overwhelmed by a sense of sheer
ecstasy that she didn't know her body was capable of reaching.
Her entire body cleaved in his grip, and she could feel herself
contracting around him as he pushed and pulled inside of her. She
could tell that it felt good for her to squeeze him that way, and he
gritted his teeth and groaned deeply with the masculine timber as
he unleashed a flood of liquid desire deep inside of her.
They both collapsed onto the cot, panting and satisfied. He held
her tightly in his arms, and she fell asleep against him, feeling
more at peace than she had ever felt in her life.
Epilogue
Ten months later, the young child and his mother had both
recovered completely from the unfortunate incident in their home.
Adair and Iona took special care of them, treating them with great
kindness and love. They made up for the family that the boy lost
when his father died, and his mother was eternally grateful for
their rescue.
This is why Iona had begged for her to be her midwife as she
delivered Adair's first child. The boy kept their company outside
as she gave birth, and the woman was ecstatic to be able to return
any kind of favor to the woman who had helped to save her and
her son. With one final cry, Iona was able to push out the child
completely, and she heard a strangled cry as the woman held the
baby up for her examination. Tears sprang up in Iona's eyes, and
she called immediately for Adair to share this special moment
with her.
He rushed in, and immediately fell to his strong knees. It was
more than he could have ever hoped for. The child was a dragon
shifter just like he was. They watched it off as the child
shimmered and the midwife's arms, going from baby to wolf pup
to Dragon pup, resembling his father's Dragon form with his
mother is wolf color, and his father's Dragon color with his
mother's wolf form. The midwife gave the child to Adair, who
walked quickly over to cradle the baby with his new wife. They
cried over the child and everything that he represented for the
McKordia clan's future. Their leader had an heir, and everything
was going to be all right from then on out.
The end.
LORD OF THE WOLF
Chapter 1
I squinted my eyes and looked about me. The place I was in was a
hazy, purple world, full of flames and fury. Violence was
everywhere. Suddenly, I saw what I must have been looking for. I
ran toward my brother Kain's silhouette. He seemed to be further
away from me with every step that I took toward him, and I knew
that I would never reach him in time. It was the same, endless
battle, the same gruelling images playing in my mind since the
day he died. I heard his murderous cry, and I knew what was
going to happen before it ever did.
He was fighting for his life – a battle he had lost once, three years
ago, and again, over and over in my dreams many nights since.
Suddenly,the image of Kain disappeared, and standing in front of
me, as if keeping me from reaching him, was a great, white wolf.
It was the most majestic and beautiful creature I had ever seen,
and seemed to have no place among such violence. We stared at
each other for a moment, and I had the silly impulse to reach out
and touch it. I had no idea what it might want, or whether or not to
be afraid. The war was loud in my ears, and the sounds of death
surrounded me. The wolf howled, and I was startled into
wakefulness.
I sat up in my bed panting, my heart racing in fear. Kain's name
was on the tip of my tongue and I cried out, reaching my hands
into the darkness and touching nothing. My nightmare had stirred
the servants down the hall, and the woman who had cared for me
since childhood burst through the heavy doors of my room. I
looked down at myself, the vision of my chest, heaving against the
thin fabric of my nightcloths, surreal. All I could see was my
brother Kain, my twin. The person I'd loved the most in the world
and the only friend I'd ever had. That is, until he was taken from
me by the highlanders, slaughtered in cold blood.
“Lady Bethia, are you all right?” Rose asked, fanning me from the
bedside. “You must have been having one of those dreams again.
Kain?”
My heart lurched at the sound of my brother's name and I nodded,
holding back tears.
“Everything's all right now, my Lady. He's made it to the west,
and will be taken care of in Tir nan Og. Many men would envy
him for his residence in the land of eternal youth, my Lady, and he
is waiting there for you still. Do not shed tears for him. Time will
heal your wounds, and reunite you to him inevitably.”

Rose, normally a quiet and simple woman, was the only one who
could console me when my brother's death racked my frail body
with sobs. She knew just what to say, and took comfort in the tales
of the west of Scotland, where the souls of the dead were said to
dwell. Her quiet faith brought me peace when nothing else ever
could.
“Now lay back down with you, miss, you don't want to catch your
death of cold. Your dreams were a fright, but everything is all
right now.”
She gently pushed my shoulders against the soft down of my bed
and tucked the covers over me. I nestled into them and returned
her kind smile.
“I'll be down the hall if you need me,” she whispered, and picked
her candle up off the bedside table and headed from my room,
casting lengthy shadows in her wake until my door closed on the
candle light and left me alone in the darkness.
***
The next morning, the halls were in a flurry of activity. I dressed
and was suddenly whisked away to speak with my parents, who
were sitting autocratically at the large banquet table where we
usually dined with guests. I opened my mouth to ask what the
occasion was when they told me to take my place at the table.
“This is the last meal you will be sharing with us for quite some
time. Tensions between the highlanders and the lowlanders has
been high for far too long. Finally, we have a chance to change the
course of our history together. We can bring peace between these
clans. We have made a deal, one that can finally unify the land
again.”
I stared at my father in disbelief as he spoke. What was he talking
about? Our last meal together?
“What kind of deal?” I asked, suddenly nauseated. The servants
were bringing out dishes of food and the smell wafting in my
nostrils brought bile to my throat. I was afraid I knew what was
coming.
“You are to be wed to Lord Lachlan. Your betrothed is to send his
emissaries here to retrieve you and take you to your new home. He
requested the wedding be held in the highlands, where he feels
most comfortable.”
“The highlands?!” I exclaimed, rising from my seat. For the first
time in my life, I was yelling at my father. “I am betrothed to a
highlander? It was the highlanders who killed Kain! My brother,
your only son! Or did you forget that?”
“Know your place, child! Sit down at once.”
My father's steely gaze piereced through me. I seethed, tempted by
years of training to sit down and shut up, but I held my ground.
“I understand your distaste for the highlanders,” he said. “But it is
this union that could prevent another war like that which your
brother died in. Your hand to Lord Lachlan could mean that no
other men have to die for the sake of our disagreements. Do you
not understand that there are bigger things at work in this world
than yourself? You silly, selfish girl. Now sit down and eat your
breakfast.”
I opened my mouth to retort, but my father made the kind of stern
sense that he always made, and all I could do was sit down and
poke at my food, waiting for the moment when my life would
change forever.
Chapter 2
Breakfast had been very uncomfortable, like most meals with my
parents were. We didn't have the closest of relationships. They
were both frequently busy with the toils of the kingdom. My
father was always cooped up in his office, signing documents and
chattering passionately with his advisers. As a child I used to
sneak in with Kain to spy on him. It was the only way we felt
close to our father. We would listen in from our hiding place in the
curtains, but the older we got the harder it was to remain
concealed. And the bleak nature of our father's conversations
began to leave me with a heavy heart, full of doubts and concerns
for the future of our kingdom. Directly after breakfast, he told me
to ready myself to meet my betrothed and locked himself away
into his study.
I quietly mourned the distance between my father and myself, and
turned to my mother, who was eyeing me sternly. I knew exactly
what she was thinking; I was hardly presentable to be wed in the
outfit I had chosen for breakfast. I wasn't close to my mother
either. My father, of course, busied himself constantly with the
affairs of the kingdom. In the meantime, my mother had taken pity
upon the impoverished, and spent much of her time out in the
world, accompanied by servants as she made it her business to
feed and clothe the sick and hungry. She had recently made a
name for herself for feeding a small group of vagabonds who had
made their camp just outside the limits of our kingdom.
Most of the villagers were disapproving of her tendency to take
pity on that group. They had caused trouble just weeks beforehand
when they raided a few farms of food and mead. My mother
announced that they would not be punished – instead, they would
be fed. Time revealed that the group were an unfortunate band of
highlanders who had lost their supplies to bandits on the road as
they headed back home. My mother took care to show them all
great kindness, something I privately resented her for. I wasn't
alone, but I still felt defensive of her when she was heckled for it.
The vagabonds had escaped back to the highland not long ago,
undoubtedly boasting about my mother's great naivety. It was
undoubtedly the message of her kindness that had caused Lord
Lachlan to reconsider peace with the lowlanders. Perhaps he saw a
window of opportunity to take something valuable from the poor
woman. His kind had taken her son, perhaps now they could take
her daughter as well.
My blood boiled as I stared into my mother's regal face. She was
certainly beautiful, and had passed on her stunning looks to me.
What good would they do anyone now if I were to be enslaved to
wed Lord Lachlan? There couldn't be a fate worse than that.
Except perhaps to be slayed by him.
Again, my thoughts returned to my brother Kain, and I suddenly
remembered the white wolf in my dream. It had appeared there
many times before, and I still had yet to make any sense of what it
might mean. For some reason, the wolf's image in my mind
pacified me, and I allowed my mother to whisk me off to my
chambers to help prepare me for my journey.
***
I inhaled as shallowly as I could, grimacing at the sharp pain I felt
in my ribs from the tight corset my mother had laced for me. She
claimed that I had to be presentable to meet Lord Lachlan for the
first time, and when I had rolled my emerald green eyes toward
the ceiling she gave me a resigned smile.
“He is rumored to be quite handsome,” she said as comfortingly as
she could.
“He is a brute, I shall hate him until I die,” I vowed, jutting my lip
out. Mother laughed quietly.

“It may not be so bad as you think,” she said before spritzing me
with scented water and walking out of the room. “Pack a small
bag and be down soon with it. Don't make poor Rose drag you
down for me. You know she will.”
I sighed and glowered out the window, annoyed that she would
use my warm feelings toward Rose against me. Whatever would I
do without Rose by my side in the night, comforting me from the
horrific nightmares of Kain that I was haunted by? Nothing about
this was right. Everything was all wrong. I wasn't supposed to
marry a disgusting highlander. Even if mother was right and he
was attractive, I would rather die. Maybe I could find some way to
escape.
Kain's fierce face flashed before my eyes disapprovingly. If I
wanted to protect other men like him, I would have to go. I owed
it to the memory of my twin, and to all the other families out there
who could be divided by the ravages of war if I did not comply to
my father's demands. Kain would have died in vain. I felt
powerless to stop this cruel union, and waited with my stomach
rolling in fear for the escort that was to be sent by the highlanders.
My father and mother were standing on either side of me, their
faces stern and emotionless. I couldn't stand it anymore and turned
to face them.
“How do you know they will keep their word? They are nothing
but dirty heathens! What if they just take me to double cross you?
Do you not care about my safety? My happiness?”
My furious pleas fell on deaf ears, and I was silenced by the
dreaded footfalls of horses outside the door.
“Please don't make me go,” I begged my mother, clinging to her
dress. Her face didn't waver and I turned to my father. “Please,
don't! I want to stay with you. I want to stay in the lowlands!”
“Silence,” my father commanded. A rapping sound fell upon my
ears and soon I was hit with a gust of cold wind as the escort
entered. He was unkempt and had a long beard, and glowered at
me from the doorway.
“That the girl?” he asked in a low, gruff voice.
My father nodded.
“How 'bout her dowry then?” he demanded, his grubby hands
extended toward my face, as if to touch me. I flinched and had to
do everything I could not to spit on him.
“It will be as we discussed with Lord Lachlan. See to it that she is
safe for the next year and the dowry is all his. He is free to come
and collect it himself, barring proof that Lady Bethia is all right.”
So my father did intend to secure my well-being. I sighed silently,
my shoulders slumping forward. It was a small comfort
considering my fate. I glared at the man in our doorway. He
seemed to know exactly what I was thinking and leered at me. It
sent another spike of nausea through my body.
My parents bantered with the man briefly and saw me off. I was
led to the man's carriage. He took his seat near the horses and we
left unceremoniously, my parents standing firmly in front of the
door. The terror on my face had to have been obvious, but they
made no sign that they recognized it. I glared at them until they
were out of sight, feeling as if they had betrayed me in the
deepest, worst respect.
I watched as the familiar landscape around me passed before my
eyes. The familiar haunts of my childhood were all left behind me
as I was moved past the limits of our kingdom. The landscape
turned more and more unrecognizable, and all I could do was look
off into the distance, mourning the land where I had grown up and
dreading my venture into the highlands.
Chapter 3
We rode for all of daylight without stopping. At dark, the carriage
suddenly stopped and the unkempt driver jumped out of his seat. I
watched him curiously, suddenly afraid. There was nothing around
for miles.
“I 'ave to piss. Don't move.”
I stared at him, horrified by his lack of propriety. He seemed to
sense this and a big ugly grin spread across his face.
“You're a pretty little thing,” he said, eyeing me up and down. I
clenched my teeth, unsure of how to respond. “If I wasn't to
deliver you to Lord Lachlan safe n' sound, virginity in tact, you
bet I'd 'ave my hands all over ye. Ah well.”
“I'll be sure to let him know you said so,” I said, lifting my chin
with the same regal air I had learned from my mother. This
sobered him and he backed away, scurrying off into the darkened
woods. I shuddered as I heard his stream of urine hitting the dried
leaves of the forest floor, wishing I was anywhere but there.
Suddenly, I heard commotion in the forest. A strangled cry
reached my ears, and I looked around, terrified. It was too dark to
see anything, so I gripped my bag tightly, straining my eyes and
ears. I stifled a scream when a huge black figure approached me.
“Look what I found,” he said in a deep voice. “A pretty little
princess.” As he came closer, I saw that the man was huge and
beastly. He was missing teeth, and had wild hair. His mouth was
twisted into a cruel smile, and I squirmed into the furthest corner
of the carriage as he reached his hand out to me. It was wrapped in
some kind of a bandage. My night could not have gotten any
worse.
“Stay away from me,” I growled, kicking at him. He didn't flinch.
Instead, he laughed.
“Feisty,” he said approvingly, grabbing my ankle and sliding me
down the seat, until our bodies were touching.
“Let go of me!” I shrieked, hitting him with all my strength. His
eyes were evil and glared down at me, and I was sure that I was
doomed. If this man had his way with me, it would be my fault
that the peace treaty between the highlands and the lowlands was
broken. I would be a defective bride, and more men like Kain
were sure to die.
The ugly sneer on the man's face grew closer. Before I could tell
what was happening, a blinding white streak flew between us. It
was large and snarling, and I watched in a daze as the man was
torn away from me, his advances intercepted by a majestic white
wolf. Soon, the large beast's perfect mane was stained red with
blood, and the cruel man lay on the ground, shrieking in more
womanly a voice than I'd ever heard.
“Princess, help me!” he cried, reaching his bandaged hand to me
once again.
My heart grew hard and suddenly I was incapable of pity.
“Save yourself,” I growled. His wide eyes lost all light of hope,
and the white wolf finished the job, tearing out the man's throat.
The huge creature took a glance at me trembling in the carriage
and then disappeared, bounding deep into the woods.
***

I don't know how long it was that I sat amongst the carnage, in
shock and terrified to move lest the wolf see me and change its
mind about attacking. I whispered for help, wishing that the escort
might hear me. The bandit had surely slit his throat, and I gazed
into the full, round moon, wishing more than anything that I could
return home to the lowlands.
Suddenly, I heard a twig snap and gasped involuntarily. Another
man was coming toward me. I squinted into the darkness, sure that
I was about to encounter another enemy. As the man entered my
view, I was taken aback. I had never seen a creature like this
before. He glanced in concern from me to the corpse of the man
lying on the ground.
“Are you all right?” he asked, in a low, rumbling voice. Somehow
I was instantly comforted.
“I want to go home,” I said, purposely avoiding the question. I
didn't know if I was all right or not. I just knew I was tired.
A gentle grin creased his broad, handsome face. I stared at him,
unable to take my eyes away. He approached me cautiously,
stepping over the brute's body.
“And where is that, love?” he asked.
“The lowlands,” I said, my eyes brimming with tears.
He glided into the seat beside me and wrapped his muscular arm
comfortingly around me.
“You're a long way from home, love,” he said softly, pressing me
close against his firm chest. He laid his cheek against me, and
although I had never been so near a man like this before, I didn't
feel threatened. I could feel his stubble against my skin, and the
friction sent a small thrill through me. “But I can take you to the
closest settlement to here. You're going to be all right. I'll see to
it.”
He squeezed my shoulder and abruptly stood, climbing into the
driver's seat of the carriage. I felt suddenly cold without the
warmth of his body near me, and the absurd thought crossed my
mind then that I had never before felt so lonely. I considered
telling him that Lord Lachlan was expecting me, but I felt
reluctant to unveil the importance of my rank, just in case the man
was untrustworthy.

I heard a whinney and the carriage jolted forward. I sighed, staring

at the man's golden hair as it swayed against his shoulders. It was
long, thick and curly, braided on one side. I gazed at him, my eyes
growing heavier and heavier until I was lulled into a deep sleep by
the gentle rocking of the carriage.
Chapter 4
When I awoke, I was in a cot. The chill in my bones was
unbelievable. I sat up quickly, disoriented and looked about me. I
was in a small tent. There was rustling outside, and I groaned,
wishing I could remove my corset. It was bound far too tightly for
my comfort.
“Good morning, miss,” a shrill woman's voice said to me.
Somehow I had missed her sitting in the corner of the tent. She
stood, offering me a dirty cup full of milk. I was tempted to resist
it, but suddenly felt overwhelmed with thirst.
I drank deeply and handed the empty cup back to her.
“Thank you,” I said, looking down at the ground. It embarrassed
me to look at her, dressed as strangely as she was. It appeared she
wore no corset at all, and had a simple dress of white plaid, bound
with a brass buckle over her breasts. She saw me looking and
quirked an eyebrow. Suddenly I realized that she could help me. “I
was wondering...can you help me out of my corset? I can hardly
breathe.”
A pink blush colored her cheeks and she nodded.
“D'you want the flap drawn then?” she asked, gesturing to the
opening in the tent. I nodded and she closed it quickly. Her fingers
worked nimbly on the strings of my corset and I was suddenly
exposed in the cool morning air.
“I'm afraid none of my clothes will be warm enough,” I mumbled,
digging through my bag. The woman quirked a smile.
“I suppose we could get you a spare tartan,” she said thoughtfully.
“You got a lowlander's constitution.”
I couldn't help but feel offended as she disappeared out of the tent.
She appeared a few moments later with bulky fabric in her arms.
“I'll show you how,” she said. “My name's Winny, by the way.”
“Thank you,” I said. “My name is Bethia. Do you know where I
am?”

“You're right where you're supposed to be,” Winny said.

I pursed my lips. That wasn't the answer I'd been hoping for.
“Well there you are,” she said, studying her handiwork. “Let's get
you out to breakfast before they start asking questions.”
I followed Winny out of the tent and toward a large camp fire. The
smell of meat cooking brought rumbles of hunger to my stomach,
and she gestured for me to take my place on a felled tree. There
were several people sitting around us, and many of the men stared
at me as I gazed around the circle. Their inappropriate interest
made me uncomfortable. I could tell what most of them were
thinking. It was no different from what other men and boys had
always thought of me. Fortunately I'd had Kain to protect me most
of our lives. Now I was alone.
Finally, Winny returned to my side. She brought me a bowl full of
porridge and I ate ravenously. I heard a chuckle from across the
fire and looked up to meet the eyes of the man who had saved me
the night before.
“Easy, love, you don't want to choke.”
The grin on his face brought a blush to my own, and the men
around him laughed quietly.
“Welcome to my clan, Lady Bethia,” he said with a low bow.
I froze, realization suddenly dawning on me.
“Lord Lachlan?” I asked, nearly choking on the bite of porridge I
had in my mouth.
The men surrounding us cackled. Lord Lachlan's eyes danced
behind the firelight. Suddenly I no longer felt hungry. I stood and
glared at him.
“I'll have you know I didn't agree to this union. If it were up to
me, I'd still be back home, where it's warm. Not out here with you
and your band of heathens. Did you see how they were looking at
me? But what do you care – you have what you want. Yes, you
may be able to marry me but I'd like you to do me a favor and
leave me alone.”
I turned my back on him and headed back to the safety of the tent
where I had woken up. I could feel his eyes burning into my back,
but I didn't turn around. The men were in a clamor now.

“You should put that whelp in her place,” one man exclaimed.
“She shouldn't be talking to you like that, Lord Lachlan.”
“No,” I heard his low voice murmur. “She's been through a lot.
Let her be.”
Chapter 5
As the week went by, I slowly realized that living in the camp
with none of the civil luxuries of the lowlands was going to be my
life. It was very cold, but nobody seemed to care or suggest we
take shelter in a more heated abode. The men were all larger and
more broad and muscular than any other people I had ever seen,
and even the women were thick and sturdy, beautiful in their own
fierce way. One of them, Jeila, had her eyes on Lord Lachlan, and
seethed at me any chance she could.
“I hear you two are going to tie the knot,” she said, sitting a little
too close to me one evening at the fire, her dark eyes narrowed.
“I hear the same thing,” I said, not looking up from the plate of
fish and cheese on my plate.
“He's not going to be happy with you for long,” she laughed.
“You're too small. Most times the little ones like you don't get any
husbands. You make poor, weak stock. Not cut out for the
mountains.”
“Great, maybe I'll get to go home then,” I said, glaring at Lord
Lachlan from across the fire. He stopped chewing and stared
levelly at me. He hadn't approached me since my outburst the
week before, though I knew that wedding plans were in the works
whether I was involved in them or not.
Lord Lachlan looked away from me, distracted by a question from
the man beside him.
“Did you hear the ghosts talking last night?” the man asked.
“They've been restless since Lady Bethia arrived. Maybe they
think the lowlanders are bad luck.”
I glowered down at my food. It wasn't bad enough that I didn't
want to be there. If nobody else wanted me to be there either, I had
a hard time seeing the point of staying. It was generally terrible for
everybody involved. But the peace treaty had been signed, and as
decreed, my life was now in the mountains.
“I did,” Lord Lachlan answered, to my surprise. The strange
superstitions of the highlanders was peculiar, but they all seemed
to believe in the ghosts in the hills. Even with all their might, the
ghosts held power over their conduct. And they were certainly
mighty. I had seen the men training a few days beforehand. Their
rippling muscles and fierce expressions were intimidating to me.
“I spoke with one of them. A bad omen. It has nothing to do with
the lowlanders, this much I am sure of.”
The group quietly mulled the news over, looking down into their
plates.
“He's probably just saying that because you're right here,” Jelia
hissed to me. “He doesn't want to hurt your delicate lowlander
feelings.”
“Lord Lachlan has no reason to flatter me,” I said, looking
squarely into her eyes. For some reason this woman would not let
up on me, and her foolish, immature games were starting to wear
on my nerves.
Lord Lachlan seemed to sense his name rolling off my lips,
because he looked again at me.
“The spirits told me that Lady Bethia would bring us good
fortune, actually,” he said, directly to me, his handsome face
glowing gold in the firelight. “I have no reason to believe
otherwise.”
We gazed at each other and I felt a tugging deep within me to go
to him and take my rightful place beside my betrothed. It certainly
would make Jelia seethe with jealousy if I did so. But still, I didn't
trust him, and resented more than anything that I was to be traded
as if I were some pawn in a game I wanted nothing to do with.
The only reason I was there was to save people like Kain, not to
be some blushing bride to a brutish highlander. What did I care if I
brought them luck? They could all rot for all I cared.
Unfortunately, the power of my anger was waning the longer I
was in their camp. Everybody had been more than accomodating,
and many were even apologetic about their lifestyle, begging my
forgiveness for their peculiar habits and customs. They claimed to
hate lowlanders, but they were more courteous and thoughtful of
me than even my own parents had been. It must have been
something in their breeding.
***
Because of their kind treatment toward me, I thought that perhaps
they were all very welcoming of outsiders, until one day my
opinion of this changed. I was in my tent with Winny, who had
taken to keeping me company as I attempted to avoid the rest of
the highlanders. Suddenly, a loud rallying cry roused us to our
feet.
“It's the O'Connell clan,” Winny said, pale-faced. “We don't allow
any encroachment here, no, that's not allowed.”
The fierce men ran past the open flap of the tent. I approached the
opening to watch as they sped off together toward the breach.
Following up behind the men was Lord Lachlan, who had just
finished bathing. He had barely put his kilt on before following
the men to the disturbance. I couldn't take my eyes off his broad
chest as he ran toward me, his eyes fully focused on the scene
ahead of him. I was entranced, despite myself, by his hulking,
rippling body barreling forward, his bare muscles tense and
threatening to tear apart any threat to his clan.
He passed the tent without any indication of having seen me, and I
watched his long hair swaying, still wet from bathing. It flew
behind him, some strands slapping against his muscular back. I
turned to Winny, who was watching the men running off with a
look I found difficult to pinpoint. It seemed there were elements of
fear, certainly, but there was also an unmistakable thrill behind her
eyes. This was what they were bred for – fighting and protecting
what was theirs. I never felt more out of place, me and my frail
lowlander's body, than in that moment.
I felt restless all of a sudden, and longed to go and see the action.
“Lady Bethia, no!” Winny cried, reaching out to grab me as I ran
out of the tent. She was too late, and I followed the commotion,
my breath coming in short gasps as I tried to catch up with the
men. Although they were huge, they were incredibly fast, and it
took everything I had just to get far enough ahead to find where
they were going. I followed them as they climbed a large hill in
the camp, and heard metal clanking as the men prepared to brawl.
I was fully panting by the time I climbed the hill, my legs shaky
from the unexpected exertion. Once I reached the top of the hill,
my eyes widened.
“Wolves!” I shouted.
All of the men, both O'Connells' and Lachlans', turned toward the
sound of my voice. It was too late. Some of the O'Connell men
were already being attacked by a small pack of wolves. Two of
them were grey, and knocked the leader of the rival clan down to
the ground. They began gnawing at the man, putting their giant
grey paws on his suddenly vulnerable body. In the lead was
another great white wolf, much like the one that had saved me on
my journey to meet Lord Lachlan.
I watched in awe as the white wolf stood upright and backed away
from the man on the ground, who was trembling and batting at the
beasts in a futile effort to drive them away. The two grey wolves
followed the white wolf's lead and backed away from the man. He
got to his feet and gave an order, calling off the men who were
attacking Lord Lachlan's clan.
“They don't know no better,” one of the highlander's said to me as
both clans retreated from bloodshed.
They didn't know any better about what? Not encroaching on Lord
Lachlan's clan? It seemed like such a silly dispute. The leader of
the rival clan caught my eye as I watched the scene in a daze. He
leered at me and sneered. Suddenly, I felt very vulnerable and I
looked around for Lord Lachlan. For some reason, when I felt
unsafe, he was the first person I thought to turn to. However, he
was nowhere to be found. I figured that he must have snuck off
while I was watching the wolves. I frowned and left the scene,
eager to get away from the man as quickly as possible. I returned
to my tent, shaken by the sudden violence and thankful that it had
passed swiftly.
Chapter 6
After that incident, my view of the highlanders changed once
again. Now I didn't see them as welcoming of outsiders, I saw
them as unreasonable and thick-headed, unable to keep peace even
among each other. That night, Winny explained how the clans
worked. If we didn't take care of ourselves, she had said, then
nobody would. We had to protect what was ours, at all costs. You
didn't know who you could trust – all you had in this world was
yourself. The O'Connells were bandits that had been terrorizing
the roads in the highlands for ages. Lord Lachlan's clan had been
lucky to escape their attentions for this long, but now they had
finally been targeted.
The highlanders were a difficult brood to understand, but the
fierce loyalty they had toward each other made me feel vaguely
warm. It must have been nice to feel as if you belonged
somewhere. Especially with someone as powerful as Lord Lachlan
there to protect you. I had never felt very concerned for my life
being raised in the lowlands, but I knew none of the peasants in
our kingdom loved my parents the way the highlanders under
Lord Lachlan's watchful eye seemed to love him. Even the men
spoke fondly of him, praising his extraordinary talents. I had heard
plenty of the women admiring his looks and his strength, each of
them casting a jealous eye on me, especially after publicly
scorning him as I had.
One afternoon, after lunch, I was surprised to see him approach
me.
“Let's go for a walk,” he said. It was an offer but it didn't seem
like one that I could say no to. If Lord Lachlan asked you to walk
with him, you walked. I could feel all eyes on us as we left the
camp. Even though I was a little bit tall for my sex and my mother
frequently reminded me of this, I felt dwarfed by the huge man.
He seemed to feel perfectly at ease as he led me from the safety of
the settlement and down a path I had never noticed into the woods.
We walked quietly and I found myself deeply enjoying the
solitude that the forest provided us. It was as if I were alone for
the first time with the same gentle man who had rescued me. He
showed a peculiar reverance for the plants and trees as we walked,
greeting some of them as if they were people, or touching their
trunks gingerly as he passed. I had never seen anything like it, and
realized that there was much more to the highlander way of life
than I had ever imagined.
We reached a small stream and he crouched beside it, cupping
some of the fresh spring water in his hands and sipping it. He
offered his hands to me and I find myself fumbling over my words
in an effort to avoid drinking from his hands. He quirked his
eyebrow at me with a playful smile and I laughed, unable to resist
his charms. I knelt in front of him, my knee pushed into the
muddy bank beside him. For the first time in my life I realized I
didn't have to worry about whether or not there was mud on my
clothes, and it felt great.
I put my slender hands on top of his thick wrists to steady his
hands. We gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before I
drank deeply. The water was cold and refreshing. I could see Lord
Lachlan's chest rising and falling. I was alarmingly close to his
thighs, and I couldn't help but wonder if the rumors were true
about the savage way highlander men refused to wear briefs under
their kilts. I could feel a blush creep across my cheeks and Lord
Lachlan looked at me as if he could see right through my curiosity.
He let the rest of the water drip through his hands and took my
hands in his own. He looked at me intently, and I was captivated
by his warm presence and the flecks of gold and green in his blue
eyes.
“I don't wish to keep you here against your will,” he said. “This
marriage was a gesture of good will toward us to seal a treaty of
peace. I will keep my word to your family even if you choose to
return to the lowlands.”
He brought my pale hand to his bronzed face and kissed it
tenderly. His lips were warm and soft on my cool hands, igniting a
fire I didn't know I was capable of stoking. The intensity of the
longing I felt for him shocked me, and I stood quickly and hid my
face from him.
“Let's not talk about this right now,” I said, my back turned to
him. Suddenly, Kain was in my mind again and I remembered my
hatred of the highlanders. There was no way I could be lured in by
his sweet words. If he would let me go home, then that was
exactly what I was going to do.
Suddenly, his arms were around my waist and the whole of his
body was pressed behind me. I felt small and safe, and he nuzzled
his face into my neck, sending a deep thrill down my spine. I bit
my lip in confusion and he turned me by the shoulder to face him.
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could get a word out, his
mouth was pressed against my own, and I felt myself surrendering
to the fire within me. He kissed with passionate abandon, holding
me firmly in his strong arms. When we broke away from each
other, I stared at him for a moment before turning on my heel and
running away.
Chapter 7
I could hear his heavy footfalls as he went after me, chasing me
through the forest. I groaned in frustration, knowing he would be
able to catch up with me right away if that's what he wanted to do.
Suddenly, I was halted by a strong hand gripping my arm.
“Never run through here like that!” Lord Lachlan barked. “Do you
know how much harm could come to you? The O'Connells saw
you here last time, if they knew you were vulnerable they would
take you in an instant! Don't underestimate their knowledge of
your value to me.”
My value to him? What did I mean to him except a potential
marriage? A fragile peace treaty between two powers at odds? A
pretty and available woman for him to use as he pleased? All for a
contract I had nothing to do with. I jutted my chin at him defiantly.
He was a rogue and a brute, and now he was manhandling me.

“I didn't agree to marry you and I certainly didn't agree to take

your orders!” I exclaimed, wriggling free from his grasp.
“It's dangerous, my Lady,” he said in a low, serious voice, casting
his eyes quickly away from me. I wondered in surprise if perhaps I
had hurt his feelings. Until that moment he had seemed so
invincible.
Again, I remembered Kain dying on the battlefield with the
highlanders. Good. If I hurt his feelings that meant I had at least
some small advantage over the brute. It was my only form of
power in this situation. Everybody was thicker and stronger than I
was, I may as well resort to the power my looks and sharp tongue
awarded me, just like the jealous and vile women in my own
kingdom would have done. I used to wonder why they were so
harsh with their husbands and suitors, and now I thought I might
understand why.
“Very well. Can we please go to back now?” I asked, resigning
myself to a malicious nature. If it gave me any control over my
life, I might as well give it a try. I couldn't be at Lord Lachlan's
mercy.
“All right,” he said.
I followed him back to the encampment quietly. My emotions
were all over the place. He was acting as if I had stricken him, and
although I took secret pleasure in hurting a highlander, I couldn't
help but feel guilty about it. This just served to make me angrier
though, so I went back to the tent where Winny was sipping on a
glass of mead and laid down in my cot to get some sleep.
***
I woke up in the middle of the night from another dream about
Kain in battle. Again, he was fighting for his life, and before I
could reach him, a white wolf appeared in the distance and held
my gaze. I wanted to shout at it for answers but instead, I woke
myself up with a little gasp. I couldn't handle being in the
highlands for another second.
My stomach grumbled painfully. In my haughtiness, I had refused
to take to dinner with the others, pretending to be sleeping deeply
when they asked me to join them. I didn't like how I was acting,
but I didn't know how else to get everybody to leave me alone.
Nobody could run my life anymore – I was an adult and I had
every right to go wherever I wanted.

I sat bolt upright in bed. That's right – Lord Lachlan said I was
free to return home any time I wanted. And I wanted nothing more
in that instant than to be in the lowlands, back in my own bed.
Where people were cultured and refined and didn't talk to trees. I
glowered and got quietly out of my cot, careful not to wake
Winny, who had been sharing her tent with me since I arrived. I
would miss her. I would miss most of them, really, but I couldn't
handle being a pawn in Lord Lachlan's games anymore.
I grabbed my satchel and filled it with the rest of my possessions,
packing quickly and slinging it over my shoulder. I buttoned up
my nightclothes and dressed in the tartan that Winny had given
me. I gazed at her sleeping peacefully before I headed quietly out
the tent and toward the road that led, inevitably, toward home.
I snuck past the guards and into the deep darkness of the night. I
headed toward the stables, situated further out of the encampment
to give the horses more solitude. I would take one and go home,
nobody could stop me, and I'd be returning my parent's investment
with interest. I would have a highlander's horse.
I fumed at the thought of myself as an investment. I was making
the right decision. I was about to mount the horse when suddenly I
was grabbed from behind. I was whipped forcfully around. I
expected to be peering into Lord Lachlan's stern face, but I had
slipped even beneath his awareness and into the night. Instead, I
was face to face with the leader of the O'Connell bandits. He
sneered at me and clapped a dirty hand over my face before I had
the chance to scream.
“We're going to have some fun, princess,” the man said. His
breath smelled as if his teeth were rotting in his mouth, and I
quirmed, attempting to cry out. Nobody heard me though, and I
was dragged away into the darkness.
Chapter 8
I was taken hostage by the O'Connell clan, and realized that these
men were everything I thought I had hated about highlanders.
Lord Lachlan and his people were nothing like these hedonistic
monsters. Each of them took turns touching and leering at me as I
was led away into the leader's tent, where he tied me to a stake in
the corner.
“We been waiting for you,” he said, licking his blackened teeth.
“Heard a lot about you, Princess.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, glowering down at the
floor. “Where would you hear anything about me?”
“From your brother,” he said. “You look just bloody like him.”
I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant, how he might have
known my brother, but before I could get the words out, he shoved
a dirty piece of cloth in my mouth and tied another one around it
to kep it in place. I furrowed my eyebrows, sensing that the man
would like it even better if I struggled, and did my best to keep my
composure. I tilted my chin up at him, again borrowing my
mother's regal expression. The grin faded from his face and he left
the tent.
“Send Lachlan the message of ransom!” he shouted to the men.
I heard the clatter of hooves as horses headed to the camp. I had
been foolish to think I could make my way safely home even after
Lachlan's warnings. I worried now, after my unkindness toward
him, if he would even want to come for me at all. I didn't see why
he would. Everything was hopeless.
***
The bandit's leader, presumably O'Connell, disappeared from the
tent for a few hours. I was exhausted and hungry, which made me
miserable. And on top of it all, my hands and feet were bound too
tightly and I could scarcely move. I wondered how it could get
any worse, when O'Connell stepped inside the tent with a
sickening smirk on his face.
“C'mon lass, the fellas want to have a little fun with ye,” he said,
roughly pulling me up and leading me out to the fire, where about
sixteen men were leering at me, devilish looks in their eyes.
“I'll start off the festivities,” O'Connell said, gripping my knee and
sliding his hand up under my dress. I spit on him and the others
laughed. He raised his hand to strike me. I flinched, expecting
searing pain, but his blow never reached my face. The great white
wolf I had seen before raced out of the dark woods and lept at
O'Connell's throat. I hid my face as the sounds of him choking on
his last breaths filled the air.
Several of the men began advancing toward the wolf, grabbing
weapons of all shapes and sizes. Fear gripped my heart, and for
the first time I realized that I didn't want the wolf to die – it had
become the same as the wolf in my dreams, and somehow it was
connected to the fate of my twin. I knew nothing more truly than I
knew this. I watched in horror and awe as the beautiful creature
became stained with blood as its enormous body massacred the
slew of men trying to kill it.
I cried out as a man, one of the last alive, approached the wolf
from behind as it tore out another man's throat. He was holding a
huge club over his head and smacked the great wolf over the head
with a loud thud. The wolf whimpered.
“No!” I cried as it fell to the ground in a heap. Suddenly, a change
began to take place in the wolf. Before my very eyes, it began to
change shape, morphing in an aura of light from a wolf down to
something much smaller. A naked human. The man struggled
weakly to his feet, and my eyes roamed his perfect form. His back
was to me, and I could scarcely believe my eyes when he turned to
look over his shoulder at me and I was staring right into the face
of Lord Lachlan.
Just then, three more wolves lept into the campsite, downing the
men before they had a chance to do any more harm to their pack
leader. Their terrified wails distracted from the shock I felt as Lord
Lachlan steadied himself, bringing his hand to the wound on his
forehead. Then, much like a wolf, he shook his head, whipping his
long hair wildly, and straightened his back. He approached me, his
lithe body glowing in the firelight, and for a moment, everything
else disappeared.
He untied me gingerly, but I couldn't yet stand. My legs felt weak
with fear and adrenaline, and he allowed me to stay on the ground
for a moment.
“He said something about my brother,” I whispered, tears
streaming down my face. “That he'd heard a lot about me from
him. Why is that?”
“Your brother, Kain the Able, was a fantastic fighter. It is the
O'Connell's clan that brings a bad name to the rest of us. We had
banded together to fight against them, but they had taken Kain
captive, hoping for a reward from the lowlanders for his return.
Your family. My pack and I were able to save him, and in battle
we fought against the O'Connells and the clans they had
brainwashed against us. We had a common enemy, and he was a
worthy friend.”
Lord Lachlan lowered his eyes to the ground and heaved a deep
sigh.
“One of the men, a bandit named Emry, was on the battlefield that
day. We were on the cliff's edge when it happened. I saw him
fighting Kain and ran as quickly as I could, but I was still human
and wasn't fast enough. By the time I transformed, Emry had run
his blade through your brother. I pounced on Emry hard enough to
knock him over the cliff's edge, but it was too late for your
brother. I nuzzled him and comforted him as he died.”
“How did you come to know each other?” I asked. It seemed so
wrong when compared to what I already held in my beliefs, but in
my heart, I knew it was so, and that this is what my dreams had
been trying to tell me for so long. Kain didn't want any hatred in
my heard. Not for the highlanders, not for anyone.
“As I mentioned, we had a common enemy. We rescued him from
the O'Connell clan just as we are rescuing you. And when we
transformed to our human forms, Kain fell instantly in love with a
woman here – a woman I've been reluctant to introduce you to for
fear of a misunderstanding. Come here now, Maily.”
A beautiful woman approached, also completely nude. Her
stunning body showed marks of childbirth, and I looked from
Lord Lachlan to Maily in confusion. Before I could ask the
obvious question, a small wolf pup with a satchel in his mouth ran
up to her and nuzzled her legs. She picked him up and he
transformed into a giggling baby boy. He looked just like Kain
and I.
“Your nephew,” she said, handing the small child down to me. He
was around three years old, and we stared at each other until tears
welled in my eyes. I knew everything they were saying to be true
in my heart, and I hugged the boy as the others dug through his
satchel for their clothes, dressing quickly among the corpses
before heading back toward camp for the night.
“They took you far,” Lord Lachlan said down to me. “We
highlanders can hike 60 miles in a single day, but I'm afraid you
are of too weak of a constitution for the journey back. We can
make camp in the woods a ways away from here. Take some of
their supplies and head back to the settlement in the morning. It
has been a long night. Come on out of here, you don't need to be
around all of this carnage.”
He took my hands and pulled me to my feet, and I followed him
around camp as he looted it for what we needed. We headed away
from the bandit's camp and began our search for a place to spend
the night.
Chapter 9
We found a pleasant clearing and Lord Lachlan busied himself
setting up a campsite. He first built a fire and sat me in front of it
before cooking a hearty meal of goat's meat and porridge. We ate
quietly.
“Are you injured?” I asked when we were finished.
“No, love. Just a scratch. Did they harm you at all?” his eyes grew
hard at the possibility.
“I'm fine,” I said, longing for the comfort of his warm body beside
me. I shivered and looked out into the trees. He seemed to read my
mind, and scooted beside me, wrapping his strong arms around
me.
“I misunderstood you,” I said softly to him. “I'm so sorry.”
He laughed heartily.
“I like a woman who takes care of herself,” he said, and I put my
arms around him, toying with his soft hair. He looked down into
my eyes and my breath caught in my throat. I knew I was ready
for him now.
I tilted my chin up, this time not in indignance but to kiss him. He
met my mouth greedily, and I sighed in pleasure as his hot tongue
brought me an unexpected taste of rapture. I kissed back
passionately and rested my hand on the bulge of his kilt, stroking
it curiously. I could tell he was surprised by my boldness.
“Are you sure this is what you want? We are not yet wed,” he
whispered, pulling me on top of himself and pressing my middle
against the hard, urgent testament to his longing.
I felt a rush between my legs and nodded. I could feel his every
movement beneath the fabric of his kilt as he began to strip me of
my dress, revealing my pale breasts and lean stomach. Soon, the
only thing separating us was a thin barrier of cloth. I moaned as he
easily bypassed it, pressing his hot flesh against me, halting at a
bunched area of damp fabric between my own legs. He slid
himself against it without moving the fabric. I closed my eyes,
gasping as tendrils of pleasure wound their way around me.
He sat up, his rippling muscles flexed and glimmering in the soft
glow of the fire light. His strong hands found their way to my
waist and lifted me, moving the bunched fabric out of his way and
using his large fingers to knead soft bursts of bliss from me. He
pulled them away and examined the way they shimmered in the
fire light before giving me a wolfish grin.
It seemed greedy to want more than that, so I was surprised when
my gratification only deepened. He closed his vibrant eyes and
pushed his rod gently against my opening, until he was partially
inside. The foreign feeling of a man's phallus against me was
jarring at first, but he began expertly pleasuring me as he slid
further and further inside. He went with excruciating slowness,
awakening my appetite until even the whole of him didn't feel like
enough.
The pleading in my eyes elicited a smile from him, and he gently
lifted me from himself and laid me down on the tartan cloth I had
been cloaked in. He fussed over me until I was comfortable, and
then, with an expression of pure revelry, pushed his engorged
manhood deeply inside of me. I cried out in surprise and in
gratification. Never had I felt better than in that moment. He thrust
again and again, indulging every wave of my satisfaction.
I could see the enjoyment on his face, and I felt a shudder inside
of me as his eyes roamed my naked body.
“You're perfect,” he said with a low growl, and unleashed an
animalistic fervor within me. We moaned together until suddenly
it felt as if I were being lifted straight out of my body by a burst of
ecstasy. My hips buckled against his and I cried out fervently. He
uttered a low moan as I squeezed him, until suddenly I was
flooded with a hot rush of liquid that elevated my climax. He
gripped my legs tightly, grimacing in pleasure up at the moon until
the gushing of his seed subsided.
He lay next to me, entwining my hand in his and examining our
hands together in the moonlight. I curled my body into him and
we lay like that for as long as I could stand before I was shivering
with the cold. I dressed slowly as he watched, lounging
immodestly on the tartan, his expelled member resting against his
leg and glistening in the firelight.
“Are you ready then?” he asked me, his eyes intent.
“Ready for what?” I asked, thinking with some surprise that he
already wanted to have another go with me on the tartan.
“To marry me?” he asked, his warm lips curled into a grin.
I opened my mouth and closed it again, unable to find the right
words. Instead, I made my way over to him and knelt down with
my hands around his broad shoulders.
“Yes,” I whispered into his ear. We hugged and he held me tightly.
I was ready to embrace my new home and a completely different
way of life.
Epilogue

It had been six months since I first arrived with the highlanders.
Lord Lachlan and I were bound in union for a month. We'd had a
very Gaelic wedding ceremony in the mountains, with the fresh air
blowing our hair out toward the wind. I could feel Kain there,
blessing us with his spirit. Lord Lachlan had a great hand in
convincing me that he had never left me at all, not the way I
thought he had. It brought me a great sense of peace, and knowing
that my twin and his little pup were attending my wedding was the
best gift I could ever have received.
At least, that's what I thought until I noticed with some concern
that I hadn't bled since a frisky romp my husband and I had a few
months ago, near the spring where we had first shared a kiss. I
came to him with the news and his entire face lit up.
“You do realize what this means, don't you, Bethia?” he asked me,
picking me up and spinning me around his tent.
“I don't...” I said, my eyebrows furrowed. Although I was a
woman, my own body's workings were still quite mysterious to
me. Nobody in the lowlands thought it was proper to teach a
woman how she worked. I was impressed and surprised by the
frankness the highland women shared with their young, bare-
footed children about the way nature worked. In my native home
it was shameful, but here it was a natural and accepted aspect of
life.
“You're with child, love! It is a day to celebrate!” he exclaimed.
“You're having my children!”
“Your...you mean we're starting a family? Already?” I asked,
laughing in disbelief as he continued to dance with me. I let him
spin me round in his strong arms.
“Yes! Our legacy shall continue.”
I held him still for a moment, tears in my eyes.
“I think it's twins,” I whispered.
He knew the significance to me and held me close.
“They'll be the most well loved pups in all the world,” he said
softly.
We held each other, both lost in thought. Our future was in my
belly right that moment, and we couldn't have been happier.
The End.
Chapter One
Alisa stared out over her family’s lands from the parapet of
her father’s castle. Clan McGregor had some of the largest
holdings in Scotland, and even in the midst of a bloody,
devastating civil war, the true wealth of her kin was in rolling
emerald hills and blue skies so sharp and clear even a dreary day
could seem like a summer frolic. She thought to herself, I may
never see this sight again, and though in that moment she felt like
indulging in self-pity, she alone of all her sisters had the sense to
recognize the futility of such thinking.
Lord Cheshire, the illustrious Earl of Shrewsbury, had chosen
her above all other eligible highland lasses to be his wife. He had
himself suggested a union with Alisa’s father, a merging of family
lines intended to satisfy the feuding royalists and preempt any
further bloodshed. War was the last thing anyone wanted. Lord
Cheshire had first seen Alisa at a Christmas festival in Edinburgh
when she was thirteen, and now five years later, he’d come to
collect that which he’d so clearly coveted.
Alisa was the tallest of her sisters, with long blonde hair that
broke the typical McGregor pattern of dark features. As she’d
grown into a woman, she’d cut a figure which always seemed to
attract attention, though Lord in Heaven knew why that was. It
wasn’t that she considered herself ugly, not really. It was just that
she didn’t see herself as the typical female object of desire. In her
mind, she was still the awkward girl who rebelled against stiff
petticoats and ruffled collars, who loved spending days down by
the bog, catching toads and laughing till her father’s men came to
collect her for supper. And the thought that her clan had decided
so quickly to give her away, to simply offer her up as one would
offer mutton … She knew it was the way of things, the way their
world had always been. But just once, at one point in the long,
storied history of men and women—she wished a single lass had
deigned to stand up and shout to all the men of the world, Ye can’t
have me! I am my own woman!
But such thoughts were silly and empty and she knew it.
Fixing her eyes on a wealth of windswept fields of thistle, she
heaved an exhausted sigh and trudged back inside through the
heavy birch door. Closing it behind her with a loud thud, she
slipped out of her cape, slung it over an arm, and made her way
back to her waiting room, where she was expected by a chamber
maid and a very impatient Lady McGregor.
Alisa entered with an unexpected heaviness in her heart.
When her mother saw her, she threw up her hands in exasperation.
“There ye are! What would I have done if ye’d managed to
escape?”
Alisa scowled at her. “I would’ne have tried to escape,
mother. Nor have I ever done so. Just because I talk about—”
“Talk, talk, talk! No more talk, deary, now’s the time to be on
with it. Come over here. Ye’ve made a mess of Margarete’s
dressing.”
 Alisa did as she was told and allowed her mother to lace her
bodice tighter and straighten her dark green dress. She felt like she
couldn’t breathe. Clan society considered it unbecoming of a lady
to look in any way unprepossessing when presenting herself to her
betrothed for the first time. The Earl had insisted on ushering her
to England himself before any wedding could take place. Alisa’s
mother wouldn’t be there when she took her vows, and neither
would her father or sisters. Lady McGregor had clearly found the
decision difficult to bear, but she’d done her duty and had kept her
misgivings to herself.
Eyeing her in the mirror as she brushed out her daughter’s
long blonde hair, Alisa tried to count all the new wrinkles that’d
expressed herself at the corners of her eyes and lips, wondering
not for the first time what a lifetime of matriarchal obligations
would look like on her own face.
“Mother, can I ask ye something?” Alisa said.
“Of course, deary.”
“Were you in love with father when he came to collect you
from grandda’s?”
Her mother paused, the bristles of Alisa’s brush catching in
her hair. “I hardly knew your father, Alisa. We’d only spoken
once.”
“And ye were happy with grandda’s choice? You found father
charming and handsome and—”
“What has charming and handsome got to do with anything?”
her mother said. “We do what me must in life, daughter. Youth
perhaps convinces us the world is wide open and welcoming to all
our desires and whims. The truth of it is life demands much in the
way of self-sacrifice and the dimming of all our girlhood dreams.
To be the wife of a high lord is a calling to service much greater
than most will ever know. As the bride of the Earl, Alisa, ye will
not just be responsible for your man and his children. It will be
your role to stand as the very bedrock upon which his destiny is
built. If ye want to see the ultimate success of a man, deary, then
look ne farther than his wife.”
 Alisa considered this, and the tiny lump of dread that’d been
forming in her stomach for the past week seemed to grow the size
of a standing stone. Service? Self-sacrifice? Surely that wasn’t the
end all, be all of a woman’s life. Yet if Alisa were to take stock of
all the women she’d known, she surmised she might find well-
worn riverbeds of common matriarchal experience.
Was there truly nothing greater to look forward to? Was she
destined to an existence meant for someone else rather than
herself?
“Mother, is the Earl a good man? Is he…?”
“Is he what, deary?” her mother asked.
“Compassionate. Caring. Loath to cause me harm?’
Despite whatever she may have wanted to do, Alisa’s mother
frowned deeply and sadly.
“Compassion has nothing to do with it, Alisa,” she said. “The
man is yours now and you are his. That’s all there is to say on the
matter.”
*****
Alisa stood with her father as he presented her to the Earl of
Shrewsbury, a tall and callow-faced older man who had the look
of a shrewd and powerful warlord. Of course, rather than a
soldier’s existence or the duty of a keeper of the peace, the life of
an English lord was one of endless political rambling and trying to
pretend all the extravagant wealth and influence was deserved.
That’s what Alisa’s father always said, anyway. In private, he
despised the English. To her, the Earl seemed the least vivacious
man she’d ever met, with cold, cynical eyes that seemed to find no
amusement in anything.
A meal had been prepared, but Chesire had said he didn’t
want it. He hadn’t even made it past the drafty, echoing entrance
to the reception wing. The intent, Alisa knew, was to leave for
England immediately, which meant she was only moments away
from bidding her entire family goodbye.
“Lord Fredrick Cheshire,” her father said, “allow me to
introduce my eldest daughter, Alisa McGregor. Go on, lamb, say
hello to the man.”
 Alisa stepped forward, clutched the hem of her dress, and
bowed for the Earl. Smiling up at him, she said, “Pleased to meet
you, my lord. I very much look forward to seeing your home.”
Cheshire smiled at her, but there was little warmth in it. “Do
you indeed? I should think you’re also filled with terrible
trepidation.”
Alisa didn’t know what to say to this. His voice was dry and
wavering, as if he smoked too much. He had a somewhat shambly
appearance also, a lace collar unfastened at the neck and a fine red
coat he’d not bothered to button.
“No, my lord, I’ve no trepidation,” Alisa lied. “I am at your
service, as is Clan McGregor.”
The Earl laughed at this. He eyed her father keenly and said,
“Is that true, McGregor? Is your clan at my service?”
Her father grimaced and cleared his throat. “Of course, my
lord. We want no further bloodshed. The crown has nary an enemy
in us, I assure you. As long as this lass is well taken care of.”
“She’ll want for nothing, I assure you,” the Earl said crudely
licking his lips. “Come my dear, our carriage awaits.”
Alisa hugged her father and said her goodbyes to her sisters.
Her mother nearly burst into tears when she told her she loved her,
but proud woman she was, she kept them in check and gave her a
hug. With nothing further to be said, Alisa left with Lord Cheshire
and felt the weight of her entire Clan as the heavy doors of her
father’s castle closed behind her.
“Will there be time to collect my horse?” Alisa asked.
“No. You can have a new one when we’re in England,” the
Earl said. “You want a quality foal for riding, girl, not a Scottish
nag.”
Chapter Two
The Earl’s carriage bumped along through the forest as the
sounds of evening fowl and woodpeckers echoed in the soft gray
twilight. Why Cheshire had insisted on traveling through the night
Alisa couldn’t understand, and now that they’d taken to the road
he seemed fidgety. He mumbled to himself as he squinted at a
handful of yellowed documents. Every so often he’d spare a
glance out the window, as if he expected to see something other
than the deep Scottish woodland. Alisa knew she had no business
asking, but she found herself too curious for her own good.
“Lord, what is it you’re trying to read?”
“Trying to read? What do you mean trying to read?” the Earl
said.
“You’ve not taken your eyes off those leaves this entire hour.
Is there something I can help you with? Can ye not see them
clearly?”
Lord Cheshire looked up at her and gained a bitter, morbid
expression. “How old do I seem to you, dear? The elderly Earl of
Shrewsbury? It must be a frightful worry, this betrothal of ours.”
Alisa knew she’d stepped in it. She sat up straighter and
smoothed out a ruffle in her dress.
“No, my lord,” she said. “It’s just that the light is waning and
you seem as though—”
“I’ve lost my sight,” Cheshire said. “You know not too
terribly long ago I’d have had my pick of any woman in England.
Do you believe that?”
“Of course I do, my lord. You’re very handsome.”
“You’re lying. You don’t find me handsome. I’m no longer a
specimen of young masculinity, which is all little girls raised in
little castles in little countries can think of. I’ve lived a life of
sacrifice and heartbreak, my dear, which is precisely what you’re
likely to live. That I’ve earned a few scars and wrinkles along the
way is merely a testament to the fact I survived. You could learn a
thing or two from an old face like this. You’re very pretty, and
your loins are very young, and at my age the only thing you’ve got
to leave behind is progeny. Does that suit you? You’re to bear me
sons, as many as I want. My last wife didn’t have it in her.”
“And … and what became of her, my lord?” Alisa ventured.
“She died. Tragically. I do so intend better fortune for you.”
The carriage came to a stop. They heard Cheshire’s men
barking at each other, issuing orders, then a hail of arrows rained
down on them, punching holes in the carriage and dropping the
Earl’s men from their horses.
Cheshire shouted, “They’ve found us!” and then a battle cry
sounded from the woods and a group of tartaned highland
assassins bolted from behind the large, moss-covered trees. They
joined battle with the remainder of Cheshire’s men, English steel
meeting powerful, brawny Scottish broadswords.
“Who are they?” Alisa said, whipping around to get a better
view.
“Clan Campbell,” the Earl said.
“Campbell? I thought—”
“They’re displeased with your father. The old blood feud
holds true, it would seem. They don’t like him marrying you to
me.”
“They’ve come to kill you?”
“They’ve come to kill us both,” Cheshire hissed.
The earl ripped up the papers in his hands, retrieved a
flintlock pistol and rapier sword from a compartment under his
seat, and then he kicked the carriage door open.
“What are those papers?” Alisa said.
“Our marriage contract. You’re on your own, my dear.”
With that, Lord Cheshire scrambled into the woods for a
nearby boulder.
“He’s there, lads!” one of the assassins called.
Musket fire peppered the boulder. The Earl was over and
dashing away, heading for a thick knot of oaks.
“After him!” the assassin said. Three assassins bolted after
him. Alisa recognized her chance to escape, but rather than
rushing from the carriage, she dropped to the muddy ground and
began crawling for the low embankment off the side of the road.
The final, piteous sounds of battle ended behind her as one of the
Earl’s men screamed, gurgled loudly, and then fell to the ground
with a heavy thud.
“Search the carriage,” one of the assassins said.
Alisa scrambled for the embankment. She rolled down into it
then crawled behind some leafy undergrowth. Two assassins
searched the carriage, announcing loudly the McGregor girl
wasn’t in it.
“Well find her, ye halfwits!” their commander bellowed. “The
bitch couldne have gotten far.”
On her hands and knees, Alisa backed her way behind a large
birch. She scrambled a few hundred feet and dove behind the
cover of a decaying log. Scanning the assassins at the carriage,
fear coursing through her, she picked her time and ran away as
fast as she could.
*****
It was cold and dark in the forest before long. Though Alisa
hadn’t heard them crashing through the underbrush and barking at
each other in at least an hour, she felt more afraid now than she
had during the attack. She clutched herself tightly, willing her feet
to carry her further from harm. She shivered all over,
remembering again and again arrows punching through armor and
swords hacking limbs from bodies.
Alisa drew her hands to her mouth and blew into them. She
felt something wet on her face and imagined it to be blood, though
of course she’d been far from the brutality of Campbell’s killers.
Clan Campbell had long been sworn enemies of the MacGregor’s,
but they’d not tried anything so brazen in many years. Alisa
recalled her father and his counselors speaking of them in recent
weeks, but she’d just assumed they were bickering over a minor
land dispute. And somehow, the Earl had gotten word Campbell
meant to attack. Why else would he have seemed so jittery during
the carriage ride?
Exhausted, frightened beyond anything she’d ever know,
Alisa broke down and fell to the ground beside the babbling water
of a small brook. What was she going to do? How on Earth would
she find her way home? She knew these lands as well as any
young lass, but she’d lost all sense of direction as she’d run from
the assassins. October had come to the Highlands and with it the
first bitter chills of winter. If she couldn’t find shelter and build a
fire for herself, she wasn’t likely to make it any—
 Twigs snapped in the underbrush behind her. She spun around
and came face to face with a Campbell assassin. He had a large,
bushy orange beard, and a stock and body so big his shoulders
were like the A-frame of a house. He chuckled and drew his sword
from his tartan sash.
“There you are, little gorgeous,” he said. “We’ve wondered
off, have we?”
Alisa scooted away from him and splashed into the brook. Icy
water bit at her, and her breath seized in her lungs.
“Now, now, no need to fear,” said the assassin. “I think you’ll
find I’m a very spirited man once ye get to know me.”
He laughed and splashed into the brook. Alisa’s muscles
refused to move. The water was so very cold and the terror so all-
encompassing. She tried to crawl for the other side. The Campbell
assassin grabbed her by the hair and jerked her to her feet. Alisa
cried out in pain.
“Don ye try nothin’ pretty with me, little lass,” he breathed
into her ear. “I’d make ye a skinned heifer just as soon as I’d—”
An arrow whistled through the air and punched through his
shoulder. The assassin screamed and dropped her back into the
water. Alisa’s head went under. Water got into her lungs, and she
scrambled to her knees and coughed. A large black shape rushed
from the trees and dropped the assassin with a single heavy blow.
For a moment, the figure seemed more beast than man, but Alisa
got a look at a heavy hunting bow, and she realized this individual
had happened on them by chance.
The assassin struggled and received a final heavy blow to the
head. He didn’t struggle after that. Alisa coughed and choked, the
darkness seeming to consume her entire world.
She heard a deep, grizzled voice say, “Lass, are ye all right?”
She swooned and dropped. Her savior caught her and then
she passed out cold.
Chapter Three
Alisa felt the motions of the horse before she was fully aware
enough to open her eyes. The world seemed yellow and bright,
and she wondered perhaps if she had died.
 “Whoa, Roach. Easy does it,” she heard someone say.
Alisa opened her eyes. She’d been slung over the horse. It
was early morning judging by the golden light filtering through
the trees. A highland warrior sat proudly with her on the mount.
His body was wide and muscular, and a certain tantalizing musky
yet sweet aroma hung about him.
“Stop,” Alisa said. “I’ve got to get off.”
The warrior bade his horse halt and she nickered. Alisa
dropped to her feet and grunted, her body stiff and achy. She
turned to take him in. Handsome, ruggedly so, with long black
hair and the scratchy beginnings of a beard. He was built like an
ox, yet his eyes were warm and compassionate. He unslung a
water flagon from his side and handed it to her, smiling. She
snatched it and tugged on the stopper, drinking greedily as water
ran down her chin.
“There, feel better now?” the warrior said.
Alisa very nearly emptied the flagon. She took a final gulp
and then wiped the water from her chin.
“Who are ye?” she asked. “What do ye want with me?”
“I want nothing, lass. Happened to be hunting last night. Clan
Campbell has driven the herds from my lands, so now I must
venture far afield to feed my kin.”
“Campbell? You’ve had dealings with them?”
“I have,” the warrior said in his deep, grizzled voice. “It
seems ye have as well. Those assassins were well trained.”
“Are you going to take me home?”
The warrior sighed and hopped off his horse. He towered
over her, an absolute giant of a man. His bright blue eyes seemed
to sparkle in the morning light. And there it was again, that
amazing musky scent sweet as sugar.
“No,” he said, “I cannae risk it. Your father is embattled, and
whether he knows it or not, the only thing keeping him alive is
your death.”
“You know who my father is?”
“Aye. My kin and I were foot soldiers of his at one time. I
know who you are, young lass, though the last time I saw ye …”
He paused and looked her over, his eyes lingering for a moment or
two on her bosom. “Ye weren’t so tall.”
“Why would they think I’m dead?”
The warrior extended a hand and gestured for her to take it.
She did so and he kissed the ring on her finger. “My lady, my
name is Logan Allaway of the Artos Clan. I swear to protect and
watch over you in any way I can, but I cannae take you home. Too
much is at stake.”
“Why?”
“Your father is the only one keeping Campbell in check,”
Logan said. “This bloody war will make corpses of us all. My men
and I would be defending him still if we hadn’t …”
“Hadn’t what?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m taking you to our village. You’ll be
safe there.”
Alisa folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. “And
what if I choose not to go?”
Logan shrugged. “I wouldnae recommend it. You don’t even
know where you are. And more assassins may be lurking about.”
“And I suppose you’ll force me to go regardless?”
“No. You’re a grown woman. Ye can decide for yerself.”
Alisa bit her lip and looked into the woods. Though morning
had come, the clouds and mist were rolling in, and in the depths of
the forest the right direction may be impossible to determine. She
noticed he was staring at her lip with a hint of attraction in his
eyes. She stopped biting it and unfolded her arms.
“They won’t come looking for me?” she said.
“I hope not. Beggin’ yer pardon, but I, uh, tore off a piece of
yer dress and covered it in blood. Left it where they’ll find it. Lay
down more blood to suggest an animal attack.”
“Where’d you get the blood?”
“I’m a hunter. There’s always blood.”
Alisa appreciated the ingenuity of Logan’s plan. It was a fair
bet Clan Campbell would fall in line behind his assumptions. And
he’d said her father would be safe if they believed her dead for
now.
 “My family, they’ll feel such grief,” she said.
“But you’ll be alive. My kin are hearty and brave and they’ll
aid you in whatever way they can. Clan McGregor have always
been friends to us. We’ve not forgotten the oaths we swore.”
And yet you’ve all abandoned him, Alisa thought.
Roach whinnied and rose up to kick at the air. She circled
Logan and Alisa, her back legs bucking anxiously.
“What is it, girl?” Logan said.
Despite herself, Alisa moved closer to him and eyed his
broadsword. “What’s wrong? More assassins?”
“No. She wouldnae be so spirited if—”
A pack of wolves darted from the forest, gnashing their teeth
and growling. Roach wheeled and bolted. Logan withdrew his
sword too slowly, and the largest wolf—jet black and covered in
scars—leapt for him and drove him to the ground. Alisa cried out
and watched in horror as the wolf angled its jaws for his throat.
Logan took hold if its snout, its jaw chomping shut over its nasty
yellow teeth. She heard growling behind her. Quickly, she dove
for Logan’s dropped sword and came up swinging. The nearest
wolf dodged the blade. It circled around and reached for her leg.
White fire leapt from her skin as the wolf swiped and drew
blood. Alisa cried out.
Logan roared, not the sound of a man but a mighty beast.
Before her eyes, the highland warrior who’d saved her life
transformed into something bigger, deadlier, covered in dark fur
and claws and with wicked, sharp teeth. His bones snapped and
popped, and his skin stretched to accommodate his new mass.
Logan howled in agony.
“Bear,” Alisa breathed. “Yer a bear.”
He threw off the black wolf with his mighty arms big as tree
trunks. Logan climbed to his feet and moved to stand between
Alisa and the pack. One wolf pitched a sudden snarling attack, and
Logan batted him aside and opened his throat with his jaws. The
other wolves made a show of aggression, advancing, retreating,
circling to test for weakness. Logan showed them none. He roared
a final mighty challenge, and to a wolf, the pack tucked their tails
between their legs, whimpered, and scurried back into the depths
of the forest.
Logan growled at them, a deep rumbling sound that seemed
to shake the earth beneath her feet. He was enormous, twice the
size of a man. His claws were long and severe, and his dark
muzzle was covered in blood. She gaped at him in wide-eyed
bewilderment, terrified of his strength and ferocity, daring not to
speak his name or draw his attention.
After a time, Logan’s posture relaxed, and he met Alisa’s
eyes and nodded at her. He hadn’t the eyes of a bear, dull and
simple, but rather the same sparkling blues. He huffed in pain and
dropped to the ground. The alpha wolf had bitten his shoulder. It
looked deep. Alisa took a step and his body suddenly reversed
back into his human form. He howled again, his bones popping
and a bed of thick fur dropping from his pale skin. A few
moments later, Logan lay there as a man, naked and trembling,
clutching his bloodied shoulder. Dear lord, his body was beautiful.
Strong and muscular and full of life. Alisa did her best to avert her
eyes, but it was much tougher than she thought.
“Lass, my tartan,” he said.
Eyeing the wound, she searched for the scraps of his kilt and
sash and covered him with them. He thanked her and got to his
feet, swooning and swaying and at last collapsing.
“My village,” he said. “We have medicine. My kind will
know what to do.”
“Where?” she asked.
“Ride north. Full day’s journey. You cross into their lands and
they’ll find you.”
Logan’s eyes rolled into his head and he lost consciousness.
Alisa looked over his body, rippling muscles, more scars then
she’d ever seen a single person wear. She folded up his tartan and
wrapped it around his wound.
“What are you, Logan Allaway?” she said.
Chapter Four
 At nightfall on the second day, Alisa rode Logan’s horse into
a rolling green glen, the grass of which swayed in the gentle
October breeze. She was freezing and starving and had not had
decent rest or a meal in days. She thought perhaps she’d gone the
wrong way, the moon above bright despite the lingering orange
sunlight on the horizon. She glanced back at Logan, who had
passed out again despite having been awake and speaking with her
the previous hour.
“Are these your lands, Logan? Have we made it to safety?”
As soon as she spoke these words, a group of four horseman
came up over the hill and rode down to meet her. They drew
around her in a tight semi-circle. The foremost of the group—a
grey-bearded old warrior—brandished his sword and told his men
to hold.
“Who are you, lass?” he said. “And who’s that slung over yer
horse?”
“This man helped me in the forest. He told me to seek out the
village of the Artos.”
The warriors exchanged nervous glances, yet recognition lit
the eyes of the oldest among them.
“You’re Alisa MacGregor. The Chieftain’s daughter,” he said.
Alisa swallowed roughly. “I am. And this is Logan Allaway
of the Artos Clan. Would ye be them?”
The old grey beard jumped from his horse and moved to get a
better look at her passenger.
“Ack, Logan, what have ye gotten into?”
“We were attacked by wolves,” Alisa said. “He saved me.”
The old man eyed her suspiciously. “Did he now? In what
way, I wonder?”
She glanced at the other warriors. “In a way perhaps we best
nae speak of outdoors.”
He nodded and placed a gentle hand on Logan’s forehead.
“Lads, young Miss Macgregor is our guest.”
*****
Alisa stood by as the warriors lifted Logan from his horse and
carried him inside a squat peat house in the middle of the small
village. She followed them inside and did her best not to get in the
healing woman’s way as she examined his shoulder. He lay on a
bed of straw. His face was so pale, and the men confirmed his skin
was cold as a bottomless loch.
“It’s deep,” the healing woman said in a wavering brogue.
“Who wrapped his shoulder this way?”
The warriors turned to Alisa. She cleared her throat and said,
“I did. I worried he’d bleed to death.”
“He would have. Very lucky you thought of it. Who are ye,
deary?”
One of the warriors leaned in and whispered in the old
woman’s ear. She smiled and said, “The marriage is off, I take it.”
“It would seem so,” Alisa said.
Nodding, the old woman went to a dusty, moldering cabinet.
She opened the doors with a creak and withdrew a small bottle
filled with a deep and murky liquid.
“Hold open his mouth,” she said.
One warrior, taller than the rest, did as she asked. The healing
woman unstoppered the bottle and dumped half down Logan’s
throat. She gestured for the warrior to shut his mouth then pinched
his nose closed until she was satisfied Logan had swallowed.
“Will he be all right?” Alisa asked.
“Time will tell, deary. Though I do believe he’ll be awake
and talking sometime in the next few days. Logan’s very lucky to
have had you there. The thread between life and death is so fragile
some dinnae even know it’s there.”
The door banged open and the grey bearded warrior strode
into the peat house. He got a look at Logan and asked the old
healer if there was anything she needed.
“Not for now, Drew,” she said. “Magic cannae be rushed.”
“Magic?” Alisa said.
“Indeed,” said the grey beard. “Not magic of spells and
incantations but of the wild things that grow all around us. Tell
me, lass, why is it Logan urged you to come? He’d not have
insisted if it were only his life in danger.”
“That’s true. It wasn’t. Logan saved me from…”
 Sensing her hesitancy, the healing woman shook her head.
“Ye may as well trust Drew, deary,” she said. “It seems as
though yer short on friends.”
Alisa had concluded as much. She drew a strand of golden
yellow hair from her eyes and divulged everything to them.
“Clan Campbell meant to murder me and the Earl of
Shrewsbury. The Earl may have gotten away, but I don’t think so.
We’ve always known they despised us for our loyalty to the
crown, but until now, we’d thought them incapable of such
aggression. Logan made it appear as if I was dead, so as far as I
know, my family is grieving deeply even as we speak.” A
wellspring of remorse and regret filled her heart. “I wish I could
send word to them. But Logan said Father wouldnae be safe if
they knew I was still alive.”
The old warrior, Drew, eyed her and scratched his beard. The
sounds of the village called to them. There were families here,
which surprised Alisa. She heard the mooing of the shaggy
highland cows and the murmur of villagers as they went about
their day.
“It’s quite the story,” Drew said. “I wish I could say we also
believed Clan Campbell harmless, but they’ve been pillaging our
lands for several month now. I’m surprised they managed to pull
off this attack without us knowing about it. Believe me, lass, if we
had, we’d have warned yer father.”
“Who are you?” she asked. “What is this place? How can
Logan…?”
Drew smiled. “Shift. How can he transform into a bear?”
Alisa nodded.
“Perhaps ye should show her, Drew,” the medicine woman
suggested, her face grave and serious. “We cannae stay hidden
forever.”
*****
Alisa followed drew to a ramshackle hut built over an old
burial mound, otherwise known as a cairn. The druids of old were
said to yet dwell beneath the sloping piles of earth, their worldly
remains shelters for their dark magic and eager souls. Stopping
outside the door to the hut, Drew withdrew a large bronze key.
Pausing, he said, “Lass, what will ye do once you have yer
answer? Will you tell yer father of Logan?”
“Not if he doesn’t want me to,” Alisa responded.
“You’d keep a secret like that? You’d be strong enough to do
it?”
“I’m a woman of my word. My Father taught me to be so.
Why should anyone need to know what Logan’s capable of?”
This seemed to satisfy Drew, though she thought she still
detected uncertainty. He jerked open the door and gestured for her
to enter. Something dark and pungent wafted over her, and she
peered inside.
“It isn’t just Logan, is it?” she said. “You can do it too.”
“Please, enter.”
She stepped inside and waited for Drew to close the door. At
the back of the shack a narrow tunnel had been dug into the side
of the cairn perhaps half a man tall and just as wide. The smell of
earth and decay filled her nose, and she felt her stomach twist.
There were dark things lurking in the burial mounds of Scotland.
Every young lass and lad knew that.
“Miss MacGregor, we all deeply regret leaving your father’s
service,” Drew said. “The chieftain always treated us well and
looked after our interests. I wish we could help him now. His
enemies are much deadlier than he realizes.”
“Why can’t you? Why are ye so isolated and hidden from the
world?”
The old warrior’s eyes grew sad. He took a torch from its
sconce beside the door and sparked a flint against a stone. Light
filled the shack and tunnel as the torch flared to life.
“Watch yer head, my lady,” Drew said, stooping low and
passing into the cairn.
Alisa did her best to suppress a sudden trill of fear and then
followed. The tunnel was perhaps only two meters long. Pungent
earth and mud dropped onto her in small clumps. Upon entering
the cairn, she saw it was bowl-shaped, the length and width of a
small boat. Ancient, semi-fossilized wood could be seen at anchor
and support points, and a large oak table rested in the center,
covered with jewels and gold that glinted in the flickering yellow
light.
“Who was buried here?” Alisa asked.
“The first of our kind. It’s said he towered over men and had
the strength of the gods. He had a woman he loved deeply, but she
was taken by another. He came to this glen in search of the druid
gods of old. He found them.”
Alisa spotted a rolled parchment on the table and moved to
pick it up. Unfolding it, she discovered a long and storied lineage
chart. Hundreds of names, some of which she recognized from
local history and lore.
“There are so many of you,” she said.
“Aye, though many less than there were perhaps even a
hundred years ago. We’ve served the chieftains of this region for
centuries, and we never made a mistake when it came to
concealing our true nature.”
“It’s true, then. It isn’t just Logan.”
“No, lass, it’s not,” said Drew. “And perhaps it’s no
coincidence Logan was there to help you.”
Alisa rolled the linage chart back up and gently placed it on
the table. She eyed the riches, but not out of lust. The village was
wealthy, which no one on the outside would know. Whatever else
they may be capable of, the bear shifters of the Artos Clan were
perfectly well off.
“What happened, Drew? Why are ye no longer with my
father?” Alisa asked.
Drew hung his head. “Lass, he discovered what we are. We
had no choice but to reveal ourselves. Perhaps you don’t
remember, but about seven or eight years ago, his life came under
threat by a local warlord who’d thought it would be funny to kill a
chieftain of a high Scottish clan.”
“I do remember. It was a frightening time … You were the
ones who protected him, weren’t you?”
“Aye. He’d been forced to travel to Glasgow on a lordly
matter and his carriage was waylaid outside Cumbernauld. I was
there, as was Logan and several more of our kin. Your father
greatly valued our skills on the battlefield, so he often kept us
near. There were too many for us. The warlord was an upstart, but
he was a bloodthirsty little man who did not die well.”
Drew’s face was tight and remorseful, as if the memory
caused deep pain.
“We were forced to shift,” he said. “Your father’s men were
outnumbered two to one. With our strength and mighty jaws, we
gave those bastards a bloody good go. We saved your father, and
he was very grateful, but he knew as well as we did we could
never return to Castle MacGregor.”
“Why not?” Alisa said. “If he depended on you so much, why
didnae he encourage you to stay?”
“Our presence would make him a target, which would in turn
endanger your entire family. You must understand that throughout
the centuries, whenever the outside world discovered what we are,
there’s been bloodshed and strife without end. Human beings are
not capable of accepting what they don’t understand, not unless
they’re exceptional and have gathered to themselves love and
compassion. Your father’s enemies would hunt us for sport, and
then they’d go after him and everyone he loved. They’d call it
devilry, witchcraft, and not a soul alive would disagree with them.
Alisa shook her head. Sudden tears sprung up, though she
fought to keep them from falling.
“His enemies are after him now,” she said.
“Aye, it would appear so.”
“Where is he? The first of your kind? Where are his bones?”
Drew shrugged. “Plundered long ago. He made no secret of
his nature, and it cost him everything in the end. A lesson for us
all.”
“What should I do, Drew? How can I keep everyone safe
from harm?”
He set the torch in a nearby sconce and dug around on the
table for a short sword and glinting bronze shield. Handing them
to her and gaining a look of caution, he said, “If I were you, lass,
I’d learn to fight.”
 Chapter Five
Logan finally woke up four days later, by which time Alisa
had already begun learning the warrior ways of Clan Artos. She
was neither strong nor sure-footed, but she was a quick study, and
her father had insisted on grace and balance training, which meant
she had more control over his muscles than most beginners. She
dueled with Drew in the hemlock beside the healer woman’s peat
house.
“Watch yer feet, girl!” Drew bellowed. “If I can catch ye on
your heels so easily then so can Campbell assassins!”
He swung at her right guard, and though she managed to
block the attack, she slipped on the grass and crashed down on her
rear end.
“Ouch!” she said.
“What did I tell ye? Yer footing is everything, lass.”
Alisa scowled at Drew and rubbed her sore spot. The
morning was crisp and bright with a nip in the air that seemed to
make the world come alive. A light snow had fallen the night
before, and the ground was still wet where the majority had
melted. Alisa climbed to her feet and lifted her sword in an
initiation of the guarding stance Drew had taught her.
“Again,” she said.
“No, lass, that’s enough for today.”
“Again!”
“You’ve collected enough bruises already. We must bend and
remold the body, but we mustnae—”
Alisa attacked at full force. She caught drew off guard and
managed to drop the sword from his hand with one swift blow.
Grinning, she drove her sword into the ground and heaved an
exhausted sigh.
“I cannae help my father if I cannae fight,” she said.
“You’ll learn to fight,” said Drew. “You’ve got to give the
training time. Now do me a favor and rest a while.”
His eyes locked with something over her shoulder and he
grinned. Alisa turned and spotted Logan leaning against the house
with his arms folded. He was smiling at her, though he still looked
pale and weak. Honestly, as close as he’d come to death, it was
surprising he’d managed to get out of bed.
“Logan,” Alisa said.
“Ye look good with a sword,” he said. “Ye’d have made a
fierce shield maiden.”
Alisa blushed.
“Good to see ye up and about, lad,” said Drew. “If young
Miss MacGregor hadn’t been there, ye’d be singing with the
angels.”
Logan nodded. “I know. The healer told me everything. I
think I owe you my life, Alisa.”
Despite herself, she giggled. “Think nothing of it. You did the
same for me.”
The two men exchanged a glance, and then Drew cleared his
throat and stooped to pick up their shields and practice swords.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” he said. “Think the missus may be
needing me at home.”
As he passed Logan, he clapped the younger man on the
shoulder and began whistling an old chanter tune. When he’d
gone, Logan gestured to see Alisa’s sword and she brought it over.
Taking it from her, he swung it a few times to feel it’s heft.
“It’s a fine blade,” he said.
“Aye.”
“Do you mean to help your father?”
“I do.”
“Alisa, ye cannae—”
“Don’t try to talk me out of it,” she said. “I’ve made up my
mind and I’m learning to fight just like one of your warriors.”
“And what if they find you first? What if they’re still looking
for you?”
She folded her arms and frowned. “You said you covered our
tracks.”
“I did. But Clan Campbell are no fools, and neither are the
men they pay to track people down. They have spies everywhere.
Someone may have seen you. You need to stay indoors and keep
to yourself. Try not to attract attention.”
“You think someone in this village is working for them?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “And until I do, I don’t—”
He clutched his shoulder and doubled over. Grunting from the
pain, he leaned against the Pete house. Alisa touched his side and
did her best to help hold his weight. The feel of his muscles under
his shirt made her quiver in sudden excitement. Logan seemed to
sense a certain electricity as well, because he lifted his head and
locked eyes with her. There was a beauty there in that deep blue
gaze, a kind of natural warmth and intensity that caused her body
to respond. And there it was again, that sweet, musky scent. She’d
noticed it on some of the other villagers as well, but for some
reason, the way this man smelled attracted Alisa deeply and
profoundly.
“Lass,” he said, “ye know all about me now. All about us.
There’s something I haven’t told you.”
He moaned and fell to his knees.
“Logan, you’re still not recovered,” she said.
“No, it’s all right. I just need to rest. Lass, if ye could help me
back to bed.”
She supported him as he climbed to his feet. Allowing him to
drape his arm over her shoulders, she bore his weight and walked
him back inside.
“You’re a good woman. A good woman,” he said.
She helped him into bed and poured a fresh cup of water from
the pitcher on the small cupboard by the fire pit. He drank deeply
and closed his eyes a few moments, telling her he felt better and
urging her to sit.
“Lass,” he said, “my people are noble and strange. When we
form relationships with others, they often last a very long time,
and the bond that can form is often strong and difficult to break.”
“Why are ye trying to tell me, Logan?” she asked.
He hesitated, put a hand over hers. The touch was
electrifying. She felt hot all over and found herself gazing into his
eyes.
 “Lass,” Logan said, “have ye noticed anything different about
me? About the way I…?”
“Smell?”
He nodded. “So it’s true. We’re bonded.”
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“A shifter, when he meets his bond-mate, the soul he’s meant
to spend the rest of his life with, there’s often a kind of
unexplained spiritual attraction that manifests itself as...”
She drew a hand to her mouth. “The smell.”
He sat up with effort, leaned in and gently placed his hand on
her cheek. “It’s the way we Artos folk can draw to us the purest of
spirits. It’s means you’re a good human being, Alisa MacGreggor,
an eternal soul that’s lived a hundred lives of worth and honest
deeds. Yer meant to be mine, lass, and I am meant to be yours.”
She wanted to argue, to deny what he was telling her. Nobody
had ever spoken to her like this before, said the things he was
saying. Yet though his words seemed strange they felt true, and in
an instant of dawning clarity she realized her spirit was far older
and wiser than the eighteen years she’d lived on earth. The deeper
things, those unspoken truths, they dawned on her, and she
understood Logan Allaway was the man she’d been waiting for
her entire life.
He said nothing to her as he leaned in for a kiss. Love and
heat flooded her being, and her body awoke to the possibilities of
his touch. He pulled her into bed with him, and as they cradled
each other and continued to kiss, it seemed to her she’d known
him her entire life. He grinned at her and slipped his hand up her
thigh, under her dress, pressing his skilled fingers lightly against
her, rubbing gently and filling her with a hot, urgent longing. She
could feel it as his arousal began to take root, and he rubbed the
length of himself against her as he stripped her dress off, kissing
her wildly, passionately. She tried to be careful of his arm, but she
had wanted him for so long that they were losing all sense of
propriety.
“Aren't we supposed to wait for-”
 “Shhh,” Logan said, pressing his hot mouth over hers and
maneuvering himself between her legs, pressing tantalizingly
against her middle.
She moaned as he kissed her breasts, and gasped when he
pushed his cock deep inside of her. She buckled against his strong
body, as her entire being was filled with pleasure. He was still
somewhat weak, and his love brought a tenderness to their
lovemaking that sent pulses of heat all through her. He trailed his
tongue against her neck as he pushed fully inside of her and
groaned when she sighed, her hair falling in front of her face. He
brushed it away and they kissed as he stuffed himself in and out of
her gently, until she was so overwhelmed that she closed her eyes
and felt herself coming against him.
Her climax milked a sweet, hot explosion from deep in his
loins, and he gripped her hard as they came together, their bodies
in unison.
They made love so intensely, that rather than hurting the man,
Alisa knew she’d performed an act of incredible healing.
Chapter Six
The alarm went up in the middle of the night. The clanging of
a heavy bell woke Alisa from her deep slumber, and she felt
Logan shift beside her in the darkness.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Attack. Get yer clothes on. And fetch yer sword while
you’re at it.”
They scrambled from bed and Alisa slipped into her dress.
Hefting her sword from the dirt floor, she felt around for Logan
and followed him to the door.
“Quietly,” he said and then opened the door a crack to peer
out. The bell suddenly cut out, and a stifled cry could be heard.
Silence for a few moments, then a battle cry went up and clashing
steel rent the night. Logan closed the door and uttered a curse.
“It’s Campbell. They must’ve tracked you, just like I feared,”
he said.
“What do we do?”
 “I’m no good for a fight, not in this condition. And you—”
“I can handle myself.”
He was reluctant to responds, but he must’ve realized she
stood more chance against Campbell’s assassins than he did.
“I cannae tell how many there are,” he said. “Knowing these
bastards, they brought every last man. We’ve thirty warriors, but
they might have twice that number.”
“But your men can shift.”
“Aye. And if I’m not too much mistaken…”
A deep, terrifying roar filled the night. Someone screamed,
and the clashing sounds of battle intensified.
“Let me go out there, Logan,” Alisa said. “I’ve learned so
much. I’ve got to be able to hold my own against Clan Campbell.
Too much is at stake.”
Logan hesitated.
“This is something I have to do, man, get out of the way!”
she said.
Logan laughed at her, but nevertheless stepped aside. As she
opened the door and stepped out, he gripped her shoulder and
looked her in the eye, the pale moonlight glinting in his caring,
gorgeous eyes.
“Be careful, Alisa. You’ve become … special to me. I know
we’ve not know each other long, but I think you understand just as
I do, that you and I…”
“Are meant to be together.”
He nodded.
“I … I do, Logan. I dinnae know how, but somehow it seems
I must’ve always known. I’ll be careful. This is something I have
to do.”
He nodded. “You need to protect yer own. It’s what makes
you the incredible soul you are.”
He leaned in and kissed her, and then he told her to go defend
the village. She sprinted from the peat house and headed for the
sounds of battle. Rounding a livestock pen, she spotted the Artos
warriors clashing with a number of soldiers and assassins more
numerous than Logan had anticipated. Drew was at the fore of it,
his broadsword flashing against a backdrop of burning fires and
fallen men. He was surrounded by Artos warriors, all of whom
had shifted and were swiping and snarling at their foes. The bear
men were not as large as Logan, though they were nevertheless
fearsome and terrible to behold. Many of Clan Campbell’s men
fled as claws and teeth ripped through cartilage and tore flesh
from bone. But the rest seemed eager for the fight, and if Alisa
didn’t know better, she’d say they had the training and discipline
of royal soldiers.
Drew and his bear men were holding their own, but they were
wildly outnumbered, and Alisa knew if she was going to help she
had better do it soon. Taking a deep breath, squaring her
shoulders, she let out as fierce a battle cry as she was capable of
and stormed into the thick of battle.
One of the assassins spotted her instantly, and he rounded on
her with a blunt axe. Alisa shifted to the left and allowed his
swing to pass beside her, then she set her feet and struck at his
flank. The assassin swiped the blow away and brought the axe
down, angling for her head. She panicked for a moment, then
remembered Drew’s admonishments and allowed her feet to sink
into the grass and bear her weight as she brought her sword up to
block. The blow sent shockwaves of pain through her hands and
up her arms, but her block held, and the assassin was momentarily
caught off guard. She saw her opening and quickly drove her
sword through his chest. He screamed and dropped to the ground.
Alisa stared at him, attempting to comprehend what it was
she’d just done. She felt cold and numb, but also relieved and
alive. In an instant of dawning clarity, she recognized her own
power and knew as long as she lived, her family and Clan must be
kept safe.
She glanced at Drew and his bear men. Clan Campbell had
managed to push them back, which meant they were perhaps only
minutes away from being completely overwhelmed. Why had they
thrown so many men at this small village? Had they really
expected it to be so difficult getting to her?
 She headed for their flank and snuck in at their rear. When
Drew noticed she was standing amongst them, sword angled for
the coming attack, he finished off the soldier he’d engaged with a
furry of strikes and gashes, and then he bellowed, “What in the
unholy tortures of hell are ye doing here, lass?”
“I’ve come to help. I’m your soldier now.”
“You aren’t anything, girlie, not while I have anything to—”
An assassin, larger and faster than the others, broke through
their defenses and attacked Drew at full force. A shifter snapped
his jaws over his leg, but the man bore it and brought a mighty
blow down on the shifter’s head. The great bear howled in agony,
and then he roll over and began shifting back into a man. The
assassin redoubled his efforts and slammed into Drew with
enough force to knock him off his feet. Without hesitation, Alisa
bounded in and got between them. She swung her sword and hit
the man at his flank. He twisted away and escaped the worst of it,
but he screamed and stumbled and touched himself to see she’d
drawn blood.
The assassin snarled at her.
“You bitch!” he shouted.
He drew a second smaller blade from his belt, flipped it up
and caught it in an underhanded grip.
“You’ll pay for that, lass. By gods, ye will,” he said, and
screamed in on her like a vicious beast.
Alisa brought up her block, but she moved too slow and his
heavy, bone-shattering strike flung the sword from her hand. Drew
roared a challenge. He attacked with everything he had, but the
assassin had gone mad with rage, and he knocked the old warrior
aside and plunged his sword through his heart.
“No!” Alisa screamed.
Drew screamed as the sword slid in, and again when it slid
out. The strangest look of confusion came over him for a moment,
then his face relaxed as the life left his body. Alisa leapt for her
sword. She threw up a block just as the assassin’s blade came
down on her. The sheer, stinging force of it nearly nocked it from
her hands again, but her grip held and she spun and struck out for
the back of his leg. He pivoted and let her blade pass beside him.
The assassin kneed her in the chest and sent her onto her back. He
cackled like a madman, then he drew his sword behind his head
and made ready to deliver the killing blow.
A mighty roar caught him off guard and he looked up only
moments before a massive black bear with huge claws came down
on top of him. Logan tore into him with a kind of fervent,
mindless abandon that terrified Alisa and shook her to the core.
Her attacker did not die well, yet even in victory, Logan had
clearly pushed himself too far, and he slumped to the side and his
massive furred body shrunk and molted, leaving him trembling in
a pile of fur as the sounds of battle lessened and became a call for
retreat.
Somehow, the Artos Clan had fought them off. It must’ve
been the sight of poor drew falling to his death, or maybe even the
desperate and courageous attack Logan had managed to mount.
Clan Campbell scrambled from the village, but few actually
managed to escape. The Artos warriors chased after them. Alisa
rushed to Logan’s side and lifted him into her arms.
“Are you all right, love?” she said. “Ye didnae have to rescue
me.”
He smiled at her. “Like hell I didn’t. You’re nothing but
trouble, Alisa MacGregor.”
She cradled him to her chest and gave him a grin. “Would ye
have it another other way, my dear?”
“Cannae say for sure yet. I’ve still not gotten to know ye as
well as I’d like. But there’s time for that, isn’t there?”
“Aye, there is.”
“I’m sorry ye had to see that side of me, lass,” Logan said.
“There were so many of them. They must’ve known what we can
do.”
A few feet away, one of the fallen assassins chortled and
drew breath in a harsh and ragged manner.
“Everyone knows now, demon,” he said. “You and your kind
will never be safe again.”
 Red hot, bilious anger flooded and twisted her insides, and
she gently lay Logan on his back and crawled over to the fallen
assassin. She set her knee to the large wound in his stomach and
pressed. The assassin howled in agony.
“How did you know?” she said. “Tell me and I will make it
quick.”
“Your little adventure with the wolves!” he spat. “You were
ne alone in the woods that day!”
“Someone saw?”
“They’d been tracking you for miles. Ye didn’t really think
ye’d escape so easily, did ye? None of you is safe. We will pick
you off one by one!”
Alisa put more weight on his wound, but she’d lied when she
said she’d kill him. The assassin screamed, but then his face went
pale and he passed out from the pain. Alisa crawled back over to
Logan.
“Did ye hear that, love?” she asked.
“Aye. We weren’t as careful as we needed to be. You know
what this means.”
Alisa nodded. It was time to go back home.
*****
She and the entirety of Clan Artos arrived at Castle
MacGregor three days after setting out from the villiage. The
shifters had left behind all of their possessions, though the
majority of them had opted to burn everything before they left.
The castle’s portcullis raised as they streamed over the draw
bridge, the October sun high above bright and warm. Alisa’s
father greeted them with a cadre of soldiers, and so overjoyed was
he to see her alive he broke into sobbing tears and hugged her
tightly.
“Daughter! Oh lord above, it’s a miracle!” he wept.
“No miracle, father. Just these fine people. And Logan.”
He pulled away and spotted Logan helping a family of three
with their overladen cart.
“Allaway,” the chieftain said. “So you know about Clan
Artos. You know what they can do.”
 “Aye, father, I do.”
“And tell me, dear,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, “is he
half as dashing as they say?”
Alisa blushed and her father pulled her in for another hug.
How was it fathers always knew? Far from feeling embarrassed,
though, the warmth and love of home filled her spirit and nearly
brought her to tears. She’s thought she’d never see any of them
again. How pleasantly surprising to have been wrong.
“Come see your mother and daughters, Alisa,” he said.
“They’ll not believe it till they’ve seen it with their own eyes.”
“Father, we must prepare. Clan Campbell won’t rest after
only one defeat.”
His eyes hardened, yet his face still seemed full of joy and
wonder. “Dinnae you worry about Clan Campbell, daughter. Now
that I’ve got you back, and since the fine, proud warriors of Artos
are once again at my side, there’s nothing we can’t do together.”
“I hope you’re right,” Alisa said.
“I am. Whatever comes, whatever dangers and threats that
besiege us, we will weather the storm as we always have.
Together.”
He pinched her arm and winked, and then he moved off to
give Logan a hard slap on the back. When he spotted the chieftain,
Logan’s face lit up, and the two men embraced like long lost
friends. Alisa watched them and smiled in wonder, thinking she
was so lucky, despite the uncertainties of tomorrow. As she stood
there, the village’s old medicine woman approached and handed
her a cup of water. Alisa thanked the woman for it, and told her
how frightfully thirsty she was.
“I thought ye might be,” the healer said. “You’ve got to keep
up your strength, deary. All these people are depending on you,
whether they realize it or not.”
Alisa drank and felt the cool, clear liquid restore a measure of
strength. Sighing contentedly, she handed the cup back.
“It’s funny, but I never realized how much I love this old
castle,” she said.
 “Family has a way of drawing us to the best of things.
Speaking of which, deary, have you been feeling ill in recent
days? Perhaps a wee bit sick in the morning?”
“No,” Alisa said, surprised by the question.
The old woman grinned. “Well ye may, though it’s certainly
no cause for concern.”
“What do you—”
Instant realization dawned, and she clutched her abdomen
and felt a swell of joy deep inside her stomach.
“You mean I’m pregnant?” she said.
“I do, lass. Congratulations. May you bear him many sons.”
“But will … will the baby…”
“It will be a shifter,” the old woman said. “A mighty one at
that, as far as I can tell. The future shall be bright for you indeed.”
Alisa gazed lovingly at Logan and her father. The villagers of
Clan Artos streamed into her castle, her home, the only place she
could think of to raise a beautiful, magical family. There was
nothing they could not do together. For them, a life of love would
be a life of strength.
END
DRAGON PRINCE
The couples whirled around Kareena like birds in flight. The
darkness of the men’s tartans set a bold contrast against the soft
pastels of the women’s silken skirts. Their colours filled her eyes
and she felt a longing that she could not describe.
She blinked once and suddenly she found herself standing in the
middle of the ballroom, surrounded by dancing couples, blocking
their path. Kareena tried to move out of the way. She ducked and
dived but she could not seem to find her way out. She tried to
speak but she realized immediately that no one could hear her. She
stood still and watched. Everything was moving through her as
though she were a phantom examining a world she was no longer
a part of.
“I am here,” she said to the passing couples, but her words fell on
deaf ears.
Slowly the couples around her started to blur, until they became
specks of diamonds that were carried away with the wind.
Kareena focused her eyes and found herself standing on the
musky earth of the forests just outside Northwick castle. She
turned her head to the right and caught a pair of large, warm
brown eyes staring back at her under the sun’s dewy spotlight.
Its skin was the color of a deep forest green, spotted with deep
gold markings on either side of its sleek but muscular body. Its
appearance was more majestic than any painting of a dragon she
had ever seen before. Kareena tried to move closer so she could
better admire the dragon, but the moment she took her first step,
the dragon dissolved into silver mist and morning dew.
“Wait…” Kareena tried to call out.
But the dragon was already gone.
Chapter One

“Where have you been lass?” Meghan’s voice was gentle but
impatient.
“I’m sorry,” Kareena replied immediately. “I… had a bad night.”
“Did ye have the dream again?” Meghan asked with a shrewd
glance in Kareena’s direction.
“Aye, but it was different this time. The dragon did not show up
until the very end.”
“Hmm,” Meghan’s bright brown eyes seemed to grow softer as
she pondered over Kareena’s recurring dream. “Perhaps it is a sign
of things to come.”
“What kind of things?” Kareena asked.
“I suppose we shall have to wait and see,” Meghan replied as she
ran a hand through her silver-grey hair. “Now pass me the sage.”
Kareena suppressed a smile and did as she was told. Meghan was
understanding and kind but she was also extremely methodical
and that made her impatient. As she got to work on her latest
remedy, Kareena moved to the herb cupboard and started to tidy it.
She was half way done when she heard steps on the cold stone
floors. A moment later, the large wooden door was pushed open
and Lady McNeil stepped through. Kareena felt tension engulf her
immediately, but she pushed it aside and turned around to face her
stepmother.
“Good morning my Lady,” Kareena said with a well-practiced
curtsy as Meghan mimicked her movement.
Lady Etaine McNeil was a beautiful woman. She was five and
forty but youth still clung to her features. Her eyes were a mixture
of blue and brown, and her hair was an uninterrupted gold that fell
to her lower back in waves. She turned her thickly lashed eyes
onto Kareena with an expression of tolerant distaste.
“Ye look worn this morning Kareena,” Lady McNeil said with a
smile that did not reach her eyes.
“’Twas a hard night is all,” Kareena replied.
“Take care to rest yourself. Your looks will abandon you soon
enough.”
Kareena bit back her retort and nodded her head in acquiescence.
Lady McNeil turned her head slowly to Meghan. “I will need a
new batch of your skin remedy,” she said delicately.
Meghan nodded curtly. “I shall begin now.”
Lady McNeil’s eyebrows rose suddenly as though she had just had
a brilliant notion. “Perhaps it would be better if Kareena were to
make the remedy. She must learn if she is to be a healer.”
“If that is what you desire,” Kareena replied trying to be
agreeable.
“Tis. I shall expect you to deliver the finished remedy to my
bedchamber,” Lady McNeil said, her tone betraying a threat.
Kareena bowed her head in acceptance. Lady McNeil nodded and
walked to the door with a flick of her skirts. She was on the
threshold when she turned her head back and called out Kareena’s
name.
“Aye?” Kareena replied looking up.
“Lord McNeil is hosting Royce McDougal of clan McDougal
tonight,” she said with a smile that Kareena did not understand.
“Aye, I know,” Kareena replied. “I have made preparations for the
supper in his honour.”
“And I am grateful, but you will not attend the supper tonight.”
Kareena blinked once. “I don’t understand, my father –
“Your father has changed his mind,” Lady McNeil went on
smoothly pretending as though Kareena had never spoken. “You
will be absent this night.”
Kareena felt her body grow cold with anger. “Why?” she asked,
her voice raised louder than she had intended.
Lady McNeil’s eyes narrowed infinitesimally. “Because it is no
place for a bastard.” With that, she turned on her heel and
disappeared through the door. Once her footsteps had sung its last
echo, Kareena turned to Meghan trying to control the frustration
coursing through her.
“She can’t do this to me,” Kareena replied.
“I agree,” Meghan said coming forward and putting a hand on
Kareena’s shoulder. “You must speak to your father.”
Kareena nodded. “Aye… of course. He doesn’t know of this. If he
did, he would never have allowed her to bar me from the feast
tonight.”
Meghan smiled reassuringly at her. “Aye, now there’s a smart lass.
Don’t you worry.”
Kareena sighed and sunk down onto one of the crooked wooden
chairs that surrounded the centre table. “I wish she didn’t hate me
so much.”
“Tis not you she hates lass,” Meghan said comfortingly. “’Twas
your mother. It does not help that you inherited her fiery red hair
and her sky-blue eyes. Except for the sharp nose and freckles you
are the very image of your mother.”
“Sometimes I wish I wasn’t,” Kareena admitted out loud. “If that
would make her hate me less.”
Meghan’s eyes grew soft with sympathy. “Turn your mind from
such thoughts lass. It wouldn’t have made a difference.”
“I know,” Kareena said with a sigh. “She will never be my mother
or my friend. But it does not matter, as long as I have my father.”

Chapter Two

Kareena walked down the long, narrow corridors of Northwick

Castle. Light streamed in through the slitted windows creating
intricate patterns of light as they fell onto the burnished grey stone
floors. When she was a child, she used to hop between the little
spades of light, making sure to step only on the shadows. She had
been a lonely child and the castle had been her one constant
playmate.
Kareena turned the corner into another corridor; this one was
broader than the last. At its end was a large circular recess with a
door at its centre. It was flanked by the coat of arms of clan
McNeil. It depicted an eagle in flight, its prey clutched firmly in
its steely talons. Kareena knocked hard and she was greeted a
moment later with a gruff ‘enter’.
“Father?” Kareena asked as she stepped inside.
Her father was an impressive man. He was well past six feet tall
with large broad shoulders that made him look much taller. He had
a head of dark curly hair and a full beard that had streaks of grey
running through it. His freckles were barely visible anymore.
“Kareena,” Lord McNeil greeted quietly. His chamber was a large
one, but Kareena knew he liked to sit by the fire that rested just
below a series of arched windows that gave the solar its
spectacular brightness. She moved towards the hearth and sat
down just as she used to do when she was a little girl.
“What brings you here my bonnie lass?” Lord McNeil asked
softly.
Kareena had learnt early on that her father had two voices. One
was loud and booming and was used in public and at clan
gatherings. The other was soft and quiet and used only in private
with his wife and children.
“I came to ask you about something father,” Kareena began
cautiously.
“Aye,” Lord McNeil nodded. “And what is that?”
“The feast tonight…” Kareena said trailing off, feeling a sudden
panic engulf her.
“Aye?”
“Lady McNeil says I am not to be present,” Kareena forced
herself to continue. “But… I cannot believe that you would have
agreed to that?”
His eyes dimmed considerably and he pursed up his lips. Kareena
knew immediately that he had in fact agreed to just that. She felt
her stomach plummet as disappointment, hurt and rejection
struggled over dominancy.
“You… did agree,” Kareena said before he could speak.
“Don’t turn your eyes from me lass,” Lord McNeil said as he
reached for her chin and pushed it up to meet his face. “It is an
unpleasant thing… but…”
He trailed off, leaving Kareena feeling worse than before.
“What… exactly is an unpleasant thing?” Kareena asked once she
had processed her father’s words. “My presence at the feast
tonight or my presence in general?”
Lord McNeil looked taken back. “That is not –
“Tis true then,” Kareena interrupted him as she stood abruptly.
“You are ashamed of me.”
“No of course not, I –
“I was a fool to think a Lord could love his bastard child,”
Kareena said as she walked to the door. She felt her father rise but
he did not move to follow her. She turned at the threshold of the
door and curtsied formally. “Thank you for the audience my
Lord,” she said weakly before she turned and walked out.

Chapter Three

There were always people milling about the stables but horses
were always being taken out to ride. No one took any notice of
Kareena as she slipped in and found Frazier in his stall munching
on a bale of hay. The feast was only a few hours away and
Kareena did not wish to be anywhere near the castle when it took
place.
“Come on boy,” she whispered into his ear as she stroked his
chestnut brown muzzle. “Let’s run.”
Minutes later, she and Frazier were flying under the castle’s keep,
through the gates and out into the open air of the highlands. The
moment they had cleared the castle’s shadow, Kareena breathing
came easier and her chest felt considerably lighter. She slowed
Frazier to an easy gallop as she steered him towards the forests
that clan McNeil shared with clan Maclver. It was a large, wild
expanse of forest that hugged the Elsick Mounth.
“Let’s ride through,” Kareena whispered to Frazier. He whinnied
as though he was answering back and a moment later they sped
into the forests.
Once they were surrounded by trees and nothing else, Kareena
slowed Frazier down to a trot. They moved through the forest in
calm as she took in the earthy breeze that ruffled through her hair.
“Things are so much easier here Frazier,” Kareena said softly
looking up towards the large cracks in the forest’s canopy. The
light streaming in was warm; it touched her face gently so that she
didn’t need to shield her eyes from the brightness. “I wish we
could stay here forever.”
She dismounted and let Frazier graze around at his leisure. She
picked up her skirts and explored the little clearing they found
themselves in. She recognized many of the herbs that Meghan
used in her remedies and unconsciously she started plucking off
fresh stems and dropping them into the tired sack that hung down
Frazier’s side.
She immersed herself in the forest, so much so that she didn’t
even realize that the sun was slowly setting and darkness was
settling over the highlands. Her thoughts became abstract until she
was no longer thinking of her father or the feast taking place at the
castle that very minute. Even after night had finally come in,
Kareena refused to go back to the castle. A small part of her
wondered if anyone would even notice. Suddenly she heard the
sharp crack of a tree branch a few feet away. Kareena jumped
back with a gasp caught in her throat. Frazier raised his large head
for a moment and then went back to grazing.
Kareena looked around searchingly and her eyes caught a flurry of
movement not far from where she stood. She rushed forward not
even considering the possibility that the animal might be a
dangerous one. She ran forward and immediately the animal
camouflaged behind the thicket of trees took off in the opposite
direction. Kareena felt a beat of shock as she realized that it was a
dragon. Even in darkness she could tell it looked eerily like the
dragon in her dreams. Dragons were increasingly rare in the
Kinross lands. She rushed towards Frazier and mounted him in
one swift move. They raced through the forest after the dragon.
The dragon darted right, down a steep slope of earth, fallen
branches and dried leaves leaving streaks of motion in its wake.
Kareena urged Frazier downwards but the horse seemed reluctant.
“It’s ok,” Kareena said, rubbing Frazier’s neck comfortingly.
“Come on boy, you can do it.”
After some coaxing, Frazier managed to sidle down the slope,
landing with a quick finish onto flat surface again. Kareena
spurred him forward with a gentle nudge, afraid that she had lost
the dragon for good. The animal had become something of a
recent legend in the territory of Kinross. It was a large beast and
her father and his clan had spent nigh on seven years since it was
first spotted, trying to hunt it. The scales of the dragon were said
to give a king luck, and its meat would provide strength for any
army. The dragon had displayed both intellect and resilience,
evading capture at every turn.
This was not the reason that Kareena pursued the animal however.
What propelled her forward were her murky dreams that stayed
with her even after she had woken. She dismounted and walked
down. Hearing a rustle of noise, Kareena took care to move
carefully and quietly. She stepped between two trees and caught
sight of a thin stream just ahead of her. The dragon was standing
on the opposite side of the stream, drinking water. Kareena felt as
though she had experienced the same moment before.
Without thinking, she stepped between the two trees and out into
the open. The dragon raised its majestic head and its large fiery
eyes fell on her. The moon hung, full and bright in the sky above
them. It illuminated everything it touched with its sparse silver
rays. Kareena held her breath as the dragon stared at her with
intense concentration. A shiver ran down her back as realized that
its gaze was almost… human. Kareena stepped forward cautiously
but the dragon did not fly away as she had expected. The creature
stood there, proud and tall, as though it were waiting for her.
“What are you?” Kareena asked under her breath as she continued
to edge closer.
She got to the edge of the stream. There was only the thin trickle
of water that stood between them. If Kareena reached out, she
would be able to touch the dragon. It’s scales were the most
beautiful thing she had ever seen. They were illuminating gleams
of glassy silve. Its eyes were still trained on her as though it
recognized her somehow.
“Am I dreaming?” Kareena wondered aloud.
The dragon moved its head infinitesimally as though it was
answering her question. Kareena gave a start of surprise but she
didn’t back away. “No wonder no one’s been able to catch you
yet,” she said softly. The dragon continued to look at her with eyes
that were aware and keenly observant. Consumed by the magic of
the moment, Kareena felt herself grow brave. She reached up,
moving her hand slowly towards the dragon’s crown. Again she
wondered if the animal would bolt suddenly, but it remained
stationary. She sucked in her breath as she touched the dragon’s
gleaming coat. It was tough but there was also a sinewy softness
there.
Suddenly, the dragon transformed before her eyes, and a naked
human man emerged. Kareena stood in shock as the most
beautiful man she had ever seen stepped toward her. His muscles
gleamed like the dragon’s and his eyes continued to look at her
with fire. As if in a trance, Kareena stepped toward him feeling his
magnetic pull.
He reached towards her and began stroking her face.
“Is it really you?” he asked.
The commanding sound of his voice caused Kareena’s insides to
stir. She was about to speak when Frazier’s frantic whinny startled
her out of her reverie. She jumped back, breaking contact with the
man. He leapt back as well and with one last look in her direction,
he transformed into a dragon and flew off into the forest. It took
only a few short seconds for Kareena to lose his image in the
darkness.
She stood there by the tiny stream trying to process the strange
moment, but it did not seem to matter how long she stood there. It
didn’t feel any less strange. Finally she turned away and walked
back to where Frazier waited patiently for her. She mounted him
distractedly and rode back to the castle, with her thoughts running
in chaotic circles.
Kareena could hear the music before she entered the castle. It rang
through the castle’s stonewalls, echoing down its long hallways.
Kareena knew the castle well, she slipped in through one of the
lesser-known corridors and within moments she was in the main
hall where most of the clan’s banquets and feasts were held. She
stood behind one of the large stone pillars that circled the hall.
Her father sat on the raised dais, behind a long table filled with
several large cuts of meat. He was dressed in his finest red tartan
and grey furs. To his left sat Lady McNeil. Her hair hung loose
around her shoulders, fastened by Scottish pearls that seemed to
catch the light with every turn of her head. She was dressed in
crimson silks and white furs. Next to her sat Lady Saraid,
Kareena’s older half sister. She had her mother’s coloring without
any of the beauty. Kareena had admired her once, before Saraid’s
disdain for her had pushed them apart.
Kareena watched as her father took a great gulp of wine and
turned to the man sitting on his right. Royce McDougal was
younger and shorter than Kareena had expected. He did not look
like a clan chief’s son, but he seemed to have a knack for making
people smile. He bowed graciously as he asked Saraid to dance,
making her glow with pleasure while their father beamed in
satisfaction. As Saraid and Royce McDougal joined the other
dancers in the centre of the hall, Kareena watched as her father
and stepmother put their heads together, conversing in intimate
whispers.
Standing there in the shadows, Kareena realized that that she
would never be on the other side. She would never sit with the
people she considered her family and share hushed conversations.
She would never be invited to dance by a noble lord and she
certainly would never be encouraged to do so. Her father had cast
her into the shadows, making sure she would never truly be apart
of his family.
“Is this what I want?” Kareena asked herself. “To stand on the
edge, wishing to be included like a dog waiting for scraps?”
She stared at her father’s face, wondering if his love for her had
always been an illusion, or if it was a fickle thing that existed only
in the privacy of his own chamber. If that was the case, Kareena
wanted no part of it. She turned from the scene and walked out of
the hall. She didn’t stop until she had reached her bedchamber.
When she walked in, she found that Meghan was there, waiting
for her.
“Where have you been lass?” Meghan asked with concern.
“I was out riding,” Kareena replied. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to make sure… you weren’t too lonely,” Meghan said
simply.
Kareena appreciated the sentiment but she hated the pity. “I’m fine
Meghan,” she assured the older woman. “Truly.”
“Then what is that look in your eye?”
Kareena dropped her gaze, but she knew that little got past
Meghan. “Tis nothing,” Kareena replied. “I have only made a
decision this night.”
“Aye and pray what is it?”
Kareena looked up. “I’m leaving Northwick castle and Kinross
territory. But most importantly, I am leaving clan McNeil.”

Chapter Four

Meghan tried to convince her to stay but Kareena could not be

moved. There was a clarity attached to her decision and that gave
her the confidence she needed to go through with it. The night of
the feast had opened Kareena’s eyes to the reality of her life. She
was the eternal outsider; whatever affection her father held for her
was not strong enough to withstand her stepmother’s dislike.
“This is drastic,” Meghan fretted as she bustled about the
apothecary throwing things into a large brown bag. “I shouldn’t be
encouraging you.”
“And you haven’t,” Kareena said. “I’m leaving no matter what
anyone says or does.”
“Does that include your father?”
“Aye,” Kareena nodded fervently.
“He’s not going to allow you to leave,” Meghan pointed out. “You
are may be illegitimate, but you are still his daughter.”
“I am his daughter in private,” Kareena replied. “Tis not enough
for me.”
“And you’re answer is to flee in the night?”
Kareena shook her head. “There is a party leaving the castle soon.
They’re heading towards Aberdeenshire with a delivery of horses
for Lord Maclver. I intend to be among them when they head out
on the morrow.”
Meghan raised her eyebrows incredulously. “And how do you
plan to escape notice?”
“I’ll be dressed as one of the stable boys,” Kareena replied with a
confidence she did not feel.
“Tis a risky plan lass,” Meghan said with a shake of her head.
“Aye,” Kareena agreed. “But it’s my only way out.”
“And what do you intend to do once you’ve set off with the
delivery party?”
“I’ll travel with them as far as the Elsick mounth. Just before they
enter Aberdeenshire, I’ll slip off into the forests with Frasier, then
I’ll ride South to one of the seaside villages and find work there as
a healer.”
Meghan sighed deeply. “I don’t like it.”
“Aye I know,” Kareena said with a smile. “But I know I’m doing
the right thing. I can feel it in my gut.”
“I wish I could say the same,” Meghan replied as the continued to
bustle around the apothecary.
“What are you doing?” Kareena asked impatiently.
“If you really are going to do this you will need a few things,”
Meghan said quickly as though she knew she was running out of
time. “You are a talented healer, you will know what to do with
the ingredients I have given you.” She handed Kareena the bag
with a resigned air. “You will be able to collect a few things on
your journey, especially if you’re travelling into the forests. But
still, I will feel better knowing you have these with you.”
Kareena leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Meghan.
“Thank you so much Meghan,” she said. “I’m going to miss you
the most.”
Meghan laughed awkwardly and pulled away. She had never been
good with open sentiment. “Just be safe.”
Kareena nodded. She picked up the bag and turned to leave.
“Wait,” Meghan called. “I have one more thing for you.”
“You’ve given me enough Meghan,” Kareena pointed out
gratefully.
“Aye, but this one is the most important thing,” Meghan replied as
she went to the cupboard and pulled out an old book whose covers
looked worn and overly used.
“This book is for… whenever you need some drastic help,”
Meghan said softly.
“Is it a book of remedies?” Kareena asked.
“It is,” Meghan nodded. “Tis a special book. Look to it for
guidance but use your own knowledge and your instincts. You
understand me?”
Kareena took the book gingerly and nodded. “Aye, I will. Thank
you,” she said before leaving the apothecary for good.
Kareena was up before the sun the next day. It took her only a few
hours to gather all her belongings. She wanted to travel as light as
possible and that turned out to be easier than she had anticipated.
Kareena stared down at her brown rucksack, amazed that nineteen
years could be boiled down to a few measly possessions. Her
mother had left her nothing in the way of a keepsake and she did
not wish to take anything that belonged of her father. The only
thing that she had that was precious to her was the book Meghan
had given her.
In the privacy of her room, Kareena leafed through its yellowed
pages. There were several recipes for remedies, many of which
she recognized, but others were foreign to her. She didn’t have
time to dwell on them however. She wrapped the book in one of
underskirts and packed it away with the rest of her things. She had
managed to bribe one of the younger stable boys into giving her
his britches and shirt. She put them on and stared at herself in the
grainy mirror in front of her.
Once she had thrown a coat over herself, she didn’t look quite like
a girl, but she didn’t look like a man either. Her hair fell straight
over her shoulders, a fiery red that was hard to hide. She found a
thick piece of string, gathered her hair into a tight knot and tied it
firmly. Then she added a lopsided hat that hid her bun and turned
back to her reflection. Except for her sharp nose, her features were
soft and decidedly feminine. She stepped towards her dead
fireplace and grabbed a small handful of ash, which she proceeded
to smear across her face in small strokes. She was subtle in her
approach and by the time she was finished, she looked much less
like herself.
With a sigh, she slung the bag over her shoulder and slipped out of
her room without a backward glance. As she moved through the
castle’s stonewalls, Kareena felt a small beat of sadness. She did
have affection for the castle, it had served her imagination well
and she was sad to leave it. Still, it was not her home, and now
that she had become so painfully aware of it, Kareena knew that
she could not stay.
The party was getting ready to move out when Kareena slipped
into the stables. She waited till they had mounted their horses and
started for the gates before she saddled Frazier and joined them.
She stayed at the back with the horses, keeping her head down and
eyes sharp for anything that might give her away. Earnan Baird
was leading the small group and Kareena prayed that he was not
an observant man. Just to be safe she had a dagger hidden in the
waistband of her britches.
As they passed through the keep, she could feel the castle’s
shadow looming over her in farewell. Just as they were passing
through the gates Kareena looked up and caught Meghan’s eyes
fastened on her. She gave her a small smile of farewell.
“Be safe,” Meghan mouthed.
Kareena nodded as she passed through the castle’s gates, leaving it
behind forever.

Chapter Five

They made excellent progress. By twilight, the party had travelled

well into the forests and they were only a day away from reaching
Elsick castle. Kareena did not wish to disengage herself from the
group until they had cleared the forests. She was impatient to be
away from them but common sense told her that to separate now
would put her at risk. The forests were quiet but they were
dangerous. Wild animals prowled the land, especially at night and
Kareena did not wish to be alone if she happened upon one of
them.
The forest was alive with the soft ever-changing glow of the sun’s
last rays before it disappeared for the day. Kareena was starting to
believe that she could escape without anyone ever noticing her.
The horses were a great means of camouflage.
“That’ll do for today,” Earnan called out gruffly as he held up his
hand, halting the group. “We’ll make camp ‘ere and head out early
on the morrow.”
The men grouped together while the horses surrounded them. In
the chaos of setting up camp, Kareena managed to avoid notice.
She helped where she could and made sure the horses were
properly fed and watered. The men were exhausted and that meant
Kareena was safe. They were just about to sit down to an early
supper when a noise in the distance caught their attention. Earnan
Baird sat up; his face wore an expression of intense concentration.
He was almost completely bald, making his translucent eyes that
much more prominent.
“Shut it the lot o’ ye,” he barked and everyone fell silent. “There’s
something in the woods this night.”
“Tis just a wild animal,” a younger man said with casual
indifference.
“I thought I told ye to shut it,” Earnan shot back. “Shut your
mouth and open your ears. Those aren’t paws you hear, those are
wings.”
A sudden panic caught a hold of Kareena. Her eyes strained into
the distance trying to catch some movement but she could see
little in the fast fading light. Earnan rose slowly. He was slightly
hunched, but he still looked deadly. He reached for his bow as his
eyes darted around the forest.
“There,” Earnan said suddenly, pointing east, a few metres away
from where the group had set up camp. Kareena stifled a gasp as
she recognized the dragon that had crossed her path only days
before. “Hurry up,” Earnan shouted. “We might be able to catch
that dragon once and for all.”
Earnan mounted the nearest horse in one quick move and raced
after the dragon. His men mimicked him and Kareena was forced
to do the same. She knew she should have stayed back and bided
her time, but she could not bear to think of that dragon cold and
lifeless. It was not the type of animal that should fall prey to a
hunter’s arrow. It was the kind of animal that deserved to live wild
and roam free.
“It’s him, the beast,” Earnan roared from the front of the pack.
“And we are going to be the ones who catch him.”
Kareena spurred her horse faster. The further in they moved, the
thicker the growth of trees became. Darkness came creeping in
and at some point during the chase Earnan slowed, until the small
party were bunched together. Kareena hoped that the dragon had
lost them, but she could smell it close by. It was hiding.
“I think we lost it,” one of the men said cautiously.
“No,” Earnan said confidently. “It’s here. This animal is a smart
one, but I’m smarter.”
Kareena caught sight of the dragon at the same time that Earnan
did. His body stiffened immediately as his face broke out into a
wide grin. “We’ve got it now.”
Slowly, he reached back towards his quiver and pulled out a long
arrow. He aimed for the dragon; Kareena could see the rise and
fall of his chest. She acted without thinking. Instinct was all it
was, she screamed as she rode her horse directly into Earnan’s.
Startled, his horse bucked, sending him and his bow and arrow
flying onto the forest’s musky ground. The riders that surrounded
him scattered in obvious shock and confusion, allowing the
dragon the opportunity to fly out of sight into the darkness.
“What the bloody hell was that?” Earnan all but bellowed.
He stood fast, his eyes darting around frantically for the person
who had toppled him. His translucent eyes fell on Kareena and she
felt a shiver of fear race through her. Earnan came forward and
before she could stop him, he had pulled her off her horse. His
hand was painful around her wrist as he pulled her towards him.
“You look familiar,” he said angrily as his eyes studied her face.
Kareena tried to turn her face away, but Earnan grabbed her jaw
and pulled it up to face him. He frowned at her before then
realization dawned. He pushed her back, releasing his hold on her
wrist. Then he grabbed the coat that was wrapped around her
shoulders and pulled it off her.
“Well, well,” he said with a growing smirk. “We have a runaway
lass on our hands.”
Kareena tried to back away but she found herself surrounded.
“You stay away from me,” she said threateningly.
“You’re a plucky lass if ever I saw one,” Earnan said with a leer.
“Let’s see how brave you really are.”
He came forward and tried to grab at her but Kareena put her
hands on his chest and shoved as hard as she could. He stumbled
back but he didn’t loose his footing. “Grab her,” Earnan barked to
the men that surrounded the both of them. They descended around
her. Knowing she was surrounded and outnumbered, Kareena
reached for the dagger she had hidden earlier that day.
Earnan came forward again and this time, Kareena let him get a
hold of her. He had just relaxed when she swiped at him with the
dagger. He jumped back but Kareena knew she had managed to
cut through his shirt. She might even have managed to give him a
flesh wound. Either way, she didn’t hesitate to find out. Taking
advantage of his shock, she pushed him back and jumped over
him as she ran into the dark forests. Almost immediately she heard
an enraged scream and the sound of running footsteps just behind
her. Thankful for her britches, Kareena ran faster than she had
ever run before.
“Split up and find her,” Kareena heard Earnan scream.
Kareena knew that at least one man was on the right track. He was
directly behind her and gaining quickly. The moon gave her some
measure of light, but her eyes were already tired from the long day
and straining as hard as they were able. She screamed as her foot
caught on a large stone that she had not seen, sending her flying,
face first onto hard, dry earth.
Kareena moaned as she realized that her left ankle was twisted.
She forced herself into a standing position but she realized
immediately that she wouldn’t be able to run. Still, Kareena
limped forward, trying to put as much distance between her and
the party. Her breath caught as she heard thick footsteps just
behind her. She turned in time to see one of the men step between
the trees. He was one of the younger ones, with a short dark
ponytail and buckteeth.
“Got ye,” he said giving her a smile. “Lucky me.”
“Stay away from me,” Kareena hissed as she backed away slowly.
He laughed darkly. “Earnan is waiting to get his hands on you,” he
said. “But since I was the one who found you, I think my hands
should be first.” With that, he tore at her blouse exposing her
supple breasts to the night air. He licked his lips as he ground his
body against her, and began to lift up her skirt. He began to
fumble with his trousers.
Kareena still had her dagger on her. She was about to reach for it
when the sound of a firestorm made her jump back. From the
roving darkness came the large form of a great dragon. Kareena
could see the sharp points of the dragon’s mane as it bent its head
and charged straight for the man advancing on her. Kareena
watched in shock, as the dragon sent him running back the way he
had come, screaming at the top of his lungs. Before she could
process what had just happened, the dragon re-appeared.
“Thank you,” Kareena said under her breath automatically.
The dragon bowed its head in answer and came slowly towards
her.
“This is so… strange,” Kareena muttered, as she looked the
dragon in the eye.
The dragon turned and walked back into the thicket of trees and
instinctively, Kareena followed it. They walked for a short while
before the dragon led her to a little grove that was shielded by
trees on one side and rock on the other. The rocks were arranged
into the opening of a cave.
The dragon stopped right outside it and looked at Kareena
pointedly. By this point, Kareena’s leg was throbbing with pain.
Her body ached with fatigue and her palms were slightly bruised
from when she had tripped over and fallen. Kareena did not have
the energy to think about it. She lay down inside the tiny cave,
realizing that moss had been used to create a soft bed. She lay her
head down and within minutes, she was fast asleep. The last thing
she was aware of before she lost herself to her dreams was the
dragon standing over her like a sentry.
 Chapter Six

Kareena woke up the next morning with her thoughts in a

scrambled mess. For a moment she thought she was still at
Northwick castle and then in slow fragments, the previous night
started coming to her.
She sat up fast, taking in the grass and moss that she was
surrounded by. Her body still ached but it was significantly better
than the night before. The bruises on her hands ached, but she
could easily ignore the pain. She crawled out of the cave and stood
carefully before she realized that her twisted ankle had been
bandaged expertly so that there was barely any pain attached to it.
“Where am I?” Kareena asked out loud.
“Quite close to the Elsick mounth actually,” a deep voice replied,
startling Kareena.
She looked to her side and saw a tall man in a blue kilt and white
shirt, standing there leaning against a tree. He had broad shoulders
but he was lean, almost panther like. His face was long, drawn in
at the cheeks, highlighting the prominence of his cheekbones. His
eyes were a deep, summery brown that was the exact same colour
as his wild, sightly overgrown hair that hugged the lines of his
neck. He straightened himself and walked towards her. His
movements were graceful and strangely familiar.
It hit Kareena all at once and her eyes roved over his face trying to
make sense of what her head was telling her. “It can’t be,” she
whispered.
He smiled. “It’s nice to finally speak to you.”
“This can’t be,” Kareena repeated again.
“My name is Lysander,” he said gently.
“Were you… is it possible that you…. were the dragon from last
night?”
“Aye,” he replied. “’Twas me.”
Kareena took a deep breath and stepped back. “How is that even
possible?”
“You’re a Scottish lass,” he replied. “Don’t you believe in
magic?”
Kareena shook her head. “Those are only myths.”
“Every myth contains a wee bit of truth,” he said, his eyes
twinkled when he spoke.
“You… turn into a dragon?” Kareena said, trying to wrap her head
around the remarkable reality.
“Aye,” Lysander nodded. “Every night as the sun sets.”
“This is unbelievable.”
Lysander smiled. “Ye get used to it lass.”
“It’s Kareena.”
“Well let’s get some food in your belly Kareena,” Lysander said.
“Or you’ll keel over.”
He turned and started walking, forcing Kareena to follow him.
After a short time, they came to a large river. Despite its size, the
water coursing through flowed at an even pace, it was peaceful
and extremely clear. As they approached, Kareena spied fish
swimming downstream. Kareena noticed the remains of a used
campfire next to the river. There was a spit hanging over the dead
fire.
She watched in amazement as Lysander waded into the river. His
hand flashed into the water at lightning speed and when he
withdrew it, a plump silver fish was struggling in his palm. He
walked back out and speared the fish with the spit before laying it
over the dried logs and tree bark. He grabbed two sharp stones and
struck them together, igniting a spark of fire almost immediately.
Kareena lowered herself down as Lysander joined her.
She examined the fish on the fire, but every few seconds she stole
glances in Lysander’s direction. He was a handsome lad, well built
and strong. He instantly intrigued her but she was also intensely
aware of the strange intimacy that sat between them. Her own
emotions confused her. She had just met this man, and yet, sitting
opposite him in the cold morning air, opposite a gently burning
fire, she felt as though she had known him for years.
“Did I thank you?” Kareena asked.
“You did,” Lysander smiled. “But I haven’t yet thanked you. You
saved my life. If it hadn’t been for you, I would have been
mounted on a wall.”
Kareena nodded in acknowledgement.
“Can I ask you a question?” Lysander asked.
“Aye.”
“Why did you do it? You obviously needed to keep your identity
hidden. Saving me cost you your cover.”
“Aye,” Kareena nodded. “But I couldn’t just let them kill you.”
“But why?” Lysander persisted. “As far as you knew, I was just an
animal in the wood.”
“There was something different about you,” Kareena tried to
explain. “Something that made me want to protect you.”
Lysander smiled. “Curious.”
“What is?” Kareena asked.
Lysander shook his head. “Nothing,” he said as he checked the
fish roasting on the spit. “Are you going to tell me why you were
in disguise?”
Kareena sighed. “I was leaving Kinross, and I wasn’t going to be
able to leave without covering up my identity.”
Lysander’s eyes rose in a question. Kareena hesitated for a
moment but she answered his unspoken question. “My last name
is McNeil of clan McNeil.”
“Why would Lord McNeil’s daughter wish to leave her home and
family?” Lysander asked curiously.
“Because I am not really apart of the family,” Kareena replied. “I
am illegitimate.” The words tasted bitter as they came out of her
mouth but Lysander’s expression did not change and that gave her
some measure of comfort. “I was tired of being an outsider in my
own home. It was only then that I realized Kinross was never
going to be my home. That was when I decided to leave. The night
I first met you was the night I made the decision.”
“Do you regret leaving?” Lysander asked.
“No.”
“Then ‘twas the right decision.”
Kareena smiled. “Are you going to tell me…?”
“About my condition?” Lysander finished for her.
“Aye.”
“It is a tale fit for legend,” Lysander said making light of the story
before his face fell into seriousness. “Before my mother, my father
was betrothed to another. She was a lady from a noble family and
she was said to possess great powers. My father believed none of
this however, which was perhaps the reason he allowed himself to
fall in love with another.”
“Your mother?” Kareena guessed.
“Aye,” Lysander nodded. “He cast aside his betrothed because of
the love he held for my mother and they were married instead.”
Kareena was beginning to understand. “She cursed you?”
“She cursed my mother,” Lysander replied. “Not only would her
first born transform into a monster each night, but she would
never have any more children. She wanted to make sure that Clan
Maclver would die after my father. She knew that I could never
lead the clan in my condition.”
“Clan Maclver?” Kareena breathed. “You are…”
“Lysander Maclver,” he replied. “Of clan Maclver.”
Kareena nodded as she processed that, realizing just how much
was at stake for Lysander. In one sense she felt a kinship sit
between them. She might be illegitimate where he was not, but
they were both outsiders who had no control over their fates.
“That must be a great weight on your shoulders,” Kareena
breathed. “Can nothing be done?”
“They took me to see a healer on the other side of Scotland when I
was a boy, and my transformations had just begun. She took my
father’s money and gave me potions that changed nothing. Then
she turned up at the castle threatening to tell the clan of my plight
if we did not give her money and land. After that, my parents were
so terrified that people would find out that they kept my condition
a secret.”
“What happened to the false healer?” Kareena asked.
Lysander turned his head down. “I have a fairly good idea,
because she disappeared for good after that.”
“And now?”
“And now my father is ailing badly,” Lysander said his eyes
growing distance, weighted down by sadness and worry. “I don’t
know how long he will linger… but it won’t be for long. And
then…. I don’t know what will become of us. Clan Maclver will
perish and another will rise in its place.”
Kareena saw the look on his face when he said the words and she
knew that the loss of his clan was a knife in his chest. She
wondered how he felt, knowing where he belonged and yet being
barred from the future that was rightfully his. She watched as he
leaned forward and gingerly removed the fish from atop the fire. It
was obvious he had years of practice.
“Do you know who you are?” Kareena asked. “Even when you’re
a dragon?”
“I do,” Lysander nodded. “It is part of my curse. I can never forget
who I am.”
Kareena had never been given many choices in life. She was born
as the daughter of a great lord and though he had not been unkind
to her, he had never treated her as he did his other children. No
matter what she did, she could not change that. Looking at
Lysander now, she wondered if she had the power to help him.
“Lysander?”
“Aye?”
“Do you want to be clan chief after your father?” she asked
seriously as their eyes locked onto one another.
He nodded. “Aye, I do.”
Kareena nodded. “Then I will try to help you,” she said with
determination.
He wrinkled his brows, surprised at her bold claim. “How can you
help?”
“I have a book that might help me,” Kareena admitted. The
moment the words were out of mouth she realized that her bag
was strapped to Frasier’s side and she had left both behind when
she had raced after the men on the hunt.
“What’s wrong?” Lysander asked immediately.
“I left my things back at the campsite,” Kareena said shaking her
head in frustration. “The book among them.”
“Don’t worry lass,” he said. “I’ll make sure you get that book
back.”
His smile was wide and uninhibited, Kareena found it hard to turn
her eyes away from him. She kept trying to make sense of the
charged atmosphere that surrounded the both of them but she was
scared of what she might discover.
“What’s on your mind lass?” Lysander’s voice cut through her
thoughts.
“Just dreams I’ve been having of late,” Kareena replied honestly.
“Dreams of a dragon?”
Kareena looked up fast. “How did you know that?”
He smiled. “I’ve been having dreams myself of late.”
“What are they about?”
“A beautiful lass with flaming red hair,” he answered.
Kareena felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. She accepted the
piece of fish he passed to her without meeting his eye. “Have you
really been dreaming of me?”
“Aye,” Lysander replied in all seriousness. “I thought they were
just dreams… and then I saw you in the forests that day and I
knew it was you I had been dreaming of.”
“How is that possible?” Kareena asked. “We’ve never met
before.”
“Aye,” Lysander nodded. “But perhaps we were always meant to.”
“I never believed in fate,” Kareena said as she chewed on her fish.
It was salty and warm and smelled of home.
“I would reconsider lass.” Lysander asked. “Fate is sitting at this
campfire between us. How else could you explain our strange
meeting?”
Kareena smiled absentmindedly as her thoughts flitted over the
last few days. “Perhaps you’re right,” she conceded.
“I am right,” Lysander said as he rose. “And I’ll prove it to you in
time. For now, we should get moving.”
“Where are we going?” Kareena asked.
“To Elsick castle,” Lysander replied as he held out his hand for
Kareena.

Chapter Seven
Elsick castle was similar to Northwick castle. It had high walls,
towers, crenelated battlements and walls that were made of grey
stone. The keep was considerably larger however and its
construction was slightly more sophisticated. Kareena could tell
immediately that Lysander was intensely proud of it.
They walked through the castle’s wide, airy corridors until they
reached the apothecary. It was larger than the one that Kareena
was used to but it was significantly more disorganized. Kareena
walked around the tables and store cupboards realizing that they
had been severely neglected.
“We haven’t had luck with our healers,” Lysander explained.
“They stay but a moon’s turn and then they’re gone.”
“You’ve got a wealth of ingredients here,” Kareena pointed out.
“More than we had at Northwick Castle.”
“It means nothing if there’s no healer here to make use of them,”
Lysander said looking around. “Sometimes I wonder if that wasn’t
a part of the curse too.”
Kareena turned to him. “I can’t promise to get rid of this curse
completely, but I can at least give it my best try.”
Lysander smiled. “Thank you Kareena.”
Kareena dipped her head down in response.
“What do you need?” Lysander asked as he moved closer.
Kareena felt her nerves creep up on her and she wondered
momentarily what had given her the courage to offer to come up
with a cure for Lysander’s condition. Her own resolve surprised
her and she wondered if her infatuation with Lysander’s wild
features did not have something to do with it. She shook the
thought from her head and focused her attention on Lysander’s
warm, brown eyes.
“I’ll need garlic and oxgall,” Kareena replied. “The oxgall will
need to be fresh.”
Lysander nodded as he took in her instructions. “What else?”
“Rosemary leaves and anise seeds,” Kareena said after some
thought. “I don’t know if I’ll use them… but I’ll need them here if
I decide to.”
Lysander shuffled around the space. “I think we have everything
but the oxgall.”
“Good,” Kareena said as he handed her a jar filled with anise
seeds. “I will have to work blind. I’m going to use ingredients
based on the remedies I’ve worked with before. Rosemary to ease
pain, anise seeds for resilience and oxgall for physical strength.”
“That sounds… like a difficult job,” Lysander said as he eyed the
ingredients Kareena had laid out in front of her.
“Aye,” she nodded. “But there is no other way.”
Kareena spent the rest of the day sorting through the apothecary
and arranging everything into their respective store cupboards.
Lysander stayed with her, acting as her helper as he spoke about
his life and all the complications that came from living with his
condition.
“I could never get close to anyone,” Lysander said. “I knew I
could never share my secret with them and that meant I spent most
of my life alone.”
“I know what that feels like,” Kareena said. “Loneliness is the
worst feeling in the world.”
“Aye,” Lysander nodded. “It can easily turn you bitter if you let it.
It might have nearly consumed me if…”
He trailed off making Kareena curious.
“If...?” she nudged.
“If I hadn’t started dreaming of you,” he finished, a shyness
creeping into his tone.
Kareena wrinkled her brows together. “How long have you been
having those dreams Lysander?”
“Nigh on two years now,” he replied.
Kareena could only stare at him in shock. “That long?”
“Aye,” he nodded. “They kept me sane.”
“Is that why…” Kareena said mostly to herself.
“What?”
Kareena looked up. “I feel as though I have known you for years.”
Lysander smiled. “Tis exactly how I feel as well.”
Kareena didn’t bother asking how that was possible. Her belief
had expanded greatly in the last day or so. It was amazing how
much more mysterious and intricate the world seemed to her now.
Around midday, Lysander excused himself and disappeared into
his large castle. Kareena tried to ignore the creeping feeling of
emptiness that snuck up on her the moment he left the room, as
though all the light had been sucked from her world.
Kareena shook her head and chastised herself harshly. Lysander
was a Maclver; he was heir to his clan and son of a great Lord.
She was just the bastard daughter of one and that difference could
not be overlooked. She threw herself into her work, repeating to
herself that their dreams meant nothing. It was just wishful
thinking on the part of two young people whose loneliness had all
but consumed them.
When Lysander came back that evening, Kareena noticed a tired
old bag hanging from his shoulder. She darted to him in
amazement. “How –
“The delivery party from Kinross just arrived,” Lysander, replied.
“Of course,” Kareena said having completely forgotten about the
supplies and horses they were bringing down for Lord Maclver.
“How did you manage to get it away from them?”
“I made sure the men had plenty of ale after their long journey,”
Lysander replied with a smirk. “They didn’t notice a thing.”
Kareena removed the book from her underskirt and flipped
through its pages. She happened upon a remedy that would
prevent a foreign illness from taking hold. “I didn’t understand
this when I first saw this remedy,” she said to Lysander. “But I’m
hoping this is exactly what you need.”
She moved to the table where she had set out all her ingredients
and examined everything. “I should be able to make a batch of the
remedy in a few days.”
“You’re a Godsend,” he said with a smile. “And I wish I could
stay –
“You’re not staying?” Kareena asked in surprise.
His smile grew sad. “The sun will set soon Kareena,” he reminded
her.
The reality of his situation settled over Kareena. “I’m going to
save you,” she said suddenly, filled with renewed determination.
Lysander came closer. “You don’t understand lass… you already
have.”
Then he leaned down and kissed her.

Chapter Eight

Being with Lysander was the single most intoxicating thing that
Kareena had ever experienced. It was a frustrating contrast of
thrilling passion and choking disappointment. When he touched
her, she felt waves of pleasure scale up her body, but it did not last
long, for dusk settled over them soon enough and he was forced to
leave her side.
The remedy took Kareena longer than a few days. She stayed in
the apothecary, mostly hidden from the eyes of the castle,
struggling to find the perfect balance between the book’s
instructions and her own experience and instinct. Lysander spent
as much time with her as possible and though she loved his
company, he tended to distract her from her task.
It amazed Kareena how familiar being with Lysander was to her.
From the way he liked to play with her hair while she worked or
the way he kissed the nape of her neck in the mornings when he
first saw her, everything was new but there was a familiarity there
born of a relationship far older than theirs. Kareena was not sure if
that was because of their shared dreams or their shared isolation,
but the intimacy she experienced with Lysander made her believe
in both fate and magic.
The euphoria she felt when Lysander was around, dissipated
immediately after he left her side. It was only then that Kareena
could think rationally and it was in those moments when she
realized that while Lysander’s situation may change, hers never
would. If she was successful, Lysander would be the next clan
chief but she would always be a Lord’s bastard and that was no fit
match for Lysander Maclver of Clan Maclver. Kareena kept her
thoughts to herself. She said nothing to Lysander, resigning herself
to the inevitable doom of their relationship. She kept her word and
continued to attempt to find a cure, but as the days flew by her
heart grew heavier.

Chapter Nine

“What?” Lysander asked again.

“It’s done,” Kareena replied. “I think I’ve got the right
combinations at last.”
“Kareena…”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she replied gruffly. “First we must see if it
works.”
They walked outside into the fading light of the sun. Open
meadow and lush green fields surrounded Elsick castle. Lysander
and Kareena entered the thick range of trees where they knew they
would not be spotted. Slowly Lysander turned to face her and
Kareena handed him the vial she had filled earlier that day with
the thick grey potion that had taken her almost three weeks to
construct.
He took the potion but his eyes were fixed on Kareena.
“Drink it Lysander,” Kareena said softly, hating herself for
wishing that it would not work.
He looked like he was about to say something, but then he pulled
out the stopper and drank the contents of the vial in one large
gulp. Kareena held her breath struggling with competing emotions
as the last rays of sunlight disappeared from the Highlands.
Lysander’s eyes lost focus for a moment as he swayed on the spot.
Kareena took a step forward but he held up a hand to stop her.
“Wait,” he said, his voice sounded different.
Kareena froze in place wondering if she had made everything
worse. “Are you alright?” she asked breathlessly.
He leaned forward as though he were in pain. After a short while
that seemed like an eternity to Kareena, Lysander straightened and
his face smoothed out.
“Lysander?” Kareena said tentatively.
He looked up at her and smiled. “I think it worked lass.”
Both of them looked up at the sky above them. An army of clouds
shielded the moon, but a wealth of stars winked at them from their
midnight blue canvas. Kareena turned to Lysander with a gasp that
was also a laugh. “It worked.”
“Aye,” he said softly. “You did it.”
“It’s will only work this one night Lysander,” Kareena reminded
him. “You will need to take the potion for as long as you live.”
He nodded as he came forward. “Tis only a small thing.”
“Lysander –
She was silenced by Lysander’s lips and after a moment she had
forgotten what she intended to say. She felt the need to pull away
but his arms held her against him in a grip that she could not fight
against. Once she was out of breath, his lips moved down to her
jaw and then her neck.
“Lysander –
“Hush my lass,” he said softly. “Let us enjoy this night.”
“Yes,” Kareena thought to herself. “Let me have this one night.”
She gave herself over to him as they sank onto the musky earth
floor entwined in each other’s arms. Lysander pulled off her dress
and her breasts became exposed to the midnight air. Her nipples
hardened as Lysander descended upon them with kisses. Soon his
hands had found their way up her thighs, and she moaned as they
entered into her dripping folds.
Kareena had never experienced such ecstasy before and found
herself carving him, all of him. She opened her legs and pulled
him into her. He unleashed his drawstring and his long shaft
emerged from his trousers. Kareena’s eyes widened in amazement,
every inch of his body was perfect.
He looked at her with such an intensity she grew dizzy, until
finally he penetrated his shaft into her. Tenderly at first, and then
quickening with wild abandon. Until finally their muscles release
in a unifying orgasm, and Lysander let his seed drip deep inside of
her.

Chapter Ten

Kareena was in the apothecary mixing a new batch of the remedy

when Lysander walked through the door, his face ablaze.
“What’s wrong?” Kareena asked.
“We have just received word from Kinross Territory,” he replied
immediately.
Kareena put aside the motor she was holding and turned to him.
“What news?”
“Your father is looking for you,” he said. “They’ve been searching
for weeks, now they are asking clan Maclver for help.”
“Why does he even care?” Kareena demanded. “He has his real
children.”
“I can’t tell you his reasons lass,” Lysander replied. “I can only
tell you what I’ve heard.”
“I do not intend to go back to Kinross,” Kareena said firmly.
Lysander smiled. “I do not intend that you go back either.”
Kareena looked at him carefully. “What is your intention for me?”
Lysander looked around. “This is where you were meant to be
Kareena.”
Kareena looked around the apothecary, unable to deny how
comfortable she felt there. “Aye,” she nodded. “I would love to
stay here and be healer to Clan Maclver.”
Lysander laughed. “That you can be if you choose lass,” he said
amused. “But I am not asking you to be my healer.”
“Then what are you asking?”
Lysander reached out and grazed his fingers across her cheek. “I
am asking you to be my wife.”
Kareena looked at him in complete shock and she said the first
thing that popped into her head. “I am a bastard.”
His eyes flashed. “Aye, and I can transform into an animal at
night. These are things we cannot change. My father will leave
this world soon and when he does it will be up to me to lead. I can
do it alone, but I would rather do it with you by my side. As my
wife you will be under my protection.”
“Your father will have no claim on you. Others have determined
our circumstances, but this… this is something we can decide for
ourselves. This is your choice and mine. And I have chosen you.”
Kareena looked up at his soft brown eyes. He was a handsome
man, but what made him truly beautiful was the kindness that fell
over his rugged features.
Kareena pushed her past from her mind. She would not allow her
birth to dictate how she felt about herself. If Lysander could see
past it, then she certainly could.
Kareena took Lysander’s hand in her own. “Then I choose you,”
she said with conviction.
Epilogue

The party was small. There were only eight riders in total with her
father leading the group. Kareena noticed her stepmother
immediately. She sat atop her horse, just behind her husband. She
was dressed in her finest silks and Kareena suppressed a smile as
to her reason.
“Good day my lord,” Lysander spoke first, pulling his horse to a
stop.
Lord McNeil nodded his head in response but there was no smile
and no inkling of friendship in his stance. “Whom am I speaking
to?” he asked gruffly.
“I am Lysander Maclver, Lord of Clan Maclver,” Lysander
replied.
“Lord?” Kareena noticed that her father looked both disgruntled
and affronted. “Your father is not yet dead.”
“Aye,” Lysander agreed. “But he has passed the mantle to me. He
wants to spend the rest of his days in peace without the burden of
leadership weighing on him.”
“So you are the new clan chief?” Lord McNeil clarified.
“Aye my lord, I am,” Lysander replied.
“Reports say that you have my daughter.”
Lysander smiled. “I do not have your daughter my lord,” he said
respectfully. “She chose me.”
“What does that mean?” Lady McNeil asked loudly as she rode up
on her horse.
Kareena spurred her own horse forward so that she could answer
her Lady McNeil’s question herself. The riders parted ways so that
she could pass. The moment Lady McNeil’s eyes landed on her
they went wide with surprise. Even Kareena had to admit that she
looked different, dressed in blue silks and silver furs with her red
hair flying loose around her shoulders.
“It means I chose my own path my lady,” Kareena said coming
forward. “One where I don’t have to feel ashamed of myself.”
“Kareena,” her father’s voice was booming and filled with shock.
“You are not of clan Maclver. You are a McNeil.”
“Actually my lord,” Kareena said formally. “My name is Kareena
Saoirse Maclver of clan Maclver.”
She had the satisfaction of seeing both her father and her
stepmother share dumbfounded expressions of disbelief.
“It’s true,” Lysander said as he gave Kareena a secret smile that
was just for her. “May I introduce my wife – Lady Kareena
Maclver.”
The End

Bear Heart
“Why are you crying?” the little boy asked, looking down at the
small girl sitting on a rock by the river.
“I fell. My knee is bleeding,” Aileen said, brushing away the tears
from her bright blue eyes as she squinted up at him, her vision
impaired by the bright sunlight beaming down from behind him.
She could see his shock of red hair falling all around his freckled
face and wondered where he had come from. He had not been in
the village before.
“Let me see,” he told her, getting down on the ground in front of
her. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at her
knee as she sniffed, trying to not cry again, even though it hurt.
“There. It stopped bleeding now. You’ll be okay. Come with me
down to the river and we will finish washing it off,” he told her.
“But I don’t know you,” she said. You are a stranger in the village.
“I’m Thomas!” he said with a huge toothy grin. My family
brought me here to stay with my uncle because they are sick and
cannot take care of me. I am sad, but I guess it is just the way life
is. Anyway, now, you know me.”
“I’m Aileen,” she told him.
“Well, Aileen, now we are friends,” he told her, helping her to her
feet and smiling broadly at her.
The two children walked down to the river, where Thomas
carefully washed off her scraped knee. Aileen watched as his
messy red hair blew all over his head. His large green eyes
twinkled as he smiled at her happily. It was the first time Aileen
McCarthy and Thomas Mulgrady ever met and the last time they
would ever be apart, or so they would come to believe.
“Why are you crying?” Thomas asked.
“I’m just so happy,” Aileen said as he pulled out a handkerchief
from his trouser pocket and dabbed at her eyes. Thirteen years had
passed and still, Thomas was tending to Aileen’s tears as he had
that first day when they were five years old. They had both grown
into young adults and with that transition into adulthood, their
love had continued to grow just as much. Anyone in the village
could tell you that they had become inseparable and that they
would one day marry.
“Your eyes are so blue when you cry,” he told her, admiring her
beautiful face and brushing away a few strands of her flaxen hair.
His hand paused for a moment on her cheek, caressing it softly.
“You want to make me cry so that you can see them this blue all
the time, then?” she asked playfully.
“No. They are blue enough already. I never want to make you
cry,” he told her, pulling her to him and kissing her there in the
meadow. It was the same kiss he had been giving her for years
now, but it always felt new. Each time he kissed her, it felt like
butterflies escaping into every fiber of her being. There was a
longing for Thomas that she couldn’t deny, though they had
agreed to wait until they were married before having sex because
that is what was proper.
Thomas was no longer the skinny little boy he had once been. He
was tall and broad shouldered, his wild red hair tied into a thick
braid and the beginnings of a beard beginning to tickle her face.
He was beautiful to her and she loved him now as much as the
first day she had met him. She had no doubt that she would love
him forever.
“Let’s get you home before your father has my hide for keeping
you out too long,” he told her. “I don’t even want to be on the
receiving end of a tanning that man will give me if he thinks I am
anything less than proper with you.”
“I wish we never had to go home. I want to just stay here together
forever,” she said.
“We will, very soon, my darling Aileen. You and I will spend all
of eternity together,” he told her, looking at her lovingly.
“I can’t wait!” Aileen told him, raising up on her tip toes to kiss
him on the cheek. He was a good six inches taller than her,
towering over her as they lingered there in the meadow.
“You are going to have to, but just for a little longer until I can
gain your father’s blessing,” he said.
“Let’s just run away, Thomas! We don’t have to worry with my
father’s blessing. We can start our own life elsewhere,” she said.
“No. I won’t take you from your family. We will do this the right
way. Your father just doesn’t like my family’s history. The rumors
of their ways bother him, but I will show him that he can trust me
and then he will give me your hand,” he said.
“Okay, Thomas. I love you and trust you. We will wait until you
tell me the time is right,” she told him reluctantly.
“I love you, too,” he replied, kissing her again before they began
making their way out of the meadow and back to the village. She
felt his kiss all the way down into her toes as she leaned into him,
holding on to him as if her life depended on it. Finally, he pulled
away and smiled at her, taking her hand and leading her back
toward their village. Aileen was so thankful for the day that
Thomas had come into her life and even more thankful that they
had remained together for so long after.
They spent the evening cuddling by the fire, listening to one of the
chieftains tell them the latest news of the battle from which he had
recently returned. Their village was full of warriors, though some
of the best had disappeared over the years without explanation. It
was assumed by many that they had met their fates elsewhere, but
eventually, many of them would return with stories of their
travels. Tonight was filled with one such warrior, the father of
Thomas’s cousin, Caleb. He went on for quite a while, a riveted
gathering around him as he expounded on his adventures.
Eventually, it began to get late and the fire died down, signaling
that it was time to get some rest. Aileen always hated the end of
the day when she had to part from Thomas. She had even tried to
sneak into the hut he had taken for himself in the night and give
herself to him, but he had refused to let her do so, telling her that
only when they were married would he allow her to give herself to
him. Aileen had felt both hurt by his rejection and overjoyed that
he cared so much for her reputation. As everyone parted for
bedtime, Thomas gave Aileen a light kiss on the cheek before
sending her off to her parent’s hut and returning to his own.
In the wee hours of the morning, Aileen woke up with a start.
Something was wrong. She could feel it. Jumping up and dressing
quickly, she slipped quietly out and made her way across the
village to where Thomas lived. He was gone. She told herself that
he had just gone out on an early hunt, but there were no signs that
he had taken anything to do so. Her heart thudded heavily against
her breast as she lay across his bed and waited. She could smell
him on the covers there as she lay wide awake until the dawn,
waiting.
When Thomas didn’t return, she went from hut to hut in the
village asking for anyone that might know where he had gone, but
no one would say they knew. Perhaps they didn’t, but Aileen had a
feeling some of them did know. For days, she was inconsolable.
Not even her parents could comfort her.
“Aileen, honey, you have to snap out of this,” her mother told her
after weeks had passed and Thomas had not returned.
“He will come back for me,” Aileen told her.
“He’s gone, Aileen. He ran off and left you behind,” her mother
told her.
“No, he didn’t. He wouldn’t. Something happened,” Aileen told
her.
“You are a fool, daughter. You need to stop pining for this boy and
find another,” her mother said.
“That will never happen. I love Thomas . . . now, forever, always,”
Aileen yelled at her, storming out. She returned to Thomas’s
empty hut where she already had spent countless hours just lying
in his bed, crying. His scent was fading from the covers, but he
was not fading from her heart.
Rather than returning to her family hut, Aileen stayed in Thomas’s
from that day on. Many of the villagers deemed her unstable, the
victim of a broken heart so bad it had driven her mad, but Aileen
paid them no mind. Thomas would come back for her. She was
sure of it.
A year passed in the blink of the eye with no word from him, no
sign of him. Aileen remained steadfast in her belief that he would
come for her. Then, one day, she saw a man watching her as she
washed clothes in the river nearby. He was tall and dark,
foreboding looking. His clothes were fine and he never took his
eyes off of her, not even when she scowled at him from where she
stood.
“Who is that man?” she asked one of the girls nearby.
“Lord Robert MacAulay,” the girl replied. “I saw him looking at
you. You should talk to him. I hear tell he is looking for a wife.”
“Then he’d best look at someone else,” Aileen told her. “My heart
and all that surrounds it belongs to Thomas.”
“You’re a fool, Aileen,” the girl told her, returning to her wash.
Aileen shrugged, doing the same.
Aileen noticed that though Lord MacAuley had moved on to talk
to some of the men of the village, he still stole glances her way
from time to time. She could feel his eyes on her even when he
was behind her and she found it completely unnerving. There was
something dark about him, she could sense it.
“Who is that girl?” she heard him asked one of the men, though
she pretended not to hear.
“Aileen? Oh, you wouldn’t be interested in her, Sir. She is quite
the loon, that one,” the man told him. Aileen recognized his voice
as that of Caleb, one of Thomas’s kinsmen and she had to wonder
if he meant it or perhaps was keeping her out of harm’s way,
because he also expected Thomas to return.
“Nothing a strong hand and a lack of tolerance for such nonsense
won’t cure. She’s quite the beauty,” Lord MacAuley responded.
“Perhaps, Sir, but she is not eligible for marriage. She has a
betrothed,” Caleb told him.
“That is too bad then. I quite fancy her,” he replied.
Aileen drifted away from the conversation making a mental note
to thank Caleb for trying to steer the awful man away from his
pursuit of her. Hopefully, he was successful in his efforts.
In the days that followed, Aileen wasn’t so sure. It seemed that
Lord MacAuley was constantly looking at her whenever she was
within his view. She made every effort to stay far from him,
unsuccessfully.
“Hello, Aileen,” he said to her as she pulled clothes from the line
by Thomas’s hut.
“Hello,” she said, being as short and unfriendly as possible so as
not to encourage conversation.
“We haven’t met. I’m Lord Robert MacAuley. It is a pleasure to
finally meet such a beautiful young woman,” he said with a smile
that gave Eileen inexplicable chills.
“You already know my name,” Aileen replied unpleasantly. “So,
no need to introduce myself.”
“You are a feisty one, I see,” he smiled. Then, leaning in closer to
her, “That will make it all the more my pleasure to break you in.”
Aileen flinched as if he had slapped her, but then gathered her
resolve and looked him in the eye defiantly.
“That is something you will never be doing. I am betrothed to
another,” she said venomously.
“You see, I keep hearing that, but where is this intended of yours?
I have seen him not once since I’ve been here,” he said knowingly.
“Thomas is away for the moment. He will be back,” she smiled.
“I don’t think so Aileen, my petal. From what I hear, he ran away
and left you behind a year or more ago. It seems to me that you
are waiting on someone who is not waiting on you,” he said.
“You don’t know what you are talking about! Thomas will be
back. He is my true love and I will wait,” she said.
“Don’t be so sure about that,” he said with a sickening smile.
The following day, Aileen overheard Lord MacAuley, but I’m sure
you are aware of her delicate state of mind,” her father was
saying.
“I am not concerned with that. It is just the remnants of a broken
heart. Nothing that won’t pass with time,” he told him.
“Still, she is not my only daughter. My sons are all away or lost to
the reaper. I don’t feel I can let her go so lightly,” her father
replied.
“I see. It is payment you seek,” Lord MacAuley told him.
“Now, that is not what I said,” her father replied.
“Perhaps not, but it is what you meant. You will find that I am a
man who does not mince his words. You will also see that I can be
incredibly generous in order to get what I desire,” he told her
father.
“What is going on out here?” Aileen’s mother said, apparently
overhearing the conversation, as well.
“Nothing you need know of, woman,” Aileen’s father replied.
“Get back in the house.”
“I’ll do no such thing. My daughter is not a commodity to be
bought or sold like an ox,” she said angrily.
“Our business does not concern you, woman,” Lord MacAuley
roared at her.
“My daughter is of the utmost concern to me. You are not the man
whose hand she seeks,” her mother replied stubbornly.
Aileen cowered around the corner. How could her father even
consider bartering with such a vile man for her hand? Thank
goodness her mother had intervened. Still, there was a chance she
wouldn’t dissuade them.
“Do you always let your woman make your decisions for you?”
Lord MacAuley was asking her father.
“Of course not, but it is her only daughter too and I’ll not be
breaking her heart by letting Aileen go with you,” her father told
him.
“You are a bigger fool than I imagined then,” Lord MacAuley spat
back at him.
Aileen could hear Lord MacAuley’s boots stomping away and her
parents arguing before they retreated back into the house. She
breathed a sigh of relief and stepped around the house, only to find
herself standing face to face with Lord MacAuley. Where had he
come from? Hadn’t she heard him going to other way?
“I see you are a curious little thing,” he replied.
“Leave me be! I’ve already told you that I belong to another and
my parents have declined your request for my hand,” she said
haughtily.
“Don’t be so sure about that. I never lose a negotiation,” he said,
flashing her that same unsettling smile as before.
“Perhaps that is why you cannot find a wife, Lord MacAuley.
Women are not something to be traded or bought. Only love will
bring you a wife who will be by your side no matter what falls,”
Aileen told him.
“So sweet and foolish, you are. Women are indeed possessions
and you will be mine very soon. I can give you every luxury” you
can imagine. No more sleeping in the abandoned hut of a man that
has forsaken you. You will have jewels, richly threaded clothing
and people to serve you as you wish. You have only to submit to
me,” he said
“I will never submit to you! Thomas is my only love,” she yelled
at him.
“I do adore your spunk,” he laughed, turning to walk away.
Aileen was shaking as she walked away, returning to Thomas’s
hut and laying down in his bed until the sun was falling from the
sky. She had hoped to sleep during her rest, but instead had only
stared at the ceiling, longing for Thomas.
Rising, she sat at the small table and ate an apple and a handful of
nuts, all she could manage at the moment. She had begun to drop
weight rapidly in Thomas’s absence and the villagers had done
their best to take care of her, always bringing her portions from
the meals they prepared for their families or leaving things like the
apples and nuts on the table inside her hut when she was away. It
was no unusual to find new items each time she returned home
and she did her best to eat what her appetite would allow though
she didn’t usually feel very hungry. She knew Thomas would want
her to take care of herself, to be healthy when he returned to her.
“Where are you, Thomas? I need you. You’ve been gone so long
and I am afraid,” she had said to the empty air around her.
Now, she returned to his bed and lay there crying until she fell
asleep. Thomas came to her in her dreams, his red hair aflame in
the sunshine like that first day she had met him.
“Aileen, I need you to leave here,” he told her softly, putting his
hand on her cheek.
“Thomas, where have you gone? I need you to come home. I
won’t leave until you come for me,” she said.
“Listen to me. You are not safe. Get out of her, Aileen. Now! I
will find you. I will find you. Wherever you go, I will find you. I
love you!” he said, fading before her eyes.
“Don’t go. Please don’t . . .,” she began to say, but it was too late.
It took a moment to register what was happening, but Aileen
quickly realized there were hands over her mouth and hands
pulling her up from the bed. She tried to scream, fighting whoever
had hold of her. The laugh that cut through the darkness terrified
her as she recognized the blackness of the depths from which it
rose. Lord MacAuley was taking her, snatching her away in her
sleep lie the evil monster that he was.
She fought him, trying to bite and kick him, but it was no use. She
was too weak and he was much larger, stronger. He made quick
work of having her bound, gagged and tossed across his shoulder
and then onto the back of his horse, carrying her away into the
night.
It seemed that they rode for hours. She felt bruised and exhausted
as her tiny frame bounced up and down on the back of the horse,
her hands secured to the saddle to prevent her from jumping. She
closed her eyes and sent herself far away to a place that wasn’t
filled with the terror she was feeling at this moment. Her last day
with Thomas unfolded in front of her, how he had kissed her in the
meadow and looked at her calmed her a little as she was lead
towards whatever horrors awaited her.
“Ah, we’ve arrived, my dear. Home Sweet Home!” Lord
MacAuley said out of the blue.
Aileen could not speak for the cloth he had placed in her mouth.
She looked forlornly up at the large castle that came into sight in
the distance. It was not her home. It never would be. Her home
was only with Thomas.
“You are going to love it here. I’ve already had the servants
prepare your quarters. You will be most comfortable in them until
we are wed and you come into my bed,” he told her.
Tears fell down Aileen’s cheeks at the thought of being forced to
give herself to such a despicable man. How could she ever face
Thomas when he returned having given up her innocence to
another man? Truly, all was lost. Thomas had not come for her. He
was never going to return. Perhaps he was dead. For all she knew,
he would never forsake her like this.
“Don’t worry, I will be gentle with you and I will let you adjust to
your new life while we plan a wedding fit for a King. I don’t care
for such things, but it is what is expected from a man of my
stature. I wouldn’t want to appear unseemly, after all,” he said,
laughing in a way that made Aileen’s skin crawl.
As they entered the castle walls, Lord MacAuley took a small
corridor just inside the entrance that led around and down through
the tunnel. She could only assume he didn’t want anyone knowing
his future bride was arriving bound and gagged. After a few
minutes, they entered an underground area and he stopped the
horse to remove her from the saddle before escorting her to a
small room.
“You’ll be okay in here while I stable the horse,” he told her,
pushing her roughly inside. She heard the door latch behind her as
she sat in a corner and wept.
“Why have you forsaken me, Thomas?” she whispered into the
darkness, but there was no answer. Curling up into a ball, she lay
shivering on the cold stone floor. It seemed like she was there for
hours, though it was probably much less.
“Alright, my beloved, we need to talk. I am going to take you
upstairs now, but you need to understand that if you utter a word
to anyone about not having arrived here under your own free will,
you will not enjoy the consequences. You can also rest assured
that they will not only extend to you, but to all your villagers. I
will burn them to the ground for your disobedience,” he told her.
Aileen looked at his shadowy figure standing in the doorway
between the near darkness of the room and the little bit of light
that shined inside the door from behind him. She had managed to
stop sobbing before he had returned and now only felt numb.
Cowering still in the corner she could say nothing. Her mouth felt
dry from the gag and her hands ached from being tied to the
saddle.
“I am going to untie and ungag you now. You won’t want to be
screaming or any such senseless thing. Do you understand?” he
asked, pulling the gag from her mouth.
“Yes,” she croaked with what voice she had left.
“Very good. Now, let’s get you to a room more suitable for my
blushing bride,” he said as he placed his hand on her arm and led
her up a steep staircase into ta hallway that led to the sleeping
quarters of the castle.
“Can I have some water, please?” she managed.
“Of course, my darling. Let’s get you into your room and I will
send up a servant to get you anything you want,” he told her.
Aileen nodded as she tried to keep from crying. She had no idea
what he would do if she let anyone see her face wet with tears.
“This, of course, is my room. It will be our room once we are
married,” he told her, showing her the large opulent room filled
with very fine linens and draperies of expensive silk. She could
imagine sharing a room like this with Thomas would be a joy, but
the thought of spending even one night in this horrible man’s bed
repulsed her. Tears fell down her face before she could bid them to
stay away.
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake!” he exclaimed, obviously annoyed by her
weeping. He grabbed her hand and yanked her down the hall,
showing her into a room only a few doors down. “This is your
room. Get yourself together before the servant arrives.”
With that, he turned and left, locking the heavy iron doors behind
him. It was dark in the room. Rather than looking for candles, she
felt her way around until she found the bed. She lay staring at the
ceiling, tears still falling down her face.
“Please, Thomas. Please save me,” she pleaded into the darkness
that surrounded her. Hearing the door lock turning, she quickly
brushed away her tears and sat up on the edge of the bed, waiting.
“Miss?” came a soft voice, closing and locking the door behind
her. A young woman, not much older than Aileen entered with a
lantern. She lit a pillar candle near the bed and another on the
opposite side. Aileen said nothing.
“My name is Hannah,” the young servant continued. Lord
MacAuley sent me to attend to you,” she told her, pouring her a
glass of water from a pitcher in her hand before setting the large
metal vessel aside. She extended her arm toward her and Aileen
accepted the glass.
“Can you help me get out of here?” Aileen said, once she had
consumed the water.
“Best not to say such things,” Hannah told her, looking incredibly
nervous. Her head nodded toward the door as a warning before
she leaned closer and whispered, “He would kill both of us, then
our kin.”
“Wretched man,” Aileen said beneath the breath.
“What do you need that I can do for you?” Hannah asked.
“I need something else to sleep in. My clothes are dirty from the
travel here,” Aileen told her.
“There are garments for you in the bureau over there,” Hannah
replied.
Aileen looked at her curiously. “Whose clothes?” she asked.
“Lord MacAuley told us you would be coming soon and had
everything you should need put into the room for your arrival,”
Hannah said, leading her to the large wooden bureau that held her
things. Aileen looked at the contents as the young servant opened
it for her. It was full of beautiful gowns, stockings and dresses.
There were even shoes in her size. How long had he planned this?
Feeling ill, she reached for a nightgown and pulled it free
“I don’t feel well. I don’t think I need anything else tonight. If you
could just leave the water, I will be fine until morning,” Aileen
told the girl.
“Yes, M’lady,” the servant replied.
“Please, we seem to be almost the same age. Call me Aileen,” she
replied.
“I’d prefer to keep it formal, if you don’t mind. Lord MacAuley
requires it,” she added, saying the last part much more quietly as if
to let Aileen know it wasn’t her choice to be standoffish.
“I understand. Goodnight, Hannah,” Aileen told her, watching as
the girl left.
She waited for the lock to turn before changing into the night
gown and walking slowly around the room to see what her options
for escape might be. She was quite surprised to look out one of the
windows that overlooked the dark forest just beyond the castle
walls and see a large bear standing at its edge. It seemed to almost
be looking at her as she stood there wondering what it was doing
out in the open like that. Several more joined the large reddish
brown animal, all seeming to look toward her and then they
disappeared into the woods again. Stepping away from the
window, Aileen dressed for bed and fell asleep quickly, more from
mental and physical exhaustion than anything.
In the following days, Lord MacAuley kept his word. He did not
attempt to come into her room without announcing himself or,
more to the point, into her bed. She was well tended by servants
and given whatever she asked for, within reason, but she remained
locked away in the room. Having found no way out of it, she
decided the only way was to win MacAuley’s trust. If she could
make him believe she was content here and had no intentions of
running away, perhaps he would give her more freedom and that
might give her an opening for escape.
“Good Morning, My Love,” he told her as he stepped inside that
morning.
“Good Morning,” she replied with a soft smile. He looked at her
suspiciously.
“You seem in high spirits this morning,” he told her.
“I am feeling better. I have come to see that it is not so bad here. I
do enjoy the finer things that it has to offer,” she replied.
“It is good that you do,” he told her. “It is only going to get better.
We’ve only two weeks left to our blessed nuptials.”
“I am looking forward to the day,” she told him.
“It is very good to hear that. I am glad you are finally coming to
your good senses and putting this childhood love of yours behind.
I have so much more to offer you in life,” he replied.
Aileen smiled, trying not to do so without it looking as bitter
toward him as she felt. He would never be able to give her the
love Thomas had. Instead, she focused on her goal. She wanted to
ask to leave the room, but knew he was a shrewd man and would
see through her farce immediately if she did. Instead, she left it at
that.
“It will be a good day when we marry,” she said, trying not to
choke on the words.
“It certainly shall. You’ve no idea how good it is that you’ve
reached that conclusion. I really do need to begin introducing you
around to some people. That was a bit hard to do before, given
your rebellious nature,” he said with a laugh.
“I’ve no rebellion in me now,” she replied.
“So, it would seem,” he told her. “I will see you a little later in the
day.”
Aileen watched as walked away, locking the door from the outside
as was usual. She sighed deeply and hoped her plan worked. It
wouldn’t be easy to build up his trust, but she would do all she
could before the wedding day. If that failed, she had already
decided she would take her own life. He had barred the windows,
she assumed to prevent anyone from entering and most certainly
to keep her from exiting, but there were other ways. No matter
how horrible it might be for her in the end, it was better than being
bedded by the likes of him.
The days passed with Aileen continuing to tell Lord MacAuley
what he wanted to hear. Still, he had not taken the lead and offered
her any reprieve from the solitude of her room, where her only
company was the servants that were allowed to pass and the books
she pulled from the shelf on one side. She was pulling one such
book when she came across a small dagger hidden beneath it.
Where had it come from? Aileen had to wonder if someone before
her had occupied this room, planning to escape or die, as well. If
so, who were they and what had happened to them?
“Miss, I am here to draw your bath,” Hannah told her, entering the
room a bit later.
“Bath? A bit early for a bath isn’t it?”’ Aileen asked.
“Lord MacAuley said you will be accompanying him to dinner in
the dining hall this evening. He has gone out on a hunt, but will be
back before the evening meal,” Hannah replied.
“He is letting me leave the room?” she asked.
“Yes, just down to the dining hall, but I know you will be glad of
it,” Hannah replied.
“I will. It gets so boring being in the room all the time and I really
miss the outdoors. Is there nothing more glorious than the smell of
the trees and grass or flowers in a meadow?” Aileen told her.
She hadn’t quite decided if Hannah was friend or foe. She might
just be too scared to help her or she could actually be feeding Lord
MacAuley anything that was told to her. On the off chance that it
was the latter, Aileen wanted to make sure she shared the things
that would be beneficial to getting her out of the castle walls or at
least close enough to make her way out.
“No, I don’t believe that there is,” Hannah told her before making
her way toward the large bathtub that stood to one side of the
room and filling it with hot water from the two buckets she had
brought with her. She made several trips, each time locking the
door behind her when she left, much to Aileen’s dismay. Getting
out while he was gone would have to be the best time to go.
After a nice bath, Hannah helped her dress and prepare her hair
before painting her face. Looking into the large silver handled
mirror she was provided, Aileen scowled. She looked like a court
jester, in her opinion. Still, she knew this is how women of stature
did things and she would not argue. Thanking Hannah for her
help, she returned to her reading while the girl tended to cleaning
up around her. Just before dusk, she heard a growl from outside
the window and went to look out. There, just beyond the castle
walls stood the bear that had become a common sight each night.
Looking down upon him, it was if he had come to call to her and
once she had shown herself, he returned to the woods.
“Why do you haunt me, bear?” she said quietly. The sound of the
lock turning disrupted her thoughts. Turning, she saw Lord
MacAuley entering the room.
“Don’t you look positively ravishing, my love,” he said, his eyes
roaming over her in a way that she found completely unnerving.
“Thank you, My Lord. I understand we are going to dinner
tonight,” she replied sweetly.
“Yes. I am trusting that you will behave yourself, darling,” he told
her.
“You’ll have no problems from me,” she replied, her mind adding
“yet” to the end of the statement silently.
“Very good, then let’s go, shall we?” he replied.
Aileen took the arm he offered and left the room with him, acting
as if she were exactly where she wanted to be. Dinner was
pleasant enough with a large roasted pig and all sorts of decadent
delights. As meals go, it was like no other she had enjoyed before.
It was unfortunate that the price for such finery in life was to be
wed to a repugnant barbarian like Lord MacAuley. With less than
a week to go before the wedding, she was running out of time.
This could very well be one of her last meals.
“I enjoyed having dinner with you this evening,” he told her as he
returned her to her room.
“It was a beautiful meal,” she replied, perhaps the only honest
thing she could say about it.
“There will be plenty more of them. Very soon, we will be
intertwined for all eternity, my love,” he told her before leaving
the room. Aileen was disheartened by the sound of his key locking
the door before his footsteps trailed away. He was never going to
leave the door unlocked for her to just slip out. She had to work on
Hannah. Surely she could appeal to the heart of another woman
like herself, make her see that she loved another and needed out of
this place.
When morning fell, Hannah entered her room to assist her with
her daily routine. She was building the courage up to broach the
subject when Hannah surprised her with an unexpected revelation.
“Lord MacAuley has decided to take you for a walk outside the
castle walls this morning,” Hannah told her.
“You told him I wanted to go out?” Aileen asked.
“Of course. I thought he might take pity this once and let you get
some fresh air if he knew how forlorn you were in this room all
day alone,” Hannah replied.
“Oh, thank you, Hannah! Thank you!” she cried out, hugging the
girl tightly.
“It is not I that is taking you out, M’lady. Here, let me help you
get dressed,” Hannah told her. Aileen puzzled at Hannah’s choice
of clothing for her walk just a bit. Very somber shoes to be
wearing with a dress, but they were practical, for walking in rough
terrain . . . or running. Was Hannah helping her without being
obvious about it? Even the undergarments she provided her were
not the usual things you would wear beneath a dress. They were
the type things you would wear if you planned to shed the dress
and perhaps relax alone in the fields . . . or hide in the woods.
“Thank you, Hannah,” Aileen told her once she was fully dressed.
She looked into Hannah’s eyes knowingly and almost shed tears,
but then Lord MacAuley was at the door. She quickly pulled away.
“What is this then?” he asked, noting how close the two women
were.
“What do you mean?” Aileen replied.
“Are the two of you up to something?” he asked.
“Yes, getting dressed. Hannah was checking the lacings on my
corset. You are lucky that you don’t have to wear so many
garments, my future husband,” she smiled at him.
“I suppose I am. Hannah, please have Aileen’s room cleaned when
we return,” he said dismissively, holding out his arm toward his
future bride.
Aileen panicked for a moment. This is it and she didn’t even have
a chance to procure the dagger she had meant to slip out with her.
She might need it to make her escape. Trying to get it now would
only raise suspicion. Well, she would just have to manage the best
she could. Putting on her best smile, she accepted his arm and they
strolled leisurely through the castle and out through the front yard.
The people working there all stopped and tipped their hats or
greeted them with smiles that she had no doubt were just as fake
as her own.
As they made their way out toward the meadow, Aileen’s hand fell
by her side and she noted that pockets had been sewn into the
large skirt of her dress. Not only that, but there was something in
it. Her hands curled about the object and she had to stop herself
from breathing a huge sigh of relief as she felt the metal blade of
the dagger there. Hannah was a friend. It was she who had put the
dagger on the shelf and she who had moved it into the pocket of
the dress in hopes she would find it if it was needed.
“This is an absolutely stunning day, I have to say, my love. I am
glad that you picked this day for a walk with me,” Lord MacAuley
commented.
“I agree. I think it is a most glorious day!” Aileen replied, keeping
her hand on the dagger. She was quietly taking inventory of their
surroundings, trying to figure out the best route of escape when
the bear she had seen from her window repeatedly suddenly
stepped out of the woods and made its way toward them.
“Stand very still, Aileen,” Lord MacAuley instructed her.
Aileen did as he asked, keeping her hand on the pocket of her
dress and trying to fish out the dagger without being observed.
The bear was unexpected and she now wasn’t sure which was the
biggest threat, him or MacAuley, nor if the small weapon would
be enough to do any damage to such a large animal. The bear
made no effort to charge. It merely stood there and looked at the
two of them, then it slowly began to inch forward. As it grew
closer, Lord MacAuley suddenly grabbed her and stuck her in
front of him between himself and the bear. When the bear began to
charge, Lord MacAuley turned and ran, shoving her toward the
rampaging beast. Aileen screamed and ran toward the woods with
the bear in close pursuit.
Tripping over a branch, she fell, hitting her knee on a rock that
ripped right through the dress and undergarments. She looked
around and found that she was deep into the woods and the bear
was no longer behind her. Carefully, she got up and made her way
further into the woods, before Lord MacAuley managed to
retrieve the people he employed to hide the fact that he was a
coward and returned to look for her or for her remains. She
quickly peeled off the heavy dress, retrieving the dagger from the
pocket, and set out further into the woods in the plain men’s
clothing Hannah had dressed her in underneath. Once she felt she
had gone far enough to put some distance between herself and
MacAuley, she stopped to rest on a flat rock.
Tears fell down her face as she sat dabbing at the blood on her
knee. She was free, but still in terrible danger. She had no idea
which direction to go, how far behind Lord MacAuley would be
or if she would encounter more wild animals out here. Perhaps he
would look for her for a while thinking the bear had gotten her and
at least leave her village alone. She had to get back there. She had
to warn them.
“Why are you crying?” came a voice from above her.
She looked up to see his red hair shining like copper as the sun
beamed down upon it through the opening in the trees that
surrounded them. He wasn’t real. He couldn’t be, not out here in
the middle of nowhere.
“I fell, my knee is bleeding,” she responded, knowing he was just
a hallucination.
“Let me see,” he told her, kneeling in front of her and placing his
handkerchief over the wounded area as she looked into her eyes.
He felt so real. He smelled real. She reached out her hand and put
it on his face.
“Thomas?” she said, barely able to speak his name.
“Yes. I’m here, Aileen,” he told her.
Aileen’s heart felt like it would burst as she suddenly threw her
arms around him and held him close, afraid that if she let go he
might disappear. He finally pulled her arms away and looked at
her, pulling her close and kissing her. She felt the butterflies take
flight as his lips met hers and they became consumed in one
another. She wanted him to take here, right then and there, married
or not. Aileen needed him in a way she needed no other man
except this one, but he pulled away.
“Aileen, we have to go,” he told her.
“I know. There are bears in the woods. One chased me in here,”
she told him.
“I’m not worried about the bears, Aileen. Let’s go,” he told her,
grabbing her by the hand and weaving his way through the trees as
if he knew them like the back of his own hand. After a while, they
came to an open area where there were men and women rapidly
packing up things as if to move.
“Where are we, Thomas? Who are these people and where are
they going?” she asked. She had so many more questions for him,
but those were the immediate ones.
“We are going back to our village. When Lord MacAuley doesn’t
find your body, he will come there to look for you. Even if he
doesn’t find you, he will destroy the people there thinking they are
hiding you,” he said.
“But if you take me back there, he will find me and kidnap me
back to that awful place. I can’t go back there, Thomas. I can’t go
back!” she wailed.
“No one is ever going to take you away from me again, Aileen. I
spent far too long without you to ever do it again,” he told her.
“Okay, Thomas,” she replied, knowing that she could trust him.
They hurriedly helped those around them finish packing up and
then began the trip toward her village. It was well past nightfall
when they arrived and were greeted with open arms. Looking
around, Aileen realized that she recognized many of the men and
some of the women from the camp. She had been so confused by
everything when she had arrived there, that it hadn’t dawned on
her. Then her eyes fell on one young lady wearing men’s clothing
and their eyes met.
“Hello, Aileen,” Hannah smiled.
“Hannah! I don’t understand,” Aileen told her.
“You will, in time,” Hannah told her, giving her a hug before
making her way to a nearby hut where Aileen assumed her
husband or other kin resided.
“Come on, Aileen,” Thomas told her. “We need to get you out of
sight. You’ll need to stay with me tonight.”
“I have been staying in your hut anyway, but what about my
parents?” Aileen asked.
“They have been sent away. Their hut and mine are the first places
he will look for you when he comes,” Thomas told her. “We will
be staying just outside the village in a cave I’ve prepared for our
arrival.”
“Prepared for our arrival? How did you know about all this?”
Aileen asked, then it dawned on her. Hannah had been her friend
all along. She just had not been able to let on that she was helping.
Still, some things were awfully strange.
“First things first, Aileen. We need to go see Parson MacGregor,”
Thomas told her.
“The Parson? But why?” Aileen asked, but Thomas was already
taking her hands, looking into her eyes.
“Aileen McCarthy, will you marry me?” he asked.
“Yes! Yes, Thomas!” she squealed, jumping into his arms again.
“I know it isn’t how you imagined us getting married, but I won’t
sully you without being your husband and I’m afraid I’ve been
without you far too long to merely sleep by your side tonight or
any other night anymore,” he told her.
“It’s perfect. I don’t care about all that. Being your wife is all I
ever need,” she replied.
That night, in front of everyone in the village, Aileen McCarthy
and Thomas Mulgrady were joined in matrimony. Thomas wasted
no time in scooping Aileen up into his arms and kissing her
passionately in front of all that attended. A loud round of cheers
followed them out of the village as they made their way to a large
cavern in the side of a cliff not far from the village, but secluded
from view for all but the most seasoned eye.
Thomas lit a small lamp to give just enough light for them to see
in the darkness of the cave and then pulled Aileen toward him
near the makeshift bed he had made for them on the cave floor. He
was so much bigger and stronger than she remembered as she ran
her hands over his bulging arms and across his chest. His lips
found hers again, kissing her, drinking her in. It felt like the earth
moved beneath her feet having him in her arms, touching her like
this once again.
“I love you so much, Thomas,” she murmured into his mouth.
“I love you too, Aileen,” he replied, pulling away as he began to
undress her, devouring her heated skin inch by inch as he peeled
away her clothes. Aileen felt a longing like she had never felt
before as his warmth spread through her body and into her center,
making her legs weak and her womanhood fill with moisture and
desire. He took his time with her, touching her in places they had
never gotten to explore together before he had disappeared for so
long.
She watched as he stopped long enough to get undressed, his
manhood bulging stiffly from his person as he pushed against her
and began kissing her again. His hand slipped between her legs,
parting the pink lips that lay there and slipping through them as
she moaned loudly and leaned against him, unable to control the
trembling in her legs. Aileen felt like she was in heaven as he lay
her down across the bed he had made for them and kissed his way
along her skin, starting with her lips and slowly moving
downward along her neck. Her hips rose to meet him as he drifted
across her breasts and stomach, trailing downward across her
stomach and pausing just above the area where her legs met.
She drew in a sharp breath as his mouth covered parts of her she
had not known could be so joyous and tangled her fingers in his
beautiful red hair as he lapped at her rapidly increasing wetness
and sucked on the tiny bobbin that protruded just above. She
moaned loudly, listening to it echo through the cave as she let
herself enjoy what he was doing to her.
“Oh, Thomas. That feels wonderful. What are you doing to me?”
she panted as he pulled at her pink nub with his teeth and then
sucked it into his mouth over and over until she didn’t think she
could take it anymore. It seemed he would go on forever as her
passion continued to grow and then something most incredible
happened. The pressure that had built and built up within her
body, driving her insane with wantonness seemed to reach a
crescendo and then just explode into a thousand pieces, leaving
her weak with pleasure.
“That was so beautiful to watch and feel,” Thomas told her,
returning to what he had been doing even more aggressively until
she had shattered violently several more times against him, her
body contorting with the force of her orgasms.
Then, Thomas was moving upward, kissing his way toward her
lips the same way he had kissed his way downward. She could
taste her own passion on his lips as he kissed her urgently, his
erection pushing into her hip before he pulled slightly away,
repositioning himself to enter her. She looked up at him, their eyes
locking as he pressed into her, the large bulbous head of his cock
parting the entrance to her virgin sanctum. Bit by bit, he pushed
further into her.
“Are you okay,” he asked as she shifted and let out a groan against
his chest.
“Yes. Don’t stop,” she breathed. It hurt but she knew from talk
from the other girls that it was normal to feel some pain at first as
her new husband took his maidenhead for his own, never to be
given to another. The pressure of having him inside her felt
exquisite and then he was slipping from her, rocking his body
slowly back and forth as he made love to her so slowly she felt
like crying from happiness.
“You feel so good. I’ve waited for this for so long, to give
ourselves only to each other. There’s been no one but you. There
never will be,” he told her.
“There never will be for me either,” she told him, kissing him as
he continued to plunge into her more and more aggressively until
he couldn’t hold back anymore and filled her with his seed.
They lay there in the darkness, just enjoying the way their bodies
felt against one another, but were disrupted by shouts and loud
growls from the village. Thomas was up and on his feet in
seconds, running from the cave toward the sound. It took Aileen a
moment to realize that he had left completely naked and she began
getting dressed as fast as possible as she watched his naked figure
disappear across the clearing.
And then, just before he entered the bank of trees that divided the
clearing from the village, she saw it. His body contorted, growing
and changing. He was no longer Thomas, but had somehow
changed into something completely different, something she
recognized instantly. The large reddish brown bear that had
repeatedly watched her from the woods at night and that had
accosted herself and Lord MacAuley as they were out walking.
Had that just happened?
Aileen crept closer, trying to watch through the trees at the
carnage that was unfolding. Her heart raced as she worried about
whether Thomas and her family were okay. It seemed to go on
forever and she grew more and more afraid that she might lose
Thomas again, this time forever. The sounds of screams and
growls filled the night air, but she was having a hard time seeing
anything as she crept closer.
“Well, look who we have here? If it isn’t my soon to be blushing
bride,” she heard Lord MacAuley say from behind her in the
clearing. She turned to face him.
“Why aren’t I surprised that you are out here rather than in there
in the fight, you coward!” she said defiantly.
“You’ll want to watch that wicked little tongue of yours, my pet. If
you plan on speaking to your future Lord and Liege like that in
our home, it might just have to be cut out. Pity that would be
though. I would surely hate to miss your screams of pleasure when
I take your precious virginity as my prize,” he sneered.
“I’m afraid you’re a bit too late for that, you spineless little worm.
You see, I told you my betrothed would be back for me. We were
married this very day and I’ve already given him what was
rightfully his to take. Such a pity,” she told him. She could tell he
was surprised.
“You filthy whore! How dare you lie with another man when you
are my intended. I can’t very well have a harlot as a bride. It’s
none the less though. I shall have you in any way I desire and just
relegate you to the brothel when I’m no longer in need of your
services,” he told her.
“My Thomas will tear you apart, limb from limb if you so much
as try to take me from this place again,” she told him, though she
knew Thomas was otherwise engaged and might not be able to
save her again.
“You are a foolish one. Where is he? I see him no more now than I
did when you told me he existed before. You’re full of nothing but
lies. I’ll have my doctor check you for purity and then we will
decide your fate from there,” he told her, climbing down off his
horse as she turned to run. He was almost upon her when a
deafening growl filled the night air around them and the reddish-
brown pair landed squarely upon him, literally ripping him apart
and then snatching him up to return to the village.
Running through the trees behind him, she could see Lord
MacAuley’s body lying on the ground, along with many others of
his people. She watched as his men began to run away from the
village, seeing that their Lord was dead, they knew they would
only be staying to be slaughtered for no reason and rapidly
retreated from the pack of bears that prowled the village and took
them out, one by one. When it was all said and done, Thomas
returned to the woods toward her, changing again before her very
eyes.
“I’m sorry you had to see any of that. I know you may feel
differently about me now, knowing what I am, seeing what I have
done. This is why I had to leave you. I didn’t want to, Aileen and
when I learned that Lord MacAuley had you, I couldn’t let
anything happen to you. Hannah has been working there for a
while and I knew she could find a way to get assigned to attend
you. She reported back to me daily and helped me get you out to
where I could save you,” he said.
“You frightened me nearly to death,” Aileen exclaimed.
“I know. I’m sorry for that too,” he said.
“I think I can forgive you,” she told him, kissing him softly on the
lips. “Can we go back to bed now?”
“Shortly. We have to help with the mess in the village. Let me get
my clothes and I will be there in a minute,” he told her.
The two worked side by side through the night helping sort out the
mess left in the village. By the time all was said and done, they
were both exhausted and badly in need of rest. Walking back to
the cave hand in hand, they retrieved their things and brought
them back to Thomas’s hut, where they began their lives together
anew. Over the years, Thomas would sometimes have to leave for
long journeys with his clan, who Aileen now knew were all were
bears. Even Hannah was a bear. It had been pretty unbelievable at
first, but she had gotten used to the idea now and accepted it.
The one thing that remained constant, is that Hannah was always
happy to see Thomas return. Their love spanned a lifetime of
almost seventy years, four children and 20 grandchildren. When
the time came for Hannah to pass, Thomas wept by her side
knowing it would be years before he could join her on the other
side due to the extended life from his were bear metabolism. He
had her buried just outside the cave where they had first made
love and he hibernated there during the winters. During the warm
months, he could often be found lying beside her grave, talking to
her in a soft voice and he could hear her speaking back to him.
Always she would say, “Why are you crying?” as the tears
streaked his face.
But one day, in a dark winter many years down the road, Thomas
fell asleep in the cave and when he awoke, it was warm outside
and the flowers were blossoming. He could hear the sound of
Aileen’s voice, singing softly in the meadow outside and he
stepped out to see her, grateful that she could come to him in his
dreams if nowhere else.
“Hannah, you look so beautiful,” he told her. “I’m so glad for the
time that I can see you when I sleep.”
“No, Thomas. You are not sleeping. Your time has come and
you’ve drifted off to me while you slumbered. We are here
together now and we’ll be together always,” Aileen told him,
taking her in ere arms and kissing him. Thomas felt like
everything was finally okay again and tears of joy fell down his
face.
“Why are you crying?” Aileen asked.
“Because I found the love of my life when I was only five years
old and now, she has come back to me once again. I love you,
Aileen,” he told her.
“I love you too, Thomas. Always & Forever,” she replied.
The End

Bear of the Highlands

“Go faster, you infernal beast,” Lady Murdina yelled at the horse
she had stolen from the stables of her childhood home.
Though it was already furiously galloping through the thickest
parts of the forest, causing her to duck branches, it just wasn’t fast
enough. She could see the knights her brother had sent closing in
on her from behind. They would be on her in no time if this
animal didn’t go faster. Her only hope was to lose them in the
trees before the clearing up ahead. If she failed, she would be
dragged back to her brother’s castle and handed over to Lord
Cannon as his betrothed. She had rather die on the cliffs than have
that happen.
Lord Cannon was well known to be a sadist. She would be his
sixth wife in only five years. The first had not survived the night,
it is told. Two of the others were locked away in the mad house
and one had disappeared. Whether it was the woman’s own doing
or his remained a speculation, but a body had yet to be recovered.
It was commonly believed that she escaped, but no one knows to
where. Talk of a dungeon and cruelty beyond measure was said
not to be embellished, but rather watered down for the innocent
ears of those who knew naught of such things.
Just ahead she could see a clearing, she headed towards it, but
quickly banked left and ducked back into an adjoining section of
trees, heading southeast at an angle. Hopefully, the knights would
be well across the clearing before they realized she had changed
course and was long gone. She barked at the horse to move faster
as it continued its dangerous pace through low hanging limbs and
treacherous footing.
As the forest grew darker and thicker, she slowed and paused the
horse, letting them both catch their breath as she listened for hoof
prints. Hearing none, she began walking the horse slowly through
the blackness of the obsidian woods. It would be daylight soon
and she would be more visible to those who followed her. The
further she could get away in the darkness, the better, but she
needed to give the horse a break. Unfortunately, the turn had
resulted in her becoming a bid disoriented and she was no longer
sure which direction she was headed. The tree cover prevented her
from seeing the moon and stars above, so she had no guide other
than instinct.
“Okay, we can’t keep walking fellow. Just hang in there with me
and I promise that you will be the most spoiled horse in the land
for getting me out of here alive,” she whispered to the stallion
beneath her, smoothing the hair on his neck with her hand before
digging in her heels and sending him charging forward again.
There were no sounds that she could hear as they rode, so she
thought she was in the clear. Still, they made their way quickly
along toward a part of the woods with which she was unfamiliar.
There was no hesitation in charging right into it. Whatever was in
there was still bound to be better than the cruelty that awaited her
at home. Speed was of the essence now.
“What is wrong with you?” she said to the horse as she suddenly
pulled short and side stepped what appeared to be a clearing in the
woods. Murdina climbed down and looked ahead of them,
discovering that they had reached a deep chasm that could not be
seen for the thick woods that grew all the way up to its very edge.
The horse had seen it and stopped.
“Good boy, but we can’t stay here,” she said, smoothing his nuzzle
as she looked around and listened. Not too far off, she heard the
crunch of branches. It could be anything, including her brother’s
knights. There was no doubt they would pursue her until there was
no hope of her being found. Their fate in returning to her brother
without her in their clutches would be decidedly final in nature.
She climbed back on the horse and followed the forest along the
edge of the deep ravine until she arrived at a clearing in the trees.
There was no sign of the knights as she cleared the woods and
began galloping quickly across the meadow ahead of her. She
topped a slight ridge and her face fell. Facing her were a good
portion of the knights, apparently having figured out what she had
done and fallen back to track her back into the woods. She turned,
too quick, and the horse came out from under her. It stumbled
away as she struggled to get out from under its faltering feet.
“Well, look who decided to turn back up,” Sir Hooson said,
climbing off his horse to retrieve her. Murdina scrambled toward
the edge of the chasm.
“Stop! Come any closer to me and I’ll throw myself over the
edge!” she screamed at him.
“Go ahead. You’ll save me the trouble of hauling you back to your
brother kicking and screaming,” he laughed as he continued
toward her.
Murdina took a deep breath and said a silent prayer as she stood
on the edge, preparing to jump. Suddenly, strong arms were
around her, pulling her upon the back of a black stallion headed
deep into the woods. She barely had time to register what was
happening as she was rushed into the dark part of the forest where
no one dared go by a strange man she had never seen before. They
were miles away before he stopped and climbed down, helping her
off the horse before pulling the hood of the long dark cloak her
wore away from his head. She stood looking up at his dark,
handsome face and broad shoulders as he looked down upon her
softly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t have time to see if you were okay, but it
appeared you were between a rock and hard place back there.
Well, a mob and a hole might be more apt,” he told her with a
smile.
“I’m . . . fine,” she hesitated. “Are we safe from them? I can’t go
back with them.”
“You are safe,” he replied, putting his hands on her shoulders to
calm her. She felt a shudder go through her entire being as he
touched her. Whoever he was, he had saved her.
“Thank you so much. I was in dire straits,” she told him.
“It certainly seemed that way. Why are those men after you?” he
asked.
Murdina considered the question, but was hesitant to answer. She
had no idea who this man was. Just because he saved her didn’t
mean he was a good guy. He could very well turn around and
ransom her back to her brother if he knew who she was.
“They wanted to trade me for favors from a man with which they
do business,” she replied.
“Sounds like nasty business, that. Where were you planning to go
to get away from them? I can help you get there,” he replied.
“I didn’t know. I stole a horse and just took off on it. I was just
trying to get far away and then sort out where I would go after
that,” she replied.
“Well, our camp is not far. We are mostly men, but there are some
women. You are welcome to stay with us for as long as you need.
You will be safe. We only ask that you do your part,” he told her.
“That would be overwhelmingly kind of you. I would appreciate it
very much,” she replied, feeling relieved.
“Very good. I’m Rory of the Clan McKordia,” he told her, looking
at her softly.
“Anna,” she lied.
“Just Anna?” he asked.
“Yes, just Anna,” she told him.
“Well, Anna, let’s get you back to camp before those men decide
to venture into the darkness to find you,” he replied.
Murdina knew that the men would not venture into the darkest
part of the woods to look for her. At least, not at this late hour. She
could go to Rory’s camp with him at least for the night to figure
out what she must do from there. Tomorrow, the men would surely
return with reinforcements to retrieve her. Climbing onto the back
of Rory’s horse, she held onto him as they rode quietly through the
thick part of the forest. She felt safe and secure with him, despite
his being a stranger to her. Hopefully, he wouldn’t betray that
simple trust and she would make it to some far away land where
she could feel completely at ease.
“Here we are,” he told her as they rode into what appeared to be a
makeshift encampment.
Looking around, Anna could see huts that were erected with
whatever materials were handy. They were built all along the
banks of the river that ran through the forest and ended in a
waterfall of the cliff on the other side. The cliff jutted out so that
three sides of the camp were protected by the steep climb it would
take to reach it from below. The only way in was through the
deepest part of the forest where very few dared to venture. There
were tales of many who had done so and never returned. Even the
cliff itself was obscured by a heavy bank of trees that enclosed the
somewhat open area along the water’s edge
“This is quite the place you have set up here,” she remarked.
“Yes, it is. We aren’t really welcome in most of the established
areas of Scotland. It is in our best interest to keep to ourselves the
best that we can. You are lucky that I was out bartering with a
nearby trader when I came across your situation,” he said.
“I was lucky. I don’t know that I can ever thank you enough,” she
replied.
“It was nothing,” he replied, stopping and climbing down off the
horse. As before, he reached up to help her down.
Anna looked awkwardly around, not sure what to do next. She had
no place here. All her life she had lived behind castle walls. It
would be obvious to them that she was not a commoner the
moment she attempted to do any menial task. Her short lived relief
gave way to panic.
“Where will I stay?” she asked nervously.
“I don’t know. I have room, but that would be inappropriate. Let
me get my horse unpacked and we will find a place where you
will be comfortable. Have you eaten today?” he asked.
“No,” Anna replied, shaking her head and looking at the ground.
She felt like a beggar.
“Then, let’s get you something to eat while I work on everything
else,” he told her.
“I don’t know what to say,” she said, feeling ashamed.
“Don’t say anything, Anna. Pretty much everyone here was in
your shoes at some point. Some of us are kinsmen that came here
together, but a good many of the people are just like yourself.
They were on the run from something or someone when they
wound up here. Some hadn’t eaten for days and had nothing to
call their own. They came here and made a new life. You can find
a place here, if you choose. If not, then you are welcome to our
good graces while you figure it out. As I said before, we only ask
that you do your part while among us,” he told her gently.
A tear rolled down Anna’s face. She couldn’t imagine living in
these conditions for very long. Then again, she had nowhere else
to go. At least it would give her time to come up with a plan. She
nodded silently toward Rory, not able to say anything at the
moment for fear she would burst into all out tears.
“Very good. See that woman right over there with the giant black
pot over a fire?” he asked. Anna nodded again and he continued,
“Go over there and tell her you want a bowl of whatever she is
making. Tell her I sent you.”
“Okay,” Anna replied, starting toward the woman. She stopped
suddenly and turned back, only to find that Rory was still
watching her walk away. “Um, thank you again, Rory.”
“My pleasure,” he replied, turning away to begin unpacking the
horse.
Anna hurried over to the woman, a large pie faced peasant that she
ordinarily would not have so much as glanced at. She relayed
what Rory had told her to say and the woman beamed at her,
fishing a large wooden bowl off a nearby table. Filling it with a
healthy portion of the porridge she had prepared in the large iron
kettle, she retrieved a hard crust of bread and a small block of
cheese to place on top, handing them to Anna and directing her to
a nearby rock where she could sit and eat.
“There you go, love. Welcome to our home,” the woman told her
with a large grin as she handed her a large stein filled with fresh
milk. “Just wash your things when you are done and return them
to the table.”
“Thank you so much!” Anna told her, taking her food over to the
large flat rock and sitting down to eat. She had never tasted food
like this before. It was quite delicious, full of unusual spices and
consistencies. She had forgotten how hungry she had gotten and
was done with the food in no time. She swilled down the last of
her milk and sat looking around at the people working on various
things around her. Feeling quite gluttonous, she took her empty
vessels over to the edge of the water and began rinsing them in the
flowing stream. Rory met her as she returned.
“Feel better now?” he asked.
“Yes. I feel almost like a person again,” she told him, smiling.
“Good. I found you someplace to stay. We will need to do some
work to it today, but it will be yours for as long as you need it,” he
told her.
“That’s great!” Anna told him, following him in the direction he
motioned. She found herself standing in a run down little shack
built with various branches and sticks. The floor was dirt and the
wind whistled through it, but it seemed fairly sturdy.
“My friend, Haggis, built this for himself. He wasn’t quite done
when we lost him. Quite the charmer, he was. It is only fitting that
a damsel in distress take it over for him,” Rory said, the half-smile
on his face very telling as to his affection for his lost friend.
“What happened to him?” she asked thoughtfully.
“An unfortunate hunting accident,” he replied with a grimace.
“Anyway, let’s get this place set up for you. I’ll mix up some clay
to fill in the holes for you so that you aren’t chilled to the bone. I
have some blankets and extra things you can use inside. Of course,
you are always welcome to borrow anything of mine that you
need. I only request that you ask first and return promptly.”
“This is all so nice of you. I don’t know how I will ever repay
you,” she replied.
“Just find some peace. That will be good enough for me,” he told
her.
“I will do my best,” she replied.
“Okay, there is a broom and some old potato sacks over by where
you got the porridge from May. I suggest you sweep out the debris
from the floor and line it with the sacks to make it a little more
habitable in there. Though you might want to hold up on the sacks
until after we have filled the holes. Some clay is bound to escape
inside as we work,” he told her.
“I’ll just sweep and then help you with the holes before I worry
about the sacks,” she told him.
“I’ll be back in a bit,” he replied.
They both left the small hut. Murdina retrieved the broom while
he mixed clay over near the river. By the time he returned, with
two large buckets in hand, she had finished cleaning up a bit
inside and was waiting, ready to apply the mud to her new home.
“Have you ever done this before?” he asked.
“No, never,” she admitted.
“You just scoop up the clay with your hand and smooth it into the
cracks in the branches. The more we can cover, the warmer it will
be in there for you. Watch me,” he told her, dipping one of his
large hands into the bucket and slapping a healthy bit of the mud
onto the branches. He smeared it all around, letting it pack into the
cracks between the branches. Murdina followed suite, though her
hands were much smaller. The branches scraped at her delicate
skin as she worked, but she ignored the pain and tried to do her
part as best she could.
After several more trips to the river for more clay and hours of
working side by side, the hut was finally done. The two of them
stood back, looking at it as it stood drying in the sun. Murdina felt
quite proud of herself as she took in her handiwork. While it dried,
she ducked inside and swept out the clay that had dripped onto the
floor below before it could harden there. Afterward, she lined the
inside with the potato sacks and retrieved some rocks to hold some
of the edges down so that they didn’t shift about.
“Looks better already,” Rory told her as he stepped inside. “Where
do you want your cot?”
“Cot?” she asked.
“Yes. I can’t very well leave a lady to sleep on the ground on
sacks. I have some spare wood by my place. I can build you a
simple cot to sleep on. You’ll find it much more comfortable,” he
told her.
“I feel like you have done so much for me already,” she told him.
“I don’t mind. Come on and help me carry some of this over,” he
told her.
Anna followed him over to where the rocks rose further up to a
taller cliff on one side of the ones they were on. She watched as he
stepped inside a cave entrance and then followed him inside and
down a narrow passageway between two stone cave walls. Much
to her surprise, it opened back up into a massive cathedral where
he had set up his living quarters.
“This is incredible!” she exclaimed.
“Yes, it is,” he replied, gathering up some animal skins and wool
blankets to hand to her.
“Do you live here alone?’ she asked, hoping it didn’t seem too
personal.
“I do. I always have. I found this place a long time ago, when I
first happened upon this clearing in the woods and the cliffs. In
fact, I almost went right over the cliffs on my way through the
woods that surrounded them. Injured my horse trying to pull back
at the last moment and had to stay for a while to let him heal.
There was nothing here and it was cold out. I found the entrance
to the cave and initially holed up in the passageway. It wasn’t until
the next morning that I discovered the rest. There is a lot more to
it. I will show you one day when we have more time,” he told her,
handing her a drinking vessel, some gourds and a length of twine.
“Gourds?” she said quizzically.
“You’ll see. Take that stuff back to your hut and I’ll be there soon
with the wood and tools to build your cot,” he told her. Anna
nodded and left with the armload of things he had given her. The
camp was beginning to get a bit fuller with people she assumed
were returning from elsewhere. Several of them looked at her
curiously as she passed and a few greeted her politely or
introduced themselves. She had to admit she felt a bit awkward
here among strangers as she ducked into her hut to hide out until
Rory arrived. He was only minutes behind her.
“Let’s get this done. It is getting late and I want to start a boar on
the spit for our dinner,” he replied.
“Our dinner?” she replied.
“Yes, unless you are planning on going out and slaying game of
your own, I expected we would eat together,” he told her.
“I am afraid I lack any hunting skills,” she told him.
“I am not surprised. They don’t usually teach such things to
royalty,” he replied.
“Royalty?” she said, her heart suddenly beating rapidly in her
chest.
“Yes. You didn’t really think I didn’t know who you are, did you,
Murdina?” he said with a smile.
“Are you going to send me back to my brother?” she asked
fearfully.
“No. Your brother is a monster. I know that he was trying to wed
you to Lord Cannon. Both of their reputations are known far and
wide and you will find that no one here supports them. However,
it would be best that you keep your identity between the two of us.
No one here would try to ransom or reward you back to him, but
we do have some people who talk too much. I don’t think any of
them will recognize you on their own,” he said.
“How did you?” she asked him.
“Let’s just say I’ve spent a great deal of time in the kingdom
bartering without being noticed. You are not the only one your
brother would like to see come to a miserable end,” he said.
“Thank you, Rory. It means a lot to me that you would help me
even knowing that I lied to you and that I have such a terrible
sibling on my trail,” she said.
“He and his knights do not frighten us and we won’t let them
frighten you either as long as you are here,” he replied. Murdina
stood there with tears falling down her face. It felt good to be safe
and not scared of him finding out about her and sending her away.
Relief truly washed over her as he pulled her to him and held her
close, smoothing her hair with his broad hands. She jerked away
as they were interrupted by one of the men in the camp clearing
his throat in the doorway.
“You need help, Rory?” he asked.
“That would be great,” Rory replied, not bothering to explain why
she had been in his arms. “Duncan, this is Anna. She will be
staying with us for a while. There are some men following her and
if they are stupid enough to follow her here, I will need help in
making sure she is kept safe. I need that kept between us.”
“Understood,” Duncan replied before turning toward her. “It is a
pleasure to meet you, Anna. Don’t worry about a thing.”
“Pleasure is all mine. Thank you, Duncan,” she replied. Wiping
the last of her tears away, she moved to one side while the two
men began working on a bed for her. It didn’t take long for them
to finish it, leaving her a sturdy wooden frame with a heavy
animal fur suspended firmly in its center. It would be warm and
comfortable.
“That all you need? Duncan asked Rory.
“Can you slap me together a small table for the other side for
her?” Rory asked.
“Better than that. I have one already built that I was going to
barter. I’ll give her that one and make another in the morning,” he
said.
“I don’t have anything to pay you with,” Anna interjected.
“You’ve no need to pay me. We work together here. At some
point, I’ll need a favor and when I do, I trust I can ask you,” he
said with a smile before saying a farewell.
“Let’s get these gourds up,” Rory said, using a sharp pointed piece
of metal to poke holes near the top and string the chord through
them. She watched as he suspended them from the entrance to the
hut, getting them into place just before Duncan returned with the
table. He cursed as they clacked all around his head when he
entered. Rory laughed and looked at her. “And that is what you
need gourds for. We will have to find you a makeshift door of
some sort. In the meantime, you’ll know if anyone tries to come in
before they get to you. More importantly, the people around you
will know, as well.”
Duncan sat the table to one side of the hut and rubbed his head
where the gourds had hit it. “Is this a good place?” he asked her.
“It’s perfect. Thank you, Duncan,” she replied. He nodded and left
the hut.
“Alright, I’m going to get to work on that pig. Settle in the best
you can with what you have to work with and I’ll be back to fetch
you in a while. You have a bed and covers now, so if you just want
to stretch out and rest for a while, you are safe and can do that. I
promise no one will harm you here,” he told her.
“Thank you again, Rory. I just don’t know how I will ever be able
to thank you enough for all you are doing for me,” she replied.
“You have been greatly wronged, your highness. I promise you
that not only will I keep you safe, I will see to it that you are
returned to your rightful place,” he told her.
“Perhaps my rightful place wasn’t in a palace, after all,” she
replied. “I think you might want to just stick with calling me
Anna. I might well become a permanent name for me.”
“We will see, Anna,” he said with a smile before leaving, carefully
navigating the long strand of gourds to one side as he went out.
Anna looked around at her sparse accommodations. It wasn’t
much, but it beat sleeping out in the woods with the insects and
wild animals like she had expected to when she had left the
palace. She lay the covers across her bed and placed the drinking
vessel on the table before climbing beneath them and falling into
an exhausted sleep. When she awoke, it was just beginning to get
dark outside and it had cooled considerably from the warm day.
Stepping outside, she found a pile of things sitting at her hut door.
“They are gifts from the camp,” Duncan told her. She had not
even seen him standing nearby and the sound of his voice startled
her. “I didn’t mean to alarm you. We have a patrol that begins as
night falls. There are always a few of us keeping an eye on camp
once the daylight passes. There are few that dare venture into
these parts, but we like to be prepared. Anyway, those things are
yours to keep.”
“I can’t believe how kind everyone here is,” she told him.
“We can be as brutal as we are kind. We believe that you reap
what you sow here,” he told her. Anna merely nodded, not sure
how she should respond to that. She busied herself retrieving the
items that had been left for her as he made his way to elsewhere in
the camp. There were pots, pans, trinkets and even food. A tightly
wound cloth revealed assorted dried jerky and fruit. Another
revealed hard bread and a jar full of some sort of jam. There was
even a simple dress, a much needed one at that. She only had the
one she was wearing and it wasn’t her own. She had traded her
own dress to a stable boy for the horse and his riding clothes.
“Anna?” she heard Rory call from outside the hut.
“Come in, Rory,” she replied. He stepped through, pushing the
gourds to one side and smiled at her.
“I see the village has left their customary welcome gifts,” Rory
laughed, looking at the table’s contents.
“Yes. Everyone is so wonderful here,” she replied.
“They are, for the most part. I’d avoid the widow O’Connor for a
bit. She is a hopelessly bitter woman, but a sublime seamstress.
I’d wager it is she that left you the dress,” he said, motioning
toward the garment she had lain across the bed.
“I’ll keep that in mind, though I would like to thank her for the
dress,” she replied.
“I’ve got the pig on the spit and need to get back to it. Would you
like to join me and talk for a bit while it cooks?” he asked.
“I would love to,” she replied, walking toward him. He turned to
leave and she followed him out. Rather than making a beeline to
the spit, he stopped off and introduced her to several of the other
people that lived in the camp. She could see others watching them
from a distance, no doubt wondering who she was and where she
had come from.
“Where were you before you came here?” she asked him as they
sat looking into the fire.
“My family had a village not far from here. We lived in peace
while your father was alive, but after he passed, your brother
wanted us off the land. He had his knights come to our village in
the night and burn it down, murdering anyone that might oppose
them. Those of us that managed to escape or fight our way out
survived in the woods for a while before coming here. I found this
place and then sought out other survivors to join me here,” he
said.
“You are the highland rebels!” Anna suddenly exclaimed, only
just now making the connection.
“Is that what they call us in the kingdom?” he laughed. “Rebels? It
wasn’t us that started this.”
“Then why would you shelter me? We are enemies,” she said.
“We are not enemies. Your brother is my enemy and he is just as
much an enemy to you. Do you know why he wanted to marry
you off to Lord Cannon?’ he asked.
“To be rid of me, no doubt. He has kept me under lock and key out
of his way since our father died. It was his way of being done with
me once and for all without having to actually kill me, though he
would have been fine with it if Lord Cannon had chosen to do so,”
she replied.
“Perhaps that is true, but it is not the main reason. He wanted
more land. Land he couldn’t just take from an unsuspecting clan
of Highlanders. Lord Cannon agreed to sell him the land he
wanted in exchange for you,” he told her.
“What? Why? Lord Cannon could choose from any woman in the
kingdom,” she replied.
“All but one. He couldn’t just choose you and you have something
very valuable to him,” he replied.
“I have nothing special,” she said.
“You have royal blood. Marrying you, makes him family and there
are a lot of advantages to that sort of leverage. There is even more
of it if you conceive a royal heir to the throne,” he said, watching
her eyes widen.
“Never! I’d rather die first!” she said.
“Yes, I saw that on the cliffs. It is how I knew you were worth
saving,” he said softly.
Anna remained quiet, looking into the fire as the night fell around
them. It was a lot to digest, but she had no doubt that any of it was
true. He brother was even more diabolical than she could have
imagined, burning out an entire village just to take their land. She
felt ashamed that this was the legacy for which her family would
become known.
“I will never go back there,” she told Rory suddenly.
“That is up to you, but either way . . . your brother has to go. You
understand that, don’t you?” he said.
“Yes, I do,” she replied.
“Good. Let’s eat and talk of something more pleasant. Would you
like some wine?” he asked.
“Yes. I would love some!” she told him. It was considered
unladylike for her to drink wine under her brother’s iron thumb,
but here, the rules no longer applied. She and Rory sat by the fire
eating sections of the perfectly roasted pig and drinking wine until
they were full and a bit tipsy. No doubt their laughter could be
heard all across the camp as they shared more pleasant stories of
their childhoods.
“I guess I best get you back home,” he told her as the fire began to
die out and it grew late.
“I suppose so,” she replied as she stood and held out a hand to
help her up. Before she could register what was happening, he
bent down and pulled her to him, kissing her passionately. No man
had ever kissed her like that before and she felt that same
shockwave she had when he had touched her earlier. She had only
just met this man and in one day, he had saved her, given her
shelter and made her feel more womanly than anyone ever had.
She let out a deep sigh as he pulled away from her.
“I’m sorry. That was inappropriate,” he told her.
“I don’t mind,” she replied. He wasted no time in pulling her back
to him and kissing her again. It made her insides quiver as she felt
a sudden rush of heat spread through her body. Folded into his
arms like this, she knew nothing could harm her. She felt safe and
she felt wanted. Even more, she wanted him.
“Let me walk you back to your hut, before we do something we
shouldn’t,” he said as he pulled himself away again.
She could tell he was as heated as she was. She didn’t want to go
back to her but, but she knew it was best. She took his hand and
they began walking back. He left her at the door with only a kiss
on the cheek. Anna went inside and lay down, her thoughts
jumbled with thoughts of what it might be like to make love to a
man such as Rory. He was a Highlander, a fighter whose people
were well known for their skill on the battlefront. There was no
doubt that he could be as brutal as he needed to be, but that was
hard to reconcile with the kindness and generosity he had shown
her this day.
The months that followed would change Anna’s life forever, more
than it had already changed. Just as she had expected, her
brother’s knights had come for her again. This time, all the way
into the depths of the woods. The men had protected the small
village the best they could, but when it was breached, Anna had
found herself standing face to face with the very knight that had
attempted to drive her from the cliffs.
“Well, look what we have here. If it isn’t the missing princess,” he
growled.
“I’ll go with you. Just leave these people alone,” she told him.
“That is very nice of you to offer, but I have my instructions. I’ll
be taking you back with me and relieving these people of their
mortal coils,” he told her.
“You’d be better suited to worry about your own,” came a voice
from behind him. Anna looked down to see blood soaking his shirt
around the tip of a sword that had been driven through his back
and out his front. As he dropped to the ground, she found herself
face to face with the Widow O’Connor smiling at her. Anna
wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, but didn’t have time to
consider it as she was suddenly pulled away by Rory.
“I want you in the cave,” he shouted, pushing toward that
direction.
“No. I will earn my keep. Give me a sword,” she shouted back at
him.
“No, Anna. Earn your keep elsewhere. This is not your fight!” he
yelled back at her.
“It is my fight. They came here for me,” she told him, pulling
herself free and yanking the sword from the now dead knight
before running off in the opposite direction.
Rory ran after her, fighting by her side as they defending the
village against the knights that had not already tucked tail and run.
It was a gory business and Anna found herself repulsed by it, but
it was something that needed to be done and she was not going to
sit in a cave and hide while people died because of her, but there
were so many of them. It seemed the more they fought off, the
more came through the woods for them.
As she fought one off, another one suddenly lunged through and
fell upon Rory, pinning him to the ground. She ran toward him,
raising her sword, but stopped it in midair as she watched
something completely unbelievable. He was changing before her
eyes. It didn’t make sense, but as you looked at him in disbelief,
she saw him change shapes. Fur sprouted from everywhere and he
suddenly rose high above the knight as one of the largest black
bears she had ever seen. A few swipes with his tremendous paws
and the knight was no longer moving.
Anna continued to watch as the large bear made its way around
the camp, taking out any knight that dared come through the
woods. After a while, there were no more and other bears began
emerging from the woods and approaching various huts. They
stood there long enough to be certain no more knights were
coming before shifting back into their human states. Rory,
Duncan, and a half dozen others retreated into their homes. She
stood there, looking shocked, until Rory reappeared and told her
to come with him. She allowed him to walk her to his cave,
despite her shock.
“Anna, I know what you just saw was frightening for you,” he
said.
“Something like that,” she replied, still a bit in shock.
“I should have told you before you saw it. We normally don’t have
to change in camp. We fight our battles elsewhere,” he said.
“You turned into a bear,” she said slowly as if in a dream.
“Yes. The McKordia Clan has a high prevalence of shape shifters.
Many of us are capable of turning into bears,” he told her.
“I’m in love with a bear,” she said.
“You’re in love with me?” he said.
“I don’t know,” she said, feeling confused.
“I’m still me, Anna. Sometimes, yes, I turn into a bear,” he said
softly as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
“I was frightened of you,” she told him.
“You have no need to be frightened of me. Even in a bear state, I
know who my enemies are and who they are not,” he told her.
“It is just so unnatural,” she replied.
“To you, it seems unnatural. For me, I’ve never known anything
but this,” he told her, pulling her close to him. “I love you too,
Anna. I love you more than I know how to say.”
She pulled away from him and looked up with a weak smile. He
pulled her right back to him and kissed her the way he had been
kissing her all these nights since the first one they had shared.
Tonight, she had no intentions of letting him send her home with
just kisses. She could feel the warmth of his body pressing against
hers as she leaned into him, guiding his hands around her waist so
that her ample bosom was pressed against him.
“Let’s get you home,” he told her, pulling away.
“No. I want to stay here,” she told him.
“Anna, we can’t,” he replied.
“Why not?” she asked.
“You are royalty. I’m just common,” he told her.
“I am not royalty. Once upon a time, I was, but not anymore. Now,
I’m just a woman living in a small village with a bunch of human
bears and a crazed widow,” she replied.
“Crazed widow?” he replied, looking puzzled.
“Never mind. Just stop treating me like a princess and make love
to me. You do want to don’t you?” she said.
“I’ve wanted you since the day I lay eyes on you standing on that
cliff surrounded by knights,” he said.
“Now, you have me. Heart, mind, body and soul. I love you, Rory.
Let me stay here with you. Tonight, tomorrow night, every night
for the rest of my life,” she told him.
“I would be happy with that,” he told her, suddenly scooping her
up and carrying her further into the cave to where his bed was. He
sat her down and began slowly undressing her, kissing her skin in
every place that became exposed to his lips. “Your skin is like the
petals on flowers,” he murmered as he dragged his lips across the
swell of her breasts.
“Rory, I’ve never been with anyone before,” she said breathlessly,
enjoying the sensations that sang along her nerve endings as he
touched her in places no one had ever explored before and pushed
her back down onto the bed.
“I won’t hurt you. I will be all yours forever,” he breathed against
her nipple before pulling it into his mouth to softly swirl it about
with his tongue. Her breathing was heavy as he kneaded her breast
in his hand and teased the soft pink buds that rapidly grew hard
against his manipulations. She moaned heavily as he continued to
undress her, slipping a finger inside the moist pink folds in her
center. Her body stiffened momentarily against the unfamiliar
intrusion, but quickly settled into enjoying the sensation.
“Oh my God, I’ve never felt anything like that before,” she cried
out as his fingers penetrated her. He leaned forward to kiss her and
she could feel his rising manhood pressed firmly against her belly.
Flutters of excitement bounced about her belly as she anticipated
what it would feel like. She had always believed that lying with a
man was a woman’s curse to be bared. They did their business and
your belly swelled with their spawn. No one had ever told her that
it felt so good to be touched by a man.
She watched as Rory began removing his clothes, exposing his
muscular chest and slender waist to her as she lay naked on the
bed watching him. She felt wanton, but not in the least ashamed to
be naked before him. Instead, she felt more alive than she had ever
been in her life as she watched him remove his pants, exposing his
beautiful cock to her.
His body covered her own, his lips falling back onto hers in
another heated kiss as he pushed her legs further open. His
stiffness pressed into her hard mound as he took his time kissing
her skin and caressing her breasts. It felt like agony to want him
inside of her so badly and him to take his time in taking her.
“Please, Rory. I want you so badly. Take me,” she moaned.
“Patience, princess. You only get one first time and I want you to
remember ours forever,” he told her.
“I don’t think I could ever forget as it is,” she replied.
He cut off her words with another kiss, his hot tongue dancing a
delicious minuet with her own. She could feel the moisture on her
thighs, evidence of her need for him. Then, he was pushing inside
of her, his large helmet parting her pink waves. She cried out a
little as he took her virginity, breaking through the delicate shield
that had held it in place. It hurt as he broke her open and then
began slipping slowly in and out of her wounded entrance, but the
pain quickly subsided, replaced by an unfamiliar pleasure.
“Yes, yes, Rory. Yes!” she cried, her fingernails digging into his
back as he plunged into her over and over.
“You’re so tight, my love. I have wanted to do this for so long,” he
groaned, his strokes growing increasingly more vigorous.
The sounds of their coupling echoed along the walls of the cave as
she became a woman. She could feel her body responding to his,
pressure building inside of her until it felt like she might shatter
into a million pieces. Rory’s mouth rested against her ear,
whispering how much he loved her and how wonderful she felt as
their bodies rose and fell against one another. Then, it was if every
fiber of her being was trapped in her very center and suddenly
exploded, her high pitched screams of pleasure punctuating the
eruption.
It happened not once, but several more times as Rory continued to
pump in and out of her very core. She couldn’t believe that so
many women claimed not to enjoy this. It was such a beautiful,
exciting thing to share with someone you loved and it only made
her love Rory that much more. He gave her all she ached for as he
continued to slam into her again and again. Finally, he too
succumbed to his passion and flooded her with his seed. She could
feel the force of it as it covered her inside
Afterward, Rory held her close to him, her head resting against his
shoulder as they spent their first night together in a shared bed.
She knew that lying together like this was wrong in her former
world, but in this new one, it felt perfectly fine. It was this world
in which she chose to live her life and Rory she chose to share it
with. As she drifted off to sleep in his arms, everything suddenly
felt right with the world.
The following morning, she emerged from the cave to find some
of the other members of the village smiling sheepishly at her and
scurrying along. She supposed they would get used to the idea that
she would be in Rory’s cave rather than her hut from now on.
There didn’t seem to be anything critical in their gazes, so at least
she wasn’t feeling as if she was being shunned as some sort of
common tart.
“So, how was he?” a young woman named Heather asked her as
they sat washing clothes in the river later a few days later.
“Excuse me?” Anna asked.
“Rory. How is he in the sack?’ the woman said with a smile.
“Heather!” another one named Sonja asked. “Mind your own
business, girl!”
“Like you don’t want to know too,” Heather retorted, turning her
attention back to Anna.
“Why would you ask such a thing?” Anna said, blushing.
“Because you are the only woman he has taken in the whole time
he has been in this place. There is no one else to ask,” Heather
told her.
“What? No. I can’t be the only one,” Anna replied.
“No. It is true. You are,” Sonja replied.
“Why? There are so many attractive women here and I’ve seen the
way some of them look at him,” Anna replied.
“Because he doesn’t look at them the way he has looked at you
since the day you got here,” Heather replied.
“He was wonderful,” Anna told them. “That is all you’ll ever get
from me.”
“Ahhhhh,” Heather sighed in resignation.
A commotion behind them caused them to all jump up, leaving the
clothing they were washing behind in the river. Anna ran toward
the racket, grabbing the sword she had taken the knight before
from just inside the door of her hut as she went. Just beyond that,
she found herself face to face with her brother.
“Well, how the mighty have fallen,” he spat at her. “Dressed in
ragged clothing and whoring around with a bunch of Highlander
scum.”
“It was stupid for you to come here alone, Marcus” she replied.
“Who says I’m alone?” he said, looking toward the surrounding
trees. Anna could see the hooves of horses beneath the tree line
and felt a sense of dread. She turned as she heard footsteps behind
her. Rory was walking toward her, his own broadsword in hand.
“Will you be coming down here to face me as a man, Marcus? Or
will you sitting atop your horse and letting your knights do your
dirty work for you again?” Rory asked him.
“Well, look who we have here. If it isn’t one of few surviving
members of the Clan McKordia. I haven’t seen you since we were
kids, Rory,” Marcus replied.
“We used to be good friends, sneaking out to the moors to play
together. Too bad you decided to become a greedy tyrant instead
of a great King. I see you are still pushing your sister around, as
well,” he said.
Anna looked at Rory for a moment, a distant memory playing in
the back of her mind. It was of herself and Marcus out in the
moors together. He had been angry that she followed him there
and had pushed her down, causing her knee to strike a rock. There
was still a scar where it had left a gash. The same scar Rory had
run his fingers across lovingly just last night. He wasn’t admiring
it. He was remembering it!
“You! You were there that day. Marcus pushed me and I cut my
knee. Then, he went crazy and tried to strangle me. You came
from nowhere and pulled him off of me, punched him in the nose
and sent him home bleeding and crying to my father,” she said.
“Yes,” Rory replied, still keeping his eyes on Marcus.
“You stopped the bleeding and told me I would be okay, then
walked me as close to the castle as you dared go without being
seen,” she said.
“That was the last day I ever saw you or your brother until I saw
you on the cliffs. I recognized you immediately,” he told her.
“Well, this little trip down memory lane is very special, but I have
come here to conduct business,” Marcus interjected.
“What kind of business?” Rory asked in a menacing tone.
“Well, as you can see, there are knights surrounding your entire
village,” he said. “I have come here to propose that you give me
my sister and this land.”
“And let’s just say we were even willing to do that. What do we
get in return for this exchange?” Rory asked.
“Simple. You get to live instead of dying in your beds like the
majority of your family did the last time you weren’t smart
enough to stay out of my way,” Marcus said.
“Well, I’m afraid that is just not really an offer we would be
interested in,” Rory replied.
“Then you leave us no choice but to take it by force,” Marcus
replied, raising his hand upward to signal his knights to move in.
Anna watched as they marched out of the bushes toward them.
Rory appeared unmoved as he stood beside her still facing
Marcus.
“Your sister is right, Marcus. It was stupid for you to have come
here,” Rory told him.
“You are quite cocky for a man who is overrun by the King’s
knights,” Marcus retorted.
“Am I, Marcus? You might want to look again,” Rory replied with
a smile.
Anna could see the brief look of uncertainty in Marcus’s eyes as
he glanced toward the lines of knights now standing inside the
treeline. Though they were still on their horses, they were covered
in blood, slashes evident in their chain mail as they slumped
against the horses’ necks. From what Anna could see, not the first
one was still breathing. Bears stood behind many of the horses,
waiting for Rory’s instruction. Anna looked back at Marcus,
noting that he now no longer looked uncertain. Now, he looked
clearly frightened.
“Killing a King’s knight is an offense punishable by death. You
and yours will hang for this, Rory. That includes you, little sister,”
he spat toward Anna.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Rory told him as the bears closed ranks and
surrounded his horse. Marcus turned quickly, attempting to escape
but they were quickly upon him, pulling him from the horse and
sending it off into the woods. He stood in the middle of them
looking around fearfully.
“Anna, what would you have done with him?’ Rory asked.
“Marcus, it seems the tables have turned. It is now I who has
dominion over your fate,” Anna told him.
“Please, Murdina,” he begged.
“Murdina no longer exists. She was forced out of her home for her
own safety and taken in by a group of Highland rebels who have
shown her more love and compassion than her own brother. My
name is Anna. I will not be returning to the throne, but neither will
you, dear brother,” she told him.
“You can’t kill me. I’m your brother!” he replied.
“I’ve no intention of killing you, Marcus. I think you should spend
years contemplating the harm you have done to people who
looked up to our family and trusted that we would do the
honorable thing for them. I suspect your remaining days in the
prison tower with some of the people you sent there for little or no
reason might be just what you need,” she told him.
“You can’t send me there! I am the King!” he shouted at her.
“I can and I will. When I tell our cousins what you have done,
they will support me and you will be dethroned and punished,”
she said.
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” he scoffed.
“You should be,” she replied.
“You heard her, secure him and we’ll take him back to the castle,”
Rory said, turning toward some of the men that had gathered
behind him.
Anna’s heart raced. There was some part of her that still loved her
brother, but she knew there would never be peace for herself or
anyone as long as he was allowed his freedom. She was lost in
thought when someone suddenly snatched her sword from her
hand. It all happened so fast that she barely had time to register
what was going on. Her brother was on his knees, the sword
driven squarely through his heart.
“That . . . was for my husband, you miserable little man!” the
Widow O’Connor shrieked.
Marcus fell to the ground and she pulled her sword free, wiping it
on her apron as she walked slowly back toward Anna and handed
it to her. Anna looked at her, wild eyed with disbelief. Where had
she even come from?
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Widow O’Connor told her before
walking back toward the small hut her husband had built the day
before Marcus caught him out hunting on land he deemed his and
had him beheaded.
Rory and Anna stood looking at one another as the bears
surrounding Marcus shifted back into the men they had been
before. Two of them picked up Marcus and asked what to do with
him.
“We can’t go hauling a dead King into town, even with his sister
in tow,” Rory told her.
“Toss him over the cliff. It’s where he would have had me go if
Rory hadn’t intervened. I’ll take care of things from there,” Anna
said solemnly.
The following day, she and Rory rode into the kingdom alone. She
explained to her cousins that Marcus had taken a nasty spill and
gone over a cliff.
“You are next in line for the throne, Murdina,” her cousin Edward
told her.
“I don’t want it,” she told him. “You are next after me. I want you
to tell people that I have died in the accident with my brother and
take the throne. You will be a good king. Rory and I will stay the
night here and be gone in the morning for you to make your
announcement,” she told him.
“You can’t just give up the throne,” Edward chastised.
“I can and I am. I would like to get some of my things that I
wasn’t afforded the opportunity to take when I left here and you
will never see me again,” she replied.
“If you are certain that you wish things to be that way, then it is
what will be done,” he told her. “Just know that if you ever need
anything, you can come to me. The world may think you are dead,
but I will know you are not.”
“I appreciate that, Edward. However, I don’t think I will ever need
anything from this place ever again. I have all I need right here,”
she said, looping her arm through Rory’s. On the way back to the
Highlander’s camp, she asked him the question that she had been
wanting to for some time.
“Why did you not tell me that you were the boy that saved me
from Marcus all those years ago?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I didn’t think you would remember me as I
remembered you,” he said.
“I did remember you. You’ve just changed so much. That boy
seemed so timid and shy,” she replied.
“A lot of time has gone by since then. The harsh realities have a
way of changing a person,” he replied.
“I suppose so,” she replied, knowing that she too had changed
quite a bit since her parents had died and she had seen so much
cruelty. Rory surprised her by pulling the wagon over and turning
toward her.
“I want to marry you, Anna. Will you marry me?” he asked.
“Yes! Yes, I will. Can we do it today?” she asked.
“If that is what you want,” he replied.
“It is exactly what I want,” she beamed.
“Then you will be my bride by the end of the day,” he replied,
putting the wagon back into motion.
Later that afternoon, they were married in a ceremony performed
by Duncan, who just happened to be an ordained minister. The
entire village surrounded them and cheered for them as they were
joined as man and wife. Anna caught sight of the Widow
O’Connor beaming radiantly and looking happier than she had
ever seen her. Apparently, vengeance does do the soul some good.
Six months later, Anna stood by the river talking with the women
who were washing clothes as they handed them to her to hang on
the makeshift clothes line that ran between two trees. Ordinarily,
she would be helping them, but it was hard getting down to the
water in her current condition. She smiled as she saw Rory
approaching her with a broad smile. He put his hand upon her
growing bely and spoke to their unborn child softly.
“We’re going to have a great life, my son,” he replied.
“How do you know it is a son?” Anna laughed.
“Because this world can only stand one beauty as great as yours,
my love,” he told her with a kiss on the cheek.
THE END

Clan of the Dragon

The small carriage rattled through the darkness. It had been light
when her journey had begun, but as the long miles distanced her
from home, the grey of the late afternoon cast a shadow over her
heart and was soon followed by the blackness of night.
Only that morning she had been kissing goodbye to her aunt and
uncle outside the old stone walls of Glennick castle, her home for
the last 16 years. She had never known her mother and father; they
had died when she was two years old. The circumstances had never
really been explained, questions on the subject hadn’t been
encouraged and so she hadn’t asked. Although, she was often
haunted by dreams of them surrounded by a fiery light.
The thought of home added an extra weight to her heart. She was
tired but could not sleep. The constant bumping and swaying of the
carriage did not help, but the journey played heavy on her heart.
Lord Edmond McConnel was the reason for her travel, her final
destination, her fate.
Lady Davina could bring no blame to the door of her aunt and uncle,
her legal guardians. They had been kind to her growing up, but even
they could not shield her from the brutal facts of life.
Over the years their lands had dwindled, some taken by force during
the wars, some sold to make ends meet until there was nothing left
to sell. The last few years had been hard, her aunt had been taken ill
and nearly died; the castle walls were crumbling around them and
another bad winter could prove to be much for the old place, having
fallen into disrepair and part ruin over the last few decades.
Fortunes had been lost, and there was little else of any value left,
except for Lady Davina; the last hope of the McDougall clan.
Lord Edmond had the reputation of being a brutish man, a cold and
heartless fellow with little time for compassion or love. Yet he had
wanted Lady Davina the moment he had set his eyes upon her. For a
man with such an ugly soul he craved beautiful possessions around
him, to fill the black void of his heart. He waged war for lands and
property, stole and ravaged the wealth of the neighbouring clans for
all they possessed. He wanted Lady Davina and nothing would get
in his way. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and
he would own her. With the might of his men he could have easily
taken her by force, but he did not want to seem an utter brute in her
eyes, not until after they were married anyway.
He had promised the aunt and uncle funds to restore their castle.
Once they were dead he would claim the property as his own, so
there would be no loss to his purse.
She had accepted willingly, there had been little choice, no other
alternative open to her. Her aunt and uncle would not survive
another winter.
Lady Davina peered out through the small carriage window and out
onto the bleakness of the countryside. The moon picked out the
shapes of tree’s and hedges, ghoulish in the wintry white glow and
she shivered inwardly. Only her face reflected back through the
glass, a pale and wide eyed young girl, lost in the bleakness of the
night.
She had never been so afraid of anything before in her life and the
feeling left her helpless; half sick with apprehension.
There were lights ahead and soon the grey high walls of Castle
McConnel came into view. Her hand was shaking and she breathed
deeply several times to calm herself before the door of the carriage
was finally opened. A footman approached to help her down the
steps and to the castle doors.
A line of servants graced the entrance, shivering in the bitter air to
welcome their new mistress, all eyes keen to catch sight of their
master’s bride to be.
Lady Davina felt her heart in her mouth as she approached the line
of grim faced employee’s. Life was hard at the castle and the people
that worked here had not much to smile about. She tried to meet
their eyes with kindness and warmth, but there was none in return,
only cold stares and something almost akin to hatred; something she
had never known in her short and sheltered life.
She was marrying the master, and they assumed therefore that she
too must be like him; cold, cruel and heartless.
The focus of attention soon shifted to the great oak door at the top of
the steps as it suddenly swung open into the night. Two large mastiff
dogs leapt down the steps and disappeared into the darkness, closely
followed by a loud and bellowing roar; a noise almost beast like in
its tone.
The line of servants visibly shuddered as Lord Edmond McConnel
appeared like a demon in the night, raging at the top of the steps.
The candles from inside the hall lit his backdrop like the fiery hue of
hell itself.
His figure was tall and dark against the doorway, yet he swayed
visibly as he shouted something incomprehensible into the night. He
was clearly drunk and in a state of anger as he waved his arms
aggressively against the small crowd of people gathered outside.
“What do you think you are doing out here, get inside and bring me
more wine.”
The men looked at each other until one of the older men stepped
forward tentatively to speak.
“Sir, your bride to be has just arrived, the Lady Davina is here. We
came out to greet her as instructed.”
For a moment Lord Edmond stood silently, looking at his man with
a fixed concentration whilst taking the words slowly into his brain.
His hand swept back the thick, black hair that had flopped across his
forehead before spinning around to face the young girl, now
cowering behind him.
Her beauty stopped him in his tracks. He had forgotten how
bewitching the child had been. Now she would be his. He licked his
lips in anticipation of the pleasures to come and clumsily lurched
towards her.
She had only seen him on one occasion. At the County Ball six
months ago, where all the great and the good had paraded
themselves like great pompous beasts. She had been shy and had
inwardly shrunk as her aunt and uncle had introduced her to the
Lords and Ladies present. She had smiled politely and nodded in
response at the appropriate moments, not knowing the effect her
beauty had on all those who met her. Anyone with a keen eye would
have noticed her hand shake slightly as she offered her hand
unwillingly to those earnest young men wishing to dance with her.
Lord Edmond had not asked her to dance, but after their brief
introductions his eyes had followed her around the room like a
jealous husband. He had known he would have her from that
moment.
Lady Davina had been afraid of him from the first moment he had
clasped her small hand within his own clammy palms. He had been
handsome enough, but there had been something of the wolf about
him, the eyes cold and unfeeling, even in his own lust.
She was already feeling quite faint. She was tired; the journey had
been a long one, and she was ready for bed. Her last meal had been
at the small Inn, almost 7 hours ago and it had been a simple dish of
bread, cheese and ale; she was so ravenous that she was past being
hungry.
Ever since their betrothal had been announced, she had tried to
picture Lord Edmond as a kind man, someone she could live happily
with, even if she could not love him. The sight of him now put all
such thoughts out of her mind and she was filled with an
overwhelming feeling of dread. What had she agreed to?
As his sneering lips parted in front of her, the stench of his foul
breath, stale alcohol and tobacco hit her full in the face. She almost
wretched and had to turn her face away from him, stepping back a
little in repugnance.
Lord Edmond was in no humour to be greeted in such a way. He
was used to his servants and men fawning over him as he played the
great Laird. The fact that his bride-to-be seemed almost repulsed by
the sight of him caused him some embarrassment, how dare this
girl, his property, turn her face away from him.
The men and women in line caught their breath at the sight of their
master; they knew him well and could sense his displeasure. His
whole body bristled and they waited for the backlash, but there was
none. Lord Edmond’s face was white in the moonlight as he calmed
his inner rage. There would be time enough to tame the girl; he had
dealt with wilder beasts in his time and they had all been broken in
the end, there was not one battle that he had not won.
Lady Davina looked slowly back towards Lord Edmond. She hadn’t
known what to expect, but not silence. She was half cowering
before him, as if he might strike her at any moment but he did not.
His red rimmed eyes narrowed and looked unblinkingly into hers
and there was something that made her shudder deep inside.
“You are cold my dear, what am I thinking?” his voice was cold and
sharp in the night air as he reached out a thin and grasping hand and
laid it heavily upon her arm.
“Now, let’s get you inside and up to your room to warm you
thoroughly.”
He licked his lips with the merest hint of malice in his voice that she
stood unmoving, her feet unwilling to follow the vile man.
“Come my dear,” his voice was now impatient and his grasp on her
arm grew tighter as he pulled her away from the carriage and
towards the entrance to the castle.
She felt numb as each step took her nearer to the castle doors, up the
steps past the line of servants, seeing the pity in their eyes as she
approached them. Up close they could see she was just a mere girl, a
slip of a thing; the beauty and the beast.
The room that had been prepared for her was beautiful and yet
lacked the warmth and comfort of her slightly shabby rooms back
home. Home; this was her home now and she could feel the tears
start to prick at the back of her eyes as she conjured up happy
memories. Would she ever be happy again?
Her trunks and boxes were brought up and stacked neatly against
the wall. With some relief Edmond had taken his leave at the
doorway to her room and she had shut the door with pleasure. A
plate of hot food was to be brought up to the bed chamber and she
pulled off her slippers, stockings and outer garments before
climbing onto the bed. A huge fire had been set in the grate and was
blazing away, filling the room with the only cheer that she had felt
all day.
She loosened her undergarments to feel more comfortable and
untied her hair, releasing it into its natural state of long dark ringlets
that tumbled around her face. Finally her shoulders sagged as the
weight and worry of the day slipped away into the soft pillow
beneath her head. She closed her eyes and immediately fell into a
deep sleep.
Her dream was filled with fire and fury, and her new castle was
surrounded by an orange glow. She was being chased by a wild
beast and could not find a way out. With no exit from the castle she
found herself running up the stone stairs and along the castle wall
towards the turret. When she arrived in the tower, she held her
breath and hid behind a pile of grey stones. Outside of the tower she
could hear something calling for her, a sound that reminded her of
her childhood. She looked down toward her skin and could see it
was turning as grey as the walls around her. She gasped when she
realized her skin was turning into scales. “He is coming,” a distant
voice murmured.
The dream could have lasted hours or merely minutes, but when she
opened her eyes the Laird stood close to her at the foot of the bed,
his face twisted into a smug leer.
“The sleeping beauty awakes I see, I have brought you your dinner
Davina,” there was no warmth or charm to his voice yet he appeared
to be sober.
It was a second or two before she remembered her state of undress
and sat up quickly, pulling her bodice up to cover her modesty. The
silk of the garment had slipped down and exposed the soft curves of
her breasts and she felt the heat blush across her pale cheeks.
A sadistic smile spread across the face of Lord Edmond. “Come,
come my dear. There is no need for blushes. You will soon be my
wife and your young, soft body will be mine, and mine yours of
course. Let me look at you a while longer, you are more beautiful
than I could have ever imagined.”
Stepping closer he reached out and his hand touched the delicate
lace work of her bodice, brushing the warm and soft flesh encased
within. His ardour was aroused and his eyes glittered with lust for
his young virgin bride. It was not a loving feeling but one of pure
animal desire and domination.
Lady Davina had never been kissed before, let alone touched so
intimately by a man, alone in her room. Her initial reaction was to
back away from his probing fingers and she pushed herself deeper
into the bed, turning her face away from him for a second time.
“Oh no you don’t. If it wasn’t enough for you to humiliate me in
front of the servants. I will not be refused by my future wife in my
home.”
She felt the weight of his body move over her, crushing her into the
bed. Lady Davina could hardly breathe as he pressed down upon her
chest, his fingers now reaching inside the satin and lace and
squeezing at the delicate flesh within. He had never been so aroused
by a woman in his life, and the fact that she shrank away from him
only increased his lust. The wetness of his lips brushed against her
neck and it was as if a snake were slithering there. Her body lay
unmoved and rigid beneath him, and the more he revealed her flesh,
the more distant she became, withdrawing within herself so only a
mere shell remained.
“You will look at me while I take my pleasures. You will enjoy this.”
He twisted her head around to face his, the hair caught under her
head and pulling at her scalp. She did not notice the pain but just
stared blankly into the distance, her eyes wide open in alarm, her
mouth closed and silent.
Lord Edmond pressed his lips onto hers. His mouth was greasy, oily
as it slipped and rubbed against her own. His sickly tongue tried to
probe beneath the fleshy rosebud lips but her mouth was closed in a
steely resolution. She would not open herself to this man; how could
she, filled as she was with fear?
She was like a dead weight under him, unresponsive and leaden.
Even Lord Edmond wanted some interaction from his conquests. He
would have rather that she spat at him and clawed at his eyes than
lay so still and silent. Eventually he sat up and adjusted his clothing.
His usually pale face was flushed with unspent desires and his hand
shook with a fury that was starting to rage inside him.
“I will have you, my dear and you will want me to have you, you
will be begging for me to take you, just you wait and see. But my
patience won’t last forever and I will have you, one way or
another.”
With a slam of the door he was gone.
Lady Davina lay on the bed for a few moments half numb with
shock. She could still feel where his cruel hands had clawed at her
flesh and felt as if she had already been violated. Her heart fluttered
like a trapped bird in her breast; her head reeling and yet unable to
think of anything clearly.
She wanted to cry but she was beyond tears; her life felt as though it
had stopped and she felt nothing. As the hours ticked by and the
moon moved across her window, slowly from west to east , her
thoughts slowly returned, one thought recurring again and again,
spinning through her head until she could stand it no longer and sat
upright with a gasp of realisation. She had to get away.
Moving from the bed, she made her way carefully over to the
window. The blazing fire of several hours ago was now just a layer
of grey ash, tinged with the occasional amber and red and the only
light was that of the moon. Brushing open the curtains she looked
out into the darkness. She could make out the shapes of the trees and
the hills in the distance but not much else. There was little she could
do that evening, tomorrow she would plan, and tomorrow in the
light everything would be clearer. Right now she needed to sleep,
but before sleep she needed to eat. Walking over to the small table
she lifted the cloth that revealed a plate of meat and vegetables.
Although cold, it tasted delicious and it didn’t take Lady Davina
long to clear the plate. With a calmer mind and a full stomach she
climbed back onto the bed and snuggled under the blankets. Very
soon she was asleep, dreaming of taking flight.
The sound of a heavy door being unbolted, opened and closed again
woke her. It was still dark but a grey light had started to filter
through a gap in the curtains. She thought that she could hear a bird
sing in a nearby tree, and wrapping herself in a blanket rushed to the
window, just in time to see Lord Edmond stride off across the fields,
the two large mastiff dogs close at his heels. Very soon he had
disappeared out of sight. The rest of the house was quiet, not a
sound could be heard except for a creaking in the old eaves, the
wind whipping through the rafters, high above her head. Running
lightly across the floor she quietly opened the door of her chamber
and listened, still nothing. Carefully she stepped onto the landing
and looked around her; all was quiet, no-one else in the house
seemed to be awake. Feeling exposed on the landing she headed for
the open stairway, glancing around her, double checking that she
was alone. A sudden sound halted her steps as she approached a
bend in the stairs. A whirring and a clicking sound caused her heart
almost to stop as she stood stock still. It was only the old
grandfather clock on the landing, striking the half hour. It was half
past five; Edmond was an early riser by all accounts.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs she glanced around; the hall was
empty and she had to step lightly over the stone flagged floor to
avoid making a noise. Reaching the door she pulled on the great
iron handle, the heavy oak frame creaking as it slowly opened
before her, letting in the cold damp air of the morning.
He had left the door open, probably the only chance she would have
of escaping this place or its owner, but not just yet. She was still
dressed in her under garments and wrapped in a blanket and would
need much more protection against the elements; food and supplies
too. That would take at least a day or two to plan and she needed to
get her bearings.
Gently closing the door, Lady Davina skipped up the stairs and back
along the landing to her own room and jumped back into the bed to
warm herself. For the next half an hour she patiently listened until
the old clock struck the hour, 6 o clock. Just after the 6th chime she
heard a creaking in the floorboards above her; within 10 minutes the
castle was full of sounds and voices as the servants awoke and went
about their daily tasks.
A half hour window, that’s all that she would have but it would be
enough time to escape.
Before long there was a gentle tap at her door. Pretending to be
asleep, Lady Davina closed her eyes and inched below the blankets.
It was only a young girl, come to make up the morning fire and she
could relax, maybe the girl could tell her more about the area?
“Girl, what is your name?”
The young woman jumped in alarm. The request had been made
kindly but in her position she was rarely addressed by the servants
in the household, let alone the mistress.
Her large grey eyes were red with tiredness and a look of weariness
shadowed her young features, adding years to her youth – a sure
sign of poverty and hardship.
She hardly dare look at the Lady as she spoke.
“It’s Roberta madam”, her voice wavered slightly in the local
dialect as she dropped into a clumsy curtsey, unsure how to present
herself. Her clothes were grey and her stockings wrinkled.
Lady Davina smiled; such a grand name for such a plain and simple
creature.
“I’m the new mistress Roberta and I’m very pleased to meet you.
I’ve never been to the castle before and I was going to go out later
for some air and I wondered how far it was to the nearest village?”
The girls eyes widened and her mouth made a little ‘O’ shape before
she started to speak.
“Oh Ma’m, I’m afraid there isn’t much around these parts for miles
and miles. Even the nearest cottage would take more than an hour
in a carriage Ma’m. I’m afee’red that the ground round here is
rough and stony and not good walking for such a lady as yourself.
I’m sure the master will take you trips into town, but that be nearly
a day’s drive from here”.
Lady Davina could feel her heart start to sink at the words, although
the smile remained fixed on her face. If she did escape, where could
she go? With no village and no house within walking distance there
seemed nowhere to run to.
“Lord Edmond does ride most places Ma’m, perhaps it’s something
that you could try? The Masters got a lot of ‘orses Ma’m”
She could have rushed to the girl and kissed her. Of course, horse
riding, she had not thought of that. She wasn’t a great horsewoman
but she knew the basics and had often gone out riding back home.
All she would need to do was to find a good natured horse and a
saddle and she could have at least half an hour’s advantage on him,
maybe more if she was lucky. She could be miles away by the time
they discovered she had gone.
A plan was slowly forming in her mind. Her aunt had made her pack
some sensible clothing for the weather and she also had her old
riding habit and boots. A couple of extra blankets from her bed
would serve as extra protection against the elements.
Clapping her hands together in anticipation of her plan, Lady
Davina realised that the young girl was still in the room.
“Will that be all Ma’m?”
“Yes Roberta, that is quite enough for now and thank you”.
Left alone Lady Davina began to devise a plan. She would need to
find a horse that would suit her and the only way around that would
be to somehow persuade Lord Edmond to give her a horse of her
own. She would need to work with him and not against him and
although the thought repulsed her, she would need to be agreeable to
him whilst still keeping him at arm’s length. She was not worldly or
womanly wise enough to know the art of keeping a man dangling,
but she would have to try. It was her only hope.
The morning light had started to spill through the window and into
the room and she stepped over to the casement to look out. There
was a mist rising from the dark fields below and in happier
circumstances the place would have appeared magical, ethereal
almost in the soft early sheen of morning. To Lady Davina it
appeared bleak and menacing, a lost place that she had to escape
from.
As she was about to turn back into the bedroom, a figure
approaching through the mist caught her attention. It was Lord
Edmond back from his morning walk with both dogs at his heels,
long pink tongues lolling from their drooling mouths. There was a
knock at her door as a servant entered with her breakfast and she
moved quickly away from the window before she could be seen.
Closing the door carefully behind her she paused for a moment
before descending the stairs to seek out Lord Edmond. After
spending the last hour arranging and re-arranging her dress she had
decided on a gown of green velvet and wore a ribbon of matching
colour in her hair. The darkness of her curls contrasted beautifully
against her pale skin and the emerald of the dress set of her eyes
perfectly. For one so innocent she had learned quickly and knew that
her appearance would beguile. Still, underneath the layers of finery
she was only a young and naive girl and her hand visibly shook as
she smoothes down the front of her skirt.
Taking a deep breath she steadied her hands and headed downstairs.
The hall was deserted and as she looked around wondering which
way to turn, the sound of laughter filtered through from the kitchen
area. One voice was light, the soft yet shrill tone of a young woman,
the other the deep bass voice of Lord Edmond. The laughter grew
louder as the sound of footsteps echoed towards her. Lady Davina’s
first instinct was to run and hide but she stood her ground. If she
was to escape this place she would need to be brave.
At first he didn’t notice her, his attentions were too closely fixed on
the young servant girl, who appeared in some state of undress. It
was only when the two women almost collided that the young
woman looked up in horror at having been caught red handed with
her mistresses intended. Lord Edmond hid his initial surprise well,
and as he let the poor girl out of his clutches he stood with arms
folded, his lips curled into a sneer.
“Well well my Dear, I didn’t expect to see you up so early. I thought
you might be exhausted after yesterday’s adventure?”
Everything he said seemed to hint at something sordid and unholy
and Lady Davina could feel herself start to blush again. The young
servant girl coughed embarrassedly as she adjusted the bodice of her
smock. Her hair hung loose from the white cap she was wearing and
her face glowed scarlet at her predicament.
“You may leave us Rosie, but don’t forget I will be back for
something later.”
He smacked his lips and laughed as the young girl ran past him to
the kitchen, relieved to be out of sight.
Lady Davina could feel his eyes burning into her, even before she
raised her own eyes to look directly at him. He gazed at her from
head to toe and then back again, taking in each savoury detail of his
young captive.
“So my Lady, what will be your pleasure today?”
Ignoring the lewdness of the comment she tried to smile. It was
difficult to act natural and as she opened her mouth her voice was
shrill and stuck in the back of her throat.
“I thought I might explore the place a little, it is to be my home after
all. I would like to explore the grounds too”
She lifted her chin a little higher and met his gaze. So, she was a
feisty creature after all?
He approached her slowly and deliberately, and she stood her
ground he reached over and cupped her breasts in his hands,
watching her eyes for a reaction.
“Well my dear, I too feel like a little exploration this morning. Now,
what would you like me to show you?”
Before she could answer he had taken her hand and was rubbing it
against the crotch of his breeches. She could feel the swell of his
cock against the heavy material and could not help letting out a
small gasp of fright.
“What is it my dear, have you never felt such a large cock? Wait, I
am forgetting myself, your pure and virginal hands have probably
never touched a man before eh?”
With that he undid the buttons on his fly and pushed her hand inside
the folds of material. Her fingers brushed the large and thick cock
encased within and she resisted the urge to pull away her hand. Her
eyes widened as his face lurched against hers and once again his
sickly lips rubbed against hers. This time she accepted the attack
with a grim determination, his sticky tongue probing her soft mouth
as she tried to block out all thoughts of him and imagine she was far
away.
Pushed against the wall, she could feel the weight of his body
pressed against her, his groin grinding into her soft body.
“Well my dear, you are not the frigid convent schoolgirl that I first
took you for. I can see that we shall spend some very pleasurable
evenings together. I can teach you what pleases me and you will
learn quickly, of that I have no doubt.”
Holding her very firmly by the chin he pushed her head against the
wall, before reaching down with his wet and ugly lips. His breath
was no sweeter than the evening before and she held her breath as
his lips slobbered against hers.
If she didn’t manage to escape, she would be subject to this on a
daily basis and worse!
The sound of someone knocking at the main doors saved her. Lord
Edmond released her and straightened his clothing as one of the
male servants approached to open the door. It was the Estate
Manger, come to speak to the master on business. As he entered the
hallway, Lord Edmond smiled slyly at his young bride to be.
“Perhaps we can pick up where we left off later this evening My
Lady?”
She willed herself to smile sweetly back at him, and with some
effort she managed to look natural and almost glad to be with him.
“Perhaps my Lord,” she whispered, as suggestively as she could
imagine.
Edmond scratched his chin in puzzlement at the strange dark haired
creature, before turning to his man.
She had heard the wheedling tones that women often used with their
men folk and she needed every trick she could think of.
“Oh Edmond?”
It did the trick and stopped him in his tracks as he glanced over his
shoulder, back at the girl.
“Edmond, I was thinking. I enjoyed riding at home and seeing that
the countryside is so beautiful around here, I wondered if I might go
riding, if there might be a suitable horse in the stables here for me;
something with a gentle temperament and not too feisty?”
It had not struck him that the girl might ride. He had expected
sewing and playing the harpsichord and a little singing but nothing
too boisterous. He liked his women with spirit as well as beauty and
his expectations of his bride suddenly increased.. He walked back
over to her and smiled.
“Well my dear, this is a surprise. I had not supposed that you were
the outdoor type. It will be my pleasure to take you out riding
sometime; unfortunately today I will be tied up in business, but
maybe at the weekend?”
Lady Davina’s heart sank. She did not know how long she would be
able to keep Lord Edmond at bay. She had been lucky so far but if
she stayed too long, all would be lost; there would be no escape.
Seeing her eyes downcast, Lord Edmond seemed to be seized with
an uncommon feeling of generosity; although it was probably that
he wanted to be seen as the ‘big man’ in the eyes of both his steward
and Lady Davina.
“I suppose there is nothing to stop you going into the stables today.
Old McTavish will be there –I will have a word with him to saddle
up Bess, she’s a gentle old mare that will serve you well. You can
give her a try, but don’t go far; I would hate you to get lost”
The last sentence was spoken as almost a threat and Lady Davina
stuck out her chin and smiled politely. Her plan was going well, so
far, so good.
Lord Edmond kept to his word and soon Lady Davina was dressed
in her riding habit and sat astride Bess, a beautiful white mare,
flecked with grey patched across her flank. The large, brown
trusting eyes looked gently into Davina’s and she knew instinctively
that she would be safe with this old girl.
After 15 minutes trotting around the fields she returned to the
stables, carefully noting where the saddles and reigns were kept. Old
Mctavish didn’t start work until 8 o’clock unless the Master needed
his mount earlier, but that was seldom. It fitted perfectly with her
plans.
The rest of the day she spent preparing for escape. At every meal
time she saved a little bread, cheese or meat to pack away for the
journey. She didn’t know how long she would be riding for and
needed to ensure that she would have enough provisions.
Lord Edmond had been busy for most of the day and she had hardly
seen him, which was a good thing. As the sun started to set she
heard his voice in the hall below. Her one mission now was to avoid
direct contact with him at any cost. She had been lucky on two
occasions, but dare not leave a third encounter to chance.
Calling for one of the female servants, she asked that her excuses be
passed on to Lord Edmond, but that she had caught a slight cold
from riding earlier in the day and would need to be excused from
dinner that evening. A small plate of food would be sufficient,
brought to her room, and after a good night’s sleep she was sure that
she would be feeling better.
The evening passed slowly. Lady Davina paced the room before
lying quietly on the bed to listen to the sounds of the castle around
her. As the clock on the stairs struck 11 she could hear the thud, as
Lord Edmond ascended the stairs. She held her breath as the
footsteps approached her door and stopped. His breath was loud in
the silence, heavy and oppressive and she guessed that he had been
drinking. If he entered her room tonight it would be difficult to hold
him off and she would be ruined, be his for life. She closed her eyes
and prayed.
The moment seemed to be held, suspended in silence, with only the
ticking of the old clock to count the seconds. At last his feet shifted,
the floorboards creaking as he walked away from her doorway and
on to his own room, and she sighed, almost crying with relief. Her
prayers had been answered.
Now all she had to do was wait.
The chiming of the clock heralded the passing of night into early
morning. Lady Davina did not sleep but lay wide awake, eyes
staring into the blackness of her room, her plan whirling round and
around inside her head. If her plan failed then she had no idea what
she could do but accept her fate. The plan had to succeed; she would
rather die than stay here with Lord Edmond.
With some relief the clock struck 5 and she climbed out of bed to
dress in her riding habit and pack her smallest bag. Blankets, spare
clothing, and food were all she could fit inside. It would have to be
enough.
The castle was eerily silent as if deserted and she tiptoed carefully
onto the landing and down the stairs. Heading for the kitchen she
found some old bread and more cheese and stuffed them into her
bag along with a flagon of ale for the journey, before walking into
the hallway.
It was dark and silent, and she shivered slightly on the cold and
drafty floor. The corners were filled with dark shadows and she did
not feel safe. The clock on the stairs was ticking the time away and
very soon Lord Edmond would be waking, walking down those
stairs and out into the early morning air. She had to hide. There was
a small recess leading off to the right of the doorway that she had
spied earlier. If she could squeeze herself in there and stand as close
to the wall as the small space would allow, then she should not be
seen in the darkness. Slipping silently across the floor she pushed
into the gap: a grown man could not have stood in there but there
was just enough room for a slight 18 year old girl.

Standing in silence, her heart hammered in her chest until she was
sure that the sound would awaken the whole house.

What if he did not come down today at his usual time? What if she
was still standing here when the household awoke - what would she
do then?

The waiting seemed forever, but as the old grandfather struck the
half hour there was the sound of footsteps walking about on the
floor above. Very soon his large booted footsteps could be heard
clattering down the steps, followed by the lighter scratching of the
two mastiffs.
"Reaper, Dylan, here boys," he shouted gruffly at the two animals as
they raced past their master, only to quickly to fall back in place at
his heels, their tails curled under their bellies in submission.

Lady Davina thought she would faint as the large, dark shape of
Lord Edmond came into view, pausing only a few feet away from
where she hid. Pulling a great key from his pocket he turned it
slowly in the lock before unbolting the heavy oak doors.

For a moment he stood looking out into the cold air, breathing in the
new day as she held her breath, not daring to move a muscle. One of
the dogs moved across to where she was standing, its ears pricked at
the scent of her.

"Come Reaper, Dylan" Edmond roared as he strode through the

open door, both dogs hot on his heels. As the door closed she let out
a sigh of relief, she had almost been found out.

She would have to wait for 10 or 15 minutes to pass until she could
be sure that he was out of sight.

The waiting seemed an age and she dare not move until the clock
struck a quarter to the hour. Venturing out of her hiding place she
quickly slipped to the door, opened it quickly and was soon outside.

The air was damp and she was glad of the additional blankets she
had packed into her bag.

Lord Edmond had disappeared into the early morning and she
quickly stepped around to the side of the castle and into the cobbled
courtyard and across to the stables.
As she approached, Bess pulled her long nose over the stable door
and snorted her hot breath into the cold air. Lady Davina stroked the
gentle face before opening the stable door, stepping over the straw
to the saddles hung on the wall.
She managed to manoeuvre the saddle onto the horse and buckled
the leather harness under the old girls belly before attaching the
reigns and checking that all was in order. She had seen Joseph, the
stable lad back home, do this job a thousand times before and she
had learned well. All seemed safe, and placing her foot into the
stirrup she leaned against the warm flank to heave herself atop the
horse. Bess gave a slight whisk of her tail and a flick of her mane,
but remained still and silent until Davina clicked her heels against
the warm body and tugged gently on the reins.
They were away.
Lord Edmond had set off from the front of the castle so her obvious
course was to set off in the opposite direction. There were a couple
of open fields before they entered a deep wood of pine and aspen,
the sweet smell of the trees hitting her as soon as they entered the
leafy glade.
As horse and rider moved into the depth of the wood the light
changed from the grey of early morning to the dark bottle green of
the forest.
She urged the old horse on, desperate to put as many miles between
her and the castle before anyone noticed her absence. The terrain
was soft underfoot, but low hung branches and the spreading
gnarled roots of ancient trees all acted as obstacles to slow her
down. Once they had reached a small stream she dismounted, letting
Bess drink the cool water and rest for a while. Now the excitement
and apprehension of her escape had lessened, she too felt hungry
and sat against a tree to eat some of the cheese and bread. The
ground was chilly and she wrapped herself in the extra blankets for
warmth. All was still except the babbling ribbon of the stream and
soon she fell into a light doze.
As she slept her fiery dream returned. She was still trapped in the
tower, the beast somewhere near was approaching. Her skin was
now covered in scales and she gulped in fear. She heard a whisper
soft and low, a woman’s voice that was comforting her. She
recognized her mother’s voice. “Now is your time to take flight.”
The snap of branches and the rustle of leaves awoke her. She could
feel the tremor of the ground beneath her, men on horses were
approaching. Lady Davina could not tell how long she had slept, it
could have been minutes or it could have been an hour, how foolish
to relax before she had found a safe haven. With no time to lose she
gathered her blankets and quickly packed her things before
mounting Bess, driving her further into the wood. Hearing voices
close behind, she panicked, urging the horse on even faster. Bess
could sense the urgency of her mistress and galloped as fast as her
old legs would allow, deeper and deeper into the forest. She did not
see the low branch ahead, poor Bess tried to jump, her old heart
beating fast, but the old thing did not make it, catching her hooves
and sending horse and rider into the air, tumbling into the
undergrowth.
Lady Davina lay still, she had twisted her ankle badly and cut her
arm but she could not feel the pain; only fear remained as the sound
of hooves grew closer until Lord Edmond rode into view.
He sat looking down at her astride a magnificent black and sweating
stallion, his face twisted into a mixture of delight and evil; he had
been enjoying the chase.
“Well, well my dear, fancy seeing you here. Your early morning ride
seems to have taken you a long way from home. Anyone would think
that you were trying to run away from me, eh?”
She looked up at him in defiance, but her heart was trembling. He
would make her life hell from now on.
Dismounting from his steed, he strode over to where she lay and
prodded her with his riding crop.
“Did you think I was so gullible? I guessed your plan straight away,
as soon as you mentioned the horses. I pretended to go out on my
daily walk this morning; the dogs could sense you in the hall, even if
I could not see you. I have trained my dogs well. I like my women
like my dogs, obedient. I can see now that I have been too lenient
with you and need to give you instruction. But first I will need to
punish you. As with all animals I need to show you who is master
here. You will ride with me back to the Castle. I’m afraid that poor
old Bess will need to be shot. She is no use to me now”.
Lady Davina let out a small cry for the poor animal. She thought of
the loving and trusting eyes; it had been her fault and not the horses
and she couldn’t bear to think of the gentle life ending in such a
way.
“Please don’t shoot Bess, you can do anything to me, but spare the
horse, have mercy.”
A cruel smile spread across Lord Edmonds face as he strode over to
the horse and raised his gun.
A shot rang out and she covered her ears, tears springing into her
eyes; poor Bess.
The sound of raised voices caused her to look up. A band of men
dressed in simple country clothing had appeared from out of the
forest and had surrounded Edmond and his two men. Standing on
foot he was at a distinct disadvantage against the 6 men on
horseback, and stepped back towards his horse.
“Lord Edmond. We don’t usually see you so deep in the forest, what
brings you here?” A handsome young man with golden wavy hair
and fiery green eyes spoke, his tone sarcastic.
“Well if it isn’t James McCraig, I haven’t heard a word about you
for over a year. I was hoping you were dead.” Edmond smiled
sardonically up at the younger man.
“Sorry to disappoint Edmond, you cannot have my lands just yet,
but who do we have here?”
James McCraig looked over at the young and beautiful girl lying on
the ground and his heart raced. Her eyes transfixed him and he felt
the connection straight away. He had been searching all of these
years, could she be the one?
“This is my bride to be, Lady Davina. I’m afraid we were out riding
and she has taken a fall. The poor old horse will need to be shot I
am afraid. We are just about to ride back home, if you will excuse
us.”
He could see the fear in the young girl’s familiar green eyes; smell
the misery in her soul. He was older and wiser than he looked and
his animal instincts were heightened and put him on the alert.
“The Lady does not look fit for travel all the way back to your castle
Sir. My home is at her disposal, she can rest there until she is well
enough to ride.”
“Lady Davina can ride with me, she will be quite alright.”
By now she had pulled herself into a sitting position. This golden
haired man was her last hope and she pleaded at him with her eyes,
willing him to take her with him.
It was as if he could read her mind, he was in tune with her thoughts
and the feelings shot through him like an arrow. He must keep his
cool at all costs.
“Perhaps we should ask the Lady?”
Both men looked at her; Lord Edmond glaring at her through
narrowed eyes whilst James McCraig smiled.
“Well,” her voice wavered with a nervous tremor, “I think my ankle
is badly twisted and that I will have difficulty standing...”
“You will not need to stand, we will ride back to the castle on my
horse,” Lord Edmond was tiring of the game and wished to be away
from the place, but surrounded by bandits he could do little else.
“I think the Lady has spoken and that we must abide by her wishes.
I believe I will take her back to my camp where I will personally
attend to her. When she is well, she can return to you, if that is her
wish?”
“If that is her wish!” Lord Edmond almost exploded with anger. His
usually cold and white face was red and ugly, his eyes glittering
with hate at the young man before him and his hands automatically
reached for the gun at his side. Four men were upon him; aiming
their pistols at his head before his hand could even reach the
weapon. His face twitched as he stamped the ground with his feet.
“Be damned McCraig. Touch that girl and I will kill you and all of
your men, you hear.”
James McCraig smiled. “I swear on my honour as a gentleman that
I will not touch the lady, unless of course she wants me to,” it was
he now who laughed.
“Gentleman, you are no gentleman Sir. I have heard things about
you and your clan. You are unnatural Sir and should be burned
alive”
McCraig’s face turned to one of displeasure and his whip struck the
side of Edmond’s face to silence him.
“My family is the oldest in the Kingdom Sir; my line descends from
the first men that ever walked these fine lands. Do not disrespect my
kind or we will extinguish you like a candle.”
Calling for his men to escort Lord Edmond back to the castle, James
dismounted his horse and stepped over to where Lady Davina was
sitting. She had never seen a man so handsome, and as he took her
hand and pulled her gently to her feet, she felt the heat between
them, a strong bond; it was as if she had known him her entire life.
Once Lord Edmond was away, he stepped forward, and picking her
up in his strong arms he carried her to his horse as if she bore no
weight. Once she was settled he sat in front of her and she placed
her hands firmly about his waist for safety.
“What about poor Bess?” She had almost forgotten the poor horse
lying quietly amongst the trees.
“Do not worry about Bess, my men will see to her.” A sob caught in
her throat.
“No, you misunderstand. My men are wise and will bring Bess back
to the camp. All will be well”
Smiling through her tears they rode on quickly through the forest,
deeper and deeper into the trees. After almost an hour’s riding they
reached their destination, a makeshift yet comfortable camp in a
small clearing. Several tents had been made from cloth and
branches, and a great fire warmed the cold air.
She was made comfortable in one of the tents and James was true to
his word; placing a poultice of herbs on her swollen ankle and
slathering her cuts with a green paste. Tucking a blanket around her
with the promise of returning, he left her to rest.
Lady Davina felt safe and happy and soon fell into a deep sleep—on
this night no dreams came to her.
It was night when she awoke and although the sky was dark, the
camp was lit with the orange glow of the fire. Sitting up she looked
around her. The tent was pretty basic, but some of the cloth of the
tent had been embroidered with symbols, covered with the strange
images of creatures from the old myths, glittering dragons with red
eyes, breathing fire and smoke from their nostrils.
It wasn’t cold but she shivered slightly, the images seemed so
lifelike, and in the shadows and dancing flames of the fire light, they
seemed to come alive. She had seen the images before and tried to
recall where, and then she remembered; the sign of the dragon had
been present in many of her dreams for as long as she could
remember.
The entrance to the tent opened and James McGuire stood before
her. Her heart gave a slight shudder as he looked deep into her eyes
and smiled.
“You are awake, how do you feel?”
She certainly felt refreshed after her sleep and her ankle didn’t hurt
so much.
“I feel much better, but a little hungry,” she had only eaten a small
piece of bread and cheese all day.
“Can you walk? We can sit together by the fire and eat. Come, I
have a surprise for you?”
Extending his hand he helped her towards the fire. It was a chilly
night but the blaze was enormous and he brought her extra blankets
and fixed them around her shoulder.
“Close your eyes.”
She did as she was bid until told to open them again. Standing
before her was Bess, as good as new, her legs strong with no hint of
injury.
Rushing forward she embraced the old grey neck and stroke the old
head.
“Bess my girl, you are well, you save me old girl and I owe you my
life”
The old horse shook its head as if understanding.
“But how..? Poor old Bess was almost lame”
James only smiled and shook his head.
“My men understand the old ways, the ancient magic; one day
perhaps you too?”
The mutton stew was the finest she had ever tasted and the two sat
in silence as they ate. James looked wistfully into the fire and she
thought she saw sadness in his eyes. It was strange but she could
almost feel what he felt, think what he was thinking, and his sorrow
made her feel unhappy.
“What are you thinking Sir?”
James sighed as he turned to her. The shapes and colours from the
fire played as a mask across his face and for a moment he looked
altogether different, like one of the ancient creatures embroidered
onto the tent.
“It is my father. He is dying. We think that he does not have many
days left. Our clan has been weak since his illness and we have lost
most of our powers. Lord Edmond, your intended, has seized most of
our lands and he has taken control of our castle. If my father dies
we have no-one to replace him, to lead and restore us to our former
glory.”
He looked back into the fire, his eyes almost full with tears.
“But surely if your father is the head of the Clan then you will
become the rightful leader. You seemed in control of your men this
morning?”
His head drooped towards his chest. “If only that were true, things
are more complicated than I can explain. You would never
understand.”
He turned his head and she looked deep into his eyes.
“Try me.”
There was something about this beautiful girl that he could not
explain; somehow he needed to tell her everything.
“My family are ancient, perhaps the oldest family in the land. The
original clan name was not McCraig but McArach, Arach being the
old Gaelic word for Dragon. My great ancestors were the last of the
Dragon Shifters, a great race that could shift between human and
dragon form at their will. As times passed and men began to toil the
land and hunt and fight, there grew a wall of fear between the old
ways and the new, and mortal men began to be afraid and hate the
Arach. A hundred years war raged between the Arach and the Clans
of the Highlands until there was only one family of Dragon Shifters
left. My people were fearsome warriors when they needed to be, but
they were starved and hunted and outnumbered, until finally my
great ancestors were forced to live like animals, outlawed and alone
in the hills. Many thought that we had died out all together, but we
managed to survive and the clan quietly strengthened and we have
lived in peace ever since. Not many know of our secret, but Lord
Edmond is one of those who do, his ancestors were our main enemy,
and knowing we are once again weak, he has used the knowledge to
take our lands and castles.”
He thought that she would be shocked and stopped to let his words
sink in, but she did not stir, but looked into his eyes as if she had
always known that it was so.
“But why do you not lead your men, why do you grow weak.”
James looked at her and sighed.
“It is true that I am indeed next in line to be leader of the clan when
my father dies, but before I can lead the clan I must shift into my
true Dragon form.”
“And, what is to stop you?”
“I must first find my true mate. She too must have Dragon blood in
her veins. I had thought that...” his voice trailed off and he gazed
into the fire once again.
“Thought what?” her eyes were steady on his face.
His hands grasped hers as he turned to face her, a look of deep
sorrow in his eyes.
“When I first saw you I was struck by your beauty, but then I felt
something more. It was if I had always known you, there seemed to
be some common bond between us as if we were joined by some
invisible thread. My thoughts seemed to be yours. I thought perhaps
that you were the one, but how can you be, you are not of my race
and besides, you are betrothed to my enemy Lord Edmond.”
“I do not love Edmond, nor want to be his wife. It was a marriage of
convenience only. I agreed to marry him only to save my aunt and
uncle, they had looked after me from an early age and I am in their
debt,”
“What happened to your parents?”
Lady Davina hesitated “I do not know, they were killed when I was
but a baby. I tried to find out what happened but my aunt and uncle
refused to speak of the matter and I gave up in the end. But I do
know that I dream of dragons.”
James was now sitting up straight and gazing intently at Davina.
There was something about the girl, the eyes, the way she looked at
him, the way he felt. There had to be something.
“What were the names of your parents?”
“Isabella and Frances Drake”.
His grip on her hands tightened as he stared into her eyes.
“Drake is an old word for Dragon.”
Something in what he was saying was starting to make sense but she
couldn’t be sure what it all meant.
“I remember stories of some distant cousins. Their secret was
discovered and they were hunted by a group of evil men, hunted
down like wild animals and killed; murdered in cold blood. There
was talk of a child. A baby girl, but no-one knew what happened. It
was presumed that she died too. Of course, there is only one way of
knowing for sure. When I find my true mate and couple with her
then I will transform into my true form, I will shift off this skin and
become my inner being. I will be able to lead this clan once my
father dies. I will become a true Dragon Shifter.
“So if I am your true mate you will realise your destiny, but if not,
what will become of me?”
The girl was truly beautiful but he could not lie to her. “If you do
not carry the Dragon blood then you will not be my true mate. I will
not shift into my true form. I would carry on my search for my true
mate, for the sake of my clan. Otherwise we will not survive.”
Her small hands were still clasped into his own. She could feel the
blood coursing around his veins as if it were her own heart beating
in his chest. Looking into his eyes she could see the flames of the
fire flickering in the dark depths. She trusted her instincts, she
trusted him.
When their lips met it was as if the world had exploded around
them. Neither had experienced such an intense feeling of pleasure
and emotion.
Wrapping her in his arms, he carried her to the tent and laid her
down inside upon the blankets. He had never wanted anyone so
much in his life and he burned for her. His hands reached down over
her slim figure, his fingers wrapping around her soft and fleshy
breasts. She gasped with delight. His touch was so different to Lord
Edmonds, where she had shrunk at his touch, she now yielded to
James’s soft and delicate fingers, as they probed and sought her soft
curves.
He had soon moved beneath the wool and silk of the riding habit,
lifting it delicately over her head and seeking her firm young body
beneath.
She could feel his finger stroke downwards from her belly and
towards her soft mound. She had never before been touched so
intimately and so gently and the feeling caused her to shudder with
pleasure. She was wet, could feel her wetness as his fingers slipped
easily across the soft downy hairs and into the moist and fleshy
folds of her womanhood. Kissing her belly, he slowly parted her
legs with his hands and nestled his head between her legs. He could
smell her musky sweetness and longed to taste her; his tongue
delving into the velvety depths of her hole as her back arched and
she pressed herself towards him, his tongue delving deeper and
licking her until she thought she would explode with pleasure.
Now it was time for him to undress. Lifting the tunic over his head,
the full and thick cock stood erect before her. His body was
magnificent, hard and muscular and she ached to feel him inside her.
Pushing her back towards the floor he straddled inside her legs,
holding his cock in his hands to guide it inside her. She was a virgin
and he knew his manhood was exceptionally large. He would have
to be gentle, but he could hardly wait to thrust his shaft deep inside
her.
The head of his cock was thick and he rubbed it against her wetness
to make the penetration easier. Lady Davina was breathing heavily,
almost panting, desperate for him to take her, but she gasped as the
head entered her and she felt her muscles contract around his
thickness
Thrusting gently he inched himself inside her, stretching her tight
walls and almost exploding with pleasure. But he wanted to wait,
make sure he was fully inside her before he came.
At first she felt the pain, but the pleasure was so hot on its heels that
she did not mind or care, her head was elsewhere. His muscular
thighs thrust towards her and she joined in the rhythm until he was
buried tightly inside her. Now he picked up the pace, he could not
stop and his thrusts became more urgent, more passionate, his thick
cock throbbing until he exploded, dripping his seed deep inside of
her.
Both lay quiet for a moment. In the heat of passion they had almost
forgotten all thoughts of Dragon Shifters.
Her heart hammered in her chest, unable to think of the
consequences.
And then it happened.
At first James started to groan, a low moaning sound as he rolled
away from her and onto his back. Stretching out his arms and
pulling back his head the groaning grew steadily louder until it was
almost a loud roar. As his arms spread, skin began to form between
his arms and body as wings formed. The legs stretched and great
hooked talons appeared where his feet had been.
She was not afraid as the skin turned into scales, and the face
distorted as the huge snout and fangs appeared.
He stood before her, a magnificent beast, a beautiful dragon in all its
glory.
Her Dragon, her true mate, her love.
All would be well.
The End.
 Werewolf Romance
Biker Wolf’s Baby
Pushing send was the easiest thing I’d done in a long time. I
sincerely hoped that getting under somebody would help me get
over that scumbag ex-boyfriend of mine. The last straw came when
he told me he was staying in sick one night. I had met up with some
friends instead for a few drinks only to see Captain Asshole
macking on some chick in Daisy Dukes.
Now, I wouldn’t have said I was proud of my actions. I dumped a
top shelf whiskey drink over his head and congratulated the girl on
what a great catch she found, but that was nothing compared to the
hell I wanted to raise. I’m pretty sure public castration would have
landed me in jail so it was better that I controlled myself.
I just didn’t understand it. I gave and gave to Stephen and for what?
I got stuck with the weight of the relationship and more often than
not, the tab. All he gave me were lies and twisted mind games for
my trouble.
As I scrolled through the profiles on Come Play, the one-night stand
app, a devilish face caught my eye. He was handsome in a rugged,
outdoorsy way. His beard was dark and looked soft to touch; I could
only imagine how good that would feel tickling my thighs. Amber
eyes burned from under a pair of thick dark eyebrows, luring me in.
And I was one willing fishy.
Scanning through his profile, I found that his name was Walker
Lewis and he was in a local motorcycle club. We had a winner!
Between the brooding smolder and his enthusiasm for motorcycles,
I knew I had to have him. The element of mystery and the air of
danger radiating from his profile picture intrigued me. I wanted to
know more.
I pushed the interested button and set my phone down. Having spent
so much time waiting by the phone for Stephen I’d be damned if I’d
it for anyone else.
I ventured into my tiny cottage kitchen to pour myself a glass of
pinot noir to help get myself in the mood. What would it be like to
have sex with another man? Stephen and I had been together since
high school and he was my first and only. Eight years was a long
time to be with one person at that age, and I kind of regretted not
venturing out to enjoy being single while I was in college. Now, at
twenty-six, all my friends were getting engaged or married; two
even had babies while I had been trapped in a loveless cycle of lies
and emotional abuse.
Would this Walker guy be gentle? Awkward? Mind blowing? I
hadn’t had an orgasm without a vibrator – or with another person –
in so long I had no idea what that would even be like. The erotic
possibilities were endless and really exciting.
I looked around my little two-bedroom cottage. I was so excited to
get the place, especially for the price. The sunset shone through the
sliding glass door and sparkled off a crystal cut vase I bought as a
housewarming gift to myself. The pink light warmed the shabby
state of the living space and made my new digs feel like home. Sure,
it needed some TLC, but it was only a mile from the beach,
charming, and Stephen had no idea where I was.
As I thumbed through paint swatches, my phone buzzed. My nerves
went on high alert as I swiped in the unlock code. There he is. And
he’s interested. I was nearly vibrating I was so excited.
I opened the app to find a message from Walker,
Meet me at Joker’s. 9pm. Wear a skirt.
Joker’s? The biker bar? Oh, lord was he a Wraith? Joker’s was the
headquarters of the Santa Monica chapter of The Wraiths, a
motorcycle club suspected of gun running and more than a few
missing people. As far as I knew they didn’t have any charges or
suspicions of violence against women. Put a check in the plus
column, I guess.
I glanced at the clock, 7:30. A small thrill of fear ran up my spine.
But coupled with that came a sense of simply not giving a shit
anymore. Maybe I had been smacked upside the head with stupidity,
or maybe I was tired of playing it safe. This guy was hot as hell,
properly dangerous, and was only going to be a one shot deal.
I weighed out my chances and the potential scenarios for a minute.
While the obvious choice would be to decline and not walk right
into the wolf’s den, there was still a chance things could go well and
I might have a good time. After spending my entire adult life being
cautious, I was going to take a chance and be bold. I needed this.
I scrolled through my phone and dialed Crystal, my best friend.
While I was willing to indulge my wild side, with The Wraiths not
being Boy Scouts I would feel more comfortable if someone knew
where I was going to be.
“Hey, Lyla! What’s up?” Crystal’s cheery voice floated into my ear.
“Hey, girl. So I got on Come Play like you suggested –“
“Ooo!” Crystal interrupted, “Bag yourself a hottie yet?”
“Actually, yeah I did. I’m meeting him tonight around nine, which
brings me to why I’m calling. He wants me to meet him at Joker’s
and I want someone to know my last known whereabouts.” I was
only half joking in my delivery.
“Joker’s? Are you crazy?” Crystal’s voice went a little high pitched.
“I might be, but getting with a biker has kind of been a fantasy of
mine for a while. It’s just one night. Isn’t that what that app is
supposed to be for?”
“Well, yeah,” I heard Crystal sigh. Silence followed as she worked
out her thoughts. “I don’t love the idea, but I guess you have to get
some things out of your system. Can you just make sure your friend
tracker is turned on for me?”
I smiled, grateful for her concern. “I will. Crys, I’m nervous. What
if I suck in bed? What if he takes one look at me and decides he
doesn’t like me?”
“Whoa! Settle down there, horsey. You’re over thinking this. It’s a
fuck him and go situation, so don’t worry about it. Be safe and have
fun.”
I nodded as she spoke. Crystal was right; this was all about having a
good time.
“And maybe pick up that roofie detection paper on the way?”
Crystal suggested.
I barked a nervous laugh. “I’ll be fine. Good looking out, though.
I’ve got to go and get ready. I’ll call you in the morning.”
Crystal and I said our goodbyes and I went to my room to get ready.
While I was nervous as hell, I couldn’t ignore the undercurrent of
excitement pulsing through me.
Chapter 2
I turned the key and shut off my car. I fiddled with my key ring as I
stared at the spotlight lit wooden sign and the building in front of
me. On the outside, Joker’s looked like any old school tavern with
its rural charm and cedar siding, but the crowd of bikes parked out
front told a very different story. There had been speculation that the
Wraith’s used Joker’s a cover business to launder their gun money
and keep the cops off their backs. Then again, there was also the
rumor that they had the police chief and a few high-ranking officers
in their back pocket. I wasn’t sure which was true if either were, but
it wasn’t my responsibility to care.
It felt a bit dramatic to even think, but I had a mission to complete
so I have to get over the nerves. I took a deep breath and stepped out
of my Beetle. As soon as my black pumps hit the pavement the
feeling of guilt started gnawing at me. I suddenly felt like I was
doing something wrong, like I was cheating on Stephen, which was
nuts; the restraining order I had out should be enough to tell me that.
I supposed eight years of conditioning and abuse to my emotions
was enough to render me unsure.
I straightened up, faked confidence the best I could, and with
Walker’s image in the forefront of my brain, I strutted my way up to
the front door. With a steeling breath I entered and hoped this
wouldn’t blow up in my face.
Time seemed to slow as I took my first step inside. Three worn pool
tables took up most of the space in the small, wood-paneled bar, and
all three had a crowd of guys in denim and leather hanging around
them. The smell of cigarette smoke lingered heavily in the air, while
thick clouds of it hung around the hanging light fixtures.
I glanced around the room, looking for a man that resembled
Walker’s photo when an awful thought hit me: the guy could have
used a dummy picture. There wasn’t a man that looked anything like
the profile I engaged earlier that night. In fact, most of the men in
the place were heavily bearded, gray, old enough to be my dad, and
generally all had impressive beer guts. Oh no, what if I’ve been
duped?
I checked my watch again. At five to nine I was a little bit early, but
no more than any other punctual person.
I swallowed hard as I walked toward the heavy wood counter. One
by one each pair of eyes in the bar noticed me as I crossed the
scuffed pine floor. I tried to keep my posture straight and not show
how intimidated I really was, but I not only wanted to shrink away, I
wanted to bolt like a scared bunny. The looks I was getting ran the
gamut from curiosity to lecherous to downright hungry.
Sliding onto a bar stool I scanned the selection of beers on tap. The
bartender, a sour looking blonde with very enhanced breasts framed
by a cut up Black Flag t-shirt, approached removing a drink stirrer
from her mouth. “What can I get you, honey?” I was surprised, her
face looked about thirty, but her voice was scratchy and sounded
much older.
I peeked behind her again at the taps. “Uh, Guinness please.”
With a nod she popped her chewed up straw back in between her
teeth and poured me my drink. I spied a nicotine patch on her
shoulder, shining in the dim light next to a blown out lily tattoo.
“I’ve never seen you in here before, sweetheart.” The bartender
commented as she handed me my beer. She tossed a tattered Coors
Light coaster down in front of me.
“No. This is my first time coming in. I’m supposed to be meeting
somebody.” I replied nervously.
“Yeah, me!” a voice boomed from behind me.
“No she’s not, Paul. She’s meeting me!” A tall, gangly man – he had
to be about six feet - with a full sleeve of patriotic tattoos throws his
arm around my shoulder.
“Like hell she is, Vinnie. Back off she’s mine!” A short, pudgy man
with a bald spot elbowed the skinny man away from me. I flashed
the bartender a look of mortification. She chuckled and shrugged. I
was on my own.
“This has all been flattering, guys really. But I think I may be in the
wrong place. If you’ll excuse me…” I threw a ten-dollar bill down
on the bar and slid off the stool. What a stupid decision to meet
some random guy, at a notorious biker bar no less. I was such a
dummy!
“Take it easy, fellas.” I looked up to find the owner of the voice and
I was not disappointed. Standing a few paces in front of me was my
sexy Come Play date. He was real and stood a head taller than
Vinnie, who still seemed like he wanted to take me home to his
mother, and my date could probably punt the hobbit that hit on me.
“I’m sorry if these guys were bothering you. You must be Lyla. I’m
Walker.” He gestured to the stool I had just abandoned. “Take a
seat.”
I stared in awe for a moment at the gorgeous man in front of me as I
groped for my stool. Like a moth to torchlight, I was drawn into his
amber eyes. I had never seen such a color before; they reminded me
of single malt whisky. And they were about to get me just as drunk
if I didn’t come to my senses.
“Hi,” I squeaked. Real smooth.
Walker simply smiled at me and waved at the bartender who looked
just as enamored and flustered by Walker as I felt. “Two Johnnie
Walker’s. Splash of water.” He ordered.
There was no wasted energy. Every word and movement was
efficient and to the point. After several years of game playing, I
liked what I saw.
The bartender placed the two highball glasses in front of us with two
fingers each of really expensive top-shelf liquor. I took a sip and
closed my eyes as I rolled the smoky liquid over my tongue. I
reveled in the smooth burn as the whiskey slid all the way down and
warmed my belly. It was strong and just what I needed. “Thank you.
This is really good.” I took another swig, liquid courage and all.
Walker smirked at me and took a sip of his own drink. “A girl who
enjoys a good whisky. I like it. Have you ever been to a tasting?”
I nodded as I finished my last sip. “Yeah. I went to Scotland a
couple of years ago with my parents and we did a distillery tour. The
idea is to taste and spit, like you would at a wine tasting, but not all
of it makes it into the bucket. I had never seen my parents so tipsy.”
I giggled a little. I had warmed up a little faster than I thought.
Walker slowly looked me over, his gaze lingering on my legs a little
longer than was probably polite in a public setting. I had worn a
skirt per his instructions. What he didn’t tell me to do was wear my
black velvet fuck me pumps with it. I kind of made an executive
decision on that wardrobe choice.
The way he looked at me, like a predator sizing up his prey, made
my belly clench and lit my nerves up with the most exhilarating and
delicious fear I had ever felt. It had been so long since a man had
made me feel wanted in any capacity; I was going to bask in it and it
made me feel sexy, dammit.
“Did you have to wear such a short skirt? You are getting a lot of
attention, Miss Lyla.” Walker looked around the room and gave
warning looks to all the buzzards eyeballing me.
“I followed your instructions. You said wear a skirt. Next time, be
more specific.” The whisky made me sassy.
“You got me there.” He grazed his hand against the bare flesh of my
thigh leaving ripples of goose bumps in his wake. Completely
oblivious to our setting, he fingered the hem of the red fabric before
slipping his fingers underneath. My breath hitched as his hands
crept north to my hip and I felt like I should have stopped him, but I
couldn’t seem to remember how.
“No underwear,” Walker remarked, “You naughty little girl.” He
leaned in close, his eyes locked on mine. “I can’t wait to get this off
you.” He purred.
I bit my lip as I felt myself blush. This was actually happening. I
thought about pinching myself, but if I was in a dream I had no
intention of waking until it was over. His fingers lingered on my
thigh a little longer. I was disappointed when he noticed and
removed them.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Walker?” an older man
bellowed. We both turned to see a tall, well built man in his fifties
wearing a handlebar mustache and black jeans standing just inside
the doorway with his arms crossed and a hard face.
Walker got up and approached the new man in the bar. I shrank back
so as not to be noticed. This was clearly club business judging by
the unfolding tête à tête. Walker stepped to the side to reveal the
president’s patch on the front of the older man’s jacket; that told me
all I needed to know.
“You’re in luck Danny. I was ready to leave.” Walker’s voice
growled, almost like an animal. His back was to me so I couldn’t
see his face, but I could see Danny wasn’t happy.
“I told you not to come back here until you were ready to pledge
your vow to me and the club. Since you’re here, I’m assuming
you’ve finally come to your senses.” Danny’s mustache twitched in
amusement, and his eyes seemed to glow a bright orange.
I heard a deep growl as Walker drew a breath through his teeth.
“Ooo is that what you think? Sorry, fella. But it ain’t happening.”
Walker turned and crooked his finger at me. “I just came to pick my
entertainment for the night. I’ll be on my way now.” He gave a
sarcastic salute to Danny, hooked my elbow, and dragged me from
the building.
I protested and struggled, but Walker threw me over his shoulder
and marched over to his bike, dumping me on the seat when we got
there. His face was hard as he straddled the leather seat. The engine
roared to life and with not caring about whether I was actually
hanging on our not, he pulled away from the curb and out to the
street. I had no choice other than to hang on, or I was going to be a
stain on the asphalt.
My heart hammered in my chest as we turned down a back road
through the woods and picked up speed. The wind whipped by so
fast, I had to bury my face in Walker’s back to keep from tearing up
and getting chapped.
Within minutes the ride was over and he killed the engine. The
muscles in my legs were still jelly as Walker hopped off and
stormed into the little house, leaving me alone in the dark.
Rage coursed through my limbs, every nerve in my body was lit up.
This asshole had effectively kidnapped me and took me to God
knows where all in the midst of a temper tantrum. As gracefully as I
could manage I slung my leg over and slid off the bike to the
ground. I adjusted my skirt and waited to catch my balance before
taking off after him.
“You’ve got some nerve, buddy! Just what the fuck do you think
you’re doing?” I pitched my purse down on the floor and stamped
over to get in his face. All my fear and apprehension had been
replaced by pure adrenaline. Well, maybe not pure; it was probably
spiked with some blind stupidity.
Walker’s eyes burned into mine, his mouth set in a firm line. It was
a standoff, neither of us making a move. That was until his mouth
crushed mine. Walker jammed his hands into the wind-tangled
waves of my hair. I contemplated pushing him off me. I was still
mad. That was until he pressed my body into his and I felt the
stirrings of his erection against my belly.
Like magic, I wasn’t angry anymore. I allowed his mouth to ply
mine open and his tongue to sweep inside. I had to wrap my arms
around his waist to keep from buckling; my knees had gone soft and
I may even have forgotten my name under his skilled mouth.
Energy hummed between us as I ran my hands over the expanse of
his chest and the muscles of his belly. I slipped my hands under his
t-shirt to feel the soft layer of hair covering his skin. I could have
sworn I heard Walker growl again.
His hand traveled south to cup my breast. The bandage dress I had
worn was cut tight to go with that dangerously short skirt, but the
neckline still left something to the imagination. I moaned when his
fingers hooked the neckline and tugged it down, freeing my
imprisoned breasts from their restraints. When his thumb brushed
over a nipple, hardening it, my stomach tightened. His hands felt so
good on my bare skin that I had to have more.
I broke away and yanked his shirt over his head. The sight of him
took my breath away. His arms were tattooed from shoulder to
elbow with deep intense colors, shades of blue and green marked
with black. The hair that covered his well-muscled torso was dark,
nearly black, but not thick. I could still make out every cut of
muscle on him.
Walker smirked at me. “See anything you like?”
I hadn’t realized I’d been staring.
“Take off your dress,” He commanded. His amber eyes blazed as I
backed up and followed my hands as I pushed the tight red fabric
over my hips. I felt sexy as hell. Without taking his eyes off me,
Walker sauntered over to me, jeans slung so low on his hips I could
see the edge of his pubic hair. As he moved closer, I could feel the
heat cranking between us.
He ran his hands up my arms and over my breasts. Dipping down,
he trailed his mouth along my neck; the soft tickling sensation was
unbelievably erotic. I had to press my thighs together to take the
edge of the throbbing or there was a good chance I’d explode with
desire. I moaned and let my head tip back as Walker worked his way
south, drawing a nipple in his mouth. He sucked hard enough to
send shockwaves through my body.
“Holy shit, that feels amazing,” I admit as I bury my hands in his
hair.
I can feel him chuckle against my skin, a deep rumble vibrating
down to my core. I liked this. We had hardly spoken to each other
beyond learning each other’s names. Frankly, I had no desire to go
beyond that. We were speaking with our bodies, a much more
primal, ancient language I didn’t understand, but wanted so badly to
learn.
“Sit on the edge of the bed and spread your legs.” I did as
commanded, though walking backwards in six-inch heels was not
the sexiest thing. I sat down and moved to slip the pumps off.
“Leave them.”
I was confused, but obeyed. Leaning back I rested on my elbows
and spread my legs, giving Walker full view of a body part only one
other man had ever seen. With that thought, I was suddenly struck
with insecurity and pressed my thighs closed. My inexperience was
about to show and I wasn’t very comfortable with that.
Walker slipped his hands between my thighs and spread my legs
back apart. “You keep them open when I tell you to.” Walker said
sternly. I bit my lip and nodded. The dominance was so hot I forgot
all about my insecurity. He was taking the lead, all I had to do was
participate.
Walker bent down and kissed me deeply before kneeling between
my spread legs. I gasped in shock as he dipped down and ran his
tongue against my already dripping wet flesh. He lifted my legs over
his shoulders; his gaze caught mine and held me, forcing me to
watch, as he licked and nibbled me. He sucked my clitoris; my body
tightened in response a quiet “Ah!” culled from my mouth. When he
slipped his tongue inside me I thought I was done for.
I squirmed and writhed against his mouth as he worked me over.
Two fingers slipped inside me and pressed against my g-spot. There
was no point in maintaining any composure. I felt my orgasm
building quickly. I dug the heels of my stilettos into his back, “I’m
coming” I shout. I cried out and screamed his name. The pleasure
almost brought tears to my eyes; I had never felt anything so good
before.
I fell against the mattress in a gelatinous heap. I had no energy or
will to move my limbs. At some point in the haze of the afterglow I
felt Walker move over my body to nibble my neck again. I can feel
his stilted breath against my ear. “You are the sexiest thing I’ve ever
seen,” he whispered as he drew himself between my legs, “I’m
going to fuck you, Lyla. But first I want to see you touch yourself.”
His fingers found mine and guided my hands between my legs. I
had masturbated only sporadically in my last relationship because of
some misguided notion that I should be having sex with my
uninterested boyfriend instead. Judging by how wet I was it was
safe to say Walker got me.
Walker reared up on his knees to get a better view of my hands and
pussy. As I circled my clitoris, the sensation was almost too much.
As Walker watched me he slipped off his jeans and began stroking
himself. I had never seen a man do that and I have to admit, it
turned me on. A lot.
My eyes grew wide as he grew. Stephen was nowhere near that big.
I started having doubts as to whether I could handle him or not. He
pulled a condom out of his jeans, tore off the wrapper, and rolled it
on. At that point I was breathing heavily from all the stimulation.
“Stop,” Walker commanded.
I whimpered, but obeyed. Walker slithered between my legs and
positioned himself against me. The thickness of him stole my breath
as he slipped inside me. I was glad for how wet I was, otherwise he
would have hurt like hell.
“God, you are so tight,” Walker murmured, letting out a grunt with
each thrust. I could see the strain in the muscles in his arms from
trying to control himself. I wrapped my legs around his waist and
encouraged him with a roll of my hips.
He hooked his arm under me and pulled me up to straddle his lap. I
gave in and rode him, gripping his shoulders and holding on for dear
life as I ground myself against him. My eyes closed as my head
lolled back. “Walker,” I breathe, “I need you.”
He gripped my hips and picked up the pace. I’m in a trance as
another orgasm picked up speed. This one was less explosive, but
no less pleasurable. I tip forward and moan against his neck as he
pumped deeper and sent me over the edge.
We both collapsed in a heap on the mattress, sated and seeing stars. I
forgot myself and curled against him as I caught my breath. I have
to give Walker credit, we didn’t know each other, but he didn’t
hesitate to pull me to his chest and hold me while we both came
back down to Earth.
Chapter 3
While Walker holding me felt nice, the silence was a little awkward.
It only reminded me that I had just had sex with a man I didn’t
know in a place I wasn’t familiar with. Instead of making the
moment feel that much more awkward, I opted to go to the
bathroom. Hopefully, I could get my head around what to do next.
I tapped Walker on the chest and slid out of his arms. I could hear
him sit up in the bed as I walked away.
“Damn. You have an amazing ass.” Walker commented. I could feel
myself blush as I giggled and hurried into the bathroom, shutting the
door behind me.
Yes, I had to pee so I took care of business, but what was I going to
do with the sex god in the other room when I was done? I flushed
and got up to wash my hands. My reflection in the ancient mirror
surprised me. I looked like sexiest lion woman ever. My lips were
pink and swollen from Walker’s kisses and raspy stubble. There was
a pink glow in my cheeks that I had never seen before. I looked
healthy, well fucked, and most surprising to me, confident.
The blonde tendrils I had so carefully styled before I left the house
were now dreaded up and fuzzy. Between the bedroom and the
motorcycle there was a chance I would never be able to tame my
hair again.
I turned and checked out my naked backside. It was a little too big
and full, but damn if it didn’t look good with a little pink on it. For
the first time in my life I felt good about the way I looked.
I clicked the light off and strutted back out into the bedroom. Walker
was gone. I hadn’t heard him leave, but the panic still rose in my
throat like bile. I didn’t know where I was or how I got here. I
wasn’t sure if he had neighbors so I pulled Walker’s t-shirt on to go
look for him.
The house was empty and quiet. A chill crept up my spine, I felt like
I was in a horror movie and Leatherface would be lurking around
the next corner to cut me to pieces. “Walker?” I called out, my voice
echoing off the bare paneled walls.
The way the cabin was set up was very Spartan. There were no
photos or knick-knacks. The brown leather couch was completely
devoid of throw pillows and blankets. If it weren’t for the wood and
earthy colors, the room would have felt very barren and cold.
Since Walker wasn’t around, I decided to give myself a tour of the
rest of the space. Not only did I feel like I was in a horror movie, but
peeking out the front windows I was literally in a cabin in the
woods. I could just barely make out another building through one of
the sparse spots between the trees and only because it had its porch
light on.
Making my way towards the kitchen, I couldn’t shake the feeling
that something was up. Where had Walker gone? He had left me
alone and I started to freak out. I took a few deep breaths to steady
my nerves. I just focused on my breathing until the silence didn’t
bother me anymore. And then my stomach growled.
In the empty space, the rumble seemed to echo off the walls, driving
me to have a giggle fit. I wasn’t sure if it was my setting, situation,
or both, but I was suddenly eight years old and bodily functions
were super funny again.
I could hear the turning of a key in the deadbolt and froze, my prior
mirth abandoned as the front door creaked open. I let out the breath
I had been holding when Walker appeared carrying a bundle of
firewood.
“I can help you with that,” I offered. I quickly met Walker and
grabbed a few logs off the top of the pile.
“Thanks. Just set them over by the woodstove.” He pointed to the
corner of the living room with his chin.
I left him to drop my pile when I could suddenly feel his eyes on
me. “You look good in my shirt.” He commented.
I sashay in a circle, “What, this old thing? Thank you, sir.”
Walker padded up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Sir? A guy could get used to that kind of talk.” He bent down and
nuzzled my neck. The sensation heightened my already overworked
senses.
“Would you like that, sir?” I teased, “Having a woman at your beck
and call? To take and ravish when ever you wanted?” Wait, why
would I suggest that? Was that something I wanted?
I could feel Walker’s shoulders shake. He was laughing at me!
“If she were as gorgeous as you? Abso-fucking-lutely.” He pressed
his pelvis against mine. “You wanna be that woman? I have to admit
the thought of you trussed up and moaning is a tempting one.” He
dragged a finger between my breasts as he spoke.
“Are you telling me you’re into that sort of thing?” Please say yes.
I’ll do whatever you want.
“I am, but only with the right partner.” I felt his facial hair graze my
jaw as his teeth caught my earlobe. I moaned and gripped his biceps.
I was going down if I didn’t.
He nipped and kissed down my neck, sending little jolts and shivers
through me. As his hands traveled down the front of my body, I was
mentally screaming at him to fuck me.
I felt the caress of very large hands on my legs as Walker dragged
them up my thighs, riding up the hem of his t-shirt, which hardly
covered anything anyway. His breath caressed my ear and the
vibration of his voice against my skin made me soaking wet.
My body protested as I pulled away. Walker looked confused. “Did I
step over the line?”
“Oh hell no. I am dripping right now I want you so bad. I was just
curious, did you want to see me again after tonight?” I crossed my
fingers behind my back.
“Are you kidding? With an ass like yours I’m not letting you out of
my sight.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me against him. “Of
course. I would like to take you out to dinner once in a while too.”
One corner of his mouth turned up into an adorable crooked smile.
“I just want to let you know that I’m on birth control and have only
ever had one partner.” I blurted out. I had thought that would be
good information to know moving forward.
Walker’s mouth hit the floor. I watched one emotion after another
cross his face. Annoyance, confusion, triumph, and a few more I
couldn’t quite put my finger on made me wonder if I made the right
choice. “How old are you?” he asked suddenly looking dubious.
“I’m twenty-six. Don’t worry I’m legal. I just happened to have
been in a very long-term relationship that I got out of just a few
months ago.” I figured if the honesty train was leaving I should
probably get on it.
“O-kay. So am I supposed to be some kind of rebound thing or
what?”
I had to ponder that for a minute. I knew the answer to that question,
but it may have just turned into the wrong one. “You were… are
supposed to be just a one night thing.” I hesitated. Should I continue
my thought?
When Walker didn’t say anything I guessed he wanted me to
continue. “But I’m enjoying your company so much that I think I’d
like to see you again. You know if you still want to see me again.”
I felt heat creep up my cheeks as Walker studied me. I was such a
stupid girl for telling essentially a complete stranger that I was
emotionally raw. Hell, I might as well have told him I was planning
the wedding for all the good my mouth seemed to be doing me.
“You can say something now.”
Walker smirked and took a step back. Tipping my chin up so he
could look at me he responded, “I don’t mind. I wasn’t too sure
about the one other partner thing, but that’s no big deal. Virgins
freak me out. I’ve been with two and they both got weird and clingy
after. Your relationship history is no problem and I’m glad you’re on
birth control because I’m not a fan of rubbers. I’m clean and have
the paperwork to prove it. I just got tested a few weeks ago actually
if that makes you feel better.”
In a way it did. “I did the same when I dumped my ex. He was a
cheater and fucked half the women in town so I had to make sure. I
got lucky.” Boy did I. The fact that for the three months before I
ended it he wouldn’t touch me is likely what saved me. I found out
two weeks after I dumped him that he had gotten chlamydia from
God knows where.
“Let’s just have fun with this thing.” He slipped his fingers between
the wet folds of my pussy. “There are so many things I’d love to do
to you,” he announced as his index finger circled my clit. “And
maybe a few I’d like you to do to me,” he said with a cocky grin.
I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding and in that breath I
realized I was not a casual kind of girl. Bravo to the women that can
keep their relationships string free, but gazing into Walker Lewis’s
eyes, I could feel myself being sucked into those honey colored
depths. That would be a problem.
As his mouth found mine again, I abandoned that thought. Like
Scarlett O’Hara, I’d worry about that tomorrow.
Chapter 4
I woke up with a start. Nothing about the room I was in was
familiar. The sheets I had slept on were not mine. I didn’t recognize
the light fixture over my head or the pillow under it. Wide-eyed, I
scanned the room until I landed on Walker sleeping soundly next to
me. That’s when the night before came flooding back, as did the
delicious soreness between my legs.
I reached down to touch the tender flesh of my thighs, the skin still
sticky with Walker’s cum. I smile and stretch, working out the kinks
and knots from using muscles that I didn’t know I had in positions I
had never attempted before and it was amazing. I finally found a
guy that was experienced enough to want to see me get my pleasure
first…. and then four more times throughout the night.
Rolling over onto my side, I tried to ease out from under Walker’s
grip. He had his arm flung over me in a way that felt somehow
casual and possessive all at once. I managed to turn myself so my
feet hit the floor when I was yanked back with a yelp.
“Not so fast,” Walker said as he rolled over on top of me, the tip his
morning wood pressing against my opening.
I laughed as I struggled a bit. “Walker, I have to pee!” I squeaked.
“It’s the morning. This won’t take long.”
He plunged inside of me and began to rock his hips. I gritted my
teeth because at first the stretching hurt from being so sore, but
within a minute or two I was wet enough to feel nothing but
pleasure as he stroked against my g-spot over and over.
Walker’s hips found their rhythm and worked me up so fast that my
orgasm took me completely by surprise. With my muscles pulsing
around his cock and a grunt in response, Walker came inside me for,
I wasn’t sure what number that was.
“You are insatiable, sir. What happened to guys needing a bounce
back period?”
Walker growled and planted a quick, but by no means chaste, kiss
on my mouth. “I guess I’m just a special kind of guy,” he said with a
shrug and a grin.
I climbed out of bed. Walker slapped me on the ass as I leaned
forward to stand, causing me to squeal and scamper off to the
bathroom, the sting lingering on the delicate and sensitive skin of
my behind.
I got the brilliant idea to make breakfast while I was busy washing
my hands. I could really go for something hearty to build my
strength back up. My stomach rumbled in agreement.
Finishing up and slipping Walker’s t-shirt over my head again, I
hobbled into the kitchen, cowboy style. I quietly laughed at myself
as I squatted down to find a pan in the lower cabinets. I couldn’t
remember a time where I had felt so good and so bad all at the same
time.
I managed to come up with a cast iron number, but an inspection of
the contents of the fridge left me empty-handed. It was sadly, a
bachelor’s fridge. A lonely, half eaten jar of pickles and a stale
hamburger bun were the sole occupants of an otherwise desolate
refrigerator. “Well, that won’t do.” I murmured to myself.
I shut the door and leaned against the ancient appliance. With it’s off
avocado green color the thing had to be a relic from the 1970s. In
fact, the whole kitchen looked like it had been lifted from the same
time period and plunked down in an otherwise rustic and woodsy
cabin. One of the linoleum tiles had lifted at one corner. I toyed with
it with my big toe as I contemplated our food situation.
“Walker?” I called out, “Walker, I’m starving and you’ve got
nothing in your kitchen,” I explained as I padded back to the
bedroom. I opened the door to find him out of bed and fastening his
belt. Even standing their shirtless I felt my pulse ramp up. In the
early morning light I could make out his tattoos better. Howling
wolves were interspersed with bursts of light on his upper arms.
With his back to me I could see the incredible detail of a huge wolf
outstretched and hands covering its face. The artist must have been
immensely talented, the images looked like they would spring right
off the skin.
Walker turned to face me. “If you toss me that shirt you’re wearing I
can take you out.”
I glanced down at my torso like I didn’t know what he was talking
about and had myself a “duh” moment. I shouldn’t be allowed in the
same room as beautiful men. They kill brain cells. I peel the shirt off
and toss it to him; I was completely nude again.
“You should go ahead and get dressed,” Walker suggested, “Before I
toss you back on that bed again.”
My stomach rumbled audibly again in protest. “As lovely as that
sounds, I’m sore and so hungry I could eat a horse.” I shake my
dress from the night before out and slip it on over my head. I hadn’t
bothered with a bra while I was getting ready the night before. I
hurried and slipped my shoes back on. I was getting the shakes I
was so hungry.
Walker had been watching me get ready. “You don’t have any
underwear, do you?”
“Shit.” Somehow I did forget that more than minor detail. “This is
all I have. I wasn’t planning on having a sleepover.” In the haste to
leave Joker’s the night before we both forgot I wasn’t wearing
anything under my dress. Such a state is actually really unsafe o a
motorcycle.
Walker rummaged around in his dresser and pulled out a pair of
jeans. “Put these on. They might be a little big, but at least you’ll be
covered.”
I studied the waistband and the slimness of Walkers hips and torso.
There was a better chance these would be too small, but I pulled
them on anyway. I managed to get them buttoned and they did fit
comfortably. Yay me!
Walker nodded his approval. “Great. Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 5
What was supposed to have been a most glorious one-night stand
had turned into nearly a month of coital bliss. We couldn’t get
enough of each other. If we weren’t having sex we were at least
touching in some fashion.
Walker had decided to try pushing his luck at Joker’s again that
night after I got off work. I’m not terribly keen on that, but he had
put on his alpha pants and there was nothing I could do or say that
would change his mind. Not even a blowjob. It was that serious.
I arrived at work only twenty minutes late. I had managed to sleep
through my alarm that morning. It wasn’t my favorite way to start
my day.
I met up with Crystal in the break room to grab myself a cup of
coffee and settle my frayed nerves before jumping into my edits.
“Where have you been, missy?” Crystal asked. Her hands were
planted on her hips in mock indignation.
“I overslept.”
“I’m not talking about this morning. I mean the last month. I haven’t
seen you and you blew off girls night on Friday.”
“Well…” I blushed and looked at the floor. I felt sheepish; I could
only imagine how I looked.
“Oh. My. God. You blew me off for that guy didn’t you?” Crystal
tried, but couldn’t keep the shit-eating grin off her face. “That good,
huh?”
I nodded. “Oh man, Crystal he’s amazing. Even if he’s just the
Stephen rebound guy, he makes me feel so good.” I finished stirring
and take a swallow of my coffee and grimaced. “Ugh! Who made
the coffee this morning?”
Crystal looked offended then glanced at the contents of her own
mug. “I did not ten minutes ago.” She took a sip and shrugged.
“Tastes fine to me.”
I wrinkled my nose before taking another tentative sip and freeze as
it hits my stomach. “Oh, fuck.” I tossed my cup in the sink and
bolted to the trashcan in the corner of the room just in time to
completely empty out the contents of my stomach.
Crystal hurried over and grabbed my hair, pulling it out of the line
of fire. I paused after heaving to test for any potential aftershock.
“Can you grab me a paper towel?” I asked weakly.
“Of course.” Crystal hurried back with my request. “Have a little
too much this weekend?”
“No. I had one drink on Friday and that’s it. Maybe I caught a bug
or something.”
Crystal chuckled. “With all the sex you’ve been having, maybe
you’re pregnant.”
“Come on, Crystal. Don’t even joke like that.” I stiffened as I do the
mental math. Counting backwards from then I was officially a week
late. I dug my birth control pack out of my purse and see that I’d
taken each and every single pill, but somehow didn’t notice when
I’d finished the placebo pills and still hadn’t gotten my period. I
looked up at Crystal wide-eyed. “Fuck. You might be right.”
Crystal startled. “What? I was just kidding. Give me those.” She
snatched the pink pod out of my hands and saw the same thing I did.
“Did you miss one or maybe took one too late?”
I shook my head. “Nope. I even set an alarm so I don’t forget. What
are the odds?”
“Less than three per cent. We need to go to the drugstore now. I’ll
tell the boss that you’ve got a stomach bug and I need to take you
home.”

“Lyla! Come on out of there. What does it say?” Crystal was

banging on my bathroom door. I knew she was lingering out there
the entire time, which didn’t exactly take the pressure off to pee.
I had kept my eyes closed until the timer went off. I needed to know,
but I didn’t want to. Lo and behold that hunk of plastic that could
not lie, told me my fate in plain digital letters: pregnant. 3+ weeks.
I traipsed over to the bathroom door and weakly pulled it open.
“So?” Crystal asked tapping her foot.
I couldn’t speak. The capacity for normal human speech had been
forgotten in that moment. Instead I handed her the test.
“Holy shit! Lyla, you’re pregnant!” Crystal got a little giddy for a
second, but when she realized I wasn’t celebrating too she stopped.
“Are you alright? I thought you wanted to be a mom?”
“I did. I do! I just didn’t think it was going to be with a guy who is
supposed to be temporary and while I was on The Pill.”
“Just tell me what you want to do and I’ll help support you one
hundred per cent.” I felt her hands smoothing the tension from my
back.
“Nothing. Nothing for now, thanks. I’ll see Walker tonight and I’ll
discuss it with him. In the meantime, would you mind calling my
gynecologist and getting me an appointment today? I don’t trust my
fingers to not drop my phone.”
I waited for Walker to pick me up out on the sidewalk. I knew he
would be suspicious since he usually came to the door, but I was too
anxious to be cooped up. The ultrasound photo felt like a bomb in
my purse that would go off any second. I was lucky my doctor was
able to get me in within a couple of hours to confirm exactly what
was going on with me.
I could hear the roar of the motorcycle from the entrance of the
neighborhood, my anxiety ticked up as the sound drew closer.
Walker pulled up in front of me and turned off the bike. “What’s
going on?” Worry clear on his face.
Again, I couldn’t say the word. I just handed him the fuzzy black
and white printout and held my breath.
He stared for a moment before going completely ashen. “What am I
looking at here? Are you…?” Turned out he couldn’t say it either.
I nodded. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, no matter
how hard I fought them back. This was it. He was going to bail and
I’d never see him again.
The look of shock quickly rearranged itself into one of elation.
“You’re pregnant? We’re going to have a baby!” He scooped me up
and squeezed me tight, planting scratchy kisses all over my face.
“You aren’t mad?” I was dumbfounded. I hadn’t expected his
reaction.
“Mad? Why would I be mad? This is amazing fucking news! I’m
going to have a baby with the woman I love.” Time came to a
grinding halt.
Love? Was it love between the two of us? I had been under the
impression that it was lust. Well, mostly lust with a healthy amount
of affection and respect sprinkled in. I wasn’t sure how to answer
and judging by the look on Walker’s face, I thought he’d rather I
forgot he said anything at all.
Since I wasn’t sure about my feelings for him, I decided to drop the
subject for the time being in favor of a much more pressing one.
“Babies,” I announced pointing to the two dark spots on the
ultrasound.
“What?” Walker asked, snapping out of his daze.
“Babies; as in plural. We are having twins, and apparently big ones.
My doctor said I look like I’m about two months along, which is
nuts.”
Walker sighed and handed me back the photo. “We need to talk.”
Shit. “Here it comes, the rejection.”
“No! No, no. Are you kidding? I wasn’t planning on letting you go
and considering the circumstances now, you’re stuck with me.” He
grinned, an expression that quickly melted away. “You’re pregnancy
is going to go by fast. Shifter babies develop especially quick.” He
paused to weigh my reaction before continuing. “The Wraith’s
aren’t just a club, we’re also able to shift from people to animals;
specifically wolves.”
I felt like someone dropped ice down my back. “Those are just
stories! There is no such thing.” I’m having babies with a delusional
crazy person.
“Sure, but the stories are based in reality. They have to come from
somewhere.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Look, I don’t want
to discuss this here. Let’s go and I’ll explain everything when we’re
around safe company.” He held his hand out to me.
Of course, I hesitated. Walker just told me he was a goddamn
werewolf. I should be running and screaming in the other direction,
but my feet had become rooted to the spot. I wrestled with what I
should do. This could be the part where the crazy man wanted to
make me his bride or kill me. There were enough of those stories
floating around in the world too.
In the end, I decided to hear him out.
Chapter 6
Joker’s was quiet compared to the first night I was there. Walker
dragged me over to a booth in the furthest corner away from the
smoke and sensitive ears.
“So now that we’re among ‘safe company’, are you going to tell me
what this craziness is all about?” I demanded. Walker looked down
at his hands. I couldn’t believe it. He actually looked nervous!
“Have you ever heard the Native American stories about skin
walkers? You know, animals that take on human form?”
“No. Can’t say that I have.”
“Okay. I’ll give you the short version. In the old legends, the skin
walkers were the priests of the tribe that had gone astray down an
evil path. They had killed a close family member so they were able
to become animal at night.”
I was skeptical, but told myself to keep an open mind. I always had
the option to run away and change my name later.
“Only part of that is true. You have to perform an evil deed, but you
also have to have the bloodline to do it. Neither of my parents could
shift, but I guess they had the ability to if they would have just
killed.”
“Wouldn’t they have had to kill their parents or one of their children
to do that?”
Walker shook his head and waved to the bartender. “No. That part of
the legend is off too. I didn’t. I had been in a bar fight with the old
president of the Wraiths actually. We both got loaded and I hit on his
girlfriend.” I cocked an eyebrow at that salacious detail, but didn’t
interrupt.
“Naturally, he got pissed and things got physical. I had been in
plenty of fights before, but something was different that night. I
can’t really explain it since it was a feeling more than anything.”
The bartender interrupted and took our drink orders.
I was on the edge of my seat at that point and annoyed at her for the
disruption. I didn’t want a drink; I wanted to hear the end. When the
bartender left he continued, “I remember punching him in the nose
and knocking him to the ground, there’s a big hole where I must
have blacked out and then the next thing I know. I’m standing over
him, his face looking like hamburger meat. I had beaten him to
death.”
I slouched back in my seat with an uneasy feeling in the pit of my
stomach. That was a lot of information to absorb and I wasn’t so
sure I wanted to. The father of my twins was a murderer. Sure he
claimed to not remember, but I couldn’t be sure of that.
“There’s another thing you should know about the babies…”
“Walker Lewis!” A voice boomed through the bar, jarring me out of
my thoughts. “Get your sorry ass over here and pledge yourself to
me.” Danny had arrived to make the evening even worse for me.
Great.
“Hell no. In fact,” Walker stood up and composed himself. An air of
authority had settled around him, “You get on your knees and
pledge yourself to me.”
The two men closed the space between each other and stood toe to
toe. Danny had about an inch on Walker’s height, but Walker had
the advantage of being roughly fifteen years younger. I should have
wanted to giggle at the absurdity of the tough guy standoff, but the
tension between them tossed the silliness right out of the room.
“I ain’t pledgin’ nothin’, Walker. I’m the leader of this club and you
will accept that. On your knees, now,” Danny growled.
“Go fuck yourself,” Walker said evenly, “there is no way you are
allowed to be the leader anymore. Tell me something. What is it that
a true alpha should be able to do that the others can’t?”
Danny scoffed and took a step back. “Get a human girl pregnant.
Why are you asking stupid questions?”
Walker tilted his head, making sure he had the attention of every
person in the bar. He had Danny on the ropes and needed everyone
to know it. “And how is that going for you and your wife? She’s
totally human, right?”
Danny narrowed his eyes and snarled. “That is none of your
business, you piece of shit.”
“Temper temper, Danny. We’re just having a talk.” Walker leered at
his soon to be former alpha. “It sounds like, no babies then. Am I
right?”
Danny refused to answer. His faces had broken out in red blotches
and he kept opening and closing his fists at his side.
“My lovely girl over here just happens to be pregnant with twins,
my twins to be exact. So tell me then, who should kneel to whom?”
Walker’s face lit up in epiphany. “Hang on. This explains
everything. You knew. You knew I was the true alpha, didn’t you?”
Danny sputtered an attempted explanation, but Walker cut him off,
“You spent the last fifteen years busting me down and running me
out because I was a threat to your title. Oh, you motherfucker. You
are good.” Walker smiled and wagged a finger at Danny.
“Tell you what. All will be forgiven if you just hit the floor and
pledge your unwavering loyalty to me.” Something in the room had
changed just then. I looked at the faces of the other men in the bar.
Most were focused on Walker, some were on Danny waiting for him
to do something, and a few were scrutinizing me for signs that
Walker’s claim was true.
Danny made a move that caught my eye. He shed his jacket and
dropped to all fours on the floor in front of Walker. His skin rippled
and popped. In a blink a grizzled wolf was lying where Danny used
to be. Walker followed suit and turned into the most gorgeous sable
wolf I had ever seen. Danny had rolled over onto his back, exposing
his belly in a posture of submission. While staring into the face of
the older wolf he put one paw on his rivals belly and growled.
I rubbed my eyes thinking they had suddenly gone bad. There was
no way the two arguing men had just turned into animals. I looked
around the room for the reactions of the others and while being
glued to the story unfolding, none of them looked shocked.
Oh wow. Walker was telling the truth. As hard as my brain tried to
rationalize what just happened, it couldn’t. There was no rational
explanation for what just happened other than it was something
supernatural, which is batshit crazy.
Now my life had gotten tangled up in it and I didn’t know what to
do. I splayed a hand over my belly, what would become of my
babies? If the realization that Walker was telling the truth and
shifted in front of me was the warm up punch, then the realization
that my little babies could be just like him was the knockout punch.
I felt woozy and had to sit down.
I stuck my head between my knees and closed my eyes. My
breathing was ragged and labored despite my best effort to calm it.
The insanity was too much.
“Lyla are you okay? Do you need anything?” I could hear Walker’s
voice, but he sounded fuzzy and far away. I shook my head in
response. I didn’t want to answer him, not just yet.
He bundled me into his arms where I finally broke down and wept. I
just let him hold me there until his t-shirt was soaked and I was
dried out.
“Lyla, is there anything I can do to help?” Walker murmured.
“Yes. Take me home.”

Walker laid me down on my old threadbare couch. His concern for

me was touching and warmed some of the icy feelings I felt for him
in that moment. I had rolled over to keep my back to him. I just
couldn’t look at him. He had told me the truth and yet I still felt
betrayed somehow.
“Lyla. Talk to me. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s
wrong. Honestly, you’re freaking me the fuck out.” I could hear the
anxiety in Walker’s voice, but I still wrestled with how to handle
this. I could let him know how I was feeling, but there was that
other side that hoped if I ignored him he would just go away.
I decided to talk to him. I rolled over and looked Walker square in
the eye, he has to understand what I just went through. “You turned
into a dog! I watched you drop on all fours and sprout fur. What I
believed to be reality has been dashed to pieces so you’ll have to
excuse me for being less than chatty.”
Walker grabbed my hand and stroked my fingers. “You have every
right to feel that way. If the roles had been reversed I would
probably feel the same. If you want me to go, I will.”
I sighed and sat up. “No. Don’t go. I’ll come to terms with it. I want
you to stay with me.” I placed his hand over my still flat belly. “Our
babies need you. I’m shaken, but that doesn’t change the way I feel
about you, Walker.”
He freed his hand and slid his arm around my waist, pulling me to
the edge of the cushions. “Oh? And how do you feel about me?”
 I leaned in almost close enough for our lips to brush. “I need you,
Walker. I can’t imagine my life without you.” I was dangerously
close to uttering the L-word, but had to proceed with caution. The
goal was to keep him around, not to run him off.
Walker stroked my face and grasped my neck. “I love you, Lyla. I’ll
give you all the time you need to get used to my life, but I have to
have you as a part of it.”
I was elated to hear those words. “Say it again.” I whispered.
“I love you, Lyla.”
I lost myself and kissed him with all of the passion and love I had
coursing through my body. This tough, strange, and special man
loved me. He came out of nowhere and the one-night stand he was
supposed to be was stretching into forever. It would take time to get
used to the wolfy thing, but I loved him and in time would not only
come to accept it, but embrace it as well.
THE END

The Grey
Chapter One
The house sat in the middle of a wooded area, surrounded by trees and
a gravelled pavement that served as both road and driveway.
Savannah got out of the car and stared at the quaint little house that
was going to be her home for the next six months.
“This is what I always imagined Little Red Riding Hood’s
grandmother’s house to look like,” Savannah said, turning back to her
parents.
“Do you like it?” her father had taken to speaking very precisely for
her benefit. She never needed to wear her hearing aid around her
parents because she could read their lips perfectly.
“It’s all right,” Savannah said reluctantly. In fact, she did like it. There
was a sense of cosiness that clung to the house and the town that she
had never experienced before. Still, she didn’t want her parents to
know that, because she didn’t want them thinking she was happy
about the move.
She stayed outside and walked toward the trees that stood beside the
house like sentinels. They had a strong, oaky smell, but there was an
undercurrent of something else in the air. The back of the house faced
a series of small hills that led up to larger ones. They were paved with
grass and rock and Savannah could sense the difference in the air up
there.
A half hour later she went back into the house to join her parents.
They had bought the house with the furniture included. The sofa was
upholstered with a thick fabric that held a heavy pattern of flowers.
Instead of blinds in the windows, there were curtains in a variety of
mismatched floral patterns. There were floorboards and carpets
instead of tiles, and a staircase, with block stairs, and an old-fashioned
railing.
“You could be right,” Savannah’s mother said, when she walked into
the kitchen. “Maybe Red Riding Hood’s grandmother did live here.”
Savannah smiled, grabbed her duffel bag, and walked upstairs in
search of her room. It was nestled in the corner overlooking the
mountains and the hooded trees. There was one large window that
brought in all the light and bathed the sparse contents of her room in
an ivory glow. She set down her duffel bag and examined her small
four-poster bed.
She couldn’t hear her father walk in, but she sensed his presence the
moment he appeared at her door, and she turned around.
“Remember when you were six and all you wanted was a four poster
bed?”
Savannah rolled her eyes at him. “Is this you coming through for
me?”
“It most definitely is.” Her father nodded.
“Thanks, Dad,” Savannah signed to him sarcastically. “Twelve years
late, but I’ll take it anyway.”
He winked at her and moved on down the hall. Savannah closed the
door and walked to her window. The light was already fading, and she
knew it would be dark within the hour. She stuck her head out the
window and closed her eyes so she could concentrate.
The wind caressed her face, sending a comforting coolness across her
body. The air smelled of smoky oak and fresh dirt. Savannah froze in
place as some other unfamiliar scent washed across her. It was subtle
at first, but then grew stronger. She had never caught that scent before;
it was oddly pleasant and difficult to place. Savannah opened her eyes
and looked around, but there was nothing to see save the different
greens and browns of nature.
Savannah had never thought she was unlucky. She had never
experienced sound the way that normal people did, and couldn’t
understand why it was so important as a result. She was finally able to
hear sound with the help of powerful hearing aids, but she hadn’t been
as thrilled as her doctors and parents had been. She liked her silent
world, and the advantages it gave her.
Ever since she was a little girl, her other senses had been heightened.
She could smell more sharply, she could see more clearly, and she
could feel more acutely, but it was more than just that. She had an
intuition about things…about people. At least, that was what her
parents called it–intuition. But for Savannah it was something more.
She was almost nine years old when she realized people in the world
had their own specific aura. There were many similarities between
auras, but for the most part, everyone was unique in their own way,
everyone was different. She could sense their moods and their
character. It was stronger with some people in comparison to others,
but it was always there.
Sometimes she saw flashes of things in the back of her eyelids,
sometimes she smelled an extra layer of scent hiding in the whole, and
sometimes it was as simple as seeing what was right in front of her. It
was a hard thing to try to explain, and it was hard to understand
another person’s aura. Over time, Savannah began to assign colours to
fit the emotions she felt coming off of people. It was then she realized
that colour seemed to be as infinite as emotion.
Her father had always referred to her as a military brat and her mother
liked to call her little gypsy, but Savannah had always thought of
herself as tumbleweed. She had no control over where she went when
the wind blew, and she had no choice but to go where it pushed her. In
her case, her parents were the wind, and she went wherever they did.
Savannah had lived in four different countries, eleven different cities,
and she had changed schools nine times. The downside was that she
never had the opportunity to make friends. The upside was that she
had met thousands of different people, each with their own unique
auras. Very few things surprised Savannah and very few things
stumped her. She had an instinct about the world, about people, and
about places, and she was very rarely wrong.
Which was why she couldn’t understand why the smell hidden just
beneath the wind at her window seemed so unfamiliar. She stared up
at the line of trees sitting on one of the shallower hills. They were
thicker in that area and exposed very little. The secret scent was
coming from that direction, but it still gave her no hints as to what it
was.
There was one thing she was certain of--the scent wasn't human.

Chapter Two
“Are you ready for your first day of school?” her father signed from
the front seat.
Savannah sighed. “This is my ninth first day at school,” she
signed back at him. “At this point, assume I’m always ready.”
“Aw come on,” her mother said, turning to face her from the
passenger's seat. “You could sound a little more excited.”
“Yay,” Savannah replied sarcastically.
“Oh, all right,” her mother said. “I suppose you’ve earned the right to
be a little…disinterested. Here are your hearing aids.”
Savannah shook her head. “I don’t want to wear them.”
“Come on, darling,” her mother insisted. “Things will go a lot
easier if you just wear them.”
Savannah sighed in frustration, but she took them anyway. She knew
her mother was right; it was just that she hated the first day of starting
out at a new school. She always felt like a monkey in a zoo, even
more so, considering that she sensed things that were normally a
mystery to most people.
“Can’t I just be home-schooled?”
“Come on now,” her father said evenly. “It’s going to be great.
Stay positive.”
“I hate how chirpy the two of you are whenever we move someplace
new,” Savannah said. “Just because you’re both so positive all the
time, doesn't mean I’ll forget how much this all sucks.”
“Honey, I know this hasn’t been easy for you,” her mother said gently.
“And I know you’ve had to suffer for our lifestyle but--”
“You can’t change it,” Savannah finished for her. “I know, I know. See
you after school.” She got out of the car and headed toward the main
entrance.
Grey Mountain High School was probably the smallest high school
she had seen in six years. It had that small town charm to it, but that
also meant its student population was just as small, which meant that
everybody’s eyes would be on the new girl who had transferred in the
middle of the school year.
Almost instantly, Savannah felt everyone’s eyes on her. She was
thankful she had chosen to wear her dark jeans and grey hoodie.
Hopefully she'd be able to blend into the earth tones of the town that
way, and nobody would see her. The thought was so ridiculous that
she smiled to herself before she realized she was actually smiling at a
boy who was standing a few feet away from her.
He was tall, at least six feet. He was leaning casually against one of
the trees that led up to the building, and surrounded by a group of
boys who seemed to be talking to him, but he wasn’t paying them the
slightest bit of attention. His eyes were fixed on Savannah as though
he'd recognized her. His black hair was on the long side, setting a
fierce contrast to the pale grey of his eyes.
Savannah couldn’t actually see the color of his eyes from where she
stood. They could have been a light brown or blue, but her instincts
told her they were grey. She tried to lower her gaze and move past
him, but something about him kept her frozen into place. That was
when she realized that his aura was encased in bright, fiery light.
Usually a person’s aura was quieter than that, less colorful and subtler.
His was different in that it burned hot.
Savannah’s focus was broken when someone walked into her, nearly
knocking her backpack to the ground. She caught it just in time, and
turned to the girl who had bumped into her. She was a few inches
shorter than Savannah, with soft, blonde hair, and bright blue eyes.
She stared at Savannah threateningly, and Savannah couldn’t
understand the hostility coming off of her.
The girl’s aura was as beautiful as she was. It was similar, in a way, to
the beautiful, grey-eyed boy’s. It was fiery, bursting with energy that
was barely contained. Her aura wasn’t as colorful as his was, but there
was plenty of brightness there, nevertheless.
“Get out of my way,” she said. Her voice was so low, Savannah’s
hearing aid couldn’t pick up the sound, but the message on her lips
were clear as day.
She stepped aside and the blonde girl walked past her. On her heels
were three other girls, with auras that were very similar. Savannah
stared after them, trying to understand what had just happened, trying
to understand why these people seemed so different from everyone
else. When she looked toward the tree, the beautiful boy had
disappeared, and so had his friends.
Savannah examined the other students milling past her. Their auras
were normal, calm and subtle. She stared at the entrance of the school,
catching the bright silk of the blonde girl’s hair as she turned the
corner, and disappeared from sight. It was clear to Savannah that
something was not right in this town. There was something happening
here that she had never encountered before in any other place she had
lived.
She walked up the stairs and went straight to the administration office.
The woman behind the counter was a short, plump redhead, with
lipstick to match her bright hair.
“Hello, dear,” she said the moment she saw Savannah. “Are you
the new student?”
Savannah nodded. “Yes.”
“What’s that in your ear, darling?”
“It’s my hearing aid,” Savannah replied.
“Oh…oh, that’s right.” She nodded. “There was a note in your file
about your…condition.” She stalled a little and looked through her
files as though she were confused and embarrassed at the same time.
“I’m just looking for your file,” she continued in a voice so loud she
was practically shouting.
Savannah raised her hands. “I can hear you just fine,” she said.
“You can talk at a normal volume.”
“Really?” she asked as her eyes went wide. “Can you hear me
now?”
“Still a little loud.” Savannah sighed. “But I can hear you
perfectly.”
“Guess the hearing aids really work, huh?”
Savannah smiled tightly. “Guess so.”
Savannah thought back to her life in Africa. She had been born there
and it was one of the only places where she had felt truly normal.
Then her parents started traipsing her around the world, and Savannah
realized that she wasn’t normal at all.
She had become aware of her difference as a young girl, when the
people around her started treating her differently, asking her silly
questions, or making her feel as though she were less capable than
everyone else. She wished she could tell them that she had never seen
her deafness as a handicap; people were the ones that forced that word
on her.
“Well…the principal will want to have a little chat with you before
you go to your classes. Come along,” the red haired woman said,
raising her voice again, as though she had already forgotten Savannah
could hear her clearly. “I’m Ms. Collins, by the way.”
Savannah followed her into a small room with a large desk at the end
of it. Behind it sat a tall woman with blonde hair and blue eyes,
hidden behind glasses. It didn’t take a heightened sense of intuition to
know that this woman, and the girl who had knocked into Savannah
only moments ago, were related.
Quite apart from how similar they looked, this woman’s aura burned
as brightly as the blonde girl’s and the grey-eyed boy's had, except
that hers wasn’t as wild or temperamental. There was a huge amount
of control about her that Savannah had not felt from the others.
“Hello, Savannah,” she said, speaking at a normal volume that made
no assumptions. “I’m Principal Harris. Welcome to Grey Mountain
High.”
“Hello,” Savannah replied, distracted and confused by the strange new
phenomenon she was experiencing. She wondered if there were
something suspiciously different about these people that made their
auras so fiery and powerful.
“I take it you’re wearing your hearing aid as we speak?”
“Yes.”
 “Good, that will make your transition here easier. I’ve read
through your files,” Principal Harris continued. “It seems you’ve
moved around a lot.”
“I have.” Savannah nodded.
“Well, then, you should find adapting here easy enough,” she
said. “Why don’t you follow me; I’ll take you to your first class.”
Savannah would have preferred going to class alone, but she knew she
couldn’t turn down the principal’s gesture. She walked behind
Principal Harris, admiring her commanding presence, and fascinated
with her powerfully bright aura.
“Here we are,” Principal Harris said as she approached a closed
door with the words "English Literature" on the face of it. “Follow
me.”
She opened the door and walked in, leaving Savannah standing
outside in the hallway. Savannah hesitated for only a moment before
she took a deep breath and walked inside. The classroom was small,
there seemed to be about fifteen kids in total, and every single one of
them was staring at her as though she had two heads.
Savannah kept her eyes averted, but she was hit by the cloud of auras
in the room. Most were normal, calm, and gentle, but there were four
that burned hot and bright. Savannah didn’t have to look up to know
whom they belonged to. The blonde-haired girl was there, sitting
beside one of her friends and staring daggers at Savannah. The grey-
eyed boy was there, too, sitting beside one of his friends. The four of
them burned so brightly, they cast everyone else’s aura’s in shadow.
“Hello, everyone,” Principal Harris started. “We have a new student at
Grey Mountain High. Her name is Savannah, and I trust you will all
do whatever you can to make her feel welcome. She might need a
little extra help, considering it’s the middle of the school year.”
Savannah hoped the principal would not mention the fact that she was
deaf; she didn’t want another reason for the students to gawk at her.
 “Savannah, this is Mr. Michaels. He teaches English Literature,
but he’ll also be your teacher for history and political science.”
“Welcome, Savannah,” Mr. Michaels greeted.
“Thank you.” Savannah nodded, wishing they would simply put
an end to this introduction so she could get to her seat.
Principal Harris turned to the students. “Marissa,” she said, and the
beautiful blonde girl raised her head a fraction. “I’m tasking you with
taking Savannah around and showing her to all of her classes.”
Savannah felt her stomach plummet when she noticed Marissa’s eyes
narrow, and again she sensed hostility, but when Marissa spoke, her
tone was cool and even. “Of course,” she said with a small smile that
Savannah didn’t believe.
“Excellent.” Principal Harris nodded. “Why don’t you grab a
desk, Savannah? Thank you, Mr. Michaels.”
Savannah moved toward the back of the class as Principal Harris left
the room. There were two empty desks and Savannah picked the one
farthest from the four kids with the bright auras. She felt their eyes on
her as she slipped behind her desk, but made sure she didn’t look in
their direction.
The class went by uneventfully, but for Savannah, it was an entirely
different climate. She sensed the emotions coming off the other
students. There was curiosity and interest there, but there was also a
strange, territorial protectiveness that made her feel like she was
encroaching. It was a feeling she'd never experienced before.
She spent the whole class in a cloud of mixed emotion, trying to
figure out the confusing signs she was receiving. At the same time,
she was desperately curious about the bright auras that surrounded
some of the people in this town. It was not normal; she knew that
much. There was something about those people that set them apart,
but she was still so inexperienced that she couldn’t read the different
layers beneath their auras.
The moment the bell sounded signalling the end of the class,
Savannah rose from her desk and moved out into the corridor. Her
next class was calculus and she was confident she could find the room
without help. She certainly didn’t expect help from Marissa, which
was why she was shocked when Marissa came out of the classroom
and turned toward her.
“Come on,” she said. “I’ll take you to your next class.”
Savannah tried to catch sight of the grey-eyed boy, but he seemed to
have moved on to his next class already.
“Looking for someone?” Marissa asked when she noticed
Savannah’s preoccupation.
“No,” Savannah replied quickly.
Marissa didn’t look convinced. “What’s your next class?”
“Calculus.”
“Follow me,” she said after a moment, and Savannah had no choice
but to follow her down the halls. Marissa didn't look back to see if
Savannah was following, nor did she walk slowly. Finally, they veered
to a stop in front of the calculus class, and Marissa turned to face
Savannah again.
“My mother told me you were deaf,” Marissa said, cocking her
head to the side and examining Savannah unapologetically.
“I am,” Savannah replied, refusing to back down from Marissa’s
challenging glare.
“And yet you can hear me?”
“I’m wearing a hearing aid,” Savannah replied. “And I read lips
pretty well.”
“Do you?” Marissa asked sounding unimpressed. “I think I know
who you were looking for back there.”
“I wasn’t –
“It’s okay, I get it,” Marissa interrupted. “He’s hot and you’re only
human, but I want to make one thing very clear, and since you can
read lips so well, you can read mine now.”
She looked directly into Savannah’s eyes and mouthed words that
were as clear as day: "Stay away from Xander Wilson."
Chapter Three

Savannah spent the rest of the day thinking about Xander Wilson. She
couldn’t understand how Marissa had sensed her interest in him, but
she was not wrong. Savannah felt an inexplicable fascination towards
Xander and she could barely understand why.
He was a complete stranger to her. She hadn’t even known his name
until Marissa had mentioned it. She tried to reason that it had
something to do with his bright and beautiful aura, but she had
counted nine people with similar energies, and her interest in them
wasn’t even minimal.
After calculus she had a free period, so Savannah walked around the
school until she found the library. It was extremely quiet, and apart
from the librarian, there was no one else in there. Savannah slipped
between the shelves and looked through the books, but there weren’t
very many choices. A half an hour later, Savannah realized she had
circled the entire library twice already.
She moved toward the back of the library, trying to search for a book
that would hold her attention until her next class. She was looking
through a book when she felt eyes on her back. Her senses caught the
presence before she became aware of the bright aura that surrounded
the person. She turned slowly and found herself staring into Xander
Wilson's haunting grey eyes.
“Hello,” she said, feeling herself tense.
He moved a little closer. “Hello,” he replied.
He didn’t speak like any of the other kids. His eyes seemed so much
older, as though he had lived a hundred lives already. His aura was
charged with energy and filled with light, made up of bright blues,
fiery reds, and violently passionate purples.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
Savannah realized she was staring. "Sorry," she mumbled,
turning away.

He came to stand beside her to look at the same shelf of books.

“You’re new, aren’t you?” he asked. His voice was deep and silky,
somehow matching his face.
“Yes,” Savannah nodded.
“It’s a bit late to join a new school, don’t you think?”
“I do,” Savannah agreed, “but my parents apparently don't.”
He smiled, and Savannah felt her heart flutter a little. She didn’t know
what was going on exactly, but she knew it wasn’t normal. The energy
passing between them was strong, more potent than Savannah had
ever felt before, and it was taking everything she had to keep up her
end of a casual conversation with him.
“You’ve moved around a lot, haven’t you?” he asked.
“How did you know that?” Savannah asked.
He shrugged. “Just an observation,” he said. “You enjoy being alone,
and you like the quiet, probably because you’ve been moved around
so much that you've replaced friends with silence and you've had no
choice but to like it.”
Savannah raised her eyebrows in shock. She was used to
understanding things about other people. What she wasn't used to was
other people understanding things about her. “That was…”
"Accurate?” Xander asked.
 “I suppose it was…somewhat accurate,” Savannah conceded, and
Xander smiled.
Whenever he smiled, Savannah noticed that his aura burned a little
more brightly, and the colours surrounding him grew wilder. There
was something about this boy, a secret he was hiding, and it was either
special or dangerous-‒perhaps it was both.
“How long have you lived in this town?” Savannah asked, not
wanting the conversation to end.
“My whole life,” Xander replied.
“Wow,” Savannah said. “Graduation's not that far away…you
must be making plans to leave soon.”
Xander’s expression was unreadable. He looked at Savannah
with those cool, grey eyes, and shook his head. “I don’t have any
plans to leave Grey Mountain,” Xander replied. “This is my home.”
“You must really love it here,” Savannah said.
Xander smiled gently. “This town…it grows on you.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Savannah replied.
“Don’t take my word for it,” Xander said. “I’d much rather you
take it on proof.”
“Proof?” Savannah repeated in confusion.
“Let me show you around after school,” Xander said.
Savannah was taken aback and thrilled by the offer, but she couldn’t
help thinking about Marissa’s threat that morning. She was obviously
Xander’s girlfriend, in which case the last thing Savannah should be
doing was going off alone with him to explore the town.
She contemplated turning him down for a moment, but her resolve
melted the moment she was faced with the intensity of those hypnotic,
grey eyes.
“Okay,” Savannah nodded. “Show me.”
 Chapter Four

Once the last bell had rung to dismiss everyone for the day, Savannah
skulked around her locker, marking time. She had no desire to go off
with Xander while the entire population of Grey Mountain High
watched.
Her thoughts fluttered back to Marissa, and she wondered if she was
making a mistake. Her doubt disappeared the moment she set eyes on
Xander, walking down the corridor toward her. He was tall and well
built, with a lean, athletic frame that hinted at a muted power, lying
just beneath the surface. Savannah was able to sense it every time he
got close to her.
“Hi,” he said as he approached her. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” Savannah nodded as she followed him outside.
Almost all the other students had dispersed by then, and the school
looked practically abandoned. Xander walked her down the stairs and
toward a large, intimidating, black motorcycle.
“You ride a motorbike?” Savannah said, staring at it with wide
eyes.
“Yes.” Xander nodded as he put on his helmet. “Is that a
problem?”
“I…well, I’ve never actually been on one,” Savannah replied.
“I’m probably not even allowed on one.”
“According to your parents?” Xander asked with interest.
“Well…yes.”
“Well, lucky for you they’re not around at the moment,” he
pointed out.
Savannah looked from him to his mammoth motorcycle, and felt her
excitement rise with her nerves. She had never done anything
remotely rebellious in her life. She had always followed the rules, and
sometimes even enjoyed it. She had lived in villages, towns, and big
cities, and in every single one of them she had stayed away from boys
like Xander.
Which was why she couldn't understand the strange pull she felt
toward him. It was almost as though she had no choice in the matter.
She had this unexplainable, intrinsic need to be with him, and she
could find no reason for it.
“Savannah?”
Savannah felt a thrill of electricity speed down her back at the sound
of her name on his lips. She had never experienced such a strong
connection before, and she had sensed enough to know. She stared
into his grey eyes and felt something pass between them, but she had
no name for it, and no understanding of what it was. It was the only
time Savannah had ever questioned whether another person had felt
the same thing she was feeling, but she didn’t have the courage to ask.
“I’m coming,” she said.
He smiled and handed her the spare helmet. “You’ll need to wear
this.”
Savannah took the helmet and slipped it on. It was a little big, but she
could see through the visor clearly enough.
“You’ll have to fasten it,” Xander directed her.
“How?”
“There’s a clasp under your chin.”
Savannah found the clasp easily, but she couldn’t seem to fasten it
together. She had never really experienced this kind of fumbling
uncertainty before, but her nerves were dulling her other senses, it
seemed.
“Let me help you,” Xander said.
He leaned forward and Savannah was forced to move her hands out of
the way. Their fingers brushed against each other, and she felt that
strange sensation of heat flood through her body again. She noticed
his eyes flitted to hers at the exact same moment, and she thought she
saw a flash of confusion in his eyes, but it was gone in a flash, and
Savannah wasn’t sure if she had imagined it.
“There,” Xander said as he took a step back. “You’re all set.”
“Thank you,” Savannah replied softly.
He nodded and helped her onto the bike. “You’ll have to hold on to
me tight,” he instructed her. Savannah placed her arms around him
gingerly, feeling a sense of wholeness she had never experienced
before.
Xander revved the engine and within seconds they were whizzing
down the streets of Grey Mountain. Savannah didn’t know where he
was taking her and she really didn’t care. She felt a sense of freedom
she had never experienced before, a freedom that came with making
her own choices. She had chosen to be here, she had chosen to shirk
the rules and listen to her instincts instead.
They kept riding until they had left any sign of human activity behind.
When Xander finally came to a stop, it was in front of a massive,
emerald forest that stretched off into eternity.
“Is it safe here?” Savannah asked, looking around at the wild trees.
She could sense that the forest was crawling with wildlife, and any
number of dangerous creatures.
“You’ll be safe with me,” Xander replied.
Savannah glanced at him. His reply hadn’t really answered her
question, but it suggested something Savannah couldn’t quite wrap
her head around. She pushed away her frantic thoughts and moved
toward the trees behind Xander.
He led her into a thicket of firs. Savannah had to reach out for one of
them to support her climb. The moment she touched the tree, a flash
of light shot across her eyes and she saw something. It was a passing
vision, a bolt of lightning shaped in the image of a large, feral animal.
“Savannah?” Xander called. “Are you all right?”
 “I’m fine,” Savannah replied. “I just…got a little light headed.”
She had experienced visions like that before, glimpses that weren’t
really visions at all, more like flashes of images that she could barely
hold on to. Sometimes she didn’t even understand them herself, they
were so fast and so bright and so filled with hidden meaning.
“Do you need help?” Xander asked.
“No,” Savannah answered quickly. “I’m all right.”
They walked through a forest that seemed to grow successively higher
as they went. Savannah could feel the air thinning as they moved. It
was not something anyone else might sense, but she’d had a lifetime
of distinguishing even the smallest shifts in atmospheres.
As they climbed higher, Savannah began to detect new scents. There
was oak, cinnamon, and the perfumes that came from the wild flowers
growing on the hilltops. There were also the many-toned layers
coming from a variety of animal scents. Savannah wrinkled her nose
as she came across a smell completely foreign to her. It was the scent
she had noticed from her room on her first day in town.
“Something the matter?” Xander asked.
“No,” Savannah said quickly. “Are there a lot of animals in these
woods?”
“Yes,” Xander said shortly.
“Do you have deer?”
Xander nodded. “Deer and elk, both.”
“What about wolves?” Savannah asked.
She noticed he glanced at her before he spoke, but she didn’t know
why. “There are rumors of a small wolf population.” Xander nodded.
“But no one has spotted a wolf in years.”
“You think they’re just rumors?” Savannah asked.
“People like a good story.” Xander smiled. “And they feed into
the old legends, so it’s convenient.”
 “Old legends?” Savannah asked with interest.
“This town is rife with them,” Xander said with a wave of his hand.
“Apparently the founder of this town was a witch who sold spells and
curses for money. There are legends of vampires hiding in these very
forests, and young girls who mated with wolves in order to breed a
stronger, more powerful generation.”
Savannah raised her eyebrows. “That sounds…”
“Insane?” Xander offered.
“I was going to say fascinating.”
“That’s one word for it,” Xander said with a shrug. “If you ask
me, we should forget the legends and focus on the present.”
As he said the words he walked through a massive clearing,
surrounded by trees. In its center was a clear blue lake that reflected
the silver clouds hanging over them. Savannah could only stare,
amazed at how perfect everything looked.
“This is…amazing,” she said. “Do people know about this
place?”
“If they did it would be crawling with them,” Xander said.
Savannah moved closer toward the water, and this time it was Xander
who had to keep up with her. She felt as though her senses had come
alive, surrounded by all the raw, wild nature. So many of her senses
were hit with information that she could barely separate them. Beside
her, Xander’s aura grew brighter as though the environment was
feeding into him, giving him more energy and more strength.
“How long have you known about this place?” Savannah asked.
“As long as I could remember,” Xander replied. “My mother
used to bring me here when I was a boy.”
Savannah sensed sadness waft from him at the mention of his mother,
and she instinctively knew she'd died some time ago. She glanced
from Xander to the immense pool of silver-blue water, so clear she
could see little fish swimming in it, just beneath the surface. When she
bent over, she saw her reflection, as though she were staring into a
mirror.
Her hair had been tossed about by the unruly wind, but she thought
her eyes looked brighter, more alive than they ever had before. They
were certainly bluer than she had ever seen them. A moment later,
Xander’s reflection appeared next to hers, and it was impossible to
take her eyes from it. Savannah felt like a pale shadow next to his
unadulterated beauty.
“Are you ready?” Xander asked as he came to stand beside her.
Savannah looked up at him in surprise. “Ready for what?”
“A swim?” he asked as though it was obvious. “It would be a shame
not to make use of this big, lonely lake.”
Savannah turned to Xander in disbelief. “Are you serious?”
Xander nodded. “Of course.”
“I can’t,” Savannah said, and she backed away from the water.
“Why?” Xander demanded.
“Because…well, because I don’t have a swimsuit with me,” Savannah
said, feeling as if she’d won the upper hand.
Xander raised his eyebrows. “You’re wearing underwear, aren’t
you?” he said simply. “That’ll work just as well.”
Savannah stared at him for a moment. “You are serious.”
Xander nodded as he stared her down, challengingly. “I am. If you
really don’t want to get in I won’t force you,” he continued calmly.
“But if you do, then don’t let the little things stop you. Stop worrying
about the cold, your doubt, or your parents. Just do what you want.”
It sounded so simple when he said it like that, Savannah was forced to
sit back and consider what it was she really wanted.
“Savannah,” Xander’s voice was gentle. “What do you want?”
Savannah took a deep breath. She was tumbleweed, that’s what she
had always been. She went wherever her parents decided they would
go. Decisions were so often left up to other people that Savannah
rarely got a word in edgewise. Faced with Xander’s searching grey
eyes and the picturesque little haven she found herself in, Savannah
was forced to come to terms with the fact that she no longer wanted to
be tumbleweed.
She wanted to be in charge of her own life. She wanted to make her
own decisions. If they ended up being mistakes, then that was her
right.
Savannah looked up at Xander with conviction. “I want to swim.”

Chapter Five

Xander smiled. “Go on then,” he said, and Savannah sensed the dare
in his tone.
She took a deep, steadying breath and then she pulled her shirt off,
unzipped her jeans, and pulled those off, too. She didn’t turn back or
glance at Xander because she didn’t want her courage to give way
when she was almost there. She faced the clear, blue water in front of
her, and without allowing herself to hesitate for even a moment,
jumped into the lake.
Instantly, the icy water hit her from all sides, and cold seeped into her
body. She wrapped her arms around herself and turned to face Xander.
“It’s cold,” she said, her teeth chattering as she spoke.
“Give it a minute.” Xander smiled.
“Are you coming in?” Savannah asked. “Or are you scared?”
He laughed--the sound was like a peal of brass bells. For the first time
in years, Savannah was actually grateful for her hearing aid, as she
wouldn't have wanted to miss out on that sound. She watched as
Xander peeled off his shirt. Her breath caught as she stared at him.
A number of thin scars that stretched across his torso stood in marked
contrast to the pale smoothness of his skin. When he turned, Savannah
saw a large tattoo on his back, just under his neck. It was the image of
a wolf howling at the moon, framed by several larger and more
violent-looking scars, most of which looked very new. When Xander
turned, he noticed her preoccupation.
Without a word, he pushed off his pants until he was standing in
nothing but dark boxers. He came to the edge of the lake and stared
down at Savannah, his grey eyes burning. “Do you like my tattoo?” he
asked casually, as though it was completely inconsequential.
“It’s beautiful,” Savannah admitted honestly. “But I was focused
more on the scars.”
Xander smiled. “I fall down a lot.”
Savannah glared at him. “That’s not funny.”
Xander shrugged. “I thought so.”
Without another word, he jumped into the lake beside her until he was
completely submerged except for his head and shoulders. Droplets of
water hung off his dark hair, making it look like he was wearing a
crown of diamonds on his head. His eyes looked like silver amethysts
dancing under the combined light of the sun reflecting against the
water.
Savannah felt her pulse quicken, but she kept the distance that lay
between them. “I came up here with you,” she reminded him. “I
jumped into a freezing cold lake with you. The least you can do is tell
me where you got those scars.”
Xander’s eyes grew serious, and he looked carefully at Savannah.
“Haven’t you ever had a secret?” he asked.
“Not really,” Savannah said. “And even if I did, I’ve never had
friends to share it with.”
Xander eyes warmed as she spoke, as though he appreciated her
honesty. Savannah was too cold and too curious to be shy about the
fact that she had little experience with friends, and even less
experience with boys like Xander.
 “I have a secret,” Xander said.
Savannah nodded. “I know.” She had sensed it from the moment she
had seen him. The secret was in his strange and bright aura, and in
those haunting grey eyes that said so little and so much all at the same
time.
“Can you guess?” Xander asked.
“I don’t want to.”
“The reason I have these scars…is because of my father,” Xander
said.
Savannah looked at him with wide eyes. “What?”
“He had a fiery temper,” Xander continued, “and I was usually
the thing he took it out on.”
“You’re not a thing,” Savannah said in disbelief.
“He didn’t see it the same way,” Xander replied.
He swam closer toward her. Savannah knew that if she reached out a
fraction she'd be able to touch him. She kept her hands wrapped
around her body for warmth as the cold didn’t seem like it was going
to lessen any time soon.
“You’re still cold,” Xander said. He reached out, wrapped an arm
around her waist, and pulled her to him, engulfing her with his entire
body. Savannah felt an instantaneous heat hit her.
“How are you not cold?” Savannah asked.
“I’m used to it,” Xander replied.
“And the tattoo?” Savannah asked, trying to distract herself from how
close his lips were to hers. “What does it symbolize?”
“My freedom,” Xander replied, “and my independence.”
“From what?”
“Everything that would threaten to keep me down or hold me
back,” he answered.
 “Does it have something to do with your father?” Savannah
asked cautiously.
Xander nodded. “It does, but it’s so much more than that.”
It was so easy to be with him. Savannah realized this was the first
time since her days in Africa she'd felt anything close too normal.
There was a moment there when she had actually forgotten about her
disability, and she was no longer the new, deaf girl who had just
moved into town, she was just a girl spending time with a boy.
“Do you have any tattoos?” Xander asked.
Savannah laughed. “Me?”
“There’s no one else here.”
“I’m not the type of girl who gets tattoos,” Savannah replied,
coloring slightly.
“What type is that?” Xander asked, raising his eyebrows.
“The safe type,” Savannah said, feeling self-conscious and very aware
of how close their bodies were, pressed together in the water. “You
know the kind: the boring type, the type who always follows the rules
and does what she’s told."
Xander nodded. “Is that what you are?” he asked. “Or is that
what you feel you have to be?”
“I…don’t know,” Savannah said honestly.
“Maybe you should figure it out,” Xander said, and there was an
almost commanding note in his tone. “Because that’s certainly not
what I see.”
“What do you see?” Savannah asked.
“I see a girl who feels trapped,” Xander said. “I see a girl who
wants to break free and live her own life.”
Savannah looked at Xander carefully, trying to figure out how he had
understood all this about her when she had barely begun to understand
anything about him. “I'd like to believe that,” Savannah said. “But I’m
not as brave as you might think.”
“You’re here, aren’t you?” he said. “You’re here with me.”
“I…yes.”
“So maybe you’re not as safe and boring as you think you are,”
Xander suggested.
“Are you insinuating that you’re not a safe choice, then?”
Savannah asked.
Xander smiled. “That’s up to you to decide.”
Savannah found herself getting lost in those eyes. She hadn’t been this
close up against him before, and she was starting to realize his eyes
held more than just grey. There were blues and greens, browns and
reds; it was as though the colors of the forest were reflected in those
cool, pearly eyes.
“I think you're dangerous,” Savannah said, mostly to herself.
“Very dangerous.”
A slow smile spread across Xander’s face and Savannah thought she
saw a flash of something streak across Xander’s eyes, making them
seem almost beast-like. “Good,” he said, and then he leaned in and
kissed her softly on the lips.
Savannah felt instant heat spread through her body, yet it wasn’t an
unpleasant heat. Rather, it was vibrant, passionate, and filled with
unmistakable desire. Savannah felt her body melt into the hard stone
of his, and for the first time since she'd met him, she felt truly scared.
His lips were gentle on hers at first, but then grew steadily more
urgent. Savannah knew she should pull away, stop him before this
went too far, but what she knew and what she wanted were two
completely separate things. His arms were strong around her body and
his heat radiated across her skin making her feel unbelievably warm in
the cold lake water.
She sensed his aura, spitting and hissing like a feral animal, she tasted
it in Xander’s lips, she felt it in his arms, smelled it on him. When he
finally drew away from her, Savannah was breathless and light
headed, her thoughts reeling with a thousand different theories, none
of which made any sense to her.
Her eyes saw flashes of light that contained short images that seemed
to tell a story, but she could not slow them down enough to understand
or decipher them. She stared into Xander’s eyes and they were
completely unfathomable.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” Savannah replied.
“You look a little…shaky,” he said slowly, as though he was trying to
figure her out, too. That, at least, gave Savannah some measure of
comfort. If he remained a mystery to her, then she hoped she would be
as difficult to decipher.
“Come on,” Xander said as he led her from the pool onto the shady
bank underneath a massive tree. The shade provided some measure of
coverage, but it was still cold.
“Sit down,” Xander directed.
The moment Savannah sat down, Xander slipped into place behind
her, and wrapped his arms around her like a human blanket. Again,
Savannah felt that tickling sense of warmth that was becoming
familiar to her. It was a heat that seemed to radiate on her skin and
inside her as well.
“We’ll be dry soon,” Xander assured her. “Then I can take you
home.”
Savannah didn’t say anything. She didn’t mind sitting there a little
longer. If she were being honest, she wouldn’t have minded spending
the next few hours sitting beneath that tree with Xander’s arms
wrapped around her, and her own senses rose to match the elated
euphoria that surrounded her. She felt strangely exhilarated, as though
she had jumped off a mountain and learnt she could fly.
 “This place is perfect,” Savannah whispered. “People hike in this
town, don’t they?”
Xander nodded. “They do.”
“Then how come no one has discovered this place apart from
you?”
“There are marked hiking trails in the town,” Xander explained.
“Hikers follow the trails; they don’t travel off course.”
“Never?”
“It’s happened once or twice,” Xander admitted. “But it’s a little
dangerous to veer off the designated trail.”
“Why?”
“Because of the wolves.”
Savannah craned her neck back to glance at Xander. “I thought
you said there were no wolves?”
“I said they hadn’t been seen in years,” Xander replied. “That
doesn’t mean they’re not still around.”
Savannah felt a pinprick of fear in her gut. “Then should we be
here at all?” she asked.
“Probably not,” Xander replied.
Savannah supressed a smile. “You’re not one for following the
rules, are you?”
Xander was looking out into the lake. He seemed far away, immersed
in thought. “You’d be surprised,” he said vaguely.
“What does that mean?” Savannah asked.
“It means things are more complicated in this town than you would
believe,” Xander replied. He got up, then pulled Savannah up to her
feet. “We should get going. It’ll be dark soon, and we shouldn’t still
be in the woods.”
“Okay,” Savannah said. She stood and started to put on her clothes.
She hated the thought of leaving the clearing, but she sensed the shift
in Xander’s temperament. He was a little quieter, a little more
watchful. There was no indication of this in his manner, but Savannah
sensed it from his aura. She wanted to ask him about it, but knew he'd
only avoid the question.
They walked down the trail back to where Xander had left his
motorcycle, and then took her home. It was almost dark when they
reached the house, but the lights were all on, so Savannah knew both
of her parents were home. She got off the bike and passed the spare
helmet back to Xander.
“Thank you,” she said, “for taking me to the clearing today.”
His expression was calm and serious, but he nodded in response. “I
can pick you up tomorrow for school,” he said.
“Okay,” Savannah said, without hesitation.
He leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. Again that familiar
sense of heat rushed through her body in a slow burn.
“Goodnight, Savannah,” he said, before he turned his bike around and
disappeared in a fog of smoke and dust. Savannah watched until he
disappeared from sight. She still didn't understand him. For the first
time, her senses seemed to be either blocked or confused.
One thing she knew for certain--this was no normal town.
And Xander was no normal boy.

Chapter Six

Savannah woke up earlier than necessary the next morning. She

washed, put on her favorite pair of blue jeans, and paired it with a
white knit sweater. She let her earthy brown hair hang loose around
her face so that her hearing aid was completely hidden from view,
grabbed her bag, and headed downstairs.
 “Savannah?” her mother called from the kitchen.
Savannah followed the direction of her voice. “Morning, Mum,” she
said. She spotted her father at the coffee maker. “Morning, Dad.”
“Morning, buttercup,” her father said with a wide smile. “You’re
up a little earlier than usual. I’ll be done with my coffee in five, then I
can take you to school.”
“Umm…I’m getting a ride, actually,” Savannah said hesitantly.
“You are?” her mother asked, setting down the newspaper in her
hands. “You made some new friends?”
Savannah rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to sound so excited,
Mum,” she said. “And I haven’t made friends, I made a friend, as in
singular.”
“What’s her name?” her father asked. He was sitting at the
breakfast table, coffee in hand.
“It’s a he,” Savannah replied, bracing herself for their reaction.
“And his name is Xander.”
“Oh?” her mother said with renewed interest.
Her father’s smile grew wider and more teasing. “Xander, huh?”
her father said. “He sounds like a hoodlum.”
She shot her father a glare and he chuckled in response. “I’m only
teasing,” he said. “Sit down and have some breakfast before he gets
here.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Eat something anyway,” her mother said, using her stern voice.
Savannah glanced at the time, but she sat down anyway, and took an
apple from the fruit bowl sitting in the center of the table. Even
without her heightened intuitiveness, Savannah would have been able
to tell how curious her parents were. She knew they were trying to be
calm and cool for her benefit, but she also sensed sense how surprised
and happy they were that she had met someone.
Savannah wondered if their enthusiasm would falter if they knew
about Xander’s motorbike. She decided she didn’t want to test them,
so she took a bite of the apple to appease her mother, and rose from
the table.
“You know what? I think I’ll wait for him outside.”
“Someone’s excited,” her mother said with a knowing smile.
“She is, isn’t she?” her father piped in. “Even her eyes seem a
little bluer today.”
Savannah groaned at their easy back and forth.
“I noticed,” her mother said. She turned to Savannah. “Is he good
looking?”
“Mum!” Savannah said. “I’m not excited. I just don’t want you guys
embarrassing me, okay? I’ll see you guys after school.”
She left her parents in the kitchen and walked outside. She knew it
was a little early, but she figured that if she walked down the road and
waited a little, she'd see Xander coming on his bike. She was standing
at the side of the road for five minutes when Xander showed up. He
was wearing jeans, too, with a jacket thrown over a dark hoodie. He
looked so carelessly handsome that Savannah had to remind herself to
be calm.
“Hi,” he greeted, removing his helmet.
“Hi,” Savannah replied.
“Why are you standing all the way over there?”
“I thought this would be a good place to wait for you,” Savannah
said.
Xander smiled. “You didn’t want your parents seeing me, did
you?”
Savannah sighed. She should have known he’d see through her tory in
an instant. “It was more that I didn’t want them seeing the bike.”
“Not motorbike enthusiasts then?”
 “Not when their daughter is riding one,” Savannah said. She put
on the spare helmet and climbed into place behind Xander.
They sped through the lonely streets of Grey Mountain, and Savannah
closed her eyes, enjoying the wind blasting into her face. There was a
sense of freedom in riding that you simply could not get any other
way, and she understood why people loved bikes so much. It was
possibly the closest thing to flying a person could get on land.
They arrived outside Grey Mountain High faster than Savannah would
have liked. She hopped off the bike and passed her helmet over to
Xander.
“You enjoyed that didn’t you?” Xander asked.
“I did.”
“More than yesterday,” Xander stated.
“How can you tell?” Savannah asked.
“It’s in your eyes,” he said simply. “You’re letting go a little--it’s a
good thing. It means you’ll enjoy things more.”
Savannah was about to say something when a hit of hostility flew in
her direction and she was suddenly aware of a number of eyes at her
back. Apparently Xander had noticed something, too, because his
back straightened tensely and his eyes narrowed infinitesimally.
Savannah glanced around and noticed that Marissa was on the other
side of the grounds with the same group of girls that had surrounded
her the previous day.
She was not looking directly at Savannah or Xander, but Savannah
knew they had been spotted, and that no one was happy about the fact
they'd shown up at school together. She turned back to Xander. “I met
Marissa yesterday,” she said, trying to sound casual. “Is she a friend
of yours?”
Xander nodded. “She is.” “We’ve known each other for a very
long time.”
“How long are we talking?” Savannah asked.
 “Our parents were friends growing up,” Xander replied.
Savannah raised her eyebrows and glanced back at Marissa again. She
had her back turned to them and all Savannah was able to see was the
glossy, bright sheen of her blonde hair, combined with the brightness
of her flaming aura.
“You aren’t…related to her, are you?” Savannah asked.
“No,” Xander said wrinkling his brows together. “What makes
you think we are?”
“Nothing, really,” Savannah said. “It’s just that you guys seem to have
certain…similarities. I don’t mean just you and Marissa, I mean the
group of friends you have, too.”
Xander’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You think we’re all…alike?”
“Not alike,” Savannah hastened to clarify. “Just that you all seem
to be very…similar.”
“In what way?” he pressed.
“I…I can’t describe it,” Savannah said, just as the first bell sounded
off. She turned back to Xander. “My first class is history.”
“I have chemistry.”
“Okay, then…I guess I’ll see you afterwards?”
Xander nodded distractedly, as though he wasn’t really paying
attention to what she was saying even though he was looking directly
at her.
“Thank you for the ride here,” Savannah said, trying to figure out
what was on his mind. She sensed the doubt in his aura and she
wondered where it was coming from.
He nodded once in response, and then walked into Grey Mountain
High without a backward glance. Savannah brushed off the strange
moment and made her way to her first class. She walked through the
door to find herself face to face with Marissa.
To Savannah’s amazement, Marissa gave her a smile. “Hello,
Savannah,” she said. “How was your first day of school?”
“I…it was…nice,” Savannah said, stumbling over her words a little.
“The girls and I wanted to welcome you to Grey Mountain by taking
you out yesterday, but you disappeared right after school ended,” she
said. She was smiling pleasantly, but Savannah could sense an
undercurrent to that smile. “Anyway, we’re going hiking this evening
and we were hoping you would join us?”
Savannah was more than a little taken aback by the sudden
turnaround, but she was forced to admit she was sorely tempted to
accept. Still, she could not forget Marissa’s threat the previous day,
which was still fresh in her mind.
“Considering I joined mid-term, I have lots of work to catch up
on,” Savannah said. “I don’t think I can spare the time.”
“Oh, come on,” Marissa said. “I’ve looked at your transcripts,
Savannah. You're a straight A student with a squeaky clean record.
You’re probably ahead of all of us.”
“You’ve seen my transcripts?”
“My mother’s the principal,” Marissa said with a wink. “And she
doesn’t always lock her office door.”
“Listen, it’s nice of you to offer--”
“I get why you’re a little…hesitant,” Marissa interrupted. “And I’m
sorry about yesterday. I know I came on a little…strong-- I can be like
that sometimes. But it’s only because I care about Xander. He got out
of a bad relationship recently and he got his heart broken, and I don’t
want to see that happen to him again. Still, it was wrong of me to
make assumptions about you.”
Savannah wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion. “What makes you
think he’s even interested in me?” Savannah asked. “I’d only just
walked onto campus. We hadn’t even said two words to each other at
the time.”
“When you’ve known someone for as long as Xander and I have
known each other, you just sense things,” Marissa said. Savannah felt
a little jolt at her choice of words. “I saw the way he looked at you
yesterday and I just knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That he liked you,” Marissa replied calmly.
“So this has nothing to do with the fact that you and Xander are-
-”
“Oh, God, no,” Marissa said, laughing as she tossed her beautiful
blonde hair away from her face. “He’s not my boyfriend and he never
has been.” It was impossible for Savannah not to believe her. “So are
we good now?” she asked. “Can we put this bit of awkwardness
behind us?”
“I…sure,” Savannah said, biting down on her doubts and
throwing them to the wind.
“Excellent,” Marissa said, looking genuinely happy. “Then it’s settled.
Come on, I saved you a seat next to us.”
She led Savannah to the back row of the classroom where three other
girls were sitting. “This is Bianca,” she said, pointing to a skinny,
dark-skinned girl with brown hair, brown eyes, and exotic features.
“This is Meryl,” Marissa said, looking toward the girl with unsettling
jet-black hair, and large brown eyes.
“Finally, this is Suzanna,” Marissa introduced, nodding towards the
short blonde girl with soft blue eyes, and freckles lining the bridge of
her nose. “But everyone calls her Zanna.”
“Hi,” Savannah replied as they smiled at her.
“You wear a hearing aid, don’t you?” Meryl asked bluntly.
“Geez, Meryl,” Marissa said.
“What?” Meryl asked defensively. “I’m just asking a question.”
 “No, it’s okay,” Savannah said quickly. “I don’t mind talking
about it. Yes, I wear a hearing aid. I was born deaf.”
“Born deaf?” Zanna said with raised eyebrows. “That must have
been hard.”
“Not really,” Savannah said with a shrug. “You don’t miss what
you've never had.”
“But you can hear us fine, now?” Meryl asked.
Savannah nodded. “Because of my hearing aid, but even without
it, I’m really good at reading lips.”
“Does that mean you know sign language?” Bianca asked.
Savannah nodded. “I could sign before I could speak.”
“Wow!” Meryl exclaimed. “And when did you start to hear
sound?”
“Around the time I was fitted with my first hearing aid.”
“How old were you?” Zanna asked.
“Seven.”
“And how–"
“Guys!” Marissa interrupted. “Don’t make her feel like a monkey in
the zoo. Let’s change the subject, shall we?”
The girls exchanged glances. “Sorry,” Zanna smiled. “We can get
a little carried away sometimes.”
“No, that’s all right,” Savannah said quickly.
“In the spirit of changing the subject, how are you finding Grey
Mountain, Savannah?” Bianca asked.
“I like it,” Savannah replied. “It’s different from any other place
I’ve been to.”
“I bet.” Zanna laughed. “It’s boring as hell.”
They fell into an easy chatter and Savannah found herself enjoying the
company far more than she would have imagined. She had never been
a part of a group of girls before, and she was starting to understand
what it was about. There was a camaraderie there that she had not
experienced before. It made her feel like she belonged somewhere--it
was a heady feeling.
Especially considering she had never felt as if she really belonged
anywhere.
Chapter Seven
Savannah spent the rest of the day with Marissa and the girls. By the
time the last bell had finally rung, any doubt she had about them were
gone. They left school together, and Savannah couldn’t help but look
around for Xander.
“Savannah?” Marissa’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Are you
ready?”
“Oh, sure,” Savannah nodded. She got into the white car with the rest
of the girls. “Do you hike often?” she asked as they started driving
away from the high school.
Bianca nodded. “Almost every week together. Sometimes more
when we’re on our own.”
“Wow,” Savannah said in a breathy voice. “You guys are really
into hiking, then?”
Marissa nodded from behind the steering wheel. “Very much. All our
parents were really into hiking when we were growing up, and I guess
it rubbed off.”
“Except mine,” Meryl piped in. “My parents hate nature. I don’t know
why they chose to settle down in this town.”
Savannah smiled. “Do you guys follow the regulated hiking
paths?”
Zanna nodded. “We used to when we first started hiking together, but
now we go off on our own a lot of the time. We know those woods
like the backs of our hands.”
“Really?”
 “Have you been to the glade yet?” Marissa asked. Her eyes
caught Savannah’s in the rear-view mirror.
“The glade?” Savannah repeated, wondering if she should let on
that Xander had taken her there.
“Yes…big clearing, high up on the mountains?” Marissa described.
“There’s a perfect lake sitting in the center of it.”
Savannah nodded, having made a split-second decision. “I have
been, actually.”
“Ah, so Xander did take you there.” Marissa smiled. “Well, it saves us
from hiking all the way up there to show you. Did you like it?”
“It was perfect,” Savannah said. “I loved it.”
Savannah searched for some sense of jealousy or hostility coming
from Marissa, but couldn’t seem to detect anything obvious. Her tone
was calm and conversational, and the girls filled with car with a
constant stream of chatter. It was the most noise Savannah had heard
in a long time, and she couldn’t help but enjoy being at the center of
it.
Marissa finally pulled up by the side of the road where a few parking
spots had been drawn out for hikers. She parked the car and everyone
got out, leaving all the books and bags in the vehicle.
“No one’s taking anything?” Savannah asked.
“We’ve got our cell phones on us,” Meryl replied. “That’s
enough.”
“Do you have a cell phone?” Marissa asked.
“I do.” Savannah nodded as she patted her jeans pocket.
“Great.” Marissa smiled. “Then let’s get going.”
The trail was a little different from the one Savannah had traveled
with Xander. It was less wild and less dangerous. There was a narrow,
winding path that led up the hill, and far fewer trees, which meant
there were far fewer animals as well.
Savannah struggled to keep up with the girls. Within the first five
minutes it was obvious how practised they all were with hiking. They
breezed up the first hill in a matter of minutes, leaving Savannah
panting her way up, pain shooting up and down her sides.
“Guys, slow down,” Bianca said from the top. “Savannah isn’t as
used to hiking as we are.”
They slowed down slightly, after Savannah was able to catch up
faster. They kept walking for another half hour, and by the time the
girls had finally decided to take a break, Savannah was truly
exhausted. Her legs were hurting and she sat down with relief.
“I can’t believe you guys do every week,” she said, panting.
“You get used to it,” Zanna replied. “I would have thought you’d be
okay, considering your hike with Xander yesterday--”
“Oh, I guess it was less strenuous than this one,” Savannah
admitted.
“What else did you guys do?” Meryl asked.
“Nothing, really,” Savannah replied. “Just a short hike.”
Marissa was very quiet, and Savannah’s doubts started to creep back
up to the surface. She looked up sharply and caught Marissa staring.
She smiled slowly and her eyes softened, making Savannah wonder if
she was just being paranoid.
“Savannah?” Marissa said, looking at her. “Do you like Xander?”
It was far more direct than Savannah had expected. Taken unawares
she hesitated a little. “I…don’t know him all that well.”
“Yet you went off with him yesterday,” Marissa pointed out. “All
alone.”
“Is there something I should know?” Savannah asked,
uncomfortably aware of everyone’s eyes on her.
“This morning I told you only half the story,” Marissa said. “Xander is
my friend. He did just get out of a bad relationship, and she did break
his heart. What I didn’t mention was that he broke her heart right
back.”
“What?”
Zanna spoke up before Marissa could. “What Marissa is trying to say
is that Xander can be a little…temperamental. He can be a little…
dangerous. He’s a typical bad boy and there’s no changing him. I’d be
careful if I were you.”
“What exactly are you saying?” Savannah asked.
“The girl he was seeing? Her name was Zoe,” Marissa explained.
“When she broke up with him? Well it hit him hard. He tried to
convince her to take him back and when she refused, he got violent.”
“Violent?” Savannah gasped in disbelief.
“He didn’t actually hurt her,” Zanna clarified. “But he scared her
pretty bad. She left town because of him.”
I looked around at all of them. “Is this true?”
Marissa sighed. “I’ve known Xander my whole life,” she said. “He’s a
good guy, but he’s had a hard life. His father was…very volatile, and
Xander suffered the most for it. It left him with…a few problems.”
Savannah remembered the scars etched across Xander’s chest and
back and she felt a shiver run down her spine. She reminded herself of
how fiery his aura had been, burning with passion and intensity. She
had thought it had spoken more to his character than his temperament,
but now she was not sure.
“I…I just can’t believe he would do something like that.”
Savannah said.
“You yourself just said it, Savannah,” Marissa said with solemn
eyes. “You don’t know him.”
I looked up at all of them, hoping that one person would refute the
others and tell me it was a lie. I looked hard at Marissa, wondering if I
should trust her. There was something about her that I simply could
not place. She was like Xander in that way--they all were. All four
girls had incredibly bright, burning auras, and she could sense
something hidden beneath them, a motive that she was missing.
Savannah tried to make sense of it. If Marissa were jealous, she would
have cause to taint Xander’s character so that Savannah would want to
keep her distance, but why would her entire friend group be in on it,
too, unless they were just that loyal.
“Savannah, I know this is a lot to process, but you need to understand
that we’re looking out for you here,” Marissa said. “And Xander, too.”
“Perhaps he just needs someone to talk to,” Savannah said
slowly.
“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” Marissa demanded. Savannah felt a
wave of hostility billow towards her. She looked at Marissa and
wondered if she had been blind to the obvious. Savannah wondered if
she had let her desire to cloud her better judgement.
“Sometimes you just need to talk to a stranger,” Savannah said,
wondering why she wasn’t backing down.
“He has me,” Marissa said. Savannah heard the possessiveness in
her tone.
“He has all of us,” Meryl said, and Savannah heard the same note
in her voice, too.
She realized that all four girls had auras tinged with hues of dark red
and deep green. The wisps of color danced around them, taking the
shapes of their bodies and making them seem otherworldly.
“We should get back home,” Savannah said standing up. “It’s
getting late.”
She thought for a moment that they might prevent her from leaving,
but then Marissa nodded in agreement. “Savannah’s right,” she said.
“We should start heading back. Let’s take the East route, though--it’s
faster.”
Savannah had no choice but to follow Marissa and the others on the
alternative path. The comfortable contentment that had surrounded her
that morning had disappeared in a puff of bitter smoke. She was
starting to feel uneasy, and the difference in the girls’ auras was
starting to bother her a little.
They walked for about fifteen minutes and before Savannah knew it, it
was dark. She hadn’t realized how much time they had spent on the
hike and on their talk atop the hills. The darker it got, the more
pronounced the girls' auras became. Savannah had never seen
anything so bright and wild before. It felt almost like a possession.
The girls raced ahead of her. This time no one looked back to see if
she was keeping up with them. She tried calling after them, but no one
seemed to be able to hear her. Panic started to kick in when she
walked into something hard, and tripped over her own feet.
Savannah landed on the muddy forest floor, narrowly avoiding
knocking her face against a sharp rock. She glanced up, breathing
heavily, and realized the last spotlights of sunlight had disappeared
and darkness had well and truly arrived. She also realized she was
completely alone. The girls were nowhere in sight, and her senses
were telling her that something dangerous was coming her way.
She reached for the cell phone in her pocket only to discover it was no
longer there. She looked around, trying in desperation to see if she had
dropped it in the fall, but it was nowhere to be seen. The wind picked
up and on its tail came the same, strange scent Savannah had smelt
from the window of her bedroom.
She froze in place and stared off into the dark trees. She saw nothing
yet, but she sensed something was coming--a large animal, maybe
more than one. Fear gripped at her throat and she could not bring
herself to make a sound. She turned on the spot, trying to find some
way out of this, but all she saw were the silhouettes of trees against a
great canvas of black.
Then she heard it, a scraping, scratching sound that promised pain. It
was a rasping, clawing, grating sound that had the hairs on the back of
Savannah’s neck standing at attention. She saw its eyes first--they
looked almost red, but as it came closer, she realized they weren’t red
at all. They were a stony, steely blue that had an intelligence Savannah
couldn't even begin to fathom.
She could only stare at it in shock and fear before she realized that the
beast was not alone. Behind it, Savannah spied three more pairs of
bright eyes, all of which narrowed, hungrily, in her direction. They
moved forward, together, in beautiful synchronization. The light of
the moon hit them all at once, and Savannah’s breath stilled as her
body grew cold.
They were mammoth, larger than she had ever seen before. They were
beautiful, terrifying monsters, and Savannah knew she was completely
and hopelessly trapped.
“Wolves,” she whispered, knowing that no one would hear her.

Chapter Eight

They stared at her calmly, and Savannah felt almost as though she
were being studied. She took a step back, and a low rumble of growls
went up among the wolves. The largest wolf bared its teeth, and
Savannah froze.
Slowly, the wolf at the head of the pack started moving forward,
toward her. It was so deliberate a move that Savannah's fear increased,
tenfold. She sensed she was not dealing with normal wolves here, and
that something was very, very wrong. She could feel it too, that these
wolves were playing a game, and she was stuck in the center of it.
She felt a chill run down her back when she realized the wolves had
surrounded her. She had been so focused on the largest one standing
in front of her, that she hadn’t even noticed how quickly they had
moved to encircle her, closing ranks so that she had nowhere to run.
“This isn’t right,” she whispered to herself. “This isn’t normal.”
The blue eyed wolf in front of her starting growling fiercely, and
Savannah had no choice but to stand there, still and silent, with no
way of defending herself. The animal’s teeth were long and large; they
glinted threateningly under the light of the moon. The wolf advanced,
and Savannah felt the other wolves mimic the leader’s movements.
The wolf in front of her hunched down into a position of attack, and
Savannah knew she was staring death in the face. She closed her eyes,
having no alternative left.
Then there was a howl, and Savannah turned toward it to see a
massive creature speeding through the trees towards them. For a
moment she thought it was coming straight for her, but then the
creature changed course and flew at the wolves that had encircled her.
Savannah tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground as she
searched for the mammoth form of her unlikely saviour. She stared in
shock when she realized it was another wolf. This one was the largest
of the lot, but it didn’t seem remotely interested in her. It snapped its
jaws and growled in fury at the other four wolves in the dense little
clearing.
With howls of defeat, the four smaller wolves took off into the dark
night, leaving behind the gigantic, russet-brown wolf. The animal's
back was to her, and Savannah wanted to take the opportunity to flee
in the other direction, but the moment she stood up the wolf turned
slowly, its eyes fixed on her with a deadly calm. For one frantic
moment she considered that this wolf had tried to protect her, but now
she was starting to believe it had simply chased away the competition.
Savannah froze in place as she sensed something familiar. She stared
at the massive wolf in front of her and its eyes caught hers. It was
almost as though she recognized the creature. Without thinking, she
took a step forward, and moonlight fell directly onto the animal. Its
eyes were haunting pools of silver-grey and Savannah gasped as
realization dawned.
“Xander?” she whispered.
The air changed, and Savannah felt something was about to happen.
The wolf began to shiver, slowly at first, but then more violently.
Suddenly the beast transformed into a man right before her eyes, and
Savannah found herself facing Xander, completely naked, and
seeming completely unaware of what had happened.
“Xander?” Savannah gasped. “Did that just happen?”
“This is not the place or the time for explanations,” he replied.
“Let’s get you out of here…now!”
Savannah didn’t argue. Instead, she followed Xander through the
forest until they came upon his bike, camouflaged between a thicket
of shrubs and bushes. She got on behind him and they sped through
the forest until they reached a little cabin, hidden in a dense and
concealed part of the woods. Xander set his bike aside and led
Savannah into the cabin.
It was only once they were inside that Savannah felt a little calmer.
The cabin had a rustic charm about it. There was a big sofa in the
center facing the fireplace, and a table with chairs beside the cabin’s
large, generous windows.
“Why don’t you sit down?” Xander suggested.
“I don’t want to sit down,” Savannah said, turning to him. “I
want to know what just happened out there.”
“Why on earth did you go off alone with Marissa and the other
girls?” Xander demanded.
The heat of his words took Savannah back, “I…please…are you
trying to say that…every one of you can…turn into wolves?”
Xander stared at her for a moment, then he sighed deeply. “Just sit
down, Savannah. I’ll get you something hot to drink.”
“I don’t want anything to drink.”
Xander came up close to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He
was so close that Savannah could smell every scent that perfumed his
body. He smelt of oak and earth, of fire and sweat. He smelled like an
animal and a man at the same time.
“You’re in shock,” Xander said slowly. “Your body needs rest or
you’re going to pass out. I will tell you anything you need to know,
but first, I’m going to need you to sit down and drink something.”
Savannah felt the weight of his words, but she felt the weight and
passion of his aura more potently. She sat back on the sofa and
moments later Xander brought her some hot coffee. He sat down
beside her and gazed at her with searching eyes.
“Did they hurt you?” he asked as Savannah sipped the coffee.
“I…no, no,” Savannah stammered. “They didn’t get a chance to.”
Xander nodded. “Are you cold? Do you need a blanket?”
“I’m fine,” Savannah said impatiently. “What I want is answers.”
Xander sat back. “Okay,” he said.
“The four wolves that surrounded me…that was Marissa…and
Bianca, and Meryl, and Zanna, wasn’t it?” Savannah asked in a
hushed voice.
“Yes.”
“And they can turn into wolves?”
“Yes.”
“And you can turn into a wolf?”
“Yes.”
Savannah took a moment to let that sink in. She felt light-headed, but
it had more to do with the information she had just received than
anything else.
“How is that possible?” she asked after a long pause.
“It just is,” Xander replied shortly.
“You’ll have to elaborate,” Savannah insisted.
“We are a part of an ancient breed of humans. We are a tribe that has
the ability to morph into wolves. Different cultures call us by different
names--werewolves, shifters, guardians--It's a part of the legend and
the history of this town.”
“It’s true?” Savannah said breathily.
“Most of it's true.”
“You made me believe it was all nonsense,” Savannah reminded
him.
“Would you have believed me if I told you the truth?”
“Why?” Savannah asked.
“Why?”
“Why do you turn into a wolf?” Savannah asked. “What's the
purpose of morphing into an animal?”
“Of all the ancient terms used to describe us, we prefer the term
Guardians,” Xander replied. “We came into being in order to protect
those who could not protect themselves.”
Savannah stared into Xander’s pale grey eyes. Something didn’t make
sense to her. “Marissa and the others…they belong to the same tribe?”
“Yes.”
“Then why were they trying to kill me tonight?” I demanded.
“They weren’t trying to kill you,” Xander said slowly. “They
were trying to frighten you.”
“Why?”
Xander looked down at his hands for a moment before his eyes met
Savannah’s again. “Because they need you to stay away from me,” he
said.
Savannah sensed a whole host of different emotions coming from
Xander’s aura. It was as though he couldn’t contain the intensity he
was feeling. She was being sent so much information that she could
only really understand half of it. She could feel anger, resentment,
bitterness and pride. She could sense the overwhelming need to prove
himself, contrasted against the desire to break free.
Savannah could feel a longing inside of him that teetered toward her,
as though they were somehow connected. In becoming aware of
Xander’s feelings, she suddenly become aware of her own. It felt very
much as though they were bonded together, but there was no
reasonable explanation for why. After all, they were virtual strangers
to one another.
“Can you explain that to me?” Savannah asked.
“Every tribe that has ever existed since its inception has had a leader,”
Xander started. “The leader of a wolf pack has a great responsibility,
the greatest of which is to find a partner and produce the next
generation. It is actually more than a responsibility--it's a calling, a
sacred obligation that must be fulfilled.”
“Okay,” Savannah said, trying to understand.
“I am the next leader,” Xander said. “I am the next alpha.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“An alpha can only mate with one of his own kind,” Xander
continued. “Meaning I can only mate and align myself with another
shifter. Which means--”
“You can’t be with me,” Savannah said, finally understanding.
“Yes.”
“What will happen if you do?” she asked, frightened of the
answer.
“I will be forced to leave you…at some point,” Xander said.
“And if I don’t, they will find us both and break us apart, anyway.”
“They as in Marissa and the others?”
“No.” Xander shook his head. “The Elders.”
“The Elders?” Savannah repeated.
“They are the current ruling pack,” Xander explained. “But a new
cycle is coming into place, and when it does, I will have to take over
as alpha. When that happens, I will also be required…to take a bride.”
 “You have to marry?” Savannah said incredulously.
“Yes.”
“But…you’re so young.”
He smiled, but it was a sad smile. “I know it sounds strange to
someone on the outside, but it is the reality of my world and my
people. I've grown up knowing that if I were to become the alpha I
would have to marry young and have children.”
Savannah looked into his eyes and she saw the connection between
them, clearer than anything she had ever experienced before. “I’m not
insane, am I?” Savannah asked. “You feel this…bond that lies
between us.”
“I felt it the moment I set eyes on you that day,” Xander said without
hesitation. “It was the most powerful, most potent thing I have ever
felt in my life.”
“Is that why you approached me in the library?”
“I was confused at first,” Xander admitted. “I felt as though I couldn’t
trust my feelings. I needed to find out if it was all in my head, or if
what I was feeling was real.”
“And what did you find out?” Savannah asked.
“I think you already know the answer to that,” Xander said
simply.
Savannah looked down at her hands, because staring into those
perfect grey eyes was just too painful. “I don’t know what this
means.”
Xander reached out and took her hand. He brought it up to his lips and
kissed it gently. “I don’t either, Savannah,” he said softly. “For the
first time, I’m completely lost.”
“You can’t be with me?” Savannah asked.
“No, I can’t.”
 “So that means the only alternative is to stay away from me,”
Savannah pointed out.
“Yes.”
“Can you do that?”
Xander’s eyes were filled with turmoil. It was as though he were
having a great internal battle within himself. “I have to try, for your
sake and mine, but…”
“But?”
“I don’t think I can,” he said. “There is only one way.”
“What?” Savannah asked.
“You have to stay away from me,” Xander said. “If you can live your
life and forget about me, I think I can respect your need to move on.”
Savannah knew what he was asking, but he was wrong in thinking she
had more of a choice than he did. “You expect more from me than you
do of yourself,” Savannah said. “That isn’t fair. I feel this connection
as strongly as you do, if not more, and I can’t ignore it. If you don’t
want to see me anymore, then you’ll have to make that decision, but
I’m not going to stay away from you, because I don’t want to.”
Savannah knew what she had just done. She had drawn a line in the
sand and now she had to wait and see if Xander would cross it.

Chapter Nine

Savannah saw the whole spectrum of emotion reflected in Xander’s

eyes. She knew she was making this harder on him, but she didn’t
care. For once in her life she knew unequivocally what she wanted,
and she wasn’t about to let that go, simply because she had to follow
the rules.
“I don’t know what to do with this feeling,” Xander said. “I can’t
get rid of it.”
 “Do you want to?” Savannah asked.
“I have to,” Xander said slowly. “We can't stay together,
Savannah. They will not allow it.”
“The Elders?”
“Yes.” Xander nodded.
“Because I am not…a guardian…shifter, whatever it is that you
are.”
“Yes.”
“Will that have such an impact on…things?” Savannah asked. She
didn’t even have the words to ask the questions she needed answered.
She felt as though she was grasping at straws, trying to figure out a
new world that was completely foreign to her.
“Alpha’s are born from a pure breed line that goes back
centuries,” Xander explained. “The first born child of the alpha will
become the alpha, in turn. “Savannah wrinkled her brow in confusion.
“So does that mean one of your parents is the current alpha?” she
asked.
“Typically it would, but not in my case,” Xander replied. “My uncle is
the current alpha and the foremost elder. He was the first child born to
Philip, my grandfather, and Jasmine, my grandmother. My father was
their second son. If my uncle had had children, then his first born
child would have been alpha, but as it happens--”
“What about your father?” Savannah asked. “Shouldn’t he be
next in line after you?”
Xander’s eyes grew weary and Savannah felt his body tense. “My
father was banished from the tribe years ago,” he explained. “I haven’t
seen him since I was a boy. Once a wolf has been banished, the next
available successor is groomed for leadership.”
“And that’s you,” Savannah said.
“That’s me.” Xander's voice was heavy with responsibility.
 “Is there any way you can…not be the alpha, if you didn’t want
to be?” Savannah asked.
Xander shook his head. “It isn’t really a choice, it’s this in-built need
to…lead, to want to serve. I don’t think I could fight it, even if I
wanted to, in that way, at least. It's like my feelings for you.”
“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Savannah said softly. “This relationship
between us. We’re strangers and yet--”
“It feels like we’ve known each other for years,” Xander finished
for her. “I know.”
“Do you have an explanation for it?” Savannah asked.
“No.”
Savannah moved a little closer to Xander and she took his hand. “I
don’t know what to do now,” she said honestly.
Xander stared at her for a moment with those clear, grey eyes, and
then he leaned in and kissed her gently. Savannah felt a stirring within
her. It was the strangest feeling, like she was finding herself and
losing her soul in the same breath. It was the strangest mix of
contradictions, and it left Savannah feeling exhilarated. It was better
than riding a motorcycle, and it was better than flying.
Savannah felt Xander’s hands at her hips and back. She felt his fingers
slip up her blouse. The feel of skin on skin made her shiver with
desire. Then Xander broke away from her, his eyes filled with internal
turmoil.
“No,” he said. “We can’t do this.”
“Xander--”
“You’re already in too much danger, Savannah,” Xander said. “I
shouldn’t be making this worse.”
“What are you talking about?” Savannah asked in confusion.
“I haven’t told you the whole story,” Xander admitted.
“There’s more?”
“My father…he wasn’t a good man,” Xander said softly. “He was
married to my mother. She was a tribal shifter whose ancestry went
back generations, and everyone thought they were happy. They were
married for four years before I was born.”
Savannah listened intently, waiting for everything to make sense
to her.
“It was discovered later that my father had been having an affair. The
woman was a shifter from another tribe, and the elders found out he
had a son with this other woman. The boy’s name is Dominic Wilson,
and he’s two years older than I am.”
Savannah stared at Xander for a moment. “He’s older than you?”
“Yes.”
“Doesn’t that mean--?”
“No,” Xander interrupted. “He may be older, but he is not
legitimate.”
“Have you met him?” Savannah asked.
“He came into town a few months ago,” Xander replied. “He came
back to claim what he believes is his birth right.”
“He wants to be the alpha?”
Xander nodded. “Yes. If I refuse my role as Alpha, then the Council
of Elders will be forced to make him alpha in my stead, and I can’t
allow that to happen. Dominic is volatile and dangerous, he would
destroy this tribe and everything it stands for.”
Savannah could sense how important the tribe was to him. He was a
true leader, and she understood that he had a responsibility that
trumped everything else, including her.
“I understand,” she said, taking his hand. “You have to protect
your tribe.”
“I have to protect you as well,” Xander said immediately. “Dominic
has been trying to find a way to attack me from the moment he got to
Grey Mountain, and I don’t want him using you to get to me. Which is
why--”
“You can’t see me anymore,” Savannah finished for him. She
expected the words before they had left his mouth. “Is there no other
way?”
“I was a fool for bringing you into this,” Xander said. “Even if
Dominic wasn’t in the picture, I should have known the girls would be
threatened. You don’t have to worry about them anymore. I’ll make
sure they stay away from you.”
“I only wish you didn’t have to,” Savannah said, trying to contain
the ache in her voice.
Xander cupped the side of her face with his hand. “You have no idea
how much I wish the same,” he said. “But now, it’s time for me to
take you home.”
Savannah grabbed his hand and held it to her chest as though it were a
lifeline. “You can take me home, but before you do, can we just sit
here together, for a few more minutes?”
Xander didn’t say a word. His response was to pull her toward him
until she was resting against his broad chest. He wrapped his arms
around her, and they lay like that, savouring the taste of silence, and
the comfort of each other’s presence.
Savannah closed her eyes and breathed him in. She let his aura wash
over her, committing every sense and scent to memory so that she
might steal some small part of him. It was all she had. Memory was
the only thing she would have left once Xander was gone.

Chapter Ten

“Morning, darling,” Savannah’s dad greeted as she walked into the

kitchen the next morning. “Are you feeling better?”
“Feeling better?” Savannah repeated in confusion.
Her parents exchanged a glance and Savannah realized they had been
talking about her just before she had entered the room. “Well…” her
mother started cautiously, “you seemed a little down when you came
home last night.”
“Oh,” Savannah said, unaware that she had been so transparent. “I’m
fine. It’s just the stress of starting a new school…again. Anyway, I
should be getting off now.”
“Whoa! Hold on,” her mother said. “It’s too early to leave yet,
and you haven’t eaten anything.”
“I’m not hungry,” Savannah replied.
“Never mind,” her mother said. “Eat something anyway.”
“That's always the case, isn’t it?” Savannah flared up. “It doesn’t
matter what I want or what I feel like, I should do it anyway! Have
you ever stopped to consider how unfair you both are being?”
Her parents looked at her in shock, taken aback by the sudden
outburst, but Savannah was not prepared to apologize just yet. “All of
my life you’ve moved me from one place to another without ever
stopping to consider my feelings. Did you ever ask me if I wanted to
be a nomad who had no real home and no real friends?”
“Savannah--”
“I don’t want to hear that you know what’s best for me.” Savannah
refused to let either one of them interrupt her. “Because it’s not true. I
know what’s best for me, and I’m tired of being told what I should
and should not do. I’m tired of following the rules and I’m tired of
other people making decisions about my life.”
She descended into silence, and her parents kept looking at her with
surprised but calm looks on their faces. Savannah sighed and shook
her head. “You don’t get it.”
“Savannah,” Her mother’s voice was gentle. “We do get it. I know it
doesn’t seem that way, but we understand how hard all this moving
has been on you.”
“No, you don’t,” Savannah said. “You have each other. I don’t have
anyone, no siblings and no friends I can talk to.”
“What about your new friend?” her father asked. “The one that
picked you up for school yesterday?”
Savannah felt a stab of pain in her gut. “He’s not my friend,” she
said. “We’re not friends.”
“Savannah,” her mother said. “Did something happen between
the two of you?”
“Nothing happened,” Savannah snapped. “I just…I just…”
“Listen, kid,” her father said, “I get that you’re going through a lot,
and I also understand that it's partially our fault, but if it’s any
consolation, you’re eighteen now, and in a few months you’ll be
graduating from Grey Mountain High, which means you’ll be the one
calling the shots.”
“What if I want to move across the country?” Savannah asked.
“We will make it happen,” her father replied.
“What if I want to…move to Japan?”
“We will make it happen.”
“What if I wanted to live in an igloo in Antarctica?”
Her father gave her a small smile. “We will make that happen,
too,” he said.
Savannah sighed. “Thank you.”
“Do you need a ride to school?” her mother asked, sensing the storm
had passed, and Savannah’s mood had shifted back to calm.
“Yes, please,” Savannah said, nodding.
After her parents dropped her off, Savannah walked up the steps of
Grey Mountain High without enthusiasm. It felt as though all the color
had been drained from her world. Xander had told her he had no
choice but to stay away from her, and Savannah didn’t doubt he
would; he was stronger than she was.
She was at her locker swapping out her books when she noticed
Marissa walking down the hall. Zanna was at her side, and they were
in deep conversation. They were a few feet away when they noticed
her, but neither girl slowed their pace. They shot her appraising looks
of contempt before they simply breezed past her as though yesterday
had never happened.
In the clear light of day, Savannah still found it hard to believe those
girls had the ability to transform into wolves. It all seemed so…
fantastical. It was the kind of thing that belonged in novels and
movies. Savannah couldn’t help but keep an eye out for Xander,
longing for the sight of him, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Her first class of the day was biology, and the hour went by
excruciatingly slow. When Savannah walked to her next class, she
realized Marissa and all the girls were there, as well. They eyed her
with muted hostility, and Savannah sensed the burn of jealousy waft
toward her from where they sat. She chose the seat furthest from
them, and kept her eyes firmly planted on the whiteboard in front of
her.
She sensed their eyes on her, but she didn’t want to give them the
satisfaction of turning around to let them know they were bothering
her. She spent the entire class in a fog of thoughtful silence, and when
the bell rang, she grabbed her books, and headed straight for the door.
She sped to her locker and checked her timetable for the day. She had
a history class in an hour, but the next period was free.
Savannah walked toward the library. She felt negative vibes aimed
straight for her, but she didn’t pay them any attention. Now that she
knew what they were, it didn’t bother her as much.
The library was still and empty, and Savannah uttered a silent
prayer of thanks as she slipped between the shelves, trying to get lost
in the sea of books.
“Did you enjoy your hike last night?”
Savannah spun around to come face to face with Marissa’s blue eyes.
For a moment, she thought she saw the face of a wolf in place of
Marissa’s stunning features. She was alone, free of the usual band of
girls that surrounded her.
“Did you enjoy yours?” Savannah demanded, refusing to be
pushed into a corner.
Marissa smiled. “I did, actually, But I was unfortunately
interrupted--”
“Is that a hobby of yours?” Savannah demanded. “Luring newcomers
into the woods under the pretext of friendship, and then trying to scare
them to death?”
“It’s an acquired taste,” Marissa joked, but her eyes were stone
cold.
“I did nothing to you,” Savannah reminded her.
“I told you to stay away from Xander,” Marissa said, narrowing
her eyes.
“Yeah, well, I’m trying this new thing where I don’t listen to
everything everyone else tells me,” Savannah retorted. “I heard you,
but I decided to make my own decision.”
“Hence the little hiking trip,” Marissa said.
“All that stuff about Xander and his ex-girlfriend, that was all a lie,
wasn’t it?” Savannah asked. “He was never violent, and he was never
a danger to anyone.”
“Of course not,” Marissa said. “Xander is…well, Xander.”
Savannah caught the subtle note of warmth when Marissa said his
name, and she suddenly understood why Marissa was so much more
passionate about everything than any of the other girls. “You’re in
love with him, aren’t you?” Savannah said.
Marissa looked taken aback. Her expression froze in place, but then
anger and annoyance flooded back into her features. “He’s my friend,”
she said, refusing to admit it.
“I can sense it, Marissa,” Savannah said. “I was so preoccupied with
my own feelings that I didn’t realize it at first. This isn’t just about
you being a tribal shifter, this is about more than you being ancestrally
and genetically perfect for Xander. You want to be with him, not
because you have to, but because you want to.”
Marissa’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know me.”
“Actually I know more than you think,” Savannah said with
conviction.
“What does that mean?” Marissa asked.
“It means…you have your gifts, and I have mine,” Savannah
said.
Marissa looked at Savannah with a sudden confusion that turned
quickly to suspicion. She took a step closer. “You are not fit to marry
an alpha of the Fire tribe. You are not fit to be his wife or bear his
children. The best thing you can do for Xander is to stay away from
him. He has a calling, one that transcends me and you.”
Savannah stared at Marissa. “I know,” she said at last.
“What?” Marissa said in shock.
“I know,” Savannah replied again. “Xander explained all this to me
last night. He also explained why we couldn’t possibly be together.”
“He’s…not going to see you anymore?” Marissa asked.
Savannah sighed. “No, he’s not, so this conversation is really
unnecessary.”
Marissa’s anger seemed to instantly fade. Her eyes and her aura lost
some of its fiery burn, though it was still beautifully bright. She
processed what was obviously new information to her, nodded, then
turned to leave the library.
“Marissa?” Savannah called out before she left.
Marissa turned and looked back over her shoulder.
“He’s going to keep away from me, and I will respect that,” Savannah
said. “He’s made his choice to be the alpha, and that means he will
have to choose one of you to marry one day, but don’t you dare think,
for one minute, that this is a victory. Whether he marries Bianca,
Meryl, Zanna or you, it won’t be because he wants to, and it won’t be
because he loves you--any one of you.”
Chapter Eleven

Savannah raced out of Grey Mountain High the moment the bell
sounded. She had no desire to be there any longer than she had to be.
She had told her parents that she would get a ride back home, but the
truth was she just wanted to walk by herself to let her thoughts run
wild for a little while.
She was half way home when she heard a rustling in the trees behind
her. She instinctively knew that it wasn’t the wind. This sound
promised another living presence. She might have been a little
nervous, had it not been for her senses alerting her to the fact that she
wasn’t in any danger. She stopped walking and turned in the direction
of the sound.
A moment later, Xander stepped out from between the trees in a pair
of shorts and nothing else. His hair was windblown, and swept back
from his face, his grey eyes were bright, and his skin flushed from
exertion. He panted softly, and Savannah tried not to be distracted by
the wall of muscles that ran down his stomach.
“What are you doing here?”
“Running a patrol,” Xander replied. “Are you walking home?”
“Yes,” Savannah nodded.
“It’s a long walk.”
“It’s just until my car arrives,” Savannah nodded.
“You could have asked me for a lift.”
Savannah shook her head in frustration. “That would have made it
hard for you to stay away from me, remember?”
Xander sighed. “This is harder than I expected.”
“Is this you trying?”
“You’re angry today,” Xander said, moving forward.
“Can you blame me?” Savannah demanded. “I’ve never felt connected
to anyone this way before, and the first time it happens he has a noble
calling, and I end up being the less important one.”
“Don’t say that,” Xander said. “You’re not less important.”
Savannah gave him a pointed stare. “That’s what it feels like.”
“I’m sorry,” Xander said after a heartbeat of silence. “I probably
shouldn’t have come up to you--”
“It’s fine,” Savannah said quickly.
“I’ll leave you to your walk--”
“No,” Savannah said, reaching out for his hand. “You’re here
now, you may as well walk with me.”
Xander nodded once, and then he fell into step beside her. They
walked in silence for a few moments, the air thick with things unsaid
between them. Savannah felt the history of their whole relationship
standing between them, and it felt large enough to fill the space of a
lifetime, rather than the few short days it had been in reality.
“When will you have to marry?” Savannah asked, unable to stop
herself from asking the question.
Xander hesitated, obviously uncomfortable with the question. “When
I become the reigning alpha,” he replied.
“Which is when?”
“I don’t know,” Xander replied. “It could be a few days from now, it
could be months, or it could be as long as a year or two. That will be
determined by the current ruling council.”
“How will it be determined?”
Xander glanced at her. “It’s an ancient ritual,” he replied. “They
watch the stars.”
“The stars?” Savannah repeated.
Xander nodded. “The stars will give us the answers.”
“And then you will become the alpha, and you will have to
marry?”
“I will have six months to choose a bride,” Xander said, “and
then yes, I will have to marry.”
Savannah nodded as though she were completely unaffected by the
thought of Xander marrying someone else. “So…who do you think it
will be?” Savannah asked. “Marissa, Bianca, Zanna, or Meryl?”
“Savannah,” Xander said, carefully. “I really don’t think we
should be discussing this.”
“Personally, I think Bianca would be the best choice for you,”
Savannah said, interrupting him and barrelling on with the
conversation.
 Xander stopped short and glanced at her. “Bianca?” he repeated.
“Yes.”
“May I ask why?”
Savannah shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s something about her aura
that’s…calmer, more in control than the others. I could sense she
wasn’t as mean-spirited as Marissa, Meryl, or Zanna.”
Xander gave her confused look. “You sensed…her aura?”
“Oh,” Savannah said, realizing she hadn't explained her gift to him. “I
never told you, did I? Well, for as long as I can remember, I’ve been
able to see people’s auras. I can sense things about them normal
people can’t.”
“Really?” Xander sounded fascinated.
“Really,” Savannah said. “I think it’s sort of like…compensation. I
was born deaf, but all of my other senses were heightened. Sometimes
I even see things.”
Xander stared at her for a moment. “You see things?”
Savannah nodded. “Flashes of light that hold images in their center,”
she explained. “Sometimes I barely understand what I’m seeing, but
then later it makes sense.”
“How does it make sense?”
“Well, I’ll see something move with blinding speed, and then a couple
of hours later I’ll watch this car whizzing past, and I realize that I saw
the same image, hours earlier.”
“Are you saying that you can see the future?” Xander asked
incredulously.
“No, no,” Savannah said quickly. “I wouldn’t say that. Well, I mean, I
guess you could say that, but it’s not a very strong gift, and it doesn’t
happen very often, either.”
“Did you see something about… us?” Xander asked.
 “I saw the image of a wolf,” Savannah said. “Before I knew what
you were.”
Xander looked amazed. Savannah caught him shooting little glances
her way as they walked along the abandoned road. “What did you
sense about me when you first saw me?” he asked after a moment.
Savannah couldn’t help but smile. “Your aura…it’s so strong,” she
said. “It’s so bright and so incredibly beautiful. And it’s colorful--I’ve
never seen so many colors on one person before. You’re full of
passion, you have strong opinions, and you’re incredibly loyal. You
can be stubborn and quick to anger, but you always admit afterwards
if you feel you’re wrong.”
It was as Savannah was talking that she realized how much she had
picked up about him over the last few days. She had never thought to
put it into words, but now that she was doing it, the words came
easily. She knew Xander, not just because of the connection they
shared, but because she could read him better than anyone else.
“You hate your father, but you’ve also been hurt by him, even though
you will never admit it. You loved your mother to death, and miss her
still. You’re scared because you don’t know if your half-brother will
succeed in becoming alpha. You’re scared for your pack, and what it
will mean for them if Dominic takes control.”
Xander stopped walking. He stood there, staring at her as though she
had revealed she, too, was a wolf. Savannah smiled. “I didn’t know I
knew that much myself,” she admitted. “Am I…right?”
Xander shook his head in disbelief. “You are. Can you do that
with everyone?”
“I don’t pick up that many details with other people,” Savannah
admitted. “But I pick up a lot, a significant amount at least.”
“You have a gift, Savannah,” Xander said.
Savannah smiled. “I know.”
When she looked back up, she spotted her house some distance away,
and knew Xander would have to say goodbye again. They started
walking again, but Savannah made it a point to slow her pace down so
she could prolong the moment.
“It was nice to share that with someone,” she said softly.
“Nobody knows?”
“You’re the only one,” Savannah said. “It’s fair, now I know your
secret, that you know mine.”
Xander smiled. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Of course,” Savannah nodded.
They stopped just outside of her house, and Xander’s eyes grew
cloudy. “I’ll be seeing you, Savannah,” he said, and she knew he
didn’t want to say goodbye again.
Savannah nodded. Xander turned and disappeared into the trees. She
stared off after him, wondering if her entire life would just be a series
of unending goodbyes.

Chapter Twelve
The library had quickly become Savannah’s second home. She moved
between her classes with her head down and eyes firmly fixed on the
ground in front of her. She saw Xander every day, as well as Marissa
and the rest. Sometimes it all got to be too much for her.
Whenever she had a moment of spare time she'd find solace in the
library, especially during lunch break when she couldn’t really avoid
anyone. There were a few kids that tried to befriend her, but Savannah
simply did not have the energy to invest in a new relationship that
probably wouldn’t last very long anyway.
Savannah heard the laughter and bustle coming from the cafeteria as
she passed it by. She noticed Xander there, surrounded by his friends,
but he didn’t see her. She kept walking and went straight to the library,
which was completely empty. She moved to the back where no one
could see her, and moved through the shelves, searching for
something that would distract her, if only for a few minutes.
She was about to move on to the next shelf when she spotted a thin,
black, bound book with gold lettering on the spine. Its title read,
"Legends of Grey Mountain." Gingerly, Savannah pulled out the
book, and scrolled through its contents list. She stopped short when
she came upon chapter seven, which read "The Legend of the Wolf
Prince."
Savannah moved to the last aisle of the library, sank to the ground,
and leaned against the shelves to read it. The chapter was only a few
pages long and filled with detailed black and white drawings that had
probably been done exclusively for the book. She wasn’t really
interested in any other legend apart from the one about the wolf
prince. She stared at the image of a man with the head of a wolf, and
then started to read:
Back when Grey Mountain was known only as Grey Mountains, there
was a great chief who had three daughters by his three wives. His
daughters were all tall and beautiful and respected among the tribe as
skilled wolf hunters. His oldest daughter was flaxen haired and blue
eyed, and she was the best hunter. His second daughter was black
haired and green eyed, and she was the best archer. His youngest
daughter was red haired and brown eyed, and she was the best fighter.
The chief’s oldest daughter was promised in marriage to the son of a
prominent member of the tribe, and they would take over as the
leaders and elders of the village when the time came. The chief’s
youngest daughter was famed for her unusual red hair, which was
considered the ultimate in beauty. She had many suitors and she was
eventually promised to the son of a powerful, neighbouring tribe.
The chief’s second daughter, however, was disinterested in men and
marriage. She explored the mountains of her tribe, and came to know
nature more intimately than anyone else. She was an adventurer who
never stayed in one place for long. She spent more time in the trees
and mountains than she did in the tribe with her own family. She was
the wildest of the chief’s three daughters, and her name was Mira.
One day, Mira traveled further into the forest than she had ever
traveled before. She came upon a clearing that held in its center the
most perfect blue lake she had ever seen. Enchanted with its beauty,
Mira removed her clothes, and prepared to swim in the lake’s clear
waters. She was about to enter the lake when she heard a noise behind
her.
She turned, and found herself faced with a terrifying black wolf that
was bigger than any she had seen before. She had left her bow a few
feet away with her clothes, and she had no way of defending herself as
the animal moved forward with its teeth bared. With no choice left to
her, Mira jumped for her bow, but the animal was too fast. It attacked
her and tore at her flesh until she fell back into the lake, bleeding from
a thousand different wounds.
The animal left her in the lake surrounded by her own blood,
contaminating the clear blue water and turning it red. Mira believed
she was going to die, but then something happened. She sensed it as
she floated in the water waiting to die. The water was magic, and it
had begun to heal her. An hour later she rose from the waters, her
body new and free of any wounds or scars. She felt stronger and more
powerful. She felt whole.
But Mira knew she was more than just a woman now. She could feel
the animal inside her, and as night descended, Mira transformed into
a great beast, similar to the one that had attacked her, and
instinctively she knew she could never go back home. She ran through
the forests, feeling a new sense of freedom unlike any she had
experienced before. She kept running until she caught a scent that was
strangely familiar to her. She stopped and turned and found herself
face to face with the creature that had attacked her in the lake.
Now that she herself was in wolf form, she could communicate with
the beast. Mira learnt that he was a man named Kian, who was
afflicted with the same transformative powers she had. The difference
was that a witch had cursed him, and so he could not control himself
when he turned. He became a beast, an animal in its most dangerous
state. Mira promised to help him so that he would maintain some
sense of control when he transformed.
For many months, Mira and Kian roamed the forests together, and she
helped him control his beastly instincts. She taught him how to
suppress the wild beast inside him, and he taught her the little secrets
of the forest. Eventually they fell in love, and Mira gave birth to a son.
The boy had all the wolfish traits of his parents, but he could control
himself better, he could think and decide, and when he transformed, he
was still a man inside a wolf's body.
Mira and Kian named their son Kato, and they taught him all they
knew, but it was a lonely existence, for Kato had no one to talk to but
his parents. He would watch the people of the village from the grey
mountains, and wish he might walk among them, and live his life
among them. It was not the same for his parents. Their instincts were
more animal than human, and they did not miss their old lives.
One day, when Kato was watching the tribe and its people, he noticed
a beautiful woman with golden hair and soft brown eyes. He kept
coming back to watch her, day after day, and soon he was in love with
her. His parents warned him against the tribe, for they were fierce
wolf hunters, but Kato would not listen. One day he grew bold, and
went down to the tribe in his human form. There he spoke to the young
woman, whose name was Alais. They met secretly over the next few
weeks, and eventually Kato told Alais the truth about who he was. The
young lovers dreamed of leaving behind the place of their birth and
roaming the world. Scared that they could not be together, Alais
sought out the help of a witch who lived in the mountains.
The witch gave her a special potion that gave Alais the ability to
transform into a wolf as well, but the potion came at a price. Alais
and Kato could never be free to roam the world as they had planned.
They had to stay in the village, forever tied to it, obligated to protect
the tribe’s people, whatever the cost. They could never leave, their
children could never leave, and their grandchildren could never leave.
For Alais, it was a small price to pay. She and Kato both agreed to
stay and be protectors and guardians of the mountains, and the
villagers who lived at its feet. Alais drank the potion, and she and
Kato married. A year later, they had a baby boy and thus, the first
wolf prince was born.

Savannah read through the passage again, staring at the drawings and
wondering if even a quarter of the legend was true. She was fascinated
with the story, but she was not sure if she could trust it. Just then, the
bell went off, and Savannah knew she had to get to her next class. She
shut the book and sighed. Then she got up and walked to class alone.
Chapter Thirteen

After the first couple of days, Savannah realized that she really
enjoyed the long walk home. It gave her time to enjoy the raw nature
that surrounded her, time to reflect, and most importantly, it gave her
time to think about her future.
Lately she had been thinking about taking a gap year between high
school and college to travel around Asia. Then, maybe she would go
to Europe somewhere and get her degree. She had always been
interested in linguistics for obvious reasons, but lately she had been
thinking about Classics, and mythology as well. It didn’t seem to
matter how far her thoughts or her dreams took her, she always ended
up back in Grey Mountain.
It was becoming increasingly more difficult to go to school each day
and see Xander. He always gave her a smile, his eyes softening with
the weight of emotion, but he never approached her, and Savannah
knew she could go to him.
From time to time she would feel the jealousy coming off the other
girls when they noticed how often Xander glanced her way, but it had
ceased to bother her. Their jealousy paled in comparison to the weight
of everything else Savannah was feeling. She stopped walking as her
mind reeled back to the first day she had met Xander, the day he had
taken her to the lake.
It clicked that perhaps the lake he had taken her to was the lake in the
book she had read in school that day. Savannah knew it was not true.
She also knew she was searching for an answer that simply wasn’t
there, but she didn’t care. She turned from the road and moved into
the trees, determined to find the lake again.
The truth was she simply wanted to be comforted, and since she
couldn’t turn to anyone, she decided to seek solace in the one place
she felt was hers and Xander’s alone. She moved through the trees,
trying to remember the trail that Xander had taken her through.
An hour later, Savannah had to face the fact that she was completely
and totally lost. She turned three hundred and sixty degrees, and
nothing around her was familiar in the least. The scent of the air
around her was clear and fresh, but she could pick up the number of
wild animals hiding in the trees around her. A part of her knew it
wasn't safe for her there, but she was past caring.
That was when she smelt it. It was subtle at first, but she was now so
familiar with the scent that it took her only a moment to place it. She
knew it wasn’t Xander, but she suspected it was one of the girls. She
turned in the direction of the scent, and before she could try to figure
out who it was, a man walked out of the forest from between two
trees.
He was tall, taller even than Xander. He had short blond hair with
brown roots, and pale blue eyes that held little tinges of grey speckled
throughout. He was bare-footed and naked to the waist. The only
thing he had on was a pair of ripped shorts. He looked at Savannah
with interest, his expression narrowing into a smile that made her
supremely uncomfortable.
“Hello, Savannah,” he said, as though they were long lost friends.
 “Who are you?” Savannah demanded.
She knew from his aura that he was a wolf shifter, but there was
something very wrong with what she was sensing. His aura was filled
with greys and blacks, shadowy colors that sucked out the light and
left nothing behind. She could sense power and control, but she could
also sense a darker and more sinister nature lurking underneath.
“Me?” he asked. “I would have thought you’d know.”
Savannah wrinkled her brow in nervous confusion and it dawned on
her almost instantly. As was the case so many times in the past, she
had sensed the truth beneath his bright aura, but she had never
concentrated hard enough to uncover what it meant.
“You’re…Xander’s half-brother,” she whispered.
His smile grew wider, even as his eyes narrowed. “So, he did
mention me,” Dominic Wilson said. “I’m touched.”
“And I’m leaving,” Savannah said.
“You’re staying right where you are,” Dominic said instantly, freezing
Savannah in place, terrified by the threatening conviction in his tone.
“What do you want from me?” Savannah asked, trying to keep
the fear from her voice.
“All my life I’ve wanted things I couldn’t have,” Dominic said,
ignoring her question. “And the reason I couldn’t have them was
because everything I wanted belonged to Xander. I was the older one,
I was the first born, and yet he…got…everything.”
“He didn’t ask for it.”
Dominic shrugged. “Irrelevant.”
“So you’re here now because…”
“Because for the first time in my whole life, I have the opportunity to
possess something Xander can’t have,” Dominic said slowly. “It’s
almost poetic, really.”
 “What are you talking about?” Savannah demanded, backing
away from him slowly.
“I’m talking about you, Savannah,” Dominic replied as he took a
step toward her.
“What makes you think I want anything to do with you?” Savannah
demanded, fear creeping up her throat.
Dominic laughed. “Oh, don’t mistake my intentions, Savannah, my
only interest in you stems from my little brother’s love for you. Can
you imagine how upset, how angry he will be when he discovers that I
have had the girl he loves?”
Savannah felt her body grow cold and she had to remind herself to
breathe. “Are you insane?” she asked. “You can’t do this.”
“Watch me,” he said after a heartbeat of silence.
Savannah felt her fear hurtle up toward her throat like a building
avalanche. She suppressed a scream, and bolted for the trees. Her head
start didn’t make even the tiniest of differences. He caught her before
she had a chance to get away and pushed her down onto the muddy
forest floor. When she hit the ground, Savannah saw a vision flash
across her eyes. She saw herself standing in front of three people in
long grey cloaks. They were looking at her with accusation, and she
felt the fear of her vision merge with the fear she was already feeling.
Dominic grabbed her by the torso and spun her around, so he was
standing over her, looking down at her with sadistic glee in his eyes.
She struggled under his grasp, but he was too strong. Dominic
lowered himself on top of her and Savannah screamed, but she could
hear no sound coming from herself as he forced her mouth shut with
his hand and pulled her legs apart.
“No,” Savannah said, unsure if she was saying the words out loud, or
if they were all in her head. “This can’t be happening! No, no, no!”
And then it was no longer happening. One moment Dominic was
straddling her painfully, and the next she was freed from his weight
and it was easier to breathe. She also realized she could no longer hear
anything.
She stayed where she was, her eyes trained on the sky above her. She
had lost her hearing aid. It had fallen out when she was struggling
with Dominic. She wondered if perhaps she was really dreaming. She
closed her eyes for a moment, trying to decide if she was awake or
asleep, then she felt something touch her hand, and she felt her
stomach turn in fear.
It was not a dream, this was really happening, and Dominic was about
to rape her, and leave her for dead. What was strange was that he was
touching her gently. She wanted to open her eyes, but she was scared
to.
And then she smelt it, another scent, different from Dominic’s,
but all too familiar.
She opened her eyes to find she was staring into Xander’s soft grey
ones. She gasped out his name, though she still could not hear herself
speak. She bolted upright into a sitting position, and fell into Xander’s
waiting arms. He looked worried, but he also looked relieved. He
looked at her again and spoke. Savannah focused her eyes on his lips.
“Are you all right?”
Savannah nodded. “I think so,” she signed to him.
He stared at her in confusion and shook his head. “I can’t
understand you, Savannah,” he responded.
Savannah looked around her and noticed the white earpiece of her
hearing aid half hidden among the grit and dirt of the forest. She
pointed to it, and Xander retrieved it, and helped her fit it back on.
Almost instantly, Savannah felt a flush of sound fill her ears, though it
was somewhat muted, and she was getting more sound in her left ear
than she was getting on the right; she suspected it might have been
damaged in the scuffle.
“Savannah?” Xander’s voice was so beautiful to hear.
 “Where is he?” Savannah asked, hearing her own voice at last.
“Gone,” Xander replied. “For the moment--”
“You got rid of him?”
“I… pulled him off you.” Xander nodded. “But I couldn’t fight
him. I was too worried about you.”
“But then how…”
“The boys were with me,” Xander explained. “They took him on, but
he knew he was outnumbered, so he ran. They went after him. Did he
hurt you?”
“He almost did.” Savannah nodded, feeling a little light headed.
“Come on,” Xander said, putting an arm around her and lifting her
easily to her feet. “Let’s head to the cabin. You’ll be safe there.”
Xander half carried her to the cabin. As soon as they were inside,
Xander locked the doors and turned to Savannah. “Is there anything I
can get you?” he asked. “Anything you need?”
“I want to shower,” Savannah said. She wanted to erase the feel of
Dominic’s hands on her body. She could still feel the weight of him on
top of her.
“Of course.” Xander nodded and led her to a little room with an
attached bathroom. “There are towels in the bottom drawer, but the
water will be cold.”
“That’s okay,” Savannah said. “I don’t mind.”
Xander turned to leave and give her some privacy, but Savannah
grabbed him by the arm before he could go. “No,” she said. “Stay
with me.”
He turned around slowly and saw a spark of hesitation in his eyes, but
it was eclipsed by his desire. Savannah knew this would only make it
harder for them later, but at the moment she didn’t care. She needed
him now to erase the pain and fear she had just experienced, and she
knew he wouldn’t be able to deny her.
Xander moved toward the bathtub and filled it with water. Slowly,
Savannah began to remove her clothes. When Xander turned back to
her she was naked. He glanced at her body for only an instant, and
then averted his eyes. He helped Savannah into the bathtub, and then
knelt down beside the tub and scrubbed her gently.
“He wanted to rape me to hurt you,” Savannah said after a
moment.
“He hates me,” Xander said. “He knew that hurting you would be
the surest way to destroy me.”
Savannah shivered, but it wasn’t because of the cold water. “I can’t
believe that he would do something so deplorable.”
“People are capable of all sorts of deplorable things,” Xander said,
running a soft sponge along Savannah’s arched spine.
“I think I discovered something about myself today,” Savannah
admitted as the thought came to her, out of the blue.
“Tell me.”
“I lost my hearing aid around the time Dominic grabbed me, and
threw me to the ground, and almost immediately afterwards, I had
another vision.”
“You’ve had them before, haven’t you?” Xander asked. “With
your hearing aid on?”
“Yes.” Savannah nodded. “But the visions aren’t clear. They’re so fast
I can barely understand them, but they were clearer without the
hearing aid.”
“What did you see?”
Savannah smiled. “The vision was clear, but I still don’t know what it
meant. I was standing in front of three people--”
“That’s all?”
Savannah nodded. “That’s all. But who knows? Maybe I’m just
as special as you are.”
 Xander smiled. “You already are.”
“I can’t turn into a wolf.”
“Then you’re the luckier one.”
“You love being a wolf,” Savannah said.
“No, I don’t.”
“Xander,” Savannah said gently, “you forget my other gift: I can sense
things from people, and the better I know them the easier it is for me
to read them. I know you love it; I can sense it.”
Xander sighed. “I don’t love that it’s keeping us apart.”
Savannah nodded. “I know. “I sense that too.”
Savannah finished with her bath, and rose from the tub. Xander held a
towel out to her and wrapped her in it. She followed him into the
room and he started to wipe off the small diamonds of water that
clung to her body. His eyes traveled over her freely, and Savannah
sensed the shift in emotion as he admired her naked body brazenly,
and without apology.
Instinctively, Savannah leaned in and kissed him. A moment later, the
towel in Xander’s hands fell to the floor. He hesitated for only a
moment before his hands pulled her to him. They fell backwards onto
the bed behind them, their hands exploring each other’s bodies with
blind passion. Xander kissed her lips tenderly, and then he kissed her
neck, her breasts, and her stomach.
She surrendered herself to him, uncaring of the consequences and
completely uninhibited. He was passionate and gentle, but he was also
animalistic and unpredictable. Savannah had never been with a man,
and she should have been nervous, scared, and shy, but she wasn’t any
of those things.
It felt like the most natural thing in the world. As Xander kissed her
and moved on top of her, Savannah felt the potency of her feelings as
well as his. She felt his aura burning fiercely into hers, and she knew
they were joining more than just their bodies. Savannah gasped in
delight as he moved inside her. She clung to him, wanting the moment
to last forever so they would never have to leave the cabin and face
the cruel world outside.
As Xander made love to her, Savannah sensed the worry encased
beneath all the stronger emotions he was feeling. He knew they
shouldn’t be getting in deeper, but he simply could not stop himself.
Ironically, it was the animalistic, feral part of him that was more in
control.
When Savannah woke up the next morning cocooned against the
warmth of Xander’s body, she noticed he was wide-awake. He was
looking at her intently, with an unknowable expression on his face.
“What is it?” Savannah asked, as she ran her fingers across his
cheek.
“I can’t let you go,” Xander said with muted determination in his
voice.
“Xander,” Savannah said, sitting up, “we don’t have a choice.”
“I should have fought harder from the beginning,” Xander said with
new resolve. “At least I can fight for us now.”
“How?” Savannah asked, desperately clinging to the hope she
could sense in his voice.
“I will have to plead my case,” Xander said.
“To whom?”
“To the Council of Elders,” Xander said. “I will have to go before the
pack leaders and speak directly to the alpha.”
“The alpha?” Savannah said. “Does that mean you will have to
go before your uncle?”
Xander sighed. “Yes, it does.”

Chapter Fourteen
“I’m coming with you,” Savannah said.
She expected him to refuse her, but he nodded. “I want you with
me.”
While Savannah dressed, she heard Xander in the next room making a
phone call to someone. When he came back, his face was grim and
serious.
“What happened?” Savannah asked. “Whom were you talking
to?"
“That was Brace,” Xander replied. “One of my friends. I told him to
inform the council that I initiated a pack meeting, one hour from
now.”
“Xander,” Savannah began.
“I can’t wait any longer, Savannah,” Xander said wearily. “I need this
resolved. I need an answer from them. If we have their permission,
their blessing, then we can be together.”
“And what if they deny us?”
Xander’s eyes clouded over, and Savannah had her answer. “Let’s not
think about that until we have to,” Xander said in a low voice.
Sooner than she could have imagined, she and Xander left behind the
silence of the cabin and headed to the clearing where the pack meeting
was to be held. It was just as beautiful as the first time Xander had
taken her there, but Savannah was so nervous she couldn’t fully
appreciate it.
“Breathe, Savannah,” Xander said, squeezing her hand.
“I can feel your fear,” Savannah whispered to him, “and it’s
making me even more nervous.”
Xander smiled, and Savannah marvelled at his ability to keep a cool
and calm exterior despite the turmoil of emotion he was experiencing.
“Don’t let them see how much we want this,” he told Savannah, and
she willed herself to adopt his calm façade.
They were standing beside the lake when Savannah registered the
change in climate. She felt burning heat coming toward them as she
sensed the others start to approach. She turned around and saw
Xander’s friends enter the clearing from the woods. They were the
only ones who looked at her sympathetically, without hate or jealousy.
Still, they did not seem happy, either. They were weary and nervous of
what was to come.
On their heels came the girls. Savannah froze as she took in Marissa’s
furious eyes. If Savannah had not been able to sense people's auras,
she would not have been able to sense how fiercely Marissa hated her.
There were nine of them in the clearing. The pack members stood to
one side, staring over at Xander and Savannah, their eyes lingering on
their entwined hands. Savannah tried to remove her hand from
Xander’s but he kept a firm grip on her.
And then they came. Savannah held her breath and watched as three
cloaked figures entered the clearing at the same time. Instantly she
realized this was the vision she had seen yesterday, when Dominic had
cornered her in the forest. She had seen herself standing before the
Council of Elders, waiting for them to cast judgement on her future,
waiting for them to raise her up or destroy her whole.
The elders moved into the center of the loose circle, their backs to the
lake so that they were facing the young pack members. They removed
their cloaks, and Savannah recognized the woman on the far right. It
was impossible to forget that kind of careless beauty. Savannah knew
she should not have been surprised‒she had sensed it from day one--
but it had caught her off guard, nonetheless.
“Hello Savannah,” Principal Harris greeted her, blue eyes
flashing.
Savannah nodded, feeling her words catch in her throat. In the middle,
between the two women, stood a tall, bald man, with fantastic green
eyes. There was little resemblance between him and Xander, but
Savannah could still sense the blood bond between them. To his left
stood another woman with braided black hair, and eyes just as dark.
She looked like she belonged on some exotic runway.
Before anyone could speak, Marissa stepped forward. “This is a pack
meeting,” she said, her tone carrying splinters. “He should not have
been allowed to bring her here. This is a sacred place.”
“This is true, Malick,” Principal Harris said, agreeing with her
daughter. “It is not allowed.”
“Why have you brought Savannah here, Xander?” Malick asked,
turning his intense green eyes on Xander and Savannah.
“I know the rules,” Xander said, stepping forward. “And I
understand and respect them–"
“If you truly respected the rules none of us would be here now,”
Marissa said, cutting Xander off.
“Let him speak,” Johnny said, glaring at Marissa. “He is the
alpha.”
“He’s not alpha yet,” Marissa snapped back.
“Stop!” Malick said, and a hush fell over the pack instantly. “Xander
has broken many rules, but he deserves the chance to explain himself.
Xander, you have the floor.”
“Thank you, Uncle,” Xander said, dipping his head in respect. He
took another step forward, and Savannah felt the urge to reach out and
pull him back to her side. She felt strangely sick, but she suppressed
the urge to sit down and rest her legs.
“As I said, I do have respect for the rules that govern our kind, but I
cannot deny I have other wishes that cannot be fulfilled in this pack,
in my role here, and in my duty as the future alpha. I cannot control
how I feel, and I cannot change whom I love. I had no choice in this. I
understand the rules: I must marry a wolf shifter so we may create the
next generation together, but I cannot deny that I love Savannah.”
“We know all this, Xander,” Malick said after a moment. “You love
the girl, you told me so the first day you laid eyes on her--what is it
you’re really here to say?’
“I am here to ask, to implore the council to grant us permission to be
together,” Xander said, speaking slowly so that his request would sink
in.
The moment he spoke the words, Savannah felt rage ignite inside her.
There was more than just rage--there was worry, concern, jealousy,
and fear. Savannah did not understand half of what she was sensing
from the pack, and it cemented her difference. She was not one of
them. She did not understand their customs or their rules. They were
all alien to her.
“You want our permission?” Malick asked calmly, staring Xander
in the eye.
“Yes.” Xander nodded. “That is what I want.”
“You cannot have both, Xander,” Malick said. “You know the price of
choosing Savannah--it will come at the expense of this pack…your
pack. If you abandon them now, the next alpha will be Dominic.”
“Not if you refuse to recognize him as the alpha,” Xander said
desperately. “You can cast him out, shun him, and look to me as the
next leader still.”
“As I said, you cannot have both.”
Xander sighed deeply. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“You know that is not true,” Malick said harshly. “You have known
the rules your whole life. You understood what it meant to be the
alpha. I believed you were ready.”
“He is ready,” the dark skinned, braided beauty beside Malick said,
speaking up for the first time. “We can all sense his abilities, but he is
also tormented by his love for the girl, and we cannot ignore that.”
“What else can we do?” Principal Harris asked. “If Xander chooses
Savannah he dooms the pack, and if he chooses the pack, he must give
up the girl.”
“I don’t understand,” Savannah said, speaking up. Everyone turned to
her and she felt the full weight of everyone’s eyes on her. She took a
deep breath and continued. “I just…I don’t understand why another
leader can’t be chosen. If Xander cannot lead the pack, why does it
have to be Dominic?"
Xander turned around and faced her.
“She knows nothing,” Marissa spat. “You haven’t told her the
most important part.”
Savannah ignored Marissa and stared at Xander, searching for the
answers in his eyes. “The next, natural alpha possesses abilities that
other wolf shifters are born without,” Xander said, slowly. “Once I
become the alpha I will have…a certain amount of control over the
pack, and if I break from tradition, then those powers will waste away,
and the next in line will inherit them. Dominic would inherit them.”
“Your father didn’t,” Savannah pointed out, desperate for some
loophole that would save them. “You told me you were next in line to
be the alpha, not your father.”
“My father broke the rules,” Xander replied. “He desecrated the holy
union of marriage by cheating on my mother, so the powers of the
alpha passed him over in favor of me, but that was only because I was
an option. If my father had had no sons, then he would have been the
next alpha. That is why it is so important to marry and create the next
generation.”
Savannah felt light-headed. She reminded herself to breathe deeply so
that she would stay calm, but anguish was threatening to break her
façade. She could see no way forward for herself and Xander. She
could see the end, and it was near.
“You knew this, Xander,” Malick spoke up. “You knew this before
you called the meeting, before you brought us here. Why ask when
you know the answer? Why ask when you know there is nothing we
can do?”
“There is something we can do,” Xander said with conviction, and
Savannah froze in place. She hadn’t expected it, and she clung to
Xander’s words, grabbing onto the last shred of hope available to
them.
“Go on,” Malick said. “What is it you think we can do?”
“We ask for help,” Xander said. “To change inevitable fate and bend
this rule so I can become the alpha as I was meant to, and stay with
Savannah at the same time.”
“That is impossible!” Marissa said harshly.
“Silence,” Principal Harris hissed. She turned to Xander and nodded.
“How do you propose to achieve this help?”
Savannah sensed the stress wafting off Xander’s body, and she knew
he was nervous about bringing this new plan to light. He knew it
would be unpopular, but it was his last, desperate attempt.
“We seek the help of a witch,” he said.
There was a moment of silence, and then the clearing went wild with
gritting teeth and sounds of outrage. Even Xander’s friends hissed at
the words, recoiling back as though he had lashed out at them.
Savannah stared at the reaction, wondering what it meant to them and
their kind. First, she tried to process the idea that real witches lived
among the human race.
“You dare suggest such a thing?” Malick asked in a cold voice.
“It is the only way.”
“We do not consort with witches,” the braided elder said,
speaking up.
“If you remember correctly, our legends revolve around witches,”
Xander said. “Our history includes them. Witches have shaped the
race we are today.”
“They have also enslaved and harmed us,” Malick responded. “We are
not dogs to be trained and used and tortured. We are wolves, and we
are greater than they are.”
 “They have power that we don’t.”
“Which is why they have kept us under heel,” Malick said angrily.
“We will not allow them to use us further. You cannot expect anything
from a witch without payment. Tell me: are you willing to pay the
price it would cost?”
“Yes,” Xander said, firmly.
At the same time Savannah said, “No.”
Their eyes fell upon Savannah again, and she stepped forward to stand
beside Xander. He looked at her with confusion and hurt, but she
knew she could not let him do this for her.
“Xander,” she said, dropping her voice so that only he could hear
her. “It’s okay. You need to let this go now.”
“I need to let this go?” he repeated incredulously.
“You have an obligation to stay and protect your pack,” Savannah
said. “And I can’t be a part of it. You need to accept that.”
“They can do this,” Xander said desperately. “They can ask for help.
They can put aside this the enmity they have with the witches and
help us.”
“Xander, I can feel their resolve,” Savannah said sadly. “They
will not bend.”
Xander turned to stare at the three elders in front of them.
“You’re really going to make me choose?”
“At least you’ve been given a choice,” Malick told him
expressionlessly.
Savannah felt Xander’s rage hurtle to the surface, and she knew he
was going to lose it in a second. She reached out to him, trying to stop
the outburst before it happened, but a sharp whip of pain cut through
her, and her knees buckled as she fell to the ground.
“Savannah!” Xander cried as he grabbed her. “What just
happened?”
 “I don’t know,” Savannah said. She gasped, but then the pain
disappeared as fast as it had come.
“Elvira!” Xander said, turning to the braided elder. “Help her.”
Elvira stepped forward and knelt down beside Savannah. “Lie down
flat,” she said, and Savannah had no choice but to do so.
Elvira looked her over, and then placed her hands, palms down, over
Savannah’s body. Elvira never touched her, but Savannah felt a
strange heat begin to envelop her.
“What is this?” Savannah whispered.
“She’s trying to sense what’s wrong,” Xander replied. “Hold on.”
The clearing was filled with silence for at least ten minutes. Elvira had
her eyes shut as her hands hovered over Savannah’s body. She moved
her hands up and down, without a word. Suddenly, her hands stilled,
and Savannah sensed the confusion and astonishment ripple from
Elvira’s aura.
“What is it?” Savannah asked in a panic. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is…wrong,” Elvira said at last.
“Elvira?” Xander’s voice was weighted down with concern.
Elvira rose to her feet, and she and Xander helped Savannah up. The
pain had left her body, but the memory of it still remained. Savannah
stared at Elvira, waiting for the explanation.
“It seems…Savannah is pregnant,” Elvira said at last.
Shock was the one singular emotion that Savannah felt emanating
from everyone in the clearing.
“What?” Xander said after a moment. “She’s…pregnant?”
“Yes,” Elvira nodded. “You’re going to be a father, Xander.”
Xander turned around and stared at Savannah. “This makes my
choice easier,” Xander said at last. “The only way my conscience will
allow me to abandon my responsibility to my pack. It is in favor of a
greater responsibility--”
 “You will not be required to make the choice at all,” Elvira said,
and a murmur went through the pack.
“What do you mean, Elvira?” Malick asked. “He will still have to
choose.”
“No, he will not,” Elvira replied. “The child that Savannah
carries…will be a shifter.”
“How is that possible?” Principal Harris demanded.
“I don’t know,” Elvira replied. “But it is.”
“Wait,” Xander said suddenly. “Does that mean…”
“You can marry Savannah,” Elvira said. “And you can retain
your role as alpha.”
Xander spun around to face Savannah. Their eyes met and Savannah
saw how thrilled he was. Her fear and uncertainty dissipated instantly
as she saw the conviction in his eyes. They could stay together;
Xander did not have to choose.
Savannah fell into his arms and Xander hugged her tightly. Savannah
felt jealousy spring up all around them, but she cut it all out and
focused only on Xander and their child. For now, and forevermore,
this was the only thing that mattered.
It was the only thing that would ever matter.

BOOK TWO
Chapter One
“Savannah?”
Xander’s voice reached Savannah as though from a great distance, but
when she turned he was right beside her. She reached out and took his
hand.
“I’m sorry,” Savannah said. “I was somewhere else.”
“Are you okay?” Xander asked.
“I’m…just a little shaken,” Savannah replied. “I mean, I’m pregnant,
and I’m eighteen, and I haven’t even graduated high school yet.”
“I know,” Xander said. He pulled her close, and wrapped his arms
around her. Warmth crept in immediately, and Savannah felt a little
better. “I know, This is a lot for me, too.”
“Are you scared?” Savannah asked. She looked up at him.
He hesitated for a moment. His grey eyes were distant and thoughtful,
but when he looked into Savannah’s eyes, he was back in the present
with her. “Yes.” He nodded. “I am, but I’m scared of different things.”
“Like what?” Savannah asked.
“I’m scared I won’t be able to keep my family safe,” Xander said
quietly.
“Which family?” Savannah asked. “The one you have with me, or the
one you have with the pack?”
Xander cupped Savannah’s face in both of his hands, and looked
down at her with a burning intensity. “From this day until my last, you
will always be the most important thing to me. You are my family
first, and everything and everyone else will always be second.”
Savannah nodded as she let those words seep into her being,
comforting her the way nothing else could. She sensed Xander’s
brightly burning aura, and its intensity. She also sensed his aura’s
layered emotions--he was weary and scared; he was thinking three
steps ahead, and he still worried that it wasn’t enough.
“You’re thinking too much,” Savannah said quickly.
Xander smiled distractedly. “You can feel it?”
“Even if I couldn’t feel it, I can see it,” Savannah said. “I need you to
be present Xander, I need to know you’re here with me.”
“I am always with you,” Xander said firmly. “Always.”
Savannah sighed. “It’s getting late,” she said. “I need to get home
before my parents start worrying.”
 Xander nodded. He took her hand and they made their way
through the forest.
“Will they really let us be together now?” Savannah asked. It was
a question that she'd wanted to ask for some time, now.
“Of course,” Xander said with certainty. “They are bound by sacred
laws. You are carrying my child, and that child is a shifter. One day he
or she will succeed me. They will respect our union, and they will
help me to keep you and the baby safe.”
“You sound so sure,” Savannah said.
Xander turned to her in surprise. “You’re not?”
“It’s just…”
“Yes?”
“I felt so many different things in the clearing,” Savannah admitted. “I
felt the tenor of every aura surrounding me, and I caught some
emotions that weren’t always…respectful.”
Xander sighed. “You have to understand, Savannah, the girls were
raised with the belief that one day I would choose my partner from
one of them. It is a hard thing to not be chosen, but not to be chosen in
favor of someone so different is a bitter pill for them to swallow.”
“I felt their jealousy,” Savannah said. Her hand fell instinctively to her
flat belly. “I felt their anger, but it paled in comparison to how one
person in particular felt.”
Savannah looked hard at Xander’s face where she saw confirmation of
her fears reflected in his eyes.
“Marissa and I were very close as children,” Xander said slowly.
“We were best friends, but as we grew older, she wanted something
more, and I…didn’t.”
“She’s in love with you,” Savannah said firmly.
“She only thinks she’s in love with me,” Xander said
dismissively.
Savannah pulled her hand from Xander’s, and he turned to face her.
“You’re not listening to me,” Savannah said. “I’m not guessing, and
I’m not assuming. I know she's in love with you. I can feel it, and how
it burns inside of her.”
Xander looked down. “It doesn’t matter,” he said softly. “I don’t
love her.”
“You’re not scared of what she might do?” Savannah asked.
Xander turned to her, fire burning in his eyes. “She is part of the
pack,” he said. “I am the future alpha, and you are my chosen mate.
She will not harm you or any part of you.”
“Because she won’t, or because she can’t?” Savannah asked.
“Does it matter?” Xander took Savannah’s hand and pulled her
through the forest.
“It matters to me.”
“I told you before, and I meant it,” Xander said. “I will keep you
safe. From everyone.”
Savannah tried to take a deep breath, but she felt something she didn’t
have the luxury of trying to decipher. She and Xander moved quickly
through the forest, until they came to the base of the track where he
kept his motorcycle. He helped her onto it, and then they were
breezing down the dark, lonely streets of Grey Mountain, toward
Savannah’s isolated home.
Xander stopped a few feet away from the house, and behind some
trees so that no one in the house would be able to see them. He got
off, and then helped Savannah down.
“You know I won’t break right?” Savannah said. “I’m just
pregnant.”
Xander took a deep breath. “I can’t quite believe it.”
“Neither can I,” Savannah said. “And who can blame us? It's not
every day that a person finds out she's pregnant only a day after
conception. How did Elvira know?”
“Usually the elders possess certain heightened abilities,” Xander said.
“She’s a healer of sorts, and she can usually sense if something has
gone wrong, internally. That was how she was able to tell that you
were pregnant so soon.”
Savannah nodded. She unconsciously turned in the direction of
the house.
“Are you worried about how to tell your parents?” Xander asked.
Savannah laughed. “Can I possibly get away with never telling
them at all?” she asked.
“After the first three or four months they might start to notice
something,” Xander pointed out.
Savannah sighed. “I can’t think about it right now,” she said. “I
just need to get some sleep.”
“Of course.” Xander nodded. “If you need anything, anything at
all, call me.”
“I will,” Savannah said. Xander reached for her and drew her close,
and Savannah melted into him. They stood like that for a long time
before Xander slowly tilted her head back enough so that he could
kiss her, gently on the lips.
“I don’t want to leave you,” he said.
Savannah had sensed that, but she also sensed that he needed to leave,
as he had much to settle with the pack, and his responsibilities were
calling to him.
“But you have to,” Savannah said, nodding. “The pack needs
you.”
Xander looked wearily off into the woods. Savannah noticed the
crease of worry on his brow grow prominent. She reached up and
grazed his cheek with the back of her hand. “Go. It's okay. I’ll be
fine.”
Xander took her hand, kissed the inside of her palm, and then flipped
it over and kissed it again. “Everything's going to be all right,” he
said. “I'll make sure of that.”
“I know,” Savannah said, and she took a step back so Xander
could ride off.
She waited until the plumes of smoke from his motorcycle
disappeared into the wind before she turned and went into the house.
Inside, all of the lights were still on, and her parents were in the
kitchen eating dinner.
“There you are!” her mother said. “We were expecting you home
an hour ago.”
“I know,” Savannah said, sitting down opposite her parents. “I was
with some friends, and I lost track of time.”
“Friends, huh?” her father asked. She noticed her parents exchange a
happy glance. “That’s great. You're really beginning to blossom in this
town.”
Savannah cringed at her father’s choice of words, but she smiled
anyway, and accepted the plate her mother had passed to her.
“We’re having pasta for dinner.”
“That sounds great,” Savannah said, despite the fact that she was not
hungry at all. She served herself a small portion, and picked at it
sparsely.
“Not hungry?” her mother asked.
“We had snacks,” Savannah said quickly. “Guess they filled me
up.”
“Did you have fun?” her mother asked.
Savannah nodded. “Yeah. I did. It was great.”
“You should introduce these new friends of yours to us,” Savannah’s
father said. “You could invite them over, sometime.”
“That’s not necessary,” Savannah said quickly. “They’re all…
really busy.”
“Busy?” her mother repeated.
 “We live quite far out,” Savannah said, grasping at straws.
“I think I know what the problem is,” her dad said, giving her a
sideways glance. “She’s scared we’re going to embarrass her.”
Savannah rolled her eyes. “That’s really not it.”
“I think your father’s right,” her mother said, pretending to be
hurt.
Savannah laughed. “I am definitely not embarrassed about you guys.
It's just that…these are new friends. They're the only friends I’ve ever
really had and I need to figure this out for myself.”
“Okay,” her father said. “Whatever you need, sweet pea.”
“Oh, guess what?” her mother said.
“What?” Savannah asked.
“Your eighteenth birthday gift is finally here.”
Savannah’s dad pulled something from his jeans pocket and
tossed it at her. “Happy belated birthday.”
Savannah grabbed it before it tumbled to the ground, and stared
down at the shiny keychain. “Car keys?” she asked.
Her parents nodded in unison.
“You won’t have to walk to and from school anymore,” her
mother said. “You’ve got your own set of wheels, now.”
“Thanks, guys,” Savannah said. “This will make things a whole
lot easier.”
“We figured you really needed a car in this town,” her father said.
“The town’s too spread out for you to just walk from one place to the
next, and once you graduate and we have to leave Grey Mountain, you
can sell the car, and put the money toward…whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want?” Savannah repeated.
“Traveling, college tuition, a different car…” her mother
suggested, “whatever you like.”
 “Oh,” Savannah said. “That sounds great, but I might just keep
the car.”
Her parents exchanged a glance. “What if you decide to leave the
country?” her father said.
Savannah hesitated. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, about my
future, and I’ve actually been considering the idea of staying here, in
Grey Mountain.”
“You want to stay in Grey Mountain?” her mother asked,
shocked.
Savannah laughed nervously. “I know it’s out of the blue–”
“You didn’t even want to move out here in the first place,” her
father reminded her.
Savannah nodded. “I know, but now I don’t know—this town has
kind of grown on me; I think I could be happy here.”
“Are you actually saying you’d want to stay here--permanently?”
her mother asked.
“Possibly,” Savannah said. “I don’t know for sure, yet.”
“What on earth can you do in this town, Savannah?” her mother
asked, sounding concerned.
“I don’t know,” Savannah said. “I’ll just have to figure it out as I
go.”
Her parents exchanged worried glances, and Savannah felt as if she
might burst. Her emotions had been going crazy lately. She sensed it
was most likely because of her pregnancy.
“Savannah,” her mother started.
“Yes?”
“Is this because of a boy?”
Savannah didn’t answer right away. She wasn’t even sure of the
answer herself. “I’m doing this for myself,” she said at last. “This is
what I want.”
When Savannah finally went up to her room that night, she was
exhausted, both physically and mentally. Her mind felt fluid, as
though it were floating in about a thousand different directions with
no means to control it. Savannah moved to her window and pried it
open.
A gust of oaky wind hit her face, and Savannah closed her eyes
against its insistent pull. For the first time that day she was alone, and
she was at last able to hear herself think. She reflected on the day's
events, as about a hundred different images whirled through her mind.
She remembered the walk to the clearing with Xander, and standing
before the elders to plead their case. In the end, her pregnancy had
rendered the elders’ verdict moot, and she and Xander had gotten the
blessing they required to be together, so Savannah couldn't understand
why she'd been feeling the way she was feeling.
It was as though her body was sending her warnings she couldn’t
ignore or avoid. It was as though every instinct she had was telling her
that something was going to happen, that a storm was brewing just
beyond the horizon, waiting to break.
Chapter Two
Savannah spent the whole night tossing and turning. At a time when
she should feel happy, all she felt was scared. It wasn’t just the
uncertainty of being eighteen and pregnant--it was more than that. It
was the sense of foreboding that told her she should not grow
comfortable because her world was about to spin off its axis.
Savannah woke the next morning still feeling tired. She sensed the
presence of something foreign inside her, but she still couldn’t quite
resolve that feeling with the presence of a baby. Savannah dressed and
went outside, thankful that it was a Saturday. She stared up at the
ranging hills that stood before her, and edged her way up until the
house was far behind her, and the air started to feel a little thinner.
Savannah took her hearing aid out, rendering the world instantly quiet.
It was only in the absence of all sound that Savannah realized how
much noise there actually was around her. The sound of the leaves
rustling in the wind, and the animals and birds had disappeared, the
sound of crunching leaves beneath her feet, and the steady whistle of
the wind was gone, too. In the absence of sound, Savannah felt her
senses begin to expand to make up for the dearth of sound.
A flash of light passed before her eyes, and Savannah sensed a vision,
just beyond the periphery of her sight. She almost felt as if she might
have some control over it, and tried to reach for it, but a wave of scent
hit her hard, and she opened her eyes. She recognized the scent as
possibly her favorite thing in the world.
“Xander,” Savannah whispered, though she was unable to hear
even her own voice.
Xander appeared before her eyes, his face cast into high relief bathed
in the golden spotlight of the sun. He was so beautiful that he took
Savannah’s breath away. His pale grey eyes held hues of silver, and
his dark hair held hints of gold. She saw his mouth form the shape of
her name, and she inched her hearing aid back in.
“What are you doing out here so early?” Xander asked.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Savannah admitted. “I thought a walk might
help.”
“You look…worried,” Xander said, staring carefully at
Savannah’s face.
“I had nightmares last night,” she said. “I don’t remember what about,
but they left me with this…feeling.”
“What feeling?” Xander asked.
“The feeling that something is about to happen,” Savannah said.
“Something bad.”
“I don’t want you worrying needlessly,” Xander said as he reached out
and took Savannah’s hand. “Stressing yourself out can only serve to
harm both you and the baby. You need to stay calm.”
“I can’t help how I feel, Xander,” Savannah said. She sighed. “I don’t
want to feel this way…it’s just…beyond my control.”
Xander’s eyes appeared troubled as he looked down at Savannah.
“Is there anything I can do?”
Savannah smiled. “You being here is enough.”
Xander hugged her a little tighter and then kissed her forehead. “Why
don’t we sit down?” he suggested. They found a cosy little spot
beneath the shade of the forest trees, and rested against its trunk.
“Are you going to tell me?” Savannah asked.
“Tell you what?”
“What you’re not telling me,” Savannah said. “I can sense it--”
Xander raised his eyebrows. “Those senses of yours are no joke.”
Savannah smiled. “It’s only because of the connection between us,”
she clarified. “It’s going to be hard for you to keep a secret from me.”
Xander smiled. “Believe it or not, I don’t want to keep secrets from
you, but I don’t want to upset you, either.”
“I know.” Savannah nodded. “But tell me anyway.”
Xander sighed. “Apparently…the news has traveled.”
“News of my pregnancy?” Savannah asked.
Xander nodded. “Dominic knows that the fact our child is a shifter has
legitimized our relationship, and I can marry you and take on my role
as alpha which means--”
“He can’t take over like he wanted to,” Savannah said, finishing
for him.
“Exactly,” Xander nodded.
“Does that mean he’s going to go back home?” Savannah asked.
“I don’t think he’s the type to give up so easily,” Xander said. “He’s
still in town, and…I think he may be up to something.”
“I knew it!” Savannah said. “I knew my senses were right.”
 “He’s not going to get near you,” Xander said fiercely. “I’ll make
sure of that.”
“What if…what if he tries to harm the baby?” Savannah said,
feeling terrible fear grip at her.
“We’re going to find him, Savannah,” Xander said heatedly. “We’re
going to find him, and we’re going to get him out of town.”
“How?”
“When the pack comes together as one we're impossible to defeat,”
Xander said with certainty. “It is the lone wolf who has something to
fear, and we are not alone--but Dominic is.”
Savannah nodded slowly. “I told my parents I wanted to stay in
Grey Mountain last night,” she admitted.
He smiled at her softly. “Were they surprised?”
“Very.” Savannah nodded. “They think I’m staying because of a
boy.”
“Oh,” Xander said with interest. “What did you tell them?"
“I told them I was staying for myself,” Savannah replied. “I told them
that I was doing this for no one else but me.”
“That’s good to hear,” Xander said, kissing the top of her head. “How
are you feeling about…everything? We never really got a chance to
talk about…the pregnancy.”
Savannah’s hands fell to her belly. “It feels…unreal at this
moment, but I’m also starting to feel--”
“Yes?”
“Protective,” Savannah said, “in a way I've never felt before--”
“I think they call those maternal instincts,” Xander said.
“It must be,” Savannah said. .
“What are your plans for today?” Xander asked.
“Well, I was hoping to spend the day with you,” she said.
Xander’s face broke into a huge smile. “Well, we can,” he said. “We
can be together, now that no one and nothing can stop us.”
Savannah nodded. She allowed her worry to dissipate for a moment in
an attempt to savor her happiness. “They’re really going to support
this?” she asked, feeling the need to be reassured.
“They’re really going to support this. My uncle's behind us, one
hundred percent.”
Savannah nodded, taking comfort in his words.
“Let’s go to the cabin,” Xander said. He rose to his feet and
extended his hand out to Savannah.
They started walking toward the house, hand in hand, enjoying the
oaky scent of the forest trees, and the subdued sounds of the animals.
“I have to start learning,” Savannah said as they approached the
cabin.
“Learning?” Xander asked.
“Learning about what it means to marry a shifter,” Savannah said,
“and how to raise children who are shifters. I should know about your
history, your traditions, and your rules, don’t you think?”
“Of course,” Xander said, nodding. “And you will learn, in time.”
“Why don’t you teach me now?”
“Because I don’t want to overwhelm you,” Xander said simply. “You
already have a lot to adjust to, and a lot to process. Why make it
harder for you by giving you too much information all at once?”
“I can handle it,” Savannah said defensively.
“I know you can, but for right now, I don’t want you to have to think
about anything other than yourself and the baby. Trust me, there will
be more than enough time for you to learn our ways and traditions.”
They entered the cabin together. Xander went right to the kitchen, and
took out a loaf of bread and some eggs from the refrigerator. “Sit
down,” he said, “and I’ll make you some breakfast.”
 Savannah smiled. “I’ve never had a man cook for me before,” she
admitted.
“Get used to it,” Xander said, moving around the kitchen with
confidence.
In less than half an hour there was a table full of food, and Savannah
was actually beginning to feel hungry again. Xander sat down next to
her and spooned scrambled eggs onto her plate. Every once in a while,
he'd rub her back protectively, as though to make sure she was all
right.
“There’s still so much we don’t know about each other,” Xander
said.
Savannah nodded. “I was thinking about that, too. It feels as though
I’ve known you for a hundred years, but when I stop to think about it,
I realize that we’re technically strangers to each other.”
“My mother used to tell me that strangers are made based on how you
feel about them,” Xander said. “She said that she’d known people for
a lifetime and they were still strangers to her. I think she might've
been talking about my father.”
Savannah noticed how soft his voice grew when he spoke about his
mother. She sensed how much Xander loved her, and how much it
hurt him when he'd thought he'd lost her.
“How did she die?” Savannah asked.
“She was sick,” Xander said. “She was sick for a long time, and my
father…well, he didn’t care. I think his indifference only made her
illness worse. Sometimes I wonder if she didn't just stop fighting
because it was easier to leave than to stay here and get hurt.”
Savannah sensed the burning anger beneath Xander’s calm façade. He
was resentful and hurt, but he was also furious at how things had
turned out.
“She would've tried to stay alive for you, Xander,” Savannah said,
even though she didn’t know it for sure.
 “I don’t know about that,” Xander said evenly. “She really loved
my father--”
“She loved you, too.”
Xander smiled a sad smile. “Sometimes it's not as simple that that.
People are complicated. Sometimes they’re weak, and that’s not
necessarily a bad thing, it's just how we’re made. My mother, she was
a strong woman, but she had moments of weakness. When my father
did what he did, a part of her died. She became sullen and withdrawn,
which only aggravated her illness. It was a massive humiliation for
her to endure, and I think she wanted to leave it all behind.”
Savannah reached out and took Xander’s hand. “I’m sorry,” she said.
“I wish there was something I could say--”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Xander said. “You don’t have to fix
it or make it better. Some things just are, and accepting them is the
only way forward.”
“Acceptance.” Savannah nodded, latching onto the word. “It’s harder
than most people understand. I’ve always been so sensitive to what
other people feel, and it's made me realize that acceptance is one of
the hardest things to do. It– ”
Savannah’s words were cut short by a flashing image that burned in
her mind’s eye, so bright, she moved to cover her eyes with her hands,
but the vision had already passed.
“Savannah!” Xander said, panicked as he grabbed her. “Are you
all right?”
Savannah breathed deeply. She managed a nod. “I…I think so--”
“What was that?”
“I had a vision,” she stammered. “I saw something, but it wasn’t
clear.” Savannah searched her memory, but she wasn't able to see the
vision again, or make sense of what she'd just seen. All she knew was
that she was left with was a new sense of foreboding.
“Xander,” she said tearfully.
 “What is it?” he asked with concern. “Tell me.”
“Something…something bad is going to happen,” she said. “I can
feel it. It's coming.”
“What did you see?” Xander asked. Savannah sensed his worry
burgeon in response to her reaction.
“I…can’t be sure,” Savannah said. “I think I saw a man, a tall man,
but I couldn’t see his face. He’s…trying to destroy us all. I…”
Savannah’s words froze on her tongue, and Xander looked up in
alarm, as though he'd heard something. “What is it?” Savannah
demanded.
“You’re right,” Xander said. “Something has happened--”
Savannah gasped. “I…what is it? What’s happening?”
“I don’t know yet,” Xander said desperately. “I heard the call--”
“The call?”
“The pack call,” Xander said. “It means--”
“You have to go,” Savannah finished for him.
Xander fixed his eyes on Savannah. “Stay here,” he said. “I'll be
back as soon as I can.”
“Okay,” Savannah said, feeling helpless.
“Stay here and lock the doors,” Xander said. “I’m sorry--”
“No,” Savannah said, cutting his apology short. “This is your job.
Go and do it. I’ll be here when you get back.”
Xander nodded. He grabbed Savannah and kissed her hard on the lips.
He leant his forehead against hers for the briefest of moments, and
then he was gone.
Chapter Three

Savannah tried to find things to do around the cabin that would keep
her mind off of whatever was going on outside those walls. She tried
to clean the living room, she tried to arrange the sheets, and she tried
to scrub the sink, but she gave up in the end in favour of staring out
the window and waiting for Xander's return.
Her mind fabricated new worries, and new concerns with each passing
second. She was starting to work herself into such a panic that she
considered leaving the safety of the cabin behind in order to venture
forth and find Xander herself.
Just as her resolve was beginning to harden, she saw something move
between the trees in the distance, followed, almost immediately by a
bright aura that was recognizable, but not altogether familiar. She was
trying to decide if she should be scared, when she saw two tall figures
emerge and start walking toward the cabin.
She recognized them instantly. The taller, dark-skinned boy with dark
hair was Johnny, and just behind him was red-haired Gordy. They
both wore nothing but shorts, and Savannah knew they'd probably
made most of the journey to the cabin as wolves. She rushed from the
window to the door, opening it before they had reached it.
Johnny looked at her with calm, serious eyes that gave nothing away,
but she sensed the worry in his aura. Behind him, Gordy watched her,
his face expressing more panic than worry.
“Johnny,” Savannah said. “Gordy. Where’s Xander?”
“He’s with the elders…conferring,” Johnny replied. “He sent us
here to stay with you.”
“To stay with me?” Savannah repeated.
“He didn’t want you to worry--”
“I’m already worried,” Savannah said, trying to keep her tone
even. “He’s been gone forever.”
The boys exchanged glances.
“What?” Savannah asked.
“He answered the pack call forty minutes ago,” Gordy told her.
Savannah raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Those forty minutes had
felt like a lifetime.
Johnny and Gordy pushed past her and into the cabin. Once they
were inside, Gordy bolted the door behind them.
“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Savannah demanded,
unable to wait out her curiosity any longer. “What was the reason for
the pack call?”
The boys exchanged glances again. “Maybe we should wait for
Xander to get back here,” Johnny suggested.
“Or how about the two of you just tell me?” Savannah said. “Unless
you can tell me he’ll be here soon.”
“We don’t know how long he’ll be,” Gordy replied.
“Fine,” Savannah said, “so go ahead.”
Johnny sighed as he sat down on the couch. “I think it’s best you
hear this from Xander.”
Savannah wanted to scream. She knew something was wrong--she
could feel it inside her--but her senses would give her nothing more
than just that: a feeling. She felt like a blind man who was able to see
shadows, but no definitive shapes.
Savannah sat down on the coffee table that sat just in front of the
couch so she was able to see both Gordy and Johnny. “You two are
close to Xander, aren’t you?” she said.
Johnny nodded. “Very close.” “We grew up together,” Gordy
said.
“I know,” Savannah said. “I can sense how much you care about him,
and how much you trust each other. I can also sense the fear and
uncertainty you're both feeling. Johnny—you're concerned, and
Gordy--you’re not sure about me because of what it's done to your
pack, am I right?”
“How do you know all this?” Johnny asked suspiciously.
“Because ever since I was born I’ve been able to sense things about
people, it's like I was born deaf, but nature found a way to
compensate,” Savannah explained. “I feel more than a normal person
can, as a result, which means I can feel that something is wrong…with
the pack, and I want to know how that'll affect my family. And the
thing is, my family doesn’t just include Xander, the baby, and myself,
anymore--my family includes you, too. My family is the pack, and I
can’t be kept in the dark about it.”
Gordy glanced at Johnny, but his eyes were fixed firmly on Savannah.
He took a deep breath and leaned back against the sofa, and she knew
his resolve had weakened.
“All right, fine,” he said, after a long pause.
“Johnny!” Gordy said.
“She’s going to find out anyway,” Johnny said impatiently. “Xander
can’t control everything. He’s going to need to make sure Savannah
has enough information to protect herself.”
Gordy fell silent, and Johnny turned his eyes to Savannah. “Dominic
came back into town last night,” Johnny said, “and he found out what
happened. He knows that you’re pregnant. He knows that your union
with Xander will be allowed, and he also knows he has no chance of
taking the pack because of it.”
“The man in my vision,” Savannah whispered under her breath.
“What?”
Savannah shook her head. “Nothing,” she said. “Go on.”
“After you and Xander had the meeting with the elders, it created
some tension…among the pack,” Johnny said. “Xander isn't alpha yet,
and the bonds that hold us together have not yet been cemented. The
news of your pregnancy was…unexpected, to say the least.”
“What happened after we left the clearing?” Savannah asked.
“There was a…discussion–"
“There was an argument,” Gordy corrected.
 “Marissa,” Savannah said instinctively, and both boys looked at
her in surprise.
“Did you sense that, too?” Johnny asked.
Savannah shook her head. “No. Some things don’t require heightened
senses to figure out. I knew Marissa wouldn't be happy about any of
this.”
“We all knew she wouldn’t be happy,” Johnny continued, “but no one
thought she'd have this strong of a reaction to the news.”
“What do you mean?” Savannah asked, feeling her worry grow.
“What did she do?”
Johnny took a deep breath. “After you and Xander left, Marissa got
into a shouting match with the elders. She felt they should have
opposed your union with Xander, regardless. She believed they were
letting you off the hook on a technicality. She raged and fought with
all the elders, but mostly with her mother.”
“What happened?”
“She was told that the decision had been made, and that she'd have to
bend to the will of the council and accept that Xander would
eventually marry you.”
Acceptance. It was a hard thing to accomplish, especially when your
beliefs, your hopes, your needs burned so brightly. Accepting
something you did not want or desire was, in some cases, an
insurmountable task.
“What did she do?” Savannah asked again.
“She left,” Johnny said, but there was a dull hollowness to his
words that conveyed more than was obvious.
“She left?” Savannah repeated.
“She left the pack,” Gordy said.
Savannah looked first at one of the men, and then the other. “I don’t
understand,” she said, shaking her head. “She left--does that mean you
have to find her now?”
“You don’t understand,” Johnny said patiently. “It’s not that we lost
her, it’s that she's chosen to break with us…with the pack.”
“How can she do that?”
“She can do that only if there's a suitable alternative left for her,”
Johnny explained.
“But there is none,” Savannah said. "Is there?"
“There actually is,” Johnny said. “He came into town last night.”
It took Savannah a moment to decipher what he was saying. When she
did, she felt her body grow cold. “No,” she whispered. “She didn't.”
Gordy nodded. “That’s exactly what she did,” he said.
“She left the pack to join with…Dominic?”
Johnny nodded. “Yes.” His face was creased with worry.
“What does this mean?” Savannah asked.
“It means we're in trouble,” Johnny said without emotion. “It means
there’s a battle on the horizon, and we're no longer a united front.”
Chapter Four

“Wait,” Savannah said, scrambling to understand. “You still have the

whole pack. Marissa and Dominic are just two against many.”
“Marissa knows all of the pack secrets,” Gordy said with venom. “She
can tell Dominic all of our weaknesses, and they'd be able to destroy
us without even trying.”
“I still don’t understand,” Savannah said. “How is that even
possible?”
Johnny sighed deeply. “Our history plays an important role here,” he
said, “and sometimes, a legend is just history in disguise--”
Savannah's instincts kicked in. “The Wolf Prince,” she said.
Both Gordy and Johnny looked at her in amazement. “You know the
legend of the wolf prince?” Gordy asked.
Savannah nodded “Yes. I may not be a shifter, but that doesn’t mean
I’m not interested in learning about you and your history, especially
since it’ll be my child’s history, too.
"I know the legend of the wolf prince. Kato, the only wolf-child
of Mira and Kian, fell in love with a human girl, named Alais. They
wanted to leave Grey Mountain and travel the world together, but
first, Alais needed the power to transform into a wolf.”
“So they went to a woods witch,” Gordy said, taking up the narrative
when Savannah paused. “They made a deal with her: Alais would be
transformed into a wolf, but both she and Kato would be bound to
Grey Mountain. Since they could never leave, they could never be
truly free.”
Johnny turned to Savannah. “Dominic's a lone wolf. He has no ties to
anybody, which means he can move freely. Alone, he was
outnumbered and weak, but now that he's made an alliance with
Marissa, all that has changed.”
“How?”
“Marissa’s ties are to this land, to Grey Mountain, or whatever you
want to call it. Her bond is with this land, and by leaving her pack and
aligning herself with Dominic, she's given him powers in this territory,
our territory. Anyone who allies themselves with Marissa and
Dominic can enter Grey Mountain and fight for control.”
“You’re saying Marissa has the power to open a door that allows
Dominic and anyone who follows him to pass through?” Savannah
asked struggling to keep up.
“She’s already opened the door,” Johnny said, sounding hard. “We
have no doubt Dominic's amassing a pack of his own to contest us for
power in these lands.”
“That sounds like--”
 “It’s going to come to a battle,” Johnny said.“We’ll have no
choice but to fight.”
“What does that mean?” Savannah asked.
“If we lose, all those loyal to the root pack will be destroyed,”
Gordy said slowly.
“You mean they'll kill us?” Savannah asked, horrified.
“Land is sacred and holy,” Johnny said. “It has power, and it will not
bend to the will of another pack so long as any one member of the
root pack is still living.”
“There must be someone that can help us,” Savannah said. “Isn’t
there some way we can protect the pack?”
“None that we can see,” Johnny said. “All we can do at this point
is to wait--”
“For what?” Savannah asked.
“For them to make the first move.”
“That’s it?” Savannah asked. “You’re just going to sit around and wait
for their move? You’re not going to do anything?”
Johnny and Gordy exchanged another glance, and Savannah felt her
patience evaporate under all the stress. “Stop looking at each other
and talk to me,” Savannah demanded. She felt a personal
responsibility to the pack, considering she was the reason for the
break in the first place. “There has to be something we can do. We can
ask for help--”
“From whom?” Gordy demanded. “Other packs won't get involved.
This isn’t their battle, and they cannot stray from their territories.”
“A witch, then,” Savannah said.
The expressions on Johnny and Gordy’s faces changed. They looked
startled at first, but then their eyes visibly narrowed. “We do not
involve ourselves with witches,” Johnny said darkly.
“Why not?”
 “They are our enemies,” Gordy said, as if it was enough to
explain everything.
Frustrated, Savannah stood. “Xander was ready to ask for a witch’s
help yesterday, in the clearing,” she reminded them.
“Because he was desperate,” Johnny said. He also stood. “And that
desperation temporarily blinded him, but if he'd been thinking
straight, he would have realized that seeking a witch's help is like
shooting yourself in the foot--it won't work.”
“Why not?” Savannah demanded.
“Because a witch brings nothing but destruction and betrayal,” Johnny
said. “You may marry Xander one day, and you may bear him
children, and become a part of the pack in some small way, but do not
forget that you are not a shifter. You do not understand our ways, our
beliefs, and our traditions. You cannot assume that you know what’s
best here.”
Savannah fell silent, but her anger burned palpably beneath the
surface. Her fear rose with every passing moment, and at the pack’s
insistence on doing nothing, which was starting to weigh heavily on
her.
She felt a sting pass through her stomach, and her hands
immediately dropped to her belly.
“Are you okay?” Johnny asked, interpreting her gesture.
“I’m fine,” Savannah said quickly, and she left them in the hall to
move into the bedroom where she closed the door behind her, and sat
down. She took deep breaths, trying to force her fear down in order to
think of a clear way forward.
The dark feeling in the pit of her belly had cemented itself there, and
Savannah knew that the foreboding she had felt yesterday had been
warning her of this very moment. She closed her eyes, and willed a
miracle to manifest, so that she could, in some way, help decide the
outcome of the looming battle.
“Savannah?” Xander said, his voice was worried and anxious as he
walked through the door. Savannah sat up and Xander rushed to her
bedside. “Are you all right?”
She nodded quickly. “I’m fine,” she said. “Physically, I’m fine.”
He looked at her carefully, his hand cupped at the side of her
face. “What did Johnny and Gordy tell you?”
“The truth,” Savannah replied. “They told me everything.”
Xander shook his head in frustration. “I told them to leave that to
me.”
“I’m not a child,” Savannah snapped. She pushed his hand away from
her cheek. “Stop treating me like one. I deserve to know what’s
happening.”
“I know that,” Xander said firmly. “I’m not trying to keep anything
from you, I was just trying to make sure you understand what’s
happening.”
“I do,” Savannah nodded. “Marissa betrayed all of you. You defended
her yesterday. You said you knew her. You said she'd never harm us,
but she already has.”
“I guess I underestimated her.” Xander sighed. “And that was my
fault, but I don’t think she’s thinking clearly. She was angry yesterday,
she was hurt, and bitter, and she made a rash decision–"
“Are you actually defending her?” Savannah demanded.
“I’m trying to understand her,” Xander said quickly, “so I can figure
out how to stop this before it starts.”
Savannah shook her head at Xander in disbelief. “It’s already started
Xander,” she said in a heavy voice. “She’s already left the pack. She's
already aligned herself with Dominic. Johnny and Gordy told me what
that means.”
Xander looked down at her and sighed. “I know it looks bad right
now--”
 “Are they really going to contest your claim on these lands?”
Savannah asked.
Xander sighed. “I think so.”
“What chance do they have of winning?”
Xander’s eyes reflected his conflicting emotions. Savannah knew he
needed comforting, but she was too far gone in worry to give him any
at that particular moment. “Tell me.”
“I don’t know,” Xander said at last. “The town Dominic's from
has a pack of its own.”
“Wait,” Savannah said,“Dominic’s town has a pack of its own?”
“Yes.”
“You just said Dominic's been a lone wolf with no ties to any
pack.”
“He is.”
Savannah shook her head in frustration. “I don’t get it. If he was born
into a town with a root pack, then shouldn’t he automatically be a part
of that pack?”
“That's usually the case,” Xander said, nodding. “Which is why this
situation is unique. You remember I told you my father had an affair
with Dominic’s mother?”
Savannah nodded. “I remember.”
“Dominic’s mother was a part of the root pack in Mosley, this other
village. She had an affair with my father, and adultery is not our way.
There were consequences for my father. He was removed from the
pack, and his authority was taken from him. The same thing happened
to Dominic’s mother.”
“You mean lone wolves are just wolves that have been banished from
their root packs?” Savannah asked, shocked.
Xander nodded. “Yes. Usually a banished wolf will move from his or
her town, but Dominic’s mother didn’t move very far away.”
 “That’s why he can come into Grey Mountain at all,” Savannah
said, “because he was an outcast.”
“Yes.”
Savannah looked at Xander. “You know that isn’t fair--he was a child.
He shouldn’t have been banished because of the actions of his
parents.”
“I agree,” Xander said, nodding, “but the alternative is to separate a
child from his banished parent, which an elder would never do. They
felt it was far kinder to allow outcasts to take their children and build
new a life for themselves elsewhere.”
Savannah sighed deeply. Her head began to spin. It was a lot to digest
in such a short space of time, and there were still things she needed to
know. “Johnny said that Dominic could amass followers and form a
pack of his own--how is that possible?”
Xander sighed. “Because Dominic was not banished himself. The
ruling was not cast on him, it was cast on his mother and father. He
still has alpha-blood in his veins, and alpha-blood is sacred, which
means he can take power if he fights for it, and if he has wolves who
are willing to follow him.”
“That means they can choose to join him,” Savannah said slowly.
“Yes.”
“How likely is that?” Savannah asked.
“We don’t know yet,” Xander said, “but Marissa and Dominic haven’t
been spotted for hours--I don’t think they’re in Grey Mountain
anymore.”
“But they'll come back.”
“Yes, they will.”
“And when they do, they might have a small army with them.”
Xander’s eyes were far away and troubled. “I’m going to make
sure it doesn’t come to that, if I can help it.”
 “How can you make sure of that?”
“Because Marissa made a mistake,” Xander said with conviction,
“and she’s going to realize that eventually.”
Savannah stood up and pulled her hand from Xander’s grip. “When
are you going to realize that Marissa's made a choice?" she said.
"She's betrayed you and your pack, and the sooner you accept that, the
easier it'll be for you to figure out a way to fight them.”
Xander was about to say something when they noticed Johnny and
Gordy at the door. They'd obviously been listening to them argue.
Xander’s eyes locked onto Johnny’s.
“I hate to say it, Xander,” Johnny said, “but I think Savannah’s right:
we’ve lost Marissa. We need to start thinking about battle strategies.”
Xander shook his head as though he wasn't having any of it.
Savannah felt the black hole in her stomach grow larger and more
unruly. “Listen to Johnny,” she pleaded. “The threat is real--I felt it
before you did. The vision I had right before the pack call? It was of
Dominic.”
Xander looked up at Savannah with a start. “You said it wasn’t
clear. You said you didn’t know who it was.”
“I do now,” Savannah said. “I had that vision for a reason‒it’s a
warning, it has to be. You need to start thinking of ways to fight this,
to fight them.”
Xander groan in frustration. “I know,” he said distractedly. “I
know.”
Savannah watched him struggle, feeling her resolve cement itself
inside her. Her hands fell onto her belly, and she knew she couldn’t
rely on anyone but herself. She needed to make sure her child was
protected.
A plan began to take shape in her head. She needed to seek out
the help she needed, but she knew that if she told anyone of her plan
they'd likely take steps to stop her.
It was time to take matters into her own hands. Savannah knew--it
was time to visit the woods witch of Grey Mountain.
Chapter Five

Xander took Savannah back home that day and then left almost
immediately to confer with the elders. Savannah waited till she could
no longer sense the heady perfume of his scent before going into the
house in search of her parents.
“Mom?” she called. “Dad?”
“There are you,” her mother said, surprised. “We were wondering
where you were.”
“I just went out for a walk,” Savannah said casually. “It’s
beautiful up here in the mornings.”
“Let me know the next time,” her father said, “and I’ll join you.”
“Sounds great.” Savannah nodded trying not to sound too distracted.
“Umm… I have a question, actually.”
“Hmm…sounds suspicious,” her father teased. “What’s the
question?”
“I was wondering about my car,” she said. “I was wondering
when we could go pick it up.”
“We were planning to go tomorrow,” her mother said, “but if you
want we can make a call to the dealership and let them know we want
the car today.”
“You don’t mind?” Savannah asked.
“Of course not,” her father said, nodding. “Want me to make a
call?”
“Sure,” Savannah nodded. “I’d like that.”
Her father left the room to make the call. Savannah’s mother looked at
her with interest. “What?” Savannah asked self-consciously.
 “Nothing,” her mother she replied with a shrug. “You just…look
a little different.”
“Different?” Savannah repeated guiltily, wondering if it was possible
her mother had sensed the pregnancy. “Different how?”
“I don’t know,” her mother said, looking genuinely puzzled. “It’s like
you’ve blossomed in this town--ironically enough.”
“Why is that ironic?” Savannah asked.
“Because I honestly thought you’d hate this sleepy little town,” she
admitted. “I imagined you’d be counting the days until we left. I really
never expected you to want to stay here after we'd gone.”
Savannah smiled tightly. “I guess I just feel at home here.”
“I can see that,” her mother nodded with smile. “And I bet the
handsome boy helps.”
“Handsome boy?” Savannah asked.
“I saw him drop you off just now,” her mother said. “He’s very
good looking.”
“Oh,” Savannah said, trying to conceal the blush on her cheeks.
“His name's Xander.”
“And are you two…exclusive yet?” she asked. “Or is it too soon
to say?”
Savannah smiled. “I think we’re pretty exclusive.”
“Wow! Moved fast, didn’t you?”
“Mom!!” Savannah said, horrified at what her mother had
implied, and the two of them burst out laughing.
“I’m only kidding,” she said. “I’ve been waiting to do this
forever.”
“Do what, exactly?”
“Tease you about a boyfriend,” her mother replied. “You’ve
never had one before.”
“Good news,” Savannah's father said as he walked back into the room.
He sank back into the sofa next to her mother.
“We can pick the car up today?” Savannah asked.
He father nodded. “They’ll have it ready for us around eleven.”
“Thanks guys,” Savannah said and she leaned in to give them
both a hug.
“You’re a good kid,” her father said, “so we figure you deserve what
you ask for. And you don’t ask for much, you’ve been dragged from
place to place without complaining.”
“Much,” Savannah’s mother added, and then gave her a pointed
laugh.
“Your mother and I wanted to drive into town today to run a few
errands,” Savannah’s father said. “We can pick up your car while
we’re at it. Do you want to join us?”
“Do you mind if I sit this one out?” she asked feeling a little
fatigued after her conversation with Xander.
“No problem,” her father replied. “We’ll be back around noon.”
Savannah thanked her parents again and then she went back to her
room. She locked the door and sat herself on her bed with her laptop.
She searched the Internet with a specific purpose in mind, to find out
more about Grey Mountain and its history.
She spent an hour on the Internet, but learned nothing new. Grey
Mountain as a town was relatively unknown, as far as the rest of the
world was concerned, and there was little to no information about it
online. The only thing she did find was a short article on old town
legends, but all it did was to repeat the story of the wolf prince with a
few minor details changed, and Savannah was left wanting more.
It was about eleven when Xander called. His voice was steeped in
suppressed worry, and if it hadn’t been for her keen senses, Savannah
might have thought he was calm and sure in the wake of everything
they had to face. Given her "gift," Savannah was able to sense his
trepidation, even from their distance, and she realized that their
connection was growing stronger.
“How are you?” Xander asked.
“Fine,” Savannah replied. “I’m fine.”
“And the baby?”
“It doesn’t feel like there is a baby at the moment,” Savannah
admitted. “The only reason I feel anything at all is because I know I’m
pregnant.”
Xander was silent for a time.
“Is…everything ok?” Savannah asked tentatively.
“Yes,” Xander replied. “It’s just--”
“What is it?”
“I hate having to leave you.” Xander sighed. “When we were out in
the clearing and Elvira told us you were pregnant, it felt like the world
had righted itself, and we'd finally have some time to be together
without worrying about anything else.”
“I know,” she said, feeling the weight of that disappointment as
keenly as Xander had. “I was hoping for that, too.”
“It’s unfair--”
“We'll get that time back, Xander,” Savannah said with more
confidence than she felt. “After all this over and Dominic and Marissa
have been pushed out of this town we'll have all the time in the
world.”
“You think so?” Xander asked.
Savannah realized he was in need of someone to support him, to give
him words of reassurance and confidence. "I am sure," she said
resolutely, despite the fact that she was just as unsure as he was.
“Once this is all over, we'll have time to really get to know each other.
We can spend our days in the clearing, swimming, and making love.
You can teach me about the history of your heritage, and I can tell you
about my life as a modern day gypsy, moving from place to place
without ever finding a home.”
“You’ve found one now,” Xander said softly.
“I know I have,” Savannah nodded. “And I’m never going to
leave.”
“And you’re not concerned?” Xander asked cautiously. Savannah
realized this was a question that had been troubling him for some
time.
“Concerned about what?”
“You know I can’t leave Grey Mountain,” Xander said. “I'm trapped
here for the rest of my life. I just don’t want you to feel like you’re
trapped here, too.”
“I don’t feel that way,” she was quick to answer. “I’ve moved around
so often that it feels nice now to know I can plant roots here and not
have to worry about leaving. Besides, why on earth would I want to
go anywhere without you or our child?”
Savannah could practically hear the smile on Xander’s face.
“That’s good to know.”
“I’m just telling you how I feel,” Savannah said honestly.
“If you ever change your mind--”
“I won’t, but if I ever do, you'll be the first to know.”
“Thank you,” Xander said, sounding relieved.
Savannah hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should run her
plan by Xander. She hated having to do things on her own without
involving him in the decision-making process, but she couldn’t risk
that he'd try to prevent her from doing it. Still, she approached the
topic carefully.
“When Gordy, Johnny and I were talking--”
“Yes?”
“I mentioned that we should ask for help,” Savannah finished.
“There’s no one to ask, Savannah,” Xander said gently. “Another pack
won't get involved, and even if they wanted to, they couldn't cross
territories without joining the root pack.”
“I know,” Savannah said, nodding. “I wasn’t talking about
wolves.”
“Then who?”
“I asked Johnny and Gordy if it was possible to enlist the help of
a witch.”
Savannah sensed Xander’s unease grow exponentially, as did his
discomfort, and she knew he hated the idea as much as Johnny and
Gordy had. She realized that Johnny had been right that morning--
Xander’s desperation in the clearing had clouded his judgement. If not
for that fact, he never would have even thought to mention witches on
that day.
“Savannah, we're shifters, we're wolves,” he said the words in a tone
that suggested that Savannah was still an outsider and unable to
understand the implications of her suggestion as a result. “We do not
involve ourselves with witches.”
“So, you’re saying there is no such thing as a good witch?”
Savannah asked.
Xander hesitated. “I have heard there are witches who are…decent,”
he said reluctantly. “I've heard of those who practice magic without
harming others, but it's rare.
"The enmity between wolves and witches runs deep. Just because
a witch might help a human doesn't mean they'll be willing to help
us.”
Savannah nodded, but she was only half listening to Xander’s words
as she was busy picking up other nuggets of information from his
burning aura. When Xander spoke about witches, his feeling of unease
kept flitting somewhere to the southwest, and Savannah instinctively
knew that this was where she'd find the person she was looking for.
 “I understand.” Savannah nodded. “I just wanted--”
“To try everything you could,” Xander said, finishing the sentence for
her, “and I get that, I really do, but this is not the way. We can fight
our battles on our own.”
“Yes,” Savannah said, even though she was thinking about the fastest
way she might possibly get up the southwest side of Grey Mountain.
“When will I see you?” she asked.
“Tonight,” Xander said. “After we run our patrols.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
“I love you,” Xander said..
“I love you, too,” Savannah replied.
They disconnected, and Savannah went to her window and glanced
outside to see if her parents had returned with her car yet. When there
was still no sign of them, she started to put together a small kit for
herself. She put a map, compass, and penknife into the front pocket of
her backpack. She couldn’t afford to be naïve, walking into something
she'd already been warned about.
Savannah didn’t want to have to do this, but she was desperate, and
her visions—along with the persistent feeling of dread in the pit of her
stomach—refused to subside. She needed to do what she thought was
best, regardless of what Xander or the pack might think. She went
downstairs taking her backpack with her, and made herself a few
sandwiches, knowing she wouldn’t make it back in time for lunch.
She had just finished packing her sandwiches when she heard the roar
of an engine and wheels on the gravel outside of the house. She
rushed to the front door and opened it just as her parents were pulling
into the driveway.
The car they'd brought her was a small, creamy white, VW bug.
“It’s not fancy,” her father said, getting out of the car as
Savannah’s mother pulled up behind him.
 “It’s perfect,” Savannah said firmly. “It’s so perfect, in fact, that I
can’t wait to take it out for a spin.”
“Now?” her mother asked.
“You don’t mind, do you?” Savannah said. “It’s just that I’m
meeting some friends for lunch in town.”
Her parents laughed at her obvious enthusiasm. “Off you go, then,”
her mother said. “Have a good time.”
Savannah gave each of her parents a kiss on the cheek, and then she
hopped into her car, and backed out of the driveway. She drove down
the street, turned the corner, and drove until the house was out of
sight. When she was far enough away, she stopped the car, and
checked for directions on her local map.
She'd need to drive twenty minutes, take a left at the crossroads, and
then drive another fifteen minutes to get to the base of Grey
Mountain. From there, it was a ten minute hike up the hill to a small,
remote cabin, the location of which had been marked on the map. Her
instincts told her that she would find what she was looking for in that
lonely cabin.
Chapter Six

Savannah parked the car, got out, and took a few minutes to assess the
mammoth mountain she was faced with climbing. For the first time
she realized how it had earned its name, as the rocks had taken on a
smoky grey hue, with hints of rust and silver. It was beautiful, but
daunting, and Savannah was glad she'd brought plenty of water with
her.
She took a long swig from her first water bottle and set out on her
hike. She'd been out in the hills enough times to be able to navigate
through the terrain, but there were a few differences here and there.
The trees were a little sparser, for one, so she didn’t have very much
support in the way of climbing. The soil beneath her feet seemed
loose in places, for another, and she wasn’t always sure of her footing.
The air also smelled different in this area, as if it was thicker, and
coated in a scent Savannah could not recognize.
Even when she grew tired, Savannah didn't stop walking. She climbed
until the ground stopped tilting upwards and become flat and steady
beneath her. The scent had grown stronger, too, and Savannah sensed
she was on the right track. She was tempted to remove her hearing
aid, but thought better of it. She still didn’t know if her decision to set
out on her quest was very brave or very stupid.
The cabin was located farther off than she'd initially anticipated, and
Savannah was starting to worry, but then she glimpsed it in the
distance. She gave a sigh of relief, quickened her pace, and kept
walking until she was standing right in front of it. It was larger than
she'd expected, and she felt a twinge of unease creep through her body
as she prepared to knock on the door.
She walked up the cabin’s creaky stairs, paused at the door, took a
deep breath, and knocked before her nerves kicked in and she changed
her mind. There was no sound for a few moments, but then, suddenly,
and without warning, the door flew open. Savannah gasped and
jumped backward in shock.
“I’m sorry, did I scare you?”
The man on the other side was tall and thin. He had long brown hair
that held tinges of red, and warm, brown eyes that held flecks of gold.
His features were sharp and attractive against the pale canvas of his
skin. He looked at Savannah with sardonic eyes and raised eyebrows.
“I…umm…hello,” Savannah said awkwardly.
“Hello,” he replied without expression. Savannah searched
desperately for his aura, but she was unable to see or sense a thing. He
stood in front of her a complete enigma, and for the first time in her
life, Savannah felt blind.
“Hello,” he replied in a tone that was only slightly impatient.
His eyes were keenly appraising and Savannah felt as though she were
being studied. The only sense she could get was from the cabin itself,
which seemed to be steeped in a mystical energy that Savannah had
never encountered before, which was the only indication she was in
the right place.
“I…I need help,” she stammered, feeling supremely self-
conscious beneath his cool gaze.
“If you’re lost, I can give you a map back to the main hiking trails,”
he said. “They’ll lead you back to the town.”
“No,” Savannah said quickly. “That’s not the kind of help I
need.”
He rose his eyebrows at her again. “No?” he asked. “Then what
kind of help do you need?”
Savannah took a deep breath. “The kind only a witch can give me,”
she said before she had a chance to think better of it.
He held her gaze for a long moment, and Savannah wondered if he
was going to laugh in her face or curse her out as delusional, but he
didn’t do either. Instead, he held the door open, and gestured her
inside. “Then you’ve come to the right place,” he said.
Savannah entered the cabin and looked around. It was much bigger on
the inside than it looked on the outside. Deerskins hung from the walls
and adorned the cold wooden floors. There was also an assortment of
strange tools and objects on the tops of each of the many tables that
seemed to crowd the space. The only colors Savannah seemed to
register were a range of browns, ochres, caramels, and golds.
Savannah had no experience with magic, but she imagined the scent
on her nose was exactly what magic smelt like.
“Can you help me?” Savannah asked when he didn’t say
anything.
“That depends on what your problem is,” he said. He gestured to a
table at the end of the cabin. It sat right in front of a window, but the
window had been covered over with an animal skin, that Savannah
didn’t recognize. “Why don’t you take a seat?”
 Savannah went over to the table and sat down in front of it. “Do
you…live here alone?” she asked.
“My grandmother lives here with me,” he replied. “She’s getting old
now, so I stay here and care for her, and she…teaches me.”
“Teaches you? As in magic?”
“Yes.” He nodded and sat down opposite her. “What is your
name?”
“My name's Savannah.”
“I’m Abel,” he said. “Now, tell me how you found us out here.”
Doubts and nerves overcame Savannah, but she pushed them all down
and moved past it. “I knew there were witches in this town,”
Savannah admitted. “I suppose I…sensed the rest.”
“You sensed the rest?” Abel asked. His strange, hypnotic, brown-gold
eyes flashed. “Does this have anything to do with the fact that you
were born deaf?”
“I…how did you know that?” Savannah asked.
“Your hearing aid kind of gives it away,” Abel replied. “In any case,
you’re not the only one who can sense things.”
“I can’t sense anything from you, though,” Savannah said. “I can read
people’s auras, sense certain things about them, but you? You're a
complete mystery.”
Abel smiled a slow, confident smile. “Witches know how to protect
themselves,” he said. “We have spells that cloak us from others, but
those spells don’t distinguish between those who mean us harm and
those who don’t.”
“So you’re cloaked?” Savannah asked. “Is that why I can’t sense
you?”
Abel nodded.
“Whom are you protecting yourself from?” Savannah asked.
His eyes grew cold, but that did nothing to take away from his
handsome features. “From the monsters that prowl this forest at
night,” he said. “The dogs that call themselves wolves.”
Savannah felt her body grow cold and she realized that the enmity was
not single-sided. She could tell from Abel’s tone that he feared and
distrusted the shifters as much as they feared and distrusted him.
“What’s wrong?” Abel asked.
“I need your help,” Savannah said, fear clutching at her throat, “but
I’m afraid that once you know who I am, you may not want to help
me.”
Abel looked at her carefully. His eyes were hypnotically
beautiful. “Tell me,” he said gently.
“I…” Savannah stumbled over her words, unsure of how to go
on.
“Take a breath, Savannah.” Abel’s voice was calm. “I can tell that you
mean us no harm, and for that I will trust you. Tell me why you have
come here.”
“I met a boy shortly after I moved to this town,” Savannah said,
throwing herself into the narration. “We fell in love, but we couldn’t
be together, because it wasn’t allowed.”
Abel’s eyebrows rose again and Savannah fell silent. “You fell in love
with a shifter,” Abel said as though he were not surprised.
“Yes.”
“Go on,” Abel said.
“We went before the elders to plead our case, but they refused us,”
Savannah went on. “It was only when they discovered I was pregnant
that they agreed to let us be together.”
“That's impossible,” Abel said.
“What do you mean?”
“The elders would never have agreed to your union simply because of
a pregnancy. Unless, of course, the baby you’re carrying is a shifter.”
Savannah nodded.
She saw surprise flit across Abel’s face. “That is…unusual, to say
the least,” he said. “And yet it seems your troubles are over, so I don’t
understand why you need my help.”
“My union with Xander has caused some friction in the pack,”
Savannah said guiltily. “One of the members, her name is Marissa, she
was upset. She chose to leave the pack in order to make an alliance
with another shifter from a neighbouring town.”
“I see,” Abel said. “Now that she's created a bridge, this new pack can
challenge the old.”
“Exactly,” Savannah nodded. “Which means--”
“You and your child are not safe.”
“Can you help me?”
Abel fixed her with a penetrating stare that made her feel intensely
self-conscious. “Do you know of the history between the wolves and
the witches?”
“Of course,” Savannah said.
“I can’t imagine that your partner hasn’t already forbidden you to
come here to seek our help.”
“He would have, had he known I was coming here,” Savannah
admitted.
“And yet you came, anyway.”
“I had to,” Savannah said desperately. “Xander has a lot to deal with.
He's confused, and he’s worried it's clouding his judgement. He
doesn’t see that Marissa is a real threat, but I do.”
“Why do you think he can’t see that?” Abel asked.
“They grew up together. He think he knows her,” Savannah said, “but
he’s not thinking straight. I can sense something terrible's going to
happen, I can feel it in my gut, and it's gotten to the point where I
can’t ignore it any longer. I have to make sure my child's protected,
and that the pack is, too, but I can’t do it alone.”
Abel was about to speak when a curtain in the corner of the cabin slid
open, revealing a doorway that Savannah had not seen when she'd
first walked in, and out walked a woman, bent with age. At least a
hundred years were etched on her face. Her eyes were pale and milky
as though the color had been drained from them.
Her hair alternated shades of white and grey, and it seemed to
shimmer softly when she walked. She used a cane to navigate her way
through the cabin, and it made a sharp crack, crack, crack against the
wooden floors as she walked.
“Grandmother,” Abel said as he stood and gave her his chair.
The old woman sat down and fixed her milky white eyes on
Savannah. She looked blind, but Savannah knew instinctively that she
was able to see far more than most people did.
“Hello, Savannah,” she said as though they were old friends.
“Hello.”
“My name is Elena.”
“Grandmother,” Abel started, “Savannah has come–"
“I know why Savannah has come,” Elena interrupted. “I know what
she needs, but she will not find it here. We cannot help her.”
Savannah looked from Abel to Elena in desperation. “Please,”
she begged. “I can't do this alone.”
“No, you can’t.” Elena nodded. “Why should we help you when you
side with those who have persecuted us for centuries? You carry one
of their kind inside you as we sit here talking, and when that child is
born you will teach it to hate us, as generations before have done.”
“That’s not true,” Savannah said quickly. “I would never teach
my child to hate anyone.”
“And what of your future husband?” Elena asked pointedly, her eyes
boring into Savannah’s. “Would he share the same view? Would he
teach your child to embrace us as enemies or friends?”
Savannah looked down at her hands, unable to lie, and unwilling
to speak the truth.
“You say nothing because you know I’m right,” Elena went on, “and
you cannot make promises you can’t keep.”
Savannah looked at Abel pleadingly. “It’s unfair, I know,” she said.
“It’s wrong to be hated simply because of something your ancestors
did centuries ago. I don’t know why it has to be that way, but I do
know that I will work to change it. I'll make sure my children don’t
hate for the sake of hating.”
“And how will you explain that to Xander?” Elena asked in her
mystical voice.
“The same way I’m explaining it to you now,” Savannah replied. “I
know this is a lot to ask, but I’m desperate and I don’t have anywhere
else to turn.”
Abel’s eyes blazed with a fire that brought out the flecks of gold that
hid there. He bent down beside his grandmother and looked at her
calmly. “She means us no harm, Grandmother,” he said softly. “She
needs our help.”
The old woman wrinkled her brow at him. “You wish to help
her?” she asked.
“I do.” Abel nodded. “This hatred must stop somewhere, why
shouldn’t it stop with us? Perhaps if we help the pack they will learn
to trust and respect us.”
“That is a child’s fantasy,” Elena said mockingly.
“You have always told me that the only way a child can become a
man is by making mistakes,” Abel said in a hushed voice. “Perhaps it
is time you allow me to make my own decisions and my own
mistakes.”
The old woman stared at Abel for a long while. It almost felt as
though they were having some sort of silent conversation to which
Savannah was not privy. She sat there silently, praying with all her
might that Abel would succeed in convincing his grandmother to help
her.
Elena sighed long and deep. “I have taught you well,” she said at last,
before she turned back to Savannah.
Savannah felt her heart beat loudly in her chest, and she wondered if
Abel and Elena were able to hear it, too. She could tell a decision had
been made, but the answer was still unclear to her.
“Will you help me?” she asked.
“Yes,” Elena said, nodding. “We will.”
Chapter Seven

Savannah could see Xander half-hidden by the trees when she pulled
up in the car. She tried to wipe her face clean of any signs that
indicated where she had been all evening. He was at her door when
she got out of the car.
“Where have you been?” Xander asked.
“I took my new car out for a test drive,” Savannah told him with
a small smile. “Do you like the car?”
Xander gave it a distracted look. “It’s fine. You were just out…
driving all this time?”
“Yes.” Savannah nodded. “I guess I just needed to get out and
clear my head.”
Xander nodded and then he reached out and took her hand. “Why
don’t we do something fun, just the two of us?”
Savannah smiled. “That sounds perfect. My parents aren’t home,
why don’t you come in?”
Xander nodded and they walked in together. This was the first
moment amidst the madness of her current reality that Savannah
actually felt like a normal teenage girl entertaining her boyfriend at
home. She'd never experienced the feeling before, and it made her feel
warm inside.
Savannah drew Xander to the couch and they sat close together with
Xander’s arms wrapped around her. He kissed the top of her head and
laughed. “Does this qualify as doing something fun?”
“I think so.” Savannah sighed. “We’ve never had this--”
“You’re right.” Xander said. “We went from exchanging glances to
practically exchanging vows to spend our lives together. It feels like
we've skipped all the in-betweens.”
“It’s not too late,” Savannah, reminded him.
“I know.”
“Maybe, after, we can go to the clearing,” Savannah suggested,
feeling the strange need to glimpse the sight of the calm, pristine lake.
“It feels like I haven’t been there in ages.”
It was more than just the need to be in the clearing again. Savannah
felt the urge to be with Xander in that space. She remembered the first
day he had taken her there, the way his eyes had lingered on her body
as she had stripped down before entering the lake, the way his hands
had felt against her skin, and the way his lips had tasted.
She wanted to experience those sensations again, but knew that they'd
be enhanced somehow, this time, not that there was more between her
and Xander. Now there was familiarity, comfort, and safety, mingled
in with the passion and desire, and she could feel it burning, like a
layer of electricity just beneath her skin.
“That’s a good idea,” Xander said. “And you can see what the clearing
looks like during sunset--it’s magical.”
“I believe that.”
She rested her head against his broad chest and tried to release all the
worries that held fast to her thoughts. Savannah hated keeping things
from Xander, but she knew he would dismiss her ideas, and she
couldn’t just sit back and do nothing, especially when she felt partially
responsible for everything that had happened.
“Are things all right…with the pack?” Savannah asked before she
could stop herself.
She saw Xander’s eyes cloud over for a minute, but then he nodded.
“Everything’s fine at the moment,” he said. “Rather than talk about
the pack, why don't we just…be together.”
“You’re right,” Savannah said, happy with the arrangement.
“That sounds good to me.”
They sat there for almost half an hour, sharing random conversation
and exchanging little kernels of information about their lives.
Savannah felt the strength of their connection strengthen as they
opened up to one another. It was nice to feel normal. It was nice to
have something that was completely theirs, untouched by the outside
noise.
Xander leaned in suddenly and kissed her, hard on the lips. There was
an urgency there that made Savannah feel as if they were running out
of time. The heat traveled up her body, and she felt the need to be with
Xander, right then and there, in the dirt and muck of the forest.
Xander pulled away abruptly. “Let’s go to the clearing,” he said, and
Savannah nodded in response, noticing the urgency in his tone.
They took Xander’s motorbike to the path that led up to the clearing,
Xander holding Savannah’s hand as they manoeuvred their way up the
steep hills, past the trees, past the little signs of life, past the noise, and
to the furthest tip of the mountain.
By the time they'd reached flat ground again, Savannah was a little
tired, but enthusiastic. The light was beginning to fade and she knew
they had made it just in time for the sunset. Savannah and Xander
walked into the clearing, bright with sun-painted color, with clouds in
hues of lavender, gold, and rose.
Savannah took a breah. “Wow!”
They moved to the bank of the lake where Savannah saw every color
imaginable reflected there. It was like the water had been transformed
into a cesspool of color that made her want to jump in, and find every
secret each of those colors contained.
“This is amazing.” Savannah said.
The water winked cheekily at her and the wind made shallow ripples
in its glass-like surface, so that one color moved into the others to
create a unique spectrum. There was a glow about the lake, some kind
of muted magic that Savannah sensed, as though from a great
distance.
“The water,” she whispered.
“What about it?” Xander asked.
“It feels as though it’s talking to me.”
Xander smiled. “The lake is sacred,” he said. “We believe it
contains magical powers.”
“What kind of powers?”
“Healing powers, strengthening powers, and cleansing powers. That’s
what the legends say, though…I don’t know if it’s actually true.”
“You’ve never tested the legend?” Savannah asked.
“I’ve never needed to, I hope I never do.”
Savannah looked back at the little crystals that seemed embedded in
the lake. “I think it's true,” she said with conviction.
“Can you feel it?” Xander asked glancing at her.
“A little,” Savannah replied. “But I don’t know if that's what I’m
sensing, or if my mind's just working overtime.”
Xander laughed. “You want to go in?”
 Savannah looked toward Xander in surprise. “Now?” she asked.
“Why not?” he asked with a shrug and a slow smile.
It was like that first day they'd spent together, with only a few minor
changes. Back then Savannah had been a stranger to him, with only
the strange and inexplicable bond in common, that neither one could
understand. He had trusted her enough to bring her to this perfect
place and they had swum together in the lake’s clear waters and kissed
under the sun’s golden rays.
“Okay,” Savannah said, and Xander came forward.
He undressed her slowly and tenderly, as though he were scared she
would break. His eyes combed over every inch of her and Savannah
felt her blood rise in response. She reached out instinctively and
pulled Xander’s shirt off of him. When they were both standing naked
in front of each other, Xander took Savannah’s hand and they walked
into the lake together.
Savannah had expected the water to be cold and sharp, but despite the
sun’s failing rays, the water was warm and soft. It rushed at her from
all sides and draped itself around her like a caress. For the first time in
what seemed like forever, Savannah felt the stress that had been
gripping her for the last few days slip away. She turned into Xander
and kissed him passionately, thrilled to find her mind released of
worry, no matter how short the reprieve would be.
“This feels amazing,” Savannah whispered, her lips pressed
against Xander’s neck.
She clung to him as Xander’s hands wrapped around her, and they
turned together in the melding mists of color. There was a slight chill
of magic in the air, surrounding both of them, tickling their skin
lovingly.
They kissed in the water, long and slow, and then they moved out onto
the bank, unwilling to put their clothes on just yet. Xander pushed
Savannah back onto the soft grass gently and then he moved on top of
her. The chill clinging to her body died instantly as Xander’s body
came over hers, his skin filling her with new heat.
They kissed under the fading light of day and as Xander entered her
gently, Savannah looked up at the bright stars twinkling in the faded
midnight-blue sky. There were still edges of color clinging stubbornly
to the clouds, but a few rabid rays of moonlight were quickly
extinguishing them.
Afterwards, Xander rested his head against Savannah’s chest and they
lay entwined and completely content in the comfortable silence.
“I wish it could always be like this,” Savannah said quietly.
“It will be,” Xander assured her, and he kissed her breasts. “Once this
is all over, all we’ll have left to do is swim, eat, and make love under
the sky.”
“That sounds perfect.” Savannah sighed. “But what about the
pack?”
 She felt Xander tense instantly. “I thought we agreed not to talk
about the pack today.”
“You’re right,” Savannah said slowly. “Forget the question.”
Xander propped himself up on one elbow and gazed down at
Savannah as his fingers traced the contours of her face. Every so often
he would bend down and place a kiss on her cheek, brow, or forehead.
They lay there until they were both completely dry, and then they
dressed slowly, as though they had all the time in the world and no
place to go.
Savannah had just put on her shirt when a flash of light coursed
through her field of vision, and she knew a vision was imminent.
“Savannah?” Xander’s voice sounded worried.
Savannah ripped her hearing aid off quickly, and closed her eyes.
“Something is coming,” she said, concentrating on the wave that was
about to hit.
Savannah gasped when the vision finally came over her, the clearest
one she'd ever had. She froze into place, willing herself to ignore
everything else and pay attention. She was only mildly aware that
Xander was standing next to her, but the moment the next flash of
light came, she forgot where she was and whom she was with.
She saw herself standing in the clearing close to the lake, but the lake
was cast in bright sunshine. Savannah could tell the sun she was
seeing in her vision was a few days older than the one that had just
set. Then she saw Marissa. Her face was contorted in a scowl, and her
eyes were ablaze with fury. She was running towards Savannah, a
stick in her hand raised in attack.
Savannah watched in shock as Marissa ran toward her, double-time,
and plunged a fiery blue dagger straight into Savannah’s heart.
“Savannah?”
Savannah shook herself out of the last remnants of her vision. Even
though she was currently herself gazing into Xander’s sad, grey eyes,
she could still see Marissa’s fierce beauty as she ran ahead.
“What did you see?” Xander said.
Savannah read the words on his lips. Even though she couldn’t
hear him, she could sense the concern that was virtually dripping from
his aura.
“I saw what I always suspected would happen,” Savannah said at last.
“What did you see?” Xander said. Savannah slipped her hearing
aid back in.
“I saw my future,” Savannah said, “clear as day.”
Xander fell silent and waited for her to continue.
“I saw my death,” Savannah went on slowly. She glanced at Xander’s
eyes, willing him to believe her, fearing that he wouldn’t. “I saw
Marissa plunging a knife into my heart.”
Chapter Eight

“What?” Xander said blinking at her in shock.

“Marissa,” Savannah said, her voice colored with anger and bitterness.
“I saw her run toward me with a dagger in hand…she plunged it into
my heart!”
Xander stood before her as though he were carved in stone. His eyes
turbulent and filled with disbelief. “Say something.” Savannah
begged. “Say something.”
Xander looked her head on, and Savannah knew he was choosing his
words carefully. The magic that had engulfed them only moments
before seemed to have abandoned them, and Savannah could feel only
fear and unease and anger.
“Savannah--”
“I saw it!”
 “I know you did,” Xander said calmly as he took a step forward.
“I know you think you saw it–"
“Think?” Savannah repeated as she cringed away from Xander.
“Think?”
“You’re pregnant, and sometimes, that can influence your
visions,” Xander said trying to calm her.
“Don’t do that,” Savannah said angrily. “Don’t treat me as though I
was some jealous idiot who can’t control my raging hormones. This
has nothing to do with my pregnancy. It’s what I saw and it's what's
going to happen soon.”
“Marissa would never hurt you,” Xander said adamantly.
Savannah turned and started walking away from him.
“Savannah,” Xander cried as he ran after her. “Wait! Please stop
and talk to me.”
“You don’t believe me?” Savannah demanded and she turned
around to face him again. “And yet you trust her?”
“I’ve known her my whole life--”
“And you’ve known me for a fraction of a second in comparison,”
Savannah interrupted him. “I know that as well as you do, but it
doesn't change what I saw.”
“What if what you saw was a mistake?” Xander demanded.
“A mistake?” Savannah asked incredulously. “How can you think
that?”
“Because you yourself have told me that your visions are rare, and
when they do come to you they aren’t clear. What if you simply saw
what you wanted to see as opposed to what actually is?”
Savannah stopped short and stared at Xander. “Which is it?” She
asked in a thick voice. “You don’t believe me, or you don’t trust me.”
For a split second Savannah found herself thinking of Abel and the
fact that he would have believed her vision without second thought.
Xander sighed in frustration. “I do believe you and I do trust you--I
just think that, in this instance, I have more information than you do.”
“And what information do I have?” Savannah demanded.
“I think you're scared and that fear's clouding your judgement,”
Xander said, trying to reach for Savannah’s hand.
Savannah shook him off and started to walk away from him. Xander
followed close behind, imploring her to stay and talk to him.
“Savannah please,” he said, “I’m on your side.”
“Really?” Savannah said, coming to another stop. “Are you really on
my side? Because it doesn’t feel that way to me. In fact, it feels like
you’re on Marissa’s side.”
“You don’t understand,” Xander said desperately. “I know
Marissa.”
“Maybe you’re the one who’s blind,” Savannah said hotly as she
continued on the winding path down the hill. It was harder to move in
the darkness and walking downhill was always more treacherous than
walking uphill. Savannah slipped a few times. The last time Xander
grabbed her just in time.
“Slow down Savannah,” Xander cautioned. “You’re going to hurt
yourself.”
“I’m fine,” Savannah snapped, pulling from herself from his grip
and resuming her pace.
When they reached the bottom of the hill, Savannah stood beside
Xander’s bike and fixed him with a cold stare.“Just take me home,”
she said.
“Savannah--”
“Please,” Savannah begged tiredly. “I don’t want to talk anymore.
I just want to get home.”
Xander stared at her a moment longer and then shook his head in
defeat. “All right, I’ll take you home,” he said.
 The ride back to the house was filled with a dark silence and
Savannah felt every beautiful moment she'd experienced in the last
few hours melt away. She felt as though she were alone again, which
only served to strengthen her resolve. She was right to have taken
matters into her own hands. She was right to have sought help.
When Xander stopped the bike in front of her house, Savannah got
down without saying a word, and started toward the house.
“Savannah,” Xander called out before she reached the door,
“please.”
Savannah turned around to face him. “Give me some time,” she said.
“I need a break.”
Xander looked at her forlornly for a long moment, and then he nodded
once. “If that’s what you need.”
Savannah turned her back on him and walked into the house. She
closed the door on Xander, and for some unfathomable reason,
Savannah found herself thinking about Abel as she climbed the stairs
to her room.

Chapter Nine

Savannah woke early the next day, after a night of shapeless dreams
and hidden monsters. She felt the dark circles under her eyes before
she saw them, and longed for the soft, cushy pillows of her bed,
wishing that she could have just a few more hours of dreamless sleep.
She put on her oldest and most favorite pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and her
most comfortable hoodie, grabbed her backpack, and headed down the
stairs.
“Savannah?” her mother called from the kitchen.
“Hi, Mom,” Savannah said as she stuck her head in the door.
“I’m going out for a bit.”
 “It’s early,” her mother pointed out.
“It’s not too early for hiking,” Savannah said with a small smile.
“Wow! You're really into this hiking thing, aren’t you?” her
mother said.
“I know--it’s surprising to me, too,” Savannah replied.
“Maybe I’ll join you one day and see what all the fuss is about,”
her mother said.
“That would be nice.” Savannah nodded and attempted to leave
the kitchen.
“Hey,” her mother called, “what about breakfast?”
Savannah stuck her head back in. “What are we having?”
“Waffles.”
Savannah went to the table and took a waffle from the plate. She
crunched into it and gave her mother a smile. “That should do it,” she
said, and then she waved goodbye as she left the kitchen.
She drove the car to the foot of Grey Mountain and stared up at the
steep hill. It looked familiar to her now, despite the fact that she'd only
made one journey there before. All of the smells that had been foreign
to her the day before were starting to make sense now. She began to
climb, glad that her pregnancy still allowed her to be active and
limber.
She was half way to the cabin when she heard a voice behind her.
“Hello Savannah,” it said.
Savannah rushed around and found herself face to face with Abel. His
brown-gold eyes were on her and his expression was unreadable.
“Abel,” Savannah gasped, feeling a shiver jerk through her body.
She was uncertain why Abel’s presence affected her so much. Maybe
it was because it made her feel as though she had no control. “I didn’t
sense you there.”
 He smiled a slow smile, which opened up his face and accentuatd
his good looks. “That's the point of being protected--no one is
supposed to sense me.”
“Whom exactly are you protecting yourself against?” Savannah
asked as she fell into step beside Abel.
“The wolves, of course,” Abel replied. “If they could sense us then it
would be easier to track us down in order to destroy us.”
Savannah felt discomfort flood through her. “I don’t think Xander
would want to harm anyone…not even someone he considered his
enemy.”
“Then you don’t know your future husband very well,” Abel said
without humor. “The wolves hate us, and if we were to set one foot on
their territory, they would rip us to shreds.”
“Does that mean there are lands within Grey Mountain that you
can’t enter?” Savannah asked.
“The town is neutral ground,” Abel replied, “but the mountains have
been cordoned off. The witches get the tiniest portion of it, while the
wolves get the lion’s share.”
Savannah hesitated a moment. “Are there many other witches in
Grey Mountain?”
Abel glanced at her with his burning gold eyes. “My grandmother and
I are the last ones,” he said. Savannah detected an edge of sadness in
his tone.
She reached out and placed her hand on Abel’s arm drawing him to a
stop. He looked at her in surprise, and she read the question in his
eyes. “Abel,” Savannah started, removing her hand from his arm
rather quickly, “I can speak to Xander. I can make sure you and your
grandmother need never fear the wolves.”
Abel looked at her and smiled. “That’s kind of you.”
“It’s the least I can do,” Savannah said adamantly. “You didn’t have to
agree to help me. In fact, you have absolutely no reason to.”
“The reason I had was in your eyes,” Abel said softly. “I saw the fear
there. I saw the worry. How could I turn you away when you were
desperate? When desperate people do desperate things, chaos is sure
to ensue.”
Savannah nodded. They kept walking toward the cabin. She was more
grateful than she could say to have Abel by her side, giving her the
hope she needed.
“You have something to tell me?” Abel said.
Savannah glanced up at him in shock. “How did you know?"
“I sense these things,” Abel said with a small smile. “And I am a
witch, and there's magic all around us.”
“Have you been to the clearing?” Savannah asked abruptly,
remembering the magic she'd thought she'd felt yesterday, when she
and Xander had been in the lake.
“We can't go there,” Abel said. Savannah detected an edge to his
voice. “That's the wolves' territory.”
“I'll take you there, one day,” Savannah said. “When all this is
over and things are peaceful again.”
Abel laughed, but it was without humor. “You are very naïve.”
“I’m not. I just choose to believe in the best possible outcome.”
“That's a nice way of saying you're naïve,” Abel said as they
approached the cabin. “Now, tell me what you came here to say.”
“I had a vision yesterday,” Savannah admitted. “It was the
clearest vision I've ever had.”
“Which leads you to believe what, exactly?”
“I’m not sure,” Savannah said. “I think it means the threat is real
and imminent.”
Abel nodded and then opened the door of the cabin to let Savannah
pass through. The moment she entered she was hit with several
different scents, each of them were pleasant in their own way, but
Savannah’s senses spun with the onslaught of olfactory signals she
was receiving.
“Hello, Savannah,” Elena said from her chair by the covered
window. “You have come to see us again.”
“Yes,” Savannah replied as she moved closer. “I know what’s going to
happen, but I’m not sure when it’s going to happen.”
“Is that so?” Elena said. Her filmy, silver eyes turned to her grandson.
“Sit down, both of you, and we shall talk.”
Savannah and Abel sat down in front of her and beside one another,
and Savannah told them about the vision she'd had just after
swimming in the lake.
“You are sure it is this girl?” Elena asked. “Her name is…
Marissa?”
“It is,” Savannah nodded. “I'm a hundred percent sure she was the one
who tried to kill me, or at least, she's the one who will try to kill me.”
“Did you tell your mate what you saw?” Elena asked pointedly.
“Yes,” Savannah said trying to keep the hurt from her voice. “He
didn’t believe me.”
Elena’s eyebrows rose. “He didn’t believe you?”
“Or maybe he did and he just thought I was mistaken,” Savannah said
trying to justify Xander’s reaction. “He’s blinded by…oyalty.”
Elena nodded and stretched out her hands, palms up, towards
Savannah. “Place your hands over mine,” she instructed. “Close your
eyes and think of the vision again.”
“I can’t bring it back,” Savannah said. “I can’t control my
visions.”
“You don’t have to,” Elena said easily. “You just need to give me a
helping hand so I can bring back the vision.”
“Can you really do that?” Savannah asked in amazement.
“I am a witch,” was all Elena said.
Savannah extended her hands and placed them over Elena’s palms,
wishing for a short, irrational moment that they were Abel’s, instead.
The older woman’s hands were soft as silk, though Savannah could
feel the clawing of age wrapped around them. She closed her eyes and
thought about that moment in the clearing, when the vision had taken
over, and the world had faded away around her.
Suddenly, Savannah felt a grasping pull from deep inside her. She was
vaguely aware of Elena’s presence on the periphery and then a flash of
light overcame her as the vision came forward. This time Savannah
realized she was not watching the future alone. Elena was standing
next to her, watching silently as well. Both watched intently as
Marissa ran toward future Savannah, her arm raised in the air just
before she plunged the knife into future Savannah’s chest.
When the vision faded into blackness and Savannah blinked her eyes
open she knew that Elena had all the information she needed.
“That vision was very clear,” Elena said softly.
“Do you think it will happen?” Savannah asked.
“The future is unpredictable and ever-changing,” Elena replied. “What
you see today could change tomorrow, based on the choices and
actions of yourself and others. You cannot hope to predict or alter the
future because you might end up bringing about the very future you
fear.”
“So you’re saying there is nothing I can do about it?” Savannah
asked.
“I did not say that,” Elena said. “What this vision has told you is that
Marissa is a threat to you and to the pack that you have aligned
yourself with. She wishes to destroy you so that she and her mate can
take over. Your vision has given you a clear warning, and now you
have the means to protect yourself against it.”
“How can I protect myself?” Savannah asked.
“You can’t,” Elena turned to Abel, “but we can.”
 Chapter Ten
.
“Will you help me?” Savannah asked
“I gave you my word, and I will stick to it,” Elena replied. “Abel
wants to help you and I have decided to support him in this choice,
but you must follow our instructions to the letter.”
“I will.” Savannah nodded. “Of course, I will. What could you
tell from the vision?”
Elena’s silver eyes seemed to cloud over with a layer of film. When
they focused again, they were gazing straight at Savannah. “The
future event you saw will take place three days from now, in the
clearing that is forbidden to us, which means we cannot be there to
help you physically.”
Savannah felt her body tense, but then Abel’s hand fell on her
shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he said calmly. “We can help you in other
ways.”
“How?”
“By doing what witches do best.”
Savannah raised her eyebrows and thought about all the things that
witches could do. “By casting spells?”
“Precisely.” Abel nodded. “We cast spells and make potions. Those
are the gifts granted to us, and we shall use them today to protect
you.”
Abel turned to his grandmother, who turned to look at a table of
strange objects and even stranger ingredients. “We will brew together
a potion that you must drink in seven sips. It is a protection potion.”
“Will it protect my child?” Savannah asked. “Will it prevent
Marissa from hurting me?”
“It will do both,” Elena said as she rose from her seat and walked to
the long, narrow table at the center of the cabin.
Savannah eyes zigzagged across the table as she tried to distinguish
between all of the ingredients was seeing. There were jars filled with
small moving beetles, jars of liquids in a range of colors, a rope that
seemed to glow gold, and daggers with adorned hilts. There were also
books in strange handwriting, and boxes filled with the entrails of
dead animals.
Savannah pushed back her nausea and glanced at Abel. “This is quite
a collection,” she said, trying to appear as if this wasn’t all new to her.
Abel smiled. “We need ingredients for potions and spells,” he said,
“some of which are easy to come by, while others are not.” He picked
up a little tin can, overflowing with green herbs. “We call these
mountain herbs. They're very common, growing all over the forest,
but these,” Abel pointed to a bottle with what looked like round bluish
dead eyes inside, “are the eyes of a very rare fish. They're harder to
come by.”
“You need fish eyes for potions and spells?” Savannah asked.
“It depends on the kind of potion or spell,” Abel explained, “but
yes, sometimes we do.”
Savannah walked the length of the table, wondering if she were
allowed to touch the strange collection of objects that sat before her.
At the end of the table was a dagger with a clear blade and a
beautifully ornate hilt. The hilt seemed to be encased in stone that
glittered and shone even under the muted light of the cabin.
“This is beautiful,” Savannah said gesturing toward it.
“You can touch it if you want,” Abel said. “Do you notice the
difference in the blade?”
Savannah nodded. “It seems to be colorless, but then--”
“It changes color,” Abel said. “It’s an imbibing blade.”
“A what?”
 “An imbibing blade,” Abel repeated. “The blade has been
enchanted so that it can be infused.”
“With what?” Savannah asked.
“With whatever you choose,” Abel replied. “Witches have carried
imbibing blades as protection for years.”
“How are they used?” Savannah asked.
“If I were to take a vial of poison and drench the blade in it, the blade
would be imbibed with that poison,” Abel explained. “If someone
were to attack me and I used the blade on him, he would not be cut--
he would be poisoned.”
Savannah stared down at the dagger in amazement. “I could use
one of those daggers, then.”
Abel smiled. “Maybe one day you'll have one of your own.”
Savannah looked at Abel in surprise. “Don’t you have to be a
witch to own one?” she asked.
Abel gave her a small, secretive smile that seemed to say a lot, but
Savannah could not for the life of her figure out what it meant. She
appreciated the fact that he was taking the time to teach her, though,
as it made her feel like she wasn’t such an outsider.
“Things are not always what they seem,” Abel said. He went to
the other side of the table, putting an end to the conversation.
“Abel,” Elena called. “Bring me my cauldron. It is time we
started brewing.”
Abel went to the back of the cabin and through the hidden door at the
side of the room. He re-appeared moments later carrying a small black
cauldron that looked as if it were made from black lead, and he set it
down in front of his grandmother.
“What else do you need?”
“Hollyhocks from the garden, snake tongues, and red nightshades,”
Elena replied. “And you, Savannah, bring me some water.”
Savannah rushed to do as she was told. When she returned with the
water the pot was already bubbling with smoke, even though nothing
seemed to be inside.
Elena’s eyes were closed and she seemed to be muttering
something under her breath.
“Elena?” Savannah said softly, unsure if it was okay to interrupt.
“Put the water in and stand back,” Elena said without opening her
eyes.
Savannah did as she was told. A plume of hot resembling clouds
danced upwards from the little black cauldron. Savannah had to cover
her eyes from the smoky haze, but she desperately wanted to see
every detail of the potion making.
A few moments later, Abel returned with the ingredients that Elena
had asked for. One by one he put them into the cauldron and they
disappeared into the smoke wafting out of it. After a while, Savannah
realized that the smoke had changed color, turning from a silvery-
white to a greyish-blue.
Once the smoke had settled somewhat, Elena opened her eyes and
looked from Savannah to Abel.
“Is it done?” Savannah asked.
Elena shook her head. “Not yet. It will take an hour to brew, and
then it needs to sit overnight.”
“Overnight?” Savannah said. “I want to drink the potion as soon
as I can.”
Elena’s voice was low and clear. “The young are impatient, but
anything of quality requires time to work. You will have the potion
tomorrow, and once you drink it you will be protected.”
“I don’t know if I can come here tomorrow,” Savannah told her.
“It does not matter,” Elena replied. “Meet Abel in the town
tomorrow and he will give it to you.”
 Savannah nodded. After a pause she said, “I have another favor
to ask.”
Elena’s eyes turned cloudy again and she fixed Savannah with a
penetrating stare. “What is it?” she asked in a voice that was anything
but friendly.
“I want Xander to be protected, too,” Savannah managed. “I want
him to drink the potion, too.”
“You ask us to help our enemies?” Elena asked in a cold voice.
Abel turned to Savannah. “It was one thing to help you as you are not
directly involved in the enmity we share with the wolves, but to help a
wolf directly? They would do no such thing for us.”
“Xander would,” Savannah said. “Xander would if I explained
everything to him. He'd understand why I went to you, and he'd
appreciate that you helped me despite everything.”
Elena glanced at Abel. “The girl is naïve.”
“She is young,” Abel said as though he were years older.
“Please,” Savannah said, ignoring both of them. “I love him. He's the
father of my child, and the future of his pack.”
“His future spells death for both of us,” Abel said, mimicking his
grandmother’s tone.
“What if I can get him to grant you immunity from the wolves and
freedom to roam the forests?” Savannah asked desperately. “Would
you help him then?”
“We will never trust the wolves,” Elena said.
“Then don’t trust them,” Savannah said. “Trust me.”
Abel and Elena exchanged a glance and Savannah thought they might
be were considering it, but then Abel turned his eyes on her, and
Savannah had her answer before he could speak the words. “No,”
Abel said firmly. “We will not help your mate. The potion is for you
alone to drink, and no one else.”
 Savannah was disappointed, and she nodded in defeat.
“You have asked much of us Savannah,” Elena said. “Now go home
and rest. I shall send Abel to town tomorrow with your protection
potion.”
Savannah nodded and left the cabin with Abel’s eyes on her back. As
long as her child was inside her she could protect it. Protecting
Xander, however, was a completely different task, especially because
he didn’t think he needed to be protected at all. Savannah remembered
how they'd left things yesterday, and it left a hollow darkness in the pit
of her stomach.
She hated that she kept comparing Xander to Abel as it was unfair to
both of them. The truth was that she missed Xander and she knew he
missed her, but she also knew that it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough
for him to miss her and love her. He needed to trust her as well. He
needed to believe her.
Chapter Eleven

Savannah drove into town early the next day. She had three missed
calls from Xander on her phone but she ignored them. All she wanted
to do was drink the potion and once she had she would face the storm
she knew was on its way.
She found Abel standing outside the bakery, leaning against a
lamppost in an absurdly casual way. Savannah was struck by how
handsome he looked, framed against the backdrop of the quaint little
town, even though it was extremely obvious that he did not belong
there. She approached him and he nodded to her and started walking
down the lane toward the forests.
“Where are we going?” Savannah asked.
“Somewhere private,” Abel replied. “The potion has an aftertaste and
its best people don’t see you gagging in public.”
They found an alcove by the trees, far from watchful eyes, and Abel
took out a small, clear vial filled with purple liquid that shone brightly
in the noon-day sun. He unstoppered it and passed it to her.
“Drink it in seven sips,” he told her. “Whatever you do, don’t
stop until you’ve finished the seventh sip.”
Savannah took the little vial and stared at it curiously for a moment.
There was an aroma wafting from the top of the vial, but she couldn’t
figure out what it reminded her of. “How bad is the taste?” she asked.
“Tolerable,” Abel replied. “If you don’t think about it too much.”
“That’s not comforting at all.” She prepared herself to drink it.
“Quickly, now,” Abel urged.
Savannah took a deep breath, and with a silent prayer of hope, took
the first sip. The liquid burned her throat as she swallowed, and she
had to fight desperately not to throw it up. Tears formed in her eyes as
the burning in her throat became almost unbearable, but she kept
going, knowing what was at stake.
It felt to her like she had swallowed seventy-seven sips instead of only
seven, but finally the little vial was empty, and the burning sensation,
along with the acrid smell, had disappeared. Savannah felt a little
lightheaded and she felt herself sway where she stood.
“Here,” Abel said, taking her hand and guiding her to a rock so she
could sit down for a moment. “Rest for a while.”
“I feel strange,” Savannah admitted.
“Give it a few minutes,” Abel said. “The feeling will pass.”
Slowly, the fog that seemed to surround Savannah disappeared and
she was once more able to think and speak clearly. “You said it was
bearable,” she said accusingly.
He smiled sardonically. “If I had said otherwise you wouldn’t
have drank it.”
 “I would have still drank it,” Savannah said, “but it would have
been harder.”
“Exactly.” Abel nodded. “You’re welcome.”
Savannah shot him an annoyed look and shook her head. “You’re
right, there's an aftertaste.”
“That’ll last a few hours.”
“Can I eat or drink anything?”
“You can do both, but it won’t help,” Abel said. “That aftertaste
won’t go away until it's good and ready.”
“Joy,” Savannah said.
“How are you feeling, though?”
“I don’t know,” Savannah said. “There’s this burning feeling…in
my gut. Is that normal?”
“It’ll settle, don’t worry,” Abel said. “Until then you just need to
get some rest.”
“Okay.” Savannah nodded. “Thank Elena for me.”
Abel gave her a small smile, and Savannah started walking back to
her car. Within fifteen minutes she was back home, but her senses told
her that something wasn't quite right. She was able to sense Xander’s
powerfully bright aura and it was brimming with fear and anger.
Savannah looked around for him, but he was out of her line of sight.
“I know you’re there, Xander,” she said out loud. “Just come out here
and say what you need to say.”
After a moment she heard the rustle of leaves and then Xander
stepped out from behind the aged trees that ran up the hill next to her
home. His face was surly and unhappy, but Savannah could tell he
was doing his best to stay calm. She sensed what was coming and she
prepared herself.
“Are your parents at home?” he asked in a subdued voice.
“Not at the moment.”
He nodded and Savannah saw his jaw clench. His good looks were
more pronounced as a result, but it also made him look severe and
foreboding.
“Xander?” Savannah said.
“Gordy saw you in town, today” Xander practically spat.
Savannah felt her body tense. “I didn’t see him.”
“Apparently you were otherwise occupied,” Xander said through
clenched teeth.
“Abel is my friend,” Savannah said—there was no point denying it. It
was one thing to keep things from Xander, it was another thing
entirely to lie straight to his face, and she'd made the decision to tell
him the truth if he ever asked the question.
“Your friend?” Xander said incredulously. “Your friend?”
“That’s what I said,” Savannah said, standing her ground.
“He is a witch,” Xander's eyes seemed to contain fire at their centers.
“I thought the rules were clear.”
“They’re your rules, not mine.”
Xander took a step back, as though Savannah had slapped him.
“You’re my life partner, you’re carrying my child, and one day, when
I'm alpha, you will stand beside me.”
“That doesn't mean I'll agree with every decision you make,”
Savannah said calmly. “Nor does it mean I'm bound by the same rules
as the pack. You’ve made it very clear that I'm not a shifter, which
means I’m not really a part of the pack, and that the only thing that
connects me to it is the child I’m carrying.”
“And what happens after you’ve had the baby?” Xander demanded.
“Are you trying to tell me you want out of this relationship?”
“I never said that,” Savannah said angrily. “Don’t put words in
my mouth.”
Xander was seething, but Savannah knew he was struggling to keep
his temper under control. She still felt the intensity of his aura,
however. It was burning hot and fierce, but Savannah could tell that it
was just his way of masking his fear.
“Savannah,” Xander said in a calmer tone. “What were you doing
with him? What have you told him about us?”
“The truth,” Savannah said after a small pause.
“Which is what?”
“Which is that we’re being threatened by a rival pack that’s headed by
your half-brother,” Savannah told him. “I told him that a battle was on
the horizon and that I needed to protect my child.”
“Is that it?” Xander asked. “You wanted to protect the baby?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t understand: why on earth would you go to the witches? Why
wouldn’t you come to me? I can protect you and the baby.”
“How can you protect me when you’re blinded by loyalty?” Savannah
demanded. “You’re still convinced Marissa isn't a threat to me, even
after I told you what I saw. When I told them about my vision, Elena
and Abel believed me right away.”
“Elena and Abel?”
“Elena is Abel’s grandmother,” Savannah said, “and they were willing
to help me, even though they mistrust the wolves.”
“They mistrust us?” Xander said incredulously. Then he shook his
head. “You’ve put your trust in the wrong people and now? Now I
don’t know what they've done.”
“They’ve done nothing but help me,” Savannah said
emphatically. “They helped me.”
“Tell me how. How they helped you?”
“They brewed me a potion,” Savannah said, “so that no harm will
come to me, should my vision prove to be true.”
 “They said this potion would protect you?”
“Me and the baby,” Savannah nodded. “You’re wrong to hate them.
They're not what you think. They just want to live their lives, the same
as you.”
Xander looked at her as though he were at a loss for words. “What
they gave you was not a protection spell Savannah. They tricked you.”
“What are you talking about?” Savannah said. “How can you possibly
know that? Your hate for them is blinding you.”
“Maybe you’re the one who’s been blinded, did you ever think of
that?” Xander shot at her.
There was the sound of a howl, and Xander and Savannah broke off
their conversation and looked up toward the trees. “What was that?”
Savannah asked, feeling a new pain creep through her body.
“An alert call,” Xander replied. “Dominic and Marissa are
coming, and they’re not alone. I have to go.”
“I’m coming with you,” Savannah said.
“It’s too dangerous for you to be in the clearing,” Xander said.
“Stay here.”
He turned his back on her and ran into the trees without another word.
Savannah bit back the burnt taste in her mouth and waited until he had
disappeared before she started to follow behind him. There was no
way she could just sit idly by while all hell broke loose. She thought
back to her vision and pictured the moment when Marissa had stabbed
her in the chest with the flaming blue dagger. She wasn’t sure if she
was about to walk to her death, but she knew she could not stay
behind.
She and Xander might not be in agreement at the moment, but that
was completely immaterial, because even when he'd been screaming
at her, even when he'd been angry and frustrated, Savannah still
sensed the love beneath the emotion. Xander loved her purely and
nothing was going to change that.
 Savannah knew she couldn't let him enter that clearing without
her.

Chapter Twelve

Savannah peeked through the trees and out into the clearing. The
whole pack was gathered there, including Marissa’s friends, and the
elders. Savannah was surprised to see Principal Harris standing among
them. She looked a little worse for the wear with dark circles beneath
her eyes, and the stain of worry etched across her face. The pack had
not shifted into their wolf forms yet, and Savannah wondered why that
was.
“What are you doing here?” Johnny demanded from behind her.
Savannah whirled around to face him. "Did all of you think I was
just going to stay home?"
“You should have,” Johnny said in a hard voice. “You won’t be
able to help us.”
Savannah regarded him stubbornly. “I don’t care,” she said. “I refuse
to be treated as though I’m not a part of this pack. I have just as much
a stake in what happens here as you, and I’m staying.”
Johnny grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the clearing.
“Xander!” he yelled, and Savannah saw Xander turn toward them
from across the clearing. His eyes narrowed slightly, but Savannah
sensed he wasn’t surprised.
He approached them quickly, but his eyes were searching the
landscape, as though he were looking for something. The pack
converged around Savannah, the elders watching her with weary eyes.
“Savannah, why did you come?” Elvira asked in her deep,
authoritative voice.
“I had to be here,” Savannah said loudly, so that everyone could hear
her. “I'm at least partly to blame for all of this. Marissa wouldn't have
betrayed the pack if it hadn’t been for me. I’m not going to sit safely
at home while all of you are in danger.”
“And what about your child?” Malick asked pointedly. “It's noble of
you to want to share the fight with us, but you’re risking your child in
the process.”
“She’s taken measures to protect the baby,” Xander said dryly as
he went to stand beside Savannah.
Savannah could tell that Xander was still upset about her involvement
with Abel, but she also knew he'd never leave her alone to defend
herself against the pack, and his stance beside her proved that no
matter their differences, they were going to stick together.
“Taken measures…how?” Principal Harris asked.
Xander glanced at her. He was about to speak but she beat him to
the punch. “I went to the witches,” she said.
There was a murmur of fear that ran through the pack as they
exchanged wide-eyed glances of horror with one another. Then
Malick took a slow step forward. “Did you drink anything they gave
you?” he asked, sounding deadly serious.
“Yes,” Savannah said, nodding. She felt panic inexplicably rise
within her. “It was a protection potion.”
Malick closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened his eyes,
he said, “It was not.”
“What do you mean?” Savannah asked. “How do you know?"
Malick didn’t answer her. Instead his gaze fell onto Xander. “Haven’t
you told her…about our past, about our legends and our histories?”
“I have not been able to tell her everything yet,” Xander said, his
voice wracked with guilt. “She doesn't know the complete legend of
the witches--the history books do not account for them.”
Malick looked around the pack. His green eyes were piercing, and
Savannah sensed sorrow rise within him. “Savannah became a part of
our pack the day we found out she was pregnant with the next
generation of shifters,and yet we have not treated her as such. Xander:
you should have taught her what it means to be shifter. You should
have educated her in our customs and way of thinking. If that had
been done she never would have gone to the witches.”
Savannah looked around in confusion. “You don’t understand,” she
pleaded. “They were trying to help me.”
“They were trying to enslave you,” Principal Harris said. “They were
trying to enslave us all, and now they might have succeeded.”
She looked into Principal Harris's eyes and realized that she cared
little of Savannah's fate. Her thoughts were only of her daughter, and
the only worry she was able to muster was for Marissa. Savannah
suddenly realized that her pain weighed heavily on the rest of the
pack, as if they were somehow connected. Before another word could
be exchanged Gordy burst through the trees, his eyes wide, and his
stance purposeful.
“They’re coming,” Gordy said, panting hard. “The rival pack is
coming! Ten minutes and they’ll have breached the clearing.”
“Marissa?” Principal Harris gasped. “Is she with them?”
“She and Dominic are heading the pack,” Gordy said in a slightly
lower voice. “I think… I think she will be fighting with them today.”
“No,” Principal Harris said and her knees buckled.
Malick swung forward and caught her before she could fall. He held
onto her and whispered something into her ear. “Stay strong; we may
be able to save her still,” he said a little louder to the rest of the group.
“We can save her,” Principal Harris said with a sob in her voice, “but
it is not up to you or me to take her back, Will the new alpha allow her
back into the fold after this betrayal?”
She glanced at Xander and Savannah realized the weight of Xander’s
responsibility. She expected him to assure Principal Harris, she
expected him to tell her he'd take Marissa back in a heartbeat if they
succeeded in saving her from Dominic’s hold, but he didn’t. He stood
there for a moment and then he glanced at Savannah.
“I will make that decision when the time comes,” he said,
promising nothing. “With my partner.”
She recognized the apology in Xander’s tone. He was telling her that
he was sorry for shutting her out and refusing to listen or believe her.
He was telling her that from this day forward, they were going to
work together, they were going to act together, and that he was not
going to put anyone else’s feelings before hers.
She sensed the enormity of the message from his aura rather than his
words, which meant the world to Savannah, and for the first time
since the pack had split she didn’t feel as if she were alone in the
situation.
“What do we do?” Gordy asked.
“There’s nothing we can do but fight,” Xander said, stepping
forward.
“We'll have to fight to kill,” Gordy said.
“No,” Xander said quickly. “Defend yourselves well, but if death
can be avoided then avoid it.”
“They will not do the same for us,” Johnny pointed out. “They
will kill us all if they win.”
“They have to kill us to take our land,” Xander said, “but aside from
that, we are better than they are, and we must prove it. We will defeat
them. We’re stronger than they are because our bonds are pure, and
our ties to each other are strong.”
“And Marissa?” Principal Harris demanded. “What about my
daughter?”
Xander glanced at Savannah and she saw the question in his eyes. He
was giving her the choice to decide what was best based on the vision
she'd had. If Savannah said that Marissa should be banished with the
rival pack, she knew without a doubt that Xander would stand by her
decision.
“You have to save Marissa,” Savannah said, her voice a little
shaky.
“Are you sure?” Xander asked.
“You’re right: loyalty is important, and from what I’ve sensed about
Marissa, she's nothing if not loyal. Her hate for me clouded her
loyalty causing her to run to Dominic. Maybe she'll take a second
chance if she's given it.”
Savannah felt relief wafting from Principal Harris, and she couldn’t
help but feel sympathy for her. She was still a mother, standing
opposed to a daughter who had made independent decisions. She
momentarily wondered if Principal Harris had ever been tempted to
join her daughter.
Xander walked toward Savannah and took her hand. “Thank
you,” he whispered to her.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Savannah whispered back.
The burning sensation she'd experienced when she'd taken the potion
was beginning to return, clawing at her belly, and making it
impossible for her to concentrate. Savannah felt a chill pass over her
body.
A moment later, Malick's voice echoed around their loose circle.
"They are here," he said, and everyone turned in the direction of the
trees opposite the lake.
Dominic and Marissa were the first to enter the clearing, followed by
more people. Savannah counted, desperate to determine which pack
outnumbered the other.
“Eleven,” Malick said, “including Marissa and Dominic.”
“And we have ten,” Xander said under his breath.
“We can win this,” Zanna added.
Dominic walked forward with as if he were welcome by all in the
clearing. He was naked to the waist, wearing nothing but a pair of
faded trousers. Savannah understood he was ready for the fight, ready
to shift at any moment. He was good-looking, but his features were
severe and threatening. It was impossible to imagine that he and
Xander had shared the same father.
Marissa followed Dominic close behind. She was just as beautiful as
Savannah remembered, with her golden hair and bright blue eyes, but
Savannah sensed the undercurrent of fear that lay just beneath the
surface. Marissa wanted to appear calm, but Savannah knew she was
far from it.
“Hello, little brother,” Dominic said in a good imitation of
friendliness. “I see you've gathered your pack together to welcome
me.”
Xander ignored him completely, turned to Marissa, and said,
“Marissa, what have you done? Why did you do this to us, to your
friends, to your mother?”
Marissa bristled at his words and Dominic shot her a look. She kept
her eyes trained on Xander, and Savannah could tell how painful it
was for her to see him again. “What have I done?” she demanded.
“You’re the one who betrayed us all.”
“Betrayed you?” Xander asked. “How, by falling in love with
Savannah?”
“She was never meant for you,” Marissa said.
“Then why is it our child has shifter blood?” Xander demanded. “If
we were not meant to be then the child would be human, and I would
never have been allowed to marry Savannah.
"Please, Marissa, you’re letting your personal feelings cloud your
judgement. This is not the way.”
Dominic looked amused as he looked between Xander and Marissa.
“She’s made her choice, Xander,” Dominic said. “She’s chosen the
stronger brother.”
“You realize that in order to take this land he has to kill us all, don’t
you, Marissa?” Xander continued to ignore Dominic. “Are you really
going to help him kill us?”
“Of course not,” Marissa said immediately. “No one needs to die. As
long as you are prepared to move your allegiance moves to Dominic
and I, then you will all be welcomed into our pack.”
“And what if no one is willing to change allegiances?” Zanna
asked, stepping forward.
“You have to,” Marissa said. Savannah saw wild fear pass through her
eyes as she considered the possibility the pack might choose to die
fighting than submit to Dominic’s rule.
Principal Harris stepped forward. She looked hard at her daughter.
“You have made a mistake, Marissa,” she said, her voice low with
pain. “You acted impulsively because you were hurt, but you didn’t
stop to think it through. You thought the pack would change loyalties
if they were faced with death, but you thought wrong. We would
rather die than accept Dominic’s authority here.”
Marissa’s eyes filled with panic as she stared at her mother. Marissa
gasped. “Don’t say that.” She took a step forward. Dominic reached
out to hold her back. “Please,” Marissa pleaded, “don’t say that!”
“Looks like the decision has been made, Marissa,” Dominic said, a
confident smile playing on his face. “Time to say goodbye.”
“No!” Marissa screamed. “I will not hurt any of them.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed. “Then it was a foolish mistake to
partner with me, but it's too late now.”
“No, it’s not,” Xander said, stepping forward. “Marissa can
choose to break ties with you.”
Dominic nodded. “She can, but that won’t change much. She's still
created the bridge that's allowed us into Grey Mountain, and we can
still challenge you for this land.”
 “But you won’t win,” Xander said matching his half-brother's
confidence.
Dominic laughed. “I beg to differ.” He changed his gaze so that it fell
onto the trees a short distance from where the packs stood. “Welcome,
Abel.”
Savannah felt her body grow cold when she heard the friendly way
Dominic had greeted Abel. She stared at the line of trees as Abel
emerged. His brown-gold eyes glittered in the sun as he approached
them to stand between the packs.
A hiss went through the root pack, and a few of the boys actually
bared their teeth. Xander’s eyes narrowed. When he finally spoke, his
tone was cold and quiet.
“This is not your territory,” Xander said, full of venom.
“How is it possible you're even here?” Elvira asked.
Abel smiled politely at her. “I'm here because of my dear friend.”
“Dominic?” Elvira asked, confused.
“No.” Abel shook his head. “Savannah.”
Savannah felt the gaze of everyone in the clearing turn toward her,
and she wished for the ground beneath her to open up and swallow her
whole.
Chapter Thirteen

“Abel,” Savannah said, her voice shaky with horror. “What did
you do?”
“It’s not what I did,” he said calmly. “It’s what you did.”
“I came to you for help,” Savannah said desperately. “I came to
you because I didn’t have options.”
Abel turned his calm smile on Xander. “I suppose I have you and your
pack to thank for that. Prey is usually caught through isolation and
you lot did a great job of pushing Savannah out.”
Savannah felt the burn in the pit of her stomach. “What was that
potion you gave me?” she demanded, trying not to clutch her stomach.
“Do you know what the real problem with isolation is?” Abel asked.
“It's that you have no one around you to help or advise you, no one
there to explain things to you or to teach you.”
“What did you do to me?” Savannah gasped as pain shot through
her stomach.
“I took a page from the history books,” Abel said simply.
Savannah looked toward Xander and saw the devastation in his eyes.
“You remember the legend of Kato and Alais?” Xander asked softly.
“Yes?”
“The history of their story is incomplete,” Xander explained. “The
books detail the part where Kato and Alais employ the witches help
Alais take on a wolf’s form, but the price of that help was that they
could never leave Grey Mountain.”
“I know the story--”
Xander shook his head. “You know the story that's been written down,
but that's not the whole story.
"The witch tricked Alais and Kato. Not only were they tied to
Grey Mountain forever, they were also under her control.”
“You mean…”
“The witch had complete power over them,” Xander said in a hushed
voice. “She could make them do whatever she wanted.”
Savannah stared at Xander without really seeing him, the words, what
have I done? repeating in her mind. When she looked back up her
eyes fell onto Abel. “So that means the potion you gave me…”
“It wasn’t a protection spell,” Abel said, calmer than the situation
would seem to warrant. “It was a spell that allows me to control you
and the rest of your pack.”
 “How can it control the rest of the pack?” Savannah demanded
scrambling to understand.
“Because a pack is connected by bond,” Abel said. “You are carrying
the future alpha in your belly, which means that you are the source.”
“Oh God,” Savannah gasped feeling her knees buckle.
Abel opened his coat and drew out a blade gleaming with the promise
of a thousand colors. It shone for a moment and then it turned a nearly
colorless silver-white. “Oh, God,” Savannah said, “an imbibing
blade.”
Abel’s smile went deeper. “You see how much she knows, Xander?”
he asked sounding a little too familiar. “It's because she was taught. I
was the one to teach her about imbibing blades." He turned to
Savannah and said, "Now it's time to finish the lesson, Savannah, with
a demonstration of its power.”
He reached into his coat and withdrew a small vial, much like the one
he'd handed Savannah when he gave her the potion. He pulled the tiny
stopper out with his teeth and raised the bottle in his hand for all to
see.
“I didn’t teach you about potions, did I, Savannah?” Abel asked
conversationally. “If I had taught you the art of potion-making then
you would have known something was not right, and you would have
known not to trust me. But then again, you weren't taught, were you?.
Do you want to know what this potion does?”
“Yes,” Savannah said breathlessly.
“This potion will kill every elder in your precious pack while
retaining their knowledge and their skill, so it may be used at a later
date.”
Xander turned to Dominic with fury in his eyes. “You're a fool if you
believe he's your ally,” Xander said angrily. “He has aligned himself
with you now only because he can use you. Do you really think he
won’t betray you once he has power?”
Dominic smirked at Xander. “He cannot control me or my pack--
Savannah’s connection is to you and your pack alone."
“He has magic,” Malick spat as he came forward, “and he will
use it against you.”
“I am no fool,” Dominic said calmly. “I have made sure my pack and I
are protected in all this. The only fool here is my dear brother."
To Xander he said, "You refused to step down and give me my
land and my rightful pack, and then you chose a weak and ignorant
human who enslaved you all without even realizing it as your mate.”
Savannah heard Xander’s jaw grind together, and the burn in her
stomach and the growing feeling of discomfort she sensed from
Xander’s pack had her attention.
“What’s happening?” She shivered as she spoke. “Something's
happening.”
Abel focused his brown-gold eyes on her. “What you're feeling,
Savannah, is the potion spreading. It will infect every part of you, and
once it travels to your womb it will infect your child. Once that
happens, the whole pack will be under my control.”
Savannah felt the urge to rip the alien substance straight from her
veins. She knew Abel had well and truly betrayed her and there was
no way out of this.
“How could you do this?” Savannah exclaimed with sorrow. “I
trusted you.”
“You were a fool to trust me,” Abel said without feeling.
“I should have listened,” Savannah said weakly. “I should have
listened when everyone told me that witches were not to be trusted.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Abel said. “You should have been
taught, but your partner and your pack isolated you. You were
desperate and alone, and that makes for easy prey.”
Savannah felt Xander slip his hand into hers and squeeze it slowly a
moment later. Savannah didn’t dare look at him because she knew that
if she did she would break. She felt the poison spreading and she
knew there was nothing she could do about it.
“Now,” Abel said enthusiastically, “I think that’s enough talk for
one day—time to set things in motion.”
Abel tipped the contents of the vial onto the silver-white blade of the
dagger which instantly turned a rich, fiery red that seemed to exude
heat. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Abel said, looking at the imbibing blade
with fondness. “Now, it’s time to take what I need.”
“Wait,” Dominic said, stepping forward. "Does it matter who
uses the blade?"
Abel cocked his head to the side. “No.”
“Good,” Dominic said with a small smile. “Then I think there's
someone here who needs to prove herself.” He slowly turned his gaze
on Marissa.
“No,” Marissa said, shaking her head. She took a step back.
Dominic reached out, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her violently
toward him. “You're the one that came to me.”
“You told me you would spare them,” Marissa said.
“If they joined me,” Dominic said. “If they bent to my will--
which they did not.”
“No,” Marissa pleaded. “They're my family.”
“No, they’re not,” Dominic replied coldly. “If they truly were your
family, you never would have betrayed them in the first place.”
“I only did it because–"
“You wanted to hurt Xander like he hurt you,” Dominic interrupted.
“But you didn’t think things through, did you? You made a choice,
and now it's time you stand by it.”
Dominic turned to Abel who stretched out his hand and passed the
blade to Dominic. Marissa looked at her mother helplessly, as though
she were silently begging for help.
It happened all at once. Savannah felt a flash of pain scream through
her body. This was followed by Xander and his entire pack screaming
in pain, their bodies bent over as though they were being electrocuted.
Savannah looked around her helplessly, her eyes meeting Marissa’s
for a moment.
“What’s happening?” Savannah gasped, dropping to her knees
beside Xander.
“The poison in your body is spreading,” Abel said calmly. “Its hold is
extending to the rest of the pack. That's what they're feeling now, the
loss of their autonomy, the destruction of their free will.”
“No!” Savannah begged. “This has to stop.”
“There's no stopping this,” Dominic said calmly as the rest of his pack
watched on, half horrified, and half amazed.
Dominic held the blade out to Marissa. She stared at it in disgust,
shaking her head. “I will never use that on my pack.”
“The only pack you belong to anymore is the one standing behind
you,” Dominic reminded her threateningly. “It's time you embraced
that and put an end to the pack kneeling in front of you.”
Savannah looked around her in desperation. She could see the
nightmare unfolding in front of her, felt Xander's body shivering
uncontrollably beside here, and she was powerless to do anything
about it. His pack was halfway gone and she was the only one left.
Savannah glanced up and her eyes met Marissa’s once more.
There was fear in Marissa’s aura. Savannah sensed nothing there but
fear, pain, and sorrow. She was looking for a way out, too, a way to
reverse every action she'd made in the past week, as was Savannah.
“Take the damn blade!” Dominic said, his voice rising in anger.
He forced it into Marissa’s hand but she was shaking so hard she
dropped it. The blade fell mere feet away from the glistening water of
the lake, its bright red sheen disrupted by a bolt of silver-blue
streaming across it.
And then it hit Savannah. It was entirely possible that the legends
about the lake were as true as the legends about Alais and Kato, which
meant the waters were healing, just like Xander had told her. The
waters had the ability to save lives and make magic, magic that was
good and strong and enabling. Savannah knew the lake was their last
hope.
“Pick it up.” Dominic’s voice echoed through the clearing. “Pick
it up now, or be the first to die.”
Savannah didn’t know what was driving her instincts, but she knew
they were all she had left. She pulled out her hearing aid and the
world went instantly silent and still as the night. Though Savannah
couldn't hear a sound, the world seemed to open up a little, as if by
magic. She closed her eyes in the next breath and her world seemed to
expand a little more.
She felt the rustle of movement next to her and knew, instinctively,
that it was Xander. Savannah held up her hand and the movement
ceased, seeming to edge further away from her. Blind and deaf,
Savannah concentrated on Marissa’s bright and terrified aura echoing
with fear, with which she was able to perfectly relate. She reached out,
and a part of her could almost feel that delicate aura.
“Marissa,” Savannah sent her thoughts in waves, desperate to connect
with the girl she'd thought would be her murderer. “Marissa, I don’t
know if you can hear me, but I really, really need you to.”
There was a strange bristle from Marissa’s aura, as though Savannah’s
thoughts had been transmitted and reached their target through sheer
force of will.
“Pick up the dagger. Pick up the dagger and plunge it into the lake.
The blade will absorb the lake’s water. Then, come toward me. Come
toward me and…stab me in the chest.”
Savannah kept repeating the words, unsure if she was imagining the
connection between Marissa and herself, or if she was just desperate
and delusional. Unable to keep her eyes closed, Savannah opened
them a fraction, just in time to see Marissa’s unsteady hand reach out
and pick the imbibing blade up.
Savannah could see in Marissa’s eyes that she'd heard the message
through her aura, and that she'd listened. Savannah straightened up
and took a step toward Abel and Dominic, who were staring at
Marissa in satisfaction.
“That’s right,” Savannah, read Dominic’s lips as it formed the words
she could not hear. “Pick it up and walk over to your mother.”
Savannah moved closer to Principal Harris who was on her knees next
to Malick, staring at her daughter in desperation, her eyes shrouded in
misery and pain. Marissa held the blade uncertainly in her hand. She
glanced at Savannah for a split second before looking toward Abel
and Dominic.
“Do it,” Savannah read Abel’s lips. “Do it now or die.”
Marissa turned back to her mother but her eyes were on Savannah.
She took a tentative step forward and then another, and then another.
“Yes, that’s right,” Dominic encouraged. “Do as you’re told.”
Marissa started walking faster and Savannah could see the resolve on
her face. She was inches from her mother when Marissa veered
suddenly right, and plunged the dagger into the clear waters of the
lake, as if she were cracking through solid ice. There was an abnormal
ripple. The dagger glowed hot. As fast as the red drained from its
blade it was replaced with a warm, yet icy blue.
Marissa didn’t hesitate as she pulled the dagger from the water, turned
around, took one leaping step forward, and plunged the dagger
straight into Savannah’s chest.
The moment the blade made contact with Savannah’s skin she
experienced a strange explosion of sorts, but it felt as if it were
happening inside of her, and she was thrown back with a blast of light,
the burn in her stomach was instantly extinguished, and she registered
blue sky and silver clouds before her world went black.

Chapter Fourteen

The first thing Savannah became aware of was the shape and feel of
Xander’s hand ensconced in her own. She opened her eyes slowly to
see Xander’s face hanging over hers in concern. He looked the same,
except for a long scar that snaked from just below his eye almost
down to his chin.
“Savannah,” Xander said, but she was unable to hear the sound of
his voice.
She sat up slowly, with Xander's help. A moment later he handed her
the hearing aid she'd taken out in the clearing. She looked around and
realized they were in a bedroom in Xander’s family's cabin.
 “Savannah,” Xander said again, and this time was able to hear
him.“The scar,” Savannah said. She reaching out to touch it.
“It’s only a surface wound,” Xander insisted, brushing aside his
concern. “How are you feeling?”
“Tell me what happened,” Savannah insisted, ignoring his question.
“What happened after Marissa stabbed me?”
“It broke whatever hold Abel had on us,” Xander said. “The pain, the
loss of control we were all feeling--it just disappeared, and we were
ourselves again.”
“Savannah…”
Savannah turned her head to the door at the sound of the soft voice.
Marissa’s blue eyes were subtle and calm and she no longer looked
angry or scared, and her aura was calmer and more controlled than
Savannah had ever experienced. She edged into the room looking as
though she would rather be anywhere else.
“Hello, Marissa,” Savannah said.
“Was it you?” Marissa asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Marissa claimed that she just…knew what to do,” Xander said,
sounding baffled, as if he didn’t quite understand what had happened.
“I was completely lost,” Marissa said. “I had no idea what to do. Just
as I thought it was all over, suddenly I knew what to do. It was like
there was a voice in my head guiding me, but it wasn’t a voice so
much as a feeling.”
“You didn’t hear me speak to you?” Savannah asked.
Marissa's face lit up with realization. “It was you.”
“It was,” Savannah said, nodding. “I've always been sensitive to other
people’s auras, but this was the first time I ever tried communicating
with anyone. I thought you might have heard me.”
 “I did,” Marissa said, “but they weren’t words…more like…
feelings."
“Feelings,” Savannah said, thinking that sounded about right.
“Yes.”
Marissa and Savannah stared at each other for an awkward moment.
Marissa was the first one to break the gaze. “I wanted to say…thank
you,” she said tentatively, “for saving me from…for saving all of us.”
Savannah had not been expecting an apology, and she was at a loss for
words.
“I also want to say…I’m sorry,” Marissa continued. “For how I
treated you and for what I did to get back at you.”
“I.. that’s okay,” Savannah managed.
Marissa nodded and then she left the room quickly, leaving Savannah
and Xander alone.
Xander gave Savannah a smile.
“You still haven’t told me what happened after Marissa stabbed
me,” Savannah reminded him.
“I told you: the spell…potion…whatever it was, broke,” Xander said.
“And when it did, Abel and Dominic were caught by surprise. We
were able to attack them, and they were completely outnumbered.”
“How?”
“More than half of Dominic’s pack abandoned him in the end,”
Xander said with a small smile. “Some of them didn’t know he'd
aligned himself with a witch. When they realized what he'd done, they
took the first opportunity they could to leave. We cornered Dominic,
but when it was clear that we had won--”
“What?” Savannah asked, though she sensed Dominic’s fate as a
result of Xander’s aura.
“He killed himself,” Xander said. “To avoid being taken captive.”
Savannah and Xander were silent for a moment. “And Abel?”
Savannah asked after she'd taken a moment to process Dominic’s
death.
Xander’s face turned hard. “Abel was harder to corner--he is a witch
after all. We were all in our wolf forms. Elvira and Malick had him
cornered, and Elvira had him by the leg.”
“And then?”
Xander sighed. “He was badly wounded,” Xander said, “but then he
used some sort of magic on Elvira, forcing her to let him go. By the
time the smoke had cleared and we could see again, he was gone.”
“So he’s still out there somewhere?”
“Yes, but he’s not in Grey Mountain any longer,” Xander said,
hastening to assure her.
“How can you be sure?”
“We scoured the forest in search of him. The cabin he used to occupy
was completely empty, except for the body of an old woman.”
“His grandmother,” Savannah said quietly. “There was nothing
else?”
“Nothing.” Xander shook his head. “The place was completely bare.
There was no trace of magic remaining. I don’t think Abel will ever
return to Grey Mountain.”
Savannah nodded. “Are the rest of the pack okay?” she asked,
concerned.
“Everyone has minor injuries,” Xander replied, “but no serious
damage has been done.”
“But there so easily could have been,” Savannah said. “Xander,
I’m so, so sorry."
“Don’t,” Xander said. “You don’t have to apologize to me. It’s
because of you we’re all still alive and in control of our own minds.”
“It’s because of me that we were even in that situation in the first
place,” Savannah said. She grabbed Xander's arm. “I should never
have gone to Abel.”
“Maybe not,” Xander conceded, “but you were forced to go to him
because I wouldn’t listen to what you had to say or believe you. If you
hadn’t felt so alone then you would never have turned to him. He was
right about that--I should have taught you better. We all should have.”
“You had other things to worry about.”
“Nothing is more important than protecting your pack,” Xander said
firmly. “We all forgot that shifter or not, you are now a part of our
pack.”
Savannah’s hands went instinctively to her stomach. “Our baby is
strong.”
“I know,” Xander said. He put his hand on top of Savannah’s, bent
slowly down, and kissed her softly on the lips.
“How did you know about the lake?” Xander asked after a
moment.
Savannah shrugged. “I'd felt its magic before, but I never connected
the dots. It wasn’t until I remembered my vision that I realized what it
all meant.”
“Marissa running toward you with a blue bladed dagger,” Xander
said.
Savannah nodded. “It wasn’t until we were all standing in that
clearing that I realized the vision I'd seen wasn't what I thought it was.
I hadn’t seen my death--I'd seen my salvation, but I was the only one
who knew what to do. So I cut off the world and relied on my sense.”
“How did you know Marissa would get your message?”
“I didn’t,” Savannah said. “I just… followed my instincts.”
“That’s a good way to life your life,” Xander said. He looked deeply
into her eyes and smiled softly. “I’m going to need your help when
I’m alpha. I’m going to be counting on those instincts of yours to
guide me through my life and my duties as a leader.”
Savannah leaned in and kissed Xander gently on the lips, then she
whispered into his ear, “You can count on me. Always.”
Xander placed his hand protectively over Savannah’s belly. He slipped
in beside her on the bed, and his lips closed around hers. It was a
gentle kiss at first, but then it deepened, and Savannah felt the burning
heat that lay just underneath.
They were finally free to live their lives without having to look over
their shoulders. They were finally able to be together without fear or
worry. Xander slipped his hand under her shirt, his fingers warm
against her naked skin. This was the start of their real adventure
together. Savannah was finally ready to take her place by Xander’s
side, as his wife and as a true member of the pack.
Xander began teasing off her clothes, and Savannah gave herself over
to him wholeheartedly, reveling in the intoxicating need for their
bodies to become one.
- The End –

Wanted by the Wolf

“Alright boys. Who’s ready for another round?” Jennifer
whisked around the room, cheerfully dropping fresh pitchers of
Bud, and clearing out the old ones. The bikers stayed tame as long
as they didn’t run dry.
Jennifer Armstrong only had another month before she had to
return to college, which meant she only had one more month of
dirty old men pinching her ass, and listening to them talk about how
they “love a woman with meat on her bones,” or how they wanted to
see what her “Double Ds looked like t-shirt free,”as if she couldn’t
hear them. She hated the attention, but she made bank so she put up
with it.
She looked down at her watch; it was nearly midnight. She
would be done soon, and she was so ready to just be home. The
night had been slammed and she was exhausted. Some stupid bike
festival was in town. The extra tips were nice, but her shifts wore
her down. At ten minutes to twelve her best friend Tiffany sashayed
into the bar wearing a low cut pink tank top, and skin tight jeans.
Jennifer had told her a hundred times to not come and tempt the
regulars by dressing like that. They were wonderful sober, but
Jennifer warned her about their behavior after drinking a few.
She just shook her head this time. Tiffany was a big girl, and
she knew what she was doing. She loved a bad boy and being the
center of attention. A few of the younger bikers noticed and started
elbowing each other and pointing at her.
“C’mon, girl. You ready to get out of here or what?” Tiffany
propped her elbows on the bar and dragged a bowl of stale pretzels
closer to her to pick through. She turned up her nose and started
flicking them out of the bowl one by one.
“Yeah, I’m done. Just let me close out these tabs and have the
other girl start those new ones.”
The noise all night had been overpowering. As she ran around
to pick up the checks, a hush fell over the bar. She looked up at the
doorway to see what was going on.
Her breath left her as the most beautiful man she had ever seen
crossed the threshold. His head nearly scraped the top of the
doorway as he entered he was so big. The man had a presence that
commanded attention and respect. The men in the room were weary.
The newcomer wore a fitted leather jacket that accentuated his
lean torso and broad shoulders. His piercing, sky blue eyes scanned
the room as he entered.
Those eyes locked in on Jennifer; he said nothing, just stared.
For a moment she got caught in them. She could feel the heat of
self-consciousness creeping up her cheeks as her pulse raced.
Tiffany turned to her and mouthed, “Oh my God,” before
grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Jennifer blinked and broke eye contact, “Alright, Tiff. Let’s go.
Back door,” she dragged her friend around the bar and through the
kitchen to leave. To hell with the money, she thought. That man sent
shivers up her spine.
“Okay, now I know you saw that gorgeous specimen walk in to
your bar. Why are we leaving? He seemed like he recognized you.
Do you know him? And if you did why did you not tell me?”
Tiffany babbled on and asked a million more questions, but Jennifer
had tuned her out. She felt intimidated and uneasy, and really didn’t
want to talk about it.
Of course she noticed how he looked, anyone with eyes could
see the man was stunning, but the way he looked at her is what
shook her up. The look he gave was one that spoke of possession,
and was rife with danger. Jennifer felt like a sheep that had been
targeted by a wolf.
“You need to go back and talk to that guy. He looks like a man
that could toss you around in the bedroom, and Lord knows you
need that.” Tiffany giggled behind her hand.
“Yeah, and I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one sharing that
man’s bed. No thanks,” Jennifer shook her head and climbed in to
Tiffany’s car. Men like that didn’t care for girlfriends or monogamy.
In Jennifer’s experience, men like that only used and disposed of
women.
Tiffany jumped in on the driver’s side. “Jennifer, I’m going to
say this as the voice of reason, you need to get out and start saying
hello to people. Jason is a bad memory and a distant one at that. Not
every guy you meet will be a skeeze,” Tiffany started the engine and
pulled away from the curb, “Besides, you don’t have to get involved
in a relationship. A one nighter might be all you need to get yourself
back together, and that mountain man certainly looked interested.”
“Thanks for the pointer, but I’ve sworn off men after that
asshole cheated on me with half of my dorm and my best friend.
Forgive me, but I’m really in no hurry to spend any time with the
male species, in any capacity at all right now,” Jennifer sank back in
her seat and tried to slow her racing heart.
Tiffany didn’t say anything for the ten minutes it took to get
back to the apartment, which Jennifer was thankful for. What was
troubling was every time she closed her eyes, even for a second, she
got caught in his stare all over again. The look he gave her sent a
little thrill up her spine. Every instinct in her body was setting off
alarm bells to stay away, but she had to admit to herself she was a
little curious.
That man had zeroed in on her in a bar packed with people. It
was almost as if he was seeking her out. She was spooked now, but
a little part of her hoped she would see him again for her next shift.

“Rise and shine, lady. We have brunch plans remember?”

Tiffany shook Jennifer who groaned in protest. She hadn’t slept well
the night before since tall, dark, and broody had been haunting her
thoughts all night.
“Come on now sleepy head, I can practically taste my
mimosa,” Tiffany yanked the covers off, and chucked them in a
corner. Jennifer’s exposed body shivered at the draft. Tiffany sped
around the room on a mission to get Jennifer up, opening curtains
and pulling clothes out of drawers.
“You’re a sadist you know that?” Jennifer asked as she
whipped her pillow at her friend, “I’m up. I’m up. Just let me get
ready,” She staggered out of bed and into her bathroom, “Whoa!”
The reflection in the mirror had seen better days. She spent ten
minutes wrestling with her paddle brush in an attempt to get things
under control. It would be a ponytail day for sure. The bruises and
bags under her green eyes were another matter entirely. She said to
hell with it. She just couldn’t summon the energy to cover them up.
Everything about being conscious made her whiny and
irritable, especially the thought of wearing a bra. She moaned and
stamped her foot at the drawer full of the stupid slings. Jennifer
turned and stared longingly at her bed. If she hadn’t had these plans
with Tiffany on the books for the last week she would just crawl
back in and blow the whole thing off.
With a sigh, she acquiesced, and got dressed in her dingy white
t-shirt bra. She slipped on her favorite worn in jeans. They were
patched and fraying at the leg hems, but she couldn’t throw them
out. An Iron Maiden baseball tee from a concert she had caught a
few years prior and flip-flops completed her brunch look. She was
by no means a fashion plate, but omelets don’t care.
“Alright, Tiff. Let’s go,” Tiffany as usual took her time to get
ready. Her dark skin shone in a baby pink sundress that fell to just
above the knee. French manicured toes peeked out of a pair of
gladiator sandals. Even in minimal makeup Tiffany was stunning.
Jennifer looked down at what she was wearing and shrugged,
“You’re just showing off, you know that? Nobody rolls out of bed
looking like you do.”
Tiffany laughed and hooked her arm through Jennifer’s, “You
can just be my boyfriend for the morning then,” Jennifer finally
lightened up and giggled at her friend. She loved that girl, but man
did she need coffee first.

Tiffany’s blue Hyundai pulled up to the curb at The Egg Shack,

a slightly shabby looking establishment that sacrificed looks for
quality. The building looked like it should be a seaside shanty rather
than in the middle of downtown traffic. They had never had a bad
meal, no matter what time of the day they visited. Every ingredient
was fresh and sourced locally, and the coffee was from organic
sources and tasted like heaven.
The scent of hash browns and sausages in the air made
Jennifer’s mouth water. Quickly climbing out of the car the two
women dashed towards the entrance. They could practically taste
the delicious bitter liquid on the back of their tongues.
The rule was seat yourself, so the pair slid into a booth near the
window to people watch. It was the last day of the festival and the
diner was bustling with activity and teeming with hung over bikers
in sunglasses.
“What can I get you ladies started with,” a slim, hipster with
black and blue hair sidled up to their table. Her cheery attitude and
welcoming smile cleared the last of the sleepy haze around Jennifer.
Who could be cranky around someone so warm?
 “Coffee,” Jennifer and Tiffany said in unison, “Ha! Mimosa for
me,” Tiffany ordered
“Orange juice for me, please,” Jennifer already knew what she
wanted to order, but held off because Tiffany was still looking. The
server left to fill their drink orders.
“So sleepy head, rough night?” Tiffany raised an eyebrow and
Jennifer’s shabby state, “Last I checked I brought you home and you
went straight to bed. How come you look like a truck hit you? Some
tall, leather clad hunk keep you up last night?” a wry grin tugged at
her lips.
“Actually yeah. Every time I closed my eyes that look he gave
me would be waiting for me. It’s creepy,” after tossing and turning
for several hours, she did manage to finally drop off, but she
watched the sky turn pink first.
“Sounds better than creepy to me. That man was beautiful. I
don’t like long hair on a guy, but even I wanted to take down that
man bun and play,” the server swung by and dropped their drinks.
They gave their orders, pumpkin pancakes for Jennifer, Denver
omelet and breakfast potatoes for Tiffany.
“I agree, but he was weird,” Jennifer poured creamer into her
cup.
Tiffany closed her eyes and savored the aroma of her coffee.
When she opened them she grinned, “You may want to go ahead
and tell him yourself,” Jennifer’s eyes popped open and turned to
look where Tiffany was pointing.
The mystery man strolled in wearing ripped jeans and a black t-
shirt. He scanned the floor for a place to sit, when he spied Jennifer
looking his way.
“Shit,” Jennifer ducked her head down, “I think he saw me. Did
he see me?”
“Hi,” a male voice chimed, “I’m Luke Robertson. I didn’t get
the chance to introduce myself last night”
Slowly, Jennifer raised her eyes to acknowledge him. His
height was intimidating, easily six and a half feet tall, but his eyes
and smile were inviting and friendly, putting her at ease.
 Tiffany looked on, grinning like an idiot and nodding her
approval.
“Can I join you?” Luke asked. He was fully in control and
relaxed, a stark contrast to the roiling of Jennifer’s belly and sweaty
palms.
“I, uh, well. That is we’re…” Jennifer couldn’t get the words
out. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to say yes or no.
“Of course you can!” Tiffany interrupted. The server dropped
their food in front of them. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the
man chatting with them, “Excuse me, sweetie? Can I get a to-go
box? I just remembered I have somewhere to be,” Tiffany slid out of
the booth.
Jennifer shot her a look of death. She was mortified at the
thought of being alone with this man. Didn’t she just finish telling
her how creepy she found this guy?
Tiffany picked up her plate, “Sit, Luke. Make yourself
comfortable. I’ll just deal with this at the counter,” she winked at
Jennifer before taking off. She made a mental note to deal with her
later.
Luke squeezed into the booth; the worn red vinyl creaked under
his weight. He winced as his knees bumped the legs on his way in.
Jennifer giggled a little behind her hand at the face he made.
“You have such a pretty laugh,” Luke commented. Jennifer was
bowled over by the sweetness of his smile. Boyish charm erased the
hard façade his mountain man looks gave off, “What’s your name?”
“Uh,” Jennifer had to think about it. She was so enamored with
the man in front her she almost forgot, “Jennifer. I’m Jennifer
Armstrong,” consciously she reminded herself to shake his hand.
What is wrong with me? He’s just a guy. No man has ever made you
goo goo eyed before. Get a grip.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Jennifer,” his huge hand swallowed
hers up for a shake; his touch struck the flint inside of her. Feelings
of intrigue and more than a little bit of lust caught her by surprise.
“Are you just here for the festival or…?” Come on brain.
Work!
 “Yeah, but I live about twenty minutes away in Chico,” Luke
was trying to figure out how to put Jennifer at ease. She sat on her
hands and he had never seen such a curvy body look so tense and
rigid before. He tilted his head to catch her gaze. Luke figured he’d
address the 800-pound gorilla in the room and get it over with, “Am
I making you uncomfortable?”
“A little bit,” she shifted her body off of her tingling hands,
“Last night was really weird. You kind of freaked me out,” she
decided being honest was probably the best course of action, “I
mean a gorgeous giant walks into a bar – wow I feel like I’m
starting a joke - and singles a girl out. How is she supposed to feel?”
“Gorgeous am I?” Luke relaxed against the backrest and
crossed his arms.
Jennifer’s eyes widened and a cold sweat trickled down her
back. She felt like the awkward teenager she thought she left behind
when she went off to college in Arizona, “I have working eyeballs,
you know and you’re kind of hard to miss.”
Leaning his elbows on the worn Formica of the table, he
significantly shortened the distance between them and sent
Jennifer’s pulse racing, “Well if it helps, I think you’re pretty
gorgeous yourself,” he grinned at her. His face showed no malicious
intent, just sincerity that sent Jennifer’s heart racing and put color in
her cheeks. He was attracted to her and he really wanted her to
know it.
She covered her face with her hands, too embarrassed to
answer. An overwhelming shyness swept over her. She suddenly
wanted the floor to swallow her up and she had no idea why. It’s not
like she had never been complemented by a man before and she was
by no means a virgin, but Luke had a quiet intensity and charisma
that drew her in and threw her off.
“Don’t ever do that,” Luke ordered as he removed her hands
from her face, “As long as you’re with me don’t ever hide. You have
nothing to be embarrassed about,” his hand lingered on her wrist.
The silence hung between them, waiting for one of them to say
something or make a move.
 The server cleared his throat, breaking the strange spell that had
settled over the pair, “Uh, is everything alright here? Can I get you
guys anything else?”
Luke let go and turned his attention to the server, “Yes, sir
everything is fine. Just the check, please.”
“Where are we going?” Jennifer remained silent as Luke had
paid the bill and escorted her out of the restaurant. As a precaution
she texted Tiffany, so someone would know her last known
whereabouts and what direction they were traveling in.
They approached a white 1970s Harley Davidson. Jennifer
lagged behind as Luke climbed on and tied his hair back. She
watched with apprehension as he tried to pass her a black helmet,
“Get on.”
As badly as she wanted to go with this man, every news story
and cop drama about abductions she had ever seen flooded her
imagination. The fear was enough to root her feet to the ground,
“Not until you tell me where we’re going,” she had to be firm about
this. Yes, she was drawn to him, but Luke Robertson was still a
stranger, she had literally just met him an hour before.
“I’d like to spend the day with you. I’m only here for a few
more days, and would like to spend time with you and get to know
you some,” he gestured with the helmet, indicating she should take
it.
“Where are you planning on taking me? I’d like to tell Tiffany
at least since we just met and all,” she had her cell phone at the
ready, poised to shoot off a text message or throw it at him if
needed.
“Butte Creek Canyon. And feel free to tell her you are not
going against your will, rather a ‘gorgeous giant’ has seduced you
into trekking with him outdoors for the day,” settling the helmet in
his lap he chuckled a little.
“You know, everything about this scenario screams serial killer,
right? A large imposing man picks up a helpless coed and lures her
into the woods for an afternoon of ‘fun’. I can see the headline
now,” Jennifer quipped.
 “Trust me, if I wanted to just abduct you I would have by now.
Get on the bike,” his tone went flat. Repeating himself grated his
nerves a little bit.
Jennifer sent the text and approached the bike. The gap
between her body and his was only a few inches; she was so close
she could almost feel his body heat. Reaching for the helmet
between his legs she cracked, “Don’t be too confident about it. They
say fat kids are harder to kidnap.”
Luke gripped her wrist again, a firm gesture not meant to hurt,
but to get her attention, “I won’t tolerate you putting yourself down.
Please, don’t say negative things about your looks. You’re a
beautiful, woman.” He loosened his grip and brushed his hand over
her skin as he released her, sending a rash of goose bumps up her
arm and stirring the butterflies in her belly.
Jennifer, momentarily struck dumb, just nodded in agreement.
She had been told over and over by friends and family not to make
fun of herself. Apparently it wasn’t attractive to the opposite sex
either.
She knew that a size 12 was by no means fat, but she had
always been self-conscious about her butt and thighs being a little
curvier than average. So she built a comedy act around her
insecurities as a means of deflection. It never dawned on her that
maybe some people interpreted that behavior as an attention grab
and fishing for compliments until her cousin Joe, who was two years
older than her, mentioned it. By then the habit was so ingrained it
would slip out occasionally when she got nervous.
Climbing onto the leather seat behind Luke, he wrapped her
arms around his waist and glanced over his shoulder at her, “Hang
on tight.”
He fired up the bike and pulled away from the curb. Luke
picked up speed when they turned on to Honey Run. To Jennifer, the
wind in her face lifted her spirits and washed away some of the
apprehension she was feeling about taking off for the day with a
random guy. The thought still sounded weird in her head, but the
exhilaration of being on the back of a motorcycle on such a
beautiful day felt too good to question. Maybe being with Luke
wouldn’t be a bad way to spend an afternoon.
Pulling off the road and parking the bike put a pout on
Jennifer’s face. The ride was just too short. Luke let her linger
attached to him for a moment longer before attempting to get off the
bike, “Alright. Let’s go,” Luke untangled Jennifer from around his
waist and unstraddled the bike, offering a hand to help her.
After undoing the helmet, Jennifer accepted his hand in getting
off. Her feet didn’t quite reach the ground, and she was not too keen
on how graceful she may have been attempting to dismount on her
own. As it was, Luke had to reach in to almost lift her off the seat.
She may have gotten really well acquainted with the ground
otherwise.
“Follow me,” Luke set off towards one of the trails that ran
along the edge of the canyon.
Jennifer had been to Butte Creek Canyon a few times before as
a child, but her memories paled in comparison to how beautiful the
landscape looked in person. Trees, several stories tall, blanketed the
countryside, shades of green and yellow decorated the hills. The
open air allowed for the breeze to circulate, allowing for a little
relief from the summer heat.
Jennifer and Luke walked along the trail in silence for a few
minutes, just enjoying the landscape and fresh air until Luke seized
Jennifer’s hand and veered off the path into the forest.
“Is this where the serial killer part happens?” she teased, only
half joking. Her stomach knotted up with anticipation and
butterflies. Instinctively she knew she was fine, the alarm bells
weren’t going off and she was so hyped up being out in nature for
the first time in ages, she just wanted to enjoy it.
“Ha ha, funny girl. This is a shortcut to what I wanted to do
today,” he turned back and flashed a heart-stopping smile at her,
distracting her long enough to stumble over a tree root, “Whoa!”
She had pulled Luke down to the ground with her.
Mud caked the knees of her jeans and she cradled her right arm,
the one she was being led by; she had wrenched her shoulder on the
way down. Luke landed on his ass, completely uninjured, and was
quickly back on his feet, “You okay?” he knelt down beside
Jennifer.
The slightest movement brought tears to Jennifer’s eyes and
made her wince, “I think I may have dislocated my shoulder,” she
gently probed the affected area to discover that indeed the shoulder
was out of joint, “It happens sometimes if I’m not careful… The
remnants of an old volleyball injury,” she shrugged her good
shoulder. It had been months since the last time this happened. She
recovered quickly, but it didn’t make the feeling suck any less.
“Stay still. I’m going to put your joint back in place, okay?”
gently Luke laid his hands on Jennifer’s arm and shoulder to feel for
where the socket was, “This is not going to feel good. You want my
belt to bite down on?”
“Nope. I’m an old pro, just get it over with,” she squeezed her
eyes shut and turned her head.
Luke adjusted her arm into position, “On the count of three.
Ready? One… two… three,” he popped her arm back into place.
Jennifer screamed through her teeth. The initial wedging of the
joint back in to socket hurt like hell, but the pain quickly subsided
and she could breathe again.
“Thank you.”
“Maybe we should go back. You really need to rest that arm.”
“No. Let’s keep going. I’ll be fine. This arm has given me
nothing but problems since the tenth grade anyway, I’m not gonna
let it slow me down. I just need to wear a sling for an hour or so, so
it doesn’t dislocate again.”
Luke peeled his shirt off over his head and fashioned a make
shift sling around her neck.
Jennifer’s breath hitched as he touched the sensitive skin
around her neck. Luke looked like he didn’t have an ounce of fat on
him. Her eyes explored over the planes of his chest. Luke was not
overly hairy, but he did have fair amount of light brown hair
covering his chest and arms. In a moment of what she deemed as
lapsed sanity, she stroked her hand over his forearm, indulging in
the contrast of the soft hair and the solid muscle.
Luke went totally still, like a deer in a hunter’s sight, and just
watched. Her touch was feather light, almost as if she was wary
about making contact. What was surprising was how Luke felt his
stomach flip. He chose her, but something in the back of his mind
made him think maybe there was some type of design he wasn’t
aware of in making that choice.
“C’mon, kid,” he kissed her cheek. Just a chaste expression of
comfort, nothing more, “We’re about half a mile from our
destination. Stick close,” he helped Jennifer to her feet and guided
her to his left side to protect her injured shoulder.
His senses were on high alert. Her falling normally would have
been no big deal, but Luke wasn’t exactly the best liked of
individuals, and having someone injured with him may prove a
liability. There were so many people from his community gathered
in the Paradise area that had expressed ill feelings toward him in the
past that it was likely some of them had made their way over to the
canyon for a run. Most of them wait for the cover of darkness to
make their mischief, but it never hurt to be wary anyway.
“So tell me about yourself. We still have time to kill,” Jennifer
was gazing up at him patiently waiting for a response.
“There isn’t much to tell,” Luke shrugged, “I have lived my
entire life in Chico and the surrounding areas. I went to San
Francisco for a couple of years in my twenties with my band and
when that didn’t pan out, I came back and became a welder.”
“What kind of music did you play?”
“Really bad heavy metal. We wanted so badly to be Judas
Priest, but none of us had any actual talent,” he laughed, “A heckler
heaved a beer bottle full of piss at my head and screamed that I
couldn’t sing. Five stitches and a bender later, I finally believed
him.”
“Gross. So you were the singer then?”
“Sing is really too strong a word for what I did. I would
politely describe it as a midnight howl serenade.”
 Jennifer giggled. Her laugh was so sweet, Luke thought he
would do anything to keep hearing it, “What about you? Outside of
volleyball what is there to know about Jennifer Armstrong?”
“Well, I don’t play volleyball anymore. Apparently you really
need grace and coordination to play the sport and those are two
skills I seem to have in short supply as you can see,” she pointed to
her shoulder.
“I’m only here for the summer. I grew up in Paradise, but I go
to college at Arizona State. I’m finishing up my Bachelor’s in
Animal Sciences. I’m getting ready to apply for med school to
become a vet. I want to work with injured wildlife,”
How appropriate, Luke thought.
“Ambitious. I like it. It’s a good field to get into.”
Jennifer appreciated that he didn’t say he was impressed or
looked at her surprised when she explained her chosen career path.
Too many people in Paradise and even in Arizona always look
shocked when she would tell them she wanted to be a doctor and not
a dental assistant or a teacher. His tone conveyed respect as opposed
to skepticism, which was refreshing.
“Why wildlife?”
“Excuse me?” she was still lost in thought.
“Why wildlife? You’ve chosen such a specialized field, I was
curious as to why.”
“I find wild animals fascinating. Every summer we would road
trip down to Lancaster to visit my grandparents. I would drive them
crazy when we would get there to go to the sanctuary in Rosamond
at least once a week.
I would spend hours talking to the handlers and vets about the
animals – mind you I was ten at the time – and I wanted to know
everything I could. That summer they had gotten in a rescue named
Teddy, a wolf, and he became my favorite. He was sleek and
powerful, everything about him came off as being Mr. Cool. I was
so sad when he died a few years ago.”
Luke was giddy inside. He couldn’t believe his luck. He stared
at this woman he just thought was intensely beautiful with her bright
green eyes and breathtaking curves. Fate, heavenly design, whatever
you want to call it, put him in the path of this woman. There was no
way he was letting his perfect mate go.
“We’re here,” Luke announced. The falls stretched out before
them, the river it fed snaked through the landscape, parting the trees,
demanding its space to run before turning a corner and disappearing.
“Come with me,” Luke guided Jennifer to the grotto under the
falls, “Mind the rocks,” the ground was slippery with algae beneath
her flip-flops.
Luke sat on a boulder and removed his boots and socks. As he
stood to undo his jeans Jennifer stopped him, “Are we going
swimming? Is that even allowed here?” Luke was dangerously close
to being naked, a thought that both enticed and freaked Jennifer out.
She had to stall.
“Technically, no we aren’t supposed to go swimming, but does
that matter? No one else is here. It’s just you and me. You can swim,
right?”
The two of us alone, that’s what’s freaking me out! “Yes, but I
don’t have my bathing suit,” suddenly gripped by modesty, she
became concerned by what he would think if he saw her without any
clothes on. All of her goddamn summer camp and gym class
insecurities came back and flooded her system. She hadn’t ever had
sex with the lights on and now her date for the afternoon was all
gung ho about skinny-dipping.
“Neither do I,” Luke’s eyes twinkled with mischief and mirth.
He turned his back to Jennifer and dropped his clothes.
Jennifer choked and became more than a little turned on at the
sight of his bare body. His naked torso was simply the sneak
preview; she just got an eyeful of the entire fucking feature
presentation.
“Last one in is a ‘fraidy cat” Luke teased and dove in. He broke
the surface of the water a moment later with a whoop and a shake of
his head, “That’s cold, whoa,” he wiped his face and blinked the
water from his eyes, “Get in!”
 Jennifer hesitated, but the sight of Luke naked in the clear
spring was too tempting to pass on. She kicked off her flip-flops,
tossed her makeshift sling to the side, and quickly shed her clothes
down to her white cotton bra and underwear. She crossed her arms
over her stomach, to cover herself and dipped a toe in.
The shock of the chill shot up her leg through the rest of her
body, “You’re nuts! The water is freezing!”
Luke disappeared under the surface again for a moment and
quickly materialized in front of her, “What did I tell you about
hiding in front of me?” The water near her feet was the shallowest,
maybe three feet deep, allowing Luke to get close and grab Jennifer
around the waist, playfully tossing her in the water.
Jennifer squealed as she soared through the air and landed a
few feet away ass first into the water.
The chill momentarily stunned her, taking her breath away. Her
head came out of the water, “You shit!” she scanned the area and
found Luke treading water a few yards away, laughing his head off.
She dipped beneath the water and kick paddled her way over to him.
Not quite trusting her arm, she relied on her legs to do the work.
Coming up in front of him she splashed water in his face with
her good arm, “You jerk!” she said playfully before laying on her
back and kicking up a powerful spray of water in his face before
taking off.
Luke chased after her and the two spent the afternoon
swimming and playing in the creek, just enjoying each other’s
company and the warmth of the Northern California summer.
The sun had sunk low, casting the sky in shades of pink and
orange. Rays of light bounced off of the water’s surface around
Jennifer. causing it to sparkle and twinkle, drawing Luke’s attention
to the warm coloring of her skin. His eyes traced along the wet
tendrils of Jennifer’s hair. She reminded him of the water nymphs of
Greek legends, enamoring and mysterious, she drew him in to her
by just existing.
“What?” Jennifer asked, “Do I have something on my face? Is
there a bug?” she stopped talking, Luke’s staring unsettled her,
“What?”
Luke allowed impulse to take over as he closed the space
between them and bent down to kiss her.
Jennifer stiffened in surprise and then allowed her body to
respond. The kiss started gentle, testing the connection between
them, but the softness of his lips and the scratch of his stubble
brought her body to attention. She had felt something pass in the air
between them last night, and for sure this afternoon. It was
dangerous, yes, but in the way that her vow to swear off men had
been put in jeopardy, and maybe her heart as well.
Luke buried his hands in the hair at the nape of her neck,
drawing her in and deepening the kiss. The gentle exploration was
fading and was being replaced by lust and possession.
Pressing closer, Jennifer allowed that possession to happen.
Luke was not her type at all, maybe that was a good thing since her
type hadn’t worked out so far, but her response to him was stronger
than to any other man she had been with.
The softness of her body pressed against him quickly stirred
Luke’s arousal. His tongue brushed over hers, stroking and teasing a
response from her mouth.
She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, running her
hands over the damp hills and valleys of his back. Feeling bolder,
she drew her nails gently down his skin, “Jesus, that feels good,” he
purred.
Luke’s hands drifted down her neck and over her chest to cup
her breasts. Her nipples strained against the soaking white fabric,
begging for his touch. He ran his thumbs over the sensitive flesh.
Jennifer moaned and dropped her head back allowing Luke to taste
her neck. The kisses and nibbles drove her crazy, almost to the point
of losing control.
“Excuse me! There are children in the park. Take your
shenanigans elsewhere!” A tourist and his family had stumbled on
the scene in the water. A woman – presumably the mother – was
covering the eyes of two children, and a very angry bald man stood
on the bank with his arms crossed over his polo-clad chest.
 “Sorry, sir!” Jennifer called out. She and Luke swam back to
the grotto to dress. Being caught had knocked all of the excitement
out of their almost rendezvous. She felt a little bit ashamed of
herself for letting things go as far as they had.
She struggled to slip her jeans over her damp legs. The racing
of her heart made her clumsy and irritable, “Can you take me home
please? It’s late and I need to get back.”
Luke didn’t push the issue; he tied back his dripping hair off his
shirt, “Of course. When you’re ready we’ll go.”
Jennifer finished dressing quickly, “I’m ready.”
They walked back to the bike in awkward silence. Jennifer had
never been caught getting busy before. Despite getting busted, she
had an amazing afternoon. The spontaneity of the whole thing was
just what she needed to shake her from the morose spell she had
been under for months.
Luke mounted the bike first, passing the helmet her way as he
did before. Jennifer buckled it on and slipped in behind him,
wrapping her arms around him without prompting. He fired up the
bike, the vibration of the engine hummed between her legs to
remind her of the unsatisfying conclusion of their swim. He pulled
onto the road and drove back towards Paradise.
She wanted to see him again, that much she knew. He was only
going to be in town a few more days and she wanted to make the
most of it. Maybe a fling with her handsome stranger was enough to
get her back on the horse. She had nothing to lose he would be gone
and in another month she’d be back at school. No muss, no fuss.
Luke drove up to the restaurant and parked, letting the engine
idle. He got off and went to help Jennifer off the seat, “Can we
exchange numbers?” she blurted out, wincing at her own
inelegance.
“Of course,” Luke pulled out his cell phone and set up a new
contact before handing her the phone. Jennifer quickly plugged her
number in and shot off a text to herself and handed it back to him.
“Thank you, for today. I had a really good time,” she swung her
hands at her sides, unsure of what to do with them.
 “Me too. The pleasure was all mine, Jennifer. Really,” he
reached out and pulled her towards him for a goodbye kiss. It was
swift, but by no means chaste. He smiled at her before climbing
back on and taking off.
Jennifer watched the bike shrink in size before disappearing
down the road, nearly panting with lust.
Her phone rang, Tiffany was calling, “Hey, Tiff. I was just
about to call you.”
“Hey! Where are you? I was beginning to get worried.”
“I’m at the restaurant, can you come pick me up?”
“You been there all afternoon? It’s nearly seven!”
Jennifer chuckled a bit, “No I haven’t. You won’t believe me.
Come get me and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Ooo! I’m on my way!” and the line went dead. Jennifer tapped
her phone against her hand and smiled to herself. Tiffany was going
to die when she told her what happened, and what nearly happened.

“You’re right. I don’t believe it. You? No offense, but you’re a

little tightly wound, girl,” their apartment complex came into view.
Jennifer had spent the ten-minute drive excitedly spilling every
detail of her day.
“Thanks, Tiff!” Jennifer wasn’t offended. Tiffany was right.
She had been beyond an uptight stick-in-the-mud all summer.
“Well, you can be! I’m proud of you for letting yourself have a
little fun; and with a strange man no less,” Tiffany waggled her
eyebrows at her.
“Cut that out. You look like Groucho Marx,” Jennifer said with
a laugh, “I really want to see him again, Tiff. I think a little fling
will be just what I need to finally get over Jason and the entire
spring semester.”
“Atta girl! Like I’ve been telling you since May, the best way
to get over a guy is to get under another one,” both girls broke out in
peals of laughter. It was so nice to laugh again. Jennifer hadn’t
noticed how deep she had slipped into her funk until now.
 “What do you say to renting a bad horror movie and getting
Chinese?”
“I think that is an amazing idea. You call China Palace while I
run to the Redbox, Okay?” Tiffany suggested as she unlocked the
front door.
“Works for me. What do you want?”
“Boneless spare ribs and fried rice, but add in some of those
fried egg roll things. They were amazing last time,” Tiffany shouted
as she shut the door behind her.
Jennifer called and placed the delivery order. As she hung up a
text message came through:
I want to see you again. Tonight. Can you meet me somewhere?
A tingle went up Jennifer’s spine. Of course she wanted to meet
him. Even rehashing their make out in the car with Tiffany got her
hot and bothered. She decided to wait until Tiffany got back to
answer. She had made plans and didn’t really want to bail.
Twenty minutes later Tiffany had come home, “I got some real
Oscar winners here, girl. How does Cheerleader Zombie Hunters
and American Werewolf in Tennessee sound?”
“American Werewolf in Tennessee?”
“Yeah the synopsis said it was kind of like American Werewolf
in London, but set in the Appalachian Mountains. I looked up the
lead actor and he was super cute so at least there’s eye candy if it’s
lame.”
“Let’s start with that one. The food should be here any minute
so go set the movie up while I go change,” she had been so
distracted she forgot how filthy her pants were.
Closing her bedroom door behind her she peeled her damp
clothes off and changed into a black lace bra and panty set, she had
every intention of seeing Luke again tonight and she wanted to be
ready. She fired off her response before fully dressing,

I’d love to… later. I have movie plans with Tiffany. I’ll text
you when we’re done.
 She threw on her silky pink pajama shorts and her favorite
Butcher Babies tee just as Tiffany hollered that the food had arrived,
“I’m coming!” she checked her phone, no response, shrugged and
chucked it on the bed. She wanted him badly, but she wasn’t going
to come off as overeager or desperate.
“This movie is ridiculous!” Jennifer shouted. American
Werewolf in Tennessee was proving to be a riot. The acting was the
worst. The film was supposed to be set in the mountains, but it
looked like it was filmed in someone’s backyard in Palm Springs.
“Yeah, but I told you the actor was cute. Look at his butt as he
runs through the woods. Mmm. Mommy, like.”
Jennifer laughed, but something in the next scene had caught
her attention. The lead had been attacked by a wolf earlier in the
film and had shifted during the full moon. He had woken up,
covered in blood and in the middle of the woods, his girlfriend’s
corpse on the ground next to him.
An ominous shiver went up her spine. The movie was hokey as
hell, but it did remind her that her chosen career path was really a
dangerous one.
“Poor bastard. That is so sad,” Tiffany slouched into the sofa,
“Can you imagine being cursed like that and killing the person you
loved the most?”
“I’m sure it would destroy me.”
The next scene immediately obliterated the heart-wrenching
kill scene with a poorly rendered wolf puppet and an Appalachian
witch doctor.
Jennifer was getting a bit antsy, and excused herself to her
room. She wanted to so bad to play it cool, but cool was not her
M.O.
She woke her phone up to see she did indeed have a message
received only ten minutes before,

I want you.
 That’s all it said. Jennifer’s stomach clenched in anticipation,
she had tried to pretend she hadn’t been hot and bothered since she
got home, but she couldn’t keep up the charade. In a flash she had
sent him her address. She didn’t want to wait.
“Hey, Tiffany?”
“What’s up?”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve got a guest coming over in a
bit.”
“Oooo a booty call!” she squealed, “Well, far be it from me to
cock block my girl,” she glanced at the clock, “It’s only nine
o’clock. I’ll go see if I can’t get a little for myself.”
She leapt off the sofa quick as a dog, and hugged Jennifer,
“Now remember, sex is cleaner with a packaged wiener.”
“Ugh! You are such a dude!”
Tiffany howled all the way to her bedroom, no doubt to change
into one of her “man catching” outfits.
Jennifer stood, shaking her head. That girl did nothing to ease
her awkwardness.
Her phone buzzed again.

I’m outside. Which apartment number?

She responded and then wondered where he was staying. It

only took him five minutes to get to her apartment. Then she chided
herself, this was a small town, and it only took five to ten minutes to
get anywhere.
A knock jolted her from her thoughts.
“I’ll get it!” Tiffany paraded out of her room in a patterned
mini dress that barely covered the tops of her thighs.
“No! No, no. I’ll get it,” she was too slow. Tiffany had already
opened the door and invited Luke in. Jennifer froze in the foyer. It
had only been a few hours, but she had nearly forgotten how huge
he was.
“Hey there, big man. She’s waiting for you. I’m on my way out
so go ahead and make yourself at home.” Tiffany winked as she let
herself out.
“Oh my God,” Jennifer whispered.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Can I get you a drink? I have beer, wine, and a bottle of
Johnny Walker Black I’ve been saving for when Tiffany finally
drove me to drink.”
“The scotch please. One ice cube.”

Jennifer ended up having three glasses of whiskey and was

feeling a happy buzz. Luke had a few more than she did while they
sat on the sofa and talked for a bit. They had casually touched each
other, a stroke of a knee, or a hand resting on a forearm. Innocent
gestures that made Jennifer feel anything but.
Luke had the same idea. He took her glass from her, and set it
on the table before crushing his mouth to hers. He had been driven
just as mad with lust as she had been. Waiting any longer to have
her wasn’t an option.
Jennifer returned the kiss with the same fervor and need. She
probed his mouth with her tongue drawing him into her with each
fevered motion. Forgetting herself she threw her arms around his
neck and held on.
There was no tenderness, nothing gentle about that kiss. Her
need fueled Luke, and he let all restraint go, “bedroom,” the word
came out husky, a demand that dared not be refused.
Jennifer grabbed his hand and led him to her room. Her queen
size bed was nowhere big enough for the length of him, but then
again she had no intentions of sleeping.
She ran her hands up his shirt, caressing his muscled stomach
before edging the hem up, a hint for him to take it off.
Luke tossed his shirt away and made quick work of his belt,
shoes, and socks, “Strip,”
Fueled by liquid courage, Jennifer ditched her pajamas and
ponytail. She watched as his eyes ravaged her body. The navy blue
lace was a stark contrast to her milky skin and green eyes. Her light
brown hair hung in wild waves down her back. Luke’s reaction
made her feel sexy. She tossed any insecurity she may have felt
about her body to the side.
Hunger flashed in Luke’s stare when Jennifer crooked her
finger at him. She grabbed him by the waistband of his jeans, and
pulled them both to the edge of the bed. Seating herself she undid
the button and fly of his pants, and pushed them down his legs.
She took a pause. He was completely in proportion for a man
six and a half feet tall, and completely aroused. She wasn’t sure she
could handle it all.
Luke saw her surprise, “I won’t hurt you. Scout’s honor,” and
he bent to kiss her again, his hand slipping into the cup of her bra to
fondle her.
She became wet almost immediately. His capable hands turned
her to putty. Without breaking the kiss he knelt in front of her,
pulled the front of her bra down, and drew a nipple into his mouth.
Jennifer thought she would howl with pleasure.
Luke’s hands found their way to the front of her underwear. He
started rubbing her through the delicate fabric, and he teased her
nipples.
“Oh, that feels amazing,” Jennifer gripped Luke’s hair as he
worked her, holding him to her breast. Very quickly the cloth of her
underwear was soaked through.
Luke chuckled, “I’m so happy to oblige.”
Jennifer coaxed Luke to stand. She needed a breather or she
would cum before getting started. Sitting on the edge of her bed put
his manhood right in her sightline. She ran her hands up his thighs,
leaving goose bumps in their wake.
Tentatively she licked the sensitive tip. She would have to ease
her way into this or she may get hurt. She ran her tongue up the
back of the shaft before taking him in her mouth. Luke moaned as
she sucked, slowly working him inch by inch.
He tangled his hands in her hair. The head felt so good. He
closed his eyes and just enjoyed it, “Oh, baby. That’s perfect,” he
moaned, stirring Jennifer’s arousal further.
 She stroked him with her hand, moving to give attention to the
rest of his manhood. She ran her tongue over his balls. Luke sucked
air through his teeth, the sound encouraging Jennifer to keep going.
She closed her mouth slightly around one testicle, sheathing her
teeth with her lips and sucked gently.
“Oh, Christ,” he couldn’t take it. He moved her hand away and
lay her back on the bed. In his tipsy state he fumbled a bit
unhooking her bra and pulling her underwear off, “I want to fuck
you,” he buried his face in her neck kissing and nibbling the delicate
skin, “I’ll try not to hurt you, but I’m not going to go slow.”
Jennifer nodded and positioned herself towards the headboard
and spread her legs. Luke crawled between them and rubbed his
head against her, “I’m wet enough. Go ahead,”
He thrusted into her, with a commanding strength. Her insides
stretched to accommodate all of him, but he was nearly
uncomfortably big.
“You are so tight. Oh, God,” he began to thrust harder. The first
few he forced himself to slow down. Then she started moaning and
rocking her hips. He went animal and began to fuck her harder than
she had ever been fucked. He had to claim her, rock her, and make
her his. His thighs slapped against her ass as he picked up the pace.
He reared up and pulled her leg to his shoulder for a better angle.
He teased her clit with his thumb, “Luke,” she moaned.
Jennifer rocked her hips in rhythm with his, he felt so good she
didn’t want to stop. She was high on arousal, on pure animal power
and didn’t want to come down. She came hard and fast. She tipped
her head back and cried out his name, to hell with the neighbors.
Her orgasm pulsed around him sending him over the edge
behind her, “Fuck!” he groaned as he emptied himself into her.
Each slowing thrust and the extra slickness sent one last
shockwave over Jennifer, leaving her body spent.
Luke dropped on the bed beside her, sated and happy. He
gathered her up into his arms, cuddling her to his chest.
She could feel him nuzzle her neck through her hair, and
backed up into him so they were skin to skin. Within minutes she
could feel his breathing and pulse slow as he dropped off to sleep.
His body heat mingled with the lingering effects of the alcohol
lulling her into a sleep of her own.

Jennifer was woken a few hours later by her bladder. As she

finished up in the bathroom she could hear voices coming from the
living room. One she recognized as Tiffany’s. The other was a
man’s voice. She tied her robe around herself and checked that Luke
was still sleeping before going to investigate.
“Hey, sex kitten!” Tiffany was curled up on the couch with a
glass of red wine. Her male companion was one of the bikers that
she caught the attention of when she went to pick Jennifer up. The
leather jacket attired man had a week’s work of dark blond beard
growth and sleepy blue eyes that swept over Jennifer’s body.
“I’m sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to check on you. Hi, I’m
Jennifer,” she waved at Tiffany’s guest and pulled her robe tighter
around her.
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m John-Paul; JP for short,” he made
no move to get off the couch, just waved at her. He could see she
was uncomfortable and didn’t want to make things worse.
“Well, you two have fun. I’m just gonna go back in my room
now.”
“Is Luke still here?” Tiffany’s eyes twinkled in excitement.
“Yeah. He’s sleeping.”
“I’m proud of you, girl.” Tiffany flashed a brilliant smile at
Jennifer before turning her attention back to JP.
Jennifer closed her bedroom door behind her as Luke came out
of the bathroom, “There you are. I was wondering where you went,”
he wrapped his arms around her, pressing their bodies together.
“I woke up to use the bathroom and heard voices so I went to
see what was going on. Tiffany’s out there entertaining some guy
named JP.”
 Luke stiffened, “JP? A little smaller than me, scruffy brown
facial hair?”
“Yeah that’s him. Why?”
Anger flared in Luke’s eyes. He picked his pants off the floor
and jammed his legs into them, “He’s a dangerous guy, Jennifer. He
runs with a gang of sh… he’s just not a good dude.”
Luke threw open the bedroom door and growled at the man on
the couch, “You need to leave.”
“Well hello to you too,” JP put his beer bottle down, “Fancy
seeing you out among the civilized, Luke. I see it took a piece of tail
to draw you out of your cave.”
Tiffany’s eyes went wide with shock, “Hey wait a minute.
Don’t talk about my friend that way!”
“I’m sorry, I mean no offense to your friend,” JP amended, “I
mean only to offend this piece of shit here.”
“Look, I don’t know what beef you two have, but you need to
not have it under my roof,” Tiffany stood, “You should probably
take off, JP.”
“No problem,” he turned his attention to Luke and Jennifer
before leaving, “I’ll be seeing you soon, and hopefully your
girlfriend sooner,” JP announced before leaving.
Luke had gone red in the face and kept clenching and
unclenching his fists. Every muscle in his body was tensed for a
fight. He breathed deeply, willing his temper to cool. He couldn’t
afford to lose it in the tiny apartment.
“Care to explain or should I just make something up in my
head,” Jennifer crossed over the couch and sat next to Tiffany, “I’ll
wait.”
“I’m part of this group in Chico. You could say we’re a biker
gang, but really that’s not it. We sort of help out the cops and hire
ourselves out as protection to abuse and stalking victims. We do
what we can to maintain a noble cause in the community, I guess.”
“And what’s the deal with JP?” Tiffany asked.
“He’s the head of a different group just on the outskirts town.
They bully business owners and extort money from innocent people,
they run their own sort of mafia type business.”
“So he’s like, the biker Al Capone?”
“That may be the easiest way to describe it,” Luke slid down
the wall to sit on the floor, “He killed my second last year during a
standoff up in the mountains. I haven’t pursued anything because it
was a fair fight, but that doesn’t mean I don’t hate him.”
“That’s awful,” Jennifer empathized. She couldn’t imagine
what losing a friend would be like, “You had to have gone to the
police, right?”
“Uh… no. My kind can’t go to the police when there is trouble.
We handle it ourselves and try to keep as many people out of it as
possible,” his face fell, “and now he knows we’ve been involved
with each other,” realization struck him. The woman he’d been
searching for his entire adult life was now in front of him, and he
had to let her go. He promised himself he wouldn’t, but things just
spun out of control, “I can’t see you anymore; I need to be going.”
Luke shuffled to his feet and went back into Jennifer’s room to
gather his things.
“You just gonna let him leave like that?” Tiffany asked,
speaking in hushed tones.
“I don’t know what to do! This whole thing is so weird,”
Jennifer’s heart sank. She didn’t want to not see him.
“Get in there and talk to him, then,” Tiffany nudged her off the
couch.
Jennifer nodded and got up.
“Hey, don’t go.” She begged as she closed the door.
“It’s really not a good idea to be around me. I’m no good for
you, especially now that JP has seen us together.”
“Shouldn’t I get to decide that? What kind of nonsense are you
trying to pull?”
“Don’t you understand? JP is a killer and he’s had it out for me
for years. All he’s needed is a weakness to exploit and I can’t give
him one or my crew is toast,” Luke moved to stand and front of her.
He cupped her chin, tipping her face up and gently kissed her, “It’s
been fun. Take care, Jennifer.”
 He cut through the bathroom to get out and avoid Tiffany.
Jennifer was left standing in a mess of confusion and more
surprisingly, hurt feelings.
A knock came from the bedroom door, “Can I come in?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“So he left, then?”
“Yup. He fed me some bullshit about being bad for me and
bailed.”
Tiffany put her arm around her friend, “I’m sorry, Jennifer.
Rejection sucks and that was a bitch move he pulled.”
“It’s not a big deal. He was supposed to be a fling anyway.
Thankfully, we only had one day so no attachment,” it was a half-
truth. She definitely did not care for him in a romantic way, to say
that happened in twenty-four hours would be stupid, but she did like
him and his rejection stung. She’d be nursing her bruised ego for a
while.
“There you go! That drama wore me out, I’m off to bed. Sweet
dreams, baby,” she kissed Jennifer on the cheek and left her alone.
It was nearly three in the morning, but she needed a shower to
unwind. She disrobed and started the hot water. Steam poured out of
the showerhead and settled on every surface of the bathroom while
she waited. Jennifer waved her hand through the thick fog, watching
it swirl and break through her fingertips before stepping into the tub.
The hot water felt amazing on the stress knot forming at the
base of her neck. She lost herself in thought as the droplets beat
down on the tension.
Luke definitely served his purpose. The whole point was to feel
alive and attractive again, which she did and she was so grateful for
that. As she lathered up her bath pouf with lavender scented body
wash, she silently thanked him for giving her the most fun day she
had had in a long time.
She swished the pouf down her chest, rinsing away all traces of
his scent from her body. She swabbed between her legs to wipe
away the semen that had dripped down her leg. Then it hit her like a
baseball bat. She hadn’t heeded Tiffany’s condom advice.
 She and Luke had had polished off a bottle of scotch between
the two of them so neither had the sense to wrap it up, “Fuck!”

Part Two
Two. More. Weeks. Two more weeks and Jennifer Armstrong
could finally get out of her shitty job, hell hole town, and lousy life
situation. She swat at one of the dirty old men who thought it was
okay to pinch her ass; every time she walked past him. And in the
narrow bar, it happened frequently.
Jennifer whirled around. “Cut the shit, Monty!” She pushed her
way through the crowd and slammed her tray down on the bar. The
tell-tale prickle in her eyes drove her out the back door to cry in
peace. She dropped down in the dirt and cried in her hands.
As if the stress wasn’t hard enough to deal with, the ghost of a
mysterious stranger haunted Jennifer’s thoughts. She only had one
day with him, but that one day – and very active night – left an
impression on the young girl.
The way he left bothered her. Yeah, he was supposed to be a
fling to get over her scumbag ex, but she hadn’t expected to be the
one being dumped. The rejection stung and she’d been a little off
since it happened.
A female voice broke the stillness, “Girl. What are you doing
out here?” Her best friend, Tiffany appeared around the corner of
the building. She grew concerned when she saw Jennifer’s face. “Oh
no. What happened?” She hurried over and sat down next to her
tear-stained friend.
“Just the usual. The perverts inside are getting under my skin.”
Jennifer sniffed and wiped the tears of her cheeks with her sleeve.
“Just quit. You don’t have to put up with those guys touching
you at all.” Tiffany wrapped her slender arm around Jennifer’s
shoulders and hugged her close. “You only have two weeks before
you go back to college, enjoy yourself.”
Jennifer opened her mouth to argue, but Tiffany was right. She
had been putting up with disgusting pigs grabbing her ass and
making comments a lot longer than anyone should have to.
 She leaned over and kissed Tiffany on the cheek. “Thank you.”
She replied as she got up and turned towards the door. She was
going to march herself up to her manager and end the nonsense once
and for all.
“Go get ‘em, girl. I’ll be in the car.” Tiffany stood and headed
towards the parking lot. She was proud of her friend for finally
standing up for herself. There were way too many nights spent
crying over a stupid job.

Jennifer yanked at her apron string and tossed the wadded

fabric into the server’s alley. She found her boss, Steve was traying
up a food order, and marched right up to him with all the swagger
and rage she could muster. “Steve, I have to talk to you.”
Steve was a thirty-five year old stereotypical California guy. He
had the blond hair, laid back “whatever” attitude, and spent all his
free time out in the mountains. “What’s up, babe?”
Jennifer winced. Steve insisted on calling all his female servers
babe, a terrible habit.
“Listen. It’s been… something working for you, but I’m done.”
She counted out what she owed from the cash tables. “I’m sick and
tired of all these pigs thinking they comment on my looks and pinch
my ass whenever they feel like.” She raised her voice to make sure
the patrons could hear. “And you do nothing about them, no
reprimand no nothing. I quit, Steve.” She slapped the cash down on
the stainless steel table and stared her manager down.
Steve’s eyes grew wide. “I would be lying if I said I was not
surprised. You’re my best server. I’d hate to see you go. Are you
sure?”
Jennifer scoffed. “Are you going to throw those assholes out?”
she drummed her fingernails against the cold metal.
“Come on, Jennifer. I can’t just throw them out because they
get a little friendly! Besides they tip you well don’t they?”
Jennifer’s jaw hit the floor. She had worked for Steve for three
summers and she couldn’t believe he could be so cavalier about his
employee getting groped. Without another word, Jennifer turned on
her heel and stomped out of the building.
As soon as she was outside, she slowed down. Emotion was
building again and a flood of relief tears poured down her face. It
was as if the boulder on her chest was lifted and she could breathe
again.
Tiffany’s car came into view and she jogged over to it. She slid
into the passenger seat with the biggest smile on her face.
“Please tell me you did it?” Tiffany stared at Jennifer in
anticipation.
“I did. And it feels amazing.”
Tiffany squealed and threw her arms around her friend. “I am
so proud of you! I hope you gave those bumpkins a piece of your
mind.” She started the car and put it in drive.
“Actually, I was so stunned by what Steve said I didn’t know
what to say.” She told Tiffany her account of how Steve took the
customers’ sides.
“That’s bullshit.” She patted Jennifer on the knee as she drove.
“So how are you going to enjoy the rest of your summer vacation?”
“That’s easy. However I want.” Jennifer laughed. “I think
tomorrow I’m going to go for a hike at Butte Creek tomorrow.
Maybe pack a lunch and go swimming or something.” She had been
itching to get back there since her day with Luke, but the bar had
taken up most of her time. She hoped maybe if she went, he’d show
up there too.
“Hiking? Why in the hell would you wanna do that?” Tiffany
turned up her nose. The only outdoor activity she liked was lying
out on a chaise.
“Because I like it. You want to come?” Jennifer only asked to
be polite. She knew Tiffany would never go for it. She was actually
glad about that.
“Hell no. You are on your own my little hippie. You can get in
touch with nature if you like. I’m gonna get myself in touch with the
couch and a Property Brothers marathon.”
 “Ha! Since when do you care about home improvement?”
Jennifer asked.
“I don’t, but have you seen those boys? Oooh, so delicious.”
Tiffany answered. She grinned at Jennifer. “Besides have you seen
the picture of them in their kilts? God was having a good day when
he made them.”
Jennifer cackled and wondered if boy watching counted as a
hobby.
Tiffany became serious. “You’ve been moody and a little off
lately and I want to make sure you’re okay. There isn’t something
bothering you is there?” She peered at Jennifer in her periphery.
“Did Luke do anything to you?”
Jennifer did a double take. Did she hear her correctly? “No,
why?”
“Because you’ve been funny since that night. I don’t know
anything else beyond that drama in my living room. You aren’t
pregnant or something?”
Jennifer thought for a moment. “Everything we did was
consensual if that’s what you mean.” Jennifer froze. She suddenly
remembered they didn’t use protection. She started counting
backwards in her head. Shit! “Except…”
“Except what?” Tiffany’s voice was firm and tinged with
wariness.
“We had had a little – okay a lot to drink that night and I think
we forgot to, how did you put it? Package his wiener.”
Tiffany slammed on the brakes in the middle of the street. “Are
you kidding me?” She shouted. “You don’t know where he’s been!
And you could have got yourself pregnant!”
Jennifer stared at her hands. “I considered it, but I couldn’t
check yet.” She murmured. Pink bloomed in her cheeks. Up until
then she had tried to put it out of her mind.
“Well, it’s been, what? Three weeks now? We’re going to
Walgreens.” Tiffany slammed the car in reverse and spun the car
around. Enough time had gone by that Jennifer could find out.
 Within minutes Tiffany pulled into the parking lot and switched
off the car. “Go on now.”
Jennifer’s eyes grew wide. “I, I, but…” She took a deep breath
and closed her eyes. “I’ve never done this before. Please come with
me.”
With a sigh, Tiffany snatched her keys and got out of the car.
“Let’s get this over with.” Tiffany loved her friend and would
support her no matter what happened, but she was surprised at her
carelessness and stupidity. She always thought of Jennifer as being
more sensible than that.
The two women stood in front of the pregnancy tests. Boxes of
pink, blue, and white stared back at them. The choices were
overwhelming. “I don’t know which to get.” Jennifer blanked out in
front of the shelves. Her breath started coming more fast and
shallow and she had to wipe her palms on her jeans.
“Just grab one of the pink ones and let’s go. I’m starting to get
twitchy standing here.” Tiffany pointed at the First Response boxes.
Jennifer snatched one off the shelf and grabbed a bottle of
water. She wanted to get out and home before they ran into anyone
they knew. The town was small and rumors spread like wildfire.
She quickly paid and the two women sped to the car and took
off. Jennifer read the direction slip and chugged her water on the
way back to their apartment. This would be the longest three
minutes of her life.
Jennifer sprinted up the stairs and locked herself in her
bathroom. She set the timer on her phone and followed the
directions to the letter.
Tiffany sat in the hallway opposite the bathroom door tapping
her hands against her knees. She was almost as anxious as Jennifer
was. Granted, she wasn’t the one who may be carrying a giant’s
baby, but this was her bestie and Tiffany was worried.
A muffled alarm went off in the bathroom. Tiffany rose to her
feet as Jennifer came out. “Well?”
Jennifer looked at Tiffany with a strange mix of relief and fear.
“Oops. I’m pregnant.” She announced sarcastically. She stood in the
doorway holding the test as her side. Unshed tears glistened in her
eyes. She had no idea how to feel. She was thrilled, scared, and
totally confused all at the same time.
“What are you going to do?” Tiffany stood stock-still. She
wanted to hug her friend, but she wasn’t sure if that was the right
move.
“Nothing. I’m going to be a mommy.” Jennifer answered with a
shrug. There was no doubt in her mind how she wanted to handle
this.
“Are you sure?” Tiffany wasn’t so sure this was the best choice
for Jennifer. Tiffany knew there was still so much Jennifer had
wanted to accomplish before becoming a mom.
“Yeah. I’ll figure it out. Luke and I made a baby. It’s not the
baby’s fault. I planned on having kids eventually, this one just
wanted to come ahead of schedule.” There was no way she could
give up or abort this child. She became attached as soon as the
results popped up on the damn pee stick.
“You are way calmer than I would be if I were in your shoes.”
Tiffany was confused. Jennifer should be either dancing around the
room or in hysterics. This coolness was almost supernatural.
“Get back to me when the shock wears off.” Jennifer replied.
“I’m going to bed. I still want to take that hike tomorrow and I still
have a lot to think about.”
You’re still going to gallivant around a giant crack in the
ground in your condition? If you insist then, crazy.” Tiffany threw
her arms around her friend. “Congratulations, mama.” She
whispered in her ear. She gave Jennifer a kiss on the cheek before
heading back to her own room.

The sun was shining a little brighter the next day. The birds
sang a little sweeter, and the colors of the canyon stood up a little
brighter. Something about taking control of her life had made
Jennifer stand up straighter and completely changed her outlook.
 The scent of the woods made her almost light headed and
giddy. Being in touch with nature fed her soul.
She came up to the edge of the sparkling falls within a couple
of hours. She followed the trail as it wound around the riverbank
and put her out in the grotto behind the falls. Jennifer sat on the
algae covered boulders to remove her sneakers and strip down. This
time she had worn her swimsuit.
Staring through the curtain of rushing water in her black string
bikini, she found herself daydreaming. There were several nights
she put on her own little movie in her head about being back here at
the falls with Luke. There in broad daylight she turned her
imagination loose in the hopes that sending her hopes into the
universe would pay off.
She said a silent prayer and leapt forward in to the icy river in
front of her. As she hit the water, a shockwave from the cold shot
through her body, rendering her dumb for just a moment. Jennifer
paddled back up and broke through the surface with a whoop. After
the initial shock wore off, the chill felt amazing on her sweaty and
sun beaten skin.
Paddling around, she let her mind wander again. The same
what if scenarios about Luke rolled through her mind. He was
becoming an obsession for her now. At times the images were so
strong and so realistic, she thought she could hear his voice.
“Can I join you?” Asked a baritone through the trees.
Jennifer spun around in surprise. She thought her mind had
finally cracked. There he stood, all six and a half feet of muscle.
“Luke?” She blinked several times to clear the sight away, but he
was real.
Luke Robertson materialized out of the trees. His blue eyes
glimmered with warmth and softness for the woman in front of him.
He squat down at the edge of the water and watched her. She was
more beautiful than he remembered.
“I’ll come out. Give me a second.” Jennifer waded over to the
bank and squeezed the water out of her hair. “I’m so glad to see
you.” A mass of wings flapped in Jennifer’s stomach. She couldn’t
tell if the nausea was due to nerves or the hormones.
Luke reached out and took her hand. “I’m happy to see you too.
Sit.” He gently tugged on her hand, pulling her on to her knees. His
free hand cupped her cheek. “I am so sorry, Jennifer. I wanted so
badly to stay away to protect you from JP, but I can’t stop thinking
about you.” Luke mustered up every ounce of sincerity he could
before continuing. “I want to give us a chance. That is if you would
have me.”
Jennifer studied the intensity in his face. She saw the need in
Luke’s eyes tugging at her most intimate places. “I’m pregnant.”
She blurted out. You stupid cow! Jennifer thought for sure she had
just scared him off.
Luke’s thick eyebrows shot up. He opened and closed his
mouth like he wanted to say something, but no words came out.
Instead, a huge grin stretched across his face. He was so elated at
the news he couldn’t contain himself. He pulled Jennifer into him
and crushed her lips to his. Luke tangled his long fingers in her
soaking tresses to hold her to him.
Jennifer had stiffened in surprise, but quickly softened against
him. The kiss grew and changed, growing hotter and more
passionate. Jennifer tangled her tongue with his. Her instincts took
over as she climbed on to his lap to straddle him. She had never
been so hungry for another person in her life.
Jennifer pressed her pelvis against Luke’s growing erection.
She needed him inside her like she needed air.
Luke disengaged. “We need to stop.” He declared in a deep,
husky voice. He didn’t want this to go any further until she knew
what she was getting herself into.
Jennifer sat back and pouted. Her body had been all worked up
and clearly so had his. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Let’s get you dressed first. I’m not going to be able to focus
on anything else until you cover up.” Luke knew if she stayed in
what little clothing she was wearing, he wouldn’t be able to keep his
hands to himself or say what he needed to. He found every curve of
her body to be the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
Jennifer stood up in silence and dove into the water. Swimming
back to the grotto would be faster and be the equivalent of a cold
shower. Maybe it was better they actually had a conversation instead
of just getting physical. But the skill of his hands was hard to
ignore. Even in the icy river the nerves between her legs pulsed at
the memory of what he could do.
She swam up on the rocks with Luke close behind her. As she
was climbing out an arm snaked around her waist and pulled her
back in.
Luke drew her back to him for another kiss. This time his hand
slipped inside her bikini top to fondle her breast. His mouth opened
and his tongue conquered hers while he played with her breast
beneath the surface. He had given in to impulse and it took every
shred of control he had to pull back again. Especially when she
started moaning into his mouth.
“Go get dressed.” He ordered. Luke boosted her out of the
water. He stayed behind a minute to calm down. Jennifer had bent
over to dig in her pack, giving Luke the full view of her ass. He
forced himself to look away.
Jennifer dressed quickly. Whatever Luke wanted to talk about
had to have been important to put the brakes on the make-up sex. As
she turned around, Luke had climbed out of the water. He was tying
is long dark hair up off his back. She couldn’t help but stare at the
way his shoulders flexed and his stomach tightened as his body
shifted and stretched. The way Luke moved was so fluid and easy.
“Come sit.” Luke squat down on a rock and made himself
comfortable. He reached his hand out to Jennifer.
With a shrug Jennifer accepted his assistance down to him.
“Considering the circumstances.” Jennifer laid her hand on her
belly. “I think we have a ton to talk about.”
Luke placed his hand over hers. The little miracle growing
inside her was his. Shock, nervousness, and something he couldn’t
quite place, something primal unfurled inside him. Deep down he
knew he would put his body and life on the line to protect his
growing family.
“I need to tell you what you’ve got yourself into.” He turned
his gaze on Jennifer’s face. “I am part of a very different group of
people. We have a special set of abilities that allow us to change our
appearance.” Luke paused to study her face. When her expression
didn’t change he continued. “I’m the head of a group of shifters in
the Chico area. I am able to turn myself into a wolf.”
Jennifer just blinked at him. The information hit her brain, but
was just swirling around not being processed. “You what?”
“I can shift into a wolf.” Luke went on guard. He shifted his
posture away from her and hugged his knees to his chest. He just
stared at Jennifer, hoping she wouldn’t freak out.
“A wolf. Like the dog with big sharp teeth that roams around
the Sierra Nevada? Is this a joke?” Jennifer crossed her arms over
her ample chest.
“Uh, no. This is my life.”
“You are a lunatic. I need to be going now.” Jennifer quickly
stood and moved to collect her pack. She could hear her heartbeat
quicken in her ears. This was not happening to her. And she was
pregnant with his child! Jennifer touched her belly.
“Wait. Don’t go.” Luke jumped in front of her, blocking the
trail. “I can prove it. I need you to please stay. You aren’t safe.
Especially now!” his gaze dropped to Jennifer’s belly.
“You just told me you turn into a dog. That’s insane. Please let
me by.” Jennifer wrapped her arms around her torso.
Luke held up a finger and moved to strip his pants off. Within
seconds he stood stark naked in front of Jennifer, fully vulnerable
and with nothing to hide.
Jennifer shielded her eyes. “Luke, this is really inappropriate.”
What is with the men in this town? Can none of them control
themselves?
“I promise I’m not going to do anything sexual. Just watch
me.” As soon as he had eye contact with Jennifer again he flipped
the switch. Fur sprouted from his skin as his bones shifted and reset.
His nails and teeth elongated to claws and fangs, within minutes a
big wolf had been where a man once stood.
Jennifer froze, mouth gaping to the floor. Maybe she was the
crazy one? She did just witness a man turn into a wolf. She wanted
to say something, but all she could manage was a squeak in the back
of her throat.
Luke padded up to Jennifer and sat down. The scent of fear
rolled off her in waves. He wanted to engage her, but thought it best
he wait for her to make the first move. The battle of emotions
behind Jennifer’s eyes unsettled him, what if she decided to run?
What if she never wanted to see him again?
Jennifer blinked at the huge wolf in front of her. Curiosity
tangled with self-preservation. Her feet itched in her sneakers with
the need to turn and run, while her hands ached to touch the figure
in front of her to make sure it was real.
In the end, curiosity won out. With shaking hands she reached
out to the magnificent beast. She yelped when her fingers indeed
touched something solid.
Luke tensed, but didn’t move a muscle. He just kept repeating
to himself, “Let her do it,” to keep himself from growing impatient.
Jennifer took three deep breaths and tried again. This time she
stroked her hand along his velvety pelt. Such a powerful creature
spellbound her, the fact that this was really a gorgeous man made
her even more so.
Luke nuzzled his head against her hip. The drumbeat rumbled
in his chest and rolled through his body. He was so relieved Jennifer
didn’t run screaming from him.
Jennifer stood back and knelt down. She just wanted to observe
Luke, but the big animal strolled up and rubbed his cheek against
hers before backing off and shifting back to human.
“If you want to run away and change your name I would totally
understand.” Luke’s mouth may have said he was okay with that,
but his eyes showed the truth. He never wanted her to go.
“No. I don’t want to run. This is amazing! No wonder you were
so excited when you found out I was training to be a vet.” She ran
her hand up his now very manly forearm. She paused, furrowing her
brow. “What does this mean for our baby?”
Luke had to ponder that question for a moment. “Well, I’m not
sure. I’m a shifter and you’re not. It could go either way. We won’t
know for sure until he or she hits puberty.”
Jennifer nodded still zoned out. She was carrying a shifter’s
baby, so what did that mean for the pregnancy? “Do you know
anything about shifter pregnancies? I mean your mom has to have
some insight, right?” With a million and one questions zipping
through her mind, Jennifer needed to go to a source that could help
her. The library would be mostly useless. She could look up the
pregnancy and gestation of big dogs and that’s about it. The internet
may have something, but she’d have to sift through a lot of bad and
joke information to find anything.
“Obviously.” Luke started walking towards the exit. He sensed
it was time to leave. “I would have to call her though. She moved to
Florida a couple of years ago.”
Jennifer fell in behind Luke as he led the way out to the parking
lot. “How much do you remember about growing up as a shifter?
Did you have brothers or sisters? Think back to when your mom
was pregnant with them.”
Luke chuckled. He didn’t have any experience with babies of
any kind. “I have two brothers, but they’re much older. Scott is ten
years older than me and Josh is twelve. I was the oops baby.”
That would be no help to her. His brothers were so much older
as to practically make Luke an only child. Researching her
condition would prove to be difficult. “Do you think you could take
me with you to Chico? I’d like to meet some of the women of your
group. Maybe they could help me.”
That was the only avenue she could think to get the clearest and
most immediate answers. And maybe find a doctor who had
experience in this sort of thing. Her OB/GYN would have a difficult
time understanding the sudden turn her life had taken and would
probably have her committed if Jennifer explained.
 “Of course. When did you want to leave?” Luke laced his
fingers with Jennifer’s. A surge of happiness and pride coursed
through him. It took a while, but finding his mate was worth the
effort. And getting her with child so quickly! A smile tugged at his
lips. They could have a whole bunch of kids – or are they cubs? – if
they were that fertile.
“I’d need to tell Tiffany what was going on. How about
tomorrow morning?” Tiffany would have a heart attack if she found
out just how much Jennifer’s life jumped the rails.
“Sure. We can do that.” The pair walked along in silence for a
few minutes just enjoying each other’s company.
The sun was sitting lower in the sky. The afternoon had a touch
of déjà vu to it being in the canyon with Luke, surrounded by the
pink sky. Jennifer huddled a bit closer to Luke, a chill settled in the
air around them.
Suddenly, Luke tensed and stopped walking. He held his hand
up as Jennifer opened her mouth to speak. He was focused on
finding what disturbed him.
“Well look what the dog dragged in.” called a familiar voice
from behind. Jennifer spun around as Luke glanced over his
shoulder. He had found the cause of alarm. JP sauntered out through
the trees flanked by two men who were close to Luke’s size.
The one on the left was a thin, Aryan looking man, who
couldn’t have been more than twenty, but had the hard look of a
man who had been through hell.
The man on the right was the shorter of the two, but not by
much. He wore his dark hair in a buzz cut and wore clothing more
suited to the golf course than a biker gang.
JP stood with his arms crossed over his chest and a smug look
on his face. “It’s so nice to see you two love birds out in this neck of
the woods. I suppose congratulations are in order. I happened to
overhear the good news, daddy.” JP sneered in their direction.
Immediately, Jennifer’s hands went to her belly and Luke
pushed her behind him. A prickle of fear skittered up her spine.
Back in the apartment, the run in with JP seemed like no more than
a pissing contest. Being out in the open and JP having backup
intensified the situation well beyond what Jennifer thought it might
be.
“You fuck off, Levesque. Take your stooges and go before I
make all three of you wish you were dead.” A vein had risen to the
surface of the reddening skin in Luke’s neck. His jaw muscles
tensed as he tamped down the urge to kill a man.
“Oooo! Big talk, Robertson, but last I checked you were a stand
by and do nothing kind of guy.” JP commented. He snickered at his
next thought. “But seeing as you’ve knocked up the chubby girl I
suppose you can actually do something after all.”
Jennifer’s belly roiled and she felt her cheeks go hot as
embarrassment and self-consciousness reared their ugly heads again.
JP had called her chubby, which was just a cuter way to say she was
fat. The disgust in his voice also made Jennifer feel like a total slut.
Luke stood rod straight and refused to answer. He was not
about to give the three assholes in front of him the satisfaction of
knowing they got under his skin. He knew they would be dealt with
in due time. He just wasn’t stupid enough to attempt it two men
short.
“Awe, come on Robertson.” JP called as he paced closer. “You
don’t mean to tell me you’ve gone soft now? What would your
second say?” JP tapped his index finger against his chin in mock
thought. “I know what he would say. He would call you a pussy and
try to take you out himself. You get a little tail and suddenly you’re
Mr. Sensitive?” JP bowed up at Luke. "I want to finish what we
started all those months ago. What do you say?”
Without hesitation, Luke replied, “I’d simply repeat what I said
before; go fuck yourself.” Luke reared back and through a lethal
looking right hook. His fist connected with the bridge of JP’s nose,
making an audible crunch and knocking him out. He stared down
the two goons, daring them to make a move.
The two men moved close enough to grab one arm each of their
leader and drag him away.
 Luke watched them disappear back into the woods. His
breathing came heavy and loud, he kept opening and closing his fist
to shake the pain of connecting with bone away.
Tentatively, Jennifer touched his shoulder, readying herself in
case he still felt froggy. “Luke. They’re gone.” She told him softly,
“let’s hurry back to the parking lot before they come back.” She
gave his hand a tug, but he still wouldn’t budge. In a final effort to
get him to move, she moved around to face him and, standing on
tiptoe, pressed her lips to his to pull his attention away.
At first he didn’t respond. It wasn’t until Jennifer clasped her
hands behind his neck that he finally reciprocated. She was
providing an outlet for his pent up energy and a distraction for his
anger. Being so close, he could smell the testosterone rolling off of
his body. It was intoxicating.
She slid one of her hands down his muscular torso to between
his legs. She groped his very erect manhood, excited at the prospect
of taking it on again. A low growl rumbled in Luke’s throat as she
pet him through his jeans.
Luke groped for the button of Jennifer’s jeans and slipped his
hand inside. He cupped her and parted her lips to find the sensitive
nub inside and began to rub her. He was pleased to feel her growing
wet in his hand.
Jennifer pressed her breasts against him, the urgency growing
inside her to have him again. She abandoned second base and was
ready to steal home. She tore at the button and fly of his jeans and
shoved the fabric down his hips to free him. She clasped her hands
around him and stroked up and down, picking up speed with each
pass.
Luke’s kiss grew rougher the hotter he became, until he
couldn’t take anymore. He broke away to jerk Jennifer’s jeans off
and drag her to the ground on top of him. He grabbed her hip with
one hand to position her over his lap and steadied his erection with
the other, plunging himself into her.
Jennifer gasped at the speed in which he took her. When she
didn’t respond right away, Luke flipped her so he was on top and
could take control. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he
took her fast and rough. She moaned as his thighs slapped against
her ass and the slick length of him passed over her g-spot.
In a moment of passion, Luke bit down on Jennifer’s shoulder.
Her cry as the pain and the orgasm hit her all at once pushed him
into his own. Luke tossed his head back in a howl and shuddered as
he came inside her. In one motion he pulled out and rolled off of her
on to the ground.
Jennifer was panting and shaking. Her orgasm rocked her and
left her whole body tingling. What caught her off guard were the
conflicting emotions. Luke took her so roughly; she wasn’t sure
what to make of the experience. On one hand she had the biggest
orgasm ever and Luke turned her on so much, but on the other she
was scared of his intensity.
She had to remind herself, she initiated it. She took on the beast
when he was worked up and angry. She gingerly touched her
swollen private parts. They were already tender and feeling raw, she
worried how she would feel in the morning.
Without warning, the tears started to flow. Emotion bubbled up
inside her and spilled out once it hit the surface.
“Fuck. Jennifer, I am so sorry I hurt you.” Luke gathered her up
in his arms and held her to his chest. He felt like a shit for what he
did to her.
“No. I’m fine. Really. I mean, you scared me a little, but I think
it’s mostly hormones.” She responded with a hiccup.
“It doesn’t matter. I was too rough with you. I’ll be more
careful next time.” Luke berated himself for not having a better
handle on his temper, but when she kissed him a switch was flipped.
He had to have her, claim her. His deepest animal instinct told him
to mark her. The primitive mammal brain thought this would keep
her safe.
The primitive mammal brain didn’t take into account that Luke
was six and a half feet tall and well-hung.
“Luke?” Jennifer lifted her head to see his face. “We should be
going now. It’s getting dark.” Jennifer struggled to her feet. The
pants around her ankles were proving to be a hindrance. Luke
climbed to his knees and helped her up.
They both quickly readjusted themselves and set off back to the
parking lot.

“I see you found him then.” Tiffany stood in the middle of the
living room glaring at Luke and Jennifer. “I know you both are
grown ass adults, but I want so badly to give you a piece of my
mind, Luke.” Tiffany wagged her index finger at him.
When she hadn’t heard from Jennifer all day, she had begun to
worry. All she could imagine was a pregnant woman wandering
around the woods lost forever. Finding out she had met up with
Luke had been a relief, but also dredged up everything she had
wanted to say to him since finding out Jennifer was pregnant the
night before.
“Believe me, Tiffany, there is nothing you could say to me that
I haven’t already said to myself or worse. There needs to be warning
labels put on the backs of alcohol bottles, Warning: May cause
pregnancy.”
Tiffany whooped at Luke’s little joke, “Fine then. You guys
have fun. Although, I am more than a little curious as to how you
two will work this mess out.”
Jennifer rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, honey, you and me both.”
Jennifer gazed lovingly at Luke, “Somehow I think we both will be
alright in the end.” Luke met her eyes and smiled.
Tiffany had witnessed the tender moment and screwed up her
face. “You two are giving me a cavity.” She turned on her heel and
disappeared into her room, leaving Jennifer giggling in her wake.
“Come on and help me pack.” Jennifer grabbed Luke’s hand
and led him into her bedroom. She was as giddy as a teenager. To
think this striking and powerful man chose her. She had been the
woman he zeroed in on in the bar the night they met. Despite JP’s
comments, she felt like the most alluring woman in the world.
“How long do you think we’ll be gone?” Jennifer asked as she
pulled her overnight bag from her closet.
 “We can stay however long you need to. When do you have to
get back to work?” Luke took a seat on the edge of the quilt-covered
mattress.
“Uh… about that. I kind of quit last night.” She wasn’t
ashamed per se, but she can imagine how an unemployed pregnant
woman might look to him.
“Oh. Why?” Luke asked, tilting his head.
“Because the sexual harassment was becoming a little too
normal in that place.”
Luke stiffened. Jennifer was a very attractive woman, even a
blind man could see that, but no one should just be able to touch her.
“What happened to you?” he growled through his teeth.
“It was a nightly barrage of pats on the ass and comments about
my tits. When I brought the problem to my manager’s attention he
basically blew me off.” She shrugged and turned back to rummage
through her disorganized closet.
Luke saw red. Not because he felt possessive or protective over
her, but because the liberties some men would take with women
made him sick. He never understood the reason why some men
thought they could behave the way they did and simply get away
with it.
After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself he responded,
“I’m so sorry that happened to you. This may be a stupid question,
but is there anything I can do?”
Jennifer’s shoulders shook with suppressed giggles. Folding a
t-shirt, she turned and shook her head at him. “No. It’s over and
done with. I saved almost all of the money I made this summer so
I’ll be okay for the next two weeks.”
“Two weeks?” Luke asked. “What about after that?” Would she
be all right? If she only had enough money for that long, what
would she do after?
“After that I’m going to be in Arizona at school. Believe me,
moving day cannot come fast enough.” She tossed a few pairs of
shorts on the bed. Chico was only twenty minutes from Paradise so
there was no need to over pack.
 Luke nodded. The motion was automatic. His thoughts were a
million miles away.
Jennifer stood in front of him and waved her hand in front of
his face, “Hello? Anybody home?”
“Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking.” Absentmindedly he
rubbed her leg. The motion helped him collect his thoughts. “I
didn’t realize the fall semester came up so soon. How are we going
to handle this?” Of course, he was referring not just to the
pregnancy, but their blooming relationship as well.
“I’m not sure yet.” She answered. “I may just have to be gone
for the fall. I don’t know if I’d be able to participate in the spring
since the baby would be due in April some time. I’d have to work
that out with the college when I get there.” Jennifer combed her
fingers through Luke’s long brown hair.
Tenderness for him filled her heart. The relationship was super
new, but she already felt safe and secure with him. It may be
because he can shift into a massive and dangerous predator, or it
may be the newness of their union causing it, but she felt like she
would be protected as long as he was close.
“Are you still going to like me when I’m swollen and
waddling?” she couldn’t help it. That thought was a common one
pregnant women have and it crept right up on her. She was already a
little chubby, she couldn’t imagine how big she would be in another
eight or nine months. Oh, lord. I’ll be huge!
“Of course. What did I tell you about hiding yourself from
me?” he pushed her hands back down to her sides.
Jennifer hadn’t realized she was trying to hide herself. “You
told me not to.” She fretted. Old habits die-hard.
“Right. I promise you will still be as beautiful then to me as
you are now. There’s just something about a pregnant woman,
especially one that’s mine.” He assured her with a wink.
Jennifer threw her arms around his neck. His words were
reassuring since she could feel a mood swing coming on. The
emotion was so overwhelming she began to cry. “Ugh. I am so
sorry. I don’t even know why I‘m crying. Stupid body.” She
declared with a giggle.
Luke squeezed her back. “You have nothing to worry about
with me. I’ll take care of you. I promise.”
The tears came harder and she started blubbering into his
shoulder. “Crap. I can’t stop crying!”
Luke chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. When you’re done we’ll
get back to packing your bag. Just don’t wipe your snot on my t-
shirt. I really like this one.” He smiled as she shook with laughter on
his lap. Another emotion stirred inside him too, but it was an
inappropriate moment to act on it.
After a moment Jennifer slid off of Luke’s lap and hid herself
in the bathroom to clean herself up. It didn’t matter what he said
about not being embarrassed or hiding around him. She didn’t care
for him to see her with a swollen face and snot bubbles.
Splashing cold water on her face did wonders for her
composure. It served as an icy dose of reality to ground her from her
weird hormonal upheaval. She had heard the early stages of
pregnancy were rough, but the stories had nothing on the actual
experience.
With one last glimpse in the mirror she pulled herself together.
There was a very attractive and virile man sitting on her bed that
very minute and she wasn’t about to let that go to waste. She patted
her skin dry with a towel and gave her hair a fluff.
When she reentered her room Luke was up and staring out the
window. “Penny for your thoughts?” Jennifer asked as she came
around the bed and sat down.
“Nah. I was just enjoying the evening.” Luke turned around to
face her. “I love this time of the night. The air is cooling the sky
clears up and you can practically count the stars. It’s just beautiful,”
but not nearly as beautiful as the woman in front of him.
The sparkle in her eyes when she looked at him could shame
the night sky. Jennifer had leaned back with her hands behind her in
a pose Luke found incredibly alluring.
 In one motion he spread her legs and knelt between them.
There was a little guilt still remaining for being so rough with her
earlier; he wanted to make it up to her.
He ran his hands up her inner thighs to massage her hips. Luke
watched as Jennifer closed her eyes, a slow smile spreading across
her lips. That was all the encouragement he needed.
His hands crept to the crotch of her jeans where he pressed his
thumb against the most sensitive part of her. He quickly became
aware of how aroused she became. The scent of her became stronger
with each pass of his thumb over her. Luke was suddenly seized by
the urge to taste her. She smelled so amazing, how could he resist.
He unfastened her jeans and urged her to lift her hips so he
could slide her pants off. He rubbed over her now bare clitoris with
his thumb, smearing her wetness over her until she was sighing at
his touch.
Luke parted her and flicked his tongue over the sensitive nub,
causing Jennifer’s breath to hitch. He teased her a few more times
until she was begging. “Luke, you’re killing me!”
Jennifer leaned back on her elbows for support so she could
watch Luke in action. The sight of him staring up at her from
between her legs was so hot. With fervor, he licked and kissed her,
pausing occasionally to suck on her. When he slipped his fingers
into her hips rose off the bed. “That feels so good.” She gasped as
he pressed and caressed her g-spot.
But it was his mouth that really did it. Jennifer fisted her hands
in her quilt as he fed on her, driving her crazy. The pressure built
quickly in time with the increasing thrust of his fingers. “Fuck,
Luke.” She threw her head back and cried out, “Oh, god!” as her
orgasm slammed into her. He laced her fingers in his hair, pushing
his head closer to push up over the crest of a second one. Finally she
collapsed in a heap on her bed.
Luke rose to his feet and crept over her prone body. Jennifer
reared up to kiss him. She could taste herself on his mouth,
something she found to be more erotic than she would have thought
it would be. Her body already started responding to his again.
 Jennifer reached between them to unbutton Luke’s pants and
slide them down his hips. As his erection bobbed freely, she
wrapped her hand around his girth and started stroking.
Luke groaned into her mouth as he positioned himself between
her legs. “I don’t want to hurt you again.” He paused with the tip
pressing against her opening.
Jennifer made a noise of frustration. “I’ll be fine, just start
slow.” She read the apprehension on Luke’s face. With a huff he
gripped his ass, bridged her hips, and pulled him into her. “Just fuck
me already.” She demanded with a smile. And that he did.

Nausea had woken Jennifer before dawn. She slipped out of

bed so as not to disturb Luke to go prowl the kitchen. Sickness
seized her as soon as her feet hit the floor. It was a mad dash to the
bathroom to make it to the toilet before her stomach turned inside
out. She gripped the seat as vomit turned to dry heaving.
Leaning back against the vanity, Jennifer wiped the sweat from
her forehead. She waited a minute to see if anything else would
happen, but her guts seemed to be mellowing.
With slow, controlled movements Jennifer hauled herself to her
feet. When nothing shifted, she tiptoed to the kitchen to find
crackers or something that might settle her stomach.
The cabinets were woefully empty. Too many double shifts
meant too little time for the grocery store. She pulled open the
fridge door and found a lonely can of Sprite tucked in the back
corner. The soda was flat, but soothed the monster in her stomach
for now. She made a mental note to stop and grab a snack. The trip
was short, but there was no breakfast in the house.
With can in hand, Jennifer slipped back into her bedroom.
There were a couple more hours until daylight, and to not be
sleeping would be a waste.

Riding on the back of a motorcycle would never get old. The

wind whipping through her hair and the purr of the engine under the
seat made Jennifer feel alive. The nausea didn’t return when she got
out of bed for the day, but the thought she might yak again was
never far from her mind.
Luke was sweet and swung by the convenience store to pick
her up a mini box of Cheerios to munch on if she felt queasy again.
He felt bad for how she was feeling so if he could find a way to help
ease the discomfort, he would.
The drive from Paradise to Chico was short. Luke and Jennifer
had pulled up to Luke’s house less than thirty minutes after leaving.
Luke’s home looked smaller from the outside. The cedar shake on
the exterior had been stained a soft grey-blue color. An idyllic little
porch greeted them as they walked up to the front door.
“Just so you know, you are free to make yourself comfortable.”
Luke explained. “I’ll show you where everything is kept, after that
treat my home as yours.” He turned back and unlocked the front
door.
The inside was just as charming as the outside. The living and
dining rooms had a thick, grey colored Berber carpet that ran
throughout. The décor definitely screamed bachelor with the
motorcycle memorabilia and leather furniture placed around the
living room.
“Awe. Your house is so cute. I feel like I’m in a little cottage in
the woods.” Jennifer set her bag down on the couch for Luke o give
her the grand tour. The house was as tiny as it appeared on the
outside so the tour was very brief.
“If you’d like I can call a couple of the women in my gang and
we can meet up with them for lunch?” Luke had picked up
Jennifer’s bag and carried it off to the master bedroom.
“Sure. Let’s do that.” Jennifer answered. It would be interesting
to meet another shifter and not only that, gain insight into the new
developments in her life.
“Great. Give me a minute and I’ll call them. There’s a great
little diner up the road that makes the best sandwiches.” Luke
walked out to the porch to make his phone calls.
The ride in had worn Jennifer out. She plunked herself down on
the oversized couch and put her feet on the armrest. After closing
her eyes for a second she had drifted off to sleep.

Luke hung up and reentered the house. He was about to call for
Jennifer when he found her curled up on his couch asleep. Instead of
waking her, he draped an old quilt over her and let her sleep. They
had a few hours to kill before they had to get to the diner.
While he was alone and the house was quiet he would get in
touch with his muscle and figure out what to do about that nuisance,
JP and his stooges. It was only a matter of time before he retaliated
in some way. Hell, Luke knew if he got knocked out by some big
bastard he’d want to find a way to get him.
Sneaking into his bedroom and shutting the door behind him,
Luke would spend the next couple of hours rallying the troops.

“So, these women are friendly, right?” Jennifer had the image
of a stereotypical biker woman stuck in her head. All she could
picture were a couple of hard looking women with blown out tattoos
wearing cut off t-shirts that were curt and rough with other people.
She knew it was wrong to assume, but her brain wouldn’t let the
idea go.
“Yes, they are actually really good girls. Melanie is twenty-
eight I think and has one child. Zara is thirty, married to my new
second and they have two kids; a boy and a girl. Twins I think.” He
furrowed his brow. “No. Not twins. Anyway, they were the closest
to your age and with their kids still being so young, they’ll have
fresher memories to help guide you through this.”
Jennifer nodded. Meeting new people always gave her a bit of
anxiety, she hoped she could keep the awkward hidden and not
make a fool of herself.
Luke held the door open and let her in first. Luke tapped her on
the shoulder and pointed. Two very pretty women sat at the back of
the café near the window. They saw Luke come in and waved him
over.
“Hi, Luke! How have you been?” The taller, blonde woman
stood from her chair and threw her arms around him in greeting. “Is
this her?” the woman pointed.
“Yeah. This is Jennifer Armstrong. Jennifer this is Zara. And
the one feeding the baby over there is Melanie.”
Zara stuck her hand out, “I am so happy to meet you! Luke
mentioned you a few times. It’s great to finally put a face with the
name.” Zara was friendly and exuberant, without a trace of irony in
her voice as she spoke. She seemed to tower over Jennifer and had a
mane of enviable golden-blonde hair the fell to her waist.
Melanie leaned away from the table to see around Zara and
waved. She was the quieter of the two and definitely the most
striking. Her straight black hair was tied back off her face. She had
the high, angular bone structure that hinted at Native American
roots. The baby at her breast couldn’t have been more than a couple
of months old and had a full head of fuzzy, jet-black hair.
“Hello, Melanie, Zara. It’s nice to meet you both.” Jennifer
twiddled her thumbs for a minute, unsure of what to do with herself.
A light press on the small of her back by Luke, was the cue to sit
down.
“I hate to just bail on you ladies, but I have to meet Trevor and
a few of the others to talk about a pest problem.” He turned his
attention to Jennifer, “You okay with me taking off?”
Well, no not really. I just met these women! “I’ll be fine. Go do
what you gotta do.” Luke bent down and kissed Jennifer on the
cheek and waved goodbye to the other two.
“Oh man, Jennifer. You have no idea how bad he’s had it for
you. And now! You’re pregnant with his baby? He’ll never let you
go.” Zara stated.
Jennifer felt the blush creep up her cheeks and another wave of
nausea growing. She quickly waved down their server to order some
tea. Once they all placed their drink orders, the conversation quickly
turned back to Jennifer and babies.
 “Um, that’s really reassuring. Thank you.” Jennifer fiddled with
her silverware set while she figured out where to start. “So, are you
both like Luke?”
“Yeah, exactly the same. All of our parents were also in our
group. You could say we were born to this.” Melanie answered.
“So it’s hereditary, not like the movies where you get bit and
suddenly you change?” She tried to keep her voice down and be as
vague as possible.
This time, Melanie spoke, “Right. It’s a special trait that runs in
the bloodline of the Achomawi people. Only a few other tribes have
the ability to do what we do and the animals are all different.” She
smiled sweetly before continuing. “And since the ability is passed
down by the father, your little bundle should be like us too.”
Zara bounced up and down in her seat like a kid on sugar. “I
just love babies. And I’m so happy for Luke that he finally found
somebody. And after Paige – Oof! What was that for?” Melanie
elbowed Zara in the ribs to shut up.
“Who’s Paige?” Jennifer asked.
“It isn’t our story to tell. You’ll have to wait until he’s ready to
tell you about her… if he’s ever ready.” The baby at Melanie’s
breast had fallen asleep. Gentle snores were coming from the little
burrito in her arms. She popped the baby off and adjusted her tank
top. “Don’t worry about that though. Luke asked us to guide you
through this time in your life and I am so happy to do it.”
Jennifer was touched. These two women were so welcoming
and warm to her. She may have found the sisterhood her sorority
couldn’t give her. “Is this going to be like a normal pregnancy or is
there anything special I need to do or be aware of?”
Zara nodded, “There are a few things. Instead of being
pregnant forty weeks, ours go a little longer. You’ll be pregnant
closer to eleven months because of the extra, uh,” she waved her
hand trying to think of the right word, “just the extra that needs
developing.”
Jennifer’s jaw dropped. This was going to be the longest year
of her life! “Won’t my doctor be suspicious? I feel like no sane
OB/GYN will just let me go eleven months.”
“You don’t go to a regular doctor. Next week I’ll take you to
the reservation to see ours. She’s a wonderful woman and an
amazing midwife.” Melanie explained. “You’ll be expected to have
a drug free birth. Our people don’t respond well to the drugs used in
delivery.” She watched Jennifer’s eyes grow wide. “Don’t get me
wrong, the babies born that way live, but some complications and
reactions happen. They are often sick for months after delivery and
always have something lingering as they get older.”
Jennifer put her head in her hands. A drug-free birth? An
Eleven month pregnancy? What the hell did she get herself into?
“That’s sweet of you. We’ll set up a time for us to go before I
leave.”
“Where are you going?” the two women asked in unison.
“I have to go back to school. I go to college in Arizona and
classes start again in less than two weeks.” She explained.
“Apparently, I chose this life without realizing it because this is my
last year before veterinary school. I’m going to specialize in big
dogs.”
Melanie and Zara exchanged a look. Jennifer could have sworn
they just communicated without speaking.
“You can’t leave.” Melanie declared.
“Yes I can and I have to.” Jennifer fired back.
“No, you have to stay here with Luke and our doctor. You can’t
be so far away because of the baby.” Zara told her.
“I kind of have to. This is my last year before grad school. I
can’t lose my momentum now or I may never finish. Isn’t there
someone in Arizona your doctor could refer me to?” Jennifer was
annoyed. These two women she only just met were ordering her
around, which made her really cranky.
“Probably, but you have to be protected.” Zara reached out and
grasped Jennifer’s hand. “I don’t know if Luke explained this to you
or not,” she lowered her voice and leaned in closer, “The rest of the
world doesn’t know about the shifter community. You seem like a
smart girl. Tell me, don’t you think you might raise some suspicion
on campus by having the longest pregnancy ever?”
She had a point. “Maybe. But don’t your babies come out
looking perfectly human? Melanie’s baby has a crazy amount of hair
on his head, but otherwise looks normal.” Jennifer was about ready
to go.
“Just see what the doctor has to say. Zara and I will be here for
you and will coach you through anything you need help with.
Maybe talk to the school and do the distance learning thing this
year.” Melanie suggested.
Jennifer mulled it over for a moment before answering. “I can
look into it, but I have some hands-on lab stuff I have to complete
this year. I’ll probably have to go.” Zara’s face hardened and
Melanie blanched. The two women were no longer looking at
Jennifer, but through her. “What’s the matter, guys?”
A familiar and dark voice chimed in from behind Jennifer. “I’m
sorry to burst your bubble, but you aren’t going anywhere.” Jennifer
whirled around to discover JP hovering over her shoulder. “Hello,
ladies. So good to see you.” JP turned his focus on to Jennifer alone,
“Especially you, curvy girl.”
All Jennifer could do was stare. No good could come of JP
being there.
“You say you’re going to leave, but I just can’t let that happen,
because I need you to stand up and come quietly with me. If you
don’t I’m sure your lovely little friend, Tiffany would be very
upset.” His voice was placid and soft, but had the weight of nothing
but malice in his words. “Come with me now. We have things to
do.”
Jennifer stared, wide eyed at the other two women. She tried to
communicate silently with them to get in touch with Luke as soon as
she left. “Don’t hurt her, please.” Jennifer begged.
“Come with me and I’ll let her go. Scout’s honor.” JP held up
two fingers and crossed his heart.
With a nod, Jennifer rose and followed JP out of the diner and
into the waiting Chevy Tahoe. “You’re going to let Tiffany go now,
right?” Jennifer asked as JP pulled away from the sidewalk.
“Huh? Oh yeah, her. Don’t worry about her, she’s fine.” JP
answered, waving his hand. “I’m so glad you came out with no
fight. I never had anyone watching her, but if you resisted, one
quick phone call and a cut brake line was all I needed to make
things happen.”
Jennifer sat back in shock. She had been under the impression
that they already had Tiffany with them. She could have run and
warned her and Luke about JP. Snakes uncoiled in her belly. What
was going to happen now?
“Where are you taking me?” Jennifer’s eyes darted around the
interior of the SUV searching desperately for a way out. JP caught
her in the rearview and hit the child safety lock on his door.
“I’m taking you to a very special place. I find it to be rather
cozy and I hope you will too.” JP’s eyes focused back on the road.
The next several hours into the mountains would be difficult. He
needed to get enough of a head start that Luke couldn’t possibly
follow them. He pressed the gas to the floor as the light changed to
yellow.
He wanted to ruin that asshole. JP didn’t really want to hurt
Jennifer. In fact, he thought she was rather fetching, but since he got
the news earlier that day that Luke knocked her up he knew
immediately what he needed to exploit.
The sun was hanging low in the darkening sky as the car pulled
up to a shabby looking cabin. One of JP’s goons tried to manhandle
her into the house; an issue she only made worse by struggling.
She stomped on his foot and made a break for the woods.
Jennifer only made it to the tree line before she was tackled and
dragged back towards the cabin.
“Tie her up!” JP commanded, “I can’t risk her pulling
anything.” He tossed a bundle of rope to the blond haired heavy and
stomped off towards the cabin. Jennifer cried out as she was
knocked to her knees before having her wrists and ankles bound.
She could not believe this was happening to her. Not two days
ago, her life was ordinary to the point of being boring and now she
was staring down the barrel of the proverbial gun. She screamed in
terror as she was dragged into the cabin.

A mile away a trio of very large, very tense wolfs prowled the
mountainside. The largest of the three perked his ears up. That
sound was exactly what he needed and didn’t want to hear. He
cocked his head to one side signaling the two lions behind him to
move towards the sound.
Their pace accelerated. Who knew what awful things JP would
want to do to her. Luke would never forgive himself if Jennifer got
hurt or worse.

“Come sit on my lap, baby.” JP gripped the rope around

Jennifer’s wrists and hoisted her up onto his lap. With a grin he
stroked up her inner thigh. “A girl like you can do so much better
than a piece of shit like Luke. It’s a shame you’ve been tainted.” He
patted her belly. “But that can easily be remedied, I think.”
Jennifer cried. The thought of potentially losing her baby was
so much worse than anything else that could happen to her own
person. She pulled away as JP nuzzled her neck.
JP hooked his hands in her ponytail and jerked her back to him.
The shriek of pain she cried excited him. He inhaled deeply the
scent of her, lavender, sweat, and his favorite aroma, fear. “Oh, baby
I am going to be so good to you.” He declared as he grabbed a
handful of her ass.
Jennifer took her molestation in silence. She sent a silent prayer
up that soon, someone would figure out where she was, and follow
her.
The sound of a howl echoed in off the mountain. Every man in
the room was suddenly on edge, and straining their ears to pick up
where the sound came from. Jennifer held her breath in the hopes it
was her wolf announcing his arrival.
“You and you get out and see where that noise came from.
When you find the source, kill it.” The two heavies started stripping
off their clothes as they headed out the door. Their bodies shifted as
they hit the ground from the porch.
“I’m sorry darling, but it’s time we get a move on. I have lots
of plans for you and I can’t have you getting taken from me.” JP
nipped Jennifer’s earlobe.
A shiver of disgust ran through her. She bit her lip to keep from
speaking. She couldn’t jeopardize herself or anyone else by saying
something stupid. She nodded and removed herself from JP’s lap to
let him up.
“Hold on.” JP crushed his lips to Jennifer’s. She pressed them
together and screwed her face up. The violation and the wetness
were just too much.
As JP herded Jennifer out towards the Tahoe another scream
cut through the still mountain air. A very large and angry wolf
cruised out from behind the big black truck. Its eyes passed over
Jennifer’s body before zeroing in on JP.
“Hello there, Luke. So good to see you’ve showed up.” He
shoved Jennifer behind him, “I’m afraid I don’t have time for you.”
Luke bared his teeth and hissed; an open challenge for JP. Luke
was determined to end this insanity once and for all.
JP dragged Jennifer back towards the porch and shoved her
through the door and locked her in. She needed to be there when he
was done killing her boyfriend. He tossed his leather jacket aside
and quickly stripped. JP shifted into his own wolf form and leapt on
Luke.
Jennifer tugged and banged on the door, “Help me! Someone
let me out!” she screamed. She hollered and banged and kicked, all
the while forced to listen to the shrieks and growls of the big dogs
fighting in the yard. She dashed over to the window and peeked
through the curtains.
She couldn’t tell the two apart. Both dogs were the same color
and nearly the same size. Teeth and claws flew, ripping into furry
flesh and delicate ears. Jennifer gasped when one wolf climbed on
the back of his rival and bit down on his neck.
 The suffocating wolf slowed, stumbling around trying to get his
bearings to get away. Jennifer watched the top wolf adjust its grip
on his rival’s neck and bear down harder. She had never felt so
impotent in her entire life. All she could do was wrap her arms
around her growing waist, and pray that Luke wasn’t the one dying.
She allowed herself to mourn for the fallen wolf as it hit the
ground and stopped moving. Hot tears streamed down her face as
she stared at the winner, who didn’t move for several minutes.
When finally, the wolf let go he shook himself and shifted
back. Jennifer’s heart leapt when she recognized Luke’s strong form
limping towards the house. The doorknob jiggled and rattled, still
firmly locked. A moment a heavy bang struck the door, followed
quickly by a second, then a third. On the fourth, Luke’s oversized
frame tore the door off its hinges.
“Luke!” Jennifer cried as she ran to him. The man was a little
wobbly on his feet, but scooped Jennifer up into his arms anyway.
“You’re alive!” Jennifer kissed Luke hard while wrapping her
arms and legs around him. She refused to let go for fear he wasn’t
real.
“Jennifer. I can’ breathe!” Luke forced the words through his
teeth.
“I’m sorry. I’m just so happy you’re alive.” She loosened her
grip and slithered off of him.
“Did JP hurt you?” Luke’s hands traveled over her body
searching for any signs of injury.
“No. I’m fine. How hurt are you?” Jennifer stepped back to
look him over. Luke’s body was decorated with a few welts and
bruises, but was otherwise physically okay.
“Just a few scratches.” Luke peered out the window. The corpse
of the big dog had shifted back into the form of a very battered and
broken man. The body didn’t move, but from the distance the body
lay, they couldn’t tell if he was breathing. Judging from the angle
his head was hanging, they assumed not.
“How did you find me?” Jennifer asked.
 “Melanie told me. She and her husband came with me to find
you. I left them to take out JP’s cronies. Zara had taken off with the
third guy waiting in another car. Mel told me everything. I guess
Zara was the one that filled in JP about you.” Luke cast down his
eyes, “I am so sorry, Jennifer. I should have known. I put you in
danger… I should have just left you alone.”
Jennifer smacked his hand, “Leaving me alone would have
been the most stupid thing you could have done. You’d have left me
to raise this baby myself?”
“You’d have told me?” Luke seemed surprised.
“Of course I would have, dummy.” Jennifer took a deep breath
to collect herself, “Look. Don’t blame yourself. I’m okay and you
survived your fight, can we just go home now?” Exhaustion had
settled deep in Jennifer’s bones. She really needed to lie down in her
own bed.
“Of course. Grab the keys to the Tahoe and we’ll head out.
Melanie and her husband will be joining us in a designated meeting
place.” Luke wrapped his arm around Jennifer’s shoulders and
planted a kiss on her head, “I’m glad my two babes are safe.”
The End.

Wild for the Wolf

Chapter 1
“You promised you would come back!” Raven shouted into the
shortwave radio. She knew they had to be out of range. Somebody
would have said something by now. The radio tower was the highest
point for miles in any direction. Raven peered out over the trees
looking for smoke from their campfire. She knew that they wouldn’t
stay close by, but she scanned the trees every day, looking for
Travis, looking for anyone.
The tower had once been a part of the Tillamook Airport. A
collection of sheds beside a runway, airport was a fairly generous
title. After the first wave of infections the whole town had moved to
the airport. “It isn’t worth the risk.” Travis had said when Raven
fought to stay in her family’s home. There was no way to disinfect
the homes, many of which still housed dead bodies. The survivors
left everything, even the clothes on their backs, behind.
Ignoring the obvious devastation it had actually been a fun day. It
was the first time in months that people had come out of their
homes. The mayor, Tom Hodgkin had organized the move to the
airport driving around town in his SUV with a megaphone.
Everyone brought soap and a smile to the splash zone in Danbury
Park. Travis and Raven had even held hands as the survivors looted
the stores downtown for clothes and food.
Travis had never been Raven’s boyfriend. In fact when people asked
she introduced him as her complication. They were never really
together, but never really apart either. Except for now. He hadn’t
even looked back as they shut the large rusted tin doors of the
Tillamook Air Museum. Raven had been locked up with everyone
else that had been infected in the second wave. It had started right
after they had made the decision to burn the houses of Tillamook.
No one wanted to stay at the airport forever, but in hindsight it
seemed like a bad idea. Raven had been the only person in the
second wave to survive.
The virus moved fast. In the first two months 10,000,000 people
died. The people of Tillamook weren’t worried. There was no way a
virus was going to spread somewhere so remote. By the third month
Tillamook had its first case of the lumps. It’s a weird name for a
virus, but it made sense when you saw the deformed bodies of its
victims. The virus had been released from the Russian permafrost
by mining companies. They were strip mining gold and other
resources that had been trapped under the Earth’s surface by ice and
snow. They had no idea what else they were going to release.
All of the scientists who were trying to cure it had died. All that
anyone had found out for was that it was highly adaptable. The
lumps immediately adjusted to any environment. They could infect
any living creature. Raven had even heard that they were infecting
buildings and inanimate objects. It didn’t really matter if it was true,
there was no way to get rid of the virus once it reached an area.
There were even stories about the people who survived the lumps
and walked the earth as monstrous contortions of their former
selves.
“I am fine,” Raven yelled into the mic, “It was allergies, or a cold, I
can’t believe you left me!” Letting the mic fall from her hand,
Raven sat in the tower fighting the urge to cry. She didn’t know
how, but she knew that no one could hear her words. She started
moving down the stairs. It was her new philosophy. Raven had been
in a rut since graduating from high school. She was going to take a
year and make a plan for her life. That had been almost 4 years ago.
“It only took a worldwide pandemic to get me to move out of my
parent’s house,” she laughed to herself.
When a second wave of infection struck the Tillamook Airport
Commune, Raven thought her life was over. Of the 300 survivors
living in the airport 200 were laid out on cots under the vintage
planes of the Air Museum. Raven was sweating and nearly delirious
for what seemed like days. The only thing that she could see in the
dark was the silver fuselage of the Fouga-CM 170 Magister. Raven
didn’t know much about planes, but Travis had worked a summer at
the museum. He had given Raven the official tour, just before the
museum had become a tomb.
Then it was like a switch went off in her head. She heard a voice
telling her to stand up. At first Raven didn’t believe it, she had
already died in her own head. Slowly she tested her muscles. She
looked down at her arms expecting to see lumps and welts, but they
were smooth. Raven got up and ran to the bathroom mirror. The
lighting was very dim, but she could see that her skin was actually
nicer. Before getting sick she had had acne scars on her face and
black heads. Now her skin was smooth. Her long black hair had its
shine back, even though it hadn’t been washed in weeks.
Raven remembered moving slowly. She didn’t want to step on
anybody and risk getting infected. She would never forget the
bodies she saw that day. They didn’t even look like people any
more. Motionless mounds of stretched and bruised skin lay scattered
all over the cement floor.
Raven found a small man door and left the airport behind for good.
She ran straight for the radio tower. Travis had shown Raven how to
use the short wave radio when they first got to the airport. Travis
had always loved tinkering with things and he had tried to
communicate with other groups. The people of their town were all
hoping that there were other groups. It seemed like a waste of time
to Raven, but Travis thought short wave radios would be the only
lines of communication still open.
Cell phones were getting no signals and the internet was not
working anywhere in town. Tillamook had always been remote, but
since the first wave hit it truly seemed like the people of the town
were on their own. No one more so than Raven. She realized as she
reached the bottom of the tower that she couldn’t stay at the airport.
She was nearly out of food.
Bam! Klunck! It was coming from the makeshift kitchen they had
built in the main building. Raven grabbed a bat that was lying
discarded by the tower and went to investigate. “Screeeee!” The
deformed racoon reared up and started to run at Raven. She was
going to fight for the food, a few boxes of crackers and granola bars,
but at the last second she chickened out and ran. She didn’t want to
hit any living creature with a bat, especially not one that was going
to infect her with lumps.
“I guess that settles it,” Raven said to the wind. She had packed a
small bag the day before. She didn’t need much. Lately she had only
been changing her clothes every couple weeks. It wasn’t like she
had a way to get them clean. Raven had grown immune to her own
stench. All she needed was food, and to be as far away from the
smell of rotting corpses.
There were no land vehicles left at the airport and there was no way
Raven was heading back into town. She headed through an empty
field toward Highway 101. She stood on the asphalt for only a
second taking in the scene. Then Raven started walking south, away
from Tillamook, and hopefully away from the virus. Her backpack
slung across one shoulder and a walking stick that she had made out
of a broken shovel handle. Raven could sense that she was heading
in the right direction.
It was midday already. The sun was hiding behind the clouds, but it
was still very hot. Raven had taken off her long sleeve shirt and
rolled up her jeans. The t-shirt she was wearing had been white
when she stole it out of Grubner’s Department Store. It was grey
now and dotted by darker grey blotches. Raven could hear her
mother telling her not to go outside looking like that as she walked.
It was comforting. She hadn’t heard her mother’s voice in months.
Both of Raven’s parents were taken in the first wave.
In those first few months there was still hope. Bill and June Hepford
smiled and air hugged their daughter, to avoid passing germs, as
they boarded a bus for the Recovery Center. The centers were
opening all over the country and it was against the law to stay
amongst the general population once you started showing
symptoms. Raven remembered smiling back at them. She wanted to
be brave and show them that she would be okay. In her heart she
knew they were never coming back.
As Raven walked down the middle of the two lane highway
everything seemed very surreal. It was completely empty. There was
no traffic and no movement in any of the houses that she passed.
Raven had travelled this road many times. Her aunt lived in
Cloverdale. No one in Tillamook seemed to know anything about
how other communities were dealing with the virus. Raven hoped
that she could just walk down the road for maybe a day or two and
find a thriving community of survivors, and maybe even catch up
with her friends.

Her head cocked to the left as a low humming

came from off in the distance somewhere. It
was coming from the North. It definitely wasn’t
any of the vehicles that Travis and the others
had taken. The military collection of the
Tillamook Air Museum didn’t have any small
quiet cars in it. Raven could still hear the deep
rumblings of the heavy trucks that had left her
to die in the dusty old hanger that was now a
museum.
The compact car was whining under the weight
of a metal trailer. Raven wasn’t sure what she
should do. There had been reports of looters
roaming the highways. She had personally
never seen any of them, but she really wasn’t
ready for that to change. Raven felt much better
than she had days ago, but she was still feeling
weak. Her body was running mainly on
crackers, she had granola bars too, but she was
trying to conserve them so she only ate one per
day.
As the car got closer Raven decided to get off
the road and take cover in the trees. There was a
small farm house in sight and she could see the
winding Tillamook River was just to the south
of her hiding spot. As she weighed her options
in her head, Raven dropped to the ground when
she heard the brakes squeak in front of her.
Three men got out of the small car. Two were
all big men, over six feet tall and well-muscled,
their faces were covered in bumps and weird
scars. A shorter man with a screeching voice
was barking orders. The men all had the same
splotchy, reddened skin.
The driver’s dark, scraggly hair was blowing in
the breeze as he walked up to the farm house.
He kicked the front door in without even
breaking stride. The looters made quick work of
the house. Raven cringed with every crash of
broken glass as the fast moving crew slammed
and banged their way through the small house.
The thieves loaded their treasures onto the
wagon before pulling away.
As they pulled away Raven decided it would be
safer to follow the river. She didn’t want to run
into any more trouble. She waited for a while
after hearing the car pull away. The sun was
high in the sky as she finally stood up from
behind the bush. The river bank was covered in
thorny brush that cut at Ravens jeans and shirt.
She was trying to find a clear spot to walk, but
the path was not often travelled. Raven could
feel the tiny cuts all over her body as she
pushed through the brush.
The smell was the first thing that Raven
noticed. It was hard to really see the dark brown
cabin in the dim light of the woods. It was pine
burning in that fire. Raven had always loved the
smell of a pine fire. The brush seemed to
disappear the closer you got to the cabin. Raven
wanted to go and get some food, but she wasn’t
sure what was going to come up against if she
knocked on that door.
“Grrrrr!” The snarling sound of an angry dog
caught Raven’s attention. She had risked
walking closer to the cabin to avoid the thorns,
but Raven had given herself away. She turned
around to talk to the dog and found herself face
to face with the long snout and greyish fur of a
timber wolf. It was the biggest she had ever
seen.
Raven had been through outdoors training. Her
parents had sent her to take survival courses in
Portland. They thought that living so close to
nature their daughter needed to know how to
take care of herself in the woods. Raven knew
what to do. First you should make a lot of noise.
Second you never turn your back to the wolf,
and don’t try to out run it. The third thing to
remember is that you never show fear. Raven
knew all of this.
Raven couldn’t remember any of her training as
she ran for the door of the cabin. It was 30 feet
and the wolf should have caught her, my fear
must have super-charged my legs. Raven
thought as she slid down the inside of the door
and sat on the floor of the cabin. The door had
been left open, but the heavy steel door had
nearly taken off Raven’s leg as she ran past it.
The pain had been delayed by fear. It wasn’t
until Raven got the door closed that she realized
what had happened to her leg.
It was purple and swelling fast, Raven tried to
put pressure on the knee, but the shooting pain
was heading right up her thigh and into her
back. She moved across the floor trying not to
move the leg. There was a fridge in the
kitchenette. Hopefully I can find some ice,
Raven thought as she slid along the plywood
floor.
“Ahhhhh!” Raven screamed as she tried to
stand up. The freezer on the top of the fridge
was too high to reach any other way. She took a
few deep breaths. Then in the middle of a really
deep inhale Raven pushed herself up and
opened the door. She grabbed the door of the
fridge for support and grabbed some ice out of
the freezer. Raven grabbed a tea towel that had
been left out and put the ice inside.
On one leg with the injured knee up off the
floor, Raven started hopping over to the bed.
The cabin was all one giant room. Even the
bathroom was open concept. There was a little
oriental blind in front of the toilet. Raven was
hopping for the bed when her shoe caught on a
rough spot in the plywood.
“Got you,” Raven felt the strong arms wrap
around her. She tried to scream, but her voice
was gone. She stared wide eyed at the dark hair
and bronze skin of the cabin’s owner. She was
trying to read his face. He didn’t seem happy to
see her. “Are you okay?” He had lifted her into
his arms and was carrying her toward the bed.
Raven tried to avoid eye contact with the man
who was so easily carrying her across the room.
He was at least 30 with a little wisp of grey
behind his right ear. He set Raven down and
helped her get the ice into place. “You’re cut,”
he said as he looked at the lines running through
Raven’s jeans. The blood was seeping through
the fabric. None of them were very deep, but
they were starting to sting.
“It’s nothing,” Raven mumbled to her feet as
the man went to the cupboard in his bathroom
and pulled out alcohol and band-aids.
“You have to stay to the trails around here,” the
man said. He seemed concerned, but also
annoyed. “Those thorns will get you every
time.”
“I think it will be fine,” Raven was trying to
stop the man who was now rolling up her pant
legs. As she did he grabbed her arm and rolled
up the sleeve. He poured the rubbing alcohol
right on to her arm. The pain was nothing
compared to her knee, but Raven tensed her
face and started blowing on it like her mother
used to when she cleaned out Raven’s cuts.
“It hurts because of the infection,” the man
laughed. “You don’t need to fight me, I am just
trying to help.”
“I don’t know you,” Raven answered. She still
could not meet the man’s gaze.
“My name is Jordan,” The man said as he rolled
up the other sleeve and poured more rubbing
alcohol onto his guest. Jordan didn’t seem to
mind that his bedroom floor was getting
covered in rubbing alcohol. Raven wanted to
move away, but her knee was still very sore.
She was still feeling very shaken up from the
wolf and everything else that had happened that
day. Jordan didn’t seem deterred, he just kept
treating Raven’s scratches.
“Oww!” Raven yelped as the alcohol spilled
over her shin.
“Sorry,” Jordan smiled. He seemed to be
enjoying Raven’s reaction to the burning fluid.
“What’s so funny?” Raven finally found her
voice. She was starting to relax as she watched
the kind stranger padding her wounds.
“This is funny,” Jordan shrugged. “I haven’t
seen another person in almost six months, and
now I am here treating the wounds of a woman
who won’t even look at me.” Raven’s eyes shot
up at Jordan’s. The young woman was
embarrassed by how scared she was in that
moment. The whole situation made her feel like
a wildebeest being nursed by a lion, or maybe a
deer and a wolf? Either way the whole situation
made her feel uncomfortable. How had Jordan
even gotten into the house without her hearing
him?
“I’m sorry,” Raven tried to maintain eye
contact. This was the first time she had really
looked at Jordan. He was older than Raven, but
the man had a lean face with broad shoulders.
His eyes were the colour of sea ice, and with his
dark hair looked as if it were shining. Raven
was mesmerized for a moment by his striking
features. “I was startled by a wolf, and I am a
little worried that you are going to kill me.”
“Ha!” Jordan burst out. “I could see that.”
Jordan had finished cleaning the cuts on
Raven’s shins and he looked at the beautiful
young woman before him with a little smile.
“Now, how are we going to get to those cuts?”
Raven looked down at her thighs. The jegging
she had stolen from Maclaren’s department
store were too tight to raise the legs any higher
and there were was all kinds of blood seeping
through cuts that ran almost as high as her
waist. Raven looked back at Jordan who had a
very wide smile glide across his face. “I can
take care of that.”
Jordan smiled and handed Raven the bottle of
rubbing alcohol. “You can use the bathroom.”
Raven felt like a toy with the way Jordan could
carry her around. He simply picked her up and
put her down in a claw foot bath tub that was
over near the bathroom.
“I can’t do it here,” Raven looked at Jordan
incredulously. There was nothing blocking her
from the stranger’s view.
“Don’t worry,” Jordan said. “I need to take
myself for a walk anyway.” Jordan walked over
and grabbed a pair of jogging pants from a
shelf. “They have a draw string.” Jordan
shrugged. “Alright holler if you need me.”
Raven watched Jordan disappear out of the
door. Isn’t he worried about the wolf? Raven
wondered as she eased her tight pants down
over her stinging cuts and massively bruised
knee. The jeggings had actually been providing
some support and constriction on the swelling
knee. Taking the pant off it seemed as though
Raven could see her own knee doubling in size.
She got the ice right back in place.
The young woman treated the cuts on her thigh
and then looked at the pants. The bottom of the
tub was covered in alcohol and she really
couldn’t get herself out of the tub to put them
on. “Alright come in.” Raven heard a loud thud
against the side of the cabin. It sounded as if
Jordan had been a little too eager and forgotten
to open the door before trying to walk through.
Raven couldn’t help but laugh. Jordan walked
in holding his head. He had also managed to
lose his shirt.
“What, why would you have even taken it off?”
Raven knew that it wasn’t too hot outside and
the woods were lousy with mosquitoes at this
time of year. Jordan just shrugged and bent
down to lift Raven out of the tub. She could feel
the blush rising in her cheeks as his skin rubbed
against her thighs. Jordan’s toned arms and
chest led down to an eight pack of muscle on
his stomach. Raven had put her arms around the
man’s neck and she tried to be casual as she let
one hand fall along Jordan’s chest and down
onto his chiseled abs.
Jordan didn’t say a word about it. He knew
what she was doing, he had misplaced his shirt
on purpose, but as he saw the look in her eyes
and felt her hand running along his skin Jordan
started to feel a wave of nerves come over him.
It had been a long time since he had been in
contact, let alone in any type of relationship
with another human being. The sickness, even
in this remote location had taken its toll. Jordan
was not the man that he used to be, and he was
not sure that he could control himself around
another human being. Jordan eased Raven down
onto the bed.
“I’ll grab the pants,” Jordan walked away.
Raven followed with her eyes. She was starting
to feel much more at ease.
“I think I’ll be okay,” Raven said as she took
the ice from Jordan’s hand, but not the pants. It
wasn’t cold in the cabin. The warmth from the
fire made the small room seem deliciously cozy.
“I am so sorry about barging in like this,” the
young woman still had red in her cheeks as she
started to explain. “There was a wolf outside.”
“Yeah, he’s always around,” Jordan shrugged.
“He seems pretty harmless.”
“Well, I’m sure he doesn’t bother you,” Raven
felt like a southern debutante as she heard the
words coming out of her mouth. All she needed
was a big hand fan and a corset crushing her
ribs. I do declare, you are the manliest man that
I have ever seen, Raven thought to herself in a
southern accent the whole sequence in her mind
ended with her falling on to a fainting couch.
The whole situation reminded her of “How
Long,” a game that Raven and her best friend
from high school Lucy Carmichael had made
up. They would take turns suggesting scenarios
and then they would decide how long you had
to wait to sleep with the guy before you were
labelled easy. They had decided that in war time
it was at least a weekend, on the front lines,
while if you were on a sinking ship you could
just choose whoever you wanted and go at it.
They had definitely talked about virus
outbreaks, but Raven was having trouble
remembering how long she was supposed to
wait.
“I have some ointment,” Jordan said. Raven
cocked her head to the side. “For the stinging…
in your legs, the stinging in your legs.” Jordan
walked over and sat on the bed with a cookie tin
in his hands. He took the top off and released a
horrid stench into the air. “A Pawnee shaman
made it for me.”
Raven could tell the ointment was going to take
the pain away, because the smell was going to
make her pass out. As Jordan rubbed the cream
onto the cuts the stinging subsided almost
immediately. Starting at the ankles and working
his way up the leg. Raven was watching the
way Jordan moved the whole time. The young
woman liked to watch his large hands moving
gently along her legs. Jordan looked up to ask a
question and Raven lunged at him. She grabbed
the back of his neck and kissed him furiously.
She bit down on his lip, a little harder than she
had meant to, because of the pain in her knee.
Raven ran her hands all over Jordan’s muscled
body. He was shaped like a nail with broad
shoulders and a small waist. Jordan used one
arm to lift her and move Raven further onto the
bed. She could feel his muscular thighs against
her very sensitive legs. Raven could also feel
Jordan’s manhood growing against her as he
held her close.
Jordan moved his hand off her thigh and went to
grab Raven’s neck. “Whoa!” They both yelled
as the smell hit them. Their eyes were watering
as Jordan put his hand back on Raven’s thigh.
“Sorry,” Jordan laughed. “I forgot what I was
doing.” Raven laughed too. Jordan sat up and
finished putting the ointment on the cuts and
then helped Raven get the jogging pants on. He
stood up and went to put the ointment back in
the cupboard. What are you doing? He
wondered to himself. There was no way that he
could start a relationship, not with everything
that had happened to him.

“They just left you?” Jordan said as Raven

finished her story. She was a little upset that
Jordan had not come back to lay beside her after
washing the ointment off of his hand. They had
been talking for hours about the epidemic and
life, but Jordan was sitting on the other side of
the bed.
“I was really sick too,” Jordan admitted. “I
came here, because I didn’t want to infect
anyone else.”
“But you seem fine,” Raven could tell that
Jordan was healthy. The sick and dying that she
had seen had turned awful colors and were
disfigured by the virus.
“The shaman who gave me that ointment told
me how to get over the disease.” Jordan looked
nervous as he told the story. “He told me too
find a wolf and stab it,” Raven seemed shocked,
but really with all of the people she had seen
die, killing a wolf didn’t seem like a huge deal.
“I had to drink the wolf’s blood while his heart
was still beating. It was horrible.” Jordan was
making a gagging face even as he told the story.
“It seemed to work though.”
“So why haven’t you gone back?” Raven
wanted to know. She liked being in the woods,
but she wasn’t sure if she could ever live in
them.
“There are some complications,” Jordan said.
Now he was the one that couldn’t meet Raven’s
eyes. “Once I get everything under control…”
Jordan just let his voice trail off. Raven knew
she wanted to know more, but she could see the
subject made Jordan uncomfortable. For the rest
of the night Raven could see something was
eating at him, but he wouldn’t talk about it.
“I am sure we can share the bed without
sleeping head to foot.” Raven protested as
Jordan got ready for bed. He was turned
towards her, but he chose not to respond. Jordan
closed his eyes. He could feel Raven roll over
and he started breathing easier. Then she started
rubbing herself against Jordan. The slow
rhythmic motion was driving him crazy.
Jordan tried to hold it together. He had gotten
over the virus weeks ago, but he was still
getting used to the changes that it had brought
on. Getting too worked up, whether it was
excitement, anger, or lust, it all seemed to have
the same result. When he lost control the wolf
took over. He didn’t want to hurt anyone. That
was why Jordan had stayed away from people.
Now this beautiful young woman was lying in
his bed, and Jordan wasn’t sure if he could stay
human through the whole experience. He
wanted to find out, but he knew that was selfish.
Jordan watched Raven’s hips as they moved.
The beast was stirring in the man’s chest. He
traced the curve of the hip with his fingers.
Raven could feel shivers running down her
spine. She let out a moan as she continued to
grind against Jordan’s thighs. He sat up. Raven
turned and tried to sit up. Her leg was still
bothering her when she tried to move fast.
“I have to go,” Jordan said as he took off out the
door. He almost didn’t make it. The wolf was
busting free as he reached the door. Jordan was
pretty sure Raven hadn’t seen him shift. The
door was most of the way closed when it
happened.
Raven hadn’t seen anything. She had laid back
on the bed in a huff as soon as Jordan had
walked out the door. The young woman thought
that her companion was trying to be chivalrous.
Or maybe he just isn’t into me? She thought to
herself lying alone in the dark. Raven tossed
and turned for a while before finally falling
asleep.
When she woke up Raven was still alone. Her
knee felt much better. The cuts on her legs had
already started to heal. They were very itchy,
but it was a huge improvement over how they
felt the day before. Raven got out of bed and
tested different amounts of pressure on her leg.
It was still a little sore, but she could limp
around and get to where she needed to go just
fine.
Jordan came in carrying a load of wood for the
fireplace. He could barely look Raven in the
eye. “How are you feeling today?” It looked as
though he was asking the wood.
“Much better thank you.” Raven answered
coldly. She wanted to make sure Jordan knew
that she was angry. Jordan didn’t respond, he
just put the wood down and went outside to get
more. As he walked out the door Raven noticed
that his shirt was ripped along the back. She
knew that it hadn’t been torn the night before. It
was not a clean tear. The fabric was stretched
and torn open in a couple of different places.
When Jordan came back in with another load of
wood he dropped it and turned on Raven with a
very serious look in his eyes. “I need you to
leave,” he said taking in a deep breath as though
it hurt him to say the words. Raven gasped and
tried to respond, but Jordan talked over her. “It
isn’t safe for you to be here,” Jordan wasn’t
making eye contact. He had grabbed the back of
a chair and he was staring right at the floor. “I
might still be carrying the disease and…”
“I have already been left for dead,” Raven
couldn’t wait any longer to have her say. “There
is nowhere to hide from this virus. I am as safe
here as I am anywhere else.” Raven started to
walk away, but then she turned back and said,
“I’m staying!”
Jordan walked back outside. He was clearly
frustrated, but he knew that he couldn’t kick
Raven out yet anyway. She was not well enough
to walk. She needed at least another day to heal
up before she could start walking again. Jordan
was scared. He didn’t want to hurt her. He also
knew that Raven was right. There weren’t many
safe places left in the world. The virus had
spread everywhere and there was no escaping it.
Jordan walked down to the river and cast a few
lines into the water.
He had fish nets set up down river. He checked
them every four hours, but they couldn’t hold
the bigger fish that swam the Tillamook.
Steelhead, Sturgeon, and Coho Salmon, Jordan
had caught them all from his little dock. He
looked out on the water and tried not to think
about the girl who had brought all of this drama
into his life.
“Well, if you are going to give me the boot, you
better teach me how to survive.” Raven could
tell that she was bothering Jordan. She really
meant it, she wanted him to teach her how to
fish, but she liked that it was bothering him. “Is
this how I hold it?” Raven had purposely
grabbed a spare rod by the thin fiber-glass at the
top. The pole nearly snapped as she waited for
Jordan to correct her.
“What are you doing?” Jordan laughed as he
watched the rod bounce in front of Raven’s
face. “Alright, well let’s start with bait,” Jordan
reached down and got a worm out of a small
wooden box that he kept by the dock. Raven
flipped the pole around and took the worm right
out of Jordan’s hand. She had no trouble
touching worms. It was the rusty hook that
really grossed Raven out. She felt the little bits
of oxidized metal coming off on her hand. Her
fingers were a reddish brown as she pulled them
away from the hook.
“Thanks,” Jordan said as Raven wiped her hand
on his shirt. “Now just…” Jordan watched as
Raven cast the worm out into the middle of the
river. “Just cast perfectly into the water like
that.” The older man smiled realizing that he
had been had.
“You’re a good teacher,” Raven’s voice was
laced with sarcasm as she adjusted her line and
set the pole in one of Jordan’s homemade rod
holders. The dock was set up so that he could
have five rods on the go fishing with bait.
Jordan also went fly fishing in the shallows
further down river. Raven had a big smile that
slowly faded as Jordan continued to stare at her.
“What’s wrong?”
Jordan put his hand over Raven’s mouth and
turned her around. A white tail deer had
wandered very close to their camp. Jordan
reached down under the dock and pulled out his
lever-action Marlin 336. “Just stay quiet,”
Jordan tried to move past Raven, but she took
the gun from him.
“I have a better idea,” Raven whispered. “You
stay quiet.” Raven looked through the scope.
The deer seemed completely unaware of their
presence. Raven pumped the lever and then
carefully lined up her shot. She wanted to hit
the deer right in the head and take it down
quickly. Raven had never shot a deer before, but
she wanted Jordan to see how much help she
could be. She was looking for the perfect shot
when she lowered the rifle.
“What’s going on?” Jordan knew that the deer
was going to smell them soon or get spooked.
He kept the rifle right there for a reason. You
always had to ready.
“Look at his neck,” Raven said as she passed
the gun over to the panicking man. Jordan
grabbed the gun and looked through the scope.
“It could just be a tumor, but I think the deer is
infected.” It was horrifying to see how far the
disease was spreading. There was literally no
way to avoid it.
“Yep, the deer is a lumper.” Jordan said as he
fired a shot off into the air. The startled deer
took off, but he was moving so slow. He was
clearly very sick. “Good catch.” Jordan said as
he put the gun back. “I haven’t seen any fish
with lumps yet, but I’m sure that’s next.” Jordan
sighed. “I miss meat.”
“I miss my parents and living in a place where
everything isn’t trying to kill you.” Raven said
trying to make light of Jordan’s carnivorous
lamentations.
“I know there’s a lot worse things in the world,”
Jordan smiled, “I get that, but I have been
eating nothing but fish for months now, and I
need a break.”
“Try living on granola bars and crackers,”
Raven laughed.
“I’ll stick with the fish.”
They fished and laughed for hours on the dock.
Raven even volunteered to clean the fish after
they had hauled their catch into the cabin.
Jordan went off to check his nets. Raven
watched him disappear through the trees before
she started making the gagging faces that she
had been wanting to make the whole time. She
had no problem with worms, but guts was a
whole different story. Raven’s father had been a
fisherman and this was not the first time that
Raven had cleaned a fish.
“Why would I ever volunteer to do this?” Raven
wondered aloud as she dug her knife into
another fish belly. There were still three fish left
to clean when Jordan dumped five smaller fish
into the bucket. He smiled as he sat down next
to Raven and ripped into a one of his new fish.
“This seems like a lot of fish.” Raven said
trying to keep a straight face and breathe
through her mouth.
“You have to catch whatever is running,” Jordan
said as he tried to dig out a small piece of fish
gut with his finger nail. “If you don’t keep
everything then you are in trouble when they
stope biting. Raven understood, but it didn’t
make things any easier.
She managed to make it through the fish
cleaning without throwing up, or even making
too many gagging sounds. Jordan seemed
impressed. It was hard for Raven to understand
what was going on. They clearly got along very
well. She could feel his excitement the night
before, but Jordan was definitely keeping his
distance.
“So am I invited to stay for dinner?” Raven
asked. She was not making things easy for
Jordan. He had after all tried to kick her out
earlier, but she felt like she could sense a
change in his attitude. She had shown him her
skills and they had been laughing and talking all
day. As mad as she had been with Jordan at
different points of the day, Raven could feel
herself falling for the enigmatic man.
“Of course,” Jordan smiled, “You can wait until
your leg feels better.” He could tell that Raven
was disappointed by that statement. She walked
into the kitchen and started looking for the pots
and pans that she needed. Raven was not trying
to further ingratiate herself to her host. She was
past that. If Jordan couldn’t see how much help
she would be than forget him. Raven liked to
cook.
Angry cooking always made the food taste
better. It was something that she had noticed
over the years. Being in the on again off again
whatever you want to call it with Travis and
many other relationship woes, it somehow
seemed to help with her skills in the kitchen.
This bout of angry cooking was made even
worse by the pain in her knee. Raven was still
limping a bit as she walked. Most of the
swelling had gone, but the knee was still a
bright purple. Raven slammed a frying pan
down onto the counter, it was time to cook.
The fish was delicious. Jordan had brought in
what he called a “Scrounger’s salad.” It was a
mix of roots and leaves that grew naturally in
the area. It was horrible. Jordan had run out of
salad dressing months before. The crunchy,
leafy tasteless mass was loaded with vitamins
and minerals, and Raven tried to keep
reminding herself of that fact as she tried to
swallow the bizarre salad.
“This is actually the root of a sapling,” Jordan
said as he explained the different parts of the
salad. It really didn’t help with the taste, but
Raven wanted to learn everything she could
about living off the grid. It seemed like the best
idea, considering the grid was not really an
option anymore.
Raven sat across the table half listening to what
she really saw as the perfect man. He was
strong, handsome, he knew how to live in the
forest, and he was not covered in strange lumps
and deformities. The worst part was that clearly
they were compatible. They had just had a great
day together. The only problem was that for
some unknown reason Jordan wanted Raven to
leave. Raven needed to know why, it was
driving her crazy.
“I will clean,” Jordan said as he grabbed the
plates and walked over to the sink. Raven
watched as he carefully scrubbed the plates and
soaked the pots and pans. It was her dad’s
favorite part of doing dishes, leaving things to
soak. He would always say that. Raven would
come into the kitchen a few hours later and see
her mother doing the dishes. It wasn’t too long
before Raven started doing it to. Dishes became
a game of chicken, “Who can go the longest
with dirty dishes in the sink?” Her father would
ask with a devilish smile on his face.
“Are you okay?” Jordan’s voice brought Raven
back to reality. She could feel the tears running
down her face. She had been staring into the
soapy water and crying, but it felt so good. She
had been so focused on the bad memories lately.
Raven threw herself at Jordan and wrapped her
arms around him. She didn’t care who it was,
she needed a hug. To her surprise Jordan
wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top
of her head. Raven could feel a real warmth in
the hug.
When she finally let go Raven looked at Jordan,
but he was already moving out the door. It was
hard to tell because he had moved so fast, but it
looked like he was crying. Raven wiped her
eyes and started washing the dishes. As she
washed the dishes she actually felt a closer
connection to her parents. It was a disturbing
trend. She was already doing all the cooking
and cleaning. I better leave this cabin before I
become his maid, she thought.
Jordan returned with another load of firewood.
The tinder box beside the fireplace was
overflowing already when he dropped the new
load beside it. Raven smiled to herself. She
knew that he had been crying. “I think we have
enough now,” Raven smiled, but Jordan didn’t
even respond he walked over to finish the
dishes.
“I would have done them,” Jordan said as they
argued about the true intentions behind letting
the dishes soak. “I also believe in letting things
air dry.” Jordan said with a little laugh. “Thank
you,” the dark haired man sat down and rolled
his neck back and forth. He was clearly trying
to work out a kink I his neck.
Raven slid her hands onto Jordan’s shoulders
and started to knead at the muscles. Likely
carrying too much firewood, Raven chuckled to
herself. Jordan relaxed his muscles and leaned
his head back against Raven’s chest. Raven
decided to stop worrying about the mixed
signals. They are very comfy, Raven had C-cup
breasts, and they seemed to work well as
pillows. She had noticed that many men had
laid their heads against her breasts over the
years. Raven focused on the back rub.
“Do you need one?” Jordan asked when Raven
moved away from the chair.
“I wouldn’t let you touch me with a ten foot
pole,” Raven said playfully as she started
walking away. Jordan leaned over backwards
and grabbed the young woman’s slender waist
without getting off the chair. Unfortunately, he
had stretched too far backwards and the chair
tipped over. They landed in a pile on the floor.
They were face to face. Inches from each other,
Raven wanted Jordan to make the first move.
“I could use another back rub,” Jordan said as
he tried to get up off the floor. Raven pushed his
hands away and used the fallen man to push
herself to standing. When Jordan tried to get up
the second time Raven stepped over him to
walk outside.
The stars were alive in the sky. Even through
the thick forest canopy Raven could see them
twinkling brightly in the night sky. The moon
was high in the sky as well. “Full moon,”
Jordan said as he walked up beside Raven. It
was an amazing sight to behold. She allowed
herself to rest against Jordan’s muscular chest.
She could feel washboard abs through the tight
t-shirt.
Shooting stars crossed the sky. It was almost
possible to forget that there was a virus out
there that seemed to be eating the world from
the inside out. The giant viruses that had been
released from the permafrost, and spread on
arctic winds were now even effecting the animal
populations. It didn’t seem too far fetched since
most of these viruses came from a time before
human beings existed. They were clearly very
adaptable. The viruses had survived for millions
of years. They had simply been waiting for
some moron to come along and disturb their
slumber.
Raven thought about the colossal stupidity that
had caused their current situation, it came as no
surprise to her that it happened. As she stared at
the vast cosmos before her, Raven could see the
complexity of the universe around her. Man was
forever trying to prove that he is the master of
nature and nature was forever standing right
there to prove him wrong. How could anyone
believe that there wouldn’t be consequences for
destroying an entire ecosystem?
Raven tried not to think about it. It was not like
she had done anything to try and stop what was
happening. Raven had always laughed at her
friends who got involved in causes. She had
never been politically active or socially aware.
Raven knew that she was part of the problem,
and that she should have done more, but it all
seemed pointless now. There was no going
back, Raven decided she needed to focus on
what she could control.
Raven watched a white trail dart across the sky
and smiled. Nothing ever mattered when you
stared up at the stars. Raven was always in awe
when she looked at the night sky. She wanted to
ask Jordan about what was bothering him and
why she couldn’t stay, but she didn’t want to
ruin the perfectly good moment that they were
having. Instead she grabbed Jordan’s arm and
wrapped it around herself. Jordan took his other
arm and put it around Raven as well.
As it got later Raven could feel a chill in the air.
She headed inside the cabin. “Are you
coming?” She asked Jordan who didn’t move.
“No, I am going to sleep out here.” Jordan said
as he pulled out a canvas chair and plopped it
down on the porch. “I’m okay out here,” Jordan
reassured his guest. “I am just going to take a
little run. I have to check my nets and stuff.”
“Yeah, okay,” Raven said as she walked back
inside without turning back. She was trying to
remind herself that she was done worrying
about what was going on with Jordan. The fact
was that Raven was a strong, independent
woman. There was no way that she needed a
man, or anyone, to help her survive. Raven took
off her shoes and then wrapped herself up in the
blankets. It was time for sleep.
The wind was starting to pick up and it sounded
like rain was just starting to fall. Raven wasn’t
used to the noises in the cabin yet. She tried to
drown everything out and just get some sleep.
She started thinking about Jordan out on the
cold rainy night. Raven knew that he would be
back in an hour or so, but she would sleep a lot
better when Jordan got back.
The door burst open and Raven looked up to
see, three strange men coming in the door. “I
told you I saw a fire back here,” a squeaky
voice was saying as they started to look around.
There was no place to hide. Raven tried to get
under the bed. It was futile, but she had to try.
She was sure that they had seen her.
The short man who had been speaking saw her
first, “How are you this evening?” The man
sounded very polite for a home invader, “Boys
we have company.” Raven watched the feet in
the room as they moved over toward her. A big
pair of hands pulled her out from under the bed
and dropped her onto the mattress.
As they moved closer Raven noticed the bumps
and stretched skin. These men were clearly
infected. The lumpers were already scary to
look at, but the way they walked toward Raven
and the looks that passed between the three
strange men made the young woman feel as
though she could sense their stares crawling
over her skin. She wrapped herself in the
blanket.
They had the exit blocked off. Raven knew that
there was no escape. Even if Jordan got back,
there wasn’t much that he could do about it. He
was only one man. Raven laid back on the bed
and got ready to kick the first man who stepped
into range.
“You got this all wrong sweetie,” the short man
seemed to be the leader. He looked as if he
thought he was going to convince Raven that
she was going to enjoy this experience. The
other two men didn’t make a sound. They were
each about a head taller than the talker. One had
short mouse-brown hair, he had a hugely
distended abdomen, but his arms solid muscle.
The other man had red hair, and was built a lot
more like Jordan, his biggest lump was what
looked like a giant mole, the size of a softball,
popping off of his arm.
Where are you Jordan? Raven thought as the
men got closer. She started to think about things
that she could tell the intruders. Like that the
place was owned by a biker gang and they
would be back any minute. She was still
thinking as the two taller men lunged at her.
Missing the brown haired man entirely, Raven
donkey kicked the red head. He went flying
backwards grabbing his nose. The fat man had
been expecting his buddy to grab the other arm,
but the skinnier man was trying to put pressure
on his bleeding nose.
Raven used her free hand to smack and punch at
the fat man. The short man was laughing too
hard to be of much use. “I told you guys this
would be fun,” the short man laughed. His
sickening voice was really starting to grate on
Raven’s nerves. As she rained down blows on
the intruders head, Raven kept focusing Jordan.
She didn’t know why, but she felt like she was
really communicating with Jordan.
“Will somebody grab her other arm!” The fat
man shouted. The short man laughed as he
climbed on top of Raven and put a knee onto
her arm. As the short man started to undo his
pants a familiar low rumbling growl came from
behind.
“Uh, guys,” The red head sounded frightened as
he tried to get someone’s attention. The fat man
turned around first.
“Whoa,” he yelled as he let go of Raven and
backed away. “Who left the door open?” The
brown haired seemed more annoyed than
scared, but his face gave away the fear that he
felt.
“Okay, so we are all going to move forward.”
The short man said. “If we stick together
everything will be fine.”
“Awwwoooooo!” The wolf let out its baleful
wail. The short man was the only one who
seemed committed to the idea of sticking
together. As soon as the wolf cried out the taller
men ran. The short man was left to deal with the
snarling wolf. Fur standing on end the wolf
looked much bigger than the first time Raven
had seen it. The shorter man was looking all
over the room for something to help him deal
with the wolf. He saw a broom near the end of
the bed and he stood up to grab it.
In the confusion the short man had forgotten to
do his pants back up. As the belt dragged the
jeans down to the floor, the short man found
himself falling and rolling. The wolf just
continued to snarl. The man had forgotten all
about the broom and was just trying to run as
fast as he could out the door. The wolf followed
him to the door snapping at his heels.
As they reached the door the wolf started to
stand on his hind legs and his fur started to
recede. Raven found herself staring at a naked
Jordan. He was watching the thieves run away
through the tiny window in the door. Jordan
watched to make sure that they all left, and then
he turned to check on Raven, but she was
already right beside him.
He wasn’t sure how she was going to react. He
had never shifted in front of someone before.
He was about to try and explain everything to
her when she grabbed his face with both hands
and kissed him. It was overwhelming for
Jordan. He was ready to face many different
reactions, but this one he had not anticipated.
Raven led Jordan to the bed and threw him
down on the low mattress. Raven got on top of
Jordan and started to kiss her way down his
body. She stopped to bite at his nipples until
they got hard. Raven could feel another area
getting hard as well. She kissed down Jordan’s
stomach and his waist. Raven licked at his inner
thighs. She could feel Jordan positioning
himself. Trying to move her to where he wanted
more attention, but Raven was only kissing
around the aching appendage.
“I need you,” Jordan whispered, “You will be
mine.”
Jordan took off her pants with one hand. He
stood up with Raven in his arms and her legs
wrapped around him. Jordan felt even bigger
than he looked as Raven felt him push past her
lower lips, deep inside of her.
“Ahhh!” She moaned as she ground herself
against her lover. Jordan was holding her
effortlessly in midair with his face buried in her
chest. Raven had a fist full of Jordan’s black
hair as she felt herself nearing completion.
Their cries filled the room. She could feel
Jordan starting to twitch as well.
The lovers collapsed on the bed. Exhausted and
out of breath, they stayed locked together just
enjoying the feeling of being with each other.
Raven ran her fingers through Jordan’s hair.
Jordan was running his finger along the curve of
her hips. They didn’t talk for what seemed like
hours, but in the very best way. Raven didn’t
want it to stop, but she had too many questions.
“So eating a wolf made you a werewolf?”
Raven asked when she couldn’t keep things
together any longer.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Jordan shrugged. “As soon
as I got over the virus I started to feel different,
but I didn’t know what was going on. I was
along the dock trying to catch some fish. I
hadn’t been well enough to fish in a while so I
was pretty much out of food. I walking between
my lines trying to keep up with the number of
fish that were biting that day when I all of a
sudden I was in the water.
The worst part was that I wasn’t ever human
anymore. I was doing a real doggy paddle. I got
to the shore and it took me over a day to figure
out how to shift back.” Jordan was staring up at
the ceiling. “I have been getting better at it, but
I am not really able to control it one hundred
percent. Yesterday I shifted on the porch twice,
in fact almost every time I left the house
yesterday I turned into the wolf.”
Raven was smiling as she watched Jordan’s face
going through its tortured motions. “I don’t care
about that,” Raven traced the side of the
werewolf’s face with her finger. He was
stunning in the dim light of the cabin, and most
importantly he really cared about her. “You’re
still human, even as a wolf, you didn’t hurt me.”
Raven wrapped Jordan’s arm over her as she
snuggled up with her back against his chest. She
could tell that Jordan was still worried, but now
that she knew what he was worried about,
Raven knew that they could get passed this.
There was a good chance that there was no
place on Earth to escape this sickness, but she
felt like she was already where she needed to
be. She could feel Jordan’s heart beating and
she could feel him breathing. For the first time
in months Raven felt safe, she felt like she was
home.
The sun crept through the cabin window and it
crawled across the floor. Raven was already up.
Her leg was feeling much better. It didn’t even
bother her as she set the table. Raven had made
breakfast, she felt like she was getting the hang
of using the small, testy gas range. Jordan rolled
over, “What are you doing up?” He asked as he
put his feet on the floor and started looking for
pants. “I don’t mind doing some of the
cooking,” Jordan was pulling on a pair of baggy
sweats.
“I know,” Raven smiled as she moved toward
him. Raven kissed Jordan before handing him a
mug of what she hoped was coffee. Raven had
never made it without a coffee maker. Jordan
made a horrible face, but he forced himself to
swallow it.
“Chewy,” he said as he stuck his tongue out and
wiped it off. His tongue was covered in loose
grounds. The rest of the breakfast went much
smoother. Pancakes and pan fried fish were easy
enough. “Well what should we do now?” Jordan
asked.
“I thought we could take a walk by the river,”
Raven said as she watched Jordan trying to
strain his coffee. Raven got up and started
moving things around like she was looking for
something.
“What are you doing?” Jordan was giving
Raven a cock-eyed glance.
“I’m just trying to remember where I put your
leash.” Raven started to laugh as she ran for the
door. Jordan was hot on her heels.
“Woof woof,” Jordan barked as he wrapped
both arms around Raven and started walking
her toward the river.
“Don’t do it!” Were the last words she yelled
before she hit the water.
THE END
A Bride for the Wolf
Chapter 1
My Boston home passed before my eyes, and I squirmed
impatiently, wishing the train could move just a little bit faster. I had
the unpleasant concern that my parents would rise from their
slumber and know exactly where I was. They would somehow be
able to come after me and drag me back home, kicking and
screaming, to marry that awful Mr. Plumb. I shuddered at the
thought of him – he was an old, wealthy man, uglier than sin and
meaner to boot. My mother had been determined to see us wed for
the past year and now that she had Father on board, it seemed there
was nothing left to stop them from sending me off to my doomed
fate.
I clutched the newspaper in my hand and looked down at the ad
I had circled. It seemed to have been placed there just for me. I'd
been desperate to escape the wedding my parents had been planning
without my say. Father and Mother had been busy setting up details
when I saw the paper lying on the doorstep, perfect and crisp. I
normally don't read the paper, but for some reason I felt compelled
to pick this one up. Lucky thing I did, too, otherwise I would have
been Mrs. Plumb, wife of Mr. Robert Plumb of Boston,
Massachusetts within the next few days.
The ad was mysterious and straight forward.
Wanted: Mail Order Bride
I need a wife, but there is no requirement for love or child birth,
and you have the ability to do what you please. All that I ask is that
you grant me the same. My business is my own.
There was an address listed in the Sierra Nevada Mountains,
and I read and re-read the peculiar ad over again, my brain working
fast. If I married the man who had placed it, then I couldn't be
married to anybody else. My doomed fate to Mr. Plumb, who had
known me since diapers and always made me feel a little sick when
he looked at me, would be nonexistent. I would be able to make my
own way, wife of a man who didn't seem to care what I thought of
him or what he did.
I knew Mr. Plumb was much different. He was always seeking
attention and approval from the people around him, especially
women like Mother and I. He, and everybody else it seemed,
thought she and I were the prettiest women they'd ever laid eyes on.
It would have been flattering but for the slew of marriage proposals
that I received, setting my parents on a quest to make sure I was
betrothed to Boston's most eligible bachelor.
Unfortunately, Mr. Plumb was the wealthiest, and he had
known my father for many years. When Father was just a boy,
Plumb had apprenticed him as a banker and done him a great
kindness, launching him into a wealthy career. I grew up in a fine,
luxurious home with a wealthy father and expensive tastes because
of Mr. Plumb's interest in my father. And so when he asked for my
hand, Mother thought it only appropriate to return his kindness by
handing me directly over.
I could tell Father was reluctant, but soon he agreed with
mother's logic. Mr. Plumb would officially be a part of our family,
elevate our level in society, and see to it that I was well-kept. Poor
Father would be devastated when he realized I was gone, but maybe
he would understand how much I hated Mr. Plumb. He hadn't liked
the idea of sending me off to marry him at first, we all knew of the
man's monstrous habits, especially toward women. I doubted he
would question my reason for wanting to escape. The whole thing
gave me a headache the longer I thought about it. Instead, I turned
my thoughts to my destination, a wind of excitement fluttering in
my chest.
The Sierra Nevada Mountains. I had heard many tales of the west as
a girl growing up and had dreamed of going there ever since I was a
child, but I had been so sheltered from anything outside my town
that nothing could prepare me for the realities of country living. I
knew it would be rough and tumble, but that was all part of the
allure. I was excited and confident even though I knew it could be
difficult for me to adjust. Either way, I knew that a life of adventure
and mystery would be better than a lifetime of living out the role as
Mr. Plumb's obedient little wife. That's not the life I imagined for
myself. Instead, I had always longed for adventure, and a chance to
move out from the restrictive life I lead for an opportunity to finally
live on my own terms. That's what the ad had promised.

I had to take the chance that a new life in the mountains would
be better than the life I lived at home. The man I was meant to
marry there might just be better than Mr. Plumb – chances were low
that he could be any worse. I was eager to live the types of stories I
had always heard from travelers and friends of the family who had
been able to enjoy areas of the countryside that I could only dream
of, and decided from that point on to keep my focus on the trail
ahead of me and to never look back.
Chapter 2
I wakened from a deep, unsound sleep to discover that the train
was pulling to a stop in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. My heart
thudded quickly, and I hoped that the man, who signed his letter
with the mysterious initial, “B.,” had received my correspondence
telling him I'd bought the ticket and was on my way. He had mailed
me a letter with the fare for my train ticket and a generous amount
as a stipend, claiming it would be dangerous to travel with any more
money than that and that I would receive my full payment upon
arrival. He was right, of course. A lady traveling alone was just
asking for trouble. I kept to myself and tried to ensure that I
wouldn't stand out, keeping the curtain on my compartment drawn.
Now that I had finally arrived, I felt nervous and briefly
reconsidered the safety of my actions. I had just enough money for a
return ticket back to Boston, but there awaited an even worse fate. I
could take up with a group of hobos and run away, where I didn't
know, but my looks were certain to attract danger to myself in that
scenario as well. I had one last chance to change my mind, or
change my life forever.

I took a shuddering breath and stood on shaky legs, walking

toward the exit of the train with the small suitcase of belongings I
had packed. “B.” had told me I would be provided with plenty of
outfits if I wanted to travel light, and so I'd only chosen the best two
dresses I owned and a few personal affects to bring along with me
on the journey. The bag was light but burdensome, and the
conductor tripped all over himself to help me carry it off the train,
setting it tidily beside my feet as he walked off to tend to other
passengers. His eagerness brought attention once again to my
attractiveness, but I had no time to think anything of it, good or bad,
as I was nearly sick with nervousness.
Suddenly, a clear voice rang out from the crowd.
“Daisy Adams?” he asked, with an intoxicating southern drawl.
Gooseflesh on my arms stood out, though I couldn't put my finger
on why.
I nodded dumbly, unable to locate the face that belonged to the
voice in the crowd. Soon, I was looking into the broad chest of a tall
man in flannel. He looked down at me and I gaped in disbelief at his
kind, handsome face. His eyes were narrow, the brightest shade of
blue I had ever seen. He had a strong and philosophical look about
him. I imagined he spent a lot of time working with his hands and
exploring the stunning scenery of the mountainside. Of all the
people I had imagined meeting when I answered that ad in the
paper, this exceedingly masculine man wasn't even on the charts.
He tipped his hat to me and I saw black locks of hair brushing
his forehead. He wore his hair pulled back in a ponytail behind his
head. He offered his hand to me and I reluctantly took it, unsure of
what to expect. He brought my gloved hand to his lips, and I felt
their warmth press through the fabric. It sent a private little thrill
through me and I felt a flush creep across my cheeks as his face
creased into a smile.
 “Name's Blake, ma'am. Blake Turner. I'm sure glad you got
here safe and sound. Was your trip all right?”
He didn't wait for me to respond before he lifted my suitcase
easily and began moving through the crowd, expecting me to follow.
My eyes roamed his lithe body, thoughts of what brides and grooms
are meant to do on their wedding night fluttering through my mind.
I'd heard plenty about it back home from a bold old woman named
Mabel. My parents didn't much like my keeping her company, but I
loved listening to her sordid tales every chance I got.
“Trip was fine, thank you,” I said, a little frustrated that he
didn't turn around to face me when I spoke to him. It was as if he
had no manners. Still, I could tell he was focused on the task at
hand, and I exhaled deeply, telling myself to try to take everything
one moment at a time.
“Nobody tried to be indecent with you did they?” he asked, his
long strides pausing for a moment.
“No, I kept to myself,” I answered, looking around now that we
had gotten out of the crowd. I froze in my tracks, unable to believe
my eyes. The last twelve hours of nightfall had been too dark to see,
and around six in the morning I'd fallen into my fitful sleep. It was
about four in the afternoon now and suddenly the sky had opened up
to reveal the most incredible landscape I had ever seen. The beauty
of the Sierra Nevada Mountains against a bright blue sky and the
fresh, crisp air suddenly brought tears to my eyes. He hadn't noticed,
thankfully, and I attempted to compose myself as he led me to his
wagon.
The horses stirred when he saw us and he greeted them
cheerfully.
“There's my girls,” he said privately to them, a bright smile
lighting up his face. He put my suitcase in the carriage and helped
me into the seat before climbing in beside me. As I gazed around, I
realized that everybody in the crowd had suddenly gone quiet, and
for some reason they were all watching us. I gave them a confused
but friendly smile, unsure of what to think about their attention.
Blake tipped his hat mysteriously toward the townsfolk, his face
blank, almost challenging. They all avoided his gaze and scattered
back to their own business.
As he stirred the horses into moving, I noticed him shake his
head to himself. He seemed to sense me watching him and turned to
face me.
“You'd think they'd never seen a pretty lady before,” he
laughed. “More to the point, they've never seen one with me, that's
for sure. In fact, I'd never planned on marrying to be honest.”
We rode quietly together as I mulled this over. Finally I
couldn't help but ask.
“They...so do they think you're...strange that way?”

“In what way, darlin'?” he asked.

“You know...” I had heard the word before secretly from Mabel
but had never said it aloud myself. “Homosexual.”
He looked at me for a moment, a puzzled expression on his
face, and then laughed loudly.
“Well aren't you bold? Shoot no! But they do think it's awfully
suspicious that I keep turning down the women folk out here. I'd
like to keep to myself but can't have that happening with everybody
checking in on me all the time, bothering me about my personal
business or asking me when I'll settle down.”
I wondered what exactly his “personal business” consisted of. I
figured that as his wife I would find out soon enough. The thought
gave me butterflies and I pursed my lips expectantly, waiting for my
answer. He had grown quiet for a moment and squinted toward the
horizon before turning back to me.
“Some of the men here don't like me. They see the way their
wives or daughters look at me. Treat me like some kind of a threat. I
figure that with you here, their worries will simmer down some.
Maybe they can put their hackles down and stop worrying I'll snatch
up one of their girls and stop targeting me for their anger quite so
much.”
Looking at Blake I could see why the men would be fearful.
Not only was he was unbelievably good looking, but beneath his
ruggedly handsome looks he also seemed to have a gentle tone and
temperament that any woman would love. But he didn't want love,
that's what the ad had said. I was just there for appearances, and I
could keep to myself and do as I pleased. It was an arrangement I
could certainly be happy to work with.
I began to look forward to the journey ahead of me, and leaned back
in my seat to enjoy the open air as we rode in Blake's wagon toward
his home.
Chapter 3
“Welcome to my humble home," Blake said with a nervous smile.
“We're not man and wife yet, so you can stay in the guestroom.
After that, we can figure out what to do, depending on how you're
comfortable. We can just pretend to stay in the same room if
company is over. That way you can just get settled into the
guestroom and have your privacy and I'll have mine. I built it for
whoever answered that ad. Since I promised your freedom, I intend
to stay true to my word. That's the proper thing to do."
I smiled privately to myself, happy that I was with such a
gentleman. If I had been married to Mr. Plumb, I knew that having
my own bedroom would not be an option. I would be forced to
spend all my time around a man who wanted me all to himself. That
would have been the most miserable thing on earth for me, so I was
glad to know that Blake was different.
“Just so you know, I cook for myself. But if you'd like, I would like
to make dinner for the both of us tonight. I'm sure it's been a long
trip. You can eat however you like, or you can feel free to join me.
We can be friends, we don't just have to be strangers since are going
to be living together and all. I don't mind getting to know you. I just
don't want to make you uncomfortable or blur the lines.”
“All right, sounds pleasant," I said to him as I looked around.
His home was exactly the kind of place I had pictured during all of
my fantasies about the West. It looked as if he had built it himself,
and it was large and spacious but small enough to be cozy at the
same time. There was a big common room with two bedrooms built
across from each other. He had cut large windows into the side of
the walls so that we could look out over a beautiful mountain view
no matter where we were in the room. He had settled in the prairies
at the foot of a large mountain and had the best of both worlds in his
area. The atmosphere felt warm, as if I were home already. Inside it
smelled like cedar wood and I noticed a small pile of logs by a black
iron woodstove that was used for heating and cooking.
“Do you mind doing chores, Daisy?" Blake asked me.
“Of course I don't mind doing chores," I told him indignantly. I had
done plenty of chores at home, mostly helping mother with the
sewing. I figured that was all he had in mind.
“How about you stoke the fire and get it roaring so we don't freeze
to death tonight?" He said. “I'll start supper while you do that.”
I opened and closed my mouth, my heart fluttering in panic. I had
never started a fire before. But of course if a man was able to do it, I
could do the same. All I had to do was figure out how. Blake
disappeared out the front door and went down to the cellar to fetch
some food. I had to sit inside with the wood stove trying to figure
out how to start the fire.
I grabbed a poker from the corner and stood there looking at the
wood stove. I picked up a log and tucked it under the other arm, and
then stuffed it into the wood stove. I began poking furiously at it,
trying to remember what my father had done whenever he needed to
start a fire. I had been fairly sheltered in my father's large estate, and
tried my best to make sure to steer clear from anything that could
have been considered man's work. My mother was horrified anytime
I showed an interest in what my father was doing, so I had learned
early on to avoid anything that my mother might scold me for. She
was a very unpleasant woman when she set her mind to it.
I groaned in frustration as I poked the log with a stick. Nothing was
happening, I was doing something wrong. Suddenly, I heard a low
rumble of laughter coming from behind me. Blake sat down a bag of
potatoes and onions and approached the wood stove.
“What in the world are you doing, girl?" He asked me.
“What's it look like I'm doing?” I snapped. "I'm starting a fire.”
“Not like that you're not," he laughed. "Let me show you how to do
that so that you'll know for next time."
I was humiliated and embarrassed, but his laughter was contagious
and made me feel at ease.
“Don't worry, we all start out not knowing a thing. First of all, that
log is way too big to start anything.”
He pulled the log out and set it beside the wood stove.
“Second of all, I like to hide my fire. Watch."
He took a handful of little sticks that I hadn't noticed beside the log
pile and tossed them inside the wood stove. He took the poker
gently from my hand and began to stab at the ashes, stirring them
around until I saw smoke. The little twigs began to combust and
soon they were burning into a decent sized fire.
“Once the fire gets to be about this size, you can put the log in," he
said, handing the log back to me with a grin.
I nervously approached the wood stove and pushed the log inside,
backing away quickly as ashes rushed out at me. He chuckled that
my apprehension and shook his head.
“I guess I didn't take into account I'd be getting me a city girl," he
laughed heartily. “Don't worry though darling, we'll teach you a
thing or two about country living yet.”
I wasn't sure whether to be offended or flattered by his kindness,
and so I didn't say anything at all.
“Do you know your way around a kitchen?" He asked, gesturing
toward the potatoes. I nodded, and we set to work side-by-side,
peeling and cutting potatoes for supper. It was comfortable but it
was quiet, and neither of us really knew what to do from there. It
was strange being so near to his sturdy, strong body, and we were
working seamlessly together as a team to prepare our meal. It was
strange how comfortable I felt working with him. He made me a
little bit nervous, but more than anything he made me feel very safe
and secure.
When dinner was ready, he led me to a wooden table, unlike any
table I had ever dined at in all my life. It was as if somebody had
chopped a tree in half and set it on some sticks. And it was kind of
dirty. He saw me staring at it, and a worried look flickered across
his face.
“You don't like it, do you?" He asked me, the frown setting deeper
into his face. “We could eat outside if you want. I can make you a
new table. I never mind some fresh air or a chance to work with my
hands."
“It's not that at all,” I lied. “I've just never seen a table like this
before."
“Well don't that beat all," he said, shaking his head. “You're
probably used to something a lot better than all of this."

He gestured toward his home, seeming to feel a little bit self-

conscious. I suddenly felt terrible and gritted my teeth. I wish I
hadn't looked at the table at all or had any of those cruel thoughts
about how many meals may have been spilled all over the wooden
surface.
“I love it here,” I said firmly to him, looking him straight in the eye.
“It'll just take some getting used to, but I'm willing."
He eyed me for a little while longer before sitting down to eat at the
table.
“I made this one pretty fast," he said. “I never expected anybody
else to eat with me here. I know it doesn't look the best, but I wasn't
trying to make it look good. I was just thinking about functionality.”
“You don't have to defend your work to me," I said, sitting down
and pulling my plate close to me.
I didn't realize how hungry I was until I smelled that food, and I
picked up my fork. As I dug in, I became conscious of Blake's
shoulders shaking silently. At first I wondered if he was crying
about me insulting his table, and I worried that maybe I really had
thrown my lot in with a homosexual. I didn't mind if he was, I just
wished that he would be honest with me about it. Slowly however, I
realized that he was actually laughing.
“I think you'll come to like the country here,” he said. “Even if you
don't know how to make the fire yet, I reckon you'll be able to feed
yourself in no time.”
I gave what I hoped was an evil glare, but we both laughed. I knew
he was right. I didn't follow the same kinds of rules that most of the
girls in Boston did, and I had a feeling that I would begin to love the
country almost as much as Blake did. Whether I was born there or
not, the West felt as if it was my home and I was excited to be able
to express myself freely with somebody who would not have any
expectations of me at all. That wasn't something I could have
experienced with Mr. Plumb, or any other man back home for that
matter. I was very grateful to be in Blake's home that night, and
when he showed me to my bedroom and pulled out extra blankets so
that I wouldn't get cold, I studied his handsome face, wondering just
how close I was going to be with my future husband.
Chapter 4
I was sleeping soundly when a sound startled me. I had been asleep
for about three hours, and it was very late and dark out. I had heard
a loud creaking noise that stirred me from my slumber. For a
moment I couldn't remember where I was, and I had expected to be
in my old bedroom back in Boston. However, the smell of wood
burning and the forest outside was everywhere, and I remembered
with a start that I was in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with a man I
barely knew. A man who was going to be my husband.
I crept out of bed, wondering if maybe he was awake and that was
why I had heard the creaking sound. I looked all around and didn't
see him anywhere. His bedroom door was ajar, swinging on its
hinges as if he had just left. I clung to the doorframe, suddenly
afraid for some reason I could not identify. I walked toward the
entrance of the house and realized that that door was also wide
open. Blake had disappeared into the night, and left me behind alone
in the house. And it was a full moon, too. Wasn't that when all the
craziest things were supposed to happen?
At first I was angry and wondered what he was thinking. Who
leaves a poor defenseless woman who has never been in the country
before alone like that? I was scared, and a shiver ran through my
whole body. Everything was dark and strange, and the rooms that
had been full of light and life while I was awake and eating supper
with Blake now looked ominous and scary in the dark shadows. I
swallowed hard and walked back into my bedroom after I made sure
that the door was latched securely closed. I close the door to my
bedroom and lay down in the Pinewood bed. I closed my eyes and
tried to sleep, but I was too nervous. Eventually though, my
tiredness won out and my fears slipped away, leaving me worn out
and asleep in my bed.
The next morning I was awakened by the smell of breakfast
cooking. My stomach rumbled immediately, and I stood up and
floated toward the smell without thinking twice about where Blake
might've gone. Suddenly, I realized that he had left me alone in the
house that night, but I was safe and sound and he was home, and
everything was okay. I was determined to give him a piece of my
mind, so I marched straight up to him where he was cooking and
stood on my tiptoes to look him in the eye.
“Where on earth did you run off to last night?" I asked him, setting
my jaw in a frown. “You left the door wide open, anything could've
come in to eat me."
His bright demeanor suddenly darkened, and I stepped away, unsure
of what to expect. I knew many men with terrible tempers, and most
of them didn't hesitate from showing a woman her place. Or at least,
what he thought her place should be. Instead of turning on me
though, he didn't answer and stirred the skillet where our eggs and
meat were cooking.
“You don't have to tell me what you're up to, but could you at least
try to close the door after yourself?" I asked him, changing my tone
and trying to soften it to win his favor.
“I'll remember that next time," was all he said.
***

He had big plans for us that day, and took me outside with him, to
the stable where he kept his horses. I wasn't sure what he had in
mind, until he saddled up one of the horses and held his hand out to
me. He wanted me to go for a ride with them.
“You do know how to do this don't you? Rich girls always get to
ride horses, don't they?" He asked, by way of teasing.
“It just so happens that I never showed any interest in horseback
riding and my father was afraid I would get hurt. A young girl we
knew got killed on one of her horses so I was never allowed to go
near them since then.”
“So your parents were a little bit overprotective where they?" He
said with a chuckle. “Horses are not going to hurt you if you know
what to do. Let me show you how it's done.”
“Honestly I'd rather not, I'm kind of afraid."
“Well it's good that you're honest, if you're scared the horses know it
and they get scared even faster. That makes it even more dangerous.
About that girl you knew, I bet she was scared on her horse. But I
bet nobody paid any attention to that did they?”
My mind went back to the girl and her parents, and I knew that he
was right. She had never wanted to be on a horse in the first place,
but they had forced her into it and suffered dearly for that mistake.
“All right then, we're going to do it a little differently," he said,
taking the saddle off of the horse. “I want you to sit this stable for a
while, just you and me and the horses, and will give them a brush so
you guys can get to know each other. Eventually you'll be able to
read them if you start understanding them and not being so afraid.
There's nothing to it really, it's all in your own mind how you do it.”
We spent the morning and early afternoon bonding with the horses,
before he finally decided to put them up to his carriage and take us
both into town.
“Now if these folks say anything to you, you just tell them that
you're my bride-to-be, and that I'm putting you up until were
officially married. We gotta get you the fabric for your dress, and
whatever else you might want. The last thing I want is you going a
single day without something you need, so let's get going before it
gets too late and the stores are closed.”
I had no choice but to agree, and found myself gazing at the
beautiful countryside as he drove his wagon into town. All the
townsfolk stared at us again, just as they had when I first arrived on
the train and climbed into Blake's carriage. What I found most
peculiar was that everybody stared more Blake than they did at me.
Many of them looked at me and shook their heads in disbelief, while
others just glared at Blake. I knew that his stories must've been true.
However, that didn't account for all the women who were glaring at
him as well. Unless he already tried his hand at womanizing, I
couldn't figure out what it was that everybody would hate him for so
much. I didn't want to believe that he was a womanizer, but it would
make sense, wouldn't it? He wanted a woman like me to come and
live with him to keep clear of any blame so that he can continue
being a good for nothing scoundrel who didn't give a hoot about the
vows of marriage.
I felt guilty for having these thoughts in my head while sitting right
next to him, but what else was I supposed to think? Anybody in my
position would have thought the same thing. Still, I didn't think that
this was his secret, but he certainly did have some kind of secret that
he was hiding from me, and maybe everybody else there.
I soon forgot my thoughts and became consumed in shopping with
Blake. He was great company, and he didn't hesitate to spend a
dime. I wondered how he got all this money, but he didn't say
anything about that. I was provided for, and I didn't mind letting him
pay because I figured it would be taken out of what he owed me for
the cost of being his mail order bride. We were done shopping, the
sun was beginning to set and we were laughing together as if we
were already friends. All the thoughts of him being a womanizer
had left my mind, and all I could do was enjoy the moment and wish
that it would never end.
Chapter 5
One thing that I had not counted on when I met Blake was his pride.
The man was just as stubborn as I was, and that was saying a lot.
You would have to be pretty foolhardy to run off on a train to marry
some man you've never met in a place you've never been before,
where danger was high and an animal could come out at you at any
moment and have you for breakfast. I believed I had found my
match the second day we were together, and his stubbornness just
kept on coming and showing itself when I least expected it.
Blake disappeared to do some errands for the day, and I was feeling
very lonely. I wanted to go out to the horses and brush them like he
showed me but I was scared. So instead, I decided to try to
reorganize the furniture in the homestead so that I could feel a little
more comfortable. I never liked how a table can take up all the
space in a room like his did, so I pushed it against the wall and
admired my handiwork. It seemed much better to me, and I liked
seeing the space on the floor. I imagined there was a band playing
and felt happy having room to dance around and twirl in my new
skirt. No man had ever been able to take his eyes off of me when I
danced, and I wondered how Blake would feel if we danced
together. I imagined taking me into his strong arms, and letting his
face break out into the carefree smile that I had come to enjoy so
much.
When Blake came home and saw me twirling through the empty
floor though, that was the end of my fun. His bright blue eyes
hardened and grew fiery, startling me out of my happy dance. I
stopped dancing and said hello, but he didn't say anything back.
Instead, he pushed past me and grabbed the table, pulling it back
into the position where it had been before he left. I watched silently
as he did so, my feelings a little bit hurt.
“It's really cramped in here," I complained. “And don't think this is
because I hate your table. I just like having room on the floor to do
things."
“That's what going outdoors is for,” he said, smoldering. “Why in
the blue blazes would you need to dance on my floor when you have
all that space outside?”
“I just want to make a little room, that's all," I said, frustrated with
him for ruining my fun.
“Just please don't change things in here, I don't like change very
well," he said. “I'd rather it be intentional."
From the way he said this, I got the impression that he wasn't just
talking about his kitchen table. I wanted to give into my stubborn
urge to defend my right to a floor, but instead I found myself
wondering what in the world he might've been talking about. What
changes did he have to go through that were not intentional, I
wondered. For some reason, these secrets reminded me of his
disappearance on the night I had arrived on the full moon. The man
was full of secrets, and I wasn't sure I would ever find any answers.
**
I felt bad about moving his table and upsetting his home, so I
decided to make him some dinner. He left quickly after his little
outburst, and I went through the groceries as we had brought home
from town the day before. I decided to fix him my favorite meal,
hoping that maybe he would like it. I spent the rest of the evening
preparing the food, doing my best to keep the fire lit brightly.
Finally, I heard him come in just as I set the plates on the table.
“Dinner is ready," I said to him.
“Out here we call it supper," he said, sitting down at the table and
looking down at his plate. I saw his nose crinkle and I felt my
stomach drop.
He poked at the food on his plate with his fork before looking up at
me and heaving a heavy sigh.
“What is it?" He asked.
“What do you mean what is it? It's dinner. Why don't you just try
it?”
“Yeah, but what are these little black things?" He asked, pushing his
plate away. He looked at me with his mouth set at a firm line, and I
had the distinct impression that I was about to try to feed a stubborn
toddler.
“It's spices. From Boston. You'll like them, I promise. Just try it!”
He brought a bite of food to his mouth and grimaced dramatically. I
frowned at his display and sat back in my chair, crossing my hands
over my chest. He was chewing with a loud smacking sound and I
lolled my head on my shoulders before looking him in the eye.
“Really, you eat like a wild animal!" I exclaimed.
“And you cook like a city girl!" He replied, his handsome face now
tart and glowering at me.
We glared at each other, the tension between us rising until it was
almost too much to stand. I felt a surge of heat course through my
body, for some reason landing somewhere in my loins. This startled
me enough to want to get out of the situation I was in. I picked up
my plate and stalked away with it, closing myself into my bedroom
so that I could eat dinner alone. I could feel his eyes following me
as I went, and for a brief moment I wondered what he was thinking
before I closed the door and heaved a heavy sigh, wondering what
exactly I had gotten myself into.
Chapter 6
Over the course of the next few months, we butted heads every once
in a while. At least three nights per month, I would find the front
door wide open and Blake would be gone. There was one time after
he had left that I saw huge, muddy pawprints on the floor by the
door. I really gave him the what for for that one, and he looked at
the floor sheepishly, apologizing as he had so many nights before
for leaving the door open. One night, I decided I would sit and wait
up, hoping to catch him when he came home to get some kind of a
clue about what he was doing and where he was going.
I was tired of being left in the dark, and so I hid under the big table,
waiting for Blake to return. I wanted to know what time it would be
to see which direction he might have come back from. I knew I was
being a little bit nosy, but I couldn't handle not knowing what was
going on in what was supposed to be my own house. I waited up for
a long time, until my eyes were heavy with the promise of sleep as
soon as I surrendered to it. Finally, just before sunrise, I heard Blake
at the door. I looked up quickly and saw that he was entering into
the house, completely buck naked.
I had to put my hands over my face to hide my gasp of disbelief. I
couldn't keep my eyes off of him, his perfectly sculpted body was
muscular and lean. It was the first time I had ever seen a man fully
in the nude, and his body was hypnotic. He was more attractive than
I would have ever guessed, and his hair, now reaching his shoulders,
was disheveled. He looked like a wild animal in a way, and he
closed the door quietly behind himself and walked silently into his
bedroom. I watched him go, my eyes roaming him up and down
greedily as a hot sensation I had never felt before stirred me from
my seat on the floor.
I didn't know quite what I was doing until I realized I was not
heading back into my own room. Instead, I was pushing the door
open into Blake's. He was settling into bed and looked at me in
surprise. Neither of us said a word as I approached him, not having
any real plan but just following my instincts. I climbed on top of
him, his body still bare under his sheets, and pushed my aching loins
against his middle. He groaned in pleasure and I kissed him
passionately. I could tell from his thighs buckling against me that he
was attracted to me, and he let his hands roam up and down my
body, resting on my waist.
I'd never been overcome like that before and felt excited to see
where it lead, but after a few more kisses he forced himself to pull
away from me.
“This isn't proper,” he said with a frown. “We're not man and wife
yet. I think you should get back in bed.”
I sighed and rolled over beside him, my hands resting on his chest. I
let them run over his hard, muscular body, and pushed one slowly
down until it was between his thighs. The heat he was giving off
gave me a thrill, and I gripped him in my hand and tugged gently,
surprised and pleased as it grew and hardened in my hand. Blake
inhaled sharply but stopped protesting, and let me touch him, my
curious, stubborn nature making it impossible for him to resist. He
gasped and shuddered as I squeezed him, until finally, a hot eruption
wetted my hand and the stiffness relaxed.

I contemplated this for a while until I felt Blake looking at me, an

expression I couldn't read on his face. My loins were on fire, but I
knew he would not have me that night. I resigned myself to this and
snuggled against his broad shoulder, closing my eyes and drifting
into a deep, sound sleep.
***

Blake let me sleep in, but when I woke up I felt embarrassed. I was
laying in his bed while he was out clattering at the stove, making
breakfast. I crept into my own bedroom and dressed quickly, before
taking a deep breath and going out to greet him. I knew that he
usually disappeared at least two nights in a row, sometimes three. I
couldn't imagine what he was doing running around outside naked
like a wild animal, but I didn't think that it was anything close to
what I thought it was. I didn't know what I thought anymore.
“Mornin' Daisy,” he said, without turning to face me. His back was
to me as he scrambled the eggs.
“Morning," I said quietly. I walked quietly to the table and sat down,
where he already had bread laid out on a plate.
It seemed he didn't draw any attention to what had happened the
night before. There was no way I could explain or justify it, so I just
let it be and tried to enjoy the moment at hand.
“That smells mighty good," I said, mimicking his accent.
He laughed heartily. “My dialect suits you."
Blake brought me a plate of food and he sat down across from me
with his own. We ate at a comfortable silence, I was still tired and
he seemed to be able to sense this. It felt good knowing that he
didn't expect anything from me, and I just did my best to try not to
think about the night before. Although it was hard, it was necessary
if I was going to keep any of my sanity for the rest of the day. When
we were finished with our breakfast, Blake turned to me, his blue
eyes sparkling.
“Do you think you're ready to ride today?" He asked.
It had been many months since I first started getting to know the
horses, and I finally did feel confident saddling up and going for a
ride. I flashed him a big grin, and he laughed as if he already knew
my answer. He cleared the table and took my hand, leading me out
to the stables by the arm. I loved being so near to him, and it
reminded me of the sinfully comfortable position I was in in the
crook of his arms the night before.
When we reached the stables, he showed me how to saddle up the
horse, and he gave me a lift up into the saddle. He lifted me with
such ease that brought butterflies to my stomach. He readied his
own stallion and sat up straight and tall in the saddle, gently giving
me directions on how to start moving and to move myself in order
to ride the most comfortably. He led by example, saying his
commands loudly and clearly and emphasizing his movements so
that I could copy him.
We rode together through the countryside, up a mountain trail that
left me breathless for all of its natural beauty. We took a break near
a peak, and he tied the horses to a tree and led me by the waist to a
lookout point. We sat on a fallen tree together in the silence,
overlooking the landscape in front of us. I had never seen anything
like it before, and was dazzled by the scenery.
“I have never seen anything more beautiful than this," I said, my
voice hushed with respect and admiration.
“Somehow I doubt that," Blake said, his handsome face breaking
into a smile.
“Boston looks nothing like this," I said, shaking my head.
“But you've seen a mirror, haven't you?” He asked with a teasing
wink.
I slapped his shoulder and we both chuckled, looking back out over
the world below. It struck me then how much I wished that maybe
my marriage to Blake wasn't just going to be a sham. If I was going
to choose a husband, I don't think I could've chosen a better man
myself. But that wasn't what he wanted, I had to try to keep that in
mind. We had an agreement, and that was to keep each other
company and leave each other alone.
This abrupt reminder sobered me, and I stood up with a sigh.
“Maybe we should head back now," I said. "It's nearly lunch time.”
He looked a little bit confused and hurt, but he nodded and didn't
acknowledge it. He untied the horses and we rode together back to
his homestead, where I helped him put the horses away before
shutting myself into my bedroom. I had to try and keep it together,
and not get too attached. I was worried he would think that I didn't
want to spend time with him, but the problem was really much
different. I wanted to spend time with him too much, probably more
than anything in the world. But that's not what we had agreed to.
Chapter 7
That night, I knew that Blake was going to leave again. The moon
was still full, and I heard the creaking sound that indicated him
leaving. This time, I didn't bother to close the front door, or latch it.
I didn't want any kind of reminder of the fact that Blake was gone or
what had happened last night. I was feeling very reclusive because
of how emotional I was feeling toward Blake. The feelings were
complicated and I just wanted to be left alone and maybe not leave
my bed for a few days. I fell asleep briefly, before I was woken up
by something strange.
The horses outside were making a ruckus, so I stood up and pulled
my nightshirt close, making my way toward the front door so that I
could take a look and see what was happening. If there was a wolf, I
thought that maybe I could take one of Blake's shotguns and protect
the horses myself. Unfortunately, I didn't have any time to grab the
gun before three men shoved their way inside the homestead. One of
them grabbed me by the shoulders and cupped his hand over my
mouth as I tried to cry out in fear.
“You shut your mouth missy, or this will be bad for the all of us,” he
hissed.
The men began to fumble around in the home, throwing items in
bags and joking with each other. I was terrified, and the man holding
me kept saying gross things into my ear, and pushing his body to
close to me. I squirmed and tried to get away, but he was too strong.
My elbow wouldn't reaches John like I wished it would, and instead
he seemed to enjoy the struggle, and pulled out a knife and held it to
my throat, so I stopped. I wish that Blake didn't disappear and leave
me vulnerable to these terrible bandits.
As soon as Blake entered my mind, I heard a growl come from
outside of the front doorway. Before I could see what was
happening, a massive black wolf leapt inside, burying its teeth in the
man who was holding me. The man was furious and slashed at the
wolf, slicing it in both its cheek and its shoulder. The wolf cried out
in pain, sending a shiver through my body, and lunged at the man's
throat, dragging him outside and tearing him apart. He did the same
to the other men before they had the chance to shut the door on the
wolf, and I heard their screams of pain and terror as the wolf
protected me from them. I was frozen in place and expected to be
the last to go. I thought the wolf would surely come and take me
next, but instead, it entered and looked around the room, as if for
another bandit. When the wolf didn't see anybody else, it turned its
ice blue eyes on me and blinked slowly before turning away and
running off into the forest.
**
I was too terrified to sleep that night, so I set up at the kitchen table
and waited for him to return. My hands wouldn't stop shaking, and I
cried as I remembered the sounds of the men being disemboweled
by the wolf. I felt very grateful to be left alive, but all I wanted was
some human company to soothe my nerves. Blake seemed to be
very good at making me feel better, so I held my arms around my
body until I heard a noise at the door.
My heart leapt into my throat, and I was about to reach for the
shotgun that I put on the table when Blake entered. He was as naked
as the day he was born, and just as beautiful. When he turned to
look at me, I gasped. Beside his blue eyes was a long cut, the same
size as the wound that had been left on the wolf. Impossible
thoughts began to flood my mind, and I shook my head at them,
unable to believe what I was seeing. It must have just been a
coincidence, I tried to convince myself, but then I saw the same cut
on his shoulder as well and everything began to fall into place in my
mind.
“You're hurt," I said to him, approaching him cautiously. I opened
and closed my mouth, and somehow he seems to know exactly what
I was thinking.
“You're not crazy, but I had hoped that you would not find out like
this."
“How did this happen? I don't understand. I thought this is just a
myth."
“Well it's not," he said, as I led him toward the washbasin. I took a
cloth out and poured some water on it to clean his wounds. I dabbed
them gently and he didn't even flinch. “I didn't want to tell you,
most people are just scared and they don't understand. I wish I could
have been honest from the beginning. I needed a way because the
townsfolk have been suspicious of me for a long time. And I didn't
want to take a wife, not someone who I would make wolf pups with.
She wouldn't know what to think when they started changing.
Sometimes they even do it right in the womb and it feels like
murder. No regular women would be able to handle that. I just
wanted a simple life.”
He said the last part so mournfully that I brought him into my arms.
He let me hold him closely, surprised by the fact that I wasn't more
afraid of him. I felt him go from very tense to very relaxed and he
sighed very deeply.
“It's been so lonesome, I couldn't be honest with anybody my whole
life. And if anybody knew the truth they would burn me at the stake.
Please don't tell anybody. I'll give you whatever you want. I'll pay
you. Just please don't go, please keep being my wife.”
I pulled away from him and looked him deeply into the eyes.
“I have no intention of doing anything else," I said to him. “You
may be the most bullheaded man I've ever met, but you're also the
best man I've ever met, and the best man I could ever find myself
being with. I've never known such a gentleman, even if you are part
wild animal. What excuse did the other men have?”
We laughed together at this, and I sat the cloth back into the
washbasin. Suddenly, his strong hands were around my waist, lifting
me up to his mouth. He kissed me sweetly, and carried me into his
bedroom. I felt the fire from the night before return, and he laid me
on the bed and undressed me with skilled fingers. I felt a blush creep
across my cheek as his tan mouth kissed my pale skin. I've never
been quite so exposed to a man before, but I quickly forgot my
modesty when his tongue found me deep inside and I buckled
against him and cried out in pleasure.
This encouraged him to work more slowly, until he climbed up over
me, showering my whole body with kisses as he reached my face
and our middles were touching. I felt his long member growing stiff
against me, swelling even bigger than I remembered it. I moaned
loudly as he began to push himself inside, the both of us gasping
and kissing each other passionately as he mounted me and took my
virginity with one hard thrust. The combination of pleasure and pain
brought my fingernails dragging down his back, and his handsome
face broke out into a grin, sending another thrill through me as he
unleashed his true animal nature on me.
His hands became tangled in my long hair as he showed me what a
man was really capable of, and his perfect body shone in the golden
sunrise peeking in at us through the windows. I closed my eyes and
felt the fullness of my desire merging with his, and cried out in
ecstasy as I became elevated into my climax. I squeezed my eyes
closed tightly and bit my bottom lip as my body clenched tightly
around him. He unleashed a deep growl of pleasure as the hot flood
of his own lust burst deeply into me, letting me and elevating my
climax to a whole new level.
He stayed inside me, lingering for a moment before he pulled
himself out and flopped onto the bed, his face completely exhausted.
I knew just how he had felt, considering I had been up most of the
night. He pulled me close to him, wrapping his strong arms around
my small body and nuzzling my ear and neck with his chin, which
was beginning to feel a little bit stubbly. For some reason I found
the scratching feeling of his face comforting and we fell asleep
together, the most comfortable feeling I had ever had in my entire
life.
Epilogue
Two weeks later, we were wed in one of the most beautiful and
elaborate ceremonies I had ever witnessed. I had gone to many
weddings before in my time, but nothing quick compared to what
Blake had in mind. Surprisingly, most of the townsfolk attended the
ceremony, even though it was held at the high peak in the mountain
range where we had sat on the tree together after my first horseback
ride.
The townsfolk were kind and supportive, and very curious and nosy.
I could tell they had their suspicions about my new husband, and
they wanted to know everything that I knew. They did their best to
stay in my good side, hoping that if anything ever became revealed
to me, I would feel confident in confiding in them. However, their
fears did seem to be subsiding, and they didn't think that anybody
could be part evil if he could land such a beautiful bride.

Although it bruised the egos of many women in the town, women

who would never in 1 million years have been able to access Blake's
unique identity, they were all very happy that he had found someone
to settle down with. As far as Blake and I were concerned, as long
as they didn't continue prying into our lives, everything would be all
right. We could have a normal life.
After the ceremony, somebody hosted a large meal for us all, and we
ate together and celebrated the love that Blake and I had recently
developed toward each other. I felt like the luckiest woman alive to
be with such a strong and able-bodied man who had a heart of gold.
Even if he was picky and stubborn, he was still mine and I was the
same way. The two of us had really met our match with each other,
and I couldn't be any happier if I tried.
The night of our honeymoon rolled around and I lay in my new
husband's arms after many hours of lovemaking. He seems to be
tired, but I wasn't quite ready to be finished. I grinned
mischievously and climbed on top of him. His tired eyes creaked
open and I kissed him on the cheek.
“I don't think we're done yet," I whispered in his ear as I nibbled and
licked him.
“We're not?" He asked, his voice sleepy.
“I can't rightfully stop until we've got a litter on the way. I know you
want a regular family, and I want that for both of us to. It's up to you
whether or not you want that, but if you do want pups, I don't mind
being their Mama any more than I mind being your wife. I would
love to be both.”
His eyes widened in surprise, and he flashed me the smile that I
come to love so dearly. He wrapped his arms around me and I could
 feel his excitement against my thighs.
“Are you sure that's what you want?" He asked me, kissing me all
over my face.
“That's what I want. I love you," I said, my thighs hot against his.
“I love you too,” he said, his blue eyes deep and sincere. “Well
alright, little darlin'. Looks like we got our work cut out for us.”
THE END
WEREWOLF RIDER

There was no moon tonight, nor were any

stars visible. Clouds obscured the night sky,
plunging the city into darkness. Pale
streetlights illuminated the sidewalks, but they
did not provide enough light to make Stella
feel safe. The city had gone dark minutes after
she'd left Missy's apartment, and it felt like
more than just a coincidence. For a moment
she considered turning back, but Missy had
put up with her for the last week, and Stella
knew she'd overstayed her visit. When she'd
asked if she could camp out at Missy's place
because she didn't feel safe alone, Missy hadn't
been expecting her to stay for so long. If she
turned back now, their already strained
friendship might snap under the pressure.
Missy had her own life to lead, and Stella had
to accept that — no matter how scared she felt.
It wasn't as if whoever was after her had
caused a city wide blackout, after all. It was
time she grew a backbone.
It had been two weeks since the paranoia
had set in, but Stella had no idea how long the
strange goings on had been happening before
she first noticed them. The first time she'd
noticed something had been amiss, she'd been
heading through the downtown core at
twilight. The sun stretched her shadow out
across the sidewalk in front of her as she
headed for the subway, and she'd had
earphones tucked in to avoid unnecessary
conversation with panhandlers. When the
shadow had appeared in her field of vision,
gaining on her from behind, she thought it was
just a pedestrian in a hurry to get by her.
Respectfully, Stella hugged the wall to allow
him passage, but although the shadow grew to
its full potential, its caster kept behind her. As
the seconds passed and it became obvious the
man was trailing her, Stella had hugged her
purse to her side and turned her head.
 There was no one behind her, and when she
turned to look ahead of her once more, the
shadow was gone.
Pinpricks of fear had shot down her spine,
and the rest of the way home she'd thought
about the strange shadow. Had it been a
figment of her imagination, or a trick of the
light? Stella wasn't sure. But by the next day
the oddity had faded from her mind, and she'd
continued on as she always had.
Only the shadow hadn't been ready to move
on just yet.
The next time Stella saw it, she'd been
gazing through a storefront window at an
electronics display. Unemployed as she was,
looking was all she could afford to do. When
the shadow had darkened the glare on all of
the screens, Stella had turned her head and was
half way through an apology before she
realized that not only did no one stand behind
her, but that there was no one in eye sight on
the street.
When the shadow had returned not six
hours after she'd seen it at the storefront, Stella
knew that something wasn't right. The next
day, when she woke up to find three of them
stretched across her floor in the light cast by
her bedroom window, she had left her ground
floor apartment and never looked back.
But Missy had been skeptical about these
mysterious shadows, and Stella hadn't seen
any more since she'd gone to stay with her old
friend.
"Maybe," Missy had said in her infinite,
catty wisdom, "you're seeing shadows because
you are lonely. How long have you been
unemployed now, Stella? I know that losing
Will was tough, but eventually you're going to
use your savings up and then where will you
be? It's time you got a job and got back to
work, time that you started meeting some
people and having fun again. I think
embracing life is going to fix these 'shadows'
more than staying with me ever would."
At least when it was this dark outside, there
weren't any shadows to be seen. With no light
coming from any buildings to brighten the
light, it was almost too dark to see her hand in
front of her face. The advanced hour meant
that there were few motorists, and Stella hadn't
seen a car for a good ten minutes. With the
subway down for the night, she was left to
walk the distance between her place and
Missy's.
"What are you doing out alone at night?"
The voice spoke so close to her ear that Stella
was sure the man was leaning over her
shoulder as she walked. There had been no
footsteps to forewarn her of his presence until
he was already far too close for comfort. She'd
shrieked, but the sound died quickly on her
lips; the man clamped a broad hand over her
lips and pulled her close.
"Do you want to die?" he asked. "If I
wanted to, I already could have done plenty to
make your life hell. Don't you think that if I
was going to hurt you by now, I'd already have
done it already?"
Caught in the darkness, all Stella had to go
off of was the hand clamped against her
mouth, the feel of his body against her back,
and the sound of his voice. His chest was flat,
hidden behind a thick layer of leather. The
hand was gloved, but his fingers were bare.
And he was tall. As Stella let her head fall
back against him, she only hit his shoulder.
She'd been right to be paranoid — someone
had been stalking her, and he'd finally made
himself known.
"If you want to live," he told her, "you're
going to keep those pretty plump lips of yours
closed, and you're going to come with me
without a fight. You break away from me, I
promise you you'll be dead — or worse —
before you get three blocks. You follow my
direction, you be good, and you'll get to keep
your life. Nod if you understand."
Stella squeezed her eyes closed, praying to
break from this nightmare, but when she
opened them again she saw the darkness of the
night and felt his gloved hand upon her. Tears
beading in her eyes, she nodded. If only she'd
turned back and begged Missy to let her stay
just one more night, but it was too late for
regrets. She'd been caught, and now she had to
figure out how to get out with her life.
 "Good girl," the man praised. The hand
across her mouth dropped away, and he
grabbed her by the wrist instead. Unable to
see, he pulled her through the darkness and
across the street. Stella nearly twisted her
ankle on the curb, but even as she staggered,
her aggressor did not slow. Wherever they
were going, they had to get there fast.
Up another curb, and then along the side of
a building. Stella's lungs began to burn as she
struggled to keep pace, unspilled tears
weighing down her lower eyelid as they crept
along the surface of her eye. The man directed
her around a sharp corner, then brought them
to a stop.
"Don't move a muscle," he whispered
through the darkness. Stella breathed in
heavily, choking back a sob. "Stay tense. Do
what I say."
Without further instruction, he released his
grip on her wrist. Stella couldn't hear his
footsteps, but instinct told her that the man
wasn't standing next to her anymore. She was
right. Seconds later, he swept her off of her
feet and into his strong arms. Stella was only
sure that it was him because of the fingerless
gloves he wore.
"I'm going to put you down so you're
sitting. You're going to keep your balance for
me."
"Okay," she whispered. Whispering had to
be fine, since he couldn't feel her nodding
anymore. In hostage situations like this, as
long as she didn't scream out for help, he
wouldn't turn on her. Right?
"Putting you down now," he grunted. Thick,
hard upholstery ran between her legs, but did
not support them. Leather, had she to guess.
So much leather. Her legs hung from either
side, and before her, pressed against her groin,
was a sturdy, metal compartment. When the
man hopped on behind her, his heated body
pressing against her back, Stella knew exactly
where she sat. This was a motorcycle, and the
man behind her, in the leather jacket and with
the fingerless gloves was—
The bike roared to life all at once, and Stella
jumped.
 "Hold the fuck on," the man behind her
barked. The headlights flicked on, and Stella
saw them. The shadows. They stretched out
from the surrounding darkness, reaching out
for her. With a shriek of terror she clamped
onto the hand grips as the stranger behind her
kicked it into high gear. The hog ripped down
the street, engine roaring as if to issue a
warning. When Stella turned her head to look
into the darkness they'd just left, she saw half a
dozen sets of red eyes glinting through the
darkness.
They'd been coming for her.
And as they shot down the street and
skidded around a corner, Stella saw that the
eyes were following, moving at an unnatural
pace.
"Holy shit!" she gasped.
"Keep 'em closed!" the man behind her
snarled. The sound of his voice was primal and
fierce, and it was enough to shut Stella up.
Unable to watch their advance any longer, she
turned her attention back to the road. They
were heading for the highway, speedometer
chasing eighty through the twisting city
streets.
Right as they swerved to take the on ramp, a
second hair of headlights joined theirs.
Another engine roared its greeting as a second
bike fell in line beside them. In tandem the
two riders hit the highway. Streetlights lit the
roads here, and they wove around other drivers
to a symphony of honks and shouts. Stella
glanced over her shoulder to notice two things.
The first was that the sector of the city they'd
just left was plunged in total darkness. The
second was man on the hog at their side. He
was lean, but sleek. A full helmet covered his
head, black visor glinting beneath the
streetlights, angular black casing giving him a
futuristic appearance. He wore a black leather
jacket and riding gloves, dark jeans and black
combat boots. It was as though he'd wanted to
blend into the shadows.
The shadows and their ghastly eyes had
given up the chase. Had the wind not been
whipping at her so viciously, Stella might have
sighed in relief, but the wild ride left no time
for that. Instead, she contented herself with the
sight of the city disappearing behind them.
They'd hopped onto the interstate, and
although she had no idea where it was going,
Stella had a feeling that she would much rather
be in the company of these two men than the
legion of shadows behind her.
"Just keep holding on, girlie," the man
behind her cried above the deafening wind.
"We got you now."
Who 'we' was was yet to be determined, but
despite the frightening introduction, Stella had
peace of mind for the first time in weeks.
The city disappeared behind them, and with
it, her troubles. What new dangers lurked on
the horizon were beyond her for the moment,
and she was grateful for it.
Peace at last. Stella could get used to that
Chapter Two
Both bikes pulled for the exit at the same
time, and slowed for the first time all night.
Plains stretched for as far as she could see,
speckled intermittently with farmland, yet still
their journey continued. Past the service
center, past the only restaurant in town, and
then out onto the narrow country roads. The
second biker fell behind them, but it seemed to
matter little. He revved the engine and cut
across the grass on the side of the road,
heading towards a large farmhouse in the
distance. The bike Stella was on waited to turn
off until it had hit the driveway, likely to keep
an inexperienced passenger like her from
toppling off. Even at low speeds, Stella was
sure that falling would be catastrophic.
Both bikes crawled to a stop before the
house. The porch light was on, as were the
inside lights.
The second driver was the first to come to a
stop, and by the time Stella and her biker had
caught up, he had hopped off of his hog and
pulled the helmet from his head. A mop of
unruly blonde hair shone beneath the
moonlight, which he shook free with delight.
He had to be about her age, Stella thought.
Somewhere in his mid twenties. Youth still
clung to his features, but his jaw was sharp
and beautiful, and the shape of his eyes was
innocent and arresting. The blonde tucked his
helmet beneath his arm and looked at the two
of them.
"That was close, Derek," he accused.
"As if," the man behind her barked. He
hopped off of the bike then set his hands upon
Stella's waist, lifting her off the bike whether
she wanted down or not. "I was in control the
whole time."
"Yeah. Right. Well, I happen to think your
theatrics almost got all of us killed."
"Thinking is pretty fucking pointless,
Tristen. Are we dead? No. We're alive. So
thinking about what could have happened is
stupid. I was in control, I got us out alive, and
we got back the girl."
"Her name's Stella," Tristen rebutted.
Stella's gaze shot to him, and he returned her
stare without flinching. "That's right, isn't it?"
Of course it was right, but how did he
know? What was happening? Stella looked
over her shoulder at the man who'd taken her
hostage and whisked her away from the city.
He was taller than Tristen by a few inches, and
looked older by a few years. His hair was kept
short enough that it wasn't windswept, but had
it been longer she felt it would have matched
Tristen's. Blondes, the both of them. Slightly
darker stubble lined his jaw, and since he'd
fished her from the bike, he'd planted a
cigarette between his lips and was digging for
a lighter in the pocket of his leather jacket.
"Can one of you tell me what's happening?"
Stella asked, looking back and forth between
them.
"You mean you don't know?" Tristen asked.
"Course she doesn't," Derek replied curtly.
He flicked the ignition wheel of the lighter
down and flame burst forth to envelope the
end of his cigarette. A short draw saw the
cherry light. "She was walking through the
goddamn city in the dark. You think she would
have done that if she knew?"
Tristen's lips tightened. Their bickering was
getting her nowhere, and there were a lot of
questions Stella needed answered before she
could find any kind of peace. Before they
continued, she interrupted.
"You guys can fight later. Right now I need
to know what those shadows are, who you are,
and why you came to my rescue… If this is
my rescue."
It had crossed her mind that two grown men
bringing a woman to a house in the middle of
nowhere could very well mean they meant her
harm, but both of them had seemed like good
enough people she didn't feel in danger.
Tristen was gorgeous and ethereal, and Derek
was the bad egg. If anything, it looked like
they'd harass each other more than they'd
bother her.
"You're Will's girl, aren't you?" Derek
asked. As he spoke, he leaned over her
shoulder and sniffed at her, as though he was
smelling her shampoo. Stella tensed, squaring
her shoulders and side stepping to put some
distance between them. At that proximity,
she'd heard each greedy little breath he'd
taken. "You smell like Will's girl. You should
know about all this shit."
 Both of them knew too much. Stella crossed
her arms as she distanced herself, standing
near the porch. Tristen had known her name.
Derek had known about Will. What game were
they playing? She'd remember meeting guys as
handsome as they were.
"How do you know about Will?"
Both blondes looked at her, mirror
expressions of surprise. Tristen was the one
who broke the tension, raising a hand to his
forehead as if to lament the question.
"He never told her about any of it."
"What a fucking shitty thing to do." Derek
took a deep drag on his cigarette and let the
smoke curl upwards into the night sky. "You
go inside. I'm going to talk to her. It's my
place."
Tristen's eyes shot towards Derek, then he
bowed his head and huffed a sigh.
"Right. Just be nice, okay? She's been
through a lot."
Without any more argument, Tristen
brushed past her and headed up the three stairs
leading to the exterior porch. He opened the
front door and slipped into the house, and
Stella thought she heard voices raise to greet
him from inside. Was this a prostitution circle?
A drug ring? A gang hideout? Whatever it
was, she was starting to feel more and more
uncertain. There was a reason they wanted to
keep their secrets, and if Will was caught up in
this somehow, then Stella didn't know if she
wanted to hear it.
"Let's sit." Derek gestured towards the
porch stairs, unzipping the front of his jacket
to take advantage of the night air. Beneath he
was wearing a tight white t-shirt, so tight
Stella could see just how toned he was. Derek
had nothing to hide or be ashamed of. His was
the body women dreamed of, and men spent
hours in the gym attempting to achieve. Stella
wasn't so blinded by Will's loss that she didn't
take notice. Derek was a distraction — maybe
the distraction she'd been waiting for.
Stella took a seat upon the porch, feet
planted on the steps leading up to it, and Derek
settled down beside her. He fixed either of his
elbows on his knees and plucked the cigarette
from his lips, exhaling deeply.
"So, Will," he began. The words trailed off
and got lost into nothingness. "We knew Will.
We knew Will really fucking well. You might
say he was family, in an official-unofficial
way, and when he died, all of us were wrecked
by it."
Even now the memory stung. Stella bit
down on her bottom lip to keep from thinking
about it.
"I've never heard about any of you," she
told him point blank. "Will was always
isolated. He didn't really hang out with
anyone. Where did you know him from?"
Derek snorted and flicked the ash off the
end of his cigarette.
"Maybe that's the Will he led you to believe
was the real deal, but that's not him at all. All
that work he did? All those times he was out
of time on business? Those times were with
us."
 Drug dealers or gang members. Stella set
her jaw. Will had told her he was a business
representative for one of the big companies in
town, and she'd always thought it was strange
that he was so successful at only twenty-seven
years old. Although Derek's story was strange,
it wasn't out of the question.
"And the business we do isn't conventional
business. None of us are really conventional
guys, by your standards. Neither was Will."
Derek cleared his throat and sat for a moment,
thinking. When he spoke again, there was no
humor in his tone.
"We're werewolves. The whole lot of us.
And Will was, too. But now he's dead. And
that means trouble."
Werewolves. Had he not sounded so
serious, Stella might have laughed. But as
Derek spoke the words, she remembered the
shadows and the red eyes behind her. And
Derek had snuck up on her effortlessly.
Uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach,
and she looked at Derek as he puffed on his
light.
 "What kind of trouble does that mean? Are
you talking about the shadows that have been
stalking me?"
"Yup. That's a big part of it. You see, Will
wasn't just a werewolf. He was kind of our
boss. Our alpha, if you will. And without him,
well, no one really knows where they stand.
And the problem with that is, other packs of
werewolves know that we've got our heads on
backwards right now, and they're moving in on
our territory and trying to make sure we never
get back on track."
Maybe she was still at Missy's house, and
all of this was a surreal dream. Stella inhaled
deeply, the scent of Derek's smoke and leather
on the air. The night air was crisp, and her face
still tingled from the whipping of the wind
after their high speed escape. As far as Stella
could tell, this was real.
"So why are they after me?" she asked.
"And why did you swoop in to save me like
you did?"
"You're Will's girl." Derek fanned his
fingers out against the night, stretching his
arms. "You're all that's left of him now.
Whoever you choose amongst us is who's
going to lead the pack as alpha. That wolf will
be our new boss. If the other pack of wolves
got a hold of you, did you in, we'd probably
never figure out who would lead without
destroying each other in the process. But the
decision of the alpha female is absolute. You
get the first and final say."
Fantasy and reality wove one amongst the
other, and Stella looked across the vast plains
and to the night sky that stretched across the
horizon. Stars hung like specks of paint flicked
across a canvas there. What a picture Derek
had painted for her.
"Then I choose you," she said without
looking at him. "You were the one who came
to my rescue when I needed it the most, and
without you I'd be dead. You've got the
courage that it takes to lead, so I pick you."
"Not so simple, girlie," Derek said with a
little sigh. He tugged on the collar of his jacket
and settled it anew against his shoulders. "It's
more than that. You don't choose with your
words — you choose with your body."
The ruffle of leather and of his solid body
shifting upon the groaning wood of the porch
broke through the night. Stella turned her head
to look, and found Derek staring her down
from an arm length's away.
"My body?" she asked. It was little more
than a whisper. Will had died more than a year
ago, and since then she'd never seriously
considered another man. Will. Tall and strong,
but with a kind, sweet face and a sense of
humor a mile thick. He'd been perfect for her,
and she was sure they'd be together forever.
But a year was a long time to be alone —
Missy was right. She'd been suffering by
lingering on his memory as obsessively as she
had. Maybe it was time to move on. Maybe
this whole mess was beneficial for her sanity.
Maybe Derek was the right kind of guy to
fill that immediate need.
"You'll take a new wolf as your mate,"
Derek told her. The words were as delicately
put as hers, but they were loaded with subtle
heat, "and that new wolf will lead us all. All of
us are depending on you to make the right
choice, Stella. It's up to you to lead us right."
Beneath the moonlight, the cut of his jaw
and the slope of his brow cast gorgeous,
dangerous shadows across his face. Derek
snubbed his cigarette on the back of the stair
he sat upon and flicked the stub aside. A last
plume of smoke curled upward from between
his lips, his eyes upon her.
"So if I wanted to choose you," she
muttered, the words toppling from her lips one
by one, hesitant to spill forth, "then I'd need
to..."
Little by little he'd closed the distance
between them without her noticing, and now
their thighs nearly brushed together. To make
her choice, she was going to have to take one
of the wolves as her mate. Derek was asking
her to give herself over entirely to one of
them, asking her to make a choice Stella
would have never sought to make on her own.
And Derek, so sure of himself and strong, was
the most irresistible of them all.
 Stella turned her head to look towards him.
Even the small gesture felt difficult, as though
she moved through syrup instead of through
air. Stella swallowed hard, letting her eyes trail
over his sharp features as he ate her up with
his eyes. It was the same kind of gravity she
had felt when she was with Will, and Stella
began to wonder if it wasn't an attraction to
werewolves rather than a unique attraction to
the man. Right now it didn't seem to matter.
For the first time in a year she wasn't thinking
about Will, wasn't mourning him.
Derek had filled his space, even if only
temporarily.
"Yeah," Derek murmured. Around them,
crickets chirped and in the distance an owl
hooted. The landscape was alive with music,
as though nature existed just to serenade them.
A tremble ran through Stella's core. Maybe it
was the adrenaline, or maybe it was the
realization of her mortality after her
confrontation with the shadows, but she felt
ready to make a decision. A rash decision. It
had been a long time since she'd done anything
so mindlessly.
Full lips parted, and Stella brushed a strand
of her brown hair nervously behind her ear.
The last of her inhibitions fled. The smell of
leather and tobacco were thick on the air now
that Derek had drawn closer, and she couldn't
get enough of it.
"Then let me make my choice," she
murmured. Little by little their faces drew
close, Derek's lips her only focus. Thin, hard,
and masculine. How acrid would the smoke
leave? What might his mouth taste like?
Their lips brushed, but Derek did not give
her the pleasure of kissing her in full. Instead,
he grabbed her by the wrist just as he had back
in the city.
"Let me take you somewhere a little more
private," he whispered. As he spoke, his lips
brushed against hers and promised intimacies
the likes she hadn't experienced the course of a
long, lonely year.
Derek propped himself up from porch and
pulled her to her feet, and together they strode
from the front of the house and forward a barn
across a vast stretch of land in the backyard.
Today had been the stuff of storybooks, but
Stella's fantasy had just begun.
Chapter Three
Derek's strong hands grabbed her by the
shoulders, was with a ferocious shove he
pushed her to the ground. A pile of loose straw
broke her fall, and strands of it caught the air
stirred by her ungraceful topple backwards. In
the dull light of the night, streaming through
the cracks between the wooden slats that made
up the barn and through the open door behind
them, Stella could see Derek's mischievous
smirk. Above her he was little more than one
of the shadows that had hunted her back in the
city, but Stella felt no fear. Derek had rescued
her once before, and although his intentions
were not pure, she knew them to be in her best
interest.
"I was his right hand man, you know," he
rumbled from in front of her, catching her eye
as she sank down amongst the straw. It was
much more coarse and uncomfortable than
she'd anticipated, but Stella found she didn't
mind. Derek had her heart pounding. "I'm the
strongest in the pack now, and the most able.
You aren't making a mistake."
Then he was upon her. As smooth as frost
settling across a field of grass, he dropped
down over her and lowered his body atop hers.
In him she saw Will's passion and heart. In
him was a taste of the recklessness Will had
always had, and Stella craved to call those
traits hers again.
"Honestly," she whispered, reaching up to
wrap her arms around his neck and pull him
close, "I don't care right now. You were the
one to save me. You were the one to take
charge. Now, you're the one who's going to get
the reward."
A low, pleased growl rolled in the back of
Derek's throat as he looked down upon her. He
had himself propped up on his palms, his torso
pressed against hers to purposefully let her feel
his stirring erection. The atmosphere between
them still felt thick, and Stella felt the arousal
stirring deep within her in correspondence.
Missy was right. It was time she got out and
met some people. Tonight, she was going to
meet Derek's every inch.
"Mine," he uttered. Derek shouldered off
his leather jacket and tossed it aside. Hay
crinkled beneath its weight, and for the first
time, Stella felt the true heat of his body. Just
like Will, Derek ran hot. She'd always found it
so strange how a human body could feel so
heated without being sick. Now she
understood. Will had never been completely
human, and Derek wasn't human, either.
With his jacket removed, Derek no longer
hesitated. Their lips met at last, full and hard.
With one broad hand he gripped her hair and
held her down amongst the straw as he
claimed their lips. It was the same ritual she'd
always shared with Will, but now, without the
gentle redeeming qualities her deceased love
possessed, the act was wild and raw and
exciting. Harsh. Lustful but void of emotion. It
was everything she needed.
Thick smoke flavored his lips and mouth,
but it did not stop her. Derek was a bad boy,
exactly the kind of wild man she'd never want
her mother to know she was attracted to, let
alone curled up with in a hay pile. But when
his tongue pushed its way into her mouth to
meet hers, Stella thought of nothing else but
the feel of his body.
Her hands gripped at him tight, and even as
he pulled at her hair, she struggled with him
and rolled him over. There would be no giving
in, no submission. Tonight Stella wanted to
play hard, and there was no better partner for
some rough treatment than Derek.
Punishment came quickly. His teeth sunk
into her bottom lip to scold her and put her
back in her place, and Stella inhaled sharply
with joint pain and pleasure.
A flurry of kisses and nips. Derek tugged at
Stella's hair, and Stella sank her nails into his
shoulders. Each pinprick of pain led to
pleasure, and it wasn't long before she felt
pulsing pleasure spread through her abdomen
as desire grew. She wanted him. She needed
him. Tonight she would give him her body,
and with it, control of the pack she had
inherited from Will.
Derek's clothes came off, baring his
gorgeous, chiseled chest and hard abs.
Between wild kisses and animalistic pain,
Derek stripped his boxers away to reveal the
cock that had hardened as they played. Thick
and dripping for her. Stella had never seen so
much precum, and her eyes darted between his
cock and his eyes as her humanity gave way to
her arousal. Sex, and only sex, would sate the
desire he'd stirred inside of her. She wanted to
feel him work his hot precum through her. She
wanted to be left sopping with his load, dirty
with his seed.
And Derek wasn't going to deny her for
much longer.
Another growl left his lips, this one fiercer
than before. There was no mistaking it — the
passion of the wolf coursed through his veins.
No human could make noises like the ones
that escaped him. Everything he'd told her that
night was true. Derek was a werewolf, and she
didn't doubt that Tristen was one as well.
 Amongst the slatted shadows of the barn,
Derek yanked her panties free and ran a finger
along the slit of her sex, testing how wet she'd
become for him. Stella hadn't realized just how
drenched she was until he brought her
attention to it — never had she been so
soaked. Derek had awoken the wilderness
inside of her, and she was loath to let it go.
"Fuck," he breathed. "Am I going to fuck
you like you deserve. It's a good thing Will
never told me what a little hot and needy thing
you are, or I might have gone after you while
he was still alive. But now you're mine, and
nothing's going to get between that."
Stella's thighs were willfully parted, and
Derek had no trouble maneuvering the both of
them into position. Nestled amongst the hay,
wrapped up in the bad boy's arms, the
werewolf took her. The thick head of his cock
forced its way into her tight entrance, near
splitting her apart. Stella cried out and
tightened her hold around his neck, unused to
such harsh treatment. A year was a long time
for her not to have sex after a voracious sex
life shared with Will, and she was out of
practice. Derek would get her back in shape
before long.
The curved length of his cock slipped inside
of her, pushing the crown in further. How it
throbbed and pulsed. Derek had just begun,
but already his warmth had begun to flood her.
Heated precum spilled in abundance to coat
her walls and work its way towards her womb,
and the danger became real. Stella wasn't on
birth control, and she wasn't going to make
Derek pull out. Tonight she was beyond
herself with lust, and she already knew that
she wanted him to lose control deep inside of
her. For him, a moment of selfish pleasure
might just change the rest of her life, and the
cruel injustice of it was as arousing as any of
the pain they'd shared.
Derek began to rut. The thrusts were not
soft or introductory, but loaded and senseless.
Bestial humping with one purpose in mind —
to cum quick, and cum hard. Stella's body
replied back in kind, rising and falling against
his thrusts as he chased moan after moan from
her lips. Pleasure was mounting quickly, and it
wouldn't be long before she came.
"Derek," a panted gasp. "Derek, I need to..."
"Don't you fucking dare," he hissed. "Don't
you fucking dare do it until I cum first."
Aggressive, dominant, and greedy, Derek
was pushing her towards the edge. A brash
asshole, maybe, but undeniably hot, Stella
knew she'd made the right choice. The only
choice.
"Then cum fast," she gasped. "Cum fast,
because I don't know how much longer I can
hold this back."
Pleasure had begun to spiral out of control,
intensifying and welling deep in her gut as he
used her body like his toy. And when she saw
him grit his teeth and furrow his brow in
ecstasy, and felt the first hot streams of cum
start to fill her, Stella could not hold it back
anymore. As Derek pushed as deep as he could
inside of her to spill his seed again her womb,
Stella's orgasm hit. Shuddering waves of
pleasure rushed through her sex, and she
gasped and cried out as she tightened around
his shaft. Fluttering contractions drew his cum
deeper, but she couldn't hold it back. She
wanted his cum in her womb. There was
nothing hotter than imagining herself swelling
with his gorgeous offspring after an
unprotected night amongst the hay.
Derek was the first to settle, and he
collapsed against her body as his cock grew
flaccid. Even as he lost his erection, Stella's
pleasure continued. The waves of lust grew
weaker and weaker until they had stop, but
even after finding her release, she found
herself craving more. One load of cum was not
enough; she needed to cum around Derek's
cock again, and feel him lose control to her
once more.
But before she could make her desire clear,
Derek picked himself up from on top of her
and brushed they hay from his body.
"Thanks," he said. From amongst their
belongings he fished his boxers, and jumped
into them without hesitation. From wild and
heated to cold and distant, his attitude had
taken an unexpected turn. Stella set her lips
and studied him as he continued to dress. Was
that really it?
"I'm going to head back inside and get the
boys ready," Derek said simply. "We ride
tonight. Now that I'm in charge, we're going to
take the city back and reclaim all the land that
is rightfully ours. And no wolf is going to
stand in our way."
Had all that passion and the chemistry
between them really been a ploy? Stella felt
regret begin to set in. Yes, she'd chosen hastily,
and yes, she wasn't invested in the pack, but
she thought that she'd shared a genuine
connection with Derek, an instant attraction
that had left her breathless. But it seemed like
she was mistaken.
"I guess camp out here while we take care
of business. I'll send someone out to pick you
up once the coast is clear. Feel free to use the
house; it's ours."
Ours. She wondered how he meant it —
hers and his, or his and the packs? Stella was
near positive he meant the latter.
 As he strode from the barn, Derek tucked a
hand into the pocket of his coat and withdrew
a cigarette from a carton kept within. The last
thing Stella saw before he left was the flash of
ignition from a lighter. The smell of tobacco
wafted back to keep her company.
What had felt so right and natural now felt
wrong, and she twisted amongst the hay to try
to chase the feeling from inside of her.
Nothing quite seemed to work.
It was a lonely night in the middle of
nowhere, alone with her regrets. But
eventually, Stella saw herself into one of the
bedrooms in the farm house and chased sleep.
It had been a hell of a day, and she was eager
for a brighter tomorrow.
Chapter Four
There was to be no more hiding. Engines
revved and roared through the dead of night as
they cut off the highway and back into the city.
Nine wolves strong, now unified beneath an
anointed alpha, they would fight until victory
or lose their lives to defeat. There would be no
other way.
 Derek led them on a circuit through the
streets, one he was sure would draw the eyes
of every unwelcome aggressor that had dared
move in while their forces were weak. Will's
death had been kept a secret for months and
months, but no news stayed hidden forever.
Just as the pack had found Stella at long last,
so too had the other wolves discovered their
dissolved ranks. Tonight, every wrong would
be righted.
Nine burly motorcycles ripped their way
through the residential area and into the
industrial sector. Factories, abandoned at this
hour, were lit up by security lights along their
exteriors. Vast parking lots and unloading
areas offered flat terrain that would serve them
well for battle away from prying eyes.
Electronic scramblers would take care of any
security cameras, and Tristen had already
overseen to their activation. Maybe his kid
brother wasn't as strong as he was, but he
knew about the kind of smart shit Derek could
never be bothered with. Tinkering with toys
was meant for boys; Derek hadn't been a boy
in a long time.
 Before they'd drawn to a stop, red eyes
appeared in the distance, staring them down.
The pack was smaller than their own — Derek
could tell by scent alone — but it had likely
been unified under a competent alpha for long
enough to be dangerous. But Derek knew his
men, and knew his own strength, and found
himself unconcerned. They could do this,
would do this, and nothing was going to hold
them back.
With grace only afforded by the wolf, one
by one his pack jumped from their bikes to hit
the ground on all fours. Fearsome, oversized
grey wolves appeared one by one in the place
of the men who'd once rode. Tristen was the
last of his underlings to transform, and once he
had, Derek swung his leg from over his bike
and gazed unflinchingly at the red eyes in the
distance. Now, the red eyes of their grey
wolves gazed back in return.
"If you leave now," Derek called, voice
stern and unwavering, "if you willingly vacate
the territory you have stolen from my pack, we
will let you leave in one piece. This is your
only warning."
His words were punctuated by the snarls of
eight other wolves, but the red eyes were not
swayed by the display. Instead, one by one,
they approached. If it was a fight they wanted,
it was a fight they were going to get.
"As you will," Derek called out. "We gave
you fair warning, and we gave you a shot at
keeping your lives. You have no one to blame
for your death than yourself."
Another volley of snarls, but these ones
ripped from the maws of the approaching
wolves. For as dire as the situation was, Derek
grinned. After a fuck the likes of the one he'd
just had, a fight was just what he needed. The
taste of blood and the crunch of bone would
stir the animal inside.
The ninth grey wolf joined its companions,
and the two packs sprung at each other
through the darkness.
The night bled, and one by one, sets of red
eyes blinked out of existence.
 Chapter Five
Morning had begun to light the horizon
when Stella was stirred from her sleep. Amber
rays of light shot across the bedroom floor
from between the gaps in the curtains, giving
her just enough light to see the young man
who stood at the foot of her bed.
The light of the rising sun caught his eyes,
and for a second they flashed red. A gasp
caught in Stella's throat, but she did not
vocalize it; recognition had struck her in the
same moment. Tristen. The blonde stood at the
foot of her bed, overlooking her. For a
moment, nothing was said. Their eyes locked,
and then his lips parted to speak.
"Derek wants you back in the city. We
won."
There was a hollow quality to his voice and
a haunted look in his eyes. The win had given
him no joy.
Beneath the thick quilt, Stella was
undressed. Her clothes were folded next to the
bed on the floor next to her shoes, and she was
sure Tristen would have noticed her bare
shoulders if not the clothes at her bedside.
The physical contact they'd shared last night
had acted as a contract, and now she was
bound to Derek. Returning to him did not feel
like a pleasure. Stella shifted beneath the
blankets and drew them up further over her
shoulders in an attempt to hide.
"I don't want to go," she admitted. "I don't
want anything to do with this. Not anymore."
Last night's carefree behavior had left her
emotionally raw. Was she really supposed to
spend the rest of her life with a man that had
made her beg for it, only to leave her when she
needed more?
"That's not going to happen," Tristen said
reluctantly. It seemed her picked up on her
discomfort easily, and sympathized with it.
"You're with the pack, and you've been with
the pack since you bonded with Will. Now that
we've found you and you're back with us,
we're not letting you go again."
"Then don't make me go back with Derek,"
she said. "Let me go back to my apartment to
be on my own. He isn't the one I want."
Beautiful blonde hair, slender ethereal
features, soulful eyes. Tristen wasn't as
powerful or as strong willed as Derek was, but
there was something charming and personable
about him. Stella pursed her lips and observed
his from where she lay.
"You made your choice." Tristen settled on
the edge of the bed, looking her over. Regret.
Genuine regret pulled his features taut.
"I want to change my choice," Stella said. "I
didn't think on it long enough. I regret what
I've done."
The situation was less than ideal for any of
them, she knew, but this was the rest of her life
they were playing with.
"What are you saying?" he asked. "Last
night you chose Derek. All of us could... Smell
it. You can't just go against that."
"Why not? It's an easy mistake to fix. We
could fix it right now."
Maybe it was a desperate fix, but the bad
boy she'd had fun with last night wasn't the
right man to take care of her heart. Tristen,
gorgeous and yet sensitive, was a far better fit
for the long term.
Tristen's eyes flicked down her covered
body briefly, then up to her eyes. Hesitance.
"Derek's the alpha now," he muttered, "you
shouldn't try to go against him."
"We shouldn't try to go against him," Stella
said. She sat up, the blankets falling from her
shoulders and down to her lap to expose her
bare chest. Modest, supple breasts hung pert
for Tristen to ogle.
"We," he uttered, breathless. The idea had
struck him hard and left him bothered, and
Stella could almost smell the lust on the air.
Tristen was interested in her, and she was
interested in him. It wasn't just a tactic to
break the bond she'd forged with Derek, but a
sincere interest in the quiet, younger version of
the alpha she'd christened.
"We," Stella confirmed. She smoothed her
hand over the quilt beside her, inviting him.
"Come here. I changed my mind, and I can't
bear the thought of giving myself to Derek
forever."
A canine whine hitched at the top of
Tristen's throat, needy and yet reluctant.
Breaking the alpha's trust went against the
nature of the pack, but Tristen's desire fought
his instinct and better judgment. He kicked off
his shoes and turned to crawl across the bed,
the movement languid but loaded with desire,
until he'd straddled her legs and they were face
to face. Tristen's face bore features similar to
Derek's, and even without being told as much,
Stella knew they had to be brothers. They were
far too similar in looks for it to be a
coincidence, although their personalities were
as different as could be.
"I shouldn't," Tristen whispered. The tips of
their noses brushed, providing a soft intimacy
that warmed her heart and filled the hole that
Derek's cold treatment had torn through her
soul. His words told her one thing, but his
actions told another. Tristen did want it, but he
didn't want to admit it.
 "The alpha female's word is absolute,"
Stella whispered back. With a slight turn of
her head she let the tip of the nose trail down
the length of his, allowing their lips to brush.
Where Derek had smelled of smoke and
tobacco, Tristen smelled of the woods and
days spent beneath the sun. And he was
gorgeous. "And I've changed my mind. You're
the one I want to care for me."
There were no more words. Their lips met,
soft and hesitant at first, but then harder and
needier. Stella's hand rose to the back of
Tristen's neck to run up and tangle in his
blonde hair as the passion mounted between
them. One of his palms, once flat against the
bed, rose to cup and caress her breast.
Touching her was something Derek had never
thought to do — he had been selfish in his
desires.
As they kissed, Tristen pulled the sheets
back to expose the length of her body. The
hand at her breast dipped down to run along
the slender curve between her side and her hip,
and traced over the small, soft curve of her
stomach. His touch brought her alive as Will's
touch always had, almost like magic. Stella
could not resist a tiny moan.
"Do you know," Tristen murmured as their
lips parted, "about the bond shared between
true mates?"
Stella's mind felt clouded by fog. Tristen's
touch left her wanting more, but also had her
feeling wonderful. The way he touched her
made her feel appreciated and cared for, and
after the impersonal treatment Derek had
given her the night before, it was a welcome
relief.
"No," she whispered, then caught his lips
for another quick kiss. Will hadn't told her
anything of werewolves, and what Derek had
told her was the bare bones, barely enough for
her to wet her toes in the knowledge of the
supernatural. There was more to learn, and
Stella felt like she'd be learning for a long time
to come.
"True mates," Tristen whispered, "happen to
meet each other rarely, but when they touch,
they know right away. Just a finger traced
across the skin feels electric."
To punctuate his sentence, Tristen ghosted
his index finger across her naked thigh. The
touch rode up like sparks across her skin and
made her heart flutter with desire. Not since
Will had she felt this way. Will had made her
heart shudder with delight until the very end,
and his touch had lit her soul on fire every
time. True mates, a voice in the back of her
mind whispered to her, speaking the truth. Will
had been her true mate. But now Tristen's
touch elicited the same sensations, and Stella
felt her cheeks grow pink with flushed arousal.
"And has anyone ever had two true mates
before?" Stella murmured, butterflies rising
from her stomach to lift her words and spirits.
"The soul can love more than once," Tristen
confirmed. "No one's love will be the same,
but the feelings are just as valid. I know that
you loved Will, but from the moment I saw
you on Derek's bike, I thought there was
something special about you, but I got too
tongue tied to say anything, and Derek wasn't
helping things."
The confession was mild and gradual, but it
felt right. Stella found herself smiling.
"This is all really sudden." Her hand trailed
down the back of his neck at to his shoulder,
the same delightful sensation rising from her
digit and up her arm. How wonderful it was to
feel like this again. "But I feel it, too. After
what happened with Derek, I knew I'd made a
mistake. And I promise that I'm going to fix it.
I'm not letting myself down again, not after
how I've let myself down this past year."
Tristen's smile was worth whatever
suffering or struggle she'd have to go through
to set things right. If she really was the alpha
female, Stella knew she had power. Just how
much power she had was to be determined in
the hours to follow, but for right now, what she
wanted was to solidify her bond with Tristen.
"I trust you," he told her, "just as Will
trusted you. He wouldn't have picked you if
you didn't have a good head on your
shoulders. I know we'll make it out okay."
 And with his assurance, Tristen brought
their lips together once more. Even after the
brief amount of time they'd spent talking,
Stella found she missed his touch. Now they
would not split again.
Piece by piece, Tristen's clothes met the
floor. His chest was smooth and flat, but not as
firm or muscular as Derek's. His body lean and
agile, but not built for absolute power. And
when his pants and boxers descended, and she
was treated to a view of what lay beneath...
Some things ran in the family.
Tristen was thick, and the slit of his cock
dripped just as Derek's had. Sex between them
would be messy, and she knew he'd leave her
dripping with his secretions once she'd driven
him to orgasm. And this morning, she was
going to treat his body to pleasures untold. Sex
with the chemistry they had was going to be
fantastic, and Stella anticipated a future filled
with it.
Union between them was effortless.
Already her body had begun to respond to his,
anticipating his every move. Amongst long
limbs and soft caresses, Tristen found his way
between her legs. And then, Tristen was inside
of her.
After sex with Derek the night before, Stella
was sore, but stretched. Tristen fit tight, but he
did not wreck her as Derek had. Instead, there
was a tender quality to the joining of their
bodies that she couldn't get enough of. Tristen
ravaged her, and yet she felt as though he did
not take her for granted. A deeper connection
ran between them than an exchange of power
and fluids.
What started as slow and passionate
evolved into something faster and closer to
animalistic. The wolf began to stir inside of
him, and a possessive growl rumbled in his
throat and rattled her lips as they kissed. In
and out, over and over, he worked himself
inside of her, and when orgasm hit, it hit hard.
Stella cried out into the empty house as she
clenched down around him, and as she dove
into the pleasure he had shared with her, he
found his release as well. Hot cum, intimate
instead of taboo, filled her and marked her
with his scent.
Mates.
But this time, Stella did not regret her
choice.
There was still a lot of strife to face that
she'd brought onto herself, but all was not lost
yet. And as Tristen settled at her side and
showered her with soft kisses and gentle
affections during the afterglow of their sex,
she knew she had not chosen poorly this time
around. What she'd found was worth fighting
for. Stella would set her life right — she owed
it to herself, and she owed it to him.
Chapter Six
The howl of the wind deafened Stella and
sent her hair whipping back as they sped from
the pack's farmland hideaway and towards the
city. Tristen's lithe body sat in front of her, and
she gripped him from behind so as not to fall
off. His bike was identical to Derek's, but
already Stella felt different. Raw excitement
and the thrill of the unknown had faded, and
now Stella felt secure and appreciated. The
affection Tristen had shown her trumped
Derek's wild streak, and she knew she'd made
the right choice for her. The right choice for all
of them.
Tristen rode just as aggressively as Derek
did, but he did it with an ease that made the
ride seem safe. The bike cut through the streets
and wove around cars and other obstacles like
water around pebbles down a stream.
Finally, Tristen skidded to a stop in front of
an old apartment building. A crumbling facade
and old window frames betrayed its age, and
Stella thought that it seemed familiar. Then
again, she'd been all over the city with Will.
Before it had seemed like innocent wanderlust,
but now she knew the true reason for his
interest in every nook and cranny — it was his
territory, and he was keeping it safe.
Stella's hand slipped into Tristen's, and he
led her up the old staircase inside the lobby
and to the fourth floor. Three sharp knocks on
the door saw it opened by a young man with
brown hair and a long nose, who looked over
them both with a somber expression. Scent
spoke for them, she guessed. There was no
hiding a bond from wolves.
The walls of the apartment had been
knocked down to create one large, open space
joined through a large archway with the next
unit, which was similarly opened. A den. And
the men who visited there treated it as a home
away from home.
And there, amongst a cluster of couches and
chairs, most torn to shreds, sat Derek. When
he lifted his eyes to look at them as they
entered, Stella thought he might bare his teeth
and attack. Had Tristen entered on his own,
she was sure he would have. Her presence kept
him in check.
"What the fuck is happening," Derek hissed
from where he sat. His arms were draped over
the back of the couch, legs spread. The man
oozed authority and power, and Stella would
have trembled had she not already faced death
down just the day before. It was time to stop
being afraid. Now she shared Tristen's heart
after such a long time mourning Will's loss,
and she was ready to move on and be happy.
 "The word of the alpha female is law,"
Stella declared, clutching Tristen's hand that
much harder, "and I've made a decision.
Tristen and I share a bond, and I will be his
mate."
Derek's body tensed, and he rose up from
the couch in one smooth motion. Angry, he
looked much bigger than he already was, but
Stella would not back down.
"But as the alpha female," she continued,
"as Will's chosen mate, I know what's best for
the pack. You will continue to lead us. You will
rule. But my happiness is with Tristen, and
you — and all of the pack — are going to have
to accept that."
Derek's lips tightened, but he did not
continue his approach. Instead, he dug his
hands into his pockets.
"And if I take a mate?" he asked.
"Then she will serve as alpha female in my
place," Stella declared. "As the present alpha
female of the pack, that's what I want. The
position means nothing to me. I don't want
power, or fame, or influence... All I want is to
be happy at last. And I've found that now."
Tristen's hand tightened around hers, and he
leaned against her to press a kiss to her neck.
The affection made her shiver, and a smile
spread her lips. Happiness. At last. Tristen had
begun to change her for the better, and from
here on out, things were only going to get
better.
Derek approached, but it was not with
anger. He stood uncomfortably close to her,
eyes narrowed and near dangerous. When he
moved again, Stella anticipated he would
strike her, but the older of the two brothers
simply bent down to scent the opposite side of
her neck from Tristen. When he drew away, he
caught her eyes and did not betray his
emotion.
"And what about the child I planted inside
of you?" he asked. "I can smell the pregnancy
on you. You were fertile when I had you last
night."
The news was jarring, and Stella knew her
mouth had fallen agape. Pregnancy? Already?
There was a small chance that the child could
be Tristen's, but...
"It doesn't matter," Tristen said from her
side. He'd yet to let go of her hand. "Yours or
mine, blood is blood, and Stella is mine. I will
care for the child even if it is not my own."
A child. Pregnancy. A family. The news
was so sudden. After a year of living in
isolation, it didn't seem possible. Over the
course of a single day, everything about her
had changed. Both brothers had made sure her
life would never be the same.
"As long as this is my pack," Derek said,
"then you can do whatever the fuck you want,
as long as it's respectful. I'm going to allow
this to happen. I was never big on
commitment, anyway. You start your happy
little family, and I'll lead my pack. Sounds like
a fair tradeoff to me."
Hasty decisions and a bleeding heart had
almost led her to ruin, but perseverance had
served her well. There was no doubt Will had
been a great love of her life, but he would not
be the last. Tristen was there for her now, and
by his side Stella knew she would be treated
well.
And now with a baby on the way, and a
pack to serve as family, there would be no
reason she would ever find herself on her own
again.
After a cold, bleak winter came the first
beautiful buds of spring. The buds of her life
were sprouting now, and Stella knew it
wouldn't be long before her it would be in full
bloom. *****
THE END
WOLF TWINS
CHAPTER ONE
Betraya
Jolene let out a loud gasp when she opened the door and saw them
there. “Bastard!” she shouted. She had come home early from work
to discover that Kenny, her husband of three years, was in fact not at
work like she had thought.
Well, he was at work in one way.
“Babydoll?” he asked, moving quickly off of the mystery woman he
had in their bed.
Kenny’s semi-erect penis was not doing him any favors right now.
Jolene looked at him, horrified. “Get the fuck out of my house!” she
bellowed at him. In actuality, the house belonged to both of them,
but she was too angry to see that at the moment.
The strange woman got out of the bed, covering herself in her dress
and scooping up her panties and bra. She left the room, scampered
down the stairs, and went out the front door without a word. Jolene
got the feeling this had been going on for a while and her finding
them had been inevitable.
She shot her head back around to glare at Kenny as soon as the tart
was gone. “You gonna get packing or should I?”
“Babydoll, it doesn’t have to be like this,” Kenny said. He, unlike
the bimbo, did not bother to put his clothes back on. He tried to
wrap his arms around Jolene, but she pulled away and punched him
in the shoulder roughly.
“Get away from me!” she cried. “And don’t call me ‘babydoll.’”
She went to the chest of drawers and started pulling out her clothing
in large mounds, stuffing them into a suitcase she found in the
closet. “You were supposed to be dependable, Kenneth,” she said. “I
liked you because you had a career and a routine. You were
practically boring, and I liked that. I didn’t want an asshole cheater
like in high school. I guess I just attract asshole cheaters.”
Kenny looked at her woefully as she spoke, but then he turned
vicious in his own defense. “Well, maybe I was tired of boring
routines. Maybe I wanted someone who came when I called her and
drove me crazy.”
Jolene moved back to the doorway. “Whatever. I’m tired of this
shit.” She hit him forcefully with the suitcase as she passed him,
knocking him to the floor. She smirked a little at that. It was a small
victory, but she would take it.
She left the house, tossing her suitcase into the backseat of her green
Volkswagen Beetle. Jolene was in marketing and advertising, and
did most of her work from home; that was the irony of this situation.
Kenny probably jumped at the chance to be unfaithful the first time
Jolene went to the office.
Jolene McNulty was about as Irish as they come, though there
certainly was no shortage of Irish people in Boston. She was pale
and freckled, and taller than average. Curvaceous and attractive, she
was no simpering thing, hence the bumps and bruises she had given
Kenneth upon leaving their abode. Her hair was long and auburn,
and her eyes were emerald green. At twenty-nine years old, she was
still quite a looker, but she had not imagined she would be single
again at this age.
“That son of a bitch,” she growled under her breath, driving along
but not really knowing where she should go. Part of her wanted to
stick around in Boston. After all, that was where her office was. But
the other parts of her knew that there was no way she wanted to stay
anywhere near her soon-to-be-ex.
Her mind made up, she went to a local courthouse and filed for
divorce. Jolene signed the required documents, and then sent them
on their way to be signed by Kenny. It surprised her how easy it
was. It surprised her how much it hurt.
When she got back into her car, she hit the road for Vermont. She
had never been there before, but she’d heard a lot of good things
about the place. It was autumn and she knew that winter would not
be a dainty affair there, but it wasn’t exactly laid back in Boston
either. At least her wardrobe would be appropriate. If she was
moving to Maui, she would be screwed.
Best of all, Vermont offered Jolene a quiet life. She would be able to
sit back and enjoy nature as she wrote on her laptop instead of
having to endure the loud Boston arguments and raucous night life.
Vermont would be all porch swings and pleasantries.
As soon as she drove into Burlington, she rented a small cottage on
the outskirts of town. The owner was a small, shriveled man who
likely would not need living arrangements for much longer. The
cottage was blessedly furnished. Jolene came inside, dropped her
suitcase on the floor near the door, and collapsed onto the couch.
She took off the messenger bag that was on her shoulders at almost
all times, and set it down on the coffee table in front of her.
Her laptop was in that bag. She imagined she would be using that
laptop a lot more now. Apart from doing her work, she was going to
need to do some research into this new place. She pulled it out and
plugged it into the wall, knowing that she was going to need to go
shopping for power strips, along with food, fairly soon.
Upon turning on her computer, Jolene realized that she wasn’t
getting a charge. She tried the other outlet. No dice. She unplugged
and strolled out to the kitchen. The light did not turn on and the
outlets were unresponsive there as well.
“Well, great,” she grumbled. “Could’ve put that in the ad.”
Jolene turned her computer off so the battery would not die and
pulled out her phone, calling the first electrical company listed. The
company was managed by a guy named Luke Weir. She really
hoped that he knew what the hell he was doing, because she was
getting sick of everyone letting her down.
“I’ll be right there,” the guy said when she called. He didn’t ask her
a lot of questions, which Jolene actually appreciated seeing as she
would have had very few answers for him.

The guy that appeared at her doorstep was not at all what Jolene was
expecting from an electrical repairman. First of all, he arrived on a
motorcycle. No dorky truck with a logo on it for this guy. Second of
all, he was not a fat slob with a beer gut and pants that hung low. He
was wearing nice, form-fitting blue jeans and a tight, ab-showing t-
shirt with the company’s logo on it. Alternating Current Electrics.
He was handsome and possibly even a little nerdy without making it
show.
He looked up from his clipboard when she opened the door, the
utility belt hanging around his waist full of tools that Jolene did not
even bother herself with wondering about. She was too hung up on
his hazel eyes. They were mostly green with one thin ring of gold-
amber around his pupils. He had big dimples—one on each cheek—
that caught her attention next, and dark wavy hair that was
practically black if not actually fully black.
“Miss McNulty?” he asked her, checking his clipboard to make sure
he had gotten that right.
Jolene forgot how to talk for a moment, but she nodded as she
looked at him. Maybe moving to Burlington, Vermont was going to
be the best decision she ever made in her life. But after a few middle
schoolish moments, she told herself to be cool. He was, after all, just
an electrician. A lowly service worker.
A sexy, muscly service worker…
She realized then that she had been staring at him without saying
anything for going on two minutes. Clearing her throat, she ushered
him inside, taking a peek at his shiny blue motorcycle before closing
the door.
“So what seems to be the problem?” he asked her. He had a
gravelly, growly voice like one of the best old country singers minus
the southern accent.
She was almost embarrassed now. It seemed so silly. She felt like it
may even be her fault somehow. “I plugged my laptop into the
outlet here,” Jolene said, indicating the place on the wall. “And it
didn’t start charging from either, uh, hole. And so then I tried the
kitchen and the light won’t turn on and the outlets don’t work in
there either.”
The guy whistled slightly and made note of that on the papers on his
clipboard. “Well, I’m Luke Weir and I’m here to help you with
that,” he said casually. “Do you mind if I step over and check it
out?”
“Sure, go ahead,” Jolene replied, realizing that that made it sound
like she did in fact mind. “I mean, I don’t mind. It’s why I called
you.”
Luke looked at her and smirked, causing her to blush and turn his
smirk into an all-out grin.
She felt weak in the knees then, so she sat on the edge of the couch.
Had she really been so romance-deprived by her ex that the mere
sight of another man caused her to get all wet in the panties?
But Luke was not just ‘another man.’ He was gorgeous. She had not
been prepared for gorgeous in the land of rolling green hills and
farms.
“You can go about your business,” Luke told her, not unkindly but
not entirely nicely either. She got the sense that he was minorly
annoyed that she was still watching him. “I’ll let you know when
I’m through where we’re at.”
Jolene nodded a little. She couldn’t get her work done without the
cord working, and she would also have a hard time focusing due to
the hottie a few feet away from her. So she got one of her books off
of a shelf and started reading. She hadn’t paid attention to what the
book was and only realized once she’d started trying to read that it
was a French-to-English dictionary.
She could hear Luke chuckling and did not even have to glance up
at him to know why. She was so embarrassed that she felt like
burying her head in the book and maybe dying a little.
“All right, you can watch me,” he said, still laughing. “I didn’t want
you to be bored, is all. Watching me fiddle with outlets and cables is
not that exciting, I’m sure.”
Now that’s where you’re wrong, she thought.
“Would you like a drink?” she offered him. “I’ve got some cans of
soda in the fridge, some beer and of course there’s water.”
Luke looked up from the place where he was kneeling on the floor
and smiled at her. He had a wicked, almost dangerous sort of smile.
“What kind of beer do you have?” he asked her.
Jolene grinned at him. As soon as she had listed the brands of
bottled beer she had, Luke gave her his choice and she got up,
practically skipping into the kitchen to retrieve a cold Rolling Rock
for him. She got a can of soda for herself. She wasn’t much of a
drinker, even though she currently had several types of beer in her
fridge. It was just that she had foreseen many lonely, bored nights
there in that cottage. Perhaps she should have planned to go out and
mingle with the Burtlingtonians or whatever they called themselves.
She handed him the beer as soon as she got back to Luke. She had
been kind enough to pop it open beforehand.
“Thanks,” he said, sitting down on the floor and mopping some
sweat from his brow with the back of his long, black-haired arm. He
took the beer from her outstretched hand and took a long swig.
Jolene sat on the arm on the couch which, as it happened, was the
closest place she could sit in order to be near him. She popped open
her can of soda and took a sip, smiling as she did so. She wanted so
badly to flirt with him, but she had no idea where to start. She was
rusty, since she had been out of the dating game for years. Not that
she had ever exactly been a master flirter anyway. She was more
like a master attracter, somehow. Guys dug her. At least, back when
she was younger…
It was good that Luke seemed to be in his early thirties, at least. She
wasn’t robbing the cradle or anything like that.
“New to town?” he asked her, catching her off guard as she was
trying to think of something to ask him.
“Is it obvious?” Jolene asked him.
He chuckled. “Well, by the looks of things you just moved into this
cottage today. Either that or you love keeping your stuff in
suitcases.”
Jolene looked over at her suitcase by the door. She had not been too
concerned about putting her things away yet. Really, she had just
been trying to play around on the internet. “You’re very perceptive,”
she said.
Luke smiled at her as he took another pull at his bottle of Rolling
Rock. Then he set the beer down on the coffee table and got back to
work testing the outlets and working on the wiring. After a few
moments, he got up from the floor. “Where’s your circuit box?” he
asked her.
Hey, there, tiger. Take me out for a drink before you ask such
personal questions.
“Um, I think it’s in the laundry room?”
He went off in search of it. Jolene felt like such a dork. She worried
that she was being too obvious. Was it a stereotype, to be the lonely
single woman in need of a serviceman’s help?
Suddenly, the light turned on in the kitchen. It was as if she had had
a great idea all of a sudden. Man, did she wish…
“Problem solved!” Luke announced, striding back into the room.
“This is a nice place you’ve got here. I’m glad the electricity is not
really faulty. That’s a nightmare avoided.” He smiled at her,
showing off his dimples.
Jolene looked at him and smiled a little, feeling sad. The problem
being solved meant that this handsome electrician was going to
leave. “Thank you. That—jeez—that probably should have been the
first thing I thought of.”
He waved a hand at her. “Ah, it happens all the time.” She noticed
that he was looking at her in a way that did not seem so professional
now, like he had just noticed her green eyes and curvy physique. It
didn’t hurt that she was sitting in just the right way to make her
neckline dip down and her breasts press together.
“You doing anything tonight?” he asked her then.
Jolene felt both surprised and vindicated. She knew what inquiries
like that meant usually. “No, I hadn’t planned anything,” she said
with a flirty, coy—she hoped—smile. “Mostly I was hoping to do
some research about this town.”
Luke just kept on smiling, his dimples getting deeper and more set
on his face. They practically made him glow like a neon sign that
said ‘kiss me.’ Jolene was glad she was already sitting down so she
wouldn’t swoon or do something equally fangirlish. “I’ll do you one
better,” he said.
Yeah, I bet you will.
“I have a few more customers to attend to today,” he said, looking at
his clipboard of paperwork again, surveying his schedule. “But
what’s say I pick you up back here at about… eight o’clock?”
Ooh, he wasn’t just going to meet her somewhere. He was going to
pick her up. Jolene imagined him in leather, picking her up and
riding off with her on the back of his motorcycle—a Harley. Always
a Harley. She tried to imagine herself becoming one of those biker
chicks who live on the back of bikes and smoke and sing songs
about Danny Zuko. All further proof that she needed to get out
more.
He could tell that she was considering his proposition, and he liked
that.
“I will be your guide to Burlington,” he said, doing his best to
sweeten the already sweet deal.
She nodded at him, trying to be eager but not too eager. “Cool,” she
said. “That sounds great. I’ll see you at eight.” She grinned at him.
“How much do I owe you?”
Luke shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything, sweetheart. Just
be here when I come for you.”
Something flashed in his hazel eyes. Jolene could have just been
crazy attracted to this guy, but she felt like she had definitely seen a
flash of something dangerous and not altogether pleasant in his
eyes.

Prettying herself up was not so easy for Jolene when all of her stuff
was packed away in a suitcase. She rummaged around until she
found the little bag of all of her bathroom supplies, including a
small, plastic pouch full of makeup accoutrements. She had no idea
what kind of place that Luke was planning to take her to. The way
he had made it sound, he was probably planning to show her
multiple places. Jolene had to wear something that said she was
spontaneous and versatile.
She put on a pair of grey-black skinny jeans and a purple blouse that
hung off her shoulders and exposed her black bra straps. It was an
80’s nostalgia type shirt, but she loved it. It showed off what she
considered her fabulous neckline and shoulders. And chest. Let’s
not forget chest.
Jolene played on the internet for a bit while she waited for Luke to
reappear. From what she could see, Burlington was a pretty relaxed,
down to earth place. How the hell had a guy like Luke found
himself there? Was it possible that a guy like him could be born in a
place like Vermont?
Right as eight o’clock arrived, the sounds of a motorcycle could be
heard in her driveway. Jolene gave herself one final cursory glance
in the mirror before stepping out onto the porch. She gave Luke a
wave and locked her door before strolling down to greet him. She
hoped that her bag was hefty enough to stay on her shoulder while
they rode. She hadn’t thought about that.
“Wanna put that in the storage?” he asked her, gesturing to… Was
he pointing at his crotch?
She blinked at him, surprised, before she realized that he was
actually pointing at the seat of his bike. Ooohhh… Duh. “Sure,” she
said with a smile, relieved that he did not know what she had just
thought. “That would be great. Probably wiser, too.”
Jolene handed over her purse, feeling strange because Luke was a
stranger but knowing she could trust him with her purse because he
had, after all, been in her home already. He got off his motorcycle
and carefully took the bag from her. Then he opened up his bike seat
to reveal a fairly decent sized storage space within. He placed her
purse down into it and pulled out a helmet for her. He tossed it to
her without saying a word.
“Ahh!” she shouted, managing to catch it by sheer luck.
Luke laughed at her. “Come on, McNulty,” he said, tilting his head
towards his bike. “We’ve got sights to see and the night ain’t getting
younger.”
Jolene smirked at him, wondering how it was that he came to sound
so cartoonishly southern sometimes. Maybe it was merely an
affectation. Or a joke. But one thing was for sure: her crush on him
was no joke.
 CHAPTER TWO
The Wily Mr. Weir

Despite the proclamation that he was going to take Jolene on a

grand tour of Burlington, Luke ended up driving her around until
they found a bar he liked. He parked his bike right in front, as if it
was his designated spot, and then helped her off of it.
Jolene looked up at the sign above the place, arching an eyebrow.
“Vermonster?” she asked him skeptically.
He smiled wryly at her. “I know. Pretty great, right?”
It sounded like it might house overly large vermin inside, but she
was going to give it, and him, the benefit of the doubt. Luke was,
after all, the hottest guy she had been on a date with in not-so-recent
memory. Maybe even ever.
Probably ever.
He held the door open for her and Jolene stepped inside, surprised
by how dark the place was. “How can people even see their drinks
in front of their faces?” she asked him, as if he was in charge of the
lighting situation of this bar. “I assume, as an electrician, you can
control the lighting levels of all things.”
Luke looked at her as he stepped through the door behind her,
smiling and seeming slightly embarrassed by the mention of his
profession. “I’m in charge of a great many things, but the lighting
here is not one of them,” he said.
He gestured for Jolene to follow him to a table near the bar. She
happily sat down across from him and immediately started leafing
through the menu. Now that they were actually there, at a
destination rather than travelling to one, the date felt like it had
officially begun. Luke watched her as she looked through the menu
and she felt her face grow hot with the knowledge that he was
watching.
“I think I’ll have the Vermillion Viper,” Jolene said, smiling. “That
sounds too enticing to resist.”
“Adventurous!” Luke said. “I like it. I’ll be right back.” He got up
and strode over to the bar so he could order their drinks more
quickly.
Jolene watched as he walked away, admiring the curves of his
arms… And, yes, the curve of his ass. He was built like some kind
of an Adonis. He clearly participated in some sort of strict exercise
regimen. She wondered if he got muscles from riding his
motorcycle. It was not a standard bike, but there had to be some
muscle involved in order to keep that heavy thing working.
He returned to the table a mere moment later, grinning at her as he
sat back down. “Done,” he said. “So tell me more about yourself
now that I’m off the clock. What brings you to Burlington?”
That was a toughie. She couldn’t be totally honest without being at
least a little off-putting.
“I had to get away from Boston,” Jolene answered truthfully. “I was
coming off of a bad breakup and I thought it was time for a change.
I’d lived in Boston all my life. What about you? Are you from
here?”
Luke’s eyes flashed slightly in that same, haunting way that she had
noticed before. He smiled at her. “I’ve lived here a long time, but I
can’t quite say I’m from here.”
She looked at him quizzically, wondering what the hell that was
supposed to mean. “Where are you actually from, then?” She didn’t
want to interrogate him or anything, but it sounded like he was
trying to get her to ask further questions.
Instead of answering, he stood up and walked away to the bar. He
didn’t say anything or give any heads up this time, he just took off.
Jolene watched him walk over, feeling mystified and curious about
him in a way that she had not been before. He was sexy and
intriguing, but it would be just her luck if he also turned out to be
totally crazy.
When Luke returned to their table, he had their two drinks in hand.
He placed Jolene’s Vermillion Viper in front of her. She ogled at its
redness, appreciating its clever name even more. The cocktail had
three kinds of booze in it. Jolene began to wonder if she was in over
her head.
But then she saw Luke with his pint of lager and forgot about
worrying. He was so dreamy and captivating. She wanted to just
enjoy this. After all, he reminded her of all of the bad boys she used
to date in school. The motorcycle definitely helped, but there was an
edge to Luke that she could tell he was trying to keep in check.
Jolene badly wanted him to snap. She thought he would be
supremely sexy once he had snapped…
“You didn’t answer my question,” she said to him with a pout,
taking the straw into her mouth and sipping. Oohh. She had made
the right choice.
Luke gave her a wicked smile, shaking his head slowly back and
forth at her. “The answer is a secret,” he said. “You wouldn’t believe
me even if I told you.”
Jolene raised her eyebrows at him. She wanted to continue trying to
badger it out of him, but she chose to just sip her drink instead. The
bar they were in was more like a club. Dance type music was
playing and people were in fact gyrating around on a special dance
floor nearby. It was going to take a lot more Vermillion Vipers for
Luke to get her out on that floor. Especially because she felt like
playing hard to get.
He seemed to have sensed this very fact, and he proceeded to get up
and replenish their drinks whenever they had both downed their last
one.
“No fair!” she said with a laugh when he came back with the third
glass of the thrice-boozed beverage. This glass was either extra full
or she was tipsy. Or possibly both.
“Oh, you didn’t want one?” Luke asked her, giving her a cheeky sort
of look. “I could take it back…”
Jolene shook her head. “No,” she said, and then corrected herself.
“No, thank you. This is good. I needed a night like this, honestly.”
“Because of the break up?”
“No! Shut up!” She laughed at him then, and at herself. “Sorry. I
just… No. And yes, maybe.” Jolene took a long sip of her drink.
She did not really taste the flavor anymore so much as the alcohol.
And it was the alcohol that she wanted.
They finished their latest round of drinks and then Luke nodded his
head towards the dance floor. “You wanna dance?”
Jolene could have guessed that this question was coming. Who
came to a dance club place like this without dancing? She didn’t
want to make him lose interest, but she wasn’t the best dancer.
Though, to be fair, he was not exactly sober anymore. It wasn’t
about being a skilled dancer. It was about having the chance to
touch each other.
“Sure,” she said, sucking up the last of the fruity concoction and
hoping that she would not regret any of the night’s decisions
tomorrow.

Slowly swaying to the beats of the music, Jolene did her best to
relax and let the tipsiness wash over her. She was usually so in
control of things that it felt nice to let go a little and just enjoy the
moments as they drifted by. Sure, she was with a complete stranger,
but hey, he had fixed her outlets for her. For free! That alone
deserved some time on the dance floor.
“Do you wanna get out of here?” he asked her, whispering hotly into
her ear which felt nice. The music was loud and the walls were
spinning, but Luke made the effort to be heard and understood by
her fuzzy brain.
Jolene looked at Luke, surprised by his question and wondering if
she was hearing him correctly. “Do you want to get out of here?”
she asked him, hoping that his answer would make the question
clearer to her.
He laughed and shook his head at her, clarifying. “Do you want to
go somewhere else now?”
“Ohhh,” she said a bit exaggeratedly. She nodded along with it.
“Sure, sounds good. Maybe we should go someplace quieter.”
Smiling, Luke took her hand. “I know just the place.”
He carefully led her back to his motorcycle and helped her onto it.
“Hold on tight,” he cautioned her when he got on, starting up the
engine. Jolene did not have to be told twice. She held onto him for
dear life. Suddenly, the threat of falling off Luke’s machine was
scarier than it had been hours ago, when she was sober.
It was funny how that worked. All rationality had faded, but it was
replaced by silly thoughts of ‘eh, what’s the worst that could
happen?’ at the same time.
As they rode along down the streets of Burlington, a crack of
thunder suddenly broke out in the sky above them. Jolene, in her
tipsy state, looked up at the sky to see if there was any lightning and
almost fell backwards off the bike.
“Ahh!” she shouted while laughing. “Looks like it’s about to
storm!”
She hoped that he could hear her over the loud engine of his
motorcycle. She didn’t know where he had been planning to take
her next and she was disappointed that their evening might have to
be cut short.
Sure enough, it was as she had feared. It was as if the sky suddenly
opened up and released all of the rain in the universe upon them.
Jolene, always extra imaginative when drunk, imagined the sky
becoming unzipped like in some cartoon she vaguely remembered
seeing when she was little. Luke drove her back to her house. She
didn’t want to go back, but she supposed anything was better than
staying out in the rain on a highly conductive motorcycle…
He carefully parked his bike in her driveway and helped her down
from it. She led him back up to her front porch at a run, laughing a
little as the cold rain fell and further drenched her. Luke chuckled as
he rushed along behind her. When at last they had made it onto the
porch, Jolene smiled up at him. She ached, physically ached, at the
thought of saying goodbye to him so soon. Had she been a tad more
melodramatic, she might have even gone inside and broke her
electrical cables or something. Anything to see Luke Weir again.
“So…” she said.
“So,” he replied, smiling so sweetly at her. She knew that he was
drunk and she was drunk and it was not an ideal situation, but she
wanted very much to ask him inside.
She placed her hands on his chest. Not without thinking, but
definitely without being able to stop herself. Thanks, alcohol! His
chest felt great. Firm. Safe, even. She looked up at him, into his
hazel eyes. “Would you like to come in for some coffee?” She didn’t
have coffee yet. She still needed to go to the store. “Or something?
Probably not more beer.”
Luke’s eyes seemed to sparkle at her. “Or something,” he said. “Or
something sounds good.”
Just then, he leaned down and kissed her. It was not a simple lip-kiss
like most first kisses that she had had in the past. This was an all or
nothing kind of kiss. He practically devoured her mouth with his
own. Jolene leaned herself into him, letting him hold her. She
wrapped her arms around his neck and fully gave into it. She could
not remember the last time she had felt so wanted or so free.
He watched her as she unlocked her front door and then followed
her inside. She was amazed at how safe—well, not threatened—she
felt with him. She supposed that she had been pretty reckless on this
date, but she didn’t plan on turning back now. The way Luke was
looking at her as she walked in front of him, clearly admiring her
body, just drew her further and further in.
Jolene was ensnared.
They sat together at Jolene’s little table in her kitchen. Thanks to
Luke, she was able to turn the light on. They had had enough booze
at the bar, so they sat there sipping cans of soda instead, smiling and
giggling at the moderate absurdity. She felt like she was in high
school again, dating one of those bad boys who acted so rough yet
treated her so well. The relationships never lasted; they couldn’t
last. Nothing can thrive in an excess of fun.
“So…” she said, sipping her orange soda.
“So,” he said with a grin, sipping his cola.
“What do you do for fun around here?” Jolene asked. “Aside from
hitting the bars. I can tell you appreciate those.”
Luke laughed. “You make me sound like an alcoholic.”
She raised her eyebrows to indicate that there was little reason to not
suspect that.
He laughed again. “You’ve seen this place. It’s gorgeous. I’m the
vice president of a motorcycle club, so I spend a lot of my downtime
cruising the streets, admiring the trees and the water along the way.”
A motorcycle club! That made sense. She wondered if he got
involved in all kinds of gang related activities. She didn’t think he
seemed the type. He was gruff, sure. That didn’t mean he was
actually physically violent.
Jolene admired his pecs again, imagining the ways that she wouldn’t
mind some violence from him…
“What’s your motorcycle club called?” she asked him, trying her
best to keep her thoughts innocent. “I know those usually have
amusing names.”
Luke grimaced somewhat. “The Lone Wolves.”
She chuckled. “Plural? Oh my god.”
“I didn’t pick it,” he said with a shrug.
Jolene had the feeling that he did not want to continue discussing it.
She felt that she’d struck a nerve, so she changed the subject. “I
never really thought of Vermont as a place for motorcycle gangs.”
That brought Luke’s smile back. “We’re not a gang,” he insisted.
“We’re a club. A club without a whole lot of rules. And we’re not
really from Vermont. We’re… special.”
His eyes flashed mysteriously at that. She was getting used to seeing
the flash in his eyes, though it happened so fast that it was gone
before she could ask about it or really get a good look.
“Yeah, you’re special, all right.”
As if that was his cue, Luke moved from his chair and grabbed her
face in his hands, kissing her as he stood over her. Again, she felt
the ferocity of his tongue against hers, all around her mouth. She
reached out and touched his chest and, before she knew it, she was
in his arms and he was carrying her to bed.
 CHAPTER THREE
She’s Electric

As soon as they were in her bedroom, he kicked the door closed

behind them and gently placed her down on the floor. She wrapped
her arms around his neck and pulled him in for more kisses. He
unbuckled her jeans and wrestled them down her legs, smirking a
bit. They were tight to accentuate her assets, but that meant they
were not easily removed from her ass.
Jolene sat on the end of the bed, helping Luke in the lowering of her
jeans. Then her panties. Then he knelt on the floor there below her
and moved his face between her legs. She sucked in a breath as he
licked and kissed at her labia and clit. Leaning back against her
arms, she closed her eyes and just let herself enjoy him. Each time
he brought his head up for air, he licked his lips, turning her on even
more.
There was that familiar flash in his eyes again and she realized the
most captivating thing about it. The flash came from the ring of gold
around his pupil. The same ring that had struck her when she first
looked at him. That ring became illuminated every so often with a
fire that came from within him. The fire of lust, it now seemed. The
fire of wanting her.
“Ohhh,” she moaned as he brought his tongue back down on her,
flicking it into her opening. She could not wait to rip the clothes off
him now.
He did not rush in his ministrations. When she was good and wet,
Luke rose back up and worked at undoing his pants and removing
them. Jolene was happy to help. She pulled off his shirt, gazing at
the sexy pecs that lay beneath. His muscled arms were covered in
black hair, and so was his chest.
She wanted to be buried in his chest. It was so fuzzy and warm and
safe. Like he was a big, cuddly animal. Jolene had never known
before how much she appreciated a man who was like that. Luke
would cuddle her and protect her. But right now, she wanted him to
fuck her.
Clothing off, he finished removing hers and then got on top of her,
not asking questions, not saying anything. He devoured her mouth
as his cock penetrated her pussy. And she was helpless. She felt like
she was melting back into the bed. She hadn’t even been on this bed
yet and now here she was. Christening it.
Jolene murmured out another moan against his shoulder. She kissed
and bit at him and he brought her left breast into his mouth, sucking
and biting it till it had no other recourse but to become purple and
red. She arched her back up off of the mattress as he sped up his
thrusts. She could feel his thick, lengthy member stretching her and
filling her up.
It had been so long since she’d last had sex. It had been even longer
since she’d last had good sex.
And it had never before been this good.
Suddenly, without warning, Luke grabbed her and flipped her over
so she was lying face down on the bed, with her ass facing him. She
made an effort to lift herself up onto her arms, but he pushed her
back down, being gentle but controlling. He took her from behind,
thrusting faster and faster.
Jolene clutched the blankets underneath her, turning her head so her
face was not so pressed against the blankets or the pillow. “Ohhh!”
she gasped out. “Oh, Luke!” He was slamming into her g-spot,
making her wetness get all over the sheets as she came.
He didn’t seem overly concerned about the fact that she had come.
He continued to plow himself inside of her until at last he exploded
within her. Then he slipped out and padded off into the bathroom to
clean himself up.
Shaking, as she was still coming down from her euphoria, Jolene
slowly turned herself over so she was lying on her back. She was
bruised in more than a few places. The hickey he had given her
boob was going to take days to go away. Luke was rather aggressive
during sex, like all good bad boys. She knew where he stood. She
knew he would not turn out to be a secret asshole like her ex-
husband.
After a few minutes, Luke returned to the bedroom. He tossed three
pieces of toilet paper—still attached to each other—at Jolene so she
could clean herself up. She did so, feeling a bit dirty but not exactly
minding it.
The free fall from the alcohol was getting to her head now and
making her sleepy. She stood up and went into the bathroom,
emerging moments later with her toothbrush in her mouth. Her
suitcase was still out in the living room, but she decided against
changing into pajamas. She had a feeling that there would be more
sex where that came from after they had gotten some sleep.
Once her teeth were brushed, she snuggled into bed with Luke and
lay with her head against his strong, firm chest. He wrapped an arm
around her loosely, yawning with a deep, low growl. Once again,
Jolene felt like she was with a big, guard dog. “I know this is silly,”
she told him softly, her eyes closed as she listened to his heart beat
inside his chest. “I know it’s probably the alcohol talking. But I feel
safe with you in a way I’ve never felt safe before.”
“Safe?” he asked in practically a whisper. She could tell that he was
mere moments away from being asleep. “No one has ever felt safe
with me before.”
With that he started to snore and Jolene realized that she was going
to have to fall asleep now, too. She rested her head on him for a
while, enjoying the sound of his heartbeat and his breathing. It felt
nice to have him in bed with her.
Jesus, could it really have only been yesterday that she had slept
with her ex? She hoped that her ex was having an awful night
without her, and that he would sign the divorce papers, but as far as
she was concerned, Jolene McNulty was free of him completely.
She was onto bigger and better things.
When she woke up in the morning, Jolene discovered that she was
alone in the bed. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and wondering if he
had quickly made his exit before she could even thank him for last
night or anything. She rolled out of bed somehow and, realizing she
was naked, put on the jeans and blouse from the night before.
She had a killer hangover, but that stopped mattering as soon as she
walked out of her bedroom and found Luke in her kitchen. He was
standing by the counter, dressed back in last night’s clothes as well,
fiddling with the toaster. Momentarily she wondered if the outlets
were still being a problem, but he got a handle on it and soon she
could smell the pop tarts that he had made for them.
Clearly Luke had snuck out to get them while she was sleeping.
They sat down together like they had before and feasted on
breakfast.
“I don’t have a lot to offer,” she said with a shy smile. Now that the
booze had worn off, she was back to wondering how a guy like
Luke could ever possibly see anything in her.
He looked at her and smiled. “I’m not asking for you to offer me
anything,” he said. “I know you still need time to get settled. I plan
to help with that.”
One thing he definitely was not helping her with was getting
dressed. As soon as they finished their unusual breakfast, she
attempted to take a shower. Luke joined her in the bathroom and
removed her clothes for her. Then he removed his own clothes.
Jolene could not say if she felt clean after their shower together. It
had been interrupted by sex against the wet wall, but then she and
Luke had sponged each other off so who knew how clean they
were? He play chased her back into the bedroom afterwards and
they made out, naked and wet, on top of the bed. She was so
grateful that it was a Saturday.
“I’m free as a bird all day,” he told her, nuzzling her with his perfect
nose and smiling at her with his perfect teeth.
They took advantage of the freeness of the day by making love
several more times. Every time her clothes went on, he would take
them off.
Finally, when evening arrived, Luke decided that it was time for him
to go.
“Good, I need to unpack,” Jolene joked, though she wished that he
could stay. She was feeling so happy with him there that she worried
about the aloneness that would come as soon as he was gone.
Luke flashed another killer smile at her. “I will be back,” he told her.
“I promise.”
He leaned down over her and they kissed. He walked out the door
and she felt an emptiness for a few moments. She did not know with
what she would fill her time now. She supposed that the best thing
to do would be to finally get to work. After all, she had not worked
since arriving in Burlington. The outlets worked now, so she did not
have that as an excuse.

Two days later, she was up early and making coffee with the new
coffee maker she had bought herself. She was even making eggs.
She felt much fancier now… or at least more normal again. She
worked on things on her laptop at the kitchen table, careful to not
spill anything on her much needed computer as she ate and worked
at the same time.
The sound of her doorbell interrupted her. She was not expecting
anyone, not even a delivery. She went over to the front door,
realizing as she went that there was one person it certainly could be.
She peeked through the peephole and sure enough she was right!
Luke was standing there on her front porch, holding a glass
container full of some kind of casserole, Jolene assumed. He was
making the standard, ‘welcome to the neighborhood’ gesture of
bringing over some kind of food item. Jolene had not expected
anything of the kind, especially not after all of the other kinds of
welcome he had given her… She grinned, not believing how
thoughtful this man was. He was starting to break away from the
classic bad boy mold of all of her former lovers.
She opened the front door wide so she could get a good look at him,
hoping that he would not be thrown off by her pony tail or her cut-
off jean shorts. She looked cute but she certainly did not look like
she was going on a hot date.
In her defense, he had given her no warning!
He opened his mouth to start talking and Jolene lunged forward,
cutting him off immediately with a kiss. Luke nearly dropped the
casserole. She led him inside by the hand and placed the casserole
on the counter before leading him—again by the hand—to her
bedroom.
“You have no idea how needy you’ve made me,” she cooed at him,
pulling down his pants and taking his magnificent cock into her
mouth.
He moaned and ran his fingers through her red hair as she sucked
and licked and kissed. After a few blissful moments of this, he laid
her down on the bed and entered her. He was gentler this time,
which surprised Jolene. There was something different and maybe
even more affectionate in the way he made love to her this time. His
thrusts were slower, more lingering.
She raised her arms up to clutch the pillow behind her head as he
explored her insides with his cock. She felt pleasure she had never
before experienced.
“Mmmph,” she groaned a little. “You were saving this for later, I
see.”
Luke gazed down at her and gave her a small smile.
She wondered if he had been missing her as much as she had missed
him. It certainly seemed that way. Hell, he had gone to the trouble of
making a casserole for her. That shit took time! She was going to
have to repay him somehow in the food department. Pop-Tarts just
would not do.
The roughness and urgency was gone from their sex this time. Luke
made love to her like was… well, making love to her. He kissed her
and caressed her and gently fondled her without leaving any fresh
marks. When he saw the bruises on her skin, he kissed them as if
that was the elixir that would make them better.
“What do you want?” he asked her as he slowly thrust deeply within
her, careful to tease all the right spots.
Jolene ground her hips against his, arching upwards at the feel of
him. “Hmm, faster and to the left?” She bit her lip as she smiled. “Is
that too specific?”
He chuckled softly. “Not at all.”
Speeding up his thrusts, he positioned himself so he was moving
more towards her left. That was it. That was the spot. She closed her
eyes tightly and let out a loud shout. “Yesss!”
He continued to move at the same pace, holding her close. He came
inside of her and then surprised her by staying there for a moment.
Carefully, he slipped out of her and then cuddled her for a bit as
their heartbeats slowed back down to normal.
She smiled at him as he held her. “You spoil me,” she said.
Luke chuckled. “I didn’t know you would be so turned on by
casserole.”
“I’m turned on by you.”
They kissed and then went together to the bathroom to clean each
other up. They took a hot shower together and Jolene rubbed her
light blue shower pouf all over him. She could never get enough of
looking at his naked body. He had an interesting, crescent moon
shaped birthmark on his neck. She hadn’t noticed that before,
though she had been so preoccupied with his chest when they were
last together that she was sure there were plenty of things she’d
missed.
The way he was staring at her, she was confident that the feeling
was mutual. He gazed at her, letting his eyes explore her now that
his cock had had its turn. Jolene was curvy. Some might even say
voluptuous. But she did not feel like she was model material like he
was.
After their shower, they dried off and went out to the living room
together. She did not care about their dampness as they sat on her
canvas couch. “Are you off for a bit?” she asked him, resting her
chin against her fist as she looked at him. “Please say you’ll stay a
while?”
There was something that seemed a bit uneasy in Luke’s expression
now. “I will stay as long as you want…” he said, trailing off. He
looked over at the counter and, realizing that the casserole was still
there, he stood up and went to put it in the refrigerator.
“Aww,” Jolene said. “We could eat it together, if you want.”
“I made it for you,” he said, seemingly shy. “I don’t want to eat your
welcome present.”
She smiled at him, flattered by the fact that he had made her a
casserole, especially after everything else they had already done.
“That was very thoughtful of you. Most people do that sort of thing
as an ice breaker. You know, when they’re going to introduce
themselves to a newcomer to the neighborhood or whatever. This is
actually the first time anyone has been this welcoming to me. Is it a
Vermont thing, or just a you thing?”
She gently pressed a finger into his pecs, noticing that they did not
feel quite so rock hard this time. She wondered if he had been
flexing before… Luke did strike her as a bit of a show off, though
not in a bad way.
Luke laughed softly, looking down at the casserole on the counter in
a sort of shy way. “I guess maybe it’s just a me thing.”
With that, she hugged him, nuzzling into his chest. She listened to
his heartbeat and wondered to herself how she was ever going to
live there without him in her house with her. Jolene was resilient
enough to live on her own, but that didn’t mean that she particularly
wanted to… She preferred the company of others.
Especially this particular other.
“I would be living alone in the dark if it wasn’t for you,” Jolene told
him in a hushed sort of tone, almost as though uttering it softly
would make it a less embarrassing admission. “I don’t know where
I’d be without you, Luke.”
Suddenly, his face went white. He gently pushed her away. “I should
go,” he said. “I, uh… I just remembered that I have to do
something.”
With that strange announcement, he rushed into his room and put on
his clothing. She followed him, baffled and watching his crescent
moon, and how his face was making it show up a milky white
against his skin.
“When can I see you again?” she asked him, yearning in her voice.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. Probably soon… It’s a small
town.”
Now fully re-dressed, he left the bedroom and went out the front
door before Jolene even had time to stop him from going. She
couldn’t help feeling like she had said something amiss, but she
could not think of what it was.
She carefully put his casserole into the refrigerator, not willing to
eat it because it was special to her. She was sure she would feel like
it later on, when she started to run out of food or long for his
presence again.
If nothing else, at least she could say that she had made one
worthwhile friend in Vermont. She just hoped that she wouldn’t do
anything to fuck it up.
 CHAPTER FOUR
The Room Where It Happened

Jolene ended up getting a lot of work done in the long week that
followed, but she was not happy about it. She missed having Luke
around. She hadn’t heard anything from him ever since his sudden
departure, which made her firmly believe that she had said or done
something to upset him. She didn’t have his phone number; only the
number for his electrician company and she was not about to call
him there in an attempt to track him down. That would be decidedly
uncool.
So, instead of making any attempt to get in touch with him, she
threw herself into her work. She was pleasing her clients at least.
The change of atmosphere and the complete freedom to write copy
while in her underwear made the move completely worth it. Add to
that a certain sexy electric man and Jolene was pretty much set.
There were several messages on her phone from her ex, but the last
thing she wanted to do was open that can of worms—especially
when she was vulnerable from feeling lonely.
One of the hardest things for her was something that she had for so
long envisioned would be the easiest, most freeing thing. She was
having a hard time going to sleep in her room. It was the room
where it happened. The room where she had had a crazy, fast love
affair with Luke. She hadn’t even claimed it as her own before they
had claimed it together, and the bed felt so besmirched without him.
Luckily, just as Jolene was starting to really feel down in the dumps,
she got a call on her cell phone from someone who so thankfully
was not Kenny.
His name was like a magical incantation.
“Hello?” she asked brightly, feeling silly for answering in such a
bland, unexciting way.
“Hey,” Luke replied. God, his voice was sexy over the phone. The
time away from him had evidentially turned her into even more of a
middle school girl.
He chuckled into the phone. Oh god, he could hear it too. She was
really going to need to work on upping her coolness factor. She had
always thought she was the smoothest woman ever, but apparently
not. Not at all.
It was telling that Vermont was making this Bostonian feel lame.
“What’s up?” she asked, doing her best to remain calm and casual.
Luke had a life outside of her and she had a life outside of him.
Sure, most of her life outside of him consisted of staring at screens
for hours on end, but it was a life anyway. She did not particularly
enjoy long walks in the wilderness in the hot summer… especially
not alone.
“Not much, you?” Luke replied. The short responses were kind of
making her mental. Not that she was expecting a loving sonnet from
him or anything, but she had hoped that he would sound a bit
more… excited to hear her voice? Because she sure as shit was
excited to hear his.
She decided to amp it up a little to make it more obvious. “I was
beginning to wonder if you had lost interest in me.”
There was that deep chuckle of his again. “No, no,” he said. “I’ve
just been busy with work. You know how summer can be, with the
heat knocking out power and stuff. At least there weren’t any
storms.”
Aww, she did not want to talk about the weather with Luke. “Oh, I
guess I can’t blame you for that, then. I’ve been busy too, though
my job’s nowhere near as exciting as yours…”
Talking about work was not any better.
“Heh,” he said. “So listen. I was thinking that, since it’s my day off
again, you might want to come out with me to Vermonster again.”
Jolene chuckled a bit. “Do you live there?”
He laughed back. “Pretty much… So what do you say? Are you in?”
She would honestly go anywhere with him. The bar had been pretty
cool, though Jolene could not remember every detail of their first
time there… Their first night together. “Sounds good,” she said.
“I’m going to end up addicted to those—what were they called?—
Vermillion something or others.”
“I could tell you liked them,” Luke teased. “Every time I blinked, I
had to get you a new one.”
“That is not true!” she laughed. “You did not have to keep getting
them for me.”
“Yeah, sure.”
She could almost imagine his face, the way he was smiling. She
knew that he was smiling. It was so evident in his wonderful,
growly voice. Luke sounded like he had smoked for years but then
quit fairly recently. Jolene did not feel like she needed to worry
about his health; the effects of past mistakes lingered but were
benign.
“I’ll pick you up in about an hour?” he offered then. “I hope you’re
stocked up on Pop-Tarts.”
Jolene was all set to answer with a clever retort, but he ended the
call before she could say anything. She stared at her phone,
attempting to memorize his number by keeping her eyes on it, and
then she swiftly saved it in his contacts.
Luke.
She put him in her phone as Luke. No last name needed. No
explanation.
Her bedroom was a wreck. She had been in such a funk that she
hadn’t done laundry yet, and therefore she had to wear a long-
sleeved black and white striped sweater and some dark jeans. The
jeans were very tight on her, a fact that did not help Jolene feel
better about this new date. She was nervous and excited, and when
she got nervous and excited she sometimes felt like just staying in
bed was a better option…
The sweater looked nice on her, at least. She rolled up the sleeves so
she would not die of heat stroke. At least Vermont was not
volcanically hot.
It didn’t take Luke long to come to her cottage. Jolene heard the
familiar purr of his motorcycle in her driveway and rushed to open
the front door before he was even off of his bike. He even still had
his black helmet on.
She swiftly locked her front door, threw her bag over her shoulder
and went out to him. She threw her arms around his shoulders in
greeting. Luke grinned a devilishly handsome grin at her, obviously
glad to see that she was so pleased to see him. He was always
willing to have his ego stroked.
“Hey, you,” he said. “Hop on and let’s go somewhere.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay a minute?” she asked him,
placing her hand into his pocket and feeling around for the edge of
his cock, which she rubbed up against as soon as she could find it.
“Whoa!” he said with a laugh. “Well, I can’t exactly turn that
down.”
Luke got off his bike and secured his helmet in the storage space
before following Jolene back up to the house. She unlocked the
door, which made him laugh. “Why did you even lock the door if
you wanted to come back in?”
She smiled at him. “I wasn’t sure you’d say yes.”
Once the door was open, they rushed inside, holding hands. They
threw off each other’s clothes on the way to her bedroom, leaving a
trail of clothing in their wake. By the time they reached her bed,
they were naked. He took charge however and moved her to the
closet instead. He closed the door of it and held her up against it,
taking her from behind.
Jolene let out a yelp when he entered her, stretching her and not
even pausing before thrusting fast and hard against her. She loved it
so fucking much. “H’ahhh,” she shouted, clutching the doorframe as
best as she could. She brought a hand to the doorknob and turned it
to and fro. She rocked and gyrated against him, feeling like she
would lose her footing.
Luke grabbed her by the waist and carried her that way to the bed.
He threw her down against the mattress, and then proceeded to take
her that way, holding her down by her wrists as he plowed into her.
“Yeah, take that,” he growled at her. “Take that, you little slut.”
Jolene groaned and squirmed against him. “Mmm, yeah. Yeah, I like
that. Ohh, Luuuke.”
It was not long before, in their frantic, lustful fucking, they came
together, unleashing their fluids into and onto each other.
There was nothing for it; Jolene was going to need to do laundry
that night.
Mutually pleased and grinning, they went into the bathroom and
cleaned each other up with some toilet paper. She could see that his
big cock was still throbbing and it made her pleased as punch.
A quickie was a good way to start the evening. They put their
clothes back on and went out again to actually climb aboard the
motorcycle and go somewhere. Luke seemed supremely amused as
he watched her lock the door again.
He climbed onto the bike and snapped on his helmet while he
waited for her. She noticed that the smile had not left his face since
he had arrived. Jolene took a great deal of pride in making him so
happy. She didn’t know how the hell she did it, but she would take it
as the best compliment.
She put on her helmet and got onto the motorcycle behind Luke,
carefully wrapping her arms around his middle so she wouldn’t fall
off. She was a lot more confident about riding that thing ever since
they had ridden it while drunk during a storm. She could not believe
herself sometimes. That was totally not a thing to proud of, and yet
she was.
Neither of them had gotten hurt, so…
Luke drove the bike back to Vermonster. She was starting to think
that he owned shares in it or something. Maybe his electrician
business was just so he could help fund the club.
“Okay,” Jolene said with a sly smirk as she got off the bike. “Cut me
off after five Vermillion Vipers, okay?”
He laughed. “Five? That’s ambitious.”
“I don’t come here to not get at least a little tipsy,” she said. “Do
you think I’m a lightweight?”
“No never,” Luke replied, chuckling and shaking his head a little as
he followed her into the club. They went up to the bar together to
order their drinks this time. She hadn’t realized before that everyone
in the place was dressed like they were part of a motorcycle club as
well. Were they members of the Lone Wolves?
“Is it just me or does your motorcycle club have like a million
members?” she asked him as she examined everyone else in the bar.
Maybe it was just her, but leather attire and metal-spiked collars and
wristbands indicated ‘motorcycle rider’ to her.
Luke laughed again. “There’s not a million of us, but yeah. There
are a lot of members. Why? Do you wanna join?”
The idea of Jolene being in a motorcycle club was laughable. “Uh,
well, I don’t have a bike. But I’m in marketing? I could be your
club’s marketing advisor?”
They laughed together and took their drinks from the gruff
bartender. Luke led them over to a high table with stools. They sat
down. Jolene’s stool was slightly wobbly which was like an omen.
She was in for another fun night.
After their several glasses of highly-alcoholic drinks, Luke took
Jolene by the hand and brought her out to the dancefloor. She felt
like she was experiencing déjà-vu but that was not necessarily a bad
thing. It was a memory of a good time. When they hit the floor, she
brought her arms up around Luke’s neck and swayed with him.
Suddenly, she saw someone across the room who looked just like
Luke.
“Now I know I’ve had too much to drink,” she said jokingly. She
nodded her head towards the tall, dark, and handsome man across
the way.
Luke looked over and smiled at little. She could not help but notice
that it was not exactly a happy smile… “Oh, yeah. I suppose I
should introduce you.” He took Jolene by the hand and led her over
to the stranger. “Jolene McNulty, this is my twin brother Zebe.
Zebe, this is Jolene.”
A flash of recognition came over Zebe’s eyes. Jolene had a funny
feeling that she had seen him before. Well, obviously. She was
dating his twin brother. Although…
She giggled a little, imagining a Prince and the Pauper type
situation was going on. She had read too many books and drunk too
many Vipers. That was all.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said to Zebe, giving him a smile.
He tilted his head a bit after and she got a sense that he wanted to
say something but was holding back. “It’s good to see you.”
“You should come sit at our table,” Jolene invited.
Luke appeared less than enthused, but he didn’t say anything. The
three of them sat back down at the tall table. Zebe pulled a stool
over so he could join them. He sat beside his brother, looking across
the table at Jolene with a strange, contemplative sort of expression
on his face. She could not figure him out. Maybe if she weren’t so
buzzed, she would have been able to understand why he was
looking at her so strangely.
Suddenly, Zebe scratched at his neck and she noticed a crescent
moon shaped birthmark on it. It was near the back of his ear and it
looked a bit like a brand. She realized that she had seen that exact
mark on Luke the other day!
Weird. Did twins usually have the same birthmark? Jolene didn’t
know much about twins except that they could be identical or
fraternal. These two were clearly identical.
She narrowed her eyes a bit, trying to find the birthmark on Luke’s
neck. Leaning forward, she kissed him on the mouth, moving
towards his neck to kiss him there too. She was subtle, making sure
Luke wouldn’t know she was searching for the birthmark on him.
It wasn’t there. He didn’t have it. She sat back in her chair.
That could only mean one thing…
She fixed a stare on Zebe, and his eyes flashed. The corners of his
mouth lifted up into a shy smile.
The man who had brought the casserole… The man she had
pounced on and had passionate sex with…
That man had not been Luke. That man had been his twin brother,
Zebe!
Jolene felt sick to her stomach. She excused herself from the table,
not knowing what to do, and went to the bathroom to throw up. The
alcohol was finally getting to her. Well, that along with the
realization that she had had sex with a complete stranger while
dating his brother… without knowing! God, she felt horrible. So
that was why he’d run away when she called him Luke! Zebe
probably thought she was insane. She had been so brazen, so openly
affectionate, and the guy had not known what was going on.
To be fair, Zebe hadn’t exactly resisted. He had sex with her of his
own free will. Jolene felt like she should be angry at him. He could
have spoken up! How could she trust him now?
But she remembered the way he had held her. He had been so gentle
with her, so warm and loving… Luke was a rough, hot lover but
Zebe was so tender with her… That should have been her first clue
that something was up.
Jolene sighed, walking back to the table. She couldn’t be mad at
Zebe. It had been an honest mistake. A stupid, shitfaced mistake,
but a mistake nonetheless.
She got the feeling that Luke would not see it that way. They
weren’t officially monogamous or anything, but she knew that he
was gruff and possessive just based on the way he acted about her.
There was no way he would take this news lightly. Jolene wondered
if she should even tell him.
She sat back down at the table and Zebe continued to make eyes at
her, giving her little lingering smiles and being awkwardly quiet.
“Jolene hasn’t been in town too long, but we’ve already been here
together, what, twice? Three times?” Luke looked over at her for
confirmation and caught her looking at Zebe.
“Uh, yeah,” she said, focusing back on Luke. “You’ve really helped
to keep me from staying in my cottage all day.” She smiled
appreciatively at Luke. She truly was appreciative. Except… now
she didn’t know which of them had done what.
“We’ve met,” Zebe revealed then. “I brought over a casserole for
her, to welcome her to town.”
Jolene blushed, wondering how Luke was going to take this news.
She was worried that Zebe was going to anger him just by
mentioning that.
Sure enough, Luke suddenly caught wind of what was going on,
what had happened between his brother and Jolene. He growled—
literally growled—at Zebe.
“You and me,” he said darkly. “Outside. Now.”
Jolene attempted to place her hand on his arm and calm him down,
but Luke was not having it. He rushed outside with Zebe who, for
some reason, was going along with it. Compelled to go watch them,
as if she would be able to stop them from fighting, Jolene followed
them and wondered whose side she was on. Logic said that she
should side with Luke, since he was the one she thought she was
with the whole time.
However, her heart told her something different…
She got to the doorway and then let out a scream when she saw the
twin brothers turn into wolves! That couldn’t have happened. That
did not make any sense. How much had she had to drink? She
couldn’t remember if she’d had one drink or two, and now she was
starting to feel scared. What she thought she was seeing could not
be real… Could it? The more she thought about it, trying to
rationalize it even though it seemed remarkably irrational, she
realized that this could explain a few of the random things that had
happened. This whole time, Luke had been gruff and snarly because
he was a werewolf! He was far more than just a run of the mill bad
boy. He was a fucking werewolf. That was why they were called the
Lone Wolves. And because they were twins, Zebe was one, too.
“Jesus…” she said, watching the wolves bite and snap at each other.
“Oh god!” She knew that she should have been running. But
something about the two men that she had growing passion for
meant that she stayed there in that doorway, watching them a little
longer than she should have. Not only was she terrified of what she
was seeing, but she also had this strange feeling that she had to
know who would win.
CHAPTER FIVE
The Werewolf Twins

As she watched the werewolf twins fight each other, she brought her
hands up to the sides of her face, yelling even though they were not
listening to her. Luke appeared to be the more dominant one, the
Alpha, which did not surprise her at all. He bit into the flesh of his
brother and threw him down onto the ground. Despite being the
more submissive one, Zebe held his own and fought back each time,
unafraid to go for the throat in order to get free.
Jolene could not take it anymore. This was all too much for her.
She’d wanted a bad boy rebound, but this was way more than she
had been anticipating. Reason took over and snapped her back to
sobriety. She started running from the club, not really knowing
where she was going apart from away. Even if this was some kind
of dream or illusion, she could not be there anymore.
Suddenly, someone stopped her, tackling her to the ground. Dazed,
Jolene looked up at the person who was on top of her, keeping her
down and preventing her from running. It was a woman, dressed in
leather with metal studs. Clearly someone from the bar and the club
that Luke loved so much.
“Stay down,” this woman said. She had blond hair cut into a spiky
pixie cut. Her ears were covered with earrings of various shapes and
sizes. As she looked down at Jolene, her eyes appeared more gold
than anything. Was she one of them?
“What is going on?” Jolene asked her. She was not going to attempt
to fight this stranger. The woman was clearly stronger than her,
though shorter. “Who are you?”
The strange woman looked from her to the fighting wolves nearby.
Jolene tilted her head just enough to be able to watch them as well.
Luke and Zebe were really attacking each other, unafraid to go for
blood. Jolene could not believe it. Weren’t twins supposed to be
extremely close? She supposed that, since they were wolves, the
normal rules did not apply.
“You weren’t supposed to see this,” the woman said. “My name is
Anjelica, but that isn’t important.” She moved her hands over
Jolene’s belly, making Jolene blush out of embarrassment and
surprise that yet another stranger from this club was feeling her up.
“Are you like them?” Jolene asked nervously.
“Also unimportant,” Anjelica said. “But yes.” Her eyes widened.
“Just as I suspected… Wait here!”
Suddenly, this Anjelica person—werewolf?—stood up and shouted
to the men who were so viciously at each other’s throats.
“The bitch is pregnant!” she bellowed to them. “She’s pregnant with
twins!”
Luke and Zebe looked over, ears perking up on top of their heads.
They were locked in struggle but they quickly got off of each other,
licking their wounds, and came over to investigate.
As they approached, Anjelica’s words sunk in for Jolene.
Pregnant. She was pregnant. And not just with one baby, but two!
And not just two babies, but two werewolf babies?!
As Zebe and Luke got closer and closer, her vision became clouded
over. This was too much for her. This was all too much for her.
Before they could fully reach her side, Jolene fainted.

The first thing she noticed was voices. Jolene did not want to open
her eyes. She had been having such a weird dream, and she was
afraid that if she opened her eyes, it might confirm that none of it
had actually been a dream and it was all true.
“Jolene?” the familiar voice of Zebe—or was it Luke—asked her.
She felt something warm and wet on her forehead. It must have
been some kind of a cloth. Had she fallen down? She knew now that
she had not imagined Luke—or Zebe?—at the very least.
“It must all have been a shock to her,” another voice said. This one
was female and familiar as well… that young woman from Jolene’s
dream.
Slowly, Jolene opened her eyes. Three people were staring down at
her, two of them identical. Luke and Zebe Weir. What had
happened? Was she still in the club?
“What happened?” she asked, slurring slightly in both her woozy
and drunk state. She was regretting coming back to the club now.
She had known that it would lead to trouble in the end.
“You fainted,” Luke informed her. Jolene identified him by the lack
of birthmark. That damn birthmark! That had started everything.
“I’m sorry we were fighting over you,” Zebe said.
She knew that she should feel flattered by that for some reason, but
instead she just felt confused and a little annoyed. “Why were you
fighting over me? And who is this?” She looked pointedly at the
young woman who was there with them, gently pressing a
moistened washcloth to Jolene’s forehead.
Luke and Zebe looked at each other, and then they looked at the
stranger woman. Jolene was starting to feel done with all of them,
but she attributed a lot of that to the alcohol. Her head was killing
her. Maybe she had hit the ground? Oh, that was right! This lady
knocked her to the ground and then rubbed her stomach in a most
unsettling way.
“Anjelica discovered that you’re pregnant,” Zebe said, trying to
break the news to Jolene in the gentlest, least confusing way. “You
are going to have shifter babies.”
“Two of them,” the lady known as Anjelica said, holding up two
fingers. “Shifter twins! This is a big deal and you should be so
excited!”
Jolene’s stomach did a belly flop. It was a big deal all right, but she
disagreed that she should feel excited. More like terrified. And
confused. Always confused. She wanted to ask more questions but
her head hurt too much for that to really be a good idea. Thankfully,
the three werewolves that sat around her kept blabbing away with
each other. She closed her eyes, feeling sick and sore and tired.
She supposed that those three things were pregnancy symptoms.
Why hadn’t she realized that something was going on before? Oh
god, she had drunk so much, too. She wondered if werewolf babies
could withstand alcohol in their systems, and then she realized that
that was the sort of question she never in her wildest nightmares
could have imagined she would ask herself.
“I need to rest,” Jolene told her trio of caregivers.
Zebe nodded decisively. She had literally known him for only an
hour and already she could tell that he was on her side.
“Of course,” Luke said, eyeing his brother with an irritated
expression on his face. Jolene knew that the fighting between those
two was far from over.
She didn’t know where she was, but Jolene could not care less at
this point. Her head was killing her and the only way she could
think of to make herself feel better was to get some more rest.
Fainting was not the same as sleeping.
The three who had been taking care of her left the room. Jolene got
comfortable in the bed she had somehow ended up in. She closed
her eyes and was instantly asleep.

Meanwhile in the living room Anjelica, Luke and Zebe convened to

discuss what was to be done about Jolene now that she was
pregnant. “I was certainly not planning this when we got together,”
Luke said, seeming to be both amazed and proud of himself.
“Although I’m not naïve enough to pretend like I didn’t know it
could happen.”
“Just one problem,” Zebe said. It was the first time he had gotten
growly with his brother since Luke attacked him at the bar. “Why
are you assuming they’re yours?”
The two brothers growled and glared at each other. Anjelica rolled
her eyes, feeling glad that she was sitting between them so she could
prevent any more fighting but also feeling frustrated that they
couldn’t keep their testosterone in check for more than eight
seconds.
“The thing that matters is that she is pregnant with twins,” Anjelica
pointed out, trying to make them see reason. “This is a special rarity
and one of you is the father. Please. You’re brothers. You’re family.
I know you have a lot of masculinity to show off, but you are not
going to help her if you kill each other.”
Luke and Zebe looked down, ashamed of themselves. They got
along well enough with each other to be able to live together in this
house, so they could get along well enough to take care of Jolene. It
was clear that they both loved her. The question was going to be
whether or not she loved them…
“It’s not a competition,” Luke said. “Except that it is.”
He pushed off from the couch and stood up, pacing the room with a
scowl on his face. Zebe watched him pace, annoyed that his brother
was being so hot-headed towards him and annoyed at himself for
letting Jolene entice him. He didn’t blame her—he thought she was
beautiful and sexy and sweet—but she had jumped on him
enthusiastically and made him feel things that it turned out that he
should not have felt.
Because he was not his brother.

Jolene turned over in the bed and opened her eyes. She could hear
faint music downstairs. She tried to remember where she was, but
all she knew was that her head hurt. Slowly, she got out of bed.
When she looked down at herself, she nearly fainted again.
Her belly was swollen like she had eaten an entire Thanksgiving
meal in one sitting. She rubbed her hands over it, remembering the
mysterious woman who had leaned over her and felt her stomach.
Twins. That’s what the woman had said. She was pregnant with
twins. She was going to need to ask for more explanations about
that.
Blearily, Jolene left the bedroom. She found the bathroom and threw
up, feeling oddly better by doing so. After flushing, she washed her
hands and face in the sink with cool water, then looked at her
reflection. Her long red hair was a scraggly mess and she looked
like she hadn’t slept at all; like no amount of sleep would ever be
enough. It felt as though she had used a pile of rocks as a pillow.
She followed the soft piano music down the stairs of the house. The
place was much larger than she could have guessed. She still did not
entirely know where she was, but at least it was a comfortable place
and not a cave or something. Jolene had yet to really let herself
think about the fact that she was pregnant. Such a thing was far too
heavy for her right now.
What she needed was Luke. She needed answers from him
specifically. Was this twin of his someone she could trust? And
also… Oh god…
What if Zebe was the father?
Jolene stumbled a little on the stairs, but luckily for her it was near
the bottom. Both Luke and Zebe leapt up from their places on the
couch to try and help her, but she waved them off.
“Are you all right?” Zebe asked her.
She could recognize him by the birthmark, or possibly scar, on his
neck. Originally, she had thought it was a birthmark, but now that
she had seen the way that the two brothers fought she had reason to
think it could be a scar given to him by Luke. Cuts could leave
interesting marks behind.
Other than that, though, Zebe could be recognized by his kind eyes.
He had the same hazel eyes as Luke of course, but there was
something about them that seemed to be almost wise. Though
Jolene had gone into this relationship with Luke in search of a bad
boy who offered her thrills and no strings attached, she now found
herself needing stability and she wasn’t sure if Luke was the one
who could give her that. And maybe neither of them could.
“I’ve been better,” Jolene said, smiling a small but appreciative
smile at Zebe. She took both of their hands as she stepped down off
of the last step, wanting them both to feel as though they had helped
her in some way.
“Now that you’ve had some rest, come sit and chat with us,” Luke
said, gesturing over to the couch. “This is our sister Anjelica.”
Jolene went over with them and sat down. Her head was spinning,
so it was a good idea for her to sit down as soon as possible. She
offered the familiar woman a smile. “We’ve met. But hello.”
Anjelica had a serious face, and hair that was darker than her
brothers’, but the same hazel eyes. Jolene wondered if she was their
older sister, but then determined that it really did not matter. “Let’s
get some food in her,” Anjelica said. “She looks peckish.”
“Oh, I’m not so sure that I’ll be able to keep it down,” Jolene said
awkwardly. Her stomach was doing flops, especially now that she
was sitting there surrounded by three honest-to-god werewolves.
Luke had a scent to him that she had not noticed before, but it
smelled like blood. It was not the smell that a pregnant lady wanted
or needed to smell.
However, despite her polite protestations, Anjelica got off the couch
and went into the home’s kitchen. Jolene was at least grateful to be
left alone with the two men. Now she could try and get to the
bottom of things.
“So,” she said, not really knowing where to start with this. “You’re
werewolves.”
Zebe smiled at her and nodded a little. “Yes.”
“We normally try to keep it on the down low,” Luke explained.
Jolene raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t Vermonster a club for
werewolves?”
The brothers looked at each other and chuckled. Zebe seemed to
understand her point, but Luke was quick to defend the club that he
so obviously loved. “It is an exclusive club,” he pointed out. “The
only way anyone would know that it’s a club for werewolves is if
they somehow got invited in… Like you were.”
The locale of Burlington, Vermont was starting to make sense to
Jolene. It was a small enough place, not the focus of large news
stories, so it made the perfect hiding place for people like Luke,
Zebe, and Anjelica. She sure wished that she had been able to find
that out by reading through a guidebook or something, though.
Not by getting knocked up by one of the werewolves.
Jolene brought a hand to her face, squeezing the bridge of her nose
between forefinger and thumb. It would have been nice if one of
these guys had had the decency to let her know what she was getting
into. Instead of just letting it be all Pop Tarts and casseroles.
“I need a drink,” she muttered.
Zebe quickly went to the kitchen and poured her a tall glass of ice
water. He came back and carefully handed it to her. She could smell
something that smelled vaguely meat-like coming from the kitchen.
“Thank you,” she said to Zebe.
He sat beside her and Jolene felt pretty strange, sitting there between
two men that she had fucked not knowing that they were not in fact
the same person. She knew that they were going to have to get into
that, but right now she was too exhausted and achy to be able to
articulate things the best way.
After a few more minutes, Anjelica came back with a tray of little
sandwiches, cut into finger food style triangles. She placed the tray
on the coffee table directly in front of Jolene. “There’s not a whole
lot in the kitchen right now, because these two being men, they
don’t go to the store much.” She rolled her eyes.
“I hope that, being werewolves, these sandwiches aren’t made of rat
or something.”
Anjelica looked at her, offended.
Luke laughed. “This is why I like her. She could have said ‘human’
or something, but she went with rat.” He winked at Jolene.
She felt her stomach turn. “That means no rat… and no human,
right?”
He shook his head, still laughing.
“It’s ham and cheese,” Anjelica said defensively. “We may be
werewolves, but we’re still people.”
Jolene felt embarrassed, but she thought she had a right to know
what sort of thing she was about to eat. “I’m sorry,” she said
sincerely. “I’m new to all of this.”
Anjelica gave her a look that was hard to read. “Well, now that I
know you are all right, I guess I should head home.” She looked at
her brothers. “You be good to her,” she told them warningly. “This
kind of thing doesn’t exactly happen all the time.”
“We know,” Luke said.
“Thank you for your help,” Zebe said.
Shifting her eyes from one twin to the other, she looked at Jolene
one more time. “You’re going to notice a lot of changes right away,”
she explained to the overwhelmed woman. “Werewolf offspring
develop much faster than human babies, so your gestation period is
going to possibly even be cut in half. After all, they are twins. And
they’ll be competitive, even inside you.” She gave a slight smirk at
that as though it was supposed to be amusing and then left the
house.
Jolene watched her leave, hoping that the twins inside her belly
would not be quite as violent towards each other as Luke and Zebe
were. She picked up one of the finger sandwiches—thankfully not
made of actual finger—and took a bite. It may not have been
anything exciting, but it hit the spot. She let out a little moan,
enjoying the food.
She still didn’t know precisely where she was, and she didn’t
exactly feel as safe as she would have liked, but she was starting to
feel better and that was what mattered to her at this point.
 CHAPTER SIX
Who To Trust

Little by little, Jolene began to feel better about the whole situation.
It became clear to her that the house she was in belonged to the Weir
twins. It was a two-bedroom, two-story house, larger than Jolene’s
cottage by the water, but still quite quaint. It was, after all, still in
Burlington.
The two men did their best to take care of her, offering continual
glasses of water and frequently asking if she was hungry. Luke
seemed quite concerned about her, to an aggressive degree. He was
always glaring at Zebe when he didn’t get the chance to do
something for her. Zebe, on the other hand, was always the first to
offer something.
Luke must have been the alpha; Zebe the beta. If werewolves
followed that sort of hierarchy like regular wolves and dogs did.
Jolene was unsure whether or not she should or even if she was
allowed to choose one of them.
“Where do we go from here?” she asked them while they sat around
after dinner, their stomachs satisfied with the take-out Chinese that
Anjelica would have frowned upon but the brothers clearly loved. “I
mean, I know that I am going to have babies. Sooner than I should
be having them—which, can I say totally sucks? I don’t want to
have fifty symptoms at once.”
Zebe hung his head. “Sorry,” he said. “Werewolves have shorter
gestation periods.”
“Which is another reason you should have told me you were
werewolves… And that there are two of you!”
Jolene looked at Zebe and Luke indignantly. She would never dream
of leaving them, of course. What would she do without them? She
had a feeling that shorter gestation was not the only abnormality in a
werewolf pregnancy. Still, she had every right to be annoyed at
them!
“We have time enough for you to get to know us better,” Luke said.
“And though he tricked you into sleeping with him—”
“I did no such thing!” Zebe shouted. “She pounced on me, and I did
not want to say no and upset her.”
Jolene sighed a little. She felt like such a slut for doing that. Even if
it had been Luke, she had thrown herself at him when he was still
basically a stranger. She could not be mad at them for what had
happened. She had been at much to blame as either of them.
“You could have said something,” she said to Zebe. “But I don’t
blame you… I don’t blame either of you. I’m just so confused now.”
Luke wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. He gently
ran one big hand over her belly, feeling the babies as best as he
could. She really felt like she was growing—or rather they were
growing—by the hour, but she figured that was mostly in her mind.
“The Lone Wolves and the whole community are going to be so
excited for us,” he said.
Zebe gave him a look of resentment. “The three of us.”
“Right,” Luke said, waving a dismissive hand. “Well, it doesn’t
matter who the father is. The fact of the matter is that Jolene thought
she was with me the whole time.”
“Now wait a minute,” Jolene said. She moved away from Luke, no
longer appreciating his arm around her. She did not want him to
speak for her. Or anyone else for that matter. “I admit that I find you
very attractive, but I am still getting to know you and Zebe. Don’t
presume to know whom I’d prefer to be with… As a matter of fact,
don’t presume to know that I want to be with either of you.”
With that, she got up off the couch and proceeded to shakily make
her way back up the stairs. She wished that they weren’t hardwood;
that seemed like an accident waiting to happen.
Only when she got to the top did she realize that she didn’t know
which room she should be sleeping in. Maybe the couch was a
better choice, but then she would have to go back down the stairs!
She did what any hormonal, heavily pregnant woman would do in
that situation.
She started to cry.
Without fail, Jolene soon heard footsteps on the stairs. It was hard to
see through her tears which Weir brother it was who came to her
rescue, but whichever one it was took her into his arms and carried
her into a bedroom.
He placed her on the bed and lay down beside her, facing her. She
continued to cry but she was comforted by him being there with her.
He had kind eyes and was caring enough to know that he should not
try to talk her out of how she was feeling. Honestly, Jolene was not
entirely sure that she even knew what she was feeling beyond sad,
which was such a generic and broad term. Sad could mean so many
things, and she thought that what she was feeling was at least eight
of them.
“I’m… sorry,” she managed to sniffle out.
“Shh,” he said, shaking his head and calmly moving some stray hair
out of her face. “You’re overwhelmed and that’s understandable. I
was against bringing you here and taking you out of your comfort
zone.”
Jolene snorted a little, sniffling even more as her tears slowly
subsided. “My cottage is hardly my comfort zone. It’s empty and
lonely.”
Resting his cheek against his hand, he continued to look into her
eyes. She could tell by his whole demeanor that he was glad to
simply relax here with her and he wasn’t going to judge her for
feeling hormonal and sad. “What is your comfort zone?” he asked
her.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I came to Burlington to get away from my
troubles, but I ended up just creating more for myself. A lot more.”
She gestured to her enlarged stomach.
“What is it that you were hoping to find out here?”
The more she gazed at him, the more she believed that the Weir
brother who had come to her rescue was Zebe. Nothing at all against
Luke, but so far Jolene had noticed an unmistakable sweetness to
Zebe that Luke simply didn’t have. More than the crescent moon on
his neck, Zebe’s calm gentleness made him stand out.
She realized that she was being quiet and thoughtful instead of
answering his question. She shrugged. “I was hoping to find
happiness. I guess that’s cheesy. My ex-husband cheated on me. Not
only that, but he cheated on me after he had convinced me that he
was the solid, dependable type that I had been searching for. I
wanted to get away from him and everything I had known, or
thought I had known.”
Jolene remembered finding the tall, dark, and handsome Luke as the
answer to her wildest bad boy fantasies. To his credit, he hadn’t
cheated on her or abandoned her. In fact, he continually made the
effort to see her and include her in things… Although she had to
concede that part of that time together had actually been with Zebe.
“Ugh, why does everything have to be so complicated?” she
bemoaned. At least she was not crying anymore, but she still felt so
stuck and disappointed in how things had gone.
He looked at her thoughtfully. She looked back at him, appreciating
that he was not leaping to suggest things. She hated when people
rushed to share their opinions about her life. He turned slightly and
she saw the crescent shape below his earlobe on his neck. So it was
Zebe. She knew it!
“How much of Burlington have you seen so far?” he asked her then.
“I’m guessing my brother mostly showed you the bar scene.”
Jolene chuckled a little and nodded her head. “Yup. He claimed he
was taking me on a tour of town, but he took me to Vermonster.
Then we got caught in a rain shower, so he just brought me home.”
Now that she thought about it, it was rather lame of her to not have
gone out exploring on her own. Would she have become a shy
homebody if it wasn’t for Luke and his electrical expertise?
Zebe was smiling at her now. “I could take you on an actual tour of
Burlington if you want,” he said. “No motorcycle required either,
because I don’t feel comfortable with you riding one while
pregnant.”
She smiled back at him. “I think Anjelica would kill you if you put
me on your motorcycle.” The thought of touring around the town
with the calmer, gentler Weir brother was a nice one. “Are you sure
your brother won’t mind?”
“He probably will mind, but we are taking care of you together so
he won’t stop us,” Zebe replied. “Besides, it’s not good to keep you
cooped up inside all the time. You would hate us in the end.”
Oh, I don’t think I could ever hate you, she thought.
“Great,” she said, feeling better already now that she knew she was
going to get to go on some adventures with Zebe. “I look forward to
it. Now, as for where I’m supposed to sleep here…?”
Zebe furrowed his dark eyebrows at her. “Don’t be silly,” he said.
“You’re sleeping right here on this bed. I’ll sleep on the couch. I
don’t mind at all.”
Jolene felt a little surprised and guilty for taking up his bedroom,
but she wanted Zebe to be able to feel like he had done right by her.
She decided to let him be a gentleman instead of fighting it. After
all, she was far too tired and, well, pregnant to move at that point.
So instead of even arguing a little, she smiled and closed her eyes.
“You are too good to me. Thank you.”
Smiling adoringly at her, he leaned forward and kissed her lips. It
was a feather sort of kiss because he did not want to disturb her. He
stayed until he was sure that she was asleep, and then he went into
the hall to collect some blankets and make himself a bed on the
couch.

Breakfast in the Weirs’ house was an interesting contrast from the

breakfasts she had offered them at her cottage. Far from Pop Tarts,
Jolene stepped into the kitchen to the delightful smell of waffles and
sausage. She smiled when she caught sight of Zebe standing over
the stove, spatula in hand, flipping the sausages.
Zebe was dressed in some red and black plaid pajama bottoms with
a black band t-shirt. He looked happy and well-rested. She hoped
that she looked the same; she had slept in her clothing that she
picked out for her date at Vermonster. She was going to need to at
least stop by her cottage to get some clothes.
Luke was nowhere in sight, which was baffling. Jolene did not
imagine for one minute that the twins were joined at the hip or
anything, but it was rare to find them not together in the house…
Then again, she had only been there for about a day.
“Mmm, smells good,” she said softly, coming up behind Zebe and
wrapping her arms around him. There was no harm in giving him a
little cuddle, especially not after how sweetly he had treated her
when she was under the weather.
Zebe smirked a little. “The sausage or me?”
Jolene blushed and let go of him, laughing a bit nervously under her
breath. Her thoughts were muddled. She knew she didn’t have to
decide which brother—if either—she wanted to be in a relationship
with, but she still wanted to. She thought that it would bring closure
if she could just commit to one of them… if they would commit to
her.
“Where’s Luke?” she asked instead of answering Zebe’s flirtatious
question.
He didn’t seem fazed; he was likely used to inquiries about his
brother. “He’s still asleep,” he replied. “He likes to sleep in on his
days off, especially when we’re not planning anything.”
Jolene felt kind of bad about that. “Are you not planning anything
because I’m here?”
“Don’t be silly,” he said, pretending that he might whack her with
the black plastic spatula, and then smiling. “We can still go out
together, you and I, and explore the city later. Luke doesn’t have to
know… Or, well, I guess he does because it’s going to leave him
alone.”
Even though she felt guilty about leaving Luke alone in the house
while she went gallivanting around with Zebe, Jolene was thrilled
by the idea of getting some alone time out on the town with the
crescent moon brother. She knew him intimately, but she wanted to
get to know him better.
She sat down at the small kitchen table, immediately feeling better
to be off of her sore ankles. She watched him from behind as he
continued to cook their breakfast. It was undeniable that she loved a
man who could cook. “You’ve made me a casserole and now you’re
making me breakfast,” Jolene said appreciatively. “I wish I knew
how and why you were so nice to me.”
“Oh, it shouldn’t be that hard to figure out,” he said with a smile
back at her. Jolene blushed. He was a kind person. That much was
obvious. She was excited to get him alone outside of his brother’s
shadow and get to know him better.
Once the sausage and waffles were done cooking, Zebe carefully
stacked them onto a plate and placed it in front of Jolene. It was a
stack of four waffles and five sausage links. She raised her
eyebrows and laughed. “I’m not sure I’ve got the appetite for this
much,” she said amusedly.
Zebe placed the leftovers onto a plate for himself and sat beside her.
“Your appetite might surprise you. After all, you are eating for three
now.”
“Jesus, don’t remind me,” she said with a laugh. She carefully put
the right amount of syrup onto her waffles and cut some from the
stack. It still seemed like too much to her, but she definitely wasn’t
going to turn down food. Especially delicious breakfast food. She
took a bite and let out a soft moan over how good it was.
He watched her eat and she was reminded of male animals in the
wild watching out for their pregnant ladies. She was not naïve
enough to think that animals really had a gentlemanly sense, but it
was still cute to think about. Zebe was gentlemanly, and he was
half-animal so it was good enough for her.
Once he was satisfied that she was satisfied, he started eating. It was
good to have a calm moment together, where Jolene could collect
her thoughts. She had no doubt that Zebe had a lot of thoughts as
well. She was glad that at least she was far from alone in this
situation. She had a whole posse of three where most ladies were
lucky to have one.
As soon as she was done eating—it turned out that he had given her
almost the perfect amount of food, leaving only one waffle for him
to eat off of her plate—Jolene left the table to go freshen up and put
some clothes on. She put on her tight, dark jeans from before but
decided that the sweater would have to be burned if she wore it
again, and she did not want that. But that left Jolene with no other
option but to wear one of Zebe’s shirts. She had a feeling that he
wouldn’t mind…
Jolene opened Zebe’s dresser and looked around for a drawer full of
shirts. She noticed that his drawers were more neatly organized than
she ever would have expected any man to do. In a moment of panic,
she wondered if he had a girlfriend or something. In all of their
flirtation, she had never asked. Surely he would have said
something, though… right?
She shook her head a little, telling herself that it was a non-issue
unless he mentioned it. It was bad to assume, just like it would be
bad of him to not mention something like that. Moving downwards,
she found a drawer full of his shirts. Surprisingly, they were not all
black. It seemed like Luke lived primarily in black, but Zebe’s
dresser displayed a bit more variation.
Not wanting to be too choosy in her borrowing, Jolene pulled out a
green shirt with some video game logo on it in white lettering. She
threw it on; it was big, but it did well in covering up her ridiculously
pregnant belly. There was something snuggly about wearing a man’s
oversized shirt.
She pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail, not even bothering to
use a mirror. This was going to be a fun day and she didn’t want to
see it as a date. She didn’t think that Zebe saw it as a date. That was,
until he met her outside in the hallway. He was wearing some black
jeans and a button-up shirt with thin, black pinstripes on it. Clearly
something that belonged to Luke. Twins wearing their twin’s
clothing was confusing to say the least.
“You look nice,” he said, smiling so sweetly at her that she almost
believed him.
Jolene let a little laugh escape her, shaking her head. “We look like
we’re going out to two different things. I should change.”
He caught her by the wrist. “Nooo,” he said. “You look great. This
is just supposed to be relaxed fun. Don’t change.”
“Okay,” she agreed with a sigh that was more theatrical than
serious. “But you better not take me to a fancy restaurant or
something. If you do, I will never forgive you.”
Zebe chuckled and took her hand. “Okay,” he said. “I promise.”
He led her slowly and carefully out to the car in the driveway.
Jolene was surprised that two biker boys even had a car, but more
than that she was relieved. She didn’t think riding on the back of a
motorcycle was the best idea, but walking would not be a good plan
either, unless they were only walking up the block.
She felt tired simply standing for about five minutes.
He made sure that she was safely buckled into the car before he
even thought about starting the engine. She wondered if the only
places he was planning to take her were an ice cream parlor, a toy
store full of nothing but teddy bears, and a pillow factory. She may
have been weak and sore, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t game for
something exciting.
 CHAPTER SEVEN
A Rainbow In The Dark

To Jolene’s happy surprise, the first place Zebe brought her was
back to her cottage. “I figured that you would want to collect some
of your things so you don’t have to live out of our wardrobes
anymore,” he said.
She smiled sheepishly at him. “I hope I haven’t been a burden.”
He shook his head at her. “Oh no, it’s nothing like that! I just
thought you’d be happier with some of your things.”
He was correct about that. As soon as the car was safely parked in
the driveway, she carefully got out of the car and he went with her
to the cottage. “Thankfully I still have quite a few things in
suitcases,” Jolene said. It was something that had been driving her
crazy before and making her feel like her time there was only
temporary, but now she was hopefully going to be settling in to
Burlington and planting roots there. With a gang of werewolves, as
luck and bizarreness would have it.
Jolene unlocked her front door and invited him inside. “Make
yourself at home.” She blushed a little, remembering the last time
Zebe had been in her house. He followed her inside and sat on the
couch in the living room, not seeming so comfortable in the space as
she might have expected. He didn’t seem like he wanted to run
away or anything, but he wasn’t making himself at home so much as
patiently waiting for her to find what she needed.
She went into her bedroom and found her still mostly packed
suitcase. She threw in any clothes that she could find strewn about
her floor and then went to the washing machine and tossed in the
dirty clothes as well. There would be plenty of time to do laundry at
the Weirs’ house, she imagined. Wasn’t part of a mom’s duty doing
the laundry? She assumed that werewolves needed their clothes
cleaned as well… Possibly even moreso, due to bloodstains.
The thought of Zebe and Luke going out and getting into fights
made her frown. She knew that it was an inevitable part of their
lives, but it still did not make her happy. If she could at least keep
them from fighting each other she would consider it a victory.
Once her suitcase was satisfactorily stuffed to bursting, she called
for Zebe to come and help her close it and carry it out of the house.
“I don’t want to break a finger trying to get the zipper to move,” she
said with a light laugh. She smoothed her hair back off of her face
as she watched the tall, sexy man grunt and swear under his breath
while wrestling the suitcase shut. So far, the only time she had seen
him angry was now, fighting her suitcase. In their fight, the one who
had been the aggressor was Luke. Even now that she was staying in
their house, Luke was the growly, more acerbic one.
It was more amusing than threatening to witness Zebe beating up
her bag.
“God dammit,” he said softly, as if he was really trying hard to not
curse in front of the lady. “Ahh! Got it!” He held up the bag in
triumph, so Jolene could see his handiwork.
Jolene beamed and clapped a little, hoping that he wouldn’t think
she was patronizing him. She genuinely was impressed and glad he
had helped her. “Thank you!” she shouted back for good measure.
“I’ll take this out to the car,” Zebe told her, panting a bit from either
his labor or his excitement. Possibly a little of both. “You should
keep looking around in case you find something else that you realize
you can’t live without.”
She chuckled slightly, nodding. “Okay. I’m on it.”
Jolene went into the kitchen and found herself one of those canvas
bags that grocery stores sell in order to cut down on plastic waste.
She put as much food as possible into the bag, tossing out anything
that was no longer fresh or appealing to her more refined tastes.
When she saw the casserole in the fridge, she let out a little laugh
and a sob at the same time. She could not leave Zebe’s sweet gift to
her in the cottage. Carefully, she rearranged the food in her bag so
she could put it snugly inside, kept safe by being packed in amongst
softer things.
One of the things that kept the casserole safe, as it turned out, was
the box of Pop-Tarts that she had shared with Luke. The contents of
her food bag were turning into a metaphor now and she knew it was
time to leave before she started attributing feelings to the outlets on
the wall.
Carrying the bag of food out to the car, Jolene could not help but
feel a bit silly that she was bringing along a bunch of food that she
could have bought at the store. She just did not like to see food go to
waste. The cottage was too nice for her to just give up, but she had a
feeling that she wasn’t going to be back for some time. The last
thing she wanted was to return to it and discover that she had a
roach and mouse infestation. She doubted an exterminator would be
half as sexy as her electrician.
That made her realize something.
“I know what Luke does, but I haven’t asked you yet and I’m
sorry… What do you do for a living?” Jolene smiled at Zebe as she
carefully situated the grocery bag in the trunk beside her suitcase.
Zebe closed the trunk’s door as soon as she had placed it in and
gotten out of the way. He gave her a handsome, pleasant sort of
smile. “I’m the manager of a department store on Dorset Street.”
Jolene was impressed, even though she obviously didn’t know what
Dorset Street was like. He made it sound important. “That sounds
fancy,” she said with a grin. “I’m in marketing, so I’m familiar with
sales tactics.” She felt like a dork for bringing that up, but it was
cool to find someone with a similar career. “I’m all over-the-phone,
freelance sort of stuff now though. Which will make things easy
now that…” She gestured to her baby bump.
Chuckling, Zebe helped her get into the car and nicely buckled into
her seat. He was protective of her without being rude or
condescending. He mostly helped her with things that he had
witnessed her struggling to do for herself. And carrying big heavy
suitcases was right out no matter what kind of pregnancy it was.
He came around the car and got inside, putting his seatbelt on
himself as well before clutching the steering wheel and then turning
to her with a big grin on his face. “So,” he said. “Where next?”
Jolene laughed. “I thought you had a plan!”
“My plan was to take you on an adventure,” he said. “It’s not fun if I
plan it all. It becomes an itinerary rather than an adventure, don’t
you agree?”
Well this was refreshing. After all, she had moved to Burlington on
a whim to get away from everything tried and true. She wanted to
explore and she really had not done that yet. Getting away from her
ex would be that much better if she was having all kinds of
wonderful experiences now. It would be a real ‘fuck you’ to her
past.
“What are some of your favorite places in Vermont?” she asked him
then, realizing that the best place to start was with what he
recommended. “And please, no bars.”
Zebe laughed and snapped his fingers. “Darn, I was really hoping to
bring you to a bar. Aww…” His pretend disappointment was
amusing enough to send her on a laughing fit. “There is this one
place. It’s not really a place in town, but it is very Vermonty.”
Jolene smiled at him. “You better not take me to an ice cream parlor
either. Although, mmm, okay that can be included if you want.”
Beaming, he shook his head at her. Then he started the car. “Maybe
on the way back. If you’re good.”
Oh, he was going to be a good daddy.
Y’know. If he was in fact the father of her babies.
Not that it would really matter to her.
Zebe took her on a long, scenic drive alongside the beautiful blue
waters of Lake Champlain. Jolene couldn’t say what she had been
expecting from this excursion, but she had been imagining more city
sights. It pleased her to know that he was thinking more about
nature and pretty views. His twin was clearly the more urban-
focused one.
“Wow,” she said as she gazed out of the windows. “I don’t think
I’ve ever seen such a pretty lake… or so many trees in all of my
life.” Boston was a wonderful city of its own, but she hadn’t ever
seen trees there that were like the trees of Burlington.
So tall and green and begging to be sniffed.
He smiled at her, clearly pleased to see her so awed by the things he
liked.
“So how did you get into motorcycle clubs?” she asked him
suddenly, her mind going back to the conditions she had met him in.
Someone who loved nature as much as he surely did would
probably be more at odds with such noxious, noisy automobiles,
right?
Jolene didn’t even know if motorcycles counted as automobiles, but
she figured since they had engines and required a license to operate
they had to count.
Zebe glanced at her as he drove along the winding, waterfront roads.
He smirked a little. “Does it surprise you?” he asked in a playful
sort of voice. She could tell right away that this was something he
was asked with some frequency.
“It doesn’t quite surprise me,” she said, laughing in a way that she
hoped would be seen as playful and friendly, not like she was being
untruthful because she thought she had struck a nerve. She really
didn’t want to offend him. He had been so nice to her that she felt
like she was bound to fuck it up. And sooner rather than later.
Jolene just did not get guys like Zebe Weir.
“I just see you being more interested in taking the scenic route,” she
added.
That made him laugh, which helped her feel as though she was in
the clear. As if Zebe could ever actually be angry with her. She
doubted that he had ever truly been angry, period.
Maybe when Luke had gotten possessive of her.
“The scenic route is great on the back of a motorcycle as well,” he
said. “I’ll have to show you sometime.” He flashed his pearly whites
at her. “But you’re right. Motorcycles are more Luke’s thing. I
joined his club because I wanted to be supportive of his endeavors.
And, well, also because I didn’t want him to be pissed at me.”
Looking from the window to Zebe, she let her eyes linger over his
little scar a moment. “Is he pissed at you a lot of the time?”
He glanced at her again and their eyes met. His hazel ones were
lighter than Luke’s. It was the first time she’d noticed that. “Not as
much as he used to be,” Zebe said. “Not as much as he was before
the club. Now we have a common interest and a common goal.”
The irony in his smile was not lost on Jolene.
“Can I ask you something?” she asked.
“Yeah?”
“Did you name the club?”
Zebe seemed a little embarrassed, but he nodded. “Yeah. I know it
seems cheesy, but my reasoning behind it is that we aren’t alone out
there. We are united in our uniqueness, if that makes sense.”
Jolene nodded. “The Lone Wolves,” she said, really letting herself
feel the name of the motorcycle club on her tongue. “It’s still pretty
silly, but I can appreciate it. You’re a group of anomalies.”
“Ah, damn,” he said with another sudden laugh. “The Anomalies.
That would have been a better name.”
Once the road moved away from the lakefront and back towards the
trees, Zebe brought the car into the parking lot of a park. The sun
was starting to get low in the sky. “Are we supposed to be here?”
Jolene asked him. “It’s almost sundown.”
Zebe shrugged a little, stopping the car and unbuckling his seat belt.
“The rules do not apply to people such as I.”
“Are you a poet now?” she asked, laughing as she carefully
unbuckled her seatbelt.
He chuckled and got out of the car, coming around so he could help
her out. The park seemed like a nice sort of place, with a long bike
path and lots of picnic areas. He took her hand and they began
walking along the path together. “My brother would never want to
come here,” Zebe said. “He’s bored by places like this. I think his
profession has made him cynical about things that aren’t wired and
buzzing.”
Smiling, Jolene pointed up at the trees. “Those are buzzing,” she
said. Cicadas loudly sang their songs, sounding like a warning siren.
The trees belonged to the birds and the bees as soon as dusk arrived.
Zebe let out a short laugh, almost like a snort, at her silly yet apt
observation. “The trees sound angry,” he said.
For a while, they walked along together, hand in hand and just
enjoying the simple beauty of nature. The cicadas started to sound
less like a siren and more like music to Jolene’s ears. She wondered
what they sang about, and then realized that it was most likely their
mating call.
Looking over at Zebe, Jolene wondered what he was thinking about.
Did werewolves have mating calls? If they did, they were probably
not too different from the howls of wolves during mating season.
There was something about Zebe that was wolf-like—mainly his
shaggy hair and his sort of pointy face. Was he as loyal as a wolf?
Jolene thought that she’d come out to Burlington in search of a bad
boy like she the kind she used to date—someone wild and crazy and
different from the ‘boring’ man she had married.
She had found that in Luke. But she was starting to realize that what
she really wanted was someone like Zebe. Sure, he was wild but he
also seemed so stable. She didn’t feel like she had to worry about
him running off to the club and flirting with another woman. She
didn’t feel like she would be left alone at night, wondering where he
was.
Most importantly, she felt things for Zebe that she didn’t feel for
Luke. Even though Luke was sexy as hell and a wonderful lover, the
time spent with Zebe made her feel not only pleased but happy.
All of a sudden, the trees parted and they came upon a beautiful
meadow. Off in the distance, they could see the edge of Lake
Champlain. Evening was settling in and the stars were coming out
up above. Zebe took one look at her, smiled slightly and then
brought her by the hand into the meadow.
“This would be a great place for a picnic,” she remarked a bit
awkwardly, not knowing quite why he was suddenly so interested in
strolling there. A few bunnies lifted their heads from the grass and
looked at Zebe and Jolene warily. They ran for the shrubberies and
thickets at their approach. Jolene wondered if they could sense that
Zebe was part animal.
She didn’t imagine that she would be brave enough to stick around
if she was a small bunny and a tall man was approaching, werewolf
or not.
“Of course, we would need a blanket,” she added when he did not
respond. She looked at him and realized it was growing hard to see
him as the darkness settled in for the night.
Zebe smirked at her. He sat down in the tall grass and beckoned for
her to do the same. Jolene was much more awkward in doing so, but
she somehow managed to get herself down on the remarkably soft
ground beside him.
For a few blissful moments, they looked up at the stars together. It
seemed that every moment brought more stars into view, as if they
were all just starting to wake up. The moon was out as well. A
crescent moon.
Jolene looked over at him and wished that she could see his face
more clearly. “The moon looks like your neck,” she said.
He grinned at her and she could swear that his grin became like the
moon as well. Maybe he was less of a werewolf and more a
Cheshire cat. She was impatient without knowing what she was
waiting for.
Then, all at once, their mouths were on each other. He lay over her,
careful not to put all of his weight onto her belly. She moaned
against his lips, hoping that this property was not populated at this
time of night. She hadn’t seen anyone since they had left the
waterfront road.
“This night is mine,” he said to her between kisses, letting his hot
breath touch her face and send shivers up her spine. “And I fully
intend to own it.”
 CHAPTER EIGHT
Best Kind of Love

A picnic blanket would have been helpful. Jolene did not relish the
grass stains and bug bites that she was likely to receive from this
new adventure, but at the moment she didn’t care because Zebe’s
lips and tongue were on hers. He smelled so good and he tasted even
better. The darkness that took over did well to cloak them and keep
them safe from authority. One thing was for sure: even though he
didn’t seem like much of a bad boy biker, his shrugging off of rules
proved that he was a part of the club.
Right then, he was shrugging off more than rules. He removed his
pants and then helped Jolene wriggle out of hers. They assisted each
other with their shirts and then made out for a while longer in their
underwear, feeling each other a bit on the cool, tall grass. Had his
cock always been so thick? Last time she had made love to him,
Jolene had mistaken him for his twin so now she was doing her best
to mentally map him so she knew for sure that this was Zebe.
Her Zebe.
When he’d had enough foreplay, he pulled her panties off of her and
tossed them aside. The wind picked them up a little and sent them
further away than he had planned, which just made them both laugh.
She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him deeply as he
removed his boxers and entered her.
Making love with Zebe was unlike anything else Jolene had ever
known. It felt so much like a team endeavor; they took turns asking
each other if it felt good and what they wanted next. She wrapped
her long legs around his middle, grinding her hips against his in an
effort to bring him further inside her. “Ohhh,” she moaned. “Ohh,
Zebe… I’ve never done this before.”
“I thought so,” he murmured back to her, smiling so brightly at her
that she had no trouble seeing it. “But you didn’t resist me.”
“I could never resist you,” Jolene said.
He kissed her neck and bit at her earlobes, shifting their bodies from
him being on top of her to them lying side by side. She liked this
position. There was something cuddly about it. It was a comfortable
position with her being as pregnant as she was. And that was a stark
contrast to Luke and the way he behaved during sex. She could not
imagine Luke ever wanting a position like this. He was all about
dominance, whereas Zebe was all about what made her feel good.
He took his time and in doing so made her feel an intense,
indescribable pleasure.
Both Weir twins were sexy and dangerous… but Jolene was really
falling for Zebe now. She thought she had been falling for him ever
since she realized his existence.
Suddenly, to pay him back for all of his kindness, she pushed
against him until she was on top of him, straddling him and riding
his cock. She dug her fingernails into his hips and pushed against
them as she gyrated, bobbing up and down against him.
Zebe closed his eyes, moaning and licking his lips. “Jolene…
Yeah… Yesss!”
She could tell that he wasn’t far away from coming, and she
appreciated that he was holding out from doing so. She could
practically see the thoughts swimming through his head as he
brought his hands up and rubbed them all over her baby belly. “You
don’t have to fight it,” she said. “You can give in…”
His eyes shot open at that. “Never,” he said with a wicked sort of
smirk. His hazel eyes were goldish now, changed by the pleasure
and the lust. All at once, he flipped her back over so he was on top
of her. Zebe quickened the pace of his thrusting until she could do
nothing except throw her head back into the grass and shout.
“Oh!” she shouted in time with his thrusts. “Oh! Oh! Oh ZEBE! Oh!
I’m coming! I’m comiiing!”
“Yeah, come for me,” he demanded, placing one hand against her
jaw, as though he was about to force it open and stuff his cock inside
it. Perhaps he was thinking of doing that. He pushed a finger into
her mouth and felt her tongue as it rolled around.
Eyes widening and body trembling, Jolene came hard around his
thick cock. She could feel herself tightening and loosening as Zebe
continued to thrust a few more times. At last, he clutched her to him
and came inside of her, opening his mouth in a silent howl.
He did not rush to pull out of her. Instead, he rolled back so they
were side by side again. He kept her in his arms, petting her face
and her stomach while they both came down from their heights of
ecstasy.
Jolene smiled at him.
She had to say it. Even if it made things awkward and difficult, she
had to say it.
“I love you.”
Zebe looked at her, surprised and seemingly delighted. He leaned in
and kissed her, carefully moving his penis out of her now that things
had settled down. “I love you,” he replied. “When Luke told me
about the new woman in town, I thought I’d pop over to welcome
you to the neighborhood… Best decision ever.”
She giggled a little, feeling an amused kind of embarrassment. She
was glad that things had worked out and he hadn’t run away
screaming after she jumped on him at their first meeting. How could
she have been expected to know that Luke had an identical twin
brother who lived in the same place? He might have mentioned that.
They hugged each other, nuzzling their cheeks against each other’s
faces. Jolene imagined him in his wolf form and blushed a bit,
wondering what it was going to be like to be in a relationship with a
werewolf.
“We should probably head back,” he said, bursting her bubble
somewhat. Going back meant having to deal with reality again.
Couldn’t they just stay there, naked, in that meadow forever?
“Yeah,” Jolene said somberly. “Luke is probably wondering where
we are.”
“Well, I was,” came a familiar voice from behind them. There was a
rustle in the grass and was Luke. In his wolf form.
Jolene sat up and quickly gathered her clothing together to put it on,
as if Zebe’s brother hadn’t seen her naked before. But Luke paid no
attention to her. He growled at Zebe and slowly approached, clearly
trying to start a fight.
Zebe looked at his brother and stood up, blocking Jolene from his
view so she could get dressed and feel somewhat safe. She did feel
safe with him there, although she wasn’t sure how much of a match
he was for Luke while he was still in his human form.
“Shift,” she said to him under his breath.
He gave a small nod and then smoothly shifted his skin into his wolf
form. The only way she could tell the two wolves apart was the fact
that Zebe was slightly lighter, and he had that crescent moon mark
on his neck, much clearer when he was a wolf. It seemed almost like
it was a marking in his fur.
As soon as he had shifted, Zebe was off like a shot and on top of his
brother. The two wolves fought and tore at each other. Meanwhile,
Jolene stood there in her state of half-dress, watching and hoping
that they did not kill each other. “Stop it!” she cried, seeing that they
were bleeding and doing real damage to each other. “This is not
helping anything!”
Luke rolled off of Zebe, blood coming from his mouth. His eyes
flashed gold and green in the darkness. From far away they might
have been mistaken for fireflies. “We had an agreement!” he barked
at Zebe, though it seemed that he was saying it to both of them. “We
were going to put aside our differences and raise the cubs together!”
Jolene felt terrible for choosing one over the other now, but she
could not deny what her heart wanted. For so long, she had been in
what she thought was a happy marriage but in the end it had been
proven to be loveless. Now she had a real shot at love with Zebe.
Sure, it wasn’t without its…difficulties. But she really did feel like
she had a chance now. She loved him. It had been fun with Luke,
but she loved his softer, gentler brother.
She did not want to hurt Luke’s feelings, though. She could see now
that he liked her quite a lot. It made sense. Why else would he have
kept coming back to her? “I’m sorry,” Jolene said, and she meant it.
She finished pulling on her shirt. Zebe’s shirt. She hoped Luke
wouldn’t notice. It felt unusual to be having this conversation with a
wolf creature. If she kept looking at his eyes, she could almost
forget that he was a snarling, drooling beast. Almost.
Meanwhile, Zebe slowly shifted back into his human form. The cuts
and gashes were much more noticeable now that he was in this skin.
“It started as an accident… A simple mistake. Jolene thought I was
you.”
Luke switched back into his human form as well. His clothing was
all ripped from the fight and from the movements involved in
shapeshifting. This was why Zebe had not even bothered to put
clothes on. No sense in ruining a perfectly good pair of pants.
“I gathered as much when I introduced you to each other,” Luke
said. He was clearly not happy, but he had calmed down
considerably. “You seemed like you’d already met.”
Jolene fidgeted with her fingers a bit, not knowing what to say. “I
didn’t know you had a twin. When Zebe showed up…” She cleared
her throat and looked Luke in the eyes. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter
now. You know what happened. The point is, whether or not these
babies are his or yours… I want to be with Zebe.”
Luke appeared hurt now. Irritated at his brother, but hurt that he had
lost this round. “Did I do something wrong?”
She shook her head, hoping that he could see it in the dark. “Why
don’t we go back to your house and discuss this in a well-lit place?”
The irony was not lost on her. This big, important conversation with
her electrician savior was being conducted in darkness.
Zebe went to her and then bent down to pick up his discarded
boxers, carefully putting them back on as if the effort was seamless.
Then he did the same with his pants. Compared to her mad
scrambling to get dressed, he was so graceful. Jolene could not help
but smile at him.
“How did you get here?” Zebe asked his brother. Even after all of
their tousling, he was still caring enough to ask that.
“I took my bike,” Luke replied.
“Oh,” Zebe said awkwardly. “We drove. We’ll see you at home in
about half an hour?”
Luke seemed reluctant to leave his brother alone with Jolene but he
was beginning to loosen his grasp on her. He wasn’t happy about
her choice—or the fact that she had chosen at all—but he was
coming to terms with it. She was relieved that he was going to sit
and chat with them instead of just running off and getting drunk out
of his mind. This proved that he was still a step above a lot of the
bad boys she had dated in the past.

The ride back to the house was not as majestic and carefree as it had
been before, when Zebe was showing the lake view and trees to
Jolene. Now they were quiet, thinking about the conversation that
they were going to have to have with Luke. She felt better about her
feelings now that she and Zebe had talked about things. It did not
hurt that he loved her back. Maybe they could make this all work
out the way that Anjelica had told them.
When they arrived at the house, Zebe carefully helped her out of the
car as usual. He held her hand as they made their way up to the front
door. Luke’s motorcycle was already in the driveway, as well as
another one that must have been Anjelica’s.
Jolene took a deep breath.
“Are you okay?” Zebe asked her kindly. “Do you need anything
once we’re inside?”
She gave him a little nervous smile. “A glass of water would be
nice, thank you,” she said. “I think I mostly just need to sit and relax
for a while. Please promise me that you two aren’t going to kill each
other.”
Chuckling, he shook his head at her. “I can’t promise for him, but I
promise that I won’t do any killing tonight.”
Killing? What have I gotten myself into? she thought as she walked
into the house, hand in hand with Zebe.
Anjelica and Luke looked at them from their places at the long
dining room table. It looked like they were there for a business
meeting. That was a sign that they were about to have a serious
discussion.
Jolene didn’t know why, but she felt guilty and like she was about to
be punished. She hadn’t felt this way since high school, and she did
not like it. These werewolves could sure be downers.
Thankfully, Zebe was not like that. He kept on holding her hand as
they made their way to the table and sat down. He made sure to sit
across from his brother rather than next to him, he was out of claw
range that way. Jolene sat next to Anjelica, hoping that she might
find some kind of feminine solidarity with her.
It did not seem likely when she caught the other woman’s eye,
however. She seemed more annoyed than Luke was.
“How could you let this happen, Zebe?” Anjelica asked. “You knew
the plan. You know how important this is. It’s not about any of us
anymore.”
Zebe set his jaw at that, taking offence at her tone. He did not like
being spoken to as though he was a child who had stolen from the
cookie jar. “I’m pretty sure this happened before Jolene’s
pregnancy,” he said. “At least before we knew about it.”
“Regardless, you’re putting the twins in jeopardy by letting your
feelings get involved,” Anjelica snapped. “This sort of stress and
irresponsibility can have detrimental consequences.”
“Don’t you think I know that?”
Jolene looked up from the table. She felt sullen and like she was not
being considered as an equal part of all this. In fact, she felt as
though Anjelica didn’t see her as a living person who was carrying
these babies. To her, Jolene was just a shell. A casing for these
precious, historic offspring.
Maybe this was why she had never thought about being a mother.
Now that she was going to be one, she wished that she could feel at
least a little excited about it, instead of constantly being shamed
about who she chose to spend her time with or what she wanted to
do. She could not sit in bed every day, goddammit!
She hit her palms against the table. “I want feelings to be involved!”
she shouted, her voice coming out a lot shriller than she intended.
The six eyes of the wolves were on her now.
Emboldened by their attention, Jolene proceeded. “I know that all
three of you care about my babies, but have you ever stopped to care
a little about me? They aren’t just your werewolf twins. They’re my
twins. My children. And I want my children to live in a happy
family. I don’t know, I’ve always had the crazy notion that if I
started a family it would be with someone as the father… I know
that you all want to help. And I know that we don’t know if Luke is
the dad or if it’s Zebe… But I love Zebe. I want to be with him. And
I don’t want to be shamed for wanting that. It’s more stressful for
me if you just make me sit in the bedroom and not have a life of my
own.”
Anjelica was looking at her skeptically now, but Luke at last seemed
to understand. It wasn’t easy for him to hear that the lovely redhead
he had the hots for was more interested in dating his brother, but he
was beginning to see where she was coming from. Now was not the
time for bickering or trying to control her. The babies were her
babies too, as she said… As a matter of fact, they were her babies
first and foremost.
Once Luke looked past the jealousy, he realized that Jolene was
right.
“She’s right,” he said then, turning to look at his sister. He still could
not bring himself to admit his defeat to Zebe, but at least he could
say it to Anjelica while his brother was right there in the room to
hear it. “What’s done is done. I can’t keep being mad at them for
wanting to be together, and we can’t keep treating Jolene like she’s
the babies’ host. That’s not right.”
Then he turned and smiled at Jolene. “We’re wolves, but we don’t
have to be animals.”
Jolene smiled back at him, gasping out a pleased and grateful
breath. She reached over and took his hand, squeezing it in a show
of thanks.
“I won’t lie and say this isn’t awkward,” he said, looking at Zebe
then and giving him a slight smirk. “But I am happy for you two.
Here’s hoping you name one of these babies something that is less
stupid than The Lone Wolves.”
Zebe laughed a little. “Hey!”
Anjelica sighed, but she threw her hands up and gave Jolene a small
smile. “Just… be careful. Maybe no more outdoor activities like
that?”
Blushing, Jolene nodded. “Okay. That’s fair.”
Suddenly, her stomach growled. She brought a hand to her belly and
felt a little kick along with the rumblings of her hungry stomach.
Reaching over, she took Zebe’s and Luke’s hands and placed them
onto her belly so they might be able to feel the movement of the
twins too.
“Are you ready for some dinner?” Zebe asked her, more concerned
about her than the babies, which she loved him even more for.
She smiled at him. “Yes, please.”
Luke pulled his hand away from her then, though he smiled at her. It
was a slightly sad sort of smile, but it was not without kindness.
“Come on, Anjie. Let’s leave these two love birds to it. I’ve got a
Vermonster burger calling my name.”
He and Anjelica got up from the table.
Jolene smiled appreciatively at him. “Don’t drink too much,” she
said with a soft chuckle.
“That’s impossible,” he said, giving her a wink.
Once he and his sister were gone from the house, Jolene looked over
at Zebe and felt a little awkward for some reason. They were well
past feeling shy now. The fact that they had essentially been given
permission and Luke’s blessing made things feel official in a way
that making love in an open field did not.
“I think there’s grass in my underwear,” she said.
They laughed together. At least that decreased the tension.
Zebe nodded towards the front door. “I’ll go get the food from the
car,” he said. “Hopefully it’s okay.”
Jolene’s eyes went big when she remembered that she had put his
casserole in the bag. “Oh god, I forgot. Your casserole!”
The likelihood of all of that cheese still being edible after sitting out
in a car all day was not a very high one. She felt crushed. “I’m so
sorry. I meant to eat it now that I was with you… I had saved it.”
Zebe’s smile only grew. “Aww,” he said, wrapping his arm around
her shoulders and giving her head a kiss. “It’s okay. Let’s see if we
can salvage it. Otherwise, I’ll make you another.”
With that, he got up from the table and went out to the car. Jolene
put her head in her hands, her eyes filling with tears. She could not
stop herself from crying. She knew it was irrational, but she was
disappointed in herself for forgetting Zebe’s sweet gift to her in the
car. There had been distractions galore, but she still felt stupid.
A few minutes later, Zebe came back inside with the bag of food.
He brought it into the kitchen and placed it on the counter, pulling
out the casserole container. Jolene stood up and joined him.
“It doesn’t look good,” he said. “But it’s okay. I’ll make you a fresh
one.”
She leaned into him, sniffling but letting her tears subside. “I didn’t
eat it when I had the chance because I didn’t want to lose the
sweetest thing you had done for me,” she said. “You know? I didn’t
want to ruin your gift to me by eating it.” She laughed then,
realizing how silly it seemed. “But I’ve learned my lesson. I will eat
whatever you give me now.”
Zebe raised his eyebrows at her, smirking a sideways smirk. “Don’t
tempt me. I might start testing that promise.”
Jolene giggled. She sat at the small kitchen table, letting herself
relax now that he had brought in the food and it had been decided
that he would just make a new casserole for dinner. “Let me help
you,” she said. “Don’t let me just sit here while you do everything.”
He looked at her skeptically, as if cooking a meal was too taxing for
a pregnant woman. “You can read the recipe for me?” he suggested.
“Look up tuna casserole on your phone and read off the first recipe
you can find.”
“Ugh, so I do have to get up,” she joked, standing and going out to
the living room to fetch her phone from her purse. She brought it
back and sat down, searching the internet for the perfect tuna
casserole recipe.
Meanwhile, Zebe dumped the old one into the trash and carefully
put away all of the other items that she had so meticulously packed
away in the bag. He laughed and held up the box of Pop Tarts.
“That’s my signature breakfast,” Jolene joked. “Get used to it. You
can back out now if you want.”
He shook his head, beaming down at his casserole pan. “Read me
the recipe.”
As Jolene told him what ingredients to use and the order to put them
into the pan, Zebe made her a tuna casserole. When it went into the
oven, she could smell it and her mouth watered as though she was
now a werewolf too.
Her tummy growled and her baby wolves growled along with it,
ready to eat the delicious meal their father was making for them.
She was eating for three now, after all. That was the perfect excuse.
She hoped that there would be many surprise casseroles in their
future. Forget cakes or pies. This was somehow even sweeter.
Watching him, she knew she had made the right choice. There was
no question in her mind. Zebe’s kind of love was special. It was
relaxed and filled her up with happiness, and didn’t make her worry
if he would come back to her again. She knew he would.
It was the kind of love she had been hoping to find. It was the best
kind of love.

The End
 Bear Shifter Romance
LA Shifters
PROLOGUE:
“Ready for this?”
Antonio, the large wolf with black fur and green eyes, turned at the
words.
Magda, shifted from her bear form to human, stood close by the edge
of the pen where she was kept. “I guess it’s a moot question, really, but I
thought I’d ask.”
Antonio shifted quickly, skin and bone forming and growing then
transforming until he stood on two legs, his skin bare of the fur. The wind
blew across his skin and goose pimples rose. “I’d say yes, but that would be
a lie.”
Magda grinned. The dim light flashed off her large white teeth. “Are
you ready enough?”
Antonio moved closer, but still stayed below the shelter, out of sight of
the zookeepers, if any should happen along. “As ready as we can be.”
Magda nodded. Her long brown hair waved around her cunning face.
“It won’t be easy.”
Antonio said, “Never expected it to be. How we’ve stood it this long is
anyone’s guess.”
It was anyone’s guess. The zoo had captured them all at some point,
bringing them into the zoo under the assumption that they were the animals
whose forms they could shift into. High doses of tranquilizers kept them
complacent, and the food they ate was always laced with those drugs.
Shifting was dangerous—for a lot of reasons. For one, all of them were
in cages with actual non-shifting animals. Those animals harried them daily
and forced the shifters to the edges of the pens. The keepers assumed that
they were just not assimilating, and they weren’t, because they couldn’t.
 Antonio had thought he was the only shifter caught in that hell until he
had seen Magda one night. She had been enraged enough, and awake
enough, to shift right there in her pen. She’d almost been killed because the
bears had gone on the attack. She’d had to shift back and fight to stay alive.
The keepers had come in with their sedation tools and their sprays, and
Magda had ended up in a pen just for herself because she was deemed
untrustworthy.
She was also marked as a zoo failure, and while the zoo, on the surface
of things, did not kill its animals unless it was necessary, she had pretty well
punched her own ticket that night.
It was just a matter of time before they took her down. That went for
both the keepers and the actual bears pacing in their pens, which were
connected to hers even if they were separated by a slim band of trees and
glass.
Antonio said, “You shouldn’t be shifting yet. What if you are spotted?
The whole thing could go up in flames. The cameras might spot you and
then what? There’s no way to explain a naked woman in a pen where a bear
was a moment before. You’re being foolish.”
Magda snorted. “I have to. I can’t stand not to.”
“I know.” He put his weight on the other foot, his eyes searching the
pens.
“The keepers should stay where they are for a few more minutes,”
Magda replied. “Now’s our best chance.”
“Yeah.” Antonio lifted a hand, raking his fingers through his thick hair
as his nostrils spread and his head lifted. He sniffed the air, but the scent of
humans lay too thick everywhere to know if any were nearby. “Just keep
one eye out for anyone, will you?”
“I will.”
“Get going then.”
“I didn’t need your permission.”
The words made Antonio grit his teeth. “No, you don’t.”
 Magda paused. “I’m not staying here anymore. If I have to die here
tonight, I will. I would rather be dead than be here and alive.”
Antonio’s heart sped up. He scanned the surroundings again, seeing
nothing but shadows sifting and crawling out there along the concrete
pathways. “I’m with you, no matter how this pans out.”
Am I willing to die here tonight? Yes, he was. He understood that even
as his mind scrawled past all the risks she was taking and resentment at her
willingness to take those risks simmered up in his being.
Because Magda was in a position to pass things on, she had told him
about the others. At night, when they were herded from their outside
enclosures and into their pens, he had spotted a few other shifters, or
thought he had. Magda had confirmed that there were others here, just as
eager to escape as she and Antonio were.
Revealing themselves as shifters would be disastrous. They all knew
that from experience. No way did any of them want to become the pet
project at some lab, stuck full of needles and having their brains scanned
while being forced to shift constantly for ‘research.’
By the law of nature, they were all enemies. Wolves, bears, and tigers
were not meant to be friends. In the wild, they would have fought and killed
each other. Here, they had to work together or die.
This was their only shot, and they all knew it.
The zoo had to cut power in the cages and pens tonight, and keepers
would be standing guard to make damn sure no animal escaped while they
did the routine maintenance that he, Magda, and Patel had all been waiting
on for an entire year.
This was their chance, and they would have to take it.
They had a plan.
As soon as the power went out, Magda, who was alone in her pen and
stood the best chance of being able to get out without being eaten by non-
shifting bears for her troubles, was going to climb her enclosure in bear
form, because she was more capable of scaling the great height of the tree
in that form.
 But the branch that stuck out from the enclosure would never hold her
in bear form, so she would have to reach it and shift then drop onto the
paved and concrete walkway.
It was going to hurt. Even with her mutated healing abilities, she was
going to be wounded, and naked.
A naked woman toppling onto the path would be noticed, but since the
power was going to be out, the cameras would be out, too, which would
give her the perfect chance to get into the keepers’ lockers and grab
clothing for them.
Antonio knew Magda was not all that keen on helping the other
shifters escape. The only reason she was doing so was because if she did
not, they had all threatened to not only shift and reveal their secret, but to
tell hers as well.
No way would anyone let a shifter escape. The government really
would track her down to the end of her days and that chip they all had
implanted under their skin would certainly aid in her capture.
That was why she had agreed to help free Antonio and Patel. Patel was
a surgeon and capable of removing the chips, and Antonio had contacts in
LA, unlike Magda and Patel. He could get them into shelter for the next few
days, and get them food and other things they needed.
Once dressed and in possession of the keys, Magda would unlock their
pens. It was risky, because they could all go down in flames if she were
caught.
Antonio chewed his lips as he watched her shift yet again.
This was it.
His heart picked up again, his pulse ticking away in his throat. His gaze
moved across the landscape, his mouth opened as he tasted the air, trying to
separate old scent from new.
The branch gave a low warning creak, making his head jerk upward.
“Be careful, dammit.”
“I am being careful,” she snapped. “I don’t want to break my legs or
something, you know. Even if they will heal, I’ll be in misery for days.
What’s more, there’ll be no way I could run.”
Magda climbed the tree and when she reached the fork of the branch,
she shifted again. She paused, looking down, and Antonio’s heart thumped
painfully in his chest as he shifted back to wolf form.
What if she lost her nerve? What if she could not bring herself to jump
from that branch, knowing how much pain she risked?
The branch creaked again, an alarming sound. The faint jingle of keys
worn on a hip sounded out and a keeper strolled closer. Antonio could hear
far better than Magda, and he was the lookout. She looked down at him,
sniffing hard as she did so.
He ran closer to the edge, where she could see him, and placed a paw
out, aiming it in the direction the keeper was coming from.
Magda stayed put. The bare strands of moonlight played over her body,
all lean and high angles and rounded breasts and hips.
Lust stirred up in Antonio, and he forced it away.
Bears and wolves did not mix. It was against nature and even shifters
had to play by those laws. His thoughts went back to the pups he had
created with a non-shifting she-wolf.
The pups had just been born a few hours before. They were there, in
the pen, and they were his. He would take them with him, because not to do
so meant risking them being shifters trapped in this existence, and risking
shifters with no ability to handle the shifts exposing him and every other
shifter in the world.
There were plenty of shifters in LA, established packs out there in the
neighborhoods. He would take his children and find a pack or forge a new
one. If they could not shift, he would have to send them into the steep
canyons to live, where they could be free and away from the humans who
would kill them.
The keeper stepped out from a thick clot of shadows. It was the
ruthless one, Barry. There were keepers who loved every animal in the zoo,
and then there were keepers like Barry, who was known to hit, kick, and
hurt.
 Magda watched him, and Antonio saw the expression on her face. A
warning growl rose in his throat, but she ignored it.
Dammit! His body shifted instinctively as Magda went down, right on
top of Barry.
Magda landed on the keeper, already shifting to bear form. The
heaviness of her body took Barry down and she landed right on his chest,
forcing all the air from his lungs and preventing him from being able to
scream.
The thick and rich tang of blood hit the air, driving Antonio into a near-
frenzy, no matter how much he tried to stay level-headed. He was not the
only one reacting. Howls and growls rose up all along the long path that ran
in front of that section of pens. It was just a matter of time before the other
keepers showed up and they were all fucked.
Magda, bloody and triumphant, grabbed the keys from Barry’s hip and
came to his pen. She smiled at him. Blood covered the entire lower half of
her face as she laughed, “Change of plans, Antonio. You have to come out
now, and there’s no time to grab those pups.”
“Like hell.” He shifted again and then again. He needed to be in human
form to snatch the pups from their protective mother and he knew it, but he
was risking much and he knew that as well.
The howls rose in the air and the she-wolf, stunned and sleepy from
childbirth, but alert because of the blood riding the air and the crisp scent of
a human in her pen, fought him hard, forcing Antonio to kill her even
though that was the last thing he wanted.
The other wolves backed off, but their howls rent the air as Antonio
gathered the limp and shivering bodies of the pups and ran for the gate and
the unlocked door.
Once he was out, Magda locked the gate again and they ran, naked and
with the smell of blood and newborns all over them, toward Patel’s cage.
Patel had done the only thing he could. As an outcast from the tigers,
he lived on the fringes and right then he was up high in a tree, trying to
escape the frenzied fighting below.
 Magda said, “For God’s sake, let’s just leave him.”
“Fuck you, we need him,” Antonio retorted. “And besides, if we leave
him here, he dies, thanks to your stupidity and blood lust.”
He set the pups in a small basket meant to hold trash. Fear rippled
through him. If the animal tigers escaped, they would kill his young, or if he
died in that pen, the keepers might not find them in time to save their young
lives. It was a risk he had to take.
He grabbed the keys from Magda’s blood-soaked hand and opened the
pen, then charged in, changing again to wolf form.
Magda cursed a few times and followed. All hell broke loose, but
Patel, able to escape the attention of the other tigers for a moment, slipped
out the open gate.
Magda and Antonio turned to the gate in time to see Patel holding it
with one hand, a considering look on his face.
Antonio’s heart sank. If Patel let them die there, he had nothing to fear.
There would be no way the keepers would know for sure that they, or he,
had been a shifter.
Antonio and Magda would shift to human form in death—and there
would be one hell of a mystery around the reason two humans had been in
that pen, but nobody would ever guess the truth, and Patel would owe them
nothing.
Patel waved a hand. “Come on!”
Antonio’s legs pumped across the ground. He reached into the basket
and gathered his pups. Four males and one female. The pups howled softly,
their mouths nipping at his chest. They were hungry, and they were now
motherless as well.
One of the pups, the female, bit down hard and began to fight him just
as he made the gate and went through it.
She squirmed and bit, her little pup teeth sinking deep into his arm,
bringing blood. The males were more docile, which angered Antonio for
some reason.
 He ran onward, ignoring the pain as they crossed between the pens and
the tunnel that led to the employees’ work spaces.
The lockers were closed, but they were all strong. Antonio ripped one
open. He pulled on clothes, his hands working quickly as he shifted the
pups from side to side.
Magda said, “Maybe we should kill the rest of them. Or tie them down
and force feed them.”
Patel, reaching for pants, added, “Make them breed with each other.”
Magda laughed. “They call it rape when they are forced. They call it
necessary for us.” Her hand went to her belly. Antonio turned away.
Magda’s cubs would be born soon, even if her human form didn’t show that
fact.
Antonio said, “No. No time. Besides, there’s already one dead keeper
and that is going to raise a huge hunt. They might have let us go far more
peacefully, but now they’re going to be after blood.”
Magda tossed her head. “So?”
Antonio’s teeth showed. “So, they’re probably going to kill a bear and
call it done. Now you’ve committed murder against your own kind with
your foolishness.”
Magda’s eyes glittered. “When we’re done here, you’re my enemy.”
Antonio said, “I was your enemy before. So, nothing’s changed. Let’s
go. No more death, Magda. I mean it.” He set the pups more carefully into
the small jacket he had found, wrapping them securely to make sure the
female would not continue to bite and scratch him.
Magda said, “Fine. Let’s go.”
CHAPTER 1:
Present Day, Los Angeles
Angelina hissed in a pained breath as the claw hit her calf. Her eyes
went to the wolf crouching low in a playful posture and she laughed, then
tickled him under the chin. Rough hair met her fingertips and love smote
her heart.
 She said, “Oh, Mario, I wish you’d be more careful.”
Mario whined softly, low in his throat, his white furred ears pricking
forward. He bounded off, and Angelina watched him go, sorrow forming.
Why she could shift and Mario couldn’t was one of life’s mysteries.
She and her other brother, Sam, could shift. Mario alone was trapped
forever in a wolf form, and because of that, they had to protect him.
Joaquin spoke from behind her. “You do know someone should just
shoot that poor bastard and put him out of his misery.”
Her hackles rose and her teeth began to elongate at the words, but she
was quick to hide those things. Sher turned. “He’s fine Joaquin.”
Joaquin, a dark-haired, olive-skinned shifter with light hazel eyes and a
definite swagger in his walk, strolled farther into the room. “If you say so.”
“I do say so. I’m sure my brothers would also say so. Maybe you want
to ask them?”
“That’s enough.” His smile was unpleasant, all teeth and smugness.
Angelina knew the only thing standing between her and Mario being killed
was her. That and the fact that she was promised to Joaquin, who had been
named Alpha of the pack after her father, Antonio, and Joaquin’s uncle, the
former leaders of the pack, had been killed in a car accident the year before.
Antonio was in line to be Alpha, and had deserved to be, too. But with
him and Joaquin’s uncle both dead, Joaquin had been placed as leader
instead.
What a mistake that had been.
Joaquin eyed her carefully. “I need you at Los Lobos tonight.”
Her teeth ground together. “I don’t want any part of your drug
trafficking, Joaquin. I don’t want any part of any of the things you’re doing
in this neighborhood. You’re fucking it up for everyone, shifter and human
alike, with that garbage.”
He was an asshole, and unfit to be Alpha, but he was fast and he was
ruthless.
 His hands were around her throat and her feet had left the floor before
she could even register the fact that he had moved.
Furious, Angelina kicked out with her feet. There was a satisfying
meaty thump and her toes, inside the cute little sandals, tingled as her feet
met his hard flesh. Joaquin’s fingers tightened though. Blackness danced on
the edges of her vision. Her breath stopped in her throat.
“Let her go.”
Joaquin dropped her. Angelina gave his jaw a swift punch. Joaquin
staggered, his head whipping around.
It wasn’t over. He’d never call it done, not if he could help it.
Sam, her brother, stepped closer, menace showing on his strong
features. His eyes swept from Angelina to Joaquin. “Don’t touch her like
that again. Alpha or no, I will kill you.”
Joaquin bristled. “She deserved it. She disobeyed. Nobody gets to
disobey me.”
The churlish tone made Angelina’s shoulders tense, but Joaquin finally
left.
Sam asked, “What was that about?”
Angelina threw her hands up in the air. “He said Mario would be better
off if someone shot him, and I disagreed. He demanded I go to his drug den
tonight, and I disagreed.”
Sam glowered at her. “You’ve got to learn your place.”
“Are you insane? Don’t you…it’s only been a year since he was named
Alpha and everyone acts like they do not even remember what it was like
before he came to power. I remember! I remember we used to look after the
neighborhood. We didn’t try to tear it down. We didn’t deal drugs and we
damn sure didn’t deal it to our neighbors! Joaquin’s power and money
hungry, he’s destroying our homes and lives, and all you are going to do is
tell me to learn my place!”
Sam said, “That’s what I’m saying.”
 Anger flushed heat through her system. Shift came with it. Her teeth
elongated and fur rippled into place along her spine and neck. Cool out, she
told herself as her nails grew, becoming sharp and dangerous. Cool out. He
is still your brother and Dad would be upset if we fought. Not that I won’t
fight him if I have to, but now is not the time or place.
Her body shifted again, the teeth and claws no longer showing, the fur
replaced by smooth and supple skin. Her forehead puckered into a deep
frown as sorrow gathered in the place of the all-encompassing rage. “How
can you do that? Dad would be ashamed of you.”
“Don’t tell me what Dad would feel. He isn’t here, and you don’t get to
speak for him. Even if you were his favorite.” Sam’s teeth were showing,
too, even if he had not shifted.
The old rivalries between them still stood. She had always been their
father’s favorite. He had called her his little warrior, and with reason. She
had always been the fiercest of her litter, and Antonio had often laughed as
he talked about how, on the night he had escaped from the zoo with them, it
had been her who had fought and drawn his blood.
Don’t say it. You’re on thin ice here and it’s obvious Sam will protect
you, but only up to a point. Don’t set him off and make him mad enough to
let Joaquin have his way. You need Sam as an ally here.
“Thanks for not letting him choke me to death,” she said in a tight and
strained voice.
“I might not be nearby next time. Watch your mouth, Angelina, before
it gets you killed. Learn your place in this pack and keep it. If you don’t, I
might not interfere again, not even if it means you dying.”
The warning was clear, and vicious. It laid bare all his allegiances. He
would protect her as long as she was necessary. She was necessary but only
because Joaquin wanted her as a mate, and that gave Sam some leverage in
the pack. If she didn’t mate with Joaquin, and learn her place, go docile like
a pet dog, she would be killed. Sam would be disgraced and probably exiled
as a result, and they both knew it.
At that moment, she understood something else, too. Sam would kill
her himself if Joaquin ordered it. Her legs turned liquid. She was alone and
on shaky ground and the alliances within the pack were equally shaky and
subject to change. None would stand against Joaquin, either because they
stood to gain too much or because they stood to lose too much.
Okay, then.
Angelina moved to walk past Sam, but he grabbed her arm and held it
tightly. His voice was low and deadly. “You’ll do as you are told.”
All her inner warnings and cries for restraint washed off in a fog of
anguish mingled with rage. “The hell I will. If you had your way, I would
be out there slinging meth on the corner and sleeping in his bed tonight, and
all in the name of giving Joaquin what he wants. It must be so easy for you,
since it’s not you who has to mate with him.”
Angelina yanked her arm out of his grasp and headed out of the room.
Mario appeared, slinking along the ground and whimpering softly. A single
glance showed her a boot print near his ribs and a long torrent of swear
words came from her mouth as she sank onto the floor on her knees and
gathered Mario into her arms.
She whispered, “I am so sorry. It was me he was pissed off at. You
were just the weakest target.”
Mario whined, his muzzle thrusting against her neck. His hot breath
washed over her shoulder, racing across the strap of her tank top and
Angelina held him, tears spilling down her face.
It was getting clearer all the time that she could not stay. There was no
way that she wanted to live with Joaquin as her mate. She could not even
stomach having him as Alpha, and she would never bear him a child if she
could avoid it. She would avoid that in any way she could—even if it meant
running away.
She leaned back and stared into Mario’s eyes. His ears came forward
again. His eyes often held a human expression but, more and more since
Antonio had died, he had gone off on his own—traveling way up in the hills
and away from the pack and the house.
She sighed. “I have an idea. Let’s take a ride up to the big hills, what
do you say? We could go scope out the canyons, way over in the spots you
can’t get to without me because of the freeway. You want to do that?”
Mario panted and jumped; his eagerness showing. Angelina smiled in
spite of the awfulness of her situation. “Let me grab my keys and purse,
okay?”
She cupped his face in her hands and whispered, “I won’t ever let him
kill you, Mario. You have to believe me on that one. I won’t.”
A rough tongue swiped across her face, licking away her salty tears.
Angelina stood. Mario might not be human in form, but he was intelligent.
How intelligent, nobody knew. He would never communicate, not even
when they were all in wolf form, and even when they were all in wolf form,
he was usually left out.
Exiled for being different.
Angelina knew her promise was hollow. Joaquin would kill Mario
eventually. Joaquin hated the non-shifter.
Sam and her other brothers, Harold and Benny, would say nothing.
They had been conditioned from infancy to accept the word of the Alpha
who had led the pack that had taken them in after they and their father had
escaped the clutches of the zoo.
Like Joaquin, they would feel like they were doing Mario a favor. He
was neither wolf nor shifter. He was something in between and there was no
place for him in the world.
CHAPTER 2;
“Drake, man. That riff was killer. What the hell chord did you use?”
Drake grinned at his band mate Peter. “No idea, man. I call it the
Hendrix chord.”
Peter swung his bass off. “Well, figure it out, because I think you went
off key. If you did, we have to find a key that works with that riff.”
Drake laughed. “Says the dude with the classical education in music to
the self-taught guitar player. Here, I’ll show you, and you can tell me what
key it is.”
 His fingers moved to form the chord, way down low on the satiny
rosewood neck of his guitar, but he paused, his head tilting to one side as a
faint sound drifted to his ears.
“You forget it that fast?” Pete set his bass in the holder and stretched.
“I can sort of tell you from ear what strings were in it.”
“No, I just thought I heard something.”
There was no thought to it. His ears were sharper and his hearing better
than a human’s. He had heard an unmistakable sound and his body tensed as
he caught it yet again. Not close, not yet, but coming.
Pete said, “I think it was a barre, or at least a partial and it sounded like
it was a minor… Dude, you okay?”
“Yeah sure. Just frustrated maybe.” Drake unstrapped the guitar and
swung it from free from his broad shoulder with some real relief. The thing
was a custom beauty made of the finest wood and parts—and it weighed a
goddamn ton, or felt like it anyway.
The roar of bikes outside halted the rest of whatever Drake had been
about to say.
“Looks like you got some company, man,” Pete told him. “I have to get
going anyway, but let me know about the chord, because I think we need to
work that in on that song. It sounded good right there—except for being off
the key.”
The clash of chromed and deep-throated engines rose higher yet,
making Drake’s entire body feel rigid and tight. He forced that tension away
and tried to focus on Pete. “Yeah, sure. Shit. I can’t believe we lost another
bunch of folks. We have to do something about finding people who want to
play.”
The bikes ground to a noisy halt in the driveway of the small and
slightly rundown house.
Pete stuck his bass in its case. “I guess it’s time to put new ads up. I
don’t know what the deal is with assholes joining a band one day and
leaving the next, but we need some real players.”
Drake could not have agreed more. “Yeah.”
 Pete said, “We’re getting gigs, man, and it makes no sense. It’s like
they get all spooked or something. And it’s not because you’re a biker
either; we’ve had some scabby bastards come in here. I just don’t know
what it is.”
Drake knew. Some people could tell he was different. They weren’t
sure how and maybe it didn’t register on the top of their brains, but they
damn sure knew that he was dangerous. “I dunno. We’ll figure it out.”
Pete sighed. “We better figure it out before Friday or we can kiss our
gig on Saturday goodbye.”
Pete walked out, holding the door open for Drake’s twin brother,
Morgan.
Morgan and Drake were identical twins, but different as night and day.
Morgan had always loved being a bear shifter, and he thrived on the politics
of the shifting world. Drake hated the politics and the constant wars
between the different species of shifters.
In truth, he wasn’t exactly thrilled with being a shifter either. In a
world run by humans and where shifters were idolized in print and film but
hunted down for hush-hush science experiments in reality, there was not
much room to be who he was—and what he was.
There were days when Drake didn’t even know exactly who he was.
He knew what he wanted to be, but his cursed DNA made everything else
seem like a mere pipe dream.
Morgan ran a hand through his brown hair, ruffling it farther. He never
wore a helmet, and so his hair was windblown even before that gesture;
now it stuck up in small points all over his head, giving him a fierce look
that didn’t unsettle Drake in the least.
He’d been whipping Morgan’s ass for years, and he was willing to do it
again if it came to that.
Drake didn’t want to deal with Morgan just then. It was obviously not a
friendly little visit. If it had been, the rest of the guys would have come in as
well. Of the four bikes parked in the drive, only one other was under a
shifter. The two humans in the MC were old-timers, long-haul criminals
who had drifted in and out of every club up and down the West Coast and
even up into Canada and across to Mexico over the years. They were too
hard or too stupid to smell the difference between themselves and the
others, or they did and just didn’t give a fuck. Drake had no idea which.
Drake rubbed at a sore spot near his neck. “What’s up, Morgan?”
“Just thought I would come by and tell you Mom’s a little pissed that
you are not returning her calls.”
In other words, Magda had sent him to deliver that very message. “I’ll
bet. You do know you could have brought me a pizza or something along
with that news.”
Morgan didn’t take the joke well. “You can’t keep doing this.”
Drake tilted an eyebrow and leaned back against the arm of the sofa.
“Doing what?”
Morgan yanked his hair again. “It’s nobody’s fault you didn’t become
Alpha…”
Drake straightened up in a hurry. “I never said it was. In fact, I was
relieved I couldn’t be Alpha. My sperm is useless—no babies for me. That
means no Alpha status. Lucky for you, you have very potent sperm. I’m not
pissed off, and I don’t want to argue. I just want to live my life without all
the bullshit infighting and warring going on.”
“You owe a loyalty to your brothers…” Morgan began.
“Which ones? The ones out there on those bikes? The humans who
have no idea what we are, or do you mean to you? Or do you mean to the
pack brothers? The last time I checked, I hadn’t been disloyal. You better
check yourself before you come at me with that kind of bullshit, bro.”
There was a serious amount of threat in Drake’s tone. He was really
sick of the bullshit, all the way around. He really didn’t begrudge Morgan
the dubious honor of being named Alpha. He didn’t give three hard damns
about that or anything else—except his music.
Morgan stalked toward Drake, his eyes taking on a low orange shine.
His finger came out and jabbed into Drake’s chest. Drake grabbed Morgan’s
hand and opened his mouth just enough to let his fangs show while his
claws shot from the ends of his fingers—all sharp edges and lethal strength.
“Goddammit, Drake!” Morgan twisted his hand away but didn’t step
back. “People are starting to talk. Mom’s getting nervous.”
Drake stepped even closer, cutting off all the space between them.
Their chests bumped in a really aggressive way, and Morgan was the first to
take a step back.
Drake said, “I couldn’t give a damn what Mom is, or about Mom.”
Morgan’s mouth went flat. “That’s a fucked up thing to say.”
Drake sneered, “She’s a fairly fucked up individual in case you had not
noticed. Magda’s a lot of things—and that’s the least of them.”
Controlling, cruel, unsatisfied, angry, and bitter—those were just a few
words that described Magda well. Add in a serious thirst for power—which
she had not slaked by killing off the Alpha of the bear shifter pack they’d
landed in when she had made her escape from the zoo.
Magda had her eyes on the real prize—all of LA, and total control of
every shifter and human who lived there. She would not stop until she
accomplished that. Her latest goal was killing off the Nepali tiger pack
headed by her former zoo mate Patel.
Drake had no doubt that Magda had had a hand in the deaths of the
Alpha of the wolf pack and his second-in-command. The second had been a
good man, by all accounts, and a decent one. It was no gossip that the hood
he had helped run was now a den of drugs and other illegal shit. The new
Alpha was pumping a literal metric ton of dope into the neighborhood now,
all of it supplied by Drake’s motorcycle club brothers—and Magda.
Naturally, Joaquin, the new Alpha, was too stupid and greedy to see
what Magda was doing. His pack would either be run out or one of them
would kill him off. But the hood would stay fucked and the drugs would
keep sending money right back in to Magda’s pockets—and she was using
that money to grease some big wheels in the city.
Morgan grated out, “Just call her.”
 “Don’t come into my den and take a stand, Morgan. Not unless you
aim to fight it out with me.”
Morgan’s eyes went orange again. “You owe your life to the pack. That
is the law and you know this. You don’t offer your life; your life’s worth
exactly zero.”
“That’s Mom talking through your mouth. You want to run up on me?”
Weariness seeped into his body. Drake settled his weight on the balls of his
feet while Morgan considered his decision.
Morgan finally said, “No, but you are not going to leave me much
choice.”
“You mean, she’s going to order me killed if I don’t bow down and kiss
her ass like everyone else.” It was not a question.
Morgan looked away, telling Drake everything he needed to know.
That was the last thing that he wanted. He didn’t need a war with his
own family, and he didn’t want a war with them either. He had thought his
being named as a Beta due to his sperm issue would free him. He had been
wrong.
Morgan looked back at him. “Drake, just call her and make nice. She
just needs…”
“She needs her ego stroked constantly.” The disgust in Drake’s voice
made Morgan stiffen in a visible way that Drake did not miss.
Morgan said, “Not gonna argue that with you, Drake, but she is the—”
“One who pulls all the strings. She named you Alpha but she holds all
the power, Morgan. I’d think you’d want to cut her off at some point, but I
can see that you don’t. I’ll call her, but I am warning you and her, back off
me. I gave my life, and now I’m out. I got exiled, remember?”
“It was a hard decision, Drake. You had to be exiled because there
could not be two bears who might be Alpha. There had to be a clear
delineation of power.”
Drake laughed. The delineation of power was clear. Magda held it all
and would until she died, maybe even longer, if she had her way. “Yeah,
sure.”
Morgan glanced around the room. “How’s the music going?”
The abrupt shift in topic was meant to disarm him. It was an old trick,
one of Magda’s best, in fact. “Good, got a gig this weekend down at the
Whiskey.”
Morgan said, “Hey, that’s big.”
“Yeah.” And his band had fled again, so now he had big problems to
go along with that big gig. Great. Just what he needed.
Morgan ran a hand along his face. “I got to get going. Call her, okay?”
“Yeah, sure.” He would, if for no other reason than just to get her off
his ass while he figured out a way to get a band behind him in the next four
days. Yeah, good luck with that one.
Morgan left. Drake, too restless to think or figure anything else out,
made a hasty and obligatory call to Magda, who pretended that he was
calling because he wanted to and not because she had just sent someone
after him.
The call left Drake even more furious and out of sorts. He grabbed a
pair of hiking boots and swapped them out with the sneakers he wore. Then
he headed out, determined to go for a long hike and get his mind right.
CHAPTER 3:
Mario whined and danced nervously as he came out from behind the
bushes he had been using to hide from a gaggle of hikers. Angelina patted
his head and laughed at his expression. “I know, they suck. Come on.”
They headed up higher on the trail. It was late afternoon and the trails
were clearing. Evening brought too many risks: snakes, coyotes, and timber
wolves; all the warnings the group of hikers had thrown at her as she stood
on the trail. She had assured them that she was coming back down soon, but
she was not. She intended to climb for hours, or at least until she could
breathe again without feeling the weight of the entire pack on her shoulders.
Mario took off down a deserted wash out and she let him go. He’d
scent her out, or she’d scent him out eventually. Burning sensations ran
through her strong upper thighs as she went higher yet. The afternoon sun
faded, leaving a hint of coolness in the air. Her body tingled and loosened
with each step.
She started singing. The clear air brought her voice back to her, making
it rise higher in a trick that made her happier than she had been in a long
time.
All she wanted out of life was to be a singer and to have some fun. She
wanted to have a family, but one of her own choosing and making. The last
thing she wanted was to give birth to a pup she could never love because of
who its father was, and Joaquin would never let her have the music career
she wanted unless he thought he could benefit from it in some way.
Joaquin. She had to do something about him and fast, too.
A man came down off the crest of a hill right ahead of her, his shadow
running large and dark along the ground. Uneasiness and attraction hit at the
same time. Her belly went loose at the sight of him. He was lean and
muscular, his long legs set into jeans that were wrapped tautly around his
narrow waist and flat hips. His shirt, a plain white tee, had gone transparent
with sweat, showing off the broad sweep of his shoulders and the cut
muscles of his enviable abs.
Heart pounding, and not just from exercise, Angelina halted. He did,
too. They stood staring at each other. He finally said, “Was that you
singing?”
She nodded. “Yeah, why?”
“I’m Drake Welsh.”
She blinked. “The guitarist? You’re in that band… I saw you guys like
two weeks ago. You’re awesome.”
“Thanks.” His teeth flashed behind full lips. Recognition stirred, and
she frowned. She’d felt something when she had seen him onstage, too—
she just was not sure what it was. Maybe it was the familiarity of one
musician to another?
Drake said, “So—I have a gig Saturday, but most of my band flaked.
It’s at the Whiskey, so you can see why it matters that I get this fixed. I
could use a singer. You know anything about Silver Lake? Wait, you
looking for a gig? I guess that should be my next question. Or my first.”
He laughed then. His head went back and Angelina caught a whiff of
his smell, musky and masculine and something else—something primal that
sent a wave of heat down her body in such intensity that her panties went
damp and her nipples went hard.
“Yes, to all of that.” Stupid. That was totally stupid. Joaquin would
have her head on a plate if she didn’t do what he wanted, and what he
wanted left no room for music or playing a gig. It damn sure did not leave
room for this strange and sexy man with the body that was wreaking havoc
on hers in some way she could not define but understood was very
dangerous.
Drake came closer. “Cool. Look, could you come by for a practice?”
“Yeah. When?” No. Goddamnit, what am I doing? This is beyond
dumb. This is suicidal!
He asked, “You got a phone on you?”
Angelina took it out of her back pocket. Drake gave her a number,
firing the digits off fast. He added, “You headed back down? It’s getting
dark.”
“Yeah, I have to find Mario first though. No worries, I ‘m fine up
here.”
His eyes raked her head to toe. That heat came back, spreading a
crimson blush all along her upper jaw. Her breath caught in her throat. Her
legs shook a little. Jesus she was so turned on!
“Okay, well call me in the morning and we’ll set up a rehearsal, see if
you fit in with us.”
“Great. Thanks.” Regret hit hard as she watched him walk off. No way
could she call him, even if she did have his number in her phone and even if
she did want him so badly.
She wanted him. Every particle of her body was attracted to him, and
there was no denying that one.
 After Drake was out of sight, Angelina whistled for Mario, but he
didn’t call back. Frowning, she headed down the little wash out she had
seen him go down. Long purple shadows chased each other along the trails
and she saw a few hares and long desert rats running form one pool of
shadow to the next.
“Mario!” Her voice bounced off the rocks and stunted brush. She
walked a little farther down then stopped.
A white wolf, its front paw stained with blood, lay on the path, panting
hard. Angelina took in the situation quickly. The wolf was an outcast, its
color making it undesirable to the wild ones. The paw had been injured by a
trap, most likely. The paw didn’t look mangled, just deeply cut, but the
blood had clotted now. The wolf was tired and sick though. The paw had
likely gotten infected.
A low familiar whine hit her ears. Angelina watched as Mario trotted
up, a freshly killed rabbit in his teeth. He dropped it in front of the wolf—a
she-wolf, Angelina noted.
The she-wolf raised her head. Mario nosed the rabbit closer, whining
low in his throat. It hit Angelina hard.
He had just found an exile. He was an exile. That was what he had
been doing all those days and nights when he had gone out alone and come
home battered and sad. He had been looking for a mate!
Angelina had a large water bottle and the collapsible bowl she used for
Mario. She poured the bowl full and set it near the she-wolf, who gave a
low warning growl that stopped when the she-wolf realized that Angelina
was not a threat to the meal.
Mario sat nearby, his tail swishing the dust as he watched the she-wolf
demolish the rabbit. When it was gone, she drank the water then laid her
head back down, whimpering low in her throat.
Angelina approached slowly. She had nothing for first aid and she
knew the wolf needed immediate help. She knelt, speaking gently and
chuffing and whimpering so the wolf would sense Angelina’s wolfness as
well, and not attack.
 Mario circled the she-wolf and laid one paw over her back in a
protective gesture that hurt Angelina’s heart. Tears blurred her vision as she
lifted the wounded paw and found a small pocket of infection.
She lanced it quickly with the little knife she kept in one hip pocket.
Pus swelled and ran, a thick and putrid flow. The she-wolf whined but did
not try to bite; she sensed she was being helped and was willing to take that
aid.
When as much of the infection was out as Angelina could manage, she
dipped the paw into the water bowl, washing it thoroughly. The scab had
opened again with the lancing and blood flowed red and thick.
Angelina tore a strip of her tank top off and bound the paw. The she-
wolf would gnaw that makeshift bandage off soon enough, but the cloth
would keep her paw from getting dirty again until the scab could close.
Mario darted off and came back with a palm rat. The she-wolf ate it
whole, barely swallowing. She staggered to her feet and Angelina backed
away. Mario looked at Angelina and back to the she-wolf. His eyes held a
question.
Angelina stood. Tears stung her eyes. Mario had to find a mate, had
needed to find one. This exile was his best hope, but once he was gone…
She would have no reason to stay with the pack. She had considered
running away quite often, but she had been unable to leave him. Mario had
needed her.
But he didn’t need her anymore.
She spoke slowly, wondering just how much human was really in
Mario now, in a way she never had before. “You learned to hunt and survive
out here, didn’t you? That is what you were doing. You knew you could not
stay with the pack. Maybe it was fate then, us coming here. I’ll come back
here, to this spot tomorrow afternoon, okay? I’ll bring stuff you might need
and check her foot again.”
Mario bounded over to her and leaned against her legs for a brief
moment. The she-wolf turned away. Mario went to her and then he moved
in front of her, taking his place at the head of their pack of two.
 Angelina stumbled back to the trail, making sure to mark her way
carefully so she could find her way back. She stood at the top of the trail,
tears running down her face. She took her phone back out and hit the screen
with shaking fingers.
Drake answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me, the girl you met on the trails?”
“Yeah, and you know what? I was so excited I forgot to ask your
name.”
Angelina wiped a hand across her raw cheeks. The hills were empty;
there was no sign of Mario or the she-wolf anywhere. “It’s Angelina.
Listen, I’m not doing anything tonight if you want to …whatever.”
Drake said, “I’m not quite at my car yet. How far up are you?”
“I’m on my way down now.” She was. Her feet stirred up grit and dust,
and she broke into a flat-out run. “I’ll probably see you at the bottom in
about half an hour.”
“I’ll wait at the lot then.”
“Cool.” Angelina hung up and ran faster, heedless of the danger of the
steep incline and the serious threat of falling.
CHAPTER 4:
Drake felt that rush of desire again as Angelina stepped out of the car
she had parked behind his in the driveway. She was magnificent looking
with that long dark hair and tight body with curves in all the right places,
but that was not the whole of it.
There was something about her, something that pulled at him in a way
that could only be described as primal. She was no bear; that he knew. He
would have smelled that on her. That he could be so attracted to a human
was shocking in its own way. He loved women, human and shifter, but there
was something but Angelina that made him want to set aside all propriety
and just push her against the nearest wall then kiss her hard before shucking
her clothes off.
 He could nearly feel her toes digging into his calves as she climbed the
length of his body, feel her short nails on his skin, her teeth in his bottom
lip.
His cock thickened and stiffened yet again, making his jeans—already
tight, thanks to sweat and heat—grow tighter still. He turned to the side a
little, praying she would not see his erection straining below the denim.
Angelina said, “Great place.”
He looked at the house and a grin crossed his lips. “It’s all right. It’s
my… home anyway.” He’d nearly said den. He walked toward the door,
letting her follow him.
**
God she could play!
Drake’s eyes tracked Angelina’s fingers as she raced through a series
of fingerpicking and strums, her hands steady and sure. The song they’d
been playing was nearly done, and hours had passed since she had followed
him into his house.
He’d never had such a hard time concentrating in his entire life.
Angelina stood, the guitar strapped over a slender shoulder. Her body
was perfect, all lean angles and soft curves of breast and hips. Her ass was a
metronome. She bounced with the beat and every beat made her
magnificent ass lift and fall, which made it harder for him to concentrate.
They’d clicked in an audible way. Her style of playing, her husky
voice, and her sense of rhythm. It was all perfect.
Bedding her would be stupid. She was perfect for the band and mixing
business with pleasure was a really bad idea.
His cock was so hard he was afraid to drop the guitar though.
Angelina unstrapped the Gibson Dove he’d given her to play and set it
in its case gently. “That was amazing!”
Color lit her cheeks. Her ruby lips were parted, giving him a glimpse of
her pink tongue and white teeth. Her body swayed toward his, her every
movement graceful, and his cock gave off a powerful pulse.
 “Yeah, it’s crazy.” It was. Everything about her called to him. He’d
never met a woman, shifter or human, who made him want her so much and
that triggered so many reactions in his body.
Angelina said, “Man, I’d love to play with you again.”
I’d love to play with you in a whole lot of ways, and if you don’t back
away I might just forget how much I want you in my band. His cock was
subsiding though, enough that he dared to take off the guitar.
Immediately, he wished he hadn’t, because she moved closer yet. His
cock sensed her presence and renewed its throbbing, making his jeans too
tight and downright uncomfortable.
He didn’t mean to kiss her, but his arms came out and he leaned toward
her. Her ripe lips met his, and he reveled in the feel of them, soft and warm
and firm. His tongue streaked past her lips and hers answered his; their
tongues met and twined together.
Her breath rushed into his mouth. Her body met his. Her full breasts
smashed flat against his broad chest, ratcheting up the sensations already
pouring through him and making him forget about everything but her and
the way she felt in his arms, the taste of her mouth and the scent of her hair
as it swung around her face and his.
His hands traveled along her shoulders, feeling lean muscle and supple,
satiny skin that begged to be touched yet again.
His animal urges and instincts kicked in, and he felt the shift trying to
happen. He fought the shift back, but he could not stem the onslaught of
desire washing over his body.
His cock thrust into her pelvis and she ground her hips closer, making
his ass clench and his hips jerk forward.
He broke the kiss off and picked her up, no longer caring about
anything but getting her to the nearest flat surface so he could fuck her hard
and fast.
His bed met their bodies. His hands stripped away her clothes to reveal
creamy flesh, golden brown in hue, and then he unhooked her cute little red
lace bra and her tits bounced out and into his hands, her nipples rosy discs
that he had to taste.
Those nipples tightened in his mouth. Her fingers tangled into his hair
as he sucked hard, making her nipples stiffen and arch. Her tits were soft
but heavy and he kneaded them expertly as he suckled at her breast.
His hands tugged loose her jeans and then she kicked her boots off. Her
legs spread and the scent of her arousal met his nose, spurring him onward.
His mouth moved lower, his tongue running over her belly and then his face
was at the junction of her thighs.
His tongue slid along her pink outer lips, parting them. Heat and
fragrant oils met his tongue. He moved higher, seeking out her clit. He
found it and her nails tore into his scalp. Her ass lifted and a low groan
broke from his lips.
Drake was lost in the taste and smell and heat of her body. He used his
tongue to pleasure her, taking her right to the brink as he slowly circled her
clit with his tongue and then alternated those circles with fast back and forth
motions that had her crying out his name as more fluid fell from her inner
folds. Those coral-and-pink walls drew his attention as he slid his fingers
deeply into her, thrusting slowly at first but increasing the speed with each
withdrawal and entry.
“Oh God.” Her cry was a beacon. He slid upward, one hand already on
his swollen and throbbing cock. He thrust into her, hard. Her walls cradled
him, sucked him deeper inside her as she began to come, her walls
fluttering and closing as she milked his cock with her body. He gave in,
driving harder and harder as she came and then rolled through a series of
aftershocks that caused her folds to clench and loosen around his rigid and
demanding flesh.
He came. His fingers curled around her shoulders and he groaned, his
body arcing and tossing.
He felt the shift happening and he tried to stop it, withdrawing from
her as his thick hot seed splashed out of his body and onto her flat belly.
His eyes went feral but he held the change back.
 He looked at her face, hoping her eyes would be closed.
They weren’t.
He was looking into the eyes of a wolf!
CHAPTER 5:
I can’t even believe this! Oh, my God!
Angelina rolled off the bed, her instincts kicking in. Even naked and
still caught in desire’s web, she was fast. She held a hand up, holding the
shift back, but barely, as she faced Drake, who had also left the bed and
now stood, naked and so goddamn sexy it hurt to look at him.
Judging by the look of his shock on his face, he was just as rattled as
she was. Angelina said, “You’re… you’re a shifter.”
“So are you.” His words floated across the bed at her. Angelina
grabbed for her clothes. She had to get out of there, and fast. “Yeah, well,
yeah. What the fuck?”
“Beats the shit out of me. I never… I didn’t know.”
Angelina yanked on clothes. Her thoughts tangled and split into
fragments. “I have to go.”
“I’d rather we at least talked this out first.”
“I just slept with a bear! Are you kidding me! You want to talk…
how… I didn’t know.”
“I think we have determined that.” Drake was dressing, too, his
movements fast and precise. He raked a hand through his hair, sticking it up
on end, which just made him look even hotter. Pulses of desire still fired off
in her belly and so she let her head drop low, her eyes zeroing in on her feet.
“How did we not know right away?”
“Maybe we did.”
The answer was not the one she had been hoping for. She had hoped he
would say something like he was a mutie—a person with one shifter parent
and one human one. Muties were harder to scent out, harder to unmask.
They didn’t give off scent like shifters and in fact, many of them shifted
very rarely and usually that shifting was something that only happened
under bouts of extreme stress.
Drake said, “So you’re from East LA, I take it?”
“Yeah, but I wanted to be here from the moment I saw this place.” Her
face heated. “Not in your house. Jesus. I didn’t mean… I mean, I don’t
think what happened makes us mates, if you’re tripping on that. I meant, I
love Silver Lake, and always have. This is where the music is right now—
and where my pack isn’t, at least for now.”
“You running from your pack or did they exile you?”
“Neither. Both. Fuck if I know.”
Drake approached. She snarled at him, but half-heartedly. He held his
hands up. “Whoa. Truce. Let’s… let’s talk. I mean, this is unusual…”
“You think?”
He pulled a face. “Okay, it happened, right? No going back. But so
what? I still want you in the band and… look, I’m an exile, sort of, so I get
it if you’re running or if you’ve been put out.”
What the hell was he talking about? “Sort of?”
His lips canted up. “I’m a semi-exile, I guess you could say.”
“Now’s not the time to talk in riddles, okay? I have to go. Jesus Christ,
if anyone finds out about this—you could get hurt and I don’t want that.”
He looked at her, no expression on his face. “How so?”
Goddammit. She had to be honest. If she wasn’t, he would get caught
in some bullshit he had never signed on for. “Drake, my dad was second in
the pack over in East LA. It’s the biggest and most powerful wolf pack, as
you probably know. My dad died with our Alpha; now we have Joaquin,
and he’s screwing the whole hood.”
“I know.”
He knew? Of course he knew. She sighed. “I got promised to Joaquin
back when I was a kid. I never had any say in it. My dad was about to call
that off—he knew Joaquin was no good. But he died before he could, so his
promise stands. It doesn’t matter, not to them anyway, what I want or who I
don’t.”
His fingers gripped her chin and lifted it. “You don’t want Joaquin.”
“Not in my bed, not in my life, and not as my Alpha. If that means I
have to be exiled, I can take that, but I have to tell you now that I can’t stay
—not in your band or anything else. Joaquin’s not just selling drugs; he’s
got plans to take over the city and he means to do just that. He’s power
crazed and hungry. He’s also vicious, and he won’t hesitate to kill me or
anyone else who gets in his way. You see, he wants kids, fast, heirs to his
kingdom. Sons would cement his position, according to him, and well, our
culture. It’s the whole machismo thing.”
“I get it, but I don’t want you to leave the band. Hell I need you.”
Her breath caught in her throat. He needed her in the band, but not in
his life, was that what he was saying? “I know you probably can’t find
another singer fast enough, but you might have to. I mean, until last night,
you had no idea you had a singer and so nothing has really changed. You
still need a singer.”
“I need a whole band.” His words were hard and his voice fierce. “You
are one hell of a rhythm player and there’s something about us, Angelina,
we just click. Not just as people but as players in the same song. I can’t
promise you he won’t find you, but I can promise you if he finds you here,
he won’t take you back, not without a massive fight and some death.”
Her heart sank. “That is exactly what I am afraid of. I don’t want death
and blood. That’s why I don’t want to go back to the pack. There’s bound to
be blood and now—well, now I pretty much put you into the middle of it.
As much as I love Silver Lake,” and as much as I feel drawn to you, too, “I
can’t do it. I have to go somewhere else, somewhere that Joaquin can’t
touch me, or you, or anyone else I might come into contact with.”
Drake asked, “Angelina, do you want to stay here? With me, I mean?”
Shit. He really went to the heart of the matter, didn’t he? Her chin came
up. “I have to go back.” She didn’t want to, but she had to. There was no
way she could stay here. She had just slept with a sworn enemy, and she
had a feeling that there was even more to that than met the eye. Drake was a
bear shifter in exile and a biker at the same time, which meant he still rode
with the MC that had bear shifters at its head. So there was definitely
something he was not telling her, and she was pretty sure she did not want
to know exactly what that was.
There was already too much at stake, even with Mario gone.
Mario!
She stood. “Shit. I have to get to the trails.”
Drake looked confused. “What?”
Say nothing. For God’s sake, do not give him a weapon. You don’t
know if you can trust him, and you know damn well you can’t trust yourself
around him!
Despite her brain’s warning, her mouth opened. “He’s my brother. He
can’t shift. He’s wolf, mostly. He has never shown any sign of going
human. I have other brothers, of course, all from the same litter, but Mario
is the only one who doesn’t shift.”
Loss settled in, making her heart ache. She had no idea which loss was
the greater—the loss of Mario to the wild or the loss of what had been a
wonderful and far too brief dream of being with Drake and having the
normal life she had always dreamed of, a life filled with music and
passionate love.
Drake pondered that for a second. “You came from the same birthing?”
She nodded. “We did, and he can understand everything but he doesn’t
speak. I was the only one he would ever try to communicate with in any
way. He’s the only reason I didn’t leave before.”
“I see.”
She shook her head, sending her silky dark hair flying. “No, you don’t.
You see, I was up on the trails—he had been leaving and wandering for a
few years now, but he found a she-wolf and she was hurt. They left
together. I promised to go back and look at her paw again. I think it was
stuck in a trap at one point or another.”
“Shit, that sucks. Was she okay?”
 She smiled at the real concern in his voice. “Yeah, and I will be, too.”
Drake said, “Angelina, you don’t have to go back.”
Tears threatened. She held them back. “Yeah, I do.”
She stood and wiped a hand down her side. She ached all over and not
all of it was unpleasant either. The bruises from their wild lovemaking were
there, just below her skin, already healing but still lightly painful. That pain
would ease fast and she knew it, but she was not sure about the other pains
that were careening through her just then.
There was something about Drake that made her want to stay. It was
not just how they played together, or the way their bodies and voices and
musical tastes blended either. He made her feel safe, something she had not
felt since her father died. That was dangerous as hell, that feeling, because
he was a bear and her enemy, even if she did not want him to be.
“You know we can’t, Drake. We’re sworn enemies; our kinds always
have been and with good reason. We aren’t friends in nature, and we can’t
be friends or anything else in this world either. Even if we thought we could
be, you know damn well nobody is going to let us be. They will all come
for us. Your pack and mine, and every other shifter pack—just to keep two
different kinds from being together. It is not natural, and they won’t accept
it. We can’t even be in the same band and you know that. It goes against
everything about the laws we all have to live by.”
“I don’t care about the laws. I’m outside the pack now. I was,” he
paused then said, “I was in line to be Alpha but I am sterile, or something. I
couldn’t produce children and that is a requirement for Alphas in our
packs.”
Angelina sucked in a breath. Her eyes searched his face. “Ours, too.”
Her brain reeled at his words. He was supposed to be Alpha? That meant he
was Magda’s!
Her voice held desperation. “You’re Magda’s son.”
“Yes.”
“Oh my God!” Now she was desperate to go. And fast. The last thing
she needed to do was get caught up in whatever bullshit Magda was about
to bring down. Antonio, her father, had had plenty to say about Magda, and
none of it was very flattering. He had admired her courage and her
toughness, but he had disliked, intensely, her quest for power. Magda had a
serious hate on for humans, too, and that bothered Antonio. He had said, a
lot, that he would not trust her if there were just the two of them left in the
world because Magda was so blinded by the need to rule she would kill him
in a short-sighted bid to be the last creature standing—and Angelina
believed him.
Drake grasped her upper arms in his warm and calloused fingers. His
touch sent thrills spilling all along the base of her spine and those little
shivers raced upward. That desire came back, pooling liquid into her panties
and making her squirm away before her body could betray her yet again.
He didn’t try to hold her. He let her go, but the phantom warmth of his
fingers stayed imprinted on her arms. Her nipples stiffened, growing first
taut and then tighter still until the hard ridges stuck up under her shirt in
noticeable peaks.
Drake’s eyes flicked downward then back up. Angelina’s emotions
twisted between shame and lust, and she spoke sharply. “Look, I have to go.
We can’t do this. I don’t know how we didn’t know. But we know now. I
have to go.”
She stalked off, her head high as she aimed her body, which wanted
nothing more than to turn around and run back to him as fast as it could
manage, toward the front door. To her vast relief, he did not try to stop her.
**
Drake took a seat on the sofa. His brain reeled and his body ached with
unmet need. The woman was a wolf, and she was right—it should have
been impossible for them not to recognize each other, so, why hadn’t they?
Had he known in some small way and just overlooked it because he
had been so eager to get her into first the band and then his bed? They
should have called it off last night, as soon as they had figured it out, but
they had not and now here he was—with no singer and no woman in his
life.
 Jesus Christ, it was a one-night stand. It was not like she was your life
mate you fucking asshole.
The words did not help to clear his head. The smell of her lingered in
the house. He sighed and stood, heading toward the kitchen to make some
much-needed coffee but he paused before he got there.
She was going back to the trail, and that was all right—but what
happened when she went back to East LA to join her pack? Joaquin would
smell him on her and she would probably be killed.
He sagged against the doorframe as he considered that. Angelina had a
death wish, maybe, or maybe she was just so desperate to get away from
Joaquin and the cluster fuck her pack had become that she was willing to
die for the right to be away from it. Either way, it would end with her death,
and he cursed a few times then grabbed his keys from the coffee table.
She knew his car. The wolves of East LA would know his bike. It was
a toss-up as to which was the worse choice to follow her in, but one thing
was clear; he was going to follow her no matter what.

CHAPTER 6:
Angelina spent the night in a small and cheap motel, and then drove to
the trails early the next morning. She was tired, confused and her thoughts
were still chaotic as hell.
She hadn’t been able to go home, not with the smell of a bear still on
her skin. That scent would linger. She had not been able to sleep, either, and
she was glad to see Mario and the she-wolf had not gone far from where she
had last seen them.
The she-wolf had a bloody trail near her muzzle, and Mario smelled of
blood, so it was obvious he had been hunting to feed them again. Angelina
set down the supplies she had bought at a local drugstore. “Hey, there. Um,
so, Mario, can you let her know not to bite me?”
Mario gave one short bark and nosed the she-wolf closer. She limped
and whimpered softly, and Angelina could see that the makeshift bandage
was covered with clotted yellow stuff and thin strands of dried blood.
 The she-wolf lay down. Angelina said, “Thanks,” and reached for the
injured paw. The cloth came away slowly, and she winced as she looked at
the cut. The infection seemed to be lessening but the cut was deeper than
Angelina had imagined.
She cleaned it quickly and then took a deep breath. “Mario, I need to
stitch it. I got these little glue stitches, but she has to be very still.”
Mario lay down beside the she-wolf, wrapping one arm over her in a
gesture that many dogs, domesticated and street, used to show they were
protecting another. Angelina said, “You two are a cute couple, did I tell you
that yesterday?”
She had been worried that Drake’s smell might put the two wolves off,
but it didn’t seem to. After she had applied the stitches, Angelina just sat
there on the sun-warmed earth, waiting for the stuff to dry and looking at
Mario.
He had changed, seemingly overnight. That human expression was still
in his eyes, but there was a new wildness in there, too.
“It won’t be long, will it? You’ll go all the way wild, and you will
either forget me or you will just not remember me on purpose. It’s okay, I
understand.”
Mario regarded her. Angelina frowned. “Mario, I can’t come back.
Those stitches will hold and they dissolve on their own after a while, so it’s
no biggie there. I think your mate here is going to be fine, and so are you
but I… well, I have to figure out what to do.”
She sighed. “I can’t stay in the pack, and I can’t run from them either. I
am going to have to fight. I don’t want to, and I came up with a hundred
schemes to stay out of a battle, but you know what? I can sense one coming,
and I’m scared. I think the fight that is coming is way bigger than just the
one between me and Joaquin. I think there’s a shifter war coming, and
Joaquin is part of it. I think he is setting us up to be killed off so he can gain
control. I have to stop him; I just do not know how.”
Oh, but Drake could help her with that, if she just let him—or could
trust him. Not that she could do either. He was a bear and her enemy. Even
if the two of them were able to get past that—he was Magda’s son, and
Magda had a huge hard on for power. No way was she going to let any son
of hers go rogue and outside the laws of nature and shifter.
The sun beat down on her head, and Angelina sat there for a long time.
She poured water for the wolves and they drank. Then, slowly, Mario got up
and made a low sound in his throat. He gave Angelina one last look and
then he began to walk away. The she-wolf stood, also looking at Angelina
for a moment. Her eyes held pain as she set her paw on the earth but she
stepped down anyway and then turned to follow Mario.
“Goddammit. If I believed in omens, that would be one.” Angelina
cleaned up the mess, burying the cloth and shifting sand and rocky soil over
the remains of the bloody and gross water she had used to clean the paw. “I
mean, she’s following him no matter how painful. Great. Good for her.
They are both wolves so…”
She blinked. That was not true. Mario was not full wolf. He was
something else, something outside nature. The she-wolf had let him choose
her anyway, either because she was weak and needed him or because she
was alone and any mate was better than none, or because the two of them
were both outcasts and alone and a pack of two was still stronger than a
solitary creature.
She started walking. She had choices and they were clear.
Drake wanted her—and she hated Joaquin. She knew she could not
truly trust either of them, but could she trust Drake enough to try to have
something with him? If she did, she would be able to at least indulge her
love of music. Drake would not have her out on a corner acting as lookout
or slinging dope. He would not tell her music was a waste of her time and
life. He would never tell her to shut up and learn her place because if they
were together, there were no rules for whatever they created. What they
would be together was something that had never been done before.
She got in the car, cranking down the windows to release some of the
heat that had gotten trapped within it. The sun baked the trails, sending long
shimmers of heat mirages up. Angelina rested her head in her hands.
Everyone would be out of the house. Now was the perfect time to grab
her stuff and run. She had friends in Silver Lake. She had some money set
aside. She had a need to go. Exiling herself was the only option, but that
would guarantee she was hunted. Joaquin would think nothing of crossing
territory lines if she did. That would absolutely start a war, and she didn’t
need that on her hands or conscience.
“So where the hell do I go?”
The question hung in the still air. Angelina cranked the car, muttering,
“First, I go get my stuff. Then I go somewhere, anywhere. Not Silver Lake,
and not into tiger territory. That leaves plenty of places. I hear Torrance is
nice this time of year.”
She headed down the road, not noticing the motorcycle hanging back
behind her, its rider carefully tailing her as she headed east.
**
The house was quiet. Angelina killed the engine and stepped out, her
eyes scanning the front of the house. It was actually three houses that had
connecting breezeways. The pack owned most of the street, and they had
always taken pride in it and the neighborhood back before Joaquin had
come to power. Now it looked seedy and sad, and there were broken bottles
near the curbs. The old folks who lived a few streets over were
overwhelmed by the new drug dealers and the addicts, by the heavy traffic
of cruising cars whose passengers were looking to score and the unsavory
element of pimps and hookers looking to be close to the illegal action.
Uneasiness swept over her as she walked toward the door. She scented
the air but there were too many scents, both old and new, for her to be able
to tell if Joaquin was there or not.
She paused, listening hard, still trying to smell him out, but there’d
been a lot of traffic in and out of the house, as usual. She could smell him,
and it was a strong fresh smell, but she could not tell if it was hours or
minutes old due to the scents mingled with his.
Her eyes went back to the driveways and street. His car—a huge
restored ’66 Caddy, was nowhere in sight. Joaquin didn’t allow anyone to
drive his baby so he had to be gone.
 Her fingers turned the key into the lock. Angelina didn’t close the door.
She stood there, still listening and sniffing. Nothing. The smell of garlic and
onions, eggs, and tomato hung in the air. Someone had cooked breakfast at
some point then. Her belly rumbled at those scents, reminding her she had
not eaten since yesterday afternoon.
She dashed to her bedroom. She closed the door and grabbed a bag.
There was little she wanted beyond her clothes and the few photos she had
of her and her family. It took all of about ten minutes to toss her shoes, the
ones that were still in good shape, her clothes, and those pictures into the
bag. She grabbed the old acoustic guitar. Its strings, stirred by the small
breeze she created when she picked it up, chimed softly, a light whisper of
sound that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up and goose bumps
break out all over her skin.
She turned, her eyes going to the closed door. Was she imagining
things or had she heard something out there, a creaking floor or a hasty
step?
She hesitated but heard nothing for a few long seconds. Her eyes went
to the door handle. She had locked it automatically, and her heart hammered
hard in her chest as she saw the knob turn in a slow but deliberate way, one
that she was most decidedly not imagining.
Joaquin’s scent came clear. Her pulse slid upward, and she moved fast.
She went to the window, which she had left unlocked the night before, and
looked out. The backyard was empty. The faint snick of the lock turning
came again. Joaquin was trying to get in, and he was deliberately trying to
do it very quietly. What was more—he had hidden his car so she would not
know he was there.
The onions and garlic had been meant to mask his smell. She knew that
now. Angelina tossed her bags out and went out behind them. She grabbed
her stuff, slinging the bags over her shoulders and gripping the old neck of
the guitar in one hand as she ran around the side of the house, her feet
kicking up small pebbles.
The front door burst open just as she reached her car. Joaquin came
roaring out. His face was contorted with rage and even from where she
stood, Angelina knew he was two seconds away from shifting right there in
the street and be damned to anyone who might see.
A loud roar from the exhaust of a motorcycle cut the air. The bike
raced closer, cutting across curbs and the driveway, cutting Joaquin off just
as he headed for her and her car.
Angelina wrenched her door open and slid inside, slamming the door
hard as the rider, whose face was hidden below a large helmet with a dark
face guard, kicked out one long leg. Joaquin, unable to run forward without
running right into the back end of the spinning bike, halted, but his shout
was long and loud. Angelina could hear that cry over the roar of her car’s
engine.
She hit the gas and reversed quickly. The bike kept slewing in circles.
She did not know who that was but she hoped whoever it was had the good
sense to get the hell out of there and fast.
Damn! She paused, wavering with indecision. She should make sure
whoever that was didn’t get killed by a ticked-off wolf. Before she had time
to fully form that thought, a new one hit.
At first, she had thought that the biker had lost control of the chrome
beast and was just spinning wildly, but now she realized that spinning was
an act of utter and total skill, and the man on that bike was using that skill to
get between her and Joaquin!
“Thanks,” she muttered, slammed the car into drive, and hauled ass.
The bike stopped spinning. The rider cut a wide arc and ended up on
the other side of the street, going too fast for Joaquin to catch up even if he
shifted and ran wolf-like after the bike.
Angelina knew all the shortcuts out of the hood and she took them. She
kept an eye on her rearview and saw the biker fall in behind her, the sun
gleaming off the helmet and the heavy black leather jacket.
Drake.
It had to be Drake!
They careened out of the neighborhood and ended up in a side street
that would dump them off an exit and on the crowded freeways just beyond.
There was no time to stop. She had to keep moving and make sure that
Drake—and she was positive that it was Drake now—did not get caught by
Joaquin, who had obviously been about to either rape her to force her to be
his mate or kill her.
If she had to bet, she would guess the former. Joaquin would do
anything to prove how powerful he was, and he knew she did not want him.
As long as she refused to mate with him, he could do nothing but if he got
her with child, it was a whole different ballgame.
The bike roared up beside her car. Drake flipped the visor up and he
shouted, “Take the third!”
The third exit would lead them to Beverly Hills or beyond, out to
Sherman Oaks. Scared and worried now, and knowing Silver Lake was not
an option at the moment, she nodded. Drake fell into traffic just ahead of
her. The traffic slowed. A snarl was up there somewhere. Sweat trickled
down her face as she considered the situation.
Joaquin might be following them, but in her car her scent was too
narrow. There was too much traffic and all its stink to make it possible for
him to track her that way.
Silver Lake was dangerous because she would be a wolf in bear
territory. Drake might have given off his scent, and if Joaquin knew that the
man on the bike was a bear that would be the first place he headed. He
wouldn’t be able to scent track Drake either, not unless he went to ground
and sniffed Drake’s house out, but shifting to track in wolf form was too
risky even for Joaquin.
He had contacts with Magda though. Angelina knew that. Joaquin’s
major supplier of heroin and other dope was the bikers that Magda ran from
her house over in Silver Lake. Would Magda turn on her own son?
Probably—especially since he was not Alpha and his twin brother was.
Damn, how had she forgotten that? Her father had told her that, last year.
That one of the twins had been displaced as Alpha for the other. He had not
known why, but he had worried about it. Now Angelina found herself
wondering, too.
 They reached the hills. Angelina’s hands were slick with sweat as she
turned the wheel to follow Drake down a long and winding road that raced
along a steep gorge before dropping out to a flatter and more level stretch
that he took at a surprisingly fast speed.
He pulled up at the gates of a small house and hit a button. The gates
opened, and he pulled in with her right on his heels.
Angelina got out of the car. “What the hell was that?”
Drake lifted the helmet off. Sweat made his hair stick to his head and
his face glisten. He unzipped the jacket, pulling it off to reveal his broad
and fit upper body. The bike sat between his legs, held their by the sheer
strength of his lower body and a wave of heat crashed over her yet again.
Her mouth went dry. Goddamn, that was so sexy. Him, the bike, the sweat,
the stubble on his jaw, the piercing gaze—all of it.
Drake leaned closer, cutting off all thought but not the lust. The lust
just intensified. A little bead of sweat hung in the tiny little hollow of his
throat, begging to be licked away. Her fists clenched, and her stomach filled
with butterflies trying to wing their way out.
“That was me saving your ass. I saw him coming down that little hall
between the houses, and I knew it was him. I decided to circle the block, see
if you came back out. When you didn’t, I rode a little farther up and waited.
I was going to give you a half a minute more when I saw you come running
around the back with all your stuff and figured you must have outrun him. I
also figured he was going to come out next, so I decided to stall him so you
could bolt.”
“Thanks.” She rubbed her arms up and down her arms. Now that she
was not in present danger, the adrenaline died out, leaving her tired and
limp.
“You hungry?”
Her eyes went to the house they were parked in front of. “Are we
breaking into this house?”
“Yeah, do you mind?”
“Only if we get caught.”
 His lips canted upward. “There’s that.”
“I’d rather not go to prison. You know, all things considered.”
“I can see where you could disrupt the hell out of the general
population.”
The joking made her relax, her muscles loosen and the tension ooze
away from her neck and shoulders. “Ditto. For real, if we are about to
engage in some B&E, you had better hope there’s food in there.”
“There is. It belongs to my bass player, Pete.”
Her eyebrows raised. “Oh?”
“Yeah, getting a rich kid in your band’s sort of the new trend.”
Just then, the door opened and a scrawny guy with dark brown hair and
a sallow face appeared. “What’s up, dude?”
“Not much; just thought I’d check in with you and introduce you to
someone. She’s a hell of a singer.”
Was he kidding? “I’m not. I mean I’m a singer but I’m not…” She
glared at Drake, who just grinned back at her.
Pete said, “Okay then.”
Drake said, “Dude, we’re starving.”
“I got some steaks. I was about to toss one on the grill and it would be
no biggie to add a couple more.” Pete jerked his head toward the door.
The house was a post and beam thing with long wide windows and
designer furniture. The pool was right outside the back door, and Pete led
them that way, making a brief stop at the kitchen to grab some steaks from
the fridge.
They stepped out into an outdoor kitchen that would have made a
gourmet chef green with envy, but Angelina was more interested in the
thick and marbled meat that Pete laid on the gas grill than wondering if that
counters were the granite they seemed to be.
Pete finished laying the steaks out and added a few potatoes to the grill
then pointed the way to the fridge that held some really good wine and beer.
Drake seemed to know the way pretty well. He took out a bottle of red,
uncorked it and poured three glasses.
“Thanks.” Their fingers met as Angelina made to take the glass he
offered to her. She turned her face down quickly so he wouldn’t see the
naked desire playing out in her eyes. She needed him to not know how she
felt. She had to figure out what to do next. She did not need the crazy
emotions and physical attraction Drake kept bringing up in her.
“Welcome.” Pete stretched out on a chair and asked, “So you sing?”
“I do.” The words were reluctant. Her fingers curled around the stem
of the glass. The sun lay thick and heavy on her head and shoulders, and she
turned her face up to it.
Pete asked, “You any good?”
“Man, you should hear her. She can play rhythm, too.”
Drake sure was pushing hard—wasn’t he?
“We tried it, like me and him, but I don’t think it will work,” she said.
Pete said, “Oh. Shit. That is too damn bad. I don’t know what it is
about Drake, but he seems to run people off left and right for some reason.
No idea why—he’s a good dude but he scares folks or something.”
Her eyes met Drake’s. His held a troubled expression. The wine
warmed as her fingers moved up to cup the glass. “I get that. Sometimes
people are jerks.”
Or they sensed the difference and got scared—or mean. Sometimes
both.
There was something Drake’s eyes that triggered a feeling of kinship.
He was running away, too. He didn’t want to be a part of his pack. He
wanted a life filled with music and normalcy. So did she. But they were
different and always would be. They could never escape that, no matter how
hard they tried.
The food was delicious, and she was starving. After the meal was over,
they went inside. Pete had a whole room dedicated as a music space and
Angelina took one look at all the gear and went to go get her guitar.
 I’ll just play with them today, but that’s not a promise to be in the band.
She settled onto a low sofa with the guitar over her legs.
Drake wrote down the lyrics and the chords to a song. “Can you just
strum along? Don’t worry about trying to figure out a pattern just yet, just
do the chords on the time and sing the words?”
“Sure.” Angelina looked down at the paper and nodded. “I need a capo
though. I suck at the B minor chord.”
He laughed. “I hate that chord. I always capo the third and play it with
the G, C, and so forth.”
“You could have just written that down,” she teased as she grabbed a
pen and began to make the changes on the paper.
Drake said, “Well, I had to know if you’d try, anyway.”
“We had a guy who was a piano player turned guitarist, and he insisted
on playing the hardest chords because he could. Drove us nuts,” Pete added.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that with me.” Angelina blinked.
What am I saying? This has to be the last time I play with Drake, in every
way. I can’t be with him!
She shook that off. There was far too much uncertainty going on right
now. Music was static, it was a good thing, and she needed it just then, and
badly.
Her fingers met the frets and formed the chords. Notes rang out. The
supple strings bent and she closed her eyes, getting the sense of the rhythm
from Pete’s throbbing bass lines and Drake’s long string of melodies. She
strummed along instinctively, putting some sixteenth note strums in,
varying the pattern.
When they reached the end and started the song over, Angelina began
to sing, her husky voice lingering over the melody and then wrapping
around the words and sliding behind the beat.
The song ended. Pete let out a whoop and said, “Hell, yes! Man, you’re
awesome!’
“You’re awesome,” Angelina said. “You can really play that bass!”
 Pete grinned. “Now if we could just find a decent drummer before
Saturday!”
Drake said, “I had a guy call me earlier. I could call him back and see
what he says—if he wants to come jam or whatever.”
Now was the time to bow out. Now was the time to say she couldn’t
stay.
Angelina knew that, and she knew she should speak up.
But all she said was, “That would be great.”
“Hey, man, do you mind if we stay here for a few days?” Drake asked
Pete.
“No, why would I?” Pete replied.
Angelina caught Drake’s eye. She knew what he was thinking. If
Joaquin dared to go to bear territory to find her, he’d find nothing. Her scent
at Drake’s would have dissipated by now and a few days at Pete’s, high in
the hills where shifters did not go, would be the perfect way to keep him off
their trail.
But what would happen when they did get found and caught?

CHAPTER 7:
The Whiskey was packed. The band, with its new lineup that included
Angelina, Drake, Pete, and Zeke, the new drummer—an eager and hyper
guy fresh off the bus and from a tiny town somewhere in Idaho—stood in
the miniscule dressing room located down a dingy hallway in the back of
the Whiskey. The night’s headliners had the big dressing room and their
entourage spilled down the musty concrete hallway, making one hell of a
drunken racket.
Angelina took a long breath, trying to steady her nerves.
Drake put a hand on the back of her neck. “You okay?”
The warmth and weight of his hand on her nape helped a little. “I don’t
know,” she admitted.
 It was true. The last month between the day where she had fled Joaquin
and her pack had gone by in a blur. She’d moved in with Drake and so far
they had managed to keep everyone at bay, even his MC, but she knew that
could not last long. The gigs they were playing had been all that she had
allowed herself to think about.
She spent her days and nights in a haze of making music with the band
and love with Drake. It was a special moment, a long and winding time
where she could actually believe that everything was going to be okay even
with all the obstacles in front of them.
Drake’s bear-ness didn’t show most of the time, and she kept her wolf-
ness out of sight, too. There were times when that was harder than others
but she was in full-on survivor mode, desperate to keep both her and Drake
safe.
The emcee was speaking and the runner, an older man with a shock of
gray hair and a heavily tattooed right arm, stuck his head into the dressing
room. “Time, guys.”
Angelina grabbed her guitar and held it tightly. Drake gave her a wide
smile. Pete, usually cool and collected, stumbled and nearly tripped over his
own feet. Zeke gulped and jerked a few times, his eyes showing his nerves.
“Cool out, dude,” Pete said. “We’ve been here before.”
Zeke didn’t look too convinced. He just swallowed a few times and
nodded. Drake whispered into her ear, “That guy’s nervous every time. I
don’t know if he’s going to make it if we make it big.”
She chuckled. Once onstage, Zeke was a wonder. Drake knew it, too.
“I love it that you think we’re going to make it big,” she told him.
“I know we are.” His eyes held determination. “How could we not?”
It was their dream. To hit it big and play all the big arenas. It wasn’t the
money. Drake didn’t care about money, and Pete didn’t need it. Zeke was
about money and maybe even the fame. She and Drake were in it for
something else, for the sheer pleasure of getting to play. The more people in
the audience, the better, because both of them fed off that energy in a way
that was both wonderful and wild. It often sent them straight to bed, their
bodies and hearts eager to shed some of the crazy, electrically charged
excitement that always filled them after a gig.
The audience was already hyped up. It was like walking into a party
that had already started and as soon as they hit the stage, Angelina felt the
charge of it all.
Her guitar was poised, and she looked at Drake, who nodded and
called out a one, two, three count before they charged into their first song,
rocking it out in a hard and fast groove.
Pete played tight in the pocket, and Zeke kept perfect time. They had
gelled in a way that was inexplicable and magical. Drake, with his guitar
slung across his body and hanging low, strode across the stage—beyond hot
in a pair of black leather pants and a plain white tee that outlined every inch
of his smoking body.
Just looking at him made her want to grab him and haul him off to a
dark corner. He prowled closer, all drive and thrusting hips, flashing fingers
and wailing strings. Her voice and his blended, their guitars making a
perfect counterpoint and harmony to each other.
The set was short, just thirty minutes, but for those thirty minutes,
Angelina forgot about everything but Drake and the music and the crowd.
She was soaring when they got off stage and headed back to their
dressing room. Drake grabbed her hand and asked, “Should we go watch
the other band?”
She nodded eagerly. They cased their gear and hauled it out the back
door and into the van then dashed back inside and down the hallway, just in
time to watch the headliners take the stage.
Drake caught her in his arms and they started to dance. Angelina let go.
Her body swayed to the beat and met his. The ever-present desire
between them intensified with every note and heavy bass beat. His hands
rested low on her hips and she laughed as she collided with his body, her
crotch meeting his.
He grabbed her up in an embrace and hauled her off the floor, spinning
her in a slow circle for good measure while she laughed, her fingers
clutching his broad shoulders.
The small hallway was empty. The wall scratched at her back through
her damp tank top. His fingers wound into her hair, fisting it, and her breath
caught in her throat as his mouth slanted down on hers, claiming her mouth
in a long and furious kiss.
Her body arced toward his, and his hands slid into the waistband of her
skirt then out, his hand going up her thigh and leaving a trail of shivering
flesh in its wake.
Her skirt bunched around her waist. Her panties were thrust to one
side. Her fingers found the buttons on his jeans. This was going to be fast
and hard, and she wanted that as much as she wanted to dance and sing and
be alive.
His staff met her hand, pulsing and thick. Her shoulders dug into the
wall as she climbed up his body, her legs twining around his waist while his
hand positioned his cock at her opening and then he thrust upward into her,
filling her so completely that it took her breath away.
Heat and friction exploded in her clenching core. His lips muffled her
cries. Her body lifted and she slid downward again, impaling herself on his
cock, taking it all in and then swinging her hips in a slow revolving circle
before lifting again, reluctantly releasing him so she could plunge
downward again.
His cock pressed against the sides of her inner folds. Heated oil,
creamy and thick, spilled from her body and coated his rigid flesh, easing
his passage into her as she continued to lift and drop, her hands braced on
his shoulders now as she strained to reach the orgasm hurtling toward her at
top speed.
Her walls clenched and tightened, sucking him into her. Her eyes rolled
back in her head and her fingernails bit into his shoulders. His tongue met
hers and his breath blew into her mouth. Her pants became faster and
harder. The scent of their sex came to her nose, making her even hotter.
Crying out now, coming and shuddering, her inner walls closing and
opening as thick spurts of cum poured out of her body, all she could do was
hold on while he moved faster.
 His groan was guttural and loud, echoing down the short hallway.
Angelina hung there, pinned against the wall on his cock, her body
slowly cooling as he braced a forearm on the wall and tried to get his breath
back.
When he could move again, he lowered her gently to the floor. She
looked up at him and then burst into laughter.
Drake gave her a confused look. “What?”
“I was just wondering what we’d do if we were in a big arena with
dozens of people around us and we couldn’t do this,” she teased.
Drake gave her a mischievous grin. “Baby, I swear to you those are
going to be some shocked people.”
She laughed all the way back out and onto the dance floor.
CHAPTER 8:
Angelina sat up, her shoulders gleaming above the crumpled and
messy sheets. “Bikes,” she said. The thread of fear in her voice caught
Drake’s attention.
“I heard them.”
Her breath hissed in, hard. “Your guys, I take it.”
He nodded. They had to show up eventually. I’ve been too busy with
her and the band and I haven’t been riding, and they want to know why. He
threw the sheets aside and slid out of bed. Angelina was already up and out,
too, grabbing for the clothes she had worn the night before, which now lay
on the floor.
He was not afraid, not for himself, but he knew that if Morgan smelled
her, he would react and fast. Morgan didn’t have the senses that Drake had
—and he had managed to overlook her shifter, but Drake couldn’t guarantee
that Morgan or one of the older bears riding in the MC would do that, too.
Angelina didn’t have to be told that. He could see on her face that she
was scared. “Stay here. I’m going outside, okay?”
She nodded, but he saw her gaze dart around the room, either looking
for a weapon or a way out.
 He strode out, his thoughts churning as he wrenched open the door and
stepped outside into the early morning sunshine.
Morgan swung a leg off his bike and came storming up. “Where the
fuck were you last night? I kept trying to call you.”
“At a gig, a big one. One that was important to me.”
Morgan’s eyes narrowed. “Hell’s breaking loose, Drake, and you better
get your shit and ride right now, because we have tigers in the hood, and
what’s more—we got a few wolves upsetting the whole apple cart, so to
speak. It seems that Joaquin’s sure that one of ours has his mate, and is
calling for war.”
Shit. Drake didn’t let his eyes drift to the house. “You’re kidding.”
“Fuck, no, I’m not. Magda’s calling for order or death, and she doesn’t
care which.”
“Of course, she doesn’t. She’s been itching for war for years.”
Goddammit. “Let me grab my keys.”
He headed back into the house and grabbed a jacket and his keys. He
went into the bedroom. Angelina stood near the door, a baseball bat in her
hands. He held up his hands. “Don’t swing, I’m unarmed.”
Angelina’s eyes flicked over his shoulders. There was distrust in every
line on her pretty face and in every rigid angle of her body. “What’s going
on?”
“I need you to get somewhere safe and let me know where you are.”
“What’s happening?”
She was not going to let him off the hook then. “I don’t have time to
explain it, but we have tigers in the hood and…”
“Joaquin.”
No use in lying. “That, too. I have about three seconds before Morgan
crashes into the house. I have to go. Let me know where you are; promise
me you will. In fact, I want you to go to Pete’s. He’ll let you hang, and he
won’t try anything crazy. He won’t even ask for a reason—he’s that kind of
dude.”
 She nodded. “Okay.”
Not quite a promise, and he knew it. He wanted to press, but time was
running out. He turned to go then paused and swept her into a quick
embrace, pressing his lips to hers before heading back out.
His thoughts tangled and ran too fast for him to make any order of
them. He had to protect her and right now the best way he could do that was
to ride, and to get her out of the house and out of the way.
Drake swung a leg over his boke. Everyone else was waiting. He hit
the switch and the engine roared into life, the powerful motor purring and
rumbling below his body. His hands found the handlebars, and he let the
idle ratchet up a little higher.
Morgan led the way, Drake falling in right behind him.
Resentment gnawed at him. He had never wanted to be Alpha, and that
was the honest truth. He did not resent Morgan for being Alpha either, but
he damn sure resented being ordered around and never being able to live his
own life without the constant reminder of loyalty to a pack he didn’t really
want to be a part of. He also resented the fact that he was a rider in a club
comprised of criminal activity that could, and likely would, one day result
in a prison sentence for him.
There was no doubt in Drake’s mind that if shit went wrong, he would
be called upon to take the fall for Morgan, because Morgan was Alpha and
they were twins and that was what Magda would demand.
His life was not his own, would never be his own.
The air ran across his body, and he kept the bike tooling along at a high
speed. Morgan was careless and wild on the back of a bike, just like he was
careless and wild in every other way.
Morgan thrived on the criminal element of his life. He loved it and the
pack. He loved being Alpha, but unlike Joaquin and Magda, he was not
power hungry, or willing to do whatever it took to get and keep power,
which was probably his best and saving grace.
They hit the end of the hood, riding hard along the narrow and crooked
streets. The houses, all middle-income and ranch style on that end, lay
huddled under the splashes of sunlight and shade from the tall palm trees
dotting the yards.
Morgan lifted a hand. Drake looked forward, and his senses lit up.
There, sitting at an outside table at a little café, was a man they both knew
all too well. The bikes turned and Drake leaned over his handlebars as he
goosed the bike up higher, racing along behind Morgan as Morgan waved a
hand again, telling the others to split off and go to the right, a move that
would cut off the man if he tried to run and make sure that if he had anyone
at his back, they would know it. Plus, that would give Morgan and Drake
the ability to speak with the tiger shifter in private, a boon.
Drake and Morgan coasted to a halt near the curb. The man stood and
walked toward them, a smile on his wrinkled face.
Drake said, “Patel, you’re in the wrong hood.”
“I knew you would scent me, and I am not running, now am I?”
Morgan cut off his bike. Drake did the same. They’d have to keep
shouting otherwise, and this was not a conversation they wanted anyone
else to hear. The rest of the café patrons were far enough from the actual
curb and traffic was heavy enough to cover their words, as long as they
spoke softly.
Drake eyed Patel, who was old now, a wizened man with weathered
skin and dark eyes.
“What do you want and how dare you come into our territory?”
Morgan asked.
“I was looking for something.” Patel lifted a hand and for a second
long and sharp claws showed at the ends of his fingers. “Your mother is too
busy trying to take over the world to see what is happening in her own
backyard, so I came to see for myself.”
Drake’s body tightened. He shot Morgan a look. He wanted to tell Patel
to talk, but Morgan was Alpha so that had to come from him. Drake’s toes
tapped at the asphalt impatiently while he waited for Morgan to speak.
Finally he did. “What’re you talking about, Patel?”
 The old Nepali tiger shifter lifted his chin. “The muties are rising. All
over LA, they’re starting to get a little angry. They’re being accused, and
there’s talk of burning out mutie hideouts.”
Shit. Patel had to be kidding! Who the hell was threatening to do that?
Drake looked at Morgan again, trying to read his face. Morgan was not
privy to all of Magda’s shady political stunts, but it was not exactly a well-
kept secret that Joaquin and Magda were in business, if not in bed, together.
Morgan asked, “Who’d burn out the mutie hideouts and why?”
Patel rolled his head on his shoulders, a cunning look on his wrinkled
face. “So, you really don’t know? I’ll tell you then. Joaquin swears his mate
got taken by a bear mutie. It sounds to me like he’s picked a fight, and now
we’re all in it, whether we want to be or not.”
Tension tightened up Drake’s shoulders. “Why’s this your reason to
come here again? I mean, if he caught the scent of a bear mutie, what does
that have to do with us? We have no muties in our ranks and if Joaquin
picks a fight, how is it ours?”
Patel’s face showed impatience. “Joaquin knows the muties are dying
to start a war. They are just looking for a reason. His mate being snatched
by a mutie seems like a damn good reason to start a war with them, and he
has already started to push at them. He’s sticking a sword into a hornet’s
nest.”
She’s not his mate. She never made that promise, her father did. Drake
blanked that thought out of his mind before his anger could show on his
face.
Morgan frowned. “How so, and why is any of this your, or our,
problem? We don’t suffer muties; we set them out as soon as they are born,
just like we all do.”
Patel’s eyes swept across the twin brothers, a spark of rage in those
dark orbs. “I don’t know where the girl is, and I would not care, except for
the fact that Joaquin’s using her running off with what he swears is a bear
mutie as an excuse to try to wage war.
 “We all know that there’s a lot of muties with something against me
and mine. We were the ones who outlawed their being in the packs
originally, and we were the ones who ordered all muties be sent away at
adulthood—left without a pack. Then we were the ones who decreed that
the muties should be sent to fosters when they were children to avoid the
heartache caused by sending them off later.
“The muties have a score to settle with the tigers. We know this. We
watch them. Joaquin’s pushing at them will end in war, and when it does,
the hatred the muties have for mine will result in bloodshed. Maybe enough
bloodshed that Joaquin can swoop in and take over; he might have the
numbers to quell the muties, and indebt us in doing so.”
Drake’s mind staggered at the possibilities. Patel was right. Joaquin
was the only Alpha with a pack large enough to hold off the muties, who
outnumbered the shifters to a large degree.
His blood ran cold as he considered all the angles. That’s his reason on
the top of it all, but the truth is he wants the tiger’s hood for its assets, and
Magda also wants that territory for the same reason so she won’t ally
herself with the tigers if the muties break loose. Joaquin has enough
numbers to back them off from East LA, but once the blood goes to spilling,
the muties won’t stop. They hate us, and always have, and if they can’t get at
Joaquin, they really will go after their first enemy, and the bears will be
next.
“You don’t let in dope or crime,” Morgan said softly. “There’s not
enough money in your territory for it to be attractive. Besides, if the muties
come after the shifters—and that’s a fight that’s been brewing for decades—
you know we will have no choice but to band together. Joaquin knows it,
too.”
Patel’s eyes glittered dangerously. “But would he? Would Magda allow
you to band with me and mine? Or would she and Joaquin just watch my
territory burn before they stepped in? I think it’s the latter. You can adore
your mother all you like, but I see her game plan. She wants legit businesses
and we have them. If she controlled that, and the drug trade and whatever
else you are into, she would have a good way to launder money and
everything else.”
 Morgan snarled, “Watch your tongue, old man, or you might just lose
it.”
Drake’s hand met Morgan’s arm. “Chill out,” Drake said softly. “He’s
speaking the truth and you know it. Magda’s desperate for legit businesses
she can stash money into. I don’t know if she wants yours, Patel, but I’m
willing to concede that but nothing else, so watch your tongue. I may have
little love for Magda, but Morgan’s my brother and Alpha. I’ll back him up
even if he chooses to kill you right here on the sidewalk.”
He would, too. He would have to.
The expression on Morgan’s face didn’t change. “Is the girl with a
mutie?”
“I don’t know if she is with a bear or not.” Patel’s smile was thinly
bladed as a knife edge. “But I’m quite sure there may be some truth to her
having run off with… someone. If she did, she deserves to be brought to
justice for breaking the laws that govern us all. No shifter may mate outside
its species.”
Drake’s blood ran cold as Patel’s eyes met his. The old man seemed to
be talking directly to him. Was he? Did Patel know about him and
Angelina? The old bastard was a slick fucker, always sticking his nose into
business best left be. Curiosity and cats and all that.
Patel went on, “What I do know is she isn’t planning on going back.”
“You think not?” Morgan’s body shifted slightly, his weight going to
the balls of his feet. Drake dropped his hand. Morgan was listening now,
and not so tense. Thank God. Drake wanted to hear whatever Patel had to
say next.
Patel snorted. “I know she isn’t. The non-shifting wolf—it’s gone. The
girl was apparently fond of it, as it was a litter mate. Again, I don’t know if
there is any truth to the bear thing, mutie or otherwise, but I tend to believe
it’s just a cause to come into my grounds.
“If Joaquin isn’t satisfied. If the girl’s not returned, and the muties are
prodded into war that effects my territory, I’ll bring full war to you,
Morgan, and all of yours—humans and shifters alike. That’s a promise.”
 Morgan looked at Drake. “That’s only fair, but you have no proof that
the girl’s with a mutie. You also have no proof that Magda and Joaquin are
plotting to take your territory. Besides, Magda wouldn’t grant permission
for Joaquin to take over your territory even if you did have to wage war
with the muties and even if that war left your kind on the run and your hood
open for that.”
Patel’s teeth showed sharp and pointed. “She does not have the power
to grant permission, you mean. Remember that. Magda has no permission
or power to run things in my territory, but she would absolutely turn her
head and pretend she did not see Joaquin breaking the territory pacts if it
gave her something she wanted. If she could manage to take over my
ground after a war, she would set one in motion. Magda’s not the only
problem right now though, and I came here to not only tell you what I see
Joaquin and Magda attempting, but to tell you we all have a bigger problem
at hand.”
Drake broke in, “The muties.”
Patel nodded. “It’s going to be a war. They hate us, and they hate
humans. We’re all things they hate and they outnumber us. We need to band
together right now, not fight, at least not until we solve this problem.”
Morgan said, “I’ll send you an answer on that. For now, I want you out
of my territory. Don’t breach it again, Patel, not unless you’re given
permission to do so.”
Goddammit. Morgan’s smarting and letting it show. He’s Alpha in
name only and everyone knows that Magda still pulls all the strings. It’s
eating at his pride, and Patel just cut his pride, too. This won’t stay chill
unless Patel gets out of here.
Patel headed for the small compact car he had parked along the curb.
He drove off. The bikes came roaring back down the road.
“You better get that girl out of your house, Drake. Like yesterday,”
Morgan said under his breath.
What? Drake’s eyes jerked to Morgan’s.
 Morgan gave him a weary smile. “You smell like wolf. Do you think
Patel didn’t notice? For all his talk, he will switch sides in a heartbeat and
you know it. Trusting him’s like trusting a busted engine to get you down
the road.”
He did smell like Angelina. He’d been careless. His heart sank as he
realized that. He might have just given her location up, especially if Patel
decided to run to Joaquin and tell him in a bid to buy time.
Where did she go? Is she okay? Is she going to call me or just run?
The last thought made his heart crack. He could not stand the idea that
she might not, that she might decide to cut her losses and just keep going.
She had to contact him. She had to. He needed her in his life and in the
band—and in his bed and heart.
Shaken at the emotions spiraling all through him, Drake swung a leg
over his bike then paused. “You think there’s any truth to the muties
rising?”
Morgan sighed. “God, that’s one thing I hope to never see, but for real?
Yeah, if it was serious enough for him to come here to talk about it, then I
think it’s a real issue.”
Morgan’s eyes met Drake’s squarely. Drake could not tell what Morgan
was thinking.
“You do know he isn’t wrong about Magda, or Joaquin, or them
wanting his territory,” Drake said.
Morgan sighed. “You know what, Drake? You been away too long. We
ride, and you ride with us today and tonight. Then you talk to me about that
question you just asked.”

CHAPTER 9:
Angelina parked her car away from the usual entrance into the park.
The lot was on the cliff’s side where the most serious hikers went so the lot
was higher up, and it was far less visible. It was also deserted.
 At least I only took a few things into his house and hiding the car was
brilliant, and now—bonus—I have all my stuff with me.
Even the guitar, which was now in the case Pete had given her a few
nights ago, when he had realized that she didn’t have one for the instrument.
She had a tent, a bunch of food and water, and other supplies. She
needed time, and she needed to think. The car was not likely to get her
caught. Even if someone scented her out at Drake’s, they were highly
unlikely to be able to follow the scent of her car, unless they just happened
to come to the trails in the sprawling and vast park.
The trails were steep, and she was tired. The equipment was heavy, and
she had to make two trips to get it all where she wanted it.
She’d tossed her phone out earlier. Joaquin was no dummy, and why he
had not already tracked the phone was anyone’s guess, but she knew if he
had not thought of it yet, he would soon.
She had a new burner phone and the only number in it was Drake’s.
The campsite she had picked out was off the beaten track, it was high on a
small mesa, and she could see the city from there. Tears ran down her face
as she gazed down at the teeming metropolis below.
How can I miss him so much when I barely know him? How can I want
his so much when he is a bear and I am a wolf? How can I be so
heartbroken over him when I didn’t even know that I love him?
I love him.
Oh.
My.
God.
She did love him. There was no rhyme or reason to it, but she loved
him. She loved the way he rode that bike and the way he played guitar. She
loved the way he was capable of putting all his emotions into a song and
those same emotions from her when she sang those songs that he wrote.
She loved him.
 Hoping to ease her heart, Angelina stood and began to walk, looking
for Mario.
**
She didn’t find Mario that night or the next day. She sat at her little
camp, drinking a bottle of water and staring at her cell phone. The sun was
high, so she was in the tent, hoping to avoid the worst of the heat and the
scorpions running around on the washed-out trails.
Where was Drake? Was he okay? Had he been found out? Had he
forgotten all about her?
A low whine caught her ear and she listened, a smile lifting her mouth
and her mood as she recognized Mario’s tone and smell.
She climbed out of the tent and stood, looking down at Mario. “Hey,
you. How’s your mate?”
He lifted his head, and she followed the thrust of his snout. The she-
wolf was nearby. She was standing fully on her foot, so she was healing.
Mario barked once, and the she-wolf turned, heading down the steep ravine,
obviously on the hunt for food.
Angelina said, “I got some food if you want it.”
Mario looked away, a clear no. Even through the heavy hiking shoes
the heat of the ground was apparent. Angelina shifted her weight. “I’m
scared, Mario.”
His eyes came back to hers and before she could stop herself, she
poured out the whole story, of Drake and the band and how much she loved
it and him, how she wanted to be his mate even though he was a bear and
how lonely she was without him. How impossible it all seemed, and how
frightened she was that Joaquin would run unchecked if she did not do
something and soon, but how afraid she felt at the thought of standing
against him.
Angelina collapsed into the small camp chair, staring at the remnants
of the fire. “I don’t know what to do.”
Mario whined. She looked over at him, her mouth opening to speak.
Instead, her jaw hung loose and slack and her eyes widened until her eyes
were in real danger of bulging right out of her face.
“You…” she said, her voice choked and strangled. “You… you can
shift.”
Mario grabbed a bush and held it in front of his crotch. Her eyes
fastened on his face. He was handsome, swarthy and sharp-featured. Tall
and broad, too. “Why? I mean how? I… what the literal fuck?”
“I chose.” His words were slurry and badly formed. It was obvious
talking was not easy for him. “Long time ago. I remember. You don’t. I saw
him kill our mother. She was like…” He made a sound, a short little howl
followed by a click in his throat. His mate’s name, she realized.
Angelina grabbed the first thought that came into her head. “We knew
Mom was wild and he had to escape the zoo. He couldn’t take her with him
—and if he had, she wouldn’t have survived out here. She couldn’t shift.”
“Killed her.”
He’s confused. Or he doesn’t know what words he’s using. “No. Mario,
that’s not the right word.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “I know. I saw. He wanted pups, not her.”
No. He had to be wrong! “Mario…”
“Saw it. Knew he did it because of us. Shifters.”
No. No Dad would never… Her throat went tight. “Mario, why don’t
you shift? I mean, why… why choose…”
“Better for me. Like better. I’m wolf. Not human.”
He was human. Tears sent crystallized rainbows dancing into the field
of her vision.
“You want bear, choose. You want no… Joaquin’s…” Mario’s brow
wrinkled. “Nobody cares what they say when I’m near. They don’t think I
understand. I hear, and understand. Sam’s with the muties. He’s going to try
to take the pack from Joaquin with muties. Joaquin’s with bears and…”
“Stop. Wait. What? Muties?”
“I go now. Have to. She’s mine, abut only wolf mine,” Mario said.
 Angelina heard a rattle of rock nearby. The she-wolf Mario had mated
to was returning.
“Mario, are you sure about Sam?”
“If you had kids, he would kill them for Alpha spot. Says muties make
him Alpha.”
Your pack. Not ours. “Sam’s betraying Joaquin?”
“Joaquin wants war. Says it will end tigers and bears but not wolves.
Says many muties die. Then easier to take over. But Sam’s playing both
sides. He’s weak, weaker even than Joaquin. Wanted to be Alpha. Sam said
Dad made sure he’d never be. Pissed off.” He touched her shoulder lightly.
“Goodbye. Don’t come here again. Too dangerous. The mate wants… not
like us. Not… she sees food and weakness now when you come.”
The she-wolf wants to kill and eat me! And after I saved her paw too,
the ungrateful bitch!
She whispered, “Don’t go.”
“I did already. I chose. You choose. Be… you.”
Then he shifted and raced away from the campsite. Angelina heard the
yips of greeting between him and his mate. She collapsed, putting her head
in her hands. What was happening? Mario could shift?
Could—and chose not to.
Because he didn’t want that life. He wanted a different life. He wanted
a wild life, one he got to live the way he chose. He’d always been prone to
vanishing and skulking through the neighborhood and she knew now that
what he had really been doing, for years, was searching for a place he could
be—and for a mate that would accept him.
The she-wolf obviously knew he was different. What was more, she
was older, past the age of bearing litters. So, he would not have to worry
about that, and she was an exile, too, for her strangely colored coat and her
smaller size. They were both outsiders who had made something special.
Like what she could have with Drake, if she just decided to.
Chose to.
 Angelina stood and reached for her phone again, her fingers hitting the
screen.

CHAPTER 10:
Where is she? Drake stopped on the trail. Sweat ran down his face in
rivulets and he checked the time on his phone, groaning when he saw that
the signal was gone again.
He’d thought she would come up here but maybe he had been wrong,
or he was in the wrong spot.
Or maybe she’s gone, totally. Maybe she ran to New York or
somewhere else, somewhere she can sing and just live and be free.
A hawk soared overhead, its distinctive cry drawing his attention. The
few days of freedom that they’d had, the too few days and nights of music
and love, had reinforced his knowledge that he wanted more than just to be
left out of the politics of the pack; he wanted a life beyond the pack.
But there was the rub. Being with Angelina meant he would have to
get involved with those politics. Being with her meant defending her and
not just from Joaquin, but from both their kinds. Morgan didn’t seem to care
one way or another—but Magda would and unfortunately Morgan had yet
to find his real footing.
He’s going to have to kill her one day. Or I am going to have to, just to
set him free of her influence. The hell of it is that Morgan’s not a coward—
he just can’t seem to shake her off. Magda’s always been good at making
people feel like she is frail and afraid and then using their wanting to
protect her against them.
He headed back the way he had come, his mind still wrestling with all
the information. If he wanted to be with Angelina, and he did, then he was
going to have to figure out a way to do it. That might mean leaving LA,
striking out for a place where they weren’t known.
But anywhere they went, shifters would know them, and know they
were unalike. Anywhere they went, they would have to fight to survive.
There were plenty of places in LA not held by the shifters but many of them
were held by other kinds: vamps and fey and so on. There was only one
territory where no others were—and that was Beverly Hills, which had too
many wards and other shit in place for a shifter to go unnoticed.
A scorpion scuttled over one of his boots. Drake shook it off, sending it
flying off into the shifting sand. Goddammit! Where was Angelina and how
long was he going to keep going around and around on these damn trails in
the hopes of finding her?
He’d spent the last few days and nights taking care of business with his
club. That meant running drugs and overseeing a few shipments headed out
to East LA and to Joaquin, who was as angry as Patel had claimed, and still
insisting that it was a mutie he had scented that day.
Magda had championed a war with the muties, much to Morgan’s
dismay. Drake wanted to believe that Morgan would stand against slaughter
but he also knew that if Morgan did he would be fighting off not just Magda
and the humans at her beck and call but his own pack—and Joaquin’s.
I can’t do that to him.
No, he couldn’t. He also couldn’t stand the idea of Angelina going
back to Joaquin. Or being without her.
He should leave it alone. On her own, she stood a chance.
She could get somewhere she could blend in and not be noticed. He
knew there were smaller cities, like Austin, with crazy good music scenes.
Angelina belonged somewhere like that, in a place where she could have a
life that was solely hers and nobody else’s. If she went alone, a lone shifter
with no allegiances and posing no threat, she’d be accepted if not tolerated.
His phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number, and he was tempted
to ignore it. He decided at the last minute to answer and as soon as he did,
his heart swelled with both joy and worry.
“Drake?” Angelina said softly.
“I’m here.” He stopped and stood there, his eyes closing and his heart
filling. “No matter what, I’m here.”
CHAPTER 11:
 Drake ditched the bike in a parking garage on the fringes of
Hollywood. Angelina parked in a space not far from his and they stood
there, looking at each other. Her face was wan and pale, and dirty, too. He
had hugged her earlier but he did again. Her whole body shook as she
leaned into him and whispered, “Drake, I’m scared.”
“I know.” Me, too. I’m scared I’m going to get you killed. “We have to
move and fast. There’s muties around, and… and we need to avoid them as
long as possible.”
“Why?”
He didn’t want to tell her just yet. She was shocked and scared and at
the end of her strength, too. Being alone in the mountains had hit her hard,
and he had a feeling there was more to it than even that.
“I just don’t want anyone who might think to tell Joaquin where you
are to spot us.” He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile and took
her hand. The only thing she took out of the car was the guitar, which he
carried, and a small bag of clothes.
She tucked the keys into her pocket and they set off, walking down the
sidewalk hastily. There was a sprawling motel not far and Drake said,
“That’s where we are headed. It’s not fancy, but I think it might be clean.
No promises, though.”
She chuckled. “I don’t really care right now. I just want some food, a
shower and a bed.”
He wanted a bed, too, with her in it. His steps quickened, and they
stepped into a musty and faded lobby where he paid cash and didn’t have to
tender an ID, a good thing, but not a good sign.
The room was equally musty. The curtains had moth holes and the
comforter and carpet smelled like stale cigarette smoke. The bathroom was
reasonably clean however and as much as he wanted to join her in there,
Drake had a feeling Angelina needed a minute alone. He called for pizza
and sat down on the bed, his teeth worrying his bottom lip.
He’d left his phone on his bike, in a saddlebag. Safer that way. It also
cut him off from any communication with anyone who might be able to
help them.
Not that he had any idea of who might be willing to aid him in running
away with a wolf shifter, and one promised to the Alpha of the pack.
Angelina came out of the bathroom and all of his thoughts vanished
like dust. She held a towel, thin and threadbare, up over her breasts, but it
did nothing to hide her lush and gorgeous body.
Her thick black hair hung in a wet sheet. Little beads of water ran off
the strands, forming little wet trails that slid down the pert slope of her
breasts and fired up his lust to an unimaginable height.
“Come here,” he said, and she came, dropping the towel as she did so.
The sight of her tits, with the nipples already hardened and thrusting
upward, the gleam of her skin, and the smile on her face as she sauntered
into the bed, nearly did him in.
He undressed so fast he nearly tore his shirt and then he moved on top
of her. His hands roamed her body and his tongue followed. He needed her
too much to be slow or subtle. It had taken a toll on him, being separated
from her, and he wanted her so badly he could scarcely breathe.
Her skin was smooth and tight, and he let his mouth find the flesh
between her legs, his tongue going into her body to taste the fluids gathered
there at the entrance to her snug sheath. Her fingers grabbed at his hair, and
he let her hold on as he licked her clit, not bothering to go slow, driving her
to an orgasm as fast as he could, because he knew the minute he started to
fuck her he was going to erupt. His cock, swollen and throbbing, was ready
and he wanted to be inside her tight depths more than he had ever wanted
anything in his entire life.
Salty-sweet fluids spilled over his tongue, coated his chin. Drake
moved upward and entered her all in one long smooth motion. His ass
clenched as he plunged into her and withdrew, too eager to wait. The feel of
her pussy pulsing around him as she rode the aftershocks of her orgasm was
a pleasurable thing all in itself and he stayed inside her for a moment,
grinding his hips hard before pulling out and entering her again.
Her legs wrapped around his waist, holding him there as his hips jerked
and bucked and his breath got faster and faster still. His cock pounded, and
he could feel his balls tightening and creeping upward as he got closer to
coming.
His eyes closed. Her body writhed under his. His cock filled her wet
and slippery passage and he withdrew, knowing that the next thrust would
be the last one, the one that would send him over the edge.
It was. He came so hard his body shuddered and jerked. His hands
gripped her shoulders tightly and she whimpered, a quick exclamation of
pain that made him loosen that hold as his seed, thick and hot, poured out of
his cock and splashed into her walls.
Angelina murmured, “Did you hear something?”
He did then. A tap on the door. He groaned out, “I think it’s the pizza.
Fuck it. I’m staying right here.”
Angelina rolled him off her body and said, “Uh uh. Go get the food!”

CHAPTER 12:
Still glowing from the lovemaking, Angelina reclined on the pillows, a
slice of sausage and mushroom pizza in one hand. The gooey melted cheese
and thick crust was delicious, much better than the rough meals she had
been making do with.
Drake was also eating, but in between bites, he was strumming chords
on her guitar and singing snatches of songs to her.
Angelina finished her slice and asked, “Drake, what happens next?”
He set the guitar down. His eyes were troubled. “I don’t know.
Honestly, I should let you go. I mean, you deserve a chance to be the great
singer you are, but if you stay with me…”
He let the sentence dwindle off. He didn’t have to say the rest.
“I made up my mind, up there in the hills. I want you, Drake, and
well…” She paused. “You know shifters have babies faster?”
He nodded. “Yeah, biologically speaking, sure. Why?”
“Because we’re having one.”
 His mouth dropped open. “What?”
Well, at least he didn’t run as soon as the words were out. “I’m
pregnant.”
Drake dropped the pizza. It hit the sheets, leaving a stain. Not that she
figured that would matter that much. The sheets were pretty dingy anyway.
“You… you… I thought two different species… I… you see, I
couldn’t… You know, that is why I was not named Alpha.”
“I know. I don’t know what happened.” Oh no. Was he doubting he
was the father? It was possible. How could she blame him if he did? They
were different and there had never been a child born of two species of
shifter, as far as she knew. It was supposed to be genetically impossible and
he had been denied the Alpha spot for his inability to produce kids.
“Wait. How did they know you couldn’t?” she asked.
He gave her a wary glance. “It’s not like I was a virgin when I met
you.”
“I know that. But did you try to have kids?”
He shrugged. “Well, in my pack, monogamy isn’t exactly a thing. I
mean, I had a few who were in heat and they never got pregnant so, well, it
was just assumed.”
“But Morgan could have kids?”
Drake’s face darkened. “He had a mate he wanted to be with for life,
but she died.”
“Oh.” There was something there, and she did not want to know what
it was. It was personal and it was none of her business until he decided, if
he decided, to make it her business.
Drake burst into laughter. “I guess I proved them all wrong, didn’t I?”
I’m going to have a heart attack. I am. Does this mean he’s okay with
this?
Am I okay with this?
 Drake paused. “Angelina, you do know we can’t… I mean, how will
we know what it will shift as?”
She lifted her shoulders and dropped them. “I don’t know,” she
admitted. Her chest gave off a powerful ache. “What if it’s something that is
both wolf and bear? Is that even possible?”
“I guess we’ll see.”
“That sounds pretty nonchalant.”
He shrugged. “I guess. I just don’t know what to say to that one. I’ve
never heard of it happening. If it has, nobody’s talking about it.”
He had a point. That didn’t halt the worry growing in her being. “I’m
afraid that something will… that our child will be something they try to kill.
They exile muties, you know. They send mutie kids away as soon as they
know for sure they can’t shift at will, and I don’t know where they’d send a
child like ours, but I know one thing.” Her hand curled protectively around
her belly. Her fingertips grazed the still flat flesh there and her eyes lifted to
his. “They’ll take my child over my dead body.”
Drake’s eyes glowed. His face wore an intent expression. “Our dead
bodies,” he corrected her. “No way am I letting them take our child.”
Her breath caught and held. He meant it. They were in this together,
and he would stand with her and for their baby. Her voice was husky as she
said, “Maybe we better run. I don’t know where. There has to be
somewhere we could go.”
“I thought that, too, at first, but we can’t now. You have to know that,
Angelina. We can’t run forever, and we can’t hide forever.”
No, they couldn’t. Their child would be something so different he or
she would be bound to draw attention unless they hid that baby away from
everyone and even if they succeeded in hiding the child from shifters,
humans would sense the difference, just like some humans sensed the
difference in her, and Drake.
“Then what do we do?”
His teeth gnawed at his bottom lip. “I didn’t want to talk about this
tonight, but we have to. Joaquin’s started a war with the muties. He claims
you are with a bear mutie and now the muties, outraged and being accused
and having the wolf pack riding through their territory, are rebelling.”
Oh, my God! Her mouth hung open. Stunned and infuriated, and very
frightened now, she said, “He thought you were a mutie?”
Drake shook his head. “No. I don’t believe that he did. Patel…”
“The tiger?”
“The same. He came into bear territory. He thinks Joaquin is
deliberately stirring the pot so we have to fight the muties. Then, when the
smoke clears, all the territory belonging to the tigers would be up for
grabs.”
“The tigers were the ones who created mutie laws.” Angelina’s brow
furrowed. “And they have the smallest pack. Their numbers have dwindled
over the years—from what I hear, they barely have four or five dozen
shifters in their ranks now.”
“That’s about right. Wolves, on the other hand, number in the hundreds
in your pack alone and there’s wolf packs all over LA. There’s been peace
for the most part, and all that, and if they had to band together for a
common enemy, that would only reinforce their one-ness.”
“Joaquin has the biggest and strongest pack. The other packs are small,
a dozen or so here and there. If they all banded together under Joaquin, he’d
run the largest shifter pack in the city.” A vertical slash appeared between
her eyes. “What about the bears?”
“We number in the hundreds, and we have an army of humans—
criminals and psychopaths, for the most part. If they don’t know about the
shifter thing, they will, and what’s more, they won’t care. Not if there’s
blood, money, and territory up for grabs.”
“The tigers’ territory.”
 “Exactly. It’s the one territory that’s run on legit money, and Magda
wants it so she can launder the very large amounts of money we bring in.
She’s using Joaquin, grooming him for this, if you want the truth.”
Her breath hissed in and out of her lungs. “She’ll kill him.”
“I’m sure.” Drake laid a hand on her shoulder. “She’s likely already got
a replacement for him all lined up, too. Probably a wolf with ambition and
not a lot of power, one she can manipulate.”
She had to tell him about Mario. She took a deep breath yet again. “My
brother, Mario…”
“The non-shifter.”
A small laugh escaped her mouth. “That’s what we always thought. He
can shift. He did shift when he came to see me up there. He told me that
Sam’s working with the muties.”
“Then he’s Magda’s pigeon. She’s playing on both sides. She’s likely
sent him in there to make a deal of some kind.”
Confusion surfaced. She leaned closer to him. The point of one of her
shoulders met his, bringing warmth to her body, but it was not enough to
dispel the chill creeping across her. “Why would she do that?”
“Because the muties are an army. If she controls them, she could
control everything. The entire city.”
Her shoulder slumped. “She’s going to get Sam killed.”
“I know.”
“Why?” She got out of bed. “What is it about power that some have to
have it? Would do anything for it?”
“I don’t know, but I only see one way for this to play out, Angelina. I
want a life with you. I want our child safe, if not totally accepted. There’s
only one way to do that.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I can’t kill Morgan. I can’t. First of all, he may be the strongest ally
that we have, not just against the muties either, but against Magda.”
 Okay. I get that. I just don’t get the rest of what he is trying to say here.
“You’re going to have to break it down to me, Drake.”
He’d set the guitar aside earlier and now he clambered out of the bed
carefully so as not to harm the delicate instrument. “There’s only one way
to put an end to this that I can see. We have to take over Joaquin’s pack.”
Shock rippled through her. She swayed on her feet. “You can’t kill him,
Drake. That would mean war.”
His eyes were steady. “I know I can’t.”
Her! He meant she had to kill Joaquin! Distrust raised its ugly head.
How did she know that this, any of this, was not some elaborate plot cooked
up by the bear pack? How did she know she could trust Drake?
Her heart spoke then. She did trust him. She did. She trusted him and
she loved him and the child growing in her belly would need the protection
only an Alpha could give. Morgan, as Alpha of the bear pack, could give
that on Drake’s side, which was why Drake could not kill him—that and the
pack would never accept Drake, even if their theory that he could not bear
children had just been proven wrong.
I just said I would kill for my child. I meant that. Now I have to
actually do it. There are no other options. She nodded her head. “That
won’t solve the issue with the muties though. If they’re already spoiling for
a fight, they will come anyway.”
“Magda has them whipped up with this. I don’t have any doubt she told
Joaquin to say it was a mutie. I also have no doubt that she might have an
idea, a damn good one, that it was me.”
Pain lanced through her. Drake was a pawn in a game his mother was
playing, and he knew it. He was a powerful man and a powerful shifter
and… and maybe Magda had deliberately set him aside for just that reason.
Morgan was likely easier for her to control, and it would have been easy
enough to level an accusation of sterility onto Drake and displace him.
She asked, “When?”
“I’d say tomorrow. We both need rest, and we need a plan. We need
help, too.”
 “Is there anyone we can trust?”
His face showed how conflicted he was. There were shadows in his
eyes and his lips compressed into flat lines. “I want to say yes, but I think
the best thing to say is that there might be a few who want the same things
we want, and hope they are willing to work with us on that goal.”
“I’m with you,” she said softly. “No matter how this pans out.”
Drake swept her back into his arms. The steady thud of his heartbeat
rang out in her ear. “And I’m with you.”

CHAPTER 13:
Morgan gawked at the two of them and at Patel and the woman with
him. Drake studied Morgan’s face; seeing the strain on it caused an ache in
his gut but there was not much he could do about it just then.
“You want our approval to battle your Alpha?” the woman asked.
Angelina nodded. “You know it’s an old law. It was redacted because
of the infighting in the packs but… but we need to use it now.”
The woman, a beautiful creature with honey-colored skin and dark
eyes and hair, leaned forward. Her scarlet dress floated around her slender
body, giving her the impression of fragility but Angelina was not fooled.
Aya was one of the most powerful shifters in LA, and maybe even the
country. She was tiger, and it showed in the lithe and supple way she moved
and her restlessness as she prowled along the room. “We’d be putting
ourselves at risk for that. We will already bear the brunt of the muties wrath,
and now you want us to bear the brunt of the wolf pack’s wrath as well.”
“My daughter is correct in that. We’d be opening ourselves to more
retribution. You,” Patel pointed a finger at Morgan, “can afford it. Magda
may even forgive you for it, since she can always deny she had any part in
any of this, but us? We’d be overridden, and we have no guarantees that
either pack, wolf or bear, would stand with us.”
Morgan shook his head. “I don’t want to believe that Magda had any
part of this but… I can see it. I know what she is, and I also know she can’t
be allowed to continue. That’s a matter for another day. You have my word
there will be no retribution from my pack.”
Drake held his breath. The meaning of those words was clear enough.
Morgan would have to either kill or depose their mother. There was no
other way and the tension in Morgan’s face and body told Drake just how
seriously he took what he had just said—and how much it hurt him to say
so.
“I will kill him,” Angelina vowed. “Joaquin’s no fighter. He’s Alpha by
blood and heritage, but he’s weak. He’s a bully. He will fight but only those
he thinks are too weak to fight back. He won’t live, that I can attest to.”
Aya glared at her. “If you fail?”
“Then I will kill him.” Drake knew the words would bring shock. “I’m
not asking for forgiveness in that either. With Joaquin dead, I’ll be the target
for the wolves. I know that, but the only way Angelina’s going to fail is if
Joaquin kills her, which I won’t let happen. Either way, he will die.”
“We can’t protect you if you kill him,“ Morgan pointed out. “Even if
she lives and he dies, if you are the one who kills him, she may not become
Alpha. Heritage aside, a battle like the one you are asking for means the
Alpha’s place is up for grabs. Any wolf who’d challenge would be right
there. You might have the bloodiest battle of all time on your hands, and
you both stand a good chance of dying anyway.”
“The wolves who are against Joaquin would settle up, I think.”
Angelina paused. “Not all the pack wanted to see things go in that direction.
They were forced to it for the most part, because we follow our Alpha.
There’s only one other who’d challenge and I plan to deal with him, too.”
Drake knew now was the time to press the point. The muties were
gathering and making no secret of it if Patel was to be believed. Given the
very real fear the old man was showing at that moment, Drake did believe
him.
Magda had to be stopped. He had a baby and a woman to protect, and
he would do whatever it took.
 Patel said, “Aya, you will be the one to lead the tiger pack. This has to
be your decision now.”
Drake looked at Aya and then at Morgan. Morgan stared at Aya, his
eyes clinging to her stunning face with what could only be described as a
real longing.
Drake blinked. I’ll be a sonofabitch. No wonder he shrugged off me
and Angelina so easily! He’s hot for Aya, even if he would never admit it,
not even to himself.
Aya lowered her head. Her dark hair swung forward like curtains,
obscuring her face. Long moments passed. Sweat broke out on Drake’s
skin.
Aya lifted her head. “The law of battle is allowed, in this instance. We
shall call it into law now, and here.”
Drake’s body loosened. His muscles ached from the tautness he had
been holding them with. Angelina stepped forward. Her hand came out.
Morgan stepped forward as well.
Their hands met. Drake watched. Once upon a time, he had truly
resented being displaced as Alpha. It had hurt, and he had never admitted
that before. Seeing three people standing in the center of the room: bear,
wolf, and tiger, all agreeing to an unholy pact, he understood something
right then.
This was the way it was supposed to be. He had never been meant to
be Alpha, because sometimes nature decided and sometimes fate took over.
This was fate. This was right.

CHAPTER 14:
Wind stroked along Angelina’s face. Under her fingers, Drake’s belly,
tight with muscles, was hard and comforting. Strong vibrations rolled
through her body as Drake guided the motorcycle along the streets, its
single headlight picking out shapes and illuminating them.
Her body moved with his easily as he guided the bike along. That
rhythm, riding with him, was as natural as making love to him.
 Her thighs tightened, clinging to him in a reaction to that thought and
the erotic sensations coming from the vibrating bike and the nearness of his
body.
When this is done, we’ll be free. That is what I have to remember and
cling to. When this is over, I’ll hold the power of Alpha and I can decree us
acceptable as a couple. We can play our music and raise our child.
But first I have to kill Joaquin.
Her fingers gripped him more tightly as the bike slid to a halt at the
house. The other packs would not interfere, that was the law. They’d stand
to one side and let it happen and accept whoever won as the wolf pack
Alpha, but they would never go so far as to help.
Drake had been formally exiled, placed outside his pack. It had to be
that way, but as he climbed off the bike and held out a hand to her, Angelina
found herself wondering if he was really okay with that. It had to be that
way, for obvious reasons, but that meant he was never going to be able to
call himself part of the bear pack again.
How would I feel if that were me?
She took his hand and slid to the ground. The wolves stood silent,
waiting. Joaquin would be inside. The neighborhood hung shrouded with
dark and silence. From a few blocks away came a drift of music and the
muted sounds of traffic. The other wolves would be out, keeping any
humans who might decide to stroll past away from the streets held by the
shifters. There’d be blood tonight and an entire neighborhood hung in the
balance, even if the humans out there did not know it.
She moved along the sidewalk and into the yard. Drake followed
silently. She heard a few warning growls and a small yip, but otherwise the
wolves were silent.
Her hand met the door. The knob, slick and oily, turned in her sweating
palm. The large main room was filled with wolves. The smell, musky and
rank, of so many shifters in one space hit her nose. Her feet halted. Her
head turned slowly as she sought out familiar faces, hoping to find an ally.
 “You do know you’ve just fucked up?” Joaquin said aggressively as he
approached. “Nobody challenges me and lives.”
Now that it was here, she was afraid. Of course, she was. Her head
lifted higher, her chin pointing upward. “I was granted permission to battle
you for Alpha. I have the right, because of birth, and because of what you
have done to this territory.”
Joaquin’s lips twisted in a sneer, but he didn’t draw any closer. “I
brought money in here. Look around you. You think people like living
poor? You think we, as wolves, don’t deserve better?”
There were murmurs from the gathered wolves.
Joaquin continued, “And you bring a bear in here?”
“He’s exiled, and my mate.”
The disapproval was real. The cries of shock and horror and anger beat
at her ears. Drake stood at her back, one hand on her shoulder, giving her
strength.
She stepped forward, crowding Joaquin’s space, but he didn’t move.
“What do you think we deserve, Joaquin? To bow down to the muties or to
Magda? She’s used you. You’ve pissed off the humans here; most of them
are grumbling whether you hear it or not. We have always taken care of
them and in return, they took care of us. Now we destroy their homes and
their safety with drugs and crime and rule them with money they can’t ever
see or spend because you take it all—and put it right in Magda’s pockets.
Do you think the humans of this territory are really going to keep helping us
like that? When they are afraid and they don’t like us or this hood?”
More whispers and a few grumbles. Joaquin’s face went slick with
sweat. “I have nothing but business with Magda.”
“She’s set you at war with the muties. You knew damn well Drake was
no mutie. Magda’s been working you. Now all the shifters are going to have
to fight the muties. The tigers will die, you know that. The muties will go
after them first and then what? You get to unite the wolf packs and ride to
the rescue. As Alpha of all. Is that what she promised you?”
Joaquin went pale. “How dare you?”
 “How dare you send your pack, and all the packs, into war just so you
can take power?”
She watched his face as he changed. He was too angry to think, and to
angry to try to deny it. It’s true. It’s all true. That’s exactly what’s happening
and I know it now, and so do they. Any that might have stood with him are
not going to now.
Joaquin’s face contorted. He shifted, fast. She ran, shifting as she went.
Her muscles gathered and her teeth burst from her gums, her muzzle
opening wide as she jumped onto Joaquin’s back, her teeth sinking deep in
the fur at the back of his neck.
Joaquin shook hard, and Angelina flew sideways. The air opened
around her and then her back hit a wall, hard enough that all the breath left
her lungs. Plaster sifted down, the rainy stuff sucking up into her nose and
down her lungs as she fought for a long breath.
Coughing, sneezing, and in pain, she fought to stay in wolf form. Her
body revolted. Her fur receded, leaving her flesh naked and bare, exposed.
The air conditioner’s blast struck her, chilling her to the bone.
I have to win. I can’t lose. My child’s life, my life and Drake’s life are
all at risk. Not only ours but all the lives of those the muties will kill for his
grab at power. He’ll turn LA into a cesspool, him and Magda, and I can’t let
that happen. That’s not what we stand for.
Joaquin stalked her, his stinking fur standing on end. Angelina let him
come, her body moving in slow and steady paces as she circled him as well.
Blood dripped from Joaquin’s muzzle; she was not sure whose it was—his
or hers. There was pain in her body but she could not pinpoint the source
and she couldn’t focus on that now.
None of the wolves moved to interfere. Their silence was profound.
Her paws slid on the cool tile. Joaquin’s teeth flashed, his muzzle lifting to
reveal his fangs. Those deadly sharp fangs that could tear her throat or soft
belly out if she was not careful.
Joaquin lunged. She leaped out of the way, and his jaws snapped down
on empty air. Angelina took advantage of that, sinking her teeth into his
flank and yanking hard. Skin tore and veins ruptured, spilling blood down
his side as he yanked away.
They rolled, their bodies thudding and teeth meeting flesh. Angelina’s
claws sank deep into his belly but not deep enough. They separated.
More wolves filled the room. They stared at the battle going on and
then they shifted, going human.
Drake!
He would have to fend for himself if they came at him. He could fend
for himself. She had to worry about herself right then, and the precious
cargo in her belly.
Joaquin clawed her. Her teeth met his muzzle, tore a chunk of flesh
away. Pain slid through her nerve endings. She yelped as he tore a long strip
of her flesh from her right side, just above the ribs. It didn’t stop her; she
snapped her jaws down on his front leg, snarling and shaking her head as
she tried her best to rip that leg right off.
His paw tore across her scalp. Long burning trails erupted on her head
and she dropped his paw and backed away, dizzy and sick from the taste of
blood in her mouth.
He came at her again.
Exhaustion and adrenaline flooded through her body, sending her heart
beat into overdrive and making her body take on a fine trembling quiver.
Joaquin leaped high. Angelina made herself wait even though the urge
to leap was strong. As he stretched out, flying toward her, Angelina dropped
and slid forward, flipping over. Her claws tore his belly, ripping open his
flesh and breaking ribs, piercing organs.
Joaquin hit the floor with a long scream. He shifted, cycling back and
forth as agony took over.
Drake stepped forward. The other wolves did, too.
Angelina shifted. Naked, bloody, and sick, she staggered toward Drake.
He opened his arms and she fell into them.
 Sam shouted, “I claim the right to Alpha as a son of the second of the
pack!”
“You coward,” Drake snarled, his body heading toward shift. He kept it
back but his hands were paws now and the claws at the end were wickedly
sharp. “You could have fought Joaquin for it, but you stood aside. Hell, I
didn’t even see you here in the room until just now. Where were you
hiding?”
Angelina peered at Sam. Her heart broke. She could feel it literally
snapping in half right in her chest. “You cannot claim. There’s a new Alpha
and the battle was for one. The law won’t allow you to fight me, but if you
want to…”
“You won’t battle her. Not for Alpha. You will fight me, and for your
very life.” Drake’s smile was grim, and Sam saw death written in Drake’s
eyes. He backed away.
“I have the right of birth,” Sam yelled.
“You have no right,” Drake said softly.
“How dare you tell me what I have the right to, bear?”
“I’m an exile from my pack. I’m her mate. I stand with her and if you
come at her I will kill you, no matter what your relationship is. You chose
not to lay claim before and you don’t get to lay it now. The tigers rescinded
the law but once. Fight her for it now and you fight outside the law, a law
every shifter pack agreed to. If you chose to break the law, I have the right
to enforce it, and I will, make no mistake.”
Joaquin screamed again. Blood bubbled out of his belly. Sam looked
away and down. The others looked at everything but Joaquin.
“Is nobody going to stand with me against a bear?” Sam asked.
Silence.
Torn between loyalty to a brother who had shown her none and duty,
Angelina made a decision. “Sam, you can live. I will let you—but you are
not my family, not anymore. You proved that when you did not stand for me
against him when he wanted to kill me. For that reason, I am exiling you.
Because you interfered when he was choking me to death, I am letting you
live.”
Sam gawked at her. His face, under its olive color, was white. “You
can’t exile me. I won’t go. I won’t let you stand as Alpha, and not with a
bear at your side.”
Sam shifted. Angelina’s body tensed. Don’t make me kill you, she
begged silently. Please. I don’t want this but I will. You are going to give me
no choice and I will kill you.
Sam shifted back. His eyes went to the rest of the pack, all standing
silent now. “You’re going to accept a woman as Alpha, one with a bear
mate?”
The wolves all nodded. Then a chorus of yeses broke out. Gratitude
and hope flooded through Angelina. There were good people here, ones
who wanted things to go back to the way they had been once, and she had
their support now.
Angelina lifted her head. “I know who here fought back as best they
could and who believed in what Joaquin offered. It’s your choice, but
understand this now, I will kill anyone I have to in order to keep this hood
from going back downhill. I will put it right, back to what it was before
Joaquin made his bargain with Magda. If that is not for you, you can choose
to walk right now. Go with Sam and make your own territory somewhere
else if that’s how you want it.”
Drake added, “You should all know she’s telling the truth. The bear
territory’s being overrun by muties, and Magda has zero control over them.
It’s anarchy over there, and the tigers are fighting them, too. So far, this
territory has held, but they’re coming for it. If you set up your own territory,
if you choose exile, you’re choosing to be unprotected from the muties.”
Sam smiled, and it wasn’t a pleasant smile. “I have protection from
them.”
“How can you be so blind?” Angelina asked. “They used you to try to
get an in here and once you’re exiled, you’d be smart to get as far from here
as possible. They don’t need you now, and they will kill you. You’re
irrelevant. I did you a favor, exiling you. You have a chance. Go anywhere,
but go, and stay far from the muties and from Magda, because if you don’t,
you’re dead.”
It was true. Sam wouldn’t see that though. His arrogance wouldn’t let
him see that, and Angelina knew it as she studied his face. He was too
intent on doing what he had wanted to do from the first. He was too intent
on trying to grab power, and that greedy need was going to be the death of
him.
Sam asked, “Who’s with me?”
Nobody moved. Sam stared at their faces and one by one, the wolves
turned away from him. Tears stung the back of Angelina’s eyelids. Her
father was dead. Mario was gone, and Sam was also gone from her.
She was Alpha, and she was all alone with no family.
No, that was wrong.
Her eyes went to Drake.
He was her family now.
It shouldn’t be, but it was.
He was a bear, and she was a wolf and that was against the laws—but
the laws were tumbling all over the shifting world. Since she was in charge
of her pack, she got to make the rules. The first new law she would make
was that they could mate as they choose and all the old arrangements would
be null and void.
No female shifted should be forced to mate with a wolf she didn’t want
simply because her parents made a promise that would benefit them in some
way.
The second law she would create would say that no shifter was bound
to the old law that said shifters could only mate with their own kind—and
while she might never be able to change the minds of those who were
outside her pack, in her pack, that law would hold and she would accept
whatever species of shifter mated with her pack mates and members.
How could she not?
 In her belly was a creature none had ever known, a shifter with a bear
for a father and a wolf for a mother.
Trepidation set in. There’d be those who tried to kill her child, or
children. There’d be questions of heritage and ability to lead. There was a
massive war looming with the muties and a child such as hers would be all
the fuel they needed—especially as the muties had been mating outside the
law for a long time now with no success in birthing children who were
capable of shifting at all.
What if my child cannot shift either? What if our shifter abilities
somehow negate each other and they are simply human? They’d have no
protection at all and where would that leave them?
“Fuck you,” Sam snarled. “If you ever want to apologize, you can do it
from your knees and before the whole mutie army, which I will be riding
near the head of. I can promise you that.”
He turned and stormed off. Drake lifted an eyebrow. Angelina turned
to the wolves gathered there. “Make sure he takes nothing but what he
needs, and that he gets past the territory lines. All those not gathered here
now must be told that he’s he is a traitor. Make sure they also know that I
have given him exile over death.”
They nodded. The room emptied.
Drake stood there, his magnificent body nude and shimmering. The
stickiness of the blood coating her body hit her senses, and so did the rich
coppery smell. The tangy, old copper scent made her throat clutch and acid
float up over her teeth.
Drake caught her in his arms and held her. “You need a shower.”
“I do.”
Her voice held all her pain, and his finger tipped her head back. He
stared into her eyes, his raking her face carefully. “Let’s get you in the
shower.” His eyes went to Joaquin. “I’ll handle that.”
Angelina looked over. Joaquin lay there, shriveled and dead. His form
had stopped in wolf and his fur was matted with clotted blood. She sighed.
“Thanks. At least… say a few words, okay?”
 “Sure.” He rested his hands on her shoulders, looking down into her
eyes. “You do know what this means?”
“What?”
“I’m like the Alpha’s mate now.” He grinned at her.
She tried to laugh but everything hurt. She leaned into his body and
closed her eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you more.” His arms pulled her in closer. His hands rested on
the small of her back. ”It’s going to be all right. I swear to you it will.”
“As long as you’re with me, how could it not be?”
He kissed her, hard. His lower body pressed into her, bringing the feel
of his member to her lower belly. That hard thrusting flesh ignited her
passion. That she could want him even after the things that had just
transpired didn’t surprise her at all.
She whispered, “You know what we’re facing, don’t you?”
“I do, but there’s nothing I can’t or won’t face with you, Angelina.
You’re my mate for life, for as long as we live, and I intend to make sure we
live for a very long time. I won’t let you go, and I won’t let you down. If
anyone wants to come for you or our child, they’re going to have to come
through me to do it.”
“I love you.” Salty tears ran into her mouth but they were tears of
happiness. “I love you so very much.”
His thick cock stiffened yet again, prodding against her soft belly.
Angelina backed away and took his hand. “Everything else can wait,” she
said softly. “I need you now.”
Drake threw his head back and laughed. “I’ll follow you to the
shower.”
Angelina’s smile was impish. “I have a better idea. I’ll race you to it.”
His eyes went dark with desire. “You have a five-second head start, but
if I catch you…”
Angelina ran, knowing he would catch her, and knowing she wanted
nothing more.
 Goldie & the Two Bears
Chapter One
“I’m done with men. I just have no luck with them at all,” Goldie
Dawson confided to her friend Greta over drinks at The Pavilion,
a local watering hole that they frequented.
“You’re just a bit jaded for now. You’ll come around,” Greta
laughed, sipping her martini and eyeing a hunky guy at a table
across the room. No matter where they went, Greta was always on
the lookout for someone to fill her bed. She never wanted them to
hang around, never seemed to need them for more than getting
laid. It was a trait that Goldie envied in some ways.
“No. I don’t think so. Maybe I’ll just become a lesbian or perhaps
a nun,” she said dryly.
“First of all, you aren’t into women and secondly, you love sex
way too much to become a nun. Unless you find a wayward priest
to fool around with in the convent, you’d never survive a vow of
chastity,” Greta told her, her attention returning to the table as a
woman joined the brief object of her affection at his table.
“That’s probably true. I’m just so tired of getting screwed over,”
she groaned. “I’m either too big or not big enough. When did
everyone become a size zero or concave, if there is such a thing?”
“Blame fucking Twiggy. She started all this skinny bitch
nonsense. It’s insane for men to expect women to be so thin. I’m a
size eight and you’d think I were a whale according to some folks.
Fuck them. I like to eat.”
“Me too. Of course, I’m a bit thicker than you, but still, a size
sixteen isn’t a crime. Wasn’t Marilyn Monroe this size and she
fucked a president!”
“You’re beautiful. I don’t know how anyone could look at you and
not think so. You have curves in all the right places. There was a
time when women would kill for your hourglass figure.”
“You’d be surprised. Of course, there are some out there that find
it a huge turn on that I have some curves. I had one guy that
wanted to coat me in butter and lick me from head to toe. They
take it too far. It’s more of a fetish than a preference. Quite
disturbing is what it is.”
“You are fucking kidding me?! Butter? Sounds like a real nut-job,
if you ask me. What happened to the Roberts guy, the producer
you were seeing?”
“He was a climber. When we met, he seemed to be really into me,
but then I caught him with someone else, someone who could do
more for his career.”
“What? No way? Who?”
“Well, you know he is a producer and script writer, but he hasn’t
really had anything big. Even though I just do costume design for
City in Siege, I know a lot of people. I introduced him to some of
them, sort of got him in the loop and off the ground. He repaid me
by hooking up with one of the producers on my TV series.”
“You’re kidding me! When did that happen?”
“Last weekend. I invited him to a wrap party we were having at
the end of shooting. It’s a pretty popular show, so I knew there
would be a lot of people there who could help him out and sort of
get his foot in the door. I introduced him to Amelda Harmon, one
of the primary producers of the show and they were chatting for a
bit. Perhaps I should have seen what was happening between them
but I didn’t. I stepped away to speak to someone and those two
disappeared. I found them in a back room, making out pretty hot
and heavy like two horny teens.”
“Oh, my fucking God! What did you do?”
“I shut the door and left him there with her. I wanted to throw
things at him and call him names, but instead, I just felt horrified
and ran.”
“That’s it? You didn’t say anything to him? No confrontation?”
“Nope. Nothing. He hasn’t even bothered to call and I haven’t
bothered to try to contact him. I guess he got what he wanted. She
will be able to introduce him to people I can’t and, at some point,
he will probably meet someone with even more pull in the
industry and abandon her for them. All I know is it isn’t my
problem. Whatever he wanted, it wasn’t me, it was just what I
could do to help him.”
“That sucks. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s disappointing, but I wasn’t that hung up on him. I
mean, I thought we had a good thing. He’s gorgeous, hot as fuck
in bed, motivated . . . you know, the total package. Turns out it
was all for show though. He didn’t mean any of it. People like him
know how to play the game to get what they want. I should have
known better.”
“Men are pigs.”
“I know, right? I swear there is something wrong with all of them.
They are too pushy or too wimpy. Great to look at, but shit in bed.
Gorgeous, but unemployed or live with their mom. It’s always
something. Then, there is Greg Roberts, who seems to have it all,
but is only after what he can get from you. He’ll do the same to
her and then be on to the next one that can help his career. Fuck
him.”
“I’ll toast to that. Fuck him. Fuck them all!” Greta laughed raising
her glass in salute.
“You know, I honestly think that is the answer.”
“What is the answer?” Greta asked, looking both amused and
confused.
“To just fuck them all. Do what I want and have fun. If men can
run around and just fuck indiscriminately, why can’t I?”
“Very true. Men do that and they are playboys. We do it and we
are sluts. Here’s another toast to being a common whore!” Greta
laughed, raising her glass once more.
“To whores! Fuck yeah!” Goldie cheered.
The two women giggled playfully and continued their drinking,
chatting until it was closing time and things began to wind down
around them. Catching a cab back to Goldie’s place, they sat in
her living room and talked some more. It was one of those rare
nights that they hadn’t had in a while. Goldie had missed their girl
time.
“Maybe you just need a break. Why not get out of LA and take it
easy for a bit while the show is on hiatus for the season? You
could go up to Big Bear Lake. Ian and Randy still have a cabin up
there. They have plenty of room and they love visitors.”
“Hmm. I don’t know. I don’t want to intrude.”
“Oh, please. You know how those two are. They live to entertain.
Call them up and ask them if you can come up for a week or even
a couple of weeks. You deserve a little down time.”
“It’s three a.m.,” Goldie laughed.
“Okay, perhaps wait until tomorrow, but you knew that I didn’t
mean right this second,” she replied, rolling her eyes playfully.
“I’ll think about it.”
“You do that. In the meantime, I’m going to crash in your spare
bedroom. I’m wiped!”
“Make yourself at home. I think I’m going to call it a day, as
well.”
The two women hugged one another and headed to bed, where
they fell fast asleep. When Goldie woke up the next morning,
Greta was already gone, having an early call at the magazine
where she worked as a photographer. Sitting at the kitchen table
with a bit of a hangover, Goldie waited for her coffee and aspirin
to kick in. An hour later, she found herself feeling more human,
showered and wondering what she should do now that she was
free for at least six weeks. She sighed and picked up the phone.
Ian answered on the first ring with an inviting hello that instantly
put her at ease.
Chapter Two
“You have no idea how much I appreciate you letting me stay on
such short notice,” she told Ian and Randy over breakfast the
following morning. It had been a long drive, but after talking to
Ian, she had headed out as soon as she could pack, arriving late in
the afternoon. They already had plans and were heading out upon
her arrival, leaving her to her own devices for the evening.
Deciding to take Greta’s advice, she had taken the rest of the day
to make arrangements for a house sitter and get packed for an
extended visit to Big Bear Lake. The fresh air would hopefully be
enough to clear her head and give her a fresh perspective on
things. She had told Ian and Randy all about Greg Roberts over
bacon, eggs, and toast.
“No problem, honey. We’re glad to have you. Now, listen, we’re
having a party later and there will be loads of straight men there
for you to meet. You just shake that piece of shit Greg Roberts off
your mind and we’ll find you someone way better! We are
geniuses at matching up like minds!”
“Oh, no, no, no. The last thing I want is a new man. I’m in for
some “me” time. Let’s just let things be, shall we?” she said.
“Fair enough. You’re beautiful. They’ll flock to you anyway. It’s
up to you whether you give them the time of day or send them
away.”
Getting dressed for the party later, Goldie considered her options.
Why not play this game the same way men did? Fuck
relationships. She could stage her own sexual revolution. No
games, no expectations, no disappointments. There had already
been too many men that she had found herself settling for. From
now on, she’d just do what she wanted and walk away like so
many of them did with her. That was the key to future happiness,
as far as she was concerned. It was time to just have fun and the
rest of it be damned.
“Wow. That dress is stunning,” Ian told her as she stepped out of
her room and into the kitchen where he and Randy were preparing
food and drink for the masses they were expecting.
“You like it?” she asked, doing a mock twirl. The summer dress
did suit her quite nicely. It clung in all the right places and flowed
in a way that flattered the less flattering. A simple pair of wedges
and a loose ponytail that hung in long curls down her back
finished off what she felt was a casual but sexy look.
“Absolutely! And that color brings out the fantastic hazel specks
in your eyes. Perfection!” Randy added.
“What can I help you with?”
“Oh, no, darling. You just go right over there and man the door.
Guests will be arriving in a bit and we’re behind on the party
dishes. We know you are just as charming as you are beautiful, so
you just got nominated as the party greeter.”
“But it isn’t my party,” Goldie laughed.
“It is now. You are our guest, so it is your party too. Welcome to
our world,” Ian joked.
“Help yourself to the wet bar. There is plenty of everything to be
had over there,” Randy told her.
Goldie wandered to the living room and poured herself a glass of
Merlot, flipping through a fashion magazine while she waited. Ian
and Randy chatted brightly in the kitchen, sometimes feeding one
another bites of the food they were making. It must be nice to find
such a love, she marveled with a sigh. Too bad it just wasn’t in the
cards for her. A few moments later, the doorbell rang and she went
to answer it. After that, it began to get really crowded with people
from all over the lakefront village where her friends lived.
Chapter Three
“What do you say we skip out on this party for a while and go
down to my lake house? I’m only a little way down,” an attractive
guy named Joshua asked her as he leaned into her on the sofa.
She had been talking to him earlier and found him quite
intriguing. It seemed the feeling was mutual and she couldn’t be
happier about that. He was certainly the best looking thing at the
party.
“Sounds like fun. Let me just let Ian and Randy know I’m going,”
she told him.
“I suppose I should say my goodbyes, as well,” he agreed,
standing to help her up from the sofa.
Ian and Randy gave her a knowing look as she told them she was
going to walk down to Joshua’s place with him. Ordinarily, she
wouldn’t broadcast her naughty behavior, but she couldn’t let her
libido get ahead of her good sense. Joshua was definitely a bad
boy, tall and powerful looking with numerous tattoos. She had
noticed the bear paw on the back on one hand almost instantly and
he had told her it was a local brotherhood he belonged to, but
didn’t seem to want to elaborate further.
Since Ian and Randy didn’t caution her in any way about him, she
felt pretty good about going home with him. In fact, she felt even
better about it once he got her alone. Not wasting any time on
further formalities, he pushed her against a wall and began kissing
her heatedly. Things quickly progressed as he peeled away her
dress and kissed her breasts. Giving in to him, she leaned in,
moaning against him.
Goldie caught her breath as he bit into her neck, sending shards of
electricity through her veins. There was something about him that
clouded her thoughts, she couldn’t think about anything but what
he was doing to her. She could hear his heartbeat and her own,
pounding loudly against one another as he bit into her flesh,
holding her hands up against the wall behind her. His breath was
heavy, sounding almost as if he were panting like some sort of
wild animal. It only turned her on that much more.
“God, that feels good,” she moaned as his fingers dug into her ass
cheeks hard enough to leave bruises behind. She felt her body
being lifted, her back slipping roughly along the wall as he raised
her upward, focusing on her full breasts. She let out a loud cry of
ecstasy as his teeth sank into one nipple, pulling it outward and
sucking at it fiercely. He was rough in all the best ways and she
was loving every moment of it.
“You taste delicious. Good enough to eat,” he growled, suddenly
wrapping her legs around his waist and walking with her toward
his bedroom as if she weighed nothing.
Goldie found herself being tossed across the bed as he grabbed her
feet and pulled her toward the edge, spreading her legs wide and
kneeling by the edge of the bed. Shockwaves ran through her as he
bit into her left thigh and then trailed upward toward her pussy.
His bites weren’t quite as soft as nibbles, but not so much that
they were unbearable. If anything, they were only making her
want more of the delicious pains he was imparting across her skin.
“Yum,” he breathed as his lips found her center. His tongue slowly
lapped back and forth across her clit for a moment before sucking
it into his mouth, tugging at it with his teeth until she thought she
might scream. Pushing his mouth further into her, he began
sucking and licking at her wet folds as she moaned incoherently
beneath him. She was already on the edge of climax when he
slipped his fingers inside of her, using them to fuck her deeply as
she writhed beneath him.
“Yes, yes, please,” she moaned, reaching downward to tangle her
fingers in his hair and pull him further into her. It was crazy how
much she wanted him, her desire seeming to be in hypermode as
he ate her out like no one ever had. It was if he instinctively knew
exactly what to do and how to do it. Before long, he had her in
spasms beneath him, her hips bucking forward as she sprayed her
ecstasy into his hot mouth.
“That a girl. Give me all you’ve got,” he breathed against her
soaked cunt. He paused to breathe and then returned to lapping at
her dripping pussy until she thought she might pass out. His
fingers took over again as he moved downward to once again bite
his way up and down her thighs. Goldie thought she had cum as
much as she possibly could and was surprised to find it was only
the tip of the iceberg, her body jerking with the force of another
violent climax that left her feeling light headed.
“Jesus,” was all she managed to say.
“No, just me. I love the way you taste and watching you cum is
beautiful,” he told her, his cum-slicked lips dragging upward
through her tender folds and across her stomach as he moved on
top of her.
She groaned loudly as he began biting his way upward, hesitating
once more at her breasts. Pulling each nipple into his mouth one
by one, he sucked at them as if attempting to nurse. To her
surprise, she felt a tiny bit of moisture forming as he forced a tiny
bit of fluid to be expelled. Pulling away, he used his finger to wipe
it away from one nipple and rubbed it across her lips before
leaning in to kiss her, the taste of her pussy on his lips.
“I’m going to fuck you like no one has ever fucked you in your
life,” he told her, looking into her eyes.
Goldie didn’t have a chance to respond, though she had no idea
what she would have said to that anyway. She felt the words more
than hearing them. Though he had more than satisfied any
longings with the extended oral session, she found that she only
wanted more. She wanted him inside her desperately. There was
something about him that she couldn’t put her finger on, but it was
if she was drawn to him in some way she couldn’t resist.
A loud cry escaped her lips as he entered her, his enormous cock
filling her, pushing her already tender pussy outward as he filled
her with his incredible girth. He seemed to be insatiable as he
fucked her with deep, hard strokes, sending her into a fit of
involuntarily cries originating from a mix of pain and pleasure.
Each stroke brought her closer to yet another orgasm that she
couldn’t believe she still had in her until she was just a huge
puddle of wetness beneath him.
“You feel fucking fantastic,” he breathed, suddenly pulling free of
her long enough to flip her over and put her on all fours. She
tangled her fingers into the sheets beneath them in an effort to
brace herself against his heavy strokes as he entered her from
behind, pounding into her fiercely.
“Yes, fuck me. God. Fuck me harder,” she found herself begging
him.
He was only too happy to accommodate her, his body slamming
against her rounded backside, pushing her forward with his
powerful thrusts while his hands grasped her waist to pull her right
back onto him again. She wasn’t sure how much more she could
take and yet, didn’t want it to stop. It was pretty certain to her that
she would be content for him to fuck her until she couldn’t move
anymore. No one had ever been so rough with her and she loved
every moment of it.
“You like that?” he breathed against her back, leaning forward as
he slowed his strokes for a moment, pushing deep inside of her
until she felt him all the way into what must certainly be her very
center.
“Yes, don’t stop. I love the way you are fucking me,” she panted,
no longer in control of herself.
“I don’t think I’d ever be able to get enough of you,” he groaned.
Goldie could feel his rock hard cock pulsating inside of her,
breathing a strange sort of life into her from the inside. She felt
like she had been tenderized and thus, more sensitive to every
stroke as he fucked her with wild abandon. He seemed to last
forever, longer than she could have ever dreamed of.
Their bodies rocked back and forth as he continued fucking her,
encouraging the way she cried out and begged him for more. Just
when it seemed he might last forever, she felt his body begin to
convulse, an odd sort of growl coming up from his core as he
flooded her sore inner walls with hot, sticky cum. He collapsed
against her for a moment before pulling free and falling over to
one side of her.
“I can’t tell you how incredible that felt,” he said as he lay on the
pillow beside her.
“You don’t have to. That was amazing,” she agreed, snuggling
into the pillow beside him.
There was something odd about him. His eyes had looked very
blue when they were at the party, but now, they appeared almost
black, very dark and fierce looking. Thinking perhaps it was just
the light, she dismissed it and settled into her pillow, a content
smile on her face.
Moments later, he was asleep, sated and content. Goldie lay in the
near darkness, looking at his outline on the bed beside her. So
much for after sex cuddling or conversation. While the sex had
been off the charts, it was always a letdown when the person you
were with just rolled over and went to sleep. She guessed it had
been too much to hope for that he might be the total package, but
she supposed she could forgive him for his post-coital
shortcomings considering how good he was at the act itself.
It took a while for her to come down from the high of such intense
sex and fall asleep. Her mind raced with thoughts about where this
might lead and she cautioned herself not to let it go there. It
wasn’t in her nature to have one night stands, but she had decided
that was what was best for her and she needed to stick with that
attitude. Getting too attached to a man she would be leaving
behind in less than a week was a bad idea. Even if he was
interested in something beyond what they had just shared, long-
distance relationships were too hard, especially for someone like
her who didn’t seem to be able to even maintain one in the same
town.
Goldie finally fell asleep after chiding herself for trying to make
too much out of this and also for not being more careful. She
wasn’t on the pill, as she hadn’t needed to be with Greg and had
been on a streak of abstinence for a bit before he came along. It
had been nice to give her body a break from the chemicals. Not
only was there pregnancy to consider, but also other things that
could be equally as devastating. She definitely needed to not
repeat tonight and get back on birth control before she decided to
have another one-night stand.
“Goodnight,” she said to the sleeping man beside her, knowing
that he couldn’t hear her but somehow feeling like she should say
something as she drifted off into a mostly peaceful sleep. She
awoke later in the night, feeling out of breath, fresh from a dream
in which she was running through the forest, but she hadn’t been
human and neither had the others that had been running with her.
There was no fear, just pure exhilaration.
“Bad dream?” Joshua said sleepily from beside her.
“No, just odd. Go back to sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you,” she
told him.
“Who can sleep?” he replied, smiling at her as shadows fell across
them on the bed. He reached for her pulling her to him and sinking
his teeth into her neck provocatively. She whimpered as she felt
his hard cock pressing into her and then he was inside of her
again, fucking her until she shuddered with orgasm after orgasm.
He pulled her back against him, pushing deeper inside her as she
cried out. Then he came inside of her once again before kissing
her softly on the shoulder and falling back asleep, on his own side
of the bed.
This time, Goldie didn’t over think it all. Instead, she rolled over
and fell back asleep, content and grateful for at least once
incredible night with the fantastic creature that lay beside her. He
might not be Mr. Right, but he certainly was someone she would
remember fondly for years to come. A smile crossed her face as
she drifted back off into dreamland for the few remaining hours
until daylight. When she awoke, she got dressed quietly and made
her way back to the lake house, slipping in and climbing into her
bed there for a while longer.
Chapter Four
Still coming down from the incredible night of sex with hunky
Joshua, Goldie reminded herself to keep it casual. He could be her
boy toy while she was here at the lake and then she could put him
behind her when she went home. It was just sex and she refused to
even try to make it any more than that, though he seemed like a
nice enough guy.
“So, you had a good night then?” Ian said with a smile as she
walked into the kitchen the following morning.
“I did,” she said, blushing a little.
“Of course we want all the details, but we won’t ask,” Randy
added, with a laugh. “Sit down and have some breakfast with us.”
“No thanks. I didn’t get much sleep. I’m going to go lie back
down for a while I think,” she admitted, her face still flushed.
“I’ll bet,” Ian said as they both laughed and returned to their
conversation. “Listen, we won’t lecture you. You’re a grown
woman, after all, but be careful with Joshua. He belongs to a sort
of gang. There are a lot of rumors about them.”
“What kind of rumors?” she asked.
“Now, Ian. Just let the girl have her fun. You know those are just
wild stories,” Randy said, turning back to Goldie. “Don’t even
worry about it. It’s fine.”
“Are you sure?” she said, not so sure.
“Positive. We have to get going anyway. No time for fairy tales,”
Randy said.
When Goldie awoke several hours later they were gone, leaving
her a note that they were in the village doing a bit of shopping if
she wanted to come in and join them. Goldie grabbed a quick
shower and tossed on some jeans and a t-shirt, slipping into her
sandals. Settling for another loose ponytail, a hint of mascara and
lip gloss, she headed out the door and walked toward the main hub
that began at the end of the street leading into the lakeside cabin
area. She met them coming back just as she reached the corner.
“Oh, honey. You should have given us a ring and we’d have
waited for you. Oh, never mind. We’ll just go back with you then
for a bit,” Ian told her.
“No, no. Go on back. You both have your hands full of bags. I can
roam around by myself. It’s not like it’s a very big place.”
“Not at all. It is a rather quaint little area, isn’t it? That’s why we
love it so much!” he replied.
“I’ll check it out a bit and be back a little while later.”
“Sounds good. Don’t be too late. We’re making fajitas and
margaritas for dinner!” Ian told her.
“That does sound delicious!” Goldie replied, realizing that she
hadn’t eaten anything since last night. Perhaps she’d grab a bite to
eat at one of the local places while she was out and about.
Instead, she found herself attracted to a place that advertised itself
as a general store, but it wasn’t like the cheap dollar stores that
usually referenced themselves with that name. This was more like
an old style mercantile you’d find in a small town. Stepping inside
was like going back in time. There was everything from fishing
tackle to groceries to be had here.
“Wow, this is fantastic,” she said aloud, running her hand over a
wooden rocker that sat among a section of furniture on one side of
the large barnlike building.
“Thank you. I made it by hand. Solid oak,” a voice nearby replied,
catching her off guard.
“Impressive,” she replied.
It was as much a statement about the appearance of the rocking
chair as it was about the man claiming to have made it. He was the
epitome of tall, dark and handsome. His rugged good looks were
punctuated by a shock of wavy black hair and neatly trimmed
beard. His blue eyes flashed with mischief as he reached up to
lean on a nearby counter. It was then that she noted the paw tattoo
on his hand, the same one that last night’s lover had on his.
Obviously, they were a part of the same group.
“Thank you, um, Miss . . .?”
“Miss Dawson, but you can call me Goldie.”
“Good to meet you, Goldie. I’m John Sebastian. You must be new
in town. I haven’t seen you in before.”
“I’m just visiting friends over on the lake. Ian and Randy Keller,”
she offered.
“Ah, yeah. I live just across the water from them. Good guys.”
“Yes, they’re the best. You weren’t at their party last night though.
I thought the whole neighborhood was invited.”
“Ah, yeah. I was working on a piece and got pretty tied up with it.
I can get into my work at times,” he told her. There was something
that said he was not quite telling the truth, but she hardly knew
him so had no reason to question it.
“Well, the dedication shows.”
“I like to think so.”
“Very much. Anyway, I have to get going. It’s past time to find a
bite to eat somewhere. Any recommendations?”
“Well, I was actually about to go grab something myself. There is
a little café not far from here. They have some amazing shrimp
lime and cilantro tacos. I’ve been craving them all morning.”
“Oh, that does sound delicious. I don’t want to impose though.”
“No imposition at all. Come on and we’ll go. It’s just about three
blocks up by the edge of the water.”
Goldie smiled at him, following him past the front counter, where
he told the clerk there that he was out to lunch for a while. She
nodded, barely even acknowledging him before resuming her
texting. Goldie noticed an odd familiarity about the girl that she
couldn’t quite put her finger on, but John seemed to read her mind
as her gaze lingered on the girl.
“Kid sister,” he told her. “We favor quite a bit, huh?”
“Yes, you do,” Goldie laughed.
“Our folks left me this place when they died. It’s been in the
family for generations. She’s a senior over at the local high school
and itching to get as far away from the watchful eye of big brother
as soon as possible. Got herself a scholarship to UCLA so she can
be California dreamin’ by fall.”
“This place will be a handful by yourself.”
“Nah. I’ll just have to shell out a little more to hire someone to
help and the guys in my group will help me out, if I need them.”
“Your group?” she asked, though she already had a good idea of
who he was referring to.
“Yeah. We watch each other’s backs,” he said with a slow smile
that just melted her.
“Always good to have people like that in your life,” she replied.
“It is. Here we are,” he told her, waving his hand toward the small
grill to their right, along the edge of the water.
“Great. I’m looking forward to this already,” she said as they
stepped inside.
Though he was handsome and flirtatious, Goldie had already
made up her mind that this couldn’t go past a friendly lunch. She
was just up for having fun, she really didn’t want to sleep with
more than one guy at a time. It was best just to have her fun with
Joshua while she was here and let that be the extent of it. Plus, it
was a bad idea to see both of them with their being a part of the
same brotherhood or whatever it was.
“You weren’t kidding! These are delicious!” she told him as they
finished off the last of their shrimp tacos.
“I know. Best in town. Listen I’m going to have to get back to the
store, but I’d really like to see you again if that’s okay.”
“I appreciate it, but I am only here for a short time and think that
maybe it just would be best not to. I hope you understand,” she
said.
“Come on. Call it a casual fling,” he said with a sultry smile.
“That sounds a bit forward,” she countered playfully.
“That is because it is a bit forward. I know what I like when I see
it. Let me buy you a drink later.”
“Well, I suppose a drink can’t do any harm.”
“I suppose that is exactly right. I’ll swing by and pick you up
around eight, if that’s good for you.”
“I’ll be waiting,” she told him as he paid their bill and dropped a
tip on the table, walking her out.
Outside, they went their separate ways on the sidewalk. Visiting a
few more shops before returning to Ian and Randy’s place, she
found herself a sensational little skirt and top to wear on her night
out with John. She still considered that it wasn’t really like her to
sleep with two men at once and told herself that she would not
cross that line with him, no matter how attracted to him she might
be.
Chapter Five
“Well, now . . . where is our girl headed out to tonight?” Ian asked
as she came out of her room later that night, dressed to go out.
“I got invited out for drinks while I was in town today. I thought I
mentioned it at dinner.”
“You most certainly did not. We would have remembered. Who is
the lucky guy?”
“Someone I met at the general store today. John Sebastian is his
name.”
The two men exchanged smiles and looked at her knowingly. She
wondered what secret they were keeping that caused their
bemusement and whether it was good or bad.
“What? Spill it.”
“Nothing honey. Only one of the biggest hunks in town. Half the
girls here would kill to be asked out by him and the other half just
can’t hope because they settled for less,” Randy said.
“Oh, come on. He’s not all that.”
“Please. He’s gorgeous and a business owner. Down to earth,
friendly. He’s the total package.”
“I guess he is kind of hot.”
“Yeah, you guess,” Ian laughed with Randy quickly joining in.
“Just be careful. There’s a full moon out tonight,” Randy joked.
Goldie was happy to be saved by a knock on the door. Randy
waved her toward it as if to say it was for her and she walked over,
opening it to the smiling face of John.
“You look gorgeous. Are you ready to go?” he asked.
“I am,” she told him, turning to say her goodbyes to Ian and
Randy.
John stuck his head inside the door and greeted them as well
before taking her arm and walking down the sidewalk toward a
bar and grill called Dockside. It was well lit with strings of lights
that hung along the wooden beams that made up the back patio
that jutted slightly out onto the lake.
“Have you been here before?” he asked.
“No. I’ve only been in town for a couple of days now. This is my
first trip up to visit Ian and Randy since they bought the lake
house.”
“I see. So, what brought you up here now?”
“Just a vacation. I’m a costume designer and my show is on break
until filming starts again in a few weeks. I thought I’d get out and
enjoy a change of scenery.”
“Wow, a costume designer, huh? That sounds far more interesting
than running a general store. Which show do you work on?”
“Stygian Stories,” she told him.
“Really? I love that show. You design those really creepy
costumes they wear?”
“Not all of them, but quite a few, yes.”
“I’m fascinated,” he told her just as they made their way into the
front of the restaurant.
It was hard to miss how the hostess fretted over him and the
waitress wasn’t much better. Both of them flirted outrageously,
despite his being there with an apparent date. Goldie couldn’t help
but note how he was polite to them, but never took his eyes off of
her, sending a clear message. He grabbed a seat for them outside
on the deck where they could enjoy the water and the stars
beginning to form in the darkening sky above them.
“I wish I had gone to college. I wanted to, but after mom and dad
died, I had my sister to take care of and the business to run. Life
takes you where it will, I suppose.”
“That it does, but it’s not too late. You could always go now that
your sister is leaving the nest,” she replied.
“No. The general store does okay, but not well enough to pay two
college tuitions. I do take a class here and there online. I’m almost
a sophomore. Plus, I have obligation here,” he laughed.
“That’s progress. What are you studying?”
“Geology. I’ve always been fascinated with any kind of earth-
based science.”
“Not something I know anything about, I’m afraid.”
Their conversation was briefly interrupted as the waitress brought
their drinks and they sipped at them for a moment, regrouping the
conversation. It wasn’t as if it was hard to talk to him. In fact, he
might just be the easiest person to talk to on the planet. She
wondered if he knew Joshua, though she didn’t dare bring up his
name. Though they were a part of the same club, they seemed so
different. Joshua was bold, sexual, but not a brilliant
conversationalist. He did his talking with his body, for the most
part.
John was more of the guy next door type. He liked to read and
explore the land when he could. He gave her a warm, fuzzy
feeling that didn’t make her want to ravage him across the table at
which they sat, but it did make her long to go home with him and
make love to him for hours on end. That was not a good thing
considering her admonishments to herself to refrain from just that.
As the hours flew by, she found herself only wanting him more.
“It’s getting pretty crowded here and late. It might be time to head
back toward the house,” he said as the deck around them filled to
an uncomfortable capacity.
“I think you’re right,” she said, disappointed to be ending the
evening, but tipsy and knowing it was most likely for the best.
John paid their tab and they headed back the way they had come.
Halfway around, he pulled her off to one side and in to him,
holding her tightly against his broad chest as he kissed her.
Though her brain told her to resist, her body told it to fuck off,
returning his kiss feverishly.
“I don’t suppose you’d consider coming home with me?” he said.
“Wouldn’t that be awkward with your sister there?” she asked.
“She’s sleeping over at a friend’s house tonight,” he said with a
smile.
“I could probably come over for a bit,” she said coyly, dismissing
all the promises she had made to herself early this morning.
“Good enough. It’s not far from where you are staying,” he told
her.
An awful thought occurred to her that perhaps he lived near, or
even with, Joshua, but it fell away as he stopped at a house they
had passed on their way to the bar. Whereas Joshua lived south of
Ian and Randy, it appeared that John lived north. She breathed a
silent sigh of relief and went inside with him. From there, all
cautions fell away as she gave in to her own urges.
Unlike Joshua, John went for the lips rather than her neck, kissing
her deeply as they lingered just inside the door. It wasn’t a quick
kiss and move on either, he seemed to really enjoy kissing as
much as she did, teasing her tongue with his own as he explored
her with his hungry mouth. His hands roamed down her body,
touching her softly, almost delicately with his big, rough hands.
She felt like she might actually be floating slightly above the floor
rather than planted firmly on it.
“You are so beautiful. I was watching you walk through the store
long before you stopped to look at the chair,” he told her, pulling
away to look into her eyes.
“You were not,” she said, flushing.
“I was. The chair only gave me an excuse to talk to you,” he said
with a slow smile that made her feel weaker in the knees than the
kiss had already made her.
“I’m glad I stopped to admire it then,” she told him, reaching up to
touch his handsome face.
“I’m glad you did too,” he replied, pulling her hand from his face
and softly kissing the palm.
Then his lips were on hers again, drinking her in as if they were
connected in much more than just the physical sense. It was
amazing how in tune to him she had felt since meeting him only at
lunch today. Once again, she had to caution herself not to make
any more of this than it was. Just fun, nothing but fun.
His hands found their ways to the buttons on her shirt, slowly
opening them one by one and peeling it away from her shoulders
to slip softly down her body. She stood there in the see-through
lace bra and matching boy shorts she had been wearing beneath
her skirt, her three-inch heels pushing her up almost to his height.
She had always been a tall girl and gravitated toward men that
were of above average height. His six-foot-four muscular frame
was perfection.
“You’ve an amazing body, curves in all the perfect places,” he told
her, kissing his way down her neck.
Goldie had always been a bit sensitive about her size, because the
men she had encountered always made such a big deal of it. It was
nice to find someone who seemed to not mind that she was a big
taller and thicker, but didn’t seem to be fetishizing it into some
form of freaky obsession. She’d had more than her fill of those
types.
“Thank you. You aren’t so bad yourself,” she replied.
“I’m not very curvy. All hard angles,” he said playfully.
“Sounds just right to me,” she told him.
His lips fell on hers again, kissing her slowly and softly until her
head began to spin. Pulling away, he took her hand and led her to
his bedroom. He sat her on the bed to watch as he undressed. Her
eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of his sizeable cock. What
were they feeding the men in this area? She licked her lips
seductively as he stood naked in front of her.
“See something you like then?” he asked.
“I certainly do,” she told him, leaning forward and slipping her
tongue along the bulbous head. It jumped against her tongue as
she made contact and he moaned a little, which she took as an
encouragement to proceed.
Goldie took her time, enjoying the way his cock felt against her
tongue and the way he tasted. Wrapping a single hand around his
shaft, she began pumping up and down, meeting her lips as she
slowly toured his hardness. His hands tangled in her hair,
watching as the head of his dick disappeared in and out of her
mouth. Moving her hand down toward the base, she began taking
more of him in her mouth until she could feel him hitting the back
of her throat, tickling her tonsils.
“Oh, God, that feels so good. You have an incredible mouth,” he
moaned.
Goldie responded by picking up the pace, bobbing up and down
the length of his cock as he whimpered with pleasure above her.
She felt hungry for his cum, wanted to taste it running down the
back of her throat, but her greed was circumvented as he pulled
free of her, pushing her back on the bed and slipping her panties
off.
“Mmmm,” she moaned as he softly kissed his way up her legs to
her thighs, pushing them apart to access her already soaked pussy.
He lapped gently at her juices, his large tongue dipping in and out
of her folds and tangling around her clit as he took his time teasing
her with his mouth. Her back arched upwards, pushing against his
face, wanting more.
Then he was pulling away, moving upward, his fingers replacing
his mouth as he explored her folds with his long, rough fingers.
His mouth covered one of her nipples, causing her to gasp a little
as she realized how sore it still was from the night before with
Joshua. It felt soothing to have him take such care licking and
sucking at it before moving to the other side. She could feel
herself getting wetter, the more he fingered her and caressed her
breasts with his mouth.
“God, you’re incredible,” he told her as he brought her face up to
hers, watching her reactions as he fingerfucked her with longer
strokes, simultaneously rubbing her clit with his thumb. She bit
her lip as he smiled down at her, bringing her to an explosive
orgasm with his talented hands before finally slipping his
throbbing cock inside of her.
“Yes. Perfect,” she managed to say between panting and
whimpering. Though he was extremely gentle, he was also
massive. She felt like he might tear her apart slowly from the
inside as he pulsated against her inner walls. Her fingers dug into
his back as he drove into her with slow, heavy strokes, filling her
in a way she had never felt before.
“You’re so tight. It feels like you are squeezing my cock. God, it
feels amazing,” he whispered in her ear, taking his time to let her
feel every inch of him as he sank in and out of her.
“Ahhh, I’m cumming,” she almost sighed, her body trembling
with the force of the orgasm that seemed to overtake her entire
frame. It was quickly followed by a series of equally powerful
explosions that shook her to the very core. Feeling weak and
shattered beneath him, she could see no signs of him stopping
anytime soon. Instead, he bent forward to kiss her deeply. She felt
overwhelmed with emotion, but refused to give into anything she
might be feeling in a moment of passion.
“Beautiful,” he mumbled against her hair, pulling her legs upward
and over his shoulders as he sank even deeper inside her. She
gasped as he seemed to hit her very womb. It felt incredible to
have someone so gentle inside of her. He felt like someone in love
with her, though she knew that wasn’t true. Still, it made it all feel
even more amazing.
To her surprise, something that sounded much like the growl of an
animal seemed to come from him as his passion rose. When she
looked up into his eyes, she could see that same darkness that she
had noted in Joshua’s last night. Was it possible that there was
something to the rumors? The thought fell away as the sounds
began to give way to more of a groan.
His hands cupped the cheeks of her ass as he plunged into her very
core until she wasn’t sure how much more she could handle. As if
perfectly in tune with her, his fingers dug into her backside as he
erupted into her center, filling her with a heavy load of cum before
pulling free and slipping her legs away from his shoulders. Rather
than dropping onto one side of the bed and falling asleep, he
curled up next to her, wrapping one arm around her so that she
could curl into the crook.
“I’m glad you came home with me. You’re truly amazing,” he told
her, kissing her lightly on the forehead.
“Not nearly as glad as I am,” she told him.
“I hope so. I know you aren’t here for very long, but I really hope
we can spend some more time together, get to know one another
more than just sexually.”
Goldie smiled up at him, her emotions running the gamut.
Ordinarily, she would be elated that someone like him wanted to
spend more time with her, but that was not at all what she had
intended when she came here to Bear Lake. There was no hope for
a relationship and so why start something she couldn’t finish?
Still, she couldn’t bring herself to just shoot him down.
“That would be nice,” she told him, knowing she didn’t mean it.
She’d love to mean it if the circumstances were different, but it
was what it was and she wouldn’t be here next week, so why
bother?
“I think so,” he told her, kissing her on the cheek.
Goldie thought it might be best to change the subject to something
that didn’t concern what they might or might not be come
morning. This might be the only time in her life that she had ever
felt awkward with after sex cuddling and she suddenly understood
why men like Joshua didn’t like it. It was intimate. By cuddling,
you were creating an intimate bond with someone you didn’t feel
emotionally connected to and that was the very problem.
“So, you grew up here in Bear Lake?” she asked.
“Yes. I was born here, went to high school here. Between growing
up here, school and the store, I know pretty much everyone in
town. It’s like your friends, Ian and Randy, I meet them when they
first came to town. Randy was fussing over everything in the store
and Ian was just watching him fret, smiling and nodding. I could
tell they were a couple and knew they were going to have a hard
time fitting in with so many small town, small minded people.”
“I didn’t realize they ever had a problem with that,” Goldie said,
feeling saddened that someone might take an unfortunate view of
them based on their private preferences when they were such good
guys.
“As it turned out, I was completely wrong. They are such great
guys that people seemed to just accept them without issue.
Between Ian’s quick wit and Randy’s sarcastic zingers, they
always have people in stitches wherever they go. Plus, they are the
first to jump in to help anyone who seems to be in need.”
“Yes. They have always been like that. They are one of the nicest
couples I know. I’ve seen people take advantage of that and find it
unfortunate, but they seem to just chalk incidents like that up to
poor judgment and move on.”
“That sounds like them. What about you? Were you always a big
city girl or did you move there later in life?”
“I have always lived in the city. We sometimes went on road trips
to see how other people lived when I was growing up, but the city
was home, still is. I don’t know if I could live in a place like this
long term. It’s nice and quiet when you need that sort of
downtime, but I think I would miss the lights and parties. There is
always something to do there.”
“I’m sure there is. I think that would just make me tired after a
while. I love the outdoors and just sitting under the moon and
skies. Sometimes, the urge to just get out and run through the
woods strikes me and I can do that freely here. I’m pretty sure I
couldn’t get by with how I live in a big city anywhere. Too many
people, too many questions, too much noise.”
“I suppose we tend to grow into the places where we grow up. We
become as much a part of it as it does us.”
“I can agree with that,” he said.
They talked into the wee hours, until she fell asleep, still in his
arms. Another odd dream came to her. This time she was not
running, but lying by a river in the sun, enjoying the way it felt
beaming down on her face. Once again, she was startled awake,
this time because she was dreaming a storm was afoot. A loud
crack of lightening caused her to bolt upright and John to stir
beside her, but he didn’t wake up. Looking out the window, the
night was clear, but morning was breaking.
Chapter Six
Goldie crept into the house and tiptoed to her bedroom early the
next morning. She had slipped out of John’s house with a kiss on
the cheek and an excuse that she had an early day planned.
Despite how incredible the night with him had been, she knew it
was best to end it before it got to the whole “stay for breakfast”
and then “let’s spend the day together” bits that might take it to a
level she didn’t want to attempt. Climbing beneath the covers, she
intended to just relax in bed for a while and then maybe get out
and do some hiking.
“Oh, bad girl is up,” Ian said playfully as she stepped into the
living room much later in the morning.
“Yes, she is. What are you doing at home? Shouldn’t you be at
work?”
“I should be, but I took the day off. I’m about to head up to
Walter’s Bluff to see the doctor.”
“Nothing serious, I hope.”
“No, nothing at all. Just a routine checkup and an opportunity to
do some shopping. You want to come with me and take a browse
about town?”
“I appreciate it, but I think I’m going to head out into the woods
and roam around a bit.”
“It’s a lovely place to roam, but I don’t suggest you go too far
alone. There are wild animals out there.”
“I’ll stick to the well-traveled trails.”
“Just be careful. Promise?”
“I do,” she said with a laugh, feeling a bit like she was talking to
her father.
“Good enough then. I’m off to my appointment. I think Randy is
working late, so you’ll be on your own for dinner.”
“I can probably manage,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m sure you’ll do fine. You don’t seem to have a shortage of
pretty men to take you out for a bite. Perhaps you should call one
of them up.”
“I’m pacing myself. I’ll most likely just grab a sandwich or
something.”
“Oh, live a little. You’ll be gone at the end of the week. No sense
not taking advantage of something that’s right in front of you.”
“I’ll take it under advisement,” she said with a smile. Ian shrugged
and walked out the door.
Goldie changed and threw a few things into her daypack for the
impromptu hike. She was already halfway down the sidewalk
when an overwhelming sense of nausea stopped her in her tracks.
The sun suddenly felt unnaturally hot as it bore down upon her
from above. A few more steps and she felt like she might pass out.
Perhaps it was a result of having drank more than usual last night,
but she still hadn’t consumed enough to be hungover, especially
when she wasn’t this way when she had woken up either time
today.
“Fuck this,” she muttered and turned around to return to the house.
Sitting on the sofa, she turned on the television to discover that
someone had been attacked by bears only hours ago. She thought
about Randy and Ian’s comments insinuating there were
werewolves out and about at the full moon and laughed. At least it
wasn’t a wolf attack! Then, she felt bad that she was making light
of someone having been mauled, but the news continued to say
that the man who was killed was a known sexual predator. Perhaps
karma did exist, after all. Her body began to feel even worse and
she decided to go lie down.
She spent the rest of the day alternately curled up in bed and in the
bathroom being ill. Obviously, she had picked up a bug
somewhere. By late afternoon, it seemed to have passed and she
was starving. A sandwich wasn’t going to cut it. She got dressed
again and walked into town to a diner she had seen yesterday. It
advertised home cooking and that was just what she needed right
now.
“That was delicious,” she told the waitress, having finished off a
large plate of pork roast with potatoes, onions and carrots. It was a
heavy meal, something she didn’t ordinarily allow herself, but
even after having eaten the entire thing, she felt like she could still
eat.
“Would you like a slice of pie?” the woman asked and Goldie
looked at her as if she was an angel, a smile spreading across her
face.
“Yes! Do you have peach?”
“We certainly do. Ala mode?”
“Absolutely. Thank you.”
Goldie took her time enjoying the warm gooey pie with the large
dollop of vanilla bean ice cream on the side. She was pretty sure
that it was the best thing she had ever tasted. What she wasn’t sure
about was why she was so hungry. Then it occurred to her that she
had eaten nothing today. Perhaps that was the simple explanation
for her hunger. Her thoughts were disrupted as her cell phone
rang.
“Did you make it home okay?” Ian asked.
“Oh, yes. Well, I never left really. I felt a little ill and went back to
bed for a while.”
“You aren’t here now.”
“No. I was incredibly hungry when I woke up and decided to
come up to the diner for dinner. I’m sorry. I should have left a
note.”
“Oh, please. You don’t have to answer to us. Still, I just wanted to
make sure you weren’t lost in the woods somewhere and unable to
get back before night falls. We will see you when you get back.”
“See you soon,” she said, ending the call.
Goldie paid her bill and walked out. All the shops were beginning
to close up. Bear Lake was one of those small town places that
shut down before dark, for the most part. She ducked into a nearby
package store to buy a couple of bottles of wine to take back with
her. Purchase in hand, she headed back to the lake house.
“Would you like a hand with that?” a voice said from nearby.
“Oh, hello!” she said, spotting Joshua as he walked up to her from
the sidewalk that joined the large porch of the store.
“Hello yourself. I wanted to call you, but you didn’t give me your
number and I didn’t want to be like some stalker by just showing
up at your friends’ house.”
“So, you decided to be a stalker here in town instead?” she said
playfully.
“Something like that. I was actually on my way home from work
and spotted you coming out,” he told her.
“I guess that is okay then,” she laughed.
“I hope so,” he replied, reaching for her bags even though she
hadn’t answered his question.
They walked back to Ian and Randy’s place and he helped her
inside with the bags. She wasn’t at all surprised to find that they
knew him quite well, chatting him up like old friends. It was a
very small community and everyone seemed to know everyone
else. What did surprise her was that he owned the only bank in
town. He hadn’t struck her as the banker type before, but seeing
him today in a double breasted suit, it was easy to see it.
“Well, I guess I best be getting back to the house. Feel free to stop
by for a drink later if you get bored hanging out with these two,”
he told Goldie playfully, kissing her on the cheek as he left.
“Honey, if you aren’t out the door within the hour to go have
drinks with that man, we’re evicting you,” Randy told her.
“Very funny,” she replied.
“I am dead serious,” he told her with a little smile.
“Yes, I can see that you are from the smirk.”
In the end, she decided to throw caution to the wind and wander
over to Joshua’s for a drink. Knocking on the door, it was now she
that felt a bit like a stalker just showing up rather than calling, but
she realized that they still hadn’t exchanged phone numbers.
“Goldie! I’m glad you decided to come by,” he said as he opened
the door.
“Well, you know, I didn’t have your number and thought I would
stop by and get it from you,” she told him.
“Oh, of course. Come on in and I’ll write it down for you while I
pour you a drink. I’m multitalented like that,” he said.
Inside, he did exactly that, handing her a scrap of paper with his
phone number and a glass of wine. She took a sip of it, but found
that it didn’t set well with her stomach after her recent illness. He
didn’t seem to notice, as he clearly had other things on his mind.
Ordinarily, a man pouncing on her without so much as a polite
conversation would be a turn off, but her train of thought along
those lines had changed since deciding to opt for fun instead of a
relationship.
It was quite the change of pace after her night of slow lovemaking
with John, as she quickly found herself pinned against Joshua’s
sofa with his hand down her pants. His teeth sank into her
shoulder as he massaged her clit, quickly getting her ready for
him. Throwing all caution to the wind despite her lectures to
herself, she allowed her body to respond, flooding his hand with
the first of what would be numerous orgasms.
“That a girl,” he said, pulling free of her pants and beginning to
get undressed.
“My God, what happened to your chest?” she exclaimed, noting
the long jagged cut across it as he peeled away his shirt.
“Just a bit of a scrape this morning on my bike. Nothing that
won’t heal in a day or so,” he told her.
“A day or so? That looks very bad. You might even need stitches,”
she told him.
“I promise you, it will be just fine. I’ve had worse. Now let’s get
back to getting you undressed, shall we?” he told her seductively.
She finished peeling off her clothes to stand naked before him. A
lurid smile crossed his face as he whirled her around and pushed
her forward across the back of the sofa, grabbing a handful of hair
and pulling her head back as his other hand slid between her legs
again, stroking her clit until she was moaning loudly. Her knees
felt shaky as another orgasm sent streams of cum flowing across
his fingers and down her thighs.
“Fuck me,” she demanded, feeling more assertive than she had
ever felt.
“Tell me how,” he said firmly.
“How?” she replied, not following.
“How do you want to be fucked?” he asked.
“Hard, deep. I want you to fuck me so hard that the neighbors hear
my screams,” she told him.
“You can depend on it,” he told her, spreading her legs further
apart to enter her with one forceful stroke. His hands circled either
side of her waist as he began ramming into her, causing her to cry
out with each plunge. His hips rocked back and forth against her
ass as he gave her every inch.
“Yes, yes, yes. That’s it. Fuck me harder,” she spurred him on.
One of his hands moved away from her waist and surrounded her
neck, giving her a start, but also a charge of excitement. He
squeezed lightly as he continued to fuck her wildly from behind,
seeming to enjoy the way she cooed and squealed as much as she
was enjoying being made to do so. Letting go of her neck, he
grabbed the back of her hair, wrapping it around his hand and
holding onto it as if it were some sort of rein.
“Your pussy is so sweet. I love having my cock buried inside
you,” he told her, still plunging into her.
“Then don’t stop. Keep fucking me,” she demanded, pushing her
hips backward to meet his thrusts.
“I bet you have a sweet little asshole too,” he said.
Goldie hesitated for a moment. She had never done anal, but had
always wanted to try it. As much as men seemed to talk about it,
she had never been with one that actually wanted to do it. She
wasn’t sure she would enjoy it, especially with someone so well
endowed, but she felt like some sort of animal in heat and saw no
better time to give it a go.
“Why don’t you find out for yourself?” she breathed, looking back
over her shoulder at him seductively.
“I will,” he said.
Goldie drew in her breath in anticipation as he slid free of her
soaked pussy and slipped the head of his wet cock between her ass
cheeks, teasing the rim of her anus with it. Slowly, he began to
push more of the thick head inside her. It hurt for a moment, but
began to ease as she told herself to relax. He rocked back and
forth into her, each time forcing a bit more of his cock into her
tiny orifice until he was finally completely inside her.
“Oh, God. That feels so good,” she groaned, feeling simultaneous
pain and pleasure that only made her want it more.
“The best is yet to come,” he told her, pulling almost fully free of
her before sliding fully back in.
“Umph,” she gasped as she felt the way his thickness filled her
small hole.
“God, that’s tight,” he groaned as he pulled back again, this time
slipping back in a bit harder and faster. His rhythm slowly picked
back up until he was fucking her in the ass as enthusiastically as
he had been fucking her pussy moments earlier.
To Goldie’s surprise, it wasn’t one of those things that she would
endure and vow not to do again. Instead, she found herself
enjoying it, responding to it. The more he fucked her, the more she
wanted. She found herself wishing she could have him in both
holes at once as her own fingers drifted between her legs to
massage her clit while he continued to fuck her ass harder.
“I’m going to cum,” she squealed, her body quivering with a
massive explosion that ran down her thighs, almost pushing his
cock from her ass with the force with which it was expelled.
“Don’t stop. Keep it up. Cum some more for me,” he encouraged.
Goldie responded by increasing the friction of her fingers on her
own clit while he bucked against her ass, sending her into a series
of orgasms that caused her to pant and spasm beneath him.
“That’s it. That’s a good girl, Goldie. Keep going. Give me all
you’ve got,” he told her, reaching between her legs to finger fuck
her. It quickly sent her back over the edge as she made inarticulate
noises, unable to form any actual words. She was reduced to a
quivering, sticky mess by the time he finally shoved forward and
flooded her asshole with cum.
“That was off the charts,” she panted as he pulled free of her.
Goldie couldn’t help but note that his eyes were dark again. She
had known other men whose eyes got darker when they were
turned on, but not like this. It was if they were a completely
different color. Something about it was a bit unnerving, but also
exciting. She couldn’t deny that she was drawn to him in a way
she couldn’t explain. Though she knew it sounded campy, it was if
some sort of primal scent intoxicated her. It was the same with
John.
“Certainly was. How about we grab a shower and then watch a
movie or something?” he said.
“Sounds good to me,” she replied, following him to the shower
and waiting a bit awkwardly as he turned on the water.
He stepped inside and held a hand out to her, guiding her in under
the steamy water. They made quick work of getting cleaned up
before stepping back out to dry off and get dressed. Though it
wasn’t quite cuddling, they settled into the sofa curled against one
another and began streaming a movie. She wasn’t surprised to find
that it was an action film rather than anything warm and fuzzy she
would have picked out.
Goldie feigned interest in the movie as her thoughts drifted back
to the events of the last few days. It was so unlike her to be having
sex with two men in the same period of time. She enjoyed both of
them immensely, but it was like they were two halves of a whole.
Joshua was so commanding. It was a huge turn on to just be taken
and fucked with wild abandon, but she knew that she couldn’t
spend her life with someone who didn’t have much to say when he
wasn’t inside her.
Then, there was the issue of intimacy. Contrary to what some
people believe, sex is not intimacy. Sex is a physical event and it
can be damned good, like it seemed to be between her and Joshua,
but it wasn’t love and it wasn’t necessarily intimate. She could
certainly appreciate the way he reduced her to her most primal
elements and made her want to delve even further into the dark
recesses that made up that part of her needs, but at the end of the
day, she needed to know he thought about more than getting off
with her.
“Are you going to sneak away from me again in the morning
before I wake up?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts and
catching her off guard.
She looked at him, a smile crossing her face. Normally, this is
where she would make some excuse for such behavior, but she
didn’t really feel it was necessary with him.
“Most likely,” she replied.
“Okay. I have to be at work early anyway, so I guess that will
work,” he told her with a smirk.
Goldie looked at him with a single eyebrow raised. She wasn’t
sure if she detected a note of hurt or relief in that statement.
Perhaps he did feel offended by her sneaking off while he slept or
perhaps he was grateful not to have to deal with any of the
morning after awkward bullshit. She knew that when men had
done that to her, she had been left feeling a bit cheap and perhaps
even dirty in some way. It was a bit rude and selfish if you really
got down to it, but she was beginning to understand the reality of
relationships rather than the fairy tale she had always made them
out to be.
“It’s no problem. I understand. We’re fuck buddies, right? I
scratch your itch, you scratch mine?” he added, watching her face
for clues it seemed.
“Exactly,” she replied.
Something told Goldie that there was a lot more to that statement
than the words conveyed. Was he trying to figure out what she
was thinking, feeling? Perhaps she was making too much of this.
That had always been her problem, overthinking things. It was
weird to be on the other side of the equation though, not knowing
how she should respond.
“That’s cool,” he replied, returning to the movie playing on the
screen, but something on his face said otherwise and it made her
very curious to know what he was thinking. Still, she knew he
wouldn’t ask.
Goldie didn’t reply further, letting the conversation lapse. Her
mind continued to swirl with thoughts about what he might be
thinking and whether there was more to him than what she was
seeing, but she convinced herself that it didn’t matter. This was
just sex, nothing more and she needed to stop trying to make it
something more, especially when that wasn’t even something that
she wanted from him or anyone at this point.
That is what she kept telling herself. Even as the movie ended and
they climbed into bed together, Joshua stripping her of her clothes
and fucking her once again across the bed before they climbed
beneath the covers and settled in for a few hours sleep before
morning. Fortunately, her mind stopped running around in circles
trying to make sense of things and she fell asleep quickly. No
dream came tonight. Instead, she was lost to an endless sea of
darkness where she felt nothing and wondered nothing. It was
nice.
At some point, she woke up, hungry for him and rather than
turning over to force herself back to sleep like she would have
under normal circumstances, she found herself boldly peeling
back the covers and teasing his cock with her tongue. He stirred a
bit in his sleep, not waking even as his body reacted to her touch.
His dick grew hard and rose, the moonlight shining upon it from
the window as if it was some sort of phallic statue. She snickered
a bit as she raised her body over his and impaled herself upon it.
“Molesting me in my sleep?” he said as he fluttered awake.
“Yes,” she replied.
“You’re a naughty girl,” he told her, pushing her off of him and
down onto the bed. Pulling her ass cheeks apart, he fucked her ass
once again. This time, he wasn’t gentle, letting her cry out in
ecstasy as he took her hard and fast until they both came again and
collapsed back into the pillows to sleep.
Chapter Seven
Waking up in the wee hours of the morning, Goldie slipped on her
clothes and out of Joshua’s house, making her way in the darkness
back toward Ian and Randy’s where she climbed into her own bed.
She felt oddly content with the situation. Perhaps men that just
played the field were onto something that women couldn’t quite
grasp unless they tried it themselves. She awoke later in the
morning feeling a bit bloated and nauseous.
“Great. Way to preempt my fun, mother nature,” she muttered,
thinking her period had decided to arrive early this month.
Making her way to the bathroom to shower, she was surprised to
find that she was wrong. Perhaps it was just a warning that it was
on the way. So much for sexy flings the rest of this mini vacation.
Picking up her phone, she found that she had a message from
Joshua telling her that he was disappointed to find her gone when
he woke up. She smiled a little and clicked the next message, from
John. He wanted to know if she could come in to town for lunch.
She agreed.
“I didn’t even notice this was here,” she told him. “The food is
delicious.”
“Yes, they still rent rooms here, though there aren’t many
available. Mostly they provide rooms for functions and special
events, plus run this restaurant,” he told her of the old hotel that
sat in the center of town.
“It’s very quaint,” she told him.
“If you like, I can take you to see some more of it when we finish
lunch. The owner is an old school friend.”
“Yes, I’d love that. How old is this place?”
“A bit over two hundred years old. It was in ruins when he bought
it and renovated it, so a lot of the structure is redesigned, but most
of the woodwork is the original carvings from when it was built.”
“I bet the rooms are fantastic,” she said offhandedly.
“Well, let’s give you a peek at them so you can see for yourself.”
After they paid for lunch, he excused himself for a moment and
went into the kitchen, returning with a frail looking older man,
introducing him as the owner. Goldie was momentarily confused.
Hadn’t he said the owner was an old school friend? This man had
to be at least in his seventies. Perhaps he had just meant that he
had known the man since his school days rather than he was a
classmate as she had thought.
“Here are the keys to one of the empty rooms. Most of the rooms
are set up just like this one, so it will give you an idea of what they
are like. The rest of the rooms are all openly available for you to
look at. John knows the place pretty well. Make yourselves at
home,” he told them.
John thanked him and took her on a tour of the place. It was all
quite stunning with a lot of the original design still intact. Walking
into the room they were given a key for was like walking back in
time. The large wrought iron bed stood against one wall opposite a
large bay window that looked out over the town and the lake
beyond. She stood looking out over the landscape as John walked
up behind her and put his arms around her waist, pulling her to
him and kissing her softly on the neck.
“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” he asked.
“Very much so. Thank you so much for bringing me here,” she
told him.
“My pleasure,” he replied, turning her around to face him.
His lips met hers in a soft, sensual kiss and she found herself
instantly responding to him, despite trying to hold back. What was
it about him that she found so irresistible? Somewhere, in the back
of her mind, a voice whispered back to her. “Everything,” it said,
but she pulled away anyway.
“John, we can’t,” she said.
“Yes, we can,” he said.
“It’s not our room. We’re just supposed to be looking at it,” she
said.
“Think again. Trust me, he doesn’t care. This room is ours until
we give him the key back,” he breathed against her neck as he
began kissing his way down the length of it.”
Goldie gave in to him, enjoying the way his hot mouth felt on her
skin in the cool room. Under the circumstances, Goldie thought it
would be more of a quickie, lest someone come up to see what
was taking so long, but John seemed to have no intention of
rushing things. He sat her up on the heavy oak table situated on
one side of the room and slipped off her pants and panties, burying
his face in her pussy.
“You taste magnificent,” he muttered, the vibrations of his voice
causing her clit to throb with anticipation.
His mouth surrounded her clit, pulling it in and sucking at it
eagerly as his fingers began to explore her rapidly moistening
folds. There was no rushing him as he feasted on her slickness as
if he were enjoying fine cuisine. Her moans filled the room.
Tangling her hands in his hair, she pulled him in to her, enjoying
the way he felt with his tongue and fingers inside of her.
Goldie became aware of the large mirror on the dresser on the
opposite side of the room. The sight of his muscular back as it
rippled with his movements and his head buried between her legs
was a huge turn on, as she watched him eat her out.
“Yes, there,” she moaned as he hit just the right spot with his
finger, rubbing along the inner wall of her wet hole perfectly. Her
legs spasmed as her body gave in to the attention he was lavishing
on her dripping pussy and shattered into what felt like an orgasm
that might register on the Richter scale if there was such a thing
for climaxes.
“Delicious,” he mumbled, standing up to face her as he began to
get undressed.
Reaching for her hand, he helped her down from the table and
guided her over to a nearby wooden chair that stood to one side of
the bed. Sitting on it to face her, he pulled her down onto him so
that she was facing him with his cock buried inside of her. At first,
he didn’t move. His enormous cock filled her to the brim as he
kissed her passionately, his hands buried in her hair. Moving
downward, he turned his attention to her breasts, licking and
sucking at her nipples softly as his hips began to grind into hers.
Goldie moaned loudly as his hands drifted down to her hips,
lifting her up while still kissing and massaging her breasts with his
mouth. He began to pull her up and down the length of his cock,
letting her ride him very slowly. Wanting him deeper inside of her,
Goldie reached out for his shoulders, pulling herself up and then
dropping back down on him with a grunt as he seemed to hit
bottom.
John let go of her, putting his hands down on the sides of the chair
to brace himself as she slipped her body up and down his cock,
using his throbbing member to pleasure herself in the most
exquisitely slow fashion. Much to her surprise, she felt something
that didn’t seem quite physical. It was an ache, a need that came
from somewhere much different than her hungry pussy. She
recognized it for exactly what it was, a misplaced feeling that she
had to quickly squash.
“I love how your cock feels inside of me,” she said, attempting to
break free of what she might be feeling and put her feelings back
in perspective. This was sex, just sex. She needed to focus on the
physical and forget the ache that stemmed from a place more north
than her clit.
“My cock was made for you,” he told her softly, his eyes never
leaving her own.
Damn him, he wasn’t making it easy to keep her perspective. She
firmly believed that she could spend the rest of her life with his
cock inside of her, but now there was a part of her that wanted
more than just affection. While she adored his way of making love
softly and sweetly, there was also a part of her that appreciated
being fucked like Joshua preferred to do. If somehow she could
find a guy that could do both, she might just be in heaven, but she
just didn’t see that ever happening. How long could she really
carry on with two different guys before it became an issue to
someone?
Her thoughts drifted away again as he thrust upward into her
deeply, causing her to cry out. Opening her eyes, she looked down
at him and smiled. His expression softened as he looked back at
her, their eyes locked together as she rode him with increasing
enthusiasm. Their bodies were like one as they glided back and
forth in perfect unison until she began to quake, flooding his cock
with her juices.
“You look so beautiful when you cum. I love watching you,” he
told her.
“You must, you keep making me do it,” she told him, leaning
down to kiss him.
“Turn around,” he told her.
Goldie stood and faced the other direction. She felt his hands
pulling her back downward on him, letting him ride her reverse
cowgirl style as he ground his cock further and further into her
wet recesses. His hands locked onto her waist as he guided her up
and down, his big cock throbbing inside of her.
“You’re amazing,” she muttered, enjoying their lazy lovemaking.
The fact that they were doing it in a place where there was the
potential to be caught only made it that much more exciting to her.
John responded with a series of grunts as his hands faltered on her
waist and he buried himself inside of her, sitting her firmly down
on his lap as he came inside of her. They sat there like that for a
moment, his hands drifting up to cup her breasts as he kissed her
back, his cock still buried inside of her.
Finally, she pulled free of him, excusing herself to the bathroom to
get cleaned up before departing the room. Goldie tried to pull
herself together as much as possible, giggling a bit as they left the
room to visit the rest of the hotel. When they were done, John
returned the key to his friend and they left, parting ways for the
afternoon so that John could get back to the general store and she
could return to the lake house. Plus, she was beginning to not feel
very well again. By the time she made it back, she had to lie down
to keep the room from spinning around her. She felt exhausted on
top of it and was grateful when sleep came so that she could just
close out the discomfort she felt for a while.
Chapter Eight
“You don’t look well,” Ian said to her the following morning. “Do
you want me to see if my doctor can see you?”
“I don’t know. It’s probably just a bug or something,” she replied,
now discounting that it was an early period and figuring it was
more of a stomach flu.
“Okay, if you are sure, but I don’t mind at all. Just give me a ring
at the office if you start feeling worse,” he told her.
“I will. Thanks, Ian.”
She watched as he followed Randy out the door and then sat down
on the sofa. She felt incredibly hungry, but wasn’t sure she could
keep it down. After several hours, it hadn’t subsided at all. Her
stomach was puffy and she felt horrid. Going to a strange doctor
was the last thing she wanted to do, but she grew so weak that she
felt she had to. A call to Ian garnered her a visit to his doctor.
While she waited for time to go to the doctor’s office, she sat
down to watch the news. There had been another bear attack, it
seemed. This time it was a man that was found on a trail not far
from the lake. She was surprised to see that he worked at Joshua’s
bank and was recently charged with embezzlement. A search
warrant at his home had turned up a large collection of photos of
women across the country that he was believed to also be
blackmailing.
“Sounds like these bears are purging the area of scum,” she said
aloud.
An odd thought suddenly occurred to her and she couldn’t believe
she hadn’t thought about it before now. When she had spent the
night with Joshua last night, he had quite a large wound across his
chest. By the time they had gotten into the shower, it had
somehow seemed a bit less pronounced. Then, this morning, when
she had glanced at him as he slept, the light had shone on his chest
to show that the wound hardly appeared visible at all. How was
that possible?
“Don’t be ridiculous, Goldie. Men can’t become wolves or bears,”
she said aloud with a laugh.
Obviously not feeling well was getting to her. Rather than
dwelling on it further, she began to freshen up for her trip to the
doctor. It was going to be a long drive into the next town feeling
like this as it was.
Chapter Nine
“You’re pregnant,” the doctor told her as she sat waiting for a
diagnosis after he had run some tests and done a physical exam.
“What?”
“Pregnant. About four weeks, I’d say.”
“No. That’s impossible.”
“Well, the tests do sometimes give a false positive, but my
physical exam matches up with the findings. So, I’m afraid it isn’t
impossible.”
“Is it possible that I’m not so far along?”
“Yes, I could be off by a week or so, but no more.”
“No way. I couldn’t possibly be more than a few days,” she said.
“I don’t know what to tell you. Time will tell a more accurate
picture, but I feel pretty confident with my assessment.”
Goldie thanked him and left the office. There was no way she
could be four weeks pregnant. Greg had not been able to have kids
due to a childhood illness that had left him sterile. Admittedly, she
had thrown caution to the wind with her two recent lovers and
could have very well have gotten pregnant. It explained her recent
nausea and weakness, but the doctor was way off with his
timetable. It was just as simple as that.
“Fucking great. Pregnant and don’t know who the father is. Good
job, Goldie,” she muttered to herself as she drove back to Randy
and Ian’s.
There was no other answer for her but just to end it with both of
them. Though she liked each one for different reasons, she had
never intended for it to be a long-term relationship with either of
them and she wasn’t about to go through holding one of them over
the fire with paternity tests and the like. She would raise this baby
by herself and neither would ever need to know about it.
“What did the doctor say?” Ian asked as he returned from work
shortly after she got back to the lake house.
“Just the stomach flu, after all. I’ll be fine,” she lied, not ready to
tell anyone about her condition until she sorted it all out for
herself.
“Well, that sucks, but I suppose it could be worse,” he said.
“Yes, I imagine it could. If you don’t mind, I’m going to go lie
down a while.”
“Sure honey. Get some rest. If you aren’t up for dinner, we’ll bring
you some soup.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that,” she told him, excusing herself to her
room.
Closing the door behind her, she lay down on the bed and cried.
What did she know about raising a child? What was she going to
tell her parents? They would be absolutely horrified that she was a
single mother. For all their good points, they were hopeless
society types who cared about what the neighbors thought and
who would be whispering about their pregnant out of wedlock
daughter. Even in today’s day and age, they still believed one
should be married before having a child. This was going to be a
nightmare.
“How are you feeling?” Randy asked her later on when he came to
bring her soup, just as promised by Ian.
“Not very well,” she replied. “I hate to be such a downer.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. It happens to the best of us.”
“I’m headed home Friday morning anyway. Hopefully, I will feel
better for the trip.”
“Well, if you don’t, you feel free to extend your stay. If not, maybe
you will feel well enough tomorrow night for us to take you out on
your last night here.”
“That would be nice. I will try to make it.”
“It is what it is. Enjoy your soup and just yell if you need anything
else. I’ll come back and get your dishes in a bit.”
“Thanks, Randy. You’ve both been very good to me.”
“We’ve enjoyed having you. I only wish we hadn’t had to work
most of the time and could have shown you around more.”
“You’ve done more than enough.”
By the following morning, Goldie found that she did feel quite a
bit better, at least physically. Mentally, she felt incredibly out of
sorts with the entire situation. Rather than dwell on it too much
right now, she decided to enjoy her last night at Bear Lake with
her friends. She would worry about how she as going to deal with
this when she got back home. They made plans to go to a local
restaurant and have a nice dinner out, along with some other
acquaintances.
“This is the best seafood place in Westfall,” Ian told her of the
sprawling upscale restaurant situated in the next town, just on the
outskirts of Bear Lake.
“It might just be the best seafood anywhere,” Goldie replied
enthusiastically as she took another bite of the fish cakes she had
ordered.
“Good point. Certainly among the top ones in the world, I’d guess.
A pity that not more people know about places like this in small
towns,” Randy said.
“No, it’s not. If more people knew, we’d never get a table!” Ian
told him.
“Another good point,” Randy laughed.
They finished their meal and were headed toward the door when
Goldie spotted Joshua in a nearby corner talking to a group of
guys. She tried to slip out without him seeing her, but failed.
“Goldie!” he said, crossing the room toward her. “You haven’t
returned my messages. What’s up?”
“Oh, nothing. I just have been a bit under the weather is all,” she
told him, it was at least half the truth.
“Are you feeling better now?” he asked, nodding his head toward
Ian and Randy in recognition.
“A bit. The guys were nice enough to take me out for dinner once
I made it past the rough part,” she said, antsy to get out of here.
He looked just as delicious as ever and she didn’t want to end up
in his bed again on her last night here.
“That is nice of them. You should come by the house for a drink
later,” he offered.
“I appreciate it, but I’m still not one hundred percent. I think it
best that I just call it a day.”
“Well, the offer stands if you change your mind. You know the
way to my doorstep,” he said with a wink, excusing himself with a
polite goodbye. Goldie watched him walk away for a moment
before turning to head out the door again.
“Only a foolish woman wouldn’t get in a last night with that
man,” Randy joked as he opened the door to exit the building.
“I agree, but here I am, foolish as can be.”
“Perhaps you will wise up before bedtime!” Ian added as he
stepped outside.
Goldie laughed and followed them out, not really paying attention
to her surroundings as she considered her options and then tried to
dismiss them again. If she had been watching where she was
going, she might not have run into someone without seeing them
first. Looking up, she found herself looking into the eyes of John.
“Fuck!” she thought to herself.
Was there no getting away from them? She blushed and
apologized, noting that he was alone and not with another woman.
It seemed that Joshua had been too, with a group of guys rather
than a date. Then it hit her. They were meeting here, meeting with
the group of guys she had seen Joshua talking to. If there had been
any doubt as to whether they knew one another, it was certainly
put to rest now.
“Well, hello there. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.
Crashing into me isn’t exactly helping you hide from me, you
know.”
“I wasn’t hiding from you. I’ve just been under the weather.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. You look well now. Was it a virus?” he
asked, scrutinizing her closely.
“I suppose. Just a stomach bug. It seems to have passed.”
“That is good to hear,” he told her before turning toward Randy
and Ian, who stood talking to one another at the bottom of the
steps she had been headed for when she had run into him. “I’m
sorry, guys. I didn’t mean to be rude. I didn’t even say hello.”
“Hello,” they both said, almost in unison, returning to their own
conversation as another friend came by and joined them.
Goldie marveled at the small town meetings that seemed to take
place all around here. You really couldn’t go anywhere in a place
like this and not run into people you knew. Even knowing the
limited number of people she had met since being here, she
thought back on how often she had just run into them here and
there. It was nice, but how long would it take to get bored in a
place like this?
“Well, I guess I best get going,” she told him, trying to avoid
making a situation that felt awkward even more so by lingering
long enough for Joshua to wander out, as well.
“Yeah, people are waiting for me inside. I guess I’ll get to it. I’ll
message you when I get home, perhaps you can drop by.”
“I’ve an early morning tomorrow, so I will probably be in bed
fairly early.”
“I see,” he said, his face falling.
Goldie knew that he understood it was just an excuse and felt bad
about that. It was odd having the shoe on the other foot, being the
one who was doing the rejecting and it didn’t really give her a
sense of power. It made her feel terrible. A part of her wondered if
the men that had left her felt this way, even for a moment.
“Have a good night,” she said politely, moving quickly away from
him toward Randy and Ian.
“You too,’ he called after her as she urged Randy and Ian down
the walkway toward the lake house.
“You are a naughty girl!” Randy laughed.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I mean, you giving both of those gorgeous specimen the brush off
like you are the Queen of the Universe.”
“Aren’t I?” she quipped, though she felt nothing at all like that.
The trio laughed as they made their way back home, where Goldie
excused herself to pack for her return home tomorrow. She had
thought this little vacation might help her catch her breath, find
her bearings. Instead, she felt almost panic stricken as she
anticipated her return. She would still have a couple of weeks of
down time from work to sort things out, but she knew that wasn’t
a lot of time under the circumstances.
Chapter Ten
“What was that?” Goldie said, wide eyed, as she made her way
from her bedroom to the living room, where Ian and Randy were
gathered in front of the news.
“Storm. I’m afraid you aren’t going anywhere today. None of us
are. The bridges are already washed out from the rain and it’s not
going to stop for quite a while according to the weather report,”
Ian told her.
“Will it flood, like into the house?” she asked, fearing the worst.
“No, the house is high enough and the barriers around the lake
will push it toward the overflow on the opposite side where there
is no housing.”
“Well, at least there is that,” she said, relieved.
“Agreed. There is coffee and crumb cake in the kitchen if you
want. Help yourself,” Randy told her, tapping away on his
computer beside Ian, who was doing the same.
Goldie guessed that is what people out here did when they were
stranded, work from home. A part of her was envious, as much of
her job required she be present on set. It must be nice to have
options like that. She had considered, at one point during her
career, to just consult on design rather than embrace full creation.
It would afford her the same luxury a large part of the time as
consultation via webcam and emails would become the norm.
“Sounds good, but I’m not much up for coffee this morning. Do
you have any green tea?” she asked.
“Green tea?” Ian laughed. “Are you starting a new healthy
lifestyle? I’ve never known you to drink green tea in your life.”
“Just trying to steer clear of the caffeine a bit,” she told him.
The fact was that she knew nothing about being pregnant, but was
already appalled that she had been drinking alcohol before finding
out she was expecting. Surely, caffeine wasn’t good for the baby
either. If she was stuck here today, she was going to have to at
least do some research on what she should be eating and drinking.
The doctor had given her some pamphlets and some instructions,
but she had been in such a state of shock, she had left the papers
behind and his words had not even begun to register at the time.
“Well, there is probably some in there somewhere. Check the
cabinet to the left of the stove. If not, I think there is a jar of
instant decaf that my mother bought last time she visited. It
probably takes like pig swill, but you are more than welcome to
try it,” Randy told her.
“Thanks,” she replied, heading to the kitchen to look for it. She
was pleased to find a small box of green peppermint tea that
would work just fine, though she wasn’t sure how it would pair
with crumb cake. She opted for an apple and the tea, sitting down
at the table and opening her phone to see what she could learn
about her first trimester. Instead, she found a message from John
that he had sent late last night.
“I’m not sure what I did or said wrong, but I felt really bad that
you were in such a hurry to get away from me tonight. I really
enjoyed our time together and would like to see you again.”
Below that was another, sent this morning, just saying he hoped
she wasn’t out in the storm. Goldie sighed as she considered how
much she really did like him. Then again, she also really liked
Joshua. There were far too many reasons to stay clear of both of
them. Choosing between the two of them was an impossibility.
Each of them brought something to the table that really appealed
to her. Both were gorgeous, successful and fantastic in bed, but
Joshua was more serious in nature and primal in his sexual urges.
John was fun, outgoing and more sensual.
Of course, the biggest problem is that she was expecting a child
from one of them and had no idea which one. How do you start
any relationship off like that? It wasn’t as if you could say, “Yes,
I’d really like to be with you, but I also fucked your friend and one
of you got me pregnant. I’ve no idea which one. Oops!”
Her thoughts were interrupted by loud groans from Ian and Randy
in the living room, followed by a string of expletives from the
former.
“That’s just fucking great! What the hell do we pay that lazy ass
council for if not to make sure everything is working properly.
What a bunch of fucking twats!”
“What’s going on?” Goldie asked, stepping back into the room
and looking at the two of them.
“The overflow is backed up. Water is going to begin spilling over
the lake barriers and there is a good chance we will flood, after
all.”
“You’re kidding me!” she replied.
“Afraid not, dear,” he said.
“What will we do if that happens?” she asked.
“Oh, honey. We aren’t waiting for it to happen. I just booked us
two rooms in the old hotel in town while the getting was still
good. It’s out of the flood zone and we can hole up there until this
passes. It’s a good thing you are already packed. Let us throw a
few things in bags and then we will drive into town while we still
can.”
“I thought the bridges were out,” she said.
“Only the ones leaving town. The one between here and there is
still fine according to our neighbor that called to tell us that his
place is already getting a little leakage. He’s on his way over to go
into town with us.”
“Okay. I’ll get my things,” she said woefully. What a downturn
this vacation was suddenly taking.
Thirty minutes later, the three of them, along with a neighbor
named Hank, were on their way to the hotel. The roads were
incredibly wet and, though not completely flooded, standing water
was already visible in places. She found herself wondering if
Joshua and John were okay where they were and if they were at
home on the lake or had already left for work before it got too bad.
She suspected that John would have the store open to those in
need, but she wasn’t sure about Joshua.
“Get settled in however you like,” Randy told her after they had
checked in and were headed to their rooms. “We are going to do
some more work for a while and then we’ll come gather you back
up for a nice lunch in the hotel. They have some amazing food
here.”
“Yes. I ate here with John once. It was quite good.”
“Of course. He eats here quite often since it is close to the store
and his friend owns it.”
“Yeah. I met him. It was odd, because I thought that he said the
guy was a friend from school, so I assumed a classmate, but he
seemed quite a bit older than John,” she replied.
Ian and Randy exchanged an odd look before changing the subject
to announce that they were at her room. Goldie thought it odd, but
turned toward the door Ian was pointing at to let herself in. She
laughed a little as she realized it was the same room she and John
had been in while they were here.
“What’s funny?” Ian asked.
“Nothing. Just a random thought. I’ll see you guys at lunch.”
“Yes, you will. We are just down the hall if you need us in the
meantime.”
“Thanks. What a crazy day, huh?”
“Yeah. I’m not looking forward to going back to a house that is
flooded. Let’s hope it stops before it gets to that point.”
“One can only hope.”
Once inside her room, Goldie opened her tablet and began doing
some research on pregnancy, making notes about things she would
need to do as hers progressed. It was her nature to plan everything
out, especially with her career being affected by all this.
Hopefully, the birth would fall around the next wrap of the TV
show so that she would have the down time after the birth without
it interfering with work too much. As sad as it was that she had to
put work above the baby, it was a simple fact that she would have
to support herself and the child alone.
For a moment, she considered ending the pregnancy. She had
always been against that sort of thing, but things change a bit
when you are the one with your feet squarely in those shoes. It
was something she had to at least consider, though she was
immediately certain she couldn’t go through with it. This baby
might have an ambiguous father, but it was also a part of her and
she was quickly finding herself in love with the tiny creature she
carried.
“Are you moving around?” she asked it, aware of a stirring that
seemed to be taking place inside of her. “Of course not,” she
answered herself. “You aren’t big enough for me to feel you move
just yet.”
Time seemed to fly as she jumped from site to site reading tips
about pregnancy and parenting written by everyone from
pediatricians to first time mothers. It seemed that everyone had a
different opinion on absolutely everything and she wondered how
women ever even sorted it all out. She suspected that, in the end,
you just did the best you could and hoped you didn’t fuck your kid
up too much.
She jumped at the sound of someone knocking on the door, having
been completely lost in thought. Glancing at her phone, she noted
that it was already lunchtime. No doubt that would be the guys
coming to fetch her. Turning off her tablet, she set it aside and
answered the door.
“Ready for a bit of lunch, girlie?” Randy said cheerfully. Ian was
all smiles beside them and it was her guess that they had made
better use of their room than just for work.
“I am,” she told him picking up her purse and key to the room
from the table inside the door and walking down with the two of
them.
The hotel restaurant was packed with people. Outside it was
positively dreary, the rain poured down in buckets and the sky was
an angry black streak, spouting lightning bolts and obnoxious
claps of thunder. If would have been a beautiful storm under
different circumstances, but it was getting ugly with the flooding
and influx of people trying to escape it. They had to wait almost
forty-five minutes just to be seated. They had barely finished
ordering their lunch when a familiar voice spoke up from behind
her.
“What are the odds that you three would take pity on me and let
me sit in your extra chair rather than waiting an hour to eat?”
Joshua asked.
Ian and Randy looked a bit awkwardly at Goldie. She feigned a
smile despite feeling a bit trapped. Perhaps it was just an excuse
for him to talk to her, but then again, there were a lot of people
here so he probably did just need a place to sit. Of course, it could
be that both were the case.
“Of course you can sit with us,” she told him, nodding toward the
empty chair on her side of the table.
“Thank you so much! I am starving to death! I drove like a bat out
of hell to try to get back and check on the house from work before
it got too bad, but I was too late. The roads in are already flooded
and the hotel is full. I’ll most likely be begging friends for a dry
sofa before the night is out.”
Goldie supposed this would be an opportunity to invite him to stay
with her, but she was really trying to avoid intimacy with anyone
else before leaving this place, especially since she already was
feeling like a beached whale. The way her stomach had already
started to protrude was insane. She’d had to put on a dress that
was a bit loose around the waist and toss a tissue thin jacket over
it to hide the bulge. Obviously, she was going to be one of those
that showed quickly, despite her larger size.
“Already? I was hoping it would subside rather than getting
worse!” Ian shrieked. “Our poor house is going to be destroyed.
All our houses are going to be soggy, musty messes!”
Goldie was almost grateful for the outburst, as it salvaged what
might have otherwise been an awkward moment. The three men
commiserated about their homes while the waiter began placing
drinks and salads on the table, noting that someone extra had
turned up and taking his order before leaving.
“Thank God for good insurance is all I can say,” Joshua continued.
“Yes, but insurance isn’t going to replace some of the precious
items we’ve collected over the years. I’ve combed every thrift
store and art fair in the country and some overseas locations for
some of the things we have,” Randy groaned.
“It’ll be okay,” Ian told him, looking at him softly and patting his
hand on the table.
Goldie sometimes envied their relationship. They were so close to
one another, finishing each other’s sentences and always seeming
like they were on the same page with just about everything. She
had never seen them have a truly cross moment with one another
in all the years since she’d known them. In fact, she had already
decided that when the time came, they would be her child’s
godparents. It might be unorthodox to have two godfathers and no
godmother, but she doubted much about her being a mother would
be normal.
“You look like you are positively glowing today,” Joshua told her,
his eyes roaming across her face and dwelling for just a moment
on her cleavage, which, like her stomach, was a bit swollen. In
fact, she was currently wishing she had worn a different bra. Her
nipples felt like they were on fire as they rubbed against the
material of the one she had on.
“I’m feeling much better after being sick a few days. I was
actually headed home today, but the storm held me up. I guess I
am stuck here until things subside,” she admitted.
“There are worse places to be stuck, aren’t there?” he asked, his
smile melting her like always.
“I suppose there are,” she said, determined not to fall under his
spell.
The conversation drifted away as Joshua’s salad arrived and
everyone began to eat, the rest of them having waited until he got
his food rather than being rude and eating in front of him. Though
they chatted lightly between bites, it seemed everyone was quite
hungry and more devoted to eating their meals than being social.
Salads were followed by entrees and a nice bottle of shiraz.
“Let’s order another bottle,” Randy said as they polished the first
one off. “It’s not as if any of us are going to be driving anywhere.’
“How about we migrate to the bar instead?” Ian offered, nodding
toward the line of people still waiting for tables. “It’s a full house
and there is no need to hold a table hostage when we could settle
in to a nice booth and drink.”
“Sounds good,” Joshua chimed in and Goldie realized that she
might be stuck with him for a while this afternoon.
The four of them paid for their meals, Joshua insisting on picking
up her bill, despite her protests that she would take care of it. The
bus boys were already cleaning off their table before they walked
the few feet to the entrance to the separate bar that adjoined the
restaurant. It was not as crowded in there this time of day, though
it was still pretty busy.
“You aren’t drinking?” Joshua asked as she ordered a glass of
sparkling water for herself, something he hadn’t seemed to notice
at the lunch table.
“I just still feel a bit dehydrated from being ill. I’d best stick with
water for now,” she told him in an effort to come up with a
plausible explanation for not drinking.
Though it had initially felt awkward to be here with him, it
quickly faded into a familiar comfort as the four of them laughed
and joked. Ian and Randy told him embarrassing stories about how
awkward she was in high school and she returned the favor.
“So, the teacher, who had a bit of a speech impediment was
talking about genetics and the probability of certain characteristics
of fruit flies. Goldie kept mumbling to me and I would laugh.
Finally, the teacher overheard her and completely stopped the
class,” Randy told him.
“What was she saying?” Joshua laughed.
“She kept muttering “magenta” and making a face. He stopped
and asked her if she was kin to Daniel Webster and she said no.
He asked if she even knew who it was and she guessed that he
wrote the dictionary,” Randy continued.
“Not a bad guess, given the name,” Joshua said.
“That’s what he said. He told her that it was close, but that the
more accurate answer was that he was a great orator and expert on
pronunciation. He asked if she was kin to him.”
“Awh, man,” Joshua remarked, smiling over at her.
“Oh, that’s not the end of it. She tells him no and he tells her that
she’s probably not an expert on pronunciation then,” Randy said.
“That’s harsh,” Joshua laughed.
“That’s when it got really funny. Miss Snarky Pants over there
looks at him indignantly and said, ‘Maybe not, but even I know
that the word is “magenta” and not “mangled” like you are
saying. Calling them mangled eye fruit flies is ridiculous!’ The
entire class just lost it.”
“Oh My God! She didn’t!” Joshua said, laughing loudly. “What
did he say to that?”
“He sent me to stand in the hallway until his class was over. He
said he didn’t want to look at me anymore that day,” Goldie
finished, now laughing herself at the memory of being put out of
class for correcting her biology teacher.
They all laughed some more, sharing stories about their respective
childhoods and some of the trouble they had gotten into over the
years. Before they knew it, they had been there for hours and it
was getting incredibly dark outside, the weather not letting up in
the least. Randy and Ian excused themselves, leaving her there to
try to excise herself from Joshua’s company. Though she was
honestly enjoying it, she still knew she should remove herself
soon. She was guessing he sensed it, as he did her work for her.
“Well, it’s been great seeing you, but I guess I better get going. I
need to call up some of the guys and find a place to crash tonight.
Hopefully, this will clear up and you can get out of here tomorrow
at some point,” he told her, standing up and tossing some cash on
the table with what Ian and Randy had left to cover their drinks.
Incredulously, Goldie heard a voice that she was quite certain
couldn’t actually be coming from her asking him if he wanted to
stay with her. He paused, narrowing his eyes at her for a moment
before answering.
“Are you sure? I’ve gotten the impression lately that you were
doing your best to avoid me,” he said, a note of sadness but no
anger in his voice.
“I am just leaving soon and saw no reason to start anything,” she
admitted. It was partially the truth, but what the hell. One more
night of passion before she left couldn’t hurt. After all, he knew
the score and was willing, so why should she turn down hot sex
with a man that knew how to make her beg for more?
“Well, if you are sure, it would be a huge help today. I will even
sleep on the floor or something if you prefer,” he offered.
“Nonsense. We are adults. We can both sleep in the bed . . . or not
sleep in the bed,” she said, feeling a bit brazen,
“I’m guessing that not sleeping is more likely,” he smiled,
reaching for her arm and leading her toward the stairs that led up
toward the rooms.
She pointed him down the hallway toward the one she was staying
in and they went inside, already losing their clothes no sooner than
the door was shut behind them.
Chapter Eleven
Lying in the aftermath of a rousing session that left them both
heaving for breath, Goldie and Joshua drifted off to sleep on their
respective sides of the bed.
His phone, still in the pocket of his pants on the other side of the
room, began to ring and he ignored it. After a moment, it began
ringing again.
“Ugh. Who is that?” he muttered, climbing from the bed and
crossing over to retrieve it. It had stopped ringing, but began to
ring again in his hand. He clicked a key and spoke into the
mouthpiece. “Hello?”
Goldie listened to his side of the conversation, which was
obviously with someone else who had gotten stranded in the
weather. She listened to him apologizing to them, telling them that
he was staying with a friend and couldn’t really extend an invite.
It was obvious that it was a guy from the way he was addressing
him and Goldie felt bad about someone else being stranded out in
this mess, so she interrupted.
“Joshua, if they need a place to go and need to stay here, they
certainly can. It’s a big room and there is a roll away cot in the
closet that we can set up for them.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to turn your room into some sort of
refugee shelter,” he said.
“Of course, I’m sure. It’ll be fine.”
Joshua nodded at her and told the person on the phone to come on
up, giving him the room number. He turned to her once he ended
the call and smiled.
“This is very nice of you. I hate leaving friends out in the cold if I
can help them at all, but I didn’t want to disrupt our evening
together.”
“It’s a crisis. I wouldn’t leave a friend of mine out in the mess
either,”
“He will be up in a moment. He was actually down in the lobby
trying to get a room and they told him they were all booked up.
Seems I wasn’t the only one who decided their only option was
going to be to start calling people until I found a free sofa.”
“Oh, God. I need to get dressed!” she said, bounding out of bed,
grabbing her clothes and running to the bathroom to make herself
a little more presentable.
“I suppose I should too,” he said as she retreated. Someone
knocked on the door just a moment later and when she came out,
he had only managed to pull on his jeans, standing there shirtless
to introduce her to his friend. Goldie froze in her tracks, her mind
racing to consider such ridiculous things as whether she could
hide under the rug by the bed.
“Goldie, this is my friend, John Sebastian. He owns the general
store in town,” Joshua said, seemingly oblivious to the looks on
both their faces.
“We’ve met,” John said evenly.
“Oh?” Joshua started to say, then looked back and forth between
them, the situation seeming to register with him suddenly. “Oh,
you mean you’ve met, as in MET.”
“Exactly what I mean,” John said. “I guess now I know why you
couldn’t return my messages. You’ve been busy elsewhere.”
It was too much for Goldie. Though she had never fainted in her
life, she suddenly found herself feeling incredibly dizzy. She
reached for the bedpost to steady herself, but it was too late.
Everything went black. When she came to, she was laying across
the bed with both men looking down at her. She was awake, but
she felt incredibly ill. This was definitely a nightmare.
“I thought we were going to have to try to find a doctor in this
mess,” John said to her, stroking her hair softly.
“What happened?” she said in a raspy voice. Her mouth felt like it
was full of cotton and she was grateful to see Joshua walking
toward her with a glass of water.
“You blacked out or something. I guess it is to be expected
considering your condition,” Joshua told her.
“My condition?”
“Yes, your condition. I’m guessing you realize you are pregnant
by now?”
“Yes, but how do you know?”
“I’ve known since I saw you downstairs and you confirmed it by
drinking just water, but I didn’t realize that it might not be mine.”
“What makes you think it is or isn’t yours?” she asked him
wearily.
“Well, while we are nursing you back to wakefulness, John and I
had a bit of a discussion and it seems you’ve been with both of us
in the past week. I don’t mean to be indelicate, but are there any
others?”
“Joshua, don’t,” John told him, though neither seemed angry
about the situation. In fact, they were oddly calm about it. It was
quite odd.
“I think I have to, John. I know you won’t ask, but we do need to
know if there are other possibilities, don’t you think?” he said,
giving John a very stern look. John dropped his head and nodded
in agreement.
“Not that it is really any of your business, but it was definitely one
of you two. Don’t worry, I don’t want anything from you. I had
every intention of leaving here and never telling either of you, but
the weather stopped me.”
“Yes, this would definitely explain the sudden onset of a flood,”
John said.
“What? Now I am the cause of the flood?”
“Something like that,” John said with a little smile.
“Look. I feel better, but this is just awkward. I tell you what. You
two can have this room and I will go sleep in Randy and Ian’s
room for the night,” she said, trying to get up from the bed.
“Oh, no you won’t. We have a lot to discuss,” John told her,
putting his large hand on her arm to stop her from getting out of
bed.
“We have nothing to discuss. This is not your problem, either of
you. I have no intention of you being involved in this child’s life. I
don’t even know which of you is the father, for God’s sake!”
“It doesn’t matter. We don’t care,” Joshua told her.
“What? Are the two of you mental or something?”
“Well, you might think that after you hear what we have to tell
you, but we really aren’t,” John laughed.
Goldie pulled herself up in the bed and sat there looking back and
forth at the two of them as they stood on either side of the bed.
Joshua nodded his head toward John and sat down on one side of
the bed as John began to speak. After a moment, he sat down on
the other side, holding her hand as he talked to her.
“First, you need to know what Joshua and I are to one another,” he
said.
“Oh, Jesus. If you tell me you are lovers, I may just lose my own
mind,” she told him.
“What? No. Of course not, but we are very close. More like
brothers than friends. We belong to the same club, but it isn’t your
ordinary organization. It’s more of a secret society sort of thing.”
“Like Freemasons?” she smirked.
“Older than that. This is going to sound crazy to you and you
aren’t going to believe it, but we will show you if you need for us
to do so. Joshua and I are bear shifters.”
“Okay. Now you guys are just fucking with me. I guess it’s fair to
get in a laugh at my expense considering everything, but if you
think I’m falling for something as far-fetched as shapeshifting,
you’re sadly mistaken.”
“We aren’t joking and we can show you, but only if you tell us
you are ready for us to do so. Given your condition, we won’t risk
a shock to your system.”
“Yeah, right. Okay. Show me.”
“Are you sure?” John asked.
“Positive,” she replied sarcastically.
Joshua stood up and walked to the end of the bed and then took a
few steps away from the bed. Goldie watched as his shape began
to shift into something contorted, his nose pushing forward into a
snout and hair sprouting out everywhere on his body. He dropped
down on to his hands as his body quickly morphed into a four-
legged animal. She found herself looking into the large green eyes
of a sandy colored bear. It was much larger than any normal bear
would be and she caught her breath as she realized that what she
was seeing was real.
“Are you okay?” John asked.
She turned toward him, her eyes wide with amazement and
nodded quietly. When she turned back toward the bear, he had
begun to shift back into the man she knew as Joshua, his sandy
blonde hair and green eyes shimmering just as they had in bear
form.
“Neat trick, eh? Told you I was an animal,” he joked, causing her
to blush and then feel awkward with John sitting there beside her.
“And you can do that too?” she asked him.
“Yes. My bear form is just better looking and stronger,” he replied,
drawing a groan of disagreement from Joshua.
Goldie tried to wrap her head around what she was being told, but
even having seen it, she was still having trouble believing it. Even
worse, it occurred to her that this baby was going to be some sort
of freak. Would it be a shifter? Was she going to be putting a
diaper on a baby or putting down newspaper for a bear cub? She
began to feel a bit sick again.
“I know it is a lot to absorb and we wouldn’t even tell you if we
had time to break it to you gently, but you need to know
something about this baby and it can’t wait.”
“Oh, Jesus. I won’t have like a whole litter of cubs will I?” Goldie
gasped, the realization that it might be a possibility coming over
her without warning.
Joshua laughed and then sat back down on the bed beside her,
holding her other hand. It was unusual for him to come across as
thoughtful as so it caught her off guard for a moment. She found
herself wondering how much more awkward this could get. Two
men she had slept with on either side of her, fawning over her at
the same time and telling her fairy tales that it seemed might just
be true was more than a little surreal.
“You won’t have a litter. You will have one child and it will be a
boy. He will be a shifter like us, not human like you. We are more
than willing to accept responsibility for the baby without haggling
over which of us actually fathered him. In fact, Goldie, we don’t
want you to run off and be some sort of single parent. You didn’t
get pregnant alone and you shouldn’t try to raise him alone,
especially given his special considerations that will unfold as he
grows.
“I appreciate that, but neither of you know me very well. I came
here to get away for a while and things just happened between us,
each of us. I never intended for it to be permanent and I certainly
didn’t intend for either of you to be chained to me because of an
unwanted child.”
“That’s what you don’t understand, Goldie. It’s not unwanted.
Neither are you. Bear shifters are much like normal wolves. We
bond quickly and each of us fell for you immediately.”
“I just really can’t choose. I find you both interesting in different
ways,” she admitted.
“Then don’t choose. We aren’t asking you to choose, at least not
between the two of us. We would like for you to stay here rather
than returning to the city. We will both sell our lake houses and
buy something we can all share as one big family.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t see how that works. We all live together as
some open relationship type situation and sleep in separate
bedrooms? That’s going to really cut into your dating lives I
think.”
“No, Goldie. We live together as a monogamous trio. It would be
like having two husbands, both of us completely committed to
you.”
“I just don’t really follow how that works. I just roam from one
bedroom to the other depending on who I’m in the mood to be
with? Do you realize how crazy all of this sounds?”
“It’s not crazy at all, Goldie,” Joshua said, finally speaking up
though he had allowed John to do much of the talking so far.
“Then you have an odd sense of normal,” she replied.
“Well, that is true. Both of us do, but we’ve been out of sync with
the rest of the world for a very long time. Our ancestors have
always existed in the shadows, knowing that others wouldn’t
accept us if they knew what we were. It’s important that our son
be kept safe from those who might not understand him. It’s even
more important that he not be made to feel like he is fucked up in
any way. Living here with us will expose him to other children
like himself and to two fathers who will make sure he learns to
control how and when he shifts.”
“So, basically, this has nothing to do with me at all. The two of
you just want to raise your baby bear and you’re willing to take
me on in order to make that happen?”
“That isn’t what I said at all. Who did this to you, Goldie? Who
made you feel like you aren’t worthwhile? Give me their names
and I’ll go pay them a visit. It angers me that you are so down on
yourself when you are such an incredible and beautiful woman,”
Joshua said, his anger apparent.
Goldie looked at him, surprised. Not only was she caught off
guard by his sentiments, but his anger was reflected in John’s face,
as well. While she deemed herself just having fun with a couple of
guys that wanted to get laid, it would seem she had misjudged
their intentions completely. There seemed to be genuine emotion
there, though it was hard to accept as being true. Rather than
respond, tears fell down her face.
“Let it out if you need to, Goldie, but you don’t need to cry. You
don’t ever have to cry again. We promise you that what we feel for
you is the real thing and that it will never change. Not many
women can say that she bonded with a bear shifter and I don’t
know of any other that can claim she bonded with two in the way
you have captured the two with you here in this room tonight,”
Joshua finished.
Goldie blinked up at him as he pulled her into her arms and held
her tightly to his chest. She was aware of John moving closer to
rest his head against the back of hers, sandwiching her between
the two of them and things suddenly didn’t seem awkward at all.
In fact, they seemed quite perfect. Though she didn’t have
everything quite sorted out in her head, she at least understood
that this might just be exactly what she had needed all along.
Still, something nagged at her. In her experience, threesomes
always ended with someone feeling left out and especially when
one of them was the actual father of the child and the other wasn’t.
This seemed doomed to just be another failed relationship episode
in her life. She expressed her concerns to them, apologizing for
her inability to just let things fall as they may.
“Don’t worry, Goldie. It will be just fine,” John told her in his soft
way. Despite his apparent conviction, she wasn’t sure that she
could quite believe that.
In the end, she decided she had nothing to lose. There was no
guarantee that her next relationship would be any better, especially
with a child now in the mix and what kind of mother would she be
if she was subjecting her child to failed experiences with different
men? If she was going to do this right, then they were perhaps
right, this was the path she should take.
She nodded quietly as they kissed her tears away. Soon, she found
herself being undressed by the both of them. Turning toward John,
she curled up to his chest as he kissed her hungrily, drinking her in
as if she were the last woman on earth. Behind her, Joshua reached
between her legs, exploring her swollen pussy lips, already
seeming to show signs of pregnancy. She wanted them, both of
them. It had always been somewhat of a fantasy of hers to be with
two men at once, but she had always thought it would be some
sort of one-night stand.
In her wildest dreams, she had never considered that it could be a
constant thing, having two men in her bed every night, taking care
of her in very different ways. John’s lips drifted down to her tits,
sucking at her aching nipples. Thought she was less than a week
pregnant, they had already begun to show signs of swelling and
had begun to produce drops of milk. She wasn’t sure if it was a
result of the pregnancy alone or if Joshua had caused it with his
excessive suckling, but as John’s mouth tugged at them, she could
feel milk let down and flow into his mouth.
“Your milk is already coming in. It’s delicious,” he told her,
breaking away from her nipple for a moment to smile up at her.
“I want to taste it,” Joshua said, pulling her toward him so that she
now lay flat between the two of them. She found herself with
either man sucking at a single nipple, drinking in her milk as if
they were quenching an incredible thirst. Much to her surprise, she
found that it was a huge turn on.
Having drank his fill, John moved up to her lips, letting her taste
her milk on his lips as he kissed her with more passion than ever.
Joshua drifted downward, pulling her legs apart and lapping at her
dripping pussy. His tongue felt like velvet against her tender folds.
A part of her was having trouble even grasping what was
happening, but her body understood it perfectly and reacted to the
attention with much anticipation.
John pulled her back to one side so that she faced him with Joshua
moving in behind her, sandwiching her between the two of them
once again. He continued to kiss her as Joshua spread her ass
cheeks and began fingering her asshole, getting her ready for the
swollen cock she could feel pressing into her backside. She let out
her breath sharply as he wet the tip of his cock with her pussy
juices and began slipping it inside her tiny hole.
“Oh yes, that is so tight. I love feeling your asshole close around
my hard cock,” he told her. John moved into position in front of
her, slipping his own hard cock into her pussy. It was pure ecstasy
as they filled her from both sides and began to slowly slip in and
out of her in unison.
“Oh, sweet Jesus!” she moaned loudly as they fucked her
simultaneously. John’s motions were slow and deep, matching
Joshua’s as she whimpered between the two of them. John
resumed kissing her passionately as Joshua’s teeth sank into her
back, making their way across her shoulders as he fucked her
deeply in the ass. His hand found its way to her throat, pressing
against it lightly as her sore nipples brushed against the chest hair
of John.
Goldie found herself already nearing her first orgasm, her body
shaking all over as she exploded over and over, fueled by the way
their hard cocks felt inside of her. She felt like a rag doll between
them as they began see sawing in and out of both holes, bouncing
her up and down like a between them. It was the most incredible
experience of her life and she knew without a doubt that this was
something she could definitely get used to and spend the rest of
her life doing with them.
“Yes, fuck me,” she begged as their passion drove them to fuck
her harder, deeper, faster.
Joshua came first, filling her ass with his heavy load of cum
before pulling free of her and moving to a chair by the bed to
watch as John finished her off. He didn’t seem to mind at all as his
friends filled her with yet another sticky load of come and then lay
his head on her chest for a moment to catch his breath.
Afterwards, Joshua climbed back into the bed, falling asleep on
his own side while she slept curled up in John’s arms. At some
point during the night, he awoke and pulled her on top of him,
watching her as she rode him like she was in heat. Her cries of
delight awoke John, who leaned up on one elbow as he watched
her take what she wanted from Joshua and then shake all over
with a series of orgasms. He stroked his cock as he got more and
more turned on and then pulled her downward to come in her
mouth after Joshua was finished with her.
Exhausted, but content, Goldie fell back asleep with her head on
John’s chest. Joshua rested against her back for a while, but
eventually crept back to his pillow to sleep. She knew this was the
difference in the two men and that was fine with her. She
definitely had the best of both worlds.
Chapter Twelve
When the morning came, the weather had cleared. The sun was
out and the water had begun to recede. She, John and Joshua made
their way downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast, where they
encountered the curious faces of Ian and Randy.
“Did everyone sleep well?” Randy asked suggestively.
“Best night of sleep we’ve had in a very long time,” John told
them with a wink, causing Goldie to blush a bit, even though she
felt happier than she had in a very long time.
“Well, that’s, um, fantastic,” Randy replied, looking unsure of
what to say next.
“We’re headed to pick up a few things at the store. Is it open
today, John?” Ian asked in an attempt to change the subject.
“Yes. My sister was going to open this morning. It should be up
and running. If not, give me a call so I can coax her out of bed, but
she’s usually pretty responsible.”
“Where did she stay last night?” Goldie asked, suddenly realizing
she hadn’t even thought about where his sister might have been
during the flood.
“She was with friends. She prefers to hang with them rather than
be stuck with her straight-laced old brother,” he laughed.
Goldie laughed too. Randy and Ian said their goodbyes, telling
Goldie to call them when she was heading out and taking their
leave to see if they could get back to their house and assess the
damage after their trip to the store.
Over breakfast, Joshua and John discussed things further with
Goldie. Her eyes grew wide as they informed her of some things
she wasn’t aware of. Things that made a lot of difference in how
she handled things with her pregnancy.
“We will take you to one of our doctors. He understands about the
unique nature of this child,” John told her.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Well, the most important thing you need to know is that bear
shifters don’t develop at the same rate as human babies,” he told
her.
“What’s the difference?”
“They have a much faster metabolism,” he said.
“How fast?”
“Well, watch this.”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled a small knife from his pocket.
Before she could comprehend what was happening, he reached
across the table and sliced the back of Joshua’s hand.
“What the fuck, man?” Joshua snapped at him. He had been lost in
checking his work email and hadn’t been paying attention until he
was cut. His hand began to bleed on the table. Goldie looked
horrified, but John just laughed and picked up a napkin, dabbing at
the blood that flowed. Right before her eyes, the wound began to
seal itself. Within mere seconds, it was completely healed with no
evidence of even a scar.
“Oh, my God,” she muttered.
“You’re a dick,” Joshua told him, returning to his email.
“Now, don’t be upset. We’re going to be co-mates with this
beautiful creature at the table. We will have to love to learn on
another too,” John teased him.
“Fuck you,” Joshua retorted with a laugh.
“Anyway, the baby will grow fast. You aren’t looking at a nine-
month gestation,” John continued.
“How long?” she asked, dreading the answer.
“Four weeks,” he told her.
“Four weeks? No way. I can’t have a baby in four weeks!” she
said.
“You can. You will. It’s just the way it is,” he said.
Joshua lay his phone to one side and nodded at her as if to confirm
it. He smiled at her in an almost apologetic fashion as if to say
they were sorry they were completely fucking up her life. Goldie
wondered if they truly were though. In one way, maybe they were,
but in another, they were freeing her. This might just be the best
thing that had ever happened to her.
“Okay. We have a lot to sort out in short time,” she said, trying to
remain calm.
“Yes, we do,” Joshua nodded, leaning forward to look at her. His
eyes grew very serious as he looked into hers and asked his next
question. “But before we begin making formal plans, there is one
question you need to answer to yourself, Goldie. Forget what John
and I want. Is this what you want?”
Goldie looked at him for a moment before glancing over at John,
who was looking at her with equal intensity, awaiting her answer.
She thought back to last night, how wonderful it had felt to have
them both. Her mind wandered to consider how nice it would be
to live with two men who could provide her with such different
emotional and physical experiences. She couldn’t imagine any
single man ever coming along that could make her feel quite as
complete as the two of them combined.
“Yes,” she replied simply.
“Are you sure?” Joshua asked, still studying her face.
“I’m very sure,” she replied, not feeling an ounce of reserve. She
really did believe that this could work and she could be happy.
“Well, then I guess we should make plans to move forward then,”
John said.
After a hardy breakfast, the trio convened to the back room of
John’s store to hash out their plans. The hardest decision was for
Goldie to quit her job on the TV series and relocate to Bear Lake,
but the upside to that was it would force her to finally take a
chance on becoming more of an entrepreneur and consulting on
costume design in her own capacity. John and Joshua were
perfectly willing to support her until after the baby was born and
she could focus on setting up her own business. In fact, they
weren’t really concerned with whether she worked at all.
A visit to the doctor the following week made things just a bit
more interesting. John and Joshua had told her she would not have
a litter, but they hadn’t counted on what the doctor had to say
about her pregnancy.
“Well, Goldie. I’ve completed my exam and gotten the results
back from the tests we did,” he told her on the phone. “Are you
sitting down?”
“Yes. Why? What’s wrong?” she asked, feeling an impending
sense of doom.
“It looks like you won’t be having just one baby,” he told her.
“What do you mean?” she replied, envisioning quadruplets or
some such nonsense.
“Twins. You are carrying twins.” he told her.
“Really? Twins?” she repeated.
“Yes. Two boys,” he told her.
“Thank you doctor. I appreciate your calling,” she said, feeling a
bit speechless. Even twins were more than she had banked on.
“No problem. I’ll see you next week for your checkup,” he told
her.
Hanging up the phone, Goldie felt like she was in some sort of a
daze. She made her way to the bedroom and lay down on the bed,
trying to gather her thoughts. Before she knew it, she had drifted
off to sleep and was being awakened by John as he came in from
work. Because Joshua worked longer hours, she had been staying
at his place while they sold their places and looked for one more
suited to their rapidly growing family.
“How do you feel?” he asked, rubbing his large hands across her
massively pregnant belly.
“The doctor says we are having twin boys,” she told him.
“Really? That’s fantastic news!” he replied.
“Is it? Maybe for you. You don’t look like you swallowed a beach
ball,” she replied.
“Don’t be silly. You look beautiful. Joshua and I couldn’t be
happier. We both love you so much,” he told her.
“I love you too, but twins? How are we ever going to manage
that?” she said.
“Just like anyone else that has twins. Plus, you have two fathers to
help you with them,” he reminded her.
“I suppose,” she said.
“Have you told Joshua?” he asked.
“No, not yet. I was going to call both of you, but I feel asleep.”
“You should call him. He’s going to be through the roof excited.”
“Are we talking about the same man? Joshua is the poster child
for calm, cool and collected.”
“Trust me, when you get to know him better, you will see so much
more of him. He might be reserved, but he feels just as deeply as
the rest of us. Joshua was raised in an orphanage. He doesn’t
express himself like we do, but he is full of a passion that is just as
breathtaking as yours and mine,” John told her.
“You know him well,” Goldie replied, wondering how her two
loves had become so close and feeling just a tad envious that, in
some ways, they were closer to one another than they were to her.
“Yes. I do. One day, you will know him just as well. I’ve just had
more time to see behind the walls he puts up. Don’t underestimate
him, Goldie,” John told her, kissing her on the cheek and handing
her the cell phone. “Call him and tell him the exciting news.”
Goldie hit speed dial and waited for Joshua to answer. He sounded
a bit preoccupied with work at first, as if he had picked up his
phone without looking at the caller ID, but then looked at it and
realized it was her.
“Well, hello gorgeous. What’s up?” he said after an initial answer
that had consisted simply of “Joshua here.”
“I was calling to tell you that we are having twins,” she told him.
“You’re shitting me!”
“I shit you not,” she replied with a laugh.
“That’s fantastic! I’m even more excited now. I would offer to
bring home some champagne to celebrate the good news, but I
know you can’t drink. I’ll buy a bottle for after the birth instead.
Tell John that he and I are having celebratory beers at least,” he
told her.
Two weeks later, Goldie gave birth to twins boys. They were
fraternal. One had a full head of black wavy hair and the other was
sandy haired. Both had the most incredible blue eyes just like their
fathers. Goldie couldn’t help but wonder if it was possible for
them to have two different fathers, but as it turned out, she didn’t
have to ask.
“Fascinating,” the doctor said as he tended to their new sons.”
“What is fascinating?” she asked, Joshua and John both
completely involved in fawning over the boys once they had
determined that she was fine.
“It would seem that multiple births born to humans are just the
same as those born to bears out in the wild, but I’d need to run
tests to be certain,” he told her.
“I don’t understand,” she told him.
“Bears mate with different suitors when they are in heat. As a
result, it is not unusual for them to bear cubs that are the offspring
of multiple fathers. While I can’t be certain just from looking at
them, their coloring and facial characteristics reflect that your sons
are quite possibly of two different fathers. In other words, one
looks exactly like Joshua and the other looks exactly like John. Do
you care if I do DNA testing to be certain?” he asked
“I appreciate your curiosity, doctor and if you would like to put
your theory to rest, then I will allow the testing, but I ask that you
keep the results to yourself. As far as I am concerned, these
children belong to both fathers and always will. I don’t want to
differentiate between them in any way,” she said.
“That seems fair to me,” he said with a wink, turning to retrieve
the babies from their doting fathers and finish checking up on
them before leaving them to start their lives with their parents.
Joshua and John stood on either side of her bed, beaming down at
her with pride.
“Aren’t they beautiful boys?” she asked.
“Almost as beautiful as their mother,” Joshua replied, a rare
sentimentality from him. She smiled at him and then over at John
before closing her eyes and resting for a while. This was the
beginning of what would be a very long and interesting life with
two of the most perfect men she could have ever hoped to find.
Somewhere, her search for what felt good had ended in something
that felt just right.

THE END
Back to the Bear
Chapter 1

Walking on her tiptoes, carrying her shoes and stepping over

the squeaky spot on the floor, Joy moved slowly and cautiously
towards the front door. One wrong move would wake up Aris, and
she couldn’t risk waking him up again. Several giant beer bottles
were strewn around the room and all of them seemed to be pointed
at her, ready to tell Aris who had dared wake him up from his
always light, fitful sleep.
In order to get to the door, she would have to walk right by
him. Aris had insisted on moving the couch right next to the front
door of their cabin style house. “In case you get any ideas,” he’d
explained, and now going out often meant stepping over at least
one corner of the couch. Luckily, some of his awful friends had
come by last night so he’d had to move it about halfway out of the
path to the outside world. If she was very careful, she might just
be able to open the knob, slip out, and make a run for it.
She stepped over an overturned chair, and as her foot came
down the floorboards squeaked just a bit. She froze. Aris shifted
on the couch and turned towards her, but after a few moments he
went back to snoring. She waited anyway, hesitant to keep going,
but once she was sure he was asleep she continued walking as
silently as possible.
The door was now within reach; all she had to do was
squeeze between the end of the couch and the massive bag of
empty cans sitting precariously on a pair of sneakers long
abandoned by the door. Joy reached out to twist the doorknob and
gave the door a little push, but it wouldn’t budge. She pushed
again; nothing. Something was blocking her way out.
Carefully moving alongside, the couch, Joy was careful not to
let the hem of her dress touch any part of Aris. Even though he
snored on, she had a chilling sensation that he wasn’t really
sleeping but rather allowing her to believe he was unconscious so
that he could lure her closer. It wouldn’t have been the first time.
The large bay window was behind the couch, but Joy couldn’t
see the porch with the couch in the way. She would have to lean
over it to see what was going on. Very carefully, she put a hand on
the back of the sofa and leaned like a plank directly over her
snoozing husband, her skirt tucked between her knees. Through
the window, she could see the enormous body of Joe Hatchet,
Aris’ largest and drunkest friend. He had passed out right by the
door and would be dead asleep for most of the day.
The sight of Joe’s mountain-shaped frame made Joy let out a
little sigh and the sound of it immediately woke up Aris.
When he opened his eyes, he saw his barefoot wife Joy
standing and smiling like a happy recruit to his army of anger. He
rubbed his face, thinking he was dreaming, but no; she was there
with a big smile on her face.
“Hi honey! I just came down to check and see if you wanted
any coffee.”
Aris smiled back. “Hey, this is how I like to wake up.” He
reached for her hand and held it gently, swinging it a little. “A
happy wife, ready to make me coffee. You know how I like it. I
think Joe’s around here somewhere.” He looked around, a little
confused.
“I haven’t seen him hon.” She moved into the destroyed
kitchen, started the coffee, and then desperately started washing
the dishes. Dammit, dammit, dammit. Today had been her day to
get out. She had been sure it would happen today. There was still a
chance; if Aris and Joe went out fishing she could get out then.
Assuming he would leave her behind, which he only did
occasionally. She knew if she was extra chipper, his good little
wife, he’d let his guard down. Maybe.
Aris stumbled around the living room, kicking things out of
the way. “Joe! Joe, my man. Where’d you go?”
From outside came a “What?” and Aris headed to the door.
Through the door, Joy could hear the two of them laughing
about how adorable they were; getting drunk, passing out—
weren’t they crazy? They were always quick to congratulate one
another any time they overdid it, sure that they had been hilarious
and fun the whole time they were destroying the furniture,
breaking the TV or the refrigerator, or whatever they got their
hands on. Joy always wondered at how a person could be happy
about waking up in a pile of refuse over and over again. She
honestly didn’t get it.
The coffee finished brewing and she poured out two extra big
mugs, adding a tablespoon and a half of sugar to Aris’ mug and
keeping Joe’s black. For the finishing touch she gave Aris’ a tiny
splash of heavy cream just at the top, no stirring. Then she rushed
around the living room—sure the two party boys would be back in
any moment—picking up furniture, bottles, and garbage. She
shoved it all into garbage bags and suddenly realized, she would
have to walk these out to the curb. She could dump them and
make a run for it.
The two men stumbled in, arms around one another, talking
about some girl that Joe had been flirting with the night before.
“She wants me, I know it and you know it.” The two of them
sat at the counter on the restaurant-style stools and drank their
coffee. “It won’t be long until she’ll be making me coffee the way
your little Joy does. Lucky bastard.” Joy continued cleaning.
There was no reason to wait for a thank you or an invitation to
join them; it wasn’t coming.
 Joe watched Joy whip around the house, picking up, getting
the spilled beer off the floor, anything to put things back in order
so that Aris wouldn’t have anything to fault her for. “How did you
get this little angel to marry you, Aris? How come a jerk like you
has such a great little woman and I’m still single?”
Aris watched his wife over his cup’s edge. “She knows I love
her no matter what. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
Joy stopped for a second to flash him her best smile. “That’s
right.”
Joe just grunted and raised his eyebrows. “She sure works
hard.”
“She likes it.” Aris put his cup down and watched his wife for
a moment. “Hon, come over here for a minute.”
Oh no. She tilted her broom against the wall and walked over,
the two pairs of eyes boring into her. “Your coffee okay?”
Without a word, Aris smacked her across the face. “I just
thought you needed a little color. Seeing as you didn’t bother to
put any makeup on.” He turned away from her and went back to
his coffee. No one spoke. The only sound was that of Joe loudly
slurping his coffee.
Joy stood, not quite sure what to do next, her face on fire
from Ari’s slap. Finally, she shuffled back to her broom and
quietly swept, the broom making a soft hush, hush on the wooden
floor.
The two men focused on their mugs and their contents,
neither looking at the other. Aris finally turned to Joe. “You going
fishing today?”
“Can’t. My truck needs some work. Remember, I came here
with Tully.”
“Oh yeah.” Aris picked up his cup and looked into it. The
bottom of it was visible. “Joy, get over here and get me a second
cup. Do not make me get it myself. I’m in no mood for your
tricks.”
Walking fast, Joy swung around the two and into the kitchen,
grabbing the pot and carefully pouring Aris his refill. She put it
back and grabbed the cream, giving him a little dash in the top.
Joe still had plenty so she moved around the counter again, but
Aris grabbed her arm.
“None for Joe? What is this, national women’s lib day? Don’t
be so rude.” He dropped her arm and she returned to her post by
the coffee maker, settling in for a long wait. Joe glanced at her and
she tried to send him a mental message. Help me. Be on my side,
just once. Tell him to take it easy on me. Unfortunately for her,
Joe’s alcohol and drug-soaked brain was unable to pick up pleas
for help.
“It’s okay. I should mosey on home. Take a shower, give my
own little cutie a call.” Turning to Joy, he added, “Sorry, doll. Be
off the market soon. Hate to crush your dreams but a man’s gotta
follow his heart.” At the word heart he thrust his pelvis at her and
then laughed hysterically. He waited for Aris to laugh with him,
but his friend was silent.
The long, awkward pause didn’t affect Joe in the least. He
just chuckled to himself, put on his hat and went out the door. Aris
turned to Joy, his eyes deader and blacker than she’d ever seen.
“What was that about?”
“What hon?”
“You’ve been waiting for Joe? Carrying a torch for him?
What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I have no idea why he said that.”
Aris picked up his mug and threw it at her hard and fast. She
ducked and it shattered against the wall.
“Don’t lie to me! What is going on between the two of you?
Why are my friend and my wife keeping secrets?”
 Joy stayed crouched near the floor, her hands up in surrender
and her eyes squeezed shut. “It was just one of his dumb jokes, I
don’t know why he said it!”
“Come here.” Joy stood slowly, already sobbing. He always
said if he ever caught her cheating, he’d kill her. She believed it
and she felt confident today was the day. “Faster. Do it. You know
better than to lie to me and then hide in the kitchen. Get your butt
over here, Joy.”
Joy glanced up and saw her purse hanging on the coat rack. It
was only a few feet from the door. Aris was still sitting down and
she had a clear path to freedom. She moved slowly, trying to keep
her face blank, but angled her feet to the living room.
She only had a millisecond to do it, so she just didn’t think.
At the last possible moment, she faked Aris out and sprinted for
the door. Her bare feet flew across the now-clear floor, her left
hand grabbed her purse and she flew out the door.
Behind her was a screaming, irate husband breaking
everything in his path. He was massively hungover but angry
enough that he was like a hurricane coming after her. “I’ll kill
you! You stupid bitch, you think I won’t? Get back here!” She
didn’t look, just focused on jumping over the steps and then racing
around to the car port behind the cabin, one hand digging in her
purse for the extra set of keys Aris didn’t know about.
She threw herself into the car and started it up as fast as she
could. The engine sputtered from the cold and now Aris was on
the porch, throwing furniture and howling with fury. Splintered
pieces of her grandfather’s rocking chair flew into the air off to
one side of the porch as she tried and tried to get the engine to turn
over. “Come on, come on.”
Then she saw him. He was right behind her, trapping the car
between the big tree they parked under and his body. She would
have to run him over.
 “Joy, you steal this car and I won’t call the police. I’ll hunt
you down myself. Don’t be stupid. Just turn it off and come out.”
Just then, the car started. Joy floored the gas pedal and
reversed right into the spot where Aris was standing. He leapt out
of the way, falling onto his back as he did, and she sped away in
reverse. As she left, she had a clear view of him jumping to his
feet and walking after the car, his stare drilling into her. He was
still yelling, but she couldn’t hear him. She made it to their little
dirt road, whipped the car around and sped away as fast as she
could.
Commanding herself not to look back, she gripped the
steering wheel hard and went far too fast for the first fifteen
minutes. Only after she had about sixty miles between herself and
her murderous husband did she relax and drive normally. After a
few miles with the radio on, the window open and Aris far behind
her, she allowed her shoulders to relax and took in the landscape
of the surrounding forest. It was beautiful.

“I told you I’m not interested.”

Joy’s father stood in front of her at his door. The sight of his
daughter in a wrinkled dress, messy hair and bare feet did nothing
to jog his memory. She was desperate for him to recognize her, but
she knew if she argued with him that he would just get angry.
“Yes, you did tell me that. Which is why today, I’m here to
offer you something new; I’d like to be your roommate!” She
smiled a chipper smile despite being bone tired. The thought of
Aris finding her in a hotel room had kept her driving most of the
night. She had pulled over for the night, but her car wasn’t that
comfortable and she’d only slept a few hours.
“Well, a roommate might be nice.”
Joy stepped a little closer to him. “I’m clean, I’m a hard
worker, and we already like all the same TV shows.”
 At that, Drew Granger’s eyebrows gave a little wiggle of
delight. “You like Judge Hunter? She’s a pistol.”
“Love her!” The two went in and Joy made a beeline for the
bathroom. She cleaned up as much as she could while her dad
settled down in front of the television. She left him to it and went
to check out her old room. There she found some boxes full of old
her clothes and got a new outfit, grateful for once that her dad
hated to throw anything out. It was a little chilly so she pulled on
an old black sweater she had always liked and then walked back
out into the living room.
“Joy, honey.” She turned to see her father fully lucid, his
eyebrows raised in surprise. “When did you get in? Gosh it’s nice
to see you.”
“I flew in yesterday, Dad. Remember, I told you I’m leaving
Aris.”
“I told you not to marry that son of a bitch. I always knew he
was trouble.”
She smiled and rubbed his hand. “You did, Dad. Thanks for
trying. I’ve always had a hard time seeing other people’s bad
sides. I just…” She shook her head. “I just want everyone to be
good, you know?”
He patted her hand and smiled at her. “That’s because you’re
the most innocent little soul on earth. I always said so.”
Her dad’s words brought little pinpricks of tears to her eyes
and she quickly wiped them away. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“Will you stay long?”
“I thought I would stay here a while and help you out with
everything. Would you like that?”
He guffawed. “I don’t need any help. I’m fine.”
Her father turned to the TV as the theme music for Judge
Hunter started. He snatched his hand away from Joy and scowled
at her. “I don’t hold hands with anyone anymore. Except my
daughter Joy. So please don’t do that anymore.”
Joy nodded and swallowed hard. “Sorry about that, Steve. I’ll
be more careful.”

Chapter 2

“Joy? Joy!” The gum-smacking, bottle-blond cashier at the

Swing Through Gas Station ran out from behind the counter and
threw her arms around Joy. The smell of green apple shampoo and
vanilla perfume jogged Joy’s memory—it was Coco.
“Coco, hi.” The two regarded each other for a second, Coco
with a knowing smile and Joy with an awkward grimace. “So,
you’re working here now?”
“Yeah.” Coco gave a little shrug with an eyebrow raise, her
signature expression. “It’s okay I guess. I mean, you know, it’s
easy. What about you? You here on a visit or are you finally
coming back?”
“I moved back home.” Joy put her milk and bologna on the
counter, praying the question and answer session was over.
“Oh.” Coco nodded knowingly. “Your dad.”
“Unfortunately. I just don’t feel like he can live alone
anymore.”
“I get it.” Coco rang up Joy’s purchases and took her money.
“Remember when your dad was our English Lit. teacher and
everyone hated him? We were awful! Do you remember the stuff
we used to do in his class? It must have taken all his strength not
to kill us.”
Joy gritted her teeth but kept a smile on her face. “I
remember.” She grabbed her stuff and walked out, not bothering
with a goodbye. Behind her, Coco was trying to say something but
she couldn’t quite hear it. The door dinged as someone else
walked in and Coco quickly switched gears.
“Terry! Hi. How are the kids?”
Outside, Joy looked around at her little hometown of Stottard,
Wisconsin. She could almost take in the whole place with a couple
of glances. There was the auto shop full of trucks and tractors, the
cafe with the same food they’d served for as long as she could
remember, the two traffic lights. All the homes were scattered in
different directions, the empty space a leftover from the days
when Stottard had been a haven for farmers. There were still a few
farms, but now they grew an ugly, hard corn that was ground up
into a weird mush used by fast food places and food processing
plants. To get actual vegetables a person had to drive about thirty
minutes out of town to a big chain store just off the freeway.
A big sigh came out of Joy. She could hear her younger self
on the phone with her friends. They’d all been so glamorous and
beautiful back then. They could spend all day putting on makeup,
dreaming of big city life, assigning each other future careers like
impressionist painter and the next country music star. None of
them had wanted to stay here, they’d all wanted to run away as
quickly as possible, but only Joy had made it out and she’d only
gone as far as the surrounding mountains.
What had happened to that confidence she’d had not so long
ago? She looked back inside to see Coco in her gas station shirt
and her over-treated hair. Coco had been a queen bee back in high
school. Everyone wanted to be her, to be near her, to get an invite
to her parties. Joy and her friends had never been in the popular
group, but they’d created their own little universe full of books
about other worlds. They’d spend all day dreaming about kings
and queens, building castles in the air so that they could climb
inside. She remembered feeling so special, so ill-suited for a town
like this.
And yet, here she was, right here with all the people she’d
sneered at for so long. Well, that’s what a body got for making
plans. She turned and walked down the path to her father’s house,
wondering if he would remember her this time.
Her dad was having a good day; for the most part he knew
who Joy was and why she was there. She was arranging her old
room and going through her stuff while he wandered in and out of
her doorway, leaning in to ask the same three questions again.
“You’ve really left him?”
“Yes, Dad. Aris and I are through. I can’t take it anymore.”
“You have a lawyer yet?”
“No, not yet. I’ll find one in a couple of days. I just need to
rest. And spend time with you.
“How long are you staying?”
“I really don’t know, Dad. I hope a long time.”
When she said that, he would smile and wander away, singing
a little tune to himself. Joy found herself singing along as she
made her bed.
Take my girl
And you’ll take my world
Wreck my heart and
You’ll tear my soul
You don’t know how hard
I’ve fallen...
She remembered listening to that song with her high school
crush, Zak. What had ever happened to that guy? One day he just
wasn’t at school. Joy could still recall how shocked all their
teachers had been that he seemed to have just dropped out.
“Has anyone seen Zak? Anyone know if something
happened?” They had all been genuinely concerned that such a
sweet, smart student could just vanish without anyone knowing
why or how. Joy had always lived with the guilt of inspiring him
to disappear. She was sure she was the reason.
The two of them had gotten together and had a madly
romantic couple of weeks kissing in the back of the movie theater,
driving around the open country roads outside of town and telling
each other their secrets. Then, suddenly, Aris had come into Joy’s
life and something in her snapped. While Zak was gentle and
genuine, Aris just had that bad boy edge that made Joy’s heart
pound. In a few days she’d made her choice.
“Zak, you’re great. Really. But, I just want Aris. I can’t help
it.”
“What?” The poor kid. He was so shocked he hadn’t said
anything after that, just ran off into the night and left her on her
porch. She’d felt awful, but she was sure she’d made the right
decision. She couldn’t be with one guy if she was in love with
someone else, right? It had seemed so clear to her at the time.
The next day, he was gone. Just like that.
Her room finished, she decided to make lunch for herself and
her dad. He only ate bologna sandwiches these days. She didn’t
mind, but she also really wanted to get some vegetables in his diet.
She wondered how nurses went about sneaking carrots or greens
into their patients’ food. It couldn’t be easy.
“Hey dad, you hungry?”
Her father walked into the kitchen with a scowl. “Why are
you asking me? Aren’t you in charge around here, Brenda? If
you’re hungry, make some food. Just leave some out for me and
I’ll get to it.”
“Sure thing, Steve.”
“And let me know if my daughter calls. I’ve been waiting to
talk to her.”
He stomped out and sat down in a huff. Joy wasn’t sure who
Brenda was, but she was suspicious it was the name of a nurse dad
had hired a while back. He would only be so short with a stranger.
She made herself a sandwich and then one for her father, then
joined him in the living room for an episode of Judge Hunter. The
show was a reality program about a small claims court where the
judge would get fed up with the people who would come to see
her. She often told people they were ridiculous or irresponsible,
much to her father’s delight.
Just as she got settled, a noise started up outside. At first, it
sounded like a weird buzzing, maybe a swarm of bees. After a
moment, Joy realized it was the sound of motorcycles all revving
and speeding down the street. She tried to ignore it but the noise
filled the living room. Her father cranked up the volume on the
TV but it was no use, the roar of the bikes speeding past was too
much for even the loudest setting.
“Damn kids! I hate those biker sons of bitches. I’ve called the
police a hundred times. Never does any good.”
“Bikers?” Joy stood and went to the window, too curious to
let the moment pass. She pushed aside the curtain just as a gang of
bikes turned the corner on their street. The big, gleaming
motorcycles careened around the corner like a parade. The air
throbbed with the power of their engines and the drivers made
sure to rev their engines as much as possible, announcing to the
whole town that they were present and powerful.
She stared at the man who led the group. His deep black hair
and bright eyes were incredibly familiar, but she couldn’t place
him. Had they gone to school together?
Her father joined her at the window, scowling again. “I just
hate to see that nice boy throw his life away like that. His parents
didn’t raise him that way.”
“Who?”
“What do you mean who? The leader! Your ex-boyfriend,
Zak. That’s his gang and that’s him right there in the lead. I tell
you, he is not the kid I remember. No, sir. For a long time, I hoped
you’d marry him. Now I hope you never go near Zak Mansing
again.”
Joy’s heart stopped. Zak? No, it couldn’t be. Zak had loved
reading, had spent long afternoons in the woods watching the
birds and keeping an eye out for deer. Zak had been a volunteer at
the church, a good student, a nice son to his parents. Now he was
in a gang? She could hardly wrap her head around it.
The gang came back around and Joy stared out the window to
get another look at the man who, long ago, had been her first
boyfriend. For just a moment, he turned and saw her in the
window. Did he give her a little smile, or was that her
imagination? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that her heart was
going a million miles an hour. She couldn’t remember the last
time a man had made her so excited.
Over the next few days, the mood of the town shifted.
Apparently, the gang wasn’t there all the time, just once every few
weeks. Everyone was a little more jumpy, a little less smiley when
they were close by. Joy saw the difference instantly. Even Coco
from the gas station seemed like a different person when she went
in to buy some juice and eggs one morning.
“Hi Coco. How are you?”
“Good, thanks. That will be five dollars and eighty cents.”
Shocked at Coco’s poker face, she put the money down.
Then, she heard them. The motorcycle engines revving like crazy
as they drove straight for the station. She turned and hoped she’d
have time to leave before they came in, but no such luck. By the
time Coco had passed over her change, they were there. They
parked so that they blocked the door and no one could leave. The
group walked in with a tough swagger, throwing the door open
and stationing one member in the doorway so no one could get in.
A bearded man in a black leather jacket approached the
counter. “Hi Coco. How’re you?”
 “You guys have to pay for your stuff. You don’t get to come
in here and loot my store. It’s not okay.”
Joy backed up and tried to make herself as small as possible
as the two had their stand-off, Coco demanding money while the
bearded man insisted she worried too much. All around Joy,
members of the gang were helping themselves to packaged cakes,
bottles of soda, hot dogs from the spinning cooker and burritos
from the fridge. All the food went right into their pockets or
straight into their mouths. No one reached for their wallets.
Seeing a free corner, Joy made her way towards it, avoiding
eye contact as much as possible. Without meaning to, she bumped
into a shoulder and mumbled a “sorry.”
“That’s okay. Hey, wait a minute.” A hand grabbed hers and
stopped her. “Joy? Is that you?”
Zak’s eyes looked just like she remembered, blue as a
summer sky and just as clear. To her surprise, the sweetness she
remembered was still evident in those eyes. She smiled back.
“It’s me. I just came back to town.”
“Wow. You know you look exactly the same.”
“No! You’re flattering me.”
“I’m not.” He smiled and squeezed her hand a little more.
She didn’t pull away. The two stared at each other for a long
moment, then started laughing. Joy wasn’t sure what about;
although Zak and his friends robbing a store while they played
catch up was kind of funny.
“Hey,” he said, still holding her hand. “What are you doing
tonight? You want to get together and catch up?”
She looked around at his crew. All of them looked pretty
rough. Even the pretty ladies in the group had a hardness in their
eyes that made Joy very nervous. The ripped up jeans, the leather
jackets, the shirts proclaiming their love of different brands of
alcohol, all of it seemed to add up to a bad idea.
 “I don’t know, Zak. My dad needs a lot of help. I better stay
in tonight.”
“Alright, you’re playing hard to get. I understand.” He picked
her hand up and looked at it, then looked her in the eye. “But you
know you’ll go out with me one day. I don’t know when, I just
know it’s going to happen. And so do you.”
He gave her hand a kiss, then gently lowered it back down to
let it go. “Alright, troops! Let’s roll out.” He signaled for their exit
by making a big circle around the top of his head with his hand
and without protest the group filed out, got on their bikes, and
roared off. Joy and Coco watched them leave, Coco with her arms
crossed and red-faced. Joy’s eyes stayed on Zak. She couldn’t
seem to look away. He looked back at her and they held eye
contact for a long time, both of them smiling. She watched until
he pulled away, and he and his crew disappeared into the distance.
Of course, she wasn’t going to go on a date with him; that would
be massively stupid. Just the thought made her shake her head at
the absurdity of the idea. But she couldn’t forget those beautiful
eyes. They followed her everywhere she went for the rest of the
day.

Chapter 3

Joy’s father had good days and bad. Sometimes, he wanted to

dance in the living room, stay up late and eat chocolate ice cream
or sing songs with his daughter. He seemed delighted to have her
back in his life. Today, however, was not one of those days.
“Brenda, call my daughter, will you? I haven’t heard from her
in ages. I’m worried.”
Orders to call herself were always given without eye contact.
She hated it when she had to be Brenda. Brenda was unwanted,
unrecognized. If Dad experienced any joy, he was loathe to share
it with her when she became this other person to him. It made her
heart sink down into her stomach.
Tonight, she thought she would try something. She walked
over to the phone on the wall and picked up the receiver, covertly
unplugging the connection so she could press the numbers without
calling anyone.
“You remember her number?”
“Sure thing, Steve. I’ve got it memorized.” She waited a few
seconds, then put on her little performance.
“Hello, is Joy there? Oh great, could I speak to her, please?
Yes, I can wait.” In the next room, the volume on the TV got
lower and she could hear her dad leaning so far back in his
lounger that it gave a big creak. “Joy? Hi! It’s Brenda, your Dad’s
helper. Oh, we’re fine. We just wanted to call and see if you could
manage a visit sometime soon. Really? You don’t say! Well, that
would be just wonderful. He will be thrilled. I’ll tell him right
now. Bye, Joy.”
She hung up and saw that her father’s head was peeking
around the doorway, anxious for news. “Well?” His eyebrows
were almost all the way up his forehead. “What did she say?”
“She was missing you so much and so happy to hear that you
were thinking of her that she’s coming to see you. She’ll be in first
thing tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.” He put his hand on his chest,
warming the space around his heart. When he looked up, he had
the beginnings of tears in his eyes. “She was the best thing that
ever happened to me, you know? We didn’t plan her, we just went
for it. Being parents. She was my one impulsive decision and I
don’t regret it. Not for a minute.” He looked up at her and
instantly got annoyed. “What are you crying for? She’s not your
daughter!” He huffed and stormed out of the room like a little boy,
leaving Joy to hold her own heart.
 The next morning, she woke up excited to see if her father
would be back in Dad mode or if he would be her cranky patient
again. She jumped up to make his coffee and get his bagels in the
toaster. Dad really needed to cut back on bread. Well, that was for
another day; today she prayed he would be happy.
He shuffled out of his room and gave her a big smile. “Good
morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep alright?”
She ran over and gave him a big hug. “I did, Daddy. Thanks.”
He hugged her back. “Aren’t you sweet? You know, I had a
memory come back to me last night.”
“What was that?”
“Do you remember that time we missed each other so much
that you just dropped everything and came out here for a visit? All
it took was one quick phone call from that cow, Brenda and you
ran out here like a shot.” He patted her cheek. “That’s what I
always loved about you, dear. You’ve always known just when
you’re needed.”
The rest of the day was a nice one. The weather was mild and
great for puttering around in the garden, so she and her father
tooled around outside. When he asked her if she would go and
pick up some chocolate ice cream at the store outside of town, she
went happily, checking to make sure nothing had been left on or
locked before she went.
“Anything else you need, Dad?”
He handed her some cash. “Get something for yourself.
You’re a sweetheart, you deserve it.”
She ran out to the car and flew down the street, hoping if she
hurried that Dad’s memory would hold out for the rest of the
night.
As soon as she pulled into the parking lot, she saw them. The
line of motorcycles right at the entrance. She swallowed and
parked as far back as she could, uncertain what to do next. Then
she saw the gang’s guard posted outside the door. They looked at
each other for a moment, then he turned to the inside of the store
to talk to someone. When he turned back to her, he gave her a big,
come-on-over wave. She pointed to herself; me? He nodded.
Gulping, she walked towards the big, carefully guarded doors and
the big, bearded man standing with his hands in his pockets.
She could see herself reflected in his shades, the two women
in his dark eyes looking pale and shaky as he stared at her,
expressionless.
“Zak says come in and take what you want. You have the
protection of The Beasts.” He stepped aside and let her through.
Inside, the small group of customers who had been cornered
by the gang were standing in the back of the store near the
pharmacy, doing everything they could to blend in with the wall.
One of the women in the group of nervous shoppers looked at Joy
and then quickly looked away. Joy recognized her, but wasn’t sure
what her name was. She was about to join her and her silent
cohort when she got a tap on the shoulder.
“Hey! Nice to see you again.” Zak opened his arms and gave
her a big hug. She couldn’t help inhaling his warm, country-boy
scent while they hugged. He smelled like dusty roads and pine
trees, like old, beat-up trucks and barbecues. When he pulled
away, he gave her his signature, bad boy smile. “So, you need
something?”
“I’m just here to get some ice cream for my dad.” She
pointed a finger into his chest. “And I intend to pay for it. I
appreciate the invitation into the store with your… friends, but I’m
here to buy, not take.”
He immediately put an innocent look on his face and his hand
on his chest as if he were deeply offended. “Hey, we keep this
town safe! Do you know how many rival gangs would be here if
we weren’t? We’re unarmed and friendly, but the neighboring
crews know better than to cross us. And hey.” He gestured to the
store. “Everybody needs to eat.”
He took her by the arm and walked her by the vegetables and
snacks, then around the corner to dairy section. “How have you
been? You and Aris get married?”
“We’re divorced, actually.” She quickly crossed and
uncrossed her fingers as she said it. After all, it wasn’t entirely
untrue.
“Sorry to hear that.” He sighed and stared off into
thedistance. “Aris was such a great guy. I mean, great enough for
you to leave me for him.”
“Zak, I want you to know that I’ve never forgiven myself for
—” The sight of his smile and the twinkle in his eye stopped her.
She smacked his arm. “You really had me going! You big jerk.”
She laughed as he feigned a seriously injured arm. “Alright, knock
it off.”
He stopped her and turned her so she faced him directly.
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up about something that happened in
high school. You were just following your heart. Most people
don’t have the courage, but you went for it. So what if he wasn’t
the right guy? You still have time to meet someone.”
He turned and continued towards the freezer section before
she could respond, still leading her by the arm as if they were
walking down the red carpet. All around them were members of
Zak’s gang, all of whom were careful to give them a wide berth as
they walked past the glass doors filled with a rainbow of ice cream
flavors. Joy noticed how reluctant everyone was to approach or
even cross paths with Zak as they perused the flavors. What had
he told them about her?
“So,” Zak asked, leaning against one of the freezers, “we’re
looking for ice cream for your dad.”
“Yes.”
 “And you insist on paying for it?”
“I do.”
He gave a little shrug. “I can’t remember the last time I
passed up free food. But, if you insist on paying, you should at
least get something good. What does he like?”
She smiled as he seriously considered all the different flavors.
He was so incredibly good-looking, and his face looked so young.
It was hard for her to believe they were the same age.
“He loves chocolate. Any kind of chocolate.”
Zak opened a glass door and took out a tub of Death by
Chocolate. “Well, this is chocolate with about five other kinds of
chocolate and chocolate crunchies swirled in. Will that do?”
“Perfect.” She held it and smiled at him for a moment and he
smiled back. “Zak, I know you’ve got this whole motorcycle gang
thing happening and I have no idea what your personal life is, but
I just want you to know…” She cleared her throat, suddenly
nervous. He took one of her hands and she let him hold it for a
moment. “I want you to know that I always wonder what my life
would have been like if I’d stayed with you. You know what I
mean?”
He looked down at the ground, swinging her hand back and
forth like a teenager. “Well, I don’t know that you would have
been happy with me. My life took an interesting turn just after we
broke up.”
Leading her by the hand, he pulled her away from the freezer
and down towards the only operating cashier. Joy couldn’t help
but note how gently he touched her. She didn’t feel nervous
around him at all but rather trusted him immediately. Her nerves
felt as if they had been smoothed down by a strong hand, allowing
her to let Zak take control of the conversation without feeling as if
he was bossing her around or threatening her. It was like learning
to breathe again.
 “So what was it that drove you away?”
“Joy…” Zak pulled her in for a hug as she pulled out her
wallet to pay for the ice cream. “If I told you, I doubt you’d
believe me.”
“What do you mean?”
He started to say something, but then stopped himself and
just shook his head. Unsure what was happening, Joy handed her
money over to the fuming cashier and didn’t say anything, just
looked at Zak. There was something in his eyes, but she wasn’t
sure how to define it. Who was this crazy guy she was looking at?
The leader of a motorcycle gang, or something else?
The cashier, a scrawny teenager, bagged the ice cream and
thrust it at Joy, glaring at Zak. “See? Your friend can pay for food
and whatever. You and your lackies can do the same.”
He didn’t react, just stayed relaxed with his hands in his jean
pockets. He blew a kiss to Joy and then chucked the cashier under
the chin. “Bye ladies.” He went back into the depths of the store,
leaving the both of them to watch him go back into the mayhem
his crew was creating. Joy turned to leave, the doors only opening
for her because the guard at the door reactivated the censor as she
approached. Behind her, the door locked, holding in the gang and
keeping the rest of the world out.
Joy drove back and focused on the scenery on the open road;
the farms, the fruit stands, the small houses. She found herself
unable to stop smiling as she remembered her romantic walk
through the grocery store. The whole thing had felt like an
elaborate set-up, as if she’d been on the set of a romantic movie
and played the leading woman being seduced by the handsome
young man.
Maybe one day they would go on a real date. Of course, she
was technically still married and Aris could show up at any
minute, and her father would string her up by her toes if she went
out with a man who ran a motorcycle gang. Still… a date with Zak
might just be worth risking her ex-husband’s wrath and the
possibility of being disowned by her only remaining family
member. It would be just perfect.
The next morning, Joy went out on a mission; she had the
name and address of a small law office and she was shopping for a
divorce. She drove to the small office, which turned out to be near
the same grocery store where she’d last seen Zak. Her heart sped
up for a moment; would she see him again? Today it was quiet;
normal shoppers who felt no need to set up guards at the door
streamed in and out of the automatic doors. The Law Offices of
Bramble & Bramble sat quietly in the tall grass and when Joy
walked in she was greeted by a receptionist who put her finger to
her lips, asking her to respect the silence. She nodded her head in
deference and then took a seat.
After being escorted in, she was greeted by a chubby lawyer
with wild, curly hair and five o’clock shadow on his face. He
wiped the sweat from his brow and regarded her for a moment.
“So,” he started, tilting his head. “I’m guessing we’re drawing up
some divorce papers today.”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
“Hmm…” He took out a couple of forms and started shooting
questions at her.
“Did he cheat on you?”
“Yes, many times.”
“Ever hit you?”
“Constantly.”
“You ever call the police on him?”
“I tried a couple of times, but they’re all his drinking buddies.
He’d just invite them out for a drink and they’d look the other
way.”
This continued for a long while, Bramble asking questions
and Joy answering yes to almost all of them. By the time they
were done, they had an impressive list of reasons for Joy to leave
Aris. Seeing all the boxes ticked yes made her marvel at the
marriage she’d just left.
Bramble stared at it as well, not speaking. Finally, he cleared
his throat and leaned forward. “Honey,” he said, his face falling.
“How did you last one day in this marriage?”
Joy laughed at loud at the question; how indeed? Looking at
this long list of reasons to leave and perfectly good causes for
divorce really made her wonder what had kept her in Aris’
clutches.
She shrugged. “I guess I just loved him. That’s all.”
“Do you still?”
Joy shook her head no, slowly. “No. Not at all. Now that I’m
away from him, I never want to see him again.”
Chapter 4

“Joy? Joy! Phone for you!” Joy’s dad let the receiver hang
from the landline phone in the kitchen and shuffled away. Judge
Hunter was on so his attention was devoted to the TV. Joy walked
to the phone, heart pounding. Was this an old friend? Aris raging
at the divorce papers that had arrived at his house? Or someone
else? She lifted the phone to her ear, biting her lip in anticipation.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Joy. It’s Zak. Can you talk for a moment?”
“Zak!” There it was again, that thrum in her chest. How was
he able to do her in with just a hello? “Hi. Yes, I can talk. How are
you?”
“Good, good. Listen, we’re all getting together at a bonfire
tonight. I thought I could take you out on my bike, introduce you
to some friends and show you the stars. What do you think?”
 She giggled like a teenager, then blushed at how silly she
sounded. “You think I haven’t seen stars?”
“Well…” Now it was his turn to giggle. “I think you’ve seen
some of those second-rate stars, but I know where the best, most
beautiful stars are in the sky. You won’t believe it.”
Joy curled the phone wire around her fingers, already
mentally out with Zak. “I guess I could go out for a while. As long
as you don’t get me home too late. You know my dad can’t be on
his own all night. He might, I don’t know, go for a random drive
or something.”
“Oh, of course. I would never get in the way of that. Don’t
worry.” He took a breath and calmed himself down. “I mean, I’ll
have you home by eleven. Can I pick you up around seven thirty?”
Joy looked at her dad, thoroughly absorbed in his show and
yelling at the screen. She’d have time to make him some
sandwiches before she left and there was ice cream in the freezer.
He would be okay. “Sure. Seven thirty. And you better deliver on
those stars.”
He laughed, smiling so big she could almost see it through
the phone. “You got it. I’ll pick you up at your place.”
Before Joy could ask him not to drive his bike to the house,
he hung up. There was no way her dad would be okay with a loud
motorcycle pulling up to the house and her jumping on the back.
How was she going to play this? She bit her lip and moved to the
living room to join her dad in the extra recliner.
He looked over at her with a scowl. “What’s eating you,
Brenda?”
Her breath caught for a moment—he thought she was Brenda.
Maybe she could swing the motorcycle chauffeur after all. “Oh,
it’s my brother. He’s supposed to pick me up today, but he traded
in his car for a motorcycle. I’m just a little nervous about riding on
it.”
 Steve dismissed the comment with a gesture. “Don’t be such
a baby. Just take my leather jacket and wear a helmet.” He turned
to look at her with a wicked smile. “That way, if you crash, at least
your top half won’t get scattered all over the road.” He laughed
loudly at his own joke, then turned back to the show.
Joy stood and walked to the closet. She remembered that old
jacket; it was her dad’s favorite from the sixties. In the hall closet,
she flipped through the winter coats and fall parkas, hopeful this
beautiful old jacket really was in there. Just as she was about to
give up, she found it. It was shoved into a corner on the top shelf.
She took it down and shook it out. It was a little dusty and had
some odd folds in it, but overall it was in great shape. She slipped
it on and found that it fit pretty well; the style at the time was a
slimmer fit, so the jacket didn’t have any bulk to it but rather hung
well from her small shoulders. She went to the bathroom mirror
and admired her reflection for a moment, turning from side to
side. She grabbed a tube of red lipstick and dabbed on a bit of
color, then fluffed her curly hair a bit to make it look like she’d
just been out on the road.
“Hi Zak,” she said to the mirror. “Oh, this? It’s just an old
jacket I found in the closet. No one was using it so…” She posed
with an arched back, her legs apart. I look good, she thought. Like,
biker chick good.
“Brenda! You find my jacket?”
“Yeah, I did. You sure you don’t mind if I wear it? It’s a
classic.”
Harrumphing his way up from his chair, her father walked
into the bathroom to see for himself. He looked at her for a long
while, mouth open. “Brenda,” he whispered, his voice hoarse, “I
don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so lovely.”
Joy fought the urge to throw her arms around her dad,
hugging herself instead. “Thanks, Steve. I mean it.”
 As promised, at seven thirty on the dot, a huge, gleaming
motorcycle pulled into the driveway. Joy practically squealed at
the sight; she hadn’t been on a date in years and now, here she
was, living the dream. She could hardly believe what she was
seeing.
There was Zak with his gleaming back hair, his shades
propped up on the shock of hair so that she could see his blue
eyes. She waved to him from the kitchen window and he waved
back, all smiles.
“Bye, Steve! I’ll be back tomorrow!”
“Bye, Brenda. Be careful.”
Free from all responsibilities for the moment, she ran out to meet
Zak and the two threw their arms around each other and held on
tight. Joy marveled at how good and how natural it felt to hold
him in her arms, as if they’d been specifically designed for the
job.
“Hi,” she mumbled, still holding on.
“Hi. Good to see you.” Hi lips brushed her ear as he talked
and she could smell that familiar, wild country boy scent again.
Her knees turned to liquid for just a moment, then she collected
herself. It was just a date, after all.
“Okay,” she said, swinging her leg up and over the seat, the
wrapping her arms and legs around Zak. “Let’s get to this
bonfire.”
He revved up the engine and tilted his head back, yelling
something to her, but she couldn’t make out a word. She opened
her mouth to ask what he’d said, but they tore off down the road
and her “What?” turned into a “Woohoo!”
The fire was out in the foothills just between Stottard and the
next town. They had a beautiful view of the woods below and all
around them from the high vantage point on top of the boulder
where they’d built the fire. The flames made the rock below them
glow like a lantern and the smoke rose and twisted into the air as
if it were a natural part of the scenery, as if this rock had just been
waiting for a fire to come along. Below the boulder was a ring of
motorcycles and some gang stragglers yelling up to the main
group on the top as they grilled kabobs for the group. The smell of
charred meat wafted all around the party and smelled even more
tempting as it mingled with the scent of the woods. Joy sat and
took it all in as she leaned against Zak who propped her up like a
chair. The two of them listened to the raucous conversation around
them, laughing at the crazy stories of the gang and their
adventures and their bawdy jokes.
Joy turned to ask a man named Greg for another beer, and as
she turned her head, she saw something. She wasn’t sure what she
saw, but suddenly Greg seemed huge and hulking. His face didn’t
look human, it seemed wild and vicious. Joy almost screamed, but
then everything turned back to normal just as quickly. Greg looked
like himself, but there was an odd glow to his eyes.
“Greg?” She reached out for him and he raised his eyebrows
in surprise.
“What’s up, buttercup?”
“I, uh, I was just wondering if I could get another beer.”
Greg gave her an exaggerated bow. “It would be my honor.”
He yelled down to the food crew below and a beer flew up
towards him; he caught it mid-air. “Here you are.”
“Thank you, sir.” She nodded in appreciation, but as she
cracked it open, she felt odd. What exactly was this motorcycle
gang? Was there a reason they stayed so separate for everyone
else? She couldn’t be sure.
She turned her attention back to the gathering and members
Petunia and Lisa who were re-enacting a bad date one of them had
been on recently.
“Hey baby. How about we find out if your clothes look this
good on my floor?”
 Gasping in shock, Lisa slapped Petunia away with a big show
of melodrama. “Oh, you cad! You horrible man! Get away from
me this instant.” She flounced away while her pursuer stood,
mouth open in dumbfounded shock, much to the amusement of the
group. While everyone was laughing, Zak leaned down to whisper
something in her ear.
“Hey, I promised you some juicy stars. Want to go see them?”
Smiling, she nodded and let him take her by the hand over to
the side of the boulder with a metal ladder going down the side.
They went down carefully while the group let out a loud chorus of
oohs and aahs as they went, teasing them for slipping away.
“Watch yourself, honey. He’s a heartbreaker!”
“And a pelvis breaker, if you know what I mean.”
They walked away giggling, leaving the group behind to
speculate as to their actions.
Zak led Joy through a bramble of low-hanging branches, over
a small brook, and then around a quick switch back in the path.
They emerged into a small meadow tucked away in the trees. The
ground was covered in soft, feathery grass and, as promised, the
stars and the moon were clearly visible from here, even a little
brighter.
“Wow!” She stepped out into the center of the opening,
taking in the sky and the air around here. The space felt so
magical. She felt as if a fairy would fly up to her face or an
ancient god was about to pass through.
Her date hung back, watching her. She turned around and
looked at him, her face animated with the moment. “Zak, this is so
beautiful.”
He stepped in and took her hand. “Then it’s a good place for
you.” He stared at her face for a long time, his soft eyes taking in
every detail of her face. “You always were so lovely. Back in high
school you were the prettiest thing I’d ever seen and you still are
today. It’s amazing.”
She blushed and squeezed his hand. “Stop it.”
“I won’t.” He pulled her into to his side and pointed to the
sky. “You see those three, extra bright stars over there that make
kind of a stretched out triangle?”
“Yeah. That’s the tail of Ursa Major, the bear.”
He looked at her in surprise. “You know it?”
“Again, you act like I’ve never seen stars before.”
He raised his hands in a mock surrender. “Hey, I stand
corrected. Anyway, I wanted to show you this place because it’s
one of the best places to see this constellation. It’s always been my
favorite.”
“It’s beautiful. I can see why this place and this constellation
is your favorite.” She turned to him, remembering the moment
back at the party when Greg had suddenly changed. “Hey, I need
to ask you about something.”
He put his arms up on her shoulders, listening. “What’s up?”
“I don’t really know. I think you’re going to think I’m nuts.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ve always believed you were
crazy.”
She gave him a little punch in the chest, laughing. “Well, then
I guess I’ll just tell you. I was talking to Greg and for a moment,
he looked like a massive animal. Like, he seemed to change for a
moment.”
Zak didn’t laugh, but rather got a serious expression on his
face and focused on the grass below him. “Joy,” he said, not
looking at her, “there’s a lot about me that I want to explain to
you, but I don’t know if I can. Life really did change for me when
I left town, in a lot of unexpected ways.” He looked at her and
sighed. “I guess, I don’t really have the words to describe what’s
up with me.”
Joy took in the moment, sure that Zak would tell her if he
could. She looked into his pained face; what was he carrying
inside him? “Maybe,” she said, stepping closer to him, “you can’t
tell me because, we don’t entirely trust each other yet. It has been
a long time.”
He moved his hands into her hair, sliding his fingers into her
blond curls. “Maybe. Maybe, we could change that.” Pulling her
head towards him, he brought her in for a deep, passionate kiss.
She wrapped her arms around him, so excited that a loud moan
escaped her.
Zak sank down to his knees, pulling her down with him. He
covered her neck in kisses, making her tilt her head back and open
the neck of her shirt so he could go lower. His hands slid up
underneath her bra and cupped her breasts. She shrugged off her
jacket and pulled her shirt up over her head, her bra following
quickly behind.
His own jacket and shirt followed and he held her to his
naked torso, his searing skin almost burning hers. The two of them
kissed like they’d never felt the lips of another person before, both
of them mad with the feel of the other’s mouth on them. Zak
grabbed her hair and pulled, arching her back so that her breasts
pointed out and she was looking up into the sky. Above her, Ursa
Major glowed so brightly that she could see the bear in the sky,
growling down at the earth, pawing the ground with a passion of
its own.
When he released her hair, Joy was taken by how bright Zak’s
eyes were. They appeared to be glowing just as brightly as the
stars. She was about to ask him what was happening when he
kissed her again, harder this time.
“Joy,” he whispered. “I want you right here, right now.”
“Here? In the meadow?”
 “I can’t think of a better place.” His fingers traveled up her
rib cage and then moved over to her breast. She thought of
stopping him, of making him wait, but it felt too good to be
touched like that. His other hand was in her hair, grabbing her
long, blond locks at the roots and pulling back just a little. “Joy…
Joy… I need you…”
Without a word, she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs
around his waist. “Take me then.”
He quickly lowered her down onto the grass, pulling her onto
his lap. “God, you look amazing,” They wrapped their arms
around one another, pressed their chests together and just let the
heat between them intensify. Gently setting Joy on the ground,
Zak stood, pulling off the rest of his clothes. Joy sat up at the sight
of him completely nude; his body was taught with square, defined
muscles that made his shoulders extra wide and his arms round
and hard. Zak’s waist was small and his butt was surprisingly
round, almost as round as hers. Even his ankles and his toes
looked extremely strong, as if he could scale huge boulders or tall
oaks with just his firm digits.
“And you,” Joy reached out to his chest and touched it gently,
“you look incredible. You’re so, I mean, you’re in such great
shape.” She looked up and down his body without any sense of
shame.
“Think so?” He stood in the moonlight and she propped
herself up on one side to see him pose. He stood with authority in
the space in front of her, flexing his arms and legs, every part of
his body in full view. Even his cock was strong and tall. Joy
couldn’t help noticing that it was so erect that it pointed straight
up at the trees.
“Yeah. I do.” She stood and slipped off her shoes.
Unbuckling her jeans, she let them fall to the ground so she could
step out of them. Her panties were lacy white and glowed a little
bit in the moonlight. She hooked her thumbs in the waistband and
pulled them down, then stood naked in front of her former
boyfriend so that he could take her in. It amazed her, how good it
felt to be seen as a sexual creature, to be looked at with so much
lust.
Looking at her, a low, animal growl came out of him. She
stood there across from him without moving, spread her hands,
and closed her eyes. She heard those powerful feet walk across the
grass to her, then felt his big arms sweep her up and then float her
down to the ground. Without opening her eyes, she opened her
legs and felt him push himself into her.
She arched her back, snapped her eyes open and let out a big
gasp as thrust into her. She took him in with the earth under her
and the sky below her, moving her body with his as they rocked
against both, him holding up the sky on his shoulders and her
feeling the gently spinning earth below her. Zak lowered his head
to hers and kissed her gently. They kept moving together, their
love making shifting between gentle, loving union to wild,
animalistic rutting. It took Joy a long time to feel herself start to
climax, but when she felt it building she bit Zak’s ear.
“Let me get on all fours. I want you to take me from behind.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He sat up on his knees and
Joy turned so she was facing the earth. She looked at him over her
shoulder with a hungry expression. “Come here,” she said. “I need
you.”
He moved behind her and kissed the back of her neck, felt her
rounded ass with his hands and gave her a little spanking. She
froze. “Don’t do that. I don’t like that.”
“I won’t.” He kissed the small of her back and his mouth
travelled down to her buttocks as if offering them an apology. She
giggled and he straightened up to make love to her again, sliding
his big, hard cock into the wet space between her legs.
“Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes.” He moved in and out of her and she
moaned louder, her orgasm building up from deep inside her. She
hadn’t experienced a true climax for a long time; not since her
first year of marriage. She could feel how much Zak wanted her,
how badly he wanted her to feel sexy and worshipped and that
turned her on even more. The cock sliding in and out of her was
rubbing against a particularly sensitive spot inside her, a little
patch of skin that begged to be touched and now it was practically
singing.
She felt her arms shake underneath her. Behind closed eyes,
she could see little pings of light jumping and growing into small
bursts, and then giant explosions. “I’m coming! I’m coming!”
He pumped his cock into her harder and deeper. “I want to
feel you come, Joy. Come for me.”
Her voice built up into a high, wild scream that went up to the
trees. She could feel Zak driving into her, his hips smacking her
ass in a fast rhythm. Her voice came out in little cries as her
climax took her over and then crashed through her body, lighting
up all of her nerves from her toes to the top of her head.
“Yes! Yes! Oh, yes, yes, yes.” She laughed as the sensation of
the orgasm took her out of her body. She’d forgotten how
wonderful it was to just surrender to sex, to feel the amazing
sensation of her whole body letting go of the entire world, even
the one inside her in constant turmoil.
Zak grabbed her tightly, pressing her back into his chest. She
felt his cock pump up and down inside her as he came and he let
out a loud, savage growl. Then, he went slack against her and
kissed the back of her neck and shoulders. They were both sweaty
and spent and blissfully happy.
Joy turned her head back to look at Zak. “Lay down with
me.” She turned around, laying down in the grass, and Zak fell on
the ground beside her. They held hands and stared up at the stars.
Each of them could hear the other one breathe, could see each
other’s chests rising and falling. Joy closed her eyes and let go of
everything she thought she’d known about herself. She wasn’t a
wife or a battered woman or a little girl lost. She was a sexual
being who took her pleasure in the woods and called up to the
stars when she climaxed. She was an incredible creature and right
at that moment she knew she’d never go back to being the woman
she’d been before.

Chapter 5

Zak bit into Joy’s shoulder, making her gasp out loud. “Oh,
yeah, bite me. Bite me!” He pulled back and grabbed her face with
his hand, looking at her intensely for a moment. He went back in
for a deep, passionate kiss, pulling her hair with his strong hand.
She moaned deeply and ran her fingers through his hair,
loving the feel of his strength, his muscles shifting under his skin.
He let her go and slipped out of his leather jacket and then
whipped off his shirt, revealing his beautiful pectorals and biceps.
Was it her imagination or did his eyes just light up for a moment?
No, they couldn’t have. Joy laid back in the surrounding, feathery
soft grass and reached up to stroke his chest. He smiled back at
her, then slowly unbuttoned her blouse.
The two of them had been making love almost constantly
since their first night out together. Joy couldn’t explain it; she was
like a woman possessed when it came to Zak’s physical affections.
He waited until she called him from the house, then roared up to
get her on his bike and the two of them would take off to another
little hideaway in the woods. He seemed to know where every
clearing, every little creek and treasure trove of wild berries could
be found. He appeared to be just as desperate to be with her as she
was to be with him; the two of them ran to each other, tore one
another clothes off and fell into one another’s arms without a
moment’s hesitation.
Zak took a breath and laid down on top of Joy for a moment,
their stomachs sticking to one another in the summer heat. They
snuggled like that in the afternoon sun as it scattered through the
leaves and across their faces. Zak kissed her cheek and then her
eyelids.
“Joy,” he whispered, “I don’t know what’s happening to me.
It’s like you’ve melted my brain. You’re all I think of all day
long.”
“I know.” She pushed him off her and turned onto her side,
tracing her fingers along his shoulders and neck, smiling warmly
at him. “I’ve never been so…” She paused, watching his face. He
raised his eyebrows and she quickly stole a little kiss before going
on. “So, taken with someone. It’s like, when you’re away from
me, I actually ache. I can’t stand it. I just need you to—” She
kissed his neck all over. “—to keep—” She moved down to his
chest, sliding her tongue all over it. “—making love to me. As
much as you can. You’re my drug, Zak. I’m addicted to you.”
She kissed her way down the center of his torso, exploring his
sculpted muscles with her fingers as she continued lower and
lower. Zak rolled onto his back and put his hands behind his head,
letting her unzip his pants and pull his cock out so that it stood tall
and proud in the sunlight.
Zak had a lot of reasons to feel confident and sure of himself,
but one of those reasons was definitely his large, perfectly shaped
penis. Joy was a little embarrassed at how much time she spent
thinking about it. She’d never seen anything like it. A porn star
could only wish for the genital perfection that Zak had in his
pants.
She stroked the shaft up and down for a moment, the tilted
her head forward and took him into her mouth. Her head pumped
in a steady rhythm, making Zak’s eyes roll back in pure ecstasy.
He arched his back and grabbed one of her hands, squeezing it
tight.
“Oh. Oh my god. Oh, Joy!” She went a little faster, the cock
in her mouth as hard as the boulders around them. She knew he
would maintain that erection for a long time, longer than she could
hold out, but she liked doing this for him nonetheless. It had never
appealed to her before, but with Zak she wanted to have every
kind of sex she could imagine; she had no boundaries or
inhibitions. She sucked harder and loved the sound of Zak
groaning more, feeling his fingers in her hair as they struggled to
get control.
“Joy, Joy, stop. I want you on top of me.”
She kissed her favorite penis in the world before sitting up to
slide off her shirt and unhook her tiny, pink bra. Standing, she slid
out of her shorts and threw them onto his face. Naked, she stood in
the sunlight and the woods for a moment, enjoying the feel of the
warm sunshine on her breasts and stomach, her shoulders and
legs.
Zak stared at his naked paramour smiling down at him. She
looked like a wood nymph standing on the grass, surrounded by
dogwood trees and their soft, pink flowers. He laid back and
smiled. She snapped and pointed down at him.
“Pants off. Now.”
“Yes, my love.” He slid his pants down and kicked them off.
She stood with a foot on either side of his pelvis. She put her
hands on her hips and looked down at him.
“Now,” she said. “Tell me I’m beautiful.”
“You’re so beautiful.”
She lowered down directly towards his cock, stopping just
above it. “Tell me you want me.”
“I want you,” he complied, his heart pounding with the
promise of sex being so unbearably close. “I want you more than
you know.”
She gently guided his cock into her, still in a perfect squat
above him. Gradually, he disappeared into her and their bodies
met. She took a moment to grind her hips into his. “I want you,
too. I want you to fuck me hard.”
 “You want it hard?”
“Yeah.” She started moving up and down on Zak, loving the
feel of his cock going in and out of her, the earth below them and
the blue sky above them.
Below her, Zak surrendered to her, letting her bounce up and
down on top of him and take over the situation. She grunted on
top of him, her breasts jostling as she moved, her thighs slapping
into him. After a moment, she swung a leg up and over him and
turned around so that she was backwards on top of him.
The sight of her perfect ass put Zak over the edge. He
stopped her with a hand on the small of her back and lifted her off
of him, quickly getting into position behind her. With the both of
them on their hands and knees, he took over, holding her by her
hips and driving into her as hard as he could.
“You’re mine. You’re mine. I love you and I want you and I
need you. Say you love me!”
“I love you! I love you, Zak!”
The both of them felt a huge climax building up inside them
and then crested over it together. Joy leaned her head back into
Zak and he tilted his head to the sky. She screamed with the
orgasm that took over her body and he roared into the sky. Joy was
too wrapped up in the moment to realize that he sounded exactly
like a bear.
Done with their lovemaking, the two dressed and jumped on
Zak’s bike. They never had more than few hours together as Zak
constantly had to organize his crew; they needed goals to meet
every day, plans for future travel and of course, food.
Joy was floored by how much the group ate. They seemed
insatiable, constantly on the lookout for their next meal, their next
big barbecue or party. Joy swore she could hear their stomachs
grumbling on an almost constant basis. Once she was standing
next to Clay, a younger member of the motorcycle crew, and she
actually saw his stomach tremble with hunger.
 “What is it with you guys and food?” she had asked once.
Zak just shrugged. “We’re out in the fresh air all day. You
know how mother nature can build up an appetite. Don’t worry.”
He had changed the subject right away, but Joy never forgot how
reluctant he was to discuss the matter. She tried to push it out of
her mind.
Other things tickled her mind every now and then. Why were
they so nervous about winter? Didn’t they have a place to stay? As
far as she knew, the group had a kind of break over the holidays.
She’d assumed this was so they could be with their families, but
no. None of them had any plans to be with parents, children, or
anyone. The group went quiet and wandered off individually to
wait until spring returned.
Zak’s motorcycle thrummed underneath her, making her
excited all over again. Her long hair flew out behind her under her
helmet and whipped around in the air. She gave Zak a tight
squeeze as he rounded a corner and then yelled a loud “Woohoo!”
when he sped up on the straightaway. She loved riding his
motorcycle and thought about having her own on a daily basis.
How much would her dad freak out if she brought home some old,
second-hand bike and let the gang fix it up for her? They’d eat all
the bologna in sight.
The two of them went back to Joy’s house, where her father
was watching TV. He looked up briefly when she walked in, but
then went back to his cop series.
“Hi. How are you?” She could never be sure if she was Joy or
Brenda these days, so she always made sure to test the waters
before giving him a kiss hello.
“Fine, Brenda.” He emptied his water glass and then held the
empty cup out to her, a silent directive to go and clean it. “Don’t
know why you need constant updates when I’m clearly fine.”
“Just wanted to make sure. Can’t hurt to check.” She took the
glass and stood looking at him for a long time, missing the father
who was right in front of her. “Any word from Joy?”
“Is that any of your business? She’s my daughter, not yours.”
He shifted in his chair and let out a big sigh. She sighed too.
Lately, she was Brenda more often than not. As much as she loved
Zak, she missed being someone’s daughter.
Joy walked into the kitchen and started washing up. Dad had
apparently made himself several sandwiches during the day. She
checked the fridge to see if they had any more lunch meat. All out.
That meant she needed to make a quick trip into town and it would
be dark soon.
Her father was starting to forget if he’d eaten or not, a
common side effect of Alzheimer’s. She worried he was going to
have horrible stomach aches, but he never seemed uncomfortable.
She decided to get some antacid too, just in case.
“Steve,” she said, putting on her jacket, “I see you’re low on
food. If you don’t mind, I’ll take your car to the store and stock
up.”
“Why do you need my car? Just go to the Quick ‘n Save. You
can walk there.”
“Yes, I could but it’s nearly dark and there’s wolves out. If I
drive, I can make it to the grocery store before it closes.” She
picked up his keys. “You don’t mind, do you?”
He looked at her blankly. “Nearly dark, you say?”
She checked her watch. “Yes, it’s almost eight in the evening.
Did you think it was earlier?”
His jaw fell open. “I… I swear it was noon just a minute ago.
What happened to the day?” He looked at her with tears welling in
his eyes. “I’ve always kept track of time. Why couldn’t I do it
today?”
She ran over and kneeled next to him, brushing his hair back
and smiling up at the father who didn’t know her. “You just had a
bad day. I’m sorry, I should have stayed at the house longer.
Helped you a little more.” Grabbing a nearby notebook, she jotted
down a note, then wrote the current time at the bottom. “Here,”
she said, handing it to him. “I’m going to leave you with this. I
want you to consult this if you forget where I’ve gone or when I’ll
be back, okay? It should take me about an hour to get there, shop,
and then get back. I’ll go as quick as I can. Sound good?”
He nodded silently, looking down at the note. Two big tears
stained the page. “I’ll wait for you.”
“Okay Steve. When I get back we’ll have some ice cream and
then go to bed.” She gave him a quick hug and then ran out. He
didn’t say anything as she shut the door behind her.
Joy sped down the road, slowing down as she passed the cop
hideout the gang had showed her, then floored the gas pedal again
to get to the store as quickly as possible. When she got there, it
was only moderately busy and she parked and ran in without any
holdups.
Keeping her shopping basic, she got up to the front and
started unpacking. The cashier sent a glare in her direction and Joy
just smiled back. What was her problem? She moved up with the
others, but when she got to the front, the girl just crossed her arms
and stared at her.
“So, your friends aren’t here with you today.”
Joy stepped back in surprise, friends? What did she mean?
“Sorry, I think you have me confused with someone else.”
“No I don’t.” She leaned down on her elbows, not even
looking at Joy’s loaf of bread or slowly melting ice cream. “I
know exactly who I’m talking to. You’re dating that asshat Zak,
the guy who thinks it’s fun to come in here, tear up my store, and
leave without paying a dime.”
“I’m here to pay for all of this. I’ve never stolen from you.”
“No. You just watch while your man does it.”
 The two women stared at each other, not moving. Joy
struggled to find the words to turn the situation around. Yes, Zak
was a hell-raiser and yes, they were together, but she was a paying
customer. What was she supposed to do?
“Look,” she said, leaning in and lowering her voice, “I am
dating Zak. Maybe I could talk to him about taking it easy on this
place. You know, pay for the stuff and not block the door. He’ll
listen to me.”
Her checkout foe looked doubtful, but she picked up the
bread and scanned it anyway. “Yeah? You’d do that?”
“Sure.” Joy prayed she wouldn’t hear the doubt in her voice.
She actually had no idea if Zak would hear her out on taking it
easy at the stores.
The woman finished and then just shook her head at Joy.
“What I don’t understand,” she said, “is what on earth a nice girl
like you is doing with that awful man. Don’t you want someone a
little more… you know, a little less…”
“Dangerous?” Joy bagged her own groceries while her
counterpart scrutinized her, trying to figure her out. “You know,”
she said, throwing the bread on top of her purchases, “I don’t
think I do. As crazy as he is…” She picked up the bag and turned
to go. “I think Zak is the only one for me.”
Chapter 6
The next three days were a bit slow and lonely for Joy. She
still hadn’t received the divorce papers from Aris, though her
attorney was calling him every day and demanding he sign. He’d
also pleaded with Joy to press charges, but she explained that no
cop in his town would pick him up. They were all too buddy
buddy; he had the advantage.
On top of that, her father had fallen into a horrible
depression. She had called several specialists, but none were less
than an hour drive out of town and she couldn’t persuade him to
get in the car.
 He met her suggestions for a psychoanalysis with boiling
rage. “I’m not going to some head-shrinker!”
“Dad, it’s to help you feel better. I’ve never seen you so
down.”
At that he would stomp off into his room. “You try gettin’ old
and let me know how you like it.” Then he’d slam the door and
not speak to her for hours.
The only upside of the argument was that it somehow helped
him remember that she was his daughter. She wasn’t sure how to
take that, but she decided it was all she could ask for right now.
To make it all worse, she hadn’t seen or heard from Zak in a
while. She wasn’t worried; he’d let her know the group was going
on a run outside of town. “We want to go up to the lake,” he’d told
her, stroking her hair. “We just want to get away from modern
society for a while.” He kissed her forehead and then whispered in
her ear, “You can come too. If you want.”
“I have to stay with my dad.” She smiled and gave him a kiss
back. “Behave yourself. Don’t go falling in love with anyone up at
the lake.”
“No promises.” She gave him a smack for that and then a big,
deep kiss goodbye.
“I’ll miss you.”
“Not as much as I’ll miss you.” He climbed on his bike after
that and signaled for everyone to get on and roll out. She stood
and watched them go, waving goodbye to the whole group, most
of whom were too excited to do more than a quick, behind the
back wave to her as they roared off.
So, here she was: no boyfriend, a depressed father, and a
town that would barely speak to her because everyone knew she
was involved with Zak. Not her best weekend. To top it all off, she
had nausea and felt a bit dizzy. What was wrong with her?
 “You alright Brenda?” She looked up to see her father was
out of his room and curious as to what was going on with her. She
nodded.
“I’m fine, Steve. Thanks for checking on me.”
“You’re looking a little piqued. Go lie down if you need to.”
“I will. Don’t worry.” She eased herself into a kitchen chair
and put her head in her hands. Did she have a bug? She checked
the time and was mortified to see that it was only six. She was
anxious to go to bed.
She forced herself up to fix a few sandwiches for her dad. His
Alzheimer’s disease was now completely messing up his eating
habits and made him forget he was full. She was making ten
sandwiches a day because any withholding of food sent him into a
rage that couldn’t be quelled. She’d quit fighting with him
immediately. How could she deny her own parent food?
Once the sandwiches were prepared and wrapped up in the
fridge, she checked on her dad. He was snoozing peacefully in his
armchair, the remote wrapped up in his fingers. She gave him a
little kiss on his forehead and then felt a horrible swoon as she
stood again. Whoa. She did need to lie down.
Finally, she decided to throw the day out and headed into her
room. As soon as her head hit the pillow she started to fall asleep.
Her whole body seemed to be begging for rest and a soft, smooth
mattress and the weight of her old, nubby blankets.
As soon as she was asleep, she dreamed. In her dream, she
walked between ominous, black trees that towered above her. Pine
cones fell from their branches, but not in a threatening way. They
were like big, gentle raindrops plummeting to the ground. Under
her feet was a soft layer of long, luxurious pine needles that
almost felt like a springy mattress. The smell of wet bark and
moss was everywhere and she felt a little drunk as she breathed it
in.
 Ahead of here were some dark, vague figures. Who were
they? She squinted through the trees, but she couldn’t seem to get
any closer to them. She ran a little bit, pushing the trees aside and
knocking pine cones to the ground. She opened her mouth to call
out a big, “Hey!” but found she had no voice at all. She ran faster,
opened her mouth wider and wider, but nothing seemed to work.
Her own body fought her and grew heavier with every step, her
throat seemed to close as she tried again and again to scream out
to the familiar figures ahead of her.
Finally, she made a big, heavy lunge forward and the motion
sent her straight down into the earth. She fell past tree trunks,
through webs of worms and beetles and down into darkness.
When she hit the ground her eyes opened and she found herself
gasping and sweating in her bed.
She sat up. Behind her, on the mattress was a pool of sweat
and her pajamas were soaked through. She peeled the blankets
back and got up. Her digital clock on the nightstand informed her
that it was five in the morning, far too early to go out and make
breakfast. Her dad would be furious if she woke him up now.
She pulled her sweaty clothes off and stood naked in the
center of her room. The gray light of dawn hit her body and
illuminated her for a moment with an eerie softness. She looked
down and was startled at the sight of her breasts. They had grown
overnight. She smoothed her hands down her now very tender
chest and continued down to her stomach and hips; both were
substantially bigger. Joy had always had a slim frame and an
active metabolism so she usually maintained a rather skinny
silhouette. This new, extra curvy figure she had felt completely
alien. Whose body was this?
Joy pulled her sheets off the mattress and balled them. Even
the mattress pad under her fitted sheet was ruined. She sighed and
wondered how early she’d be able to do any laundry. Her stomach
growled and she nearly slapped it. No eggs and bacon for you,
pudgy, she thought. You’re going on a diet starting today.
 After the mattress was stripped and her skin and hair grew
chilly from her sweaty nightmare, she pulled on fresh pajamas,
now much tighter over her big hips and ample chest, and laid on
the bare mattress to close her eyes for another hour or so. If she
dreamed again, she didn’t remember the details. All she knew was
that when she woke up there was bacon frying and coffee brewing
in the kitchen. Her dad was cooking? The smell made her mouth
water so much she had to wipe the drool away.
She looked at herself in the mirror. Her new body didn’t look
bad, it just looked different. Maybe Zak would be into it. Besides,
she told herself as she ran into the kitchen, she could always start
her diet tomorrow.
She’d been right about Zak’s enthusiasm for her new shape.
He and his crew returned the next day and she greeted him in a
tight pair of jeans, a white T-shirt, and her leather jacket. Now it
was his mouth that was watering. He walked up to her with wide
eyes, taking in every new, curvy inch of her.
“What happened to you?”
She feigned innocence. “What do you mean?”
“I mean.... your… and then your… You’ve got a whole new
body.” He took her hand and stepped closer to her and she
breathed in that familiar scent of his that she loved so much. He
smelled extra wild today, now that he’d spent some time out at the
lake.
She pulled him in a little closer so she could whisper in his
ear. “I gained a little weight. Do you mind?”
He stepped back and looked her up and down one more time,
then shook his head appreciatively. “You’ve never looked hotter.
In fact…” He glanced over at his crew, all of whom were winding
down and settling into the grass around their bikes. “Can we go
somewhere? I need you right now.”
She pulled his hand and led him, giggling the whole way, off
to a little spot she’d found while he’d been away. He ran after her,
already pulling off his jacket. They quickly shed their clothes and
threw them into the grass as soon as they reached the little patch
of soft grass next to a grand old tree standing tall in the forest. The
two of them stood together in the shade, Zak regarding Joy once
again, but this time taking in every beautiful curve as she stood
there, nude and lovely in the forest air. His heart raced as he took
in the rise of her hips, her rounder and softer ass, and her heavy
breasts.
He moved to her, his cock already standing straight up in the
air as hard as ever, and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed
her neck, gathered her long hair in his hand and twisted it into his
fingers. She tilted her head back as he worked his way down to
her big, round breast and took her nipple into his mouth. She
gasped as he sucked on the little pink circle; it seemed to be
attached somehow to her clitoris. She was instantly excited,
pumping her hips back and forth as he took her hard nipple
between his teeth for a quick love bite.
“You want it?” He moved to the next breast, giving it the
same treatment and sending volts of electricity through her whole
body.
“Oh my god. Yes, yes I need you. I need you right now.” He
lifted up and she threw herself into his arms, wrapping her legs
around his chest. He reached down to grab her big, curvy ass with
one hand and the feel of it seemed to spark a fire in him. He felt
more wild than he had ever been with her before. He gave it a loud
smack and the sound rang out in the woods along with Joy’s loud,
enthusiastic moan. She’d grown to enjoy his spanking over time.
“You just need it, don’t you?” He turned so that tree trunk
was behind her and he could prop her up against its rough skin.
“Tell me. Tell me to fuck you.”
Joy put one foot down and kept the other wrapped around
him. She bucked against his hips and the biting tree bark. Her eyes
were wide and desperate. He had never seen her pupils so big and
the sight of them made his blood pump even harder.
 “I want you to fuck me. I want you fuck me harder than
you’ve ever fucked me. Do it right now. Take me right here. I
can’t wait. I need it. I need you inside me. Do it. Fuck me, Zak.
Fuck me!”
Zak shoved his hard, straight cock up and into her slick, wet
pussy and the both of them cried out in relief. Then he worked his
body up and down, driving himself deep into her as she balanced
against the tree and on the gnarled ground at its roots. She grabbed
onto his shoulders and let herself ride him like the animal he was,
loving the friction and the heat and the sweat they created
together.
Their bodies moved in a steady rhythm, building up to a
faster speed. Zak’s eyes blazed a deep yellow and low, rumbling
growl came up from his toes and out his open mouth. For a
moment, Joy thought she saw a great, gaping jaw full of curved
and dangerous teeth in front of her, but it was gone as soon as she
saw it. She kissed him and bit his lip and their speed increased, the
two of them melded together with the heat they created. Joy felt
little sparks flying off her skin and briefly worried about the forest
around them; surely no tree could stand against the force of their
fire.
They hit their climax and the sky was suddenly filled with
birds, flower buds opened and queen bees devoured their faithful
bee servants deep inside their sticky palaces. Ripples of their
lovemaking shook the earth so strongly that the rocks rattled and
the rivers swelled. They rode the dark, undulating orgasm between
them with their eyes closed. Joy had a brief vision of Ursa Major
blazing in the sky and laughed at the memory. That had been back
when they were so hesitant and gentle with one another. Look at
us now, she thought. We’re so happy to tear each other to shreds.
A moment later, they laid in the grass and stared up at the
sky. Both were still naked and still reeling from their lovemaking.
She had ever been so hungry, so desperate for someone’s touch
and the effect had left her both a little shaky. Zak propped himself
up on one elbow and looked at Joy, sweaty and spent on the soft
earth, and smiled.
“You look like a goddess. You know that?”
She snorted a little laugh. “Come on. I’m no goddess.” She
picked a nearby flower and drew across his face with it, but he
moved it away.
“I’m serious.” He touched his nose to hers and she could feel
his eyelashes on her cheeks. “You represent life, love, sex.
Everything. That’s what a goddess is; she’s an inspiration and a
symbol. I’m using the right word.”
She turned to him and gave him a big, long kiss. His lips
tasted like cold well water, something deep in the earth that was
waiting to be released. The taste of it stirred her again and she
pulled him on top of her. The two lay in the grass and just held
one another, kissing in the warm sun. The scents of soft grass and
black earth reached her nose and she could feel the variations in
the earth beneath her. The rises and dips and the blades of long,
soft grass made the perfect bed for them and she never wanted to
get up from that little spot.
Zak sat up and cocked his head. “You hear that?”
She propped herself up on her elbows and listened as well. It
sounded like an argument. “I think two of your guys are just
having a disagreement.”
“One of those voices isn’t ours.” He jumped up and listened
again. He walked over to find his clothes and quickly pulled them
on without looking at Joy. She popped up to join him and found
her pants on top of a thorny bush. She had to pull it off carefully
so it wouldn’t rip and he got a bit of a head start. Dressed already,
he walked off to see what could be happening and left Joy behind
him.
“Hey,” she called out, “don’t leave! I’m right behind you.”
 “I have to, babe. Stay here, I’ll come back for you.”
He left Joy naked to stand and wait at the trees. Gingerly, she
peeled her jeans off of the thorns and then found her shirt just
below it. She held them while she scoured the ground for her bra
and panties and then something made her stop.
The voice that reached her was familiar. The calm tone that
implied threats rather than issuing them; it made her hug her sides
with her trembling arms. It couldn’t be. There was no way.
Please, she prayed, please don’t let it be who I think it is.
Please don’t let it be Aris.

Chapter 7

After Zak left Joy in the clearing, he walked out of the woods
to the road and immediately saw the strange, tall figure he had
heard while he’d been with her. He stopped and watched the scene
for a moment. His group was holding their own, as he expected
them to do. Two of his men were standing with girls flanking them
on either side while the rest of the group lounged on the ground,
feigning disinterest while keeping a sharp eye on the situation.
The stranger, Zak realized, was Aris, his old enemy and Joy’s
ex-husband. He wasn’t losing the love of his life to this loser again
and he walked casually across the street to make sure Aris knew it.
Aris and Zak’s fellow biker Gary were having a stand-off.
Aris had his hands balled up but down by his sides and was trying
to stare Gary down. The biker, meanwhile, was standing in an
almost floppy style. His knees were a little bent to keep his legs
loose and his gaze was just barely on his challenger; he was
making sure he had room to attack if necessary and that he had
two points of backup close by. He and his gang got into the
occasional fight, sure; but they were smart about it. They never
fought in an enclosed space, always made sure to have at least two
other people behind their target, and got it over with as quickly as
possible. They weren’t scared of the police, they just saw no
reason for them to be involved. To have the cops show up to break
up a fight was considered highly embarrassing for this group.
“I know she’s here.” Aris ran his fingers roughly through his
hair as he took in the lounging bikers in front of him. “You can all
drop the act. Trust me, she’s trouble. Just give her up now and I
won’t cause any problems.”
“I think you should,” Zak said, stepping forward. “Cause a
problem, I mean.”
Aris did a surprised double-take at Zak, where had this guy
come from? “What? What the hell are you saying?”
Zak stepped closer to his adversary. Aris was a half-head
taller than Zak, but the short leader stood confidently and flipped
his hair out of his face with a cocky head snap. “I’m saying we
like problems. You think I got this crew to join my gang because
they like things safe? No, you’ve got it all wrong.” All around
him, gang members were standing slowly and positioning
themselves at different points of attack about a foot away from
Aris. “You see Petunia over there?”
Aris looked at the skinny blonde with faded purple in her
hair. She was staring at him as if she wanted to know his face
intimately, to know exactly how each of his cells lined up.
“I’ve seen that pretty little thing snap the necks of three
different men. All of them former wife beaters and, to a man,
much bigger than you. Now, I would love to see the famous Aris
go hand to hand with Petunia here. So please,” he concluded,
“make some problems.”
The circle of bikers advanced a few steps towards their target
and Aris whipped around in every direction as the circle closed in
on him slightly. “Or how about this,” Zak continued, his eyes
bright as if he were offering a choice of ice cream flavor to a
customer as opposed to ways his enemy could die. “Take on Greg.
Greg here spent most of his life in and out of institutions. See, he
killed his dad after he witnessed his father spitting in his mother’s
face. He knew a beating was on the way and he decided there was
no reason to wait until it happened. He just cut the possibility for
more violence out as soon as he could.”
Aris turned slightly towards the tall, spiky-haired man on his
left. Greg was flexing his fingers and grinning. He looked ready to
take Aris out at the knees.
“Choose someone,” Zak said. “Heck, you can even choose to
fight me. But if you don’t choose anyone, well then.” He shrugged
as if highly disturbed. “You’ll just have to fight the whole group.”
Again, the circle closed in on Aris. He wordlessly opened and
closed his mouth and looked from member to member. The stared
right back, each prepared to be the one to do battle with this new
enemy.
“Alright, I choose you.” Aris’ breathing was incredibly fast
and he desperately tried to keep his composure, but his voice
wavered and he had sweat all over his forehead. “Come on, tough
guy. Let’s dance.”
The whole group laughed as soon as he said it. Each of them
turned to one another in a mocking stance. “Let’s dance. Come on,
dance with me!” Their laughter was so intense and disturbed Aris
so much that he didn’t see the giant claw as it came in for a swipe
at his face.
Aris fell to the ground and a huge, brown bear stood over
him. It opened its giant maw and let out a huge roar. Aris opened
his eyes to see a row of yellow, wet fangs rising from black gums
and promptly wet his pants.
“Help! Help!” He scrambled back as the bear batted at him,
destroying his pants and scraping a huge scoop of flesh from his
leg. Blood began to stain the grass below him. “Someone help me,
please!”
There was no one else there; all the other gang members had
disappeared and left him to his fate. He turned onto his stomach
and began to crawl away. The bear put his front legs on Aris’ back
and pushed him down into the ground, then stood on him, pushing
again so that his head bucked up a little.
In that moment, Aris thought he saw Joy standing just a short
distance in front of him. He started to call her name when
suddenly a horrible pain shot through his head and everything
went black.
When he came to, he was on the sidewalk in front of a
hospital. A nurse ran up to him and began asking questions, but
Aris couldn’t focus. He had dried blood holding one of his eyes
partially closed and his head was pounding. He was weak from
blood loss and had to be carried into the emergency room.
“Sir, did someone attack you? Do you know what your name
is? What’s the date today? Is there anything you can tell us?”
Question after question was thrown at him as he was rushed
into an operating room. All he could say was one word over and
over. “Bear. Bear. Bear.”

That night, at the weekly bonfire for the gang, Joy stood by
herself. Zak was nowhere to be seen and the whole group was
doing everything they could to keep her spirits up.
Petunia came over and patted her on a shoulder. “Look,” she
said, “I know you’re worried, but you have to remember that Zak
knows these woods better than anyone. He can read the wind, the
stars, the tracks of any animal. He’s just hiding out so that bad old
bear doesn’t come for him. He’ll be back.” Joy smiled at her and
nodded, but didn’t say anything. Petunia handed her a bottle of
whiskey and Joy took a swig.
Petunia scrutinized her for a moment, a hand on her hip as
she looked Joy up and down. “I can understand why you’re so
sad,” she said. “I would be too if I had to give up some quality
dick.” Joy laughed and a little bit of whiskey came out her nose.
 “Whoa. Careful. I know that stings.” The two friends laughed
and stared into the flames. Joy imagined all the different places
Zak could be: stuck up a tree with a bear beneath him, safe in a
cave where he had fresh water for a few days, or off in some
abandoned cabin fast asleep. Petunia, meanwhile, was wondering
if Joy had guessed the truth about Zak or any of them. She
assumed the answer was no.
After hours of sitting and staring at the fire, of politely
accepting drinks and listening as the group told stories and sang
songs, Joy was drunk and depressed. She lounged with her head
on a rolled up jacket, her arms and legs splayed open. Greg
walked over to see how she was doing.
“Take you home, Joy? I’m sure you need some sleep.”
She shook her head groggily. “Just leave me here. My
boyfriend’s been eaten by a bear, my own father keeps forgetting
who I am, and my ex is probably dead by now. Do yourself a big
favor and leave me here. Keep your distance before you catch my
curse. It’s fatal.”
“Come on.” Greg quickly reached down and flung her up
onto his shoulder so that she hung down towards his butt. “I can’t
let Zak’s girl freeze all night. He’ll kill me. Besides,” he said
moving down the ladder back down to the bikes, “you’re my
friend. Even if you are cursed.” He descended the side of the
boulder and set Joy down. She was a bit wobbly, but she didn’t
fall.
“Stay here. I’ll bring my bike around.”
Joy stood and felt the earth rock under her feet like a ship.
She tilted her head back and yelled up to the stars, “Ursa, you
have to find him! Come on, you big bear in the sky. Bring him
back to me! Bring him back to me!”
As she yelled to the stars, she staggered around in a circle and
watched them spin in the sky. Ursa Major shined the brightest and
she could almost see the outline of a bear made of light walking
through the sky.
Her spin was stopped abruptly when a hand grabbed her
elbow. She was so dizzy and drunk that she couldn’t quite make
out who it was; the form swam in front of her as it moved closer.
The earth tipped again and she pitched forward, right into the
mystery figure’s arms. After that, everything went black.
When she opened her eyes, Joy was back in her room at her
father’s house. She was snuggled under the usual blankets and
staring at the same ceiling she always had. She blinked her eyes
open but promptly closed them again once the light hit her retinas;
she was very hungover.
Joy listened for her father or anyone in the house, but
everything was quiet. She could live with that. She pulled the
covers over her head and settled in for a late sleep, thrilled to be
able to relax for a morning.
She was just slipping back into sleep when a soft knock came
at the door.
Joy meant to call out a greeting, but all she could manage was
an annoyed groan. The door opened and her dad stood there,
looking down at her.
“Hi Joy.” He leaned in the doorway. “Feeling a little rough?”
She nodded from under her blanket shelter.
“Well, from what Zak tells me, you had a tough night. You
take it easy for today. I’m going to make you my guaranteed
hangover cure, okay?”
From under the covers, Joy managed to produce a shaky
thumbs up. He left and she quickly pulled the covers down and
consulted her ceiling. Wait. Did he say Zak?
Slowly, gently placing one foot in front of the other, Joy
made her way out of her room and into the kitchen where her
father was cracking a raw egg on the edge of the blender. Just the
sound of the egg shell breaking was unbearable and she stopped to
lean against the wall for a moment. She tried again, straightened
up, and took a few more wobbly steps until she could see the
kitchen table. As soon as she did, she had to grab the door frame
for a moment to keep from passing out.
There, sitting in the breakfast nook, was Zak. He was neat
and clean, not a scratch on him, and had a new catalogue that had
come in the mail on the table. He flipped through the pages slowly
as if he were genuinely considering a new comforter or dust ruffle.
A small noise came out of Joy’s throat and he looked up.
“Joy!” Zak ran over to help her to a chair, guiding her slowly.
She eased into a seat and panted for breath. She couldn’t
remember what all she had drank last night, but she silently vowed
to never take so many liberties with alcohol again. Ever.
She propped her head up on her hand and smiled at Zak as he
sat across from her. “You’re back.”
“Yeah. I couldn’t leave you alone.” They held hands across
the table as the blender whirred for a few minutes. She had no idea
what awful concoction her father was making for her, but Joy told
herself to drink it down, no matter the taste. She had to get this
hangover out of her system.
The blender stopped and Zak sent a soundless little kiss
across the table to Joy. She made a kissy face back to him and the
two of them laughed. She wanted to lean across the table and kiss
him for real, but she wasn’t sure how it would affect her father.
Would he even remember who the two of them were?
“Alright, my darling daughter who likes to drink,” Steve said
in a sing-song voice, “this is just for you. Drink it all in one go;
don’t sip.” He set down a tall, grey mixture flecked with red dots.
Her stomach turned just at the sight of it. What on earth was this?
Her dad stood waiting. “It’s this or be sick the rest of the day. Your
choice.”
 She took a deep breath, let it all out, then raised the glass to
her lips. The thick, heavy grey liquid slid down her throat slowly.
The feel of it brought to mind the way garbage slid down a chute
or snot came out of a nose. She wretched a little as she drank it,
but she didn’t stop until she got to the bottom.
“Oh my god, Dad!” Joy shoved the glass away from her and
gasped for breath. “What the hell was that?”
“Hey, language. I’m not a fan of this new hard-living, biker
chick persona you’re cultivating. I miss my sweet girl.” He picked
up the glass and washed it. “Besides, it’s just eggs, tomato juice,
tabasco, protein powder, and green tea. You’re fine.”
The list of ingredients and the feel of her father’s disgusting
cocktail in her stomach was more than she could bear. Joy jumped
up and ran to the bathroom, barely upright and bouncing off of the
walls the whole way, then flung herself in front of the toilet to
puke.
Back in the kitchen, Steve dried the clean glass and put it in
the cupboard. He raised an eyebrow at Zak. “It’s my grandma’s
recipe. Works every time.”
The rest of the day was a bizarre one for Joy as her father
joined her and her boyfriend for a day at home. While they usually
spent their time running off to, well, anywhere, that day they all
stayed close to each other. Joy marveled at her father’s sharp
mentality; he didn’t call her Brenda once. When Zak stepped away
to use the bathroom, she moved closer to her dad.
“Dad, how are you feeling today?”
“Hm? Me? Oh fine, dear. Just fine. You know that nice boy
Zak gave me some vitamins that really got me going today. I can’t
remember the last time I felt this good.”
“Vitamins? What kind of vitamins?” She looked around the
living room but didn’t see any new medications. Her dad was busy
flipping through TV channels looking for his courtroom drama
and couldn’t be bothered.
 “I forget the name. I’ll have to ask; they’re great stuff. Oh,
here’s Judge Hunter.” He settled into his chair, not intending to
move for the next hour at least. Joy stood up and moved into the
kitchen where she opened all the cupboards and checked every
inch of counter space for any sign of any kind of vitamin. There
was nothing. What had Zak done to help her dad?
“Hey beautiful.” Hands smoothed down the front of her dress and
Zak’s head peeked over her shoulder. “What are you looking for?”
“The vitamins you gave my dad. Where are they?”
“They’re around here somewhere.” He kissed her neck and
for a moment she gave into the familiar feel of his full lips and
hungry touch, but snapped out of it just as quickly.
“Hey, I’m serious.” She turned around stepped back from
him, out of kissing range.
“You think I’m not?” He moved in for another round and she
stopped him with a finger to his chest.
“Stop it. I need to know what kind they are. I’ve never seen
him with it. He’s usually confused most of the day. If you’ve
found some miracle herbal supplement, I want to know what it is.”
“It’s my dad’s old recipe. He swore by it. Now come on, just
give me one kiss before we go sit with your dad again…”
“One more thing.” Zak sighed and fell against her like a rag
doll. “Come on,” she said, picking him up by his armpits. “I need
to know.”
“Yes, of course. Whatever you want. Shoot.”
She smoothed his hair back out of his face. It was nice seeing
him so combed and put together. She was used to the untamed,
rumpled version of Zak she saw outdoors. She flashed back to the
day he disappeared and all she saw was a bear standing on her ex-
husband and tears came to her eyes.
“I just need to know,” she said, the tears falling onto her
dress, “where did you go? When the bear came, where did you run
to?”
“Hey.” Zak pulled her into a hug and smoothed her hair.
“Why the tears, huh? I’m okay. I made it back. Don’t cry.”
She took a big, shuddering breath and closed her eyes. She
breathed in the smell of Zak’s skin and told herself he was right,
the important thing was that he was alive and here with her. “I
know. I was just so scared I’d never see you again.”
“Never? Come on. That’s such a long time.” He kissed her
head and squeezed her tight. “If you must know, I holed up in a
little abandoned house for a day and a night, then I had to go and
fish for something to eat or else I would have starved. As soon as I
was strong enough, I headed back to town.”
She pulled back and looked at him in his gelled hair and
church-appropriate clothes. Joy put her hand on Zak’s cheek and
leaned in for a kiss, a real kiss, on his soft, welcoming lips. He
tasted like wine late at night, like water from the creek, like a
warm lover who had already waited for her a long time.
“I love you, Zak,” she whispered.
He pulled her in a little tighter. “I love you more.”

Chapter 8

The next few days were quiet, but a week after Zak had
returned Joy was feeling particularly odd. “Oh no,” she thought,
“I’m sick again.” She could feel that her stomach was extremely
bloated and her breasts were so tender it hurt just to shift a bit
under her blanket. What was going on?
She threw back the covers and flung her arm over her eyes.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so tired, and after
going to bed early, too. She thought of what she wanted for
breakfast, but as soon as she thought of actual, solid food she felt a
rush of acid coming up from her stomach. Jumping up from the
bed, she ran to the bathroom and stuck her head in the toilet just in
time. She retched and heaved for a few minutes, not throwing up a
lot but enough that it dripped out her nose and made her stomach
jump up and down a bit.
“No more drinking for me. My system just can’t handle it.”
Joy flushed her sick away and leaned her head on the toilet,
grateful for it’s cool, smooth surface against her cheek. She took a
deep breath. She’d have to go and make her dad some breakfast;
he needed a cup of coffee less than five minutes after waking up.
Shakily, she stood and turned to face her reflection in the mirror.
There, in the reflection, was a big pregnant belly hanging off
Joy’s reflected frame. Her heart stopped. She couldn’t be
pregnant, could she? She’d had her period at least two months
ago. When she’d skipped one, she had just shrugged it off as
stress. It was right around Zak’s disappearance, after all. This
belly was big enough for a fully-formed baby, not a newly-made
fetus.
Joy’s hand smoothed down the front of her body, feeling the
tight stretch of skin over her abdomen and the lump underneath.
What was going on?
Quickly, she dressed in a big, baggy sweater and loose jeans.
Even the big, unbelted waistband was tight around her new frame
and the middle of her top stretched over her belly. Would Dad
notice?
She went out into the kitchen quickly and got the coffee
machine started. She threw some bread in the toaster and set out
the eggs. Still rushing, she penned a quick note.
Woke up ill. Ran off to see the doc. Be home soon. Joy. She
put it on a plate where her dad would be sure to find it, grabbed
her purse, and ran out the door.
Even though it had been about a week since she’d seen the
gang, she had a feeling she knew where they were. Anytime they
wanted to be outside of town, they liked to hang out at a little
campground not far from where they had their late-night bonfires.
Joy headed that direction; she wanted an explanation from Zak
and she wanted it right that moment.
She pulled up to the campsite and saw that yes, she’d guessed
correctly; the whole gang was there and sleeping soundly. Their
feet were sticking out of randomly arranged tents and there were
remnants of their latest party all over the place. Joy walked out
into the grass, kicking aside empty beer cans and flattened chip
bags until she reached the biggest tent. Zak’s bike was parked
outside.
He was there, snoring blissfully away as if nothing in the
world could affect him. She reached down and shook him rudely
awake.
“Morning, Zak.”
“Huh? Wha—hey, Joy.” He smiled sleepily at the surprise,
not fully awake. His hands reached up for her to pull her down
into the sleeping bag with him but she yanked herself back.
“Come on, sweetie, come lie down…” She could see him drifting
off into a dream again and clapped her hands close to his face.
“Zak! You have to wake up right now.”
He snorted and shook his head in a big no from side to side.
Joy shook him again. “Zak, come on! This is important!”
Finally, he blinked his eyes open and, through his blurred
vision, looked at Joy as she slowly took shape in front of him. She
looked weird; something about her was bigger. She had on big
clothes and her face was panicked and pale. He rubbed the last of
the grogginess from his eyes and looked at her again. This time,
he put his hands on her belly.
“You’re pregnant.”
“Yeah, no kidding. You want to explain how I entered my
third trimester in just a few months?” She started breathing
quickly and pacing back and forth in the tent. “I mean, how is this
even possible? I know it’s yours; it has to be, but, but, we’ve been
dating for like, two months. Two months! And look at me!”
She lifted her shirt to show him her big belly and he took it
in, smiling just a little. “What are you so happy about,” she
demanded and his smile instantly disappeared.
“Joy,” he said, reaching out for her hands, “come here.” She
sat down facing him and let him take both of her hands. He
massaged her fingers and she breathed a little easier. He hung his
head for a moment, then looked at her with a serious expression.
“There’s something I should have told you a long time ago,”
he began. “Do you remember my father; how odd he was? He
actually got kicked out of the three restaurants in town because he
ate so much. And he had to be outdoors all the time, do you
remember?”
Joy thought back. Zak’s father had been just like him:
restless, an outdoorsman, a heavy drinker, and huge eater despite
his medium build. There had always been something different
about him, something in his eyes that set him apart from everyone
else. She couldn’t quite recall the last time she’d seen him, either.
Like Zak, he had just up and left one day.
“He was an outsider, your dad. Kind of like you.”
“An outsider,” Zak said, letting out a big breath, “yeah.
That’s one way of describing him. You see Joy, the men in my
family, they’re different. My dad, me, my uncles and grandfather;
we’re not entirely human.”
“What?” Joy felt a strange, cold sensation creeping along her
skin. “What are you, then?”
“Maybe,” Zak said, setting her hands down in her lap and
standing up, “maybe it would be better if I just showed you.”
Zak stood above her and closed his eyes. Slowly, he began to
work his jaw back and forth. His face seemed to extend while his
nose shrank and his ears lifted to the top of his head. His shoulders
became big and rounded and his hands changed to heavy circles
with long claws. Joy didn’t move, she couldn’t have if she’d
wanted to. She watched Zak sprout thick brown hair all over his
body. His legs became heavy and his hips spread to a wide, round
shape, making him stand on all fours.
Still sitting on the sleeping bag, Joy found herself face to face
with the same, large brown bear that she had seen attack Aris. The
bear breathed it’s heavy hot breath onto her with loud, labored
breathing. The two of them watched each other, not moving.
Trembling, Joy reached up and touched the bear’s face as
gently as she could. His eyes became soft and the bear’s massive
head leaned into her touch, enjoying the feel of her hand. She
barely breathed as she focused on her reflection in his big, glassy
eyes. “Zak? Are you in there?”
The bear stared at her, then gave her a small, almost
imperceptible nod. The air in her lungs came rushing out and tears
came to her eyes. “Am I pregnant with someone like you? Is that
why it happened so fast?” Again, he gave a small nod. With tears
sliding down her face, she tilted her head forward to touch her
forehead to his. They stayed like that for a moment, bear and
human together, then Joy looked up.
“Can you turn back? I need to be able to talk to you.” The
bear lay down and covered his head in his massive paws. She
moved back, uncertain how another transformation was going to
go. Starting with his feet, his hair began to retract and his shape
slowly returned to that of a human male, but it took a long time.
When his transformation had finally completed, the sun was high
and other members of the gang were up and wandering around,
grumbling about the lack of food.
When the last trace of bear was gone, Zak looked up at her.
He was naked and lying on his stomach and his face was white
with exhaustion. She lay next to him and kissed his cheek. “Shh.
Don’t move. Get your strength back. I’ll tell the gang you need the
morning off, okay?”
He shook his head no. “They. Need. Me.”
Joy got Zak dressed and then helped him up. He was horribly
weak and could barely stand, but he insisted on leaving the tent.
So Joy, pregnant and in shock, walked with her arm around Zak,
her faint boyfriend who was not entirely human. They stepped out
into the sunlight and found the gang waiting in a loose collection
outside the tent. They didn’t look surprised or confused at the
sight of their leader looking so rough. They just gave a little nod
to Joy and glanced down at her big belly.
Carefully, Zak sat on a big rock and took in the group.
Petunia brought him a bottle of orange juice and he gulped it
down.
“Thanks.” He wiped his mouth and looked around. “As you
can all see, Joy is pregnant. This means she’s going to need our
protection until her babies are born. I want a security detail around
her twenty-four seven. These babies are definitely part of the
brown bear line. That means they’ll be very powerful,” he looked
to Joy, “and very important. We can’t let anything happen to
them.”
The group nodded, still unsurprised. Joy looked over at
Petunia who gave her a big grin.
“Congratulations, mama bear. You’re definitely having at
least two.”
Joy touched her stomach and felt a shift under her skin. She
thought of two little forms inside her tumbling over one another,
somersaulting around like bear cubs. Her shock set in as she
realized that was essentially what she would be having: two baby
bears.
“I want five of you out getting some food. I transitioned this
morning but I didn’t get a chance to recover so I need some extra.
Get back as soon as you can. Joy, you’ll have to stay here until we
can organize protection for you.”
Five bikers roared off and the rest came up to hug Joy and tell
her congratulations. She accepted it all graciously, but out of the
corner of her eye she kept tabs on Zak. He looked extremely
weak, like he might fall off of his perch at any moment. After a
little bit of small talk, she joined him again and put her arm
around him.
“Sorry,” he whispered. “I usually transition slowly. That’s
why I went off into the woods, so I could stay in bear form for a
couple of days and then take a few hours to go back to human. I’ll
be okay.”
Joy gave him a kiss on the cheek and wrapped her arms
around him. “You’ve worked really hard to hide this from me,
haven’t you?”
He leaned his head into her. “I had to. I wanted you to be
safe. This isn’t an easy life, Joy.”
She lifted up out of their hug and looked at him. “Why are
you in so much danger?”
Zak looked up to see Petunia standing with fast food bags and
a cup of coffee. She handed it all to the lovebirds. Zak took it
gratefully and started ripping into the paper. “Petunia,” he said to
her, “tell Joy what happened to you when that hunter saw you
transition.”
Petunia sucked the air in through her teeth. “Oh, that’s a
rough story. Let me get a cigarette.” She slipped a smoke out of
her carton and then cupped her hands over it to get the flame.
After she’d taken a long drag, she dove in.
“I was in the woods. We’d all transitioned together a few
days before and everyone was going back to human one by one,
but I was taking my time. I always love my time in the woods; I
fish, I sleep, I walk forever. It’s the best. But, I knew I was lagging
behind and I needed to move on. So, I found a little clearing and
lay down. To shift back to human, we have to go inside ourselves
and really focus. I’m on the ground, I’ve got my head covered,
I’m about halfway through the change and then I felt something
on my neck.
“It was the butt of a shotgun. A hunter had been just out of
sight and I wasn’t as careful as I should have been. Now, I was
caught. This guy didn’t want to shoot me, he wanted to keep me in
one place. I heard him call out to someone that he’d found
something crazy. He probably thought he could sell me to some
lab or a TV studio, who knows. All I knew was, I had to get out of
there. I stopped changing; uncovered my eyes, focused on keeping
my bear form and, well…”
Joy leaned forward. “What did you do?”
She shrugged and let out a big cloud of smoke. “I had to kill
them.” She turned and walked away to sit by herself for a
moment. Behind her, Joy was frozen in panic.
“Zak!” She grabbed his shoulder. “What is this? Why did she
have to kill them?”
He balled up the paper of the food he’d finished and took
Joy’s hand. “Listen, we don’t want to kill anyone. She only took
those guys out because they’d seen that she was something
different. She’s not wholly human and she’s not entirely animal.
People can’t deal with that.”
She moved closer to him and spoke in a whisper. “Have you
ever killed someone?”
He shook his head. “No. Never. I specialize in scaring people
away. I find it’s much more effective.”
“Like you did with Aris?”
“Exactly like that. He’s alive, but I’d be very surprised if he
ever bothered us again.”
They spent the morning together, lazing around in the sun
while Zak got his strength back. Joy relished the opportunity to
relax in the grass. Pregnancy was surprisingly exhausting and she
dozed for a couple of hours at least.
By the time she woke up it was late morning and Zak was
back to his old self, joking around and play fighting with his crew.
She propped herself up on her elbows and motioned to Greg to
help her up. “Quick,” she said, “I have to pee like you wouldn’t
believe.”
A little later, Zak and three other crew members were ready
to escort Joy home. They explained to her that they would be
camping out near her house and available to take her wherever she
wanted to go, day or night. She wondered how her dad was going
to like having a faction of bikers across the street from them.
Maybe his memory problems would kick in and keep him from
paying too much attention to them. A girl could dream, anyway.
They went down the street as a group, Joy sitting in the
sidecar of Petunia’s bike. Her big belly made it impossible for her
to hang on to Zak and she was a little sad to see the empty space
behind him as he drove in the front. A kick to her insides
reminded her why safety was tantamount. She put a hand where
she felt the baby’s foot and rubbed it. It was probably her
imagination, but she could have sworn she felt its toes wiggle
under her hand.
At her dad’s house, everything looked quiet. She needed help
getting up from the sidecar and once again she was desperate for a
bathroom, but she was smiling. Zak took her by the arm and led
her to the house, making her laugh.
“I’m not going to break! I can walk.”
“I know,” he said, leaning in to nibble her neck, “but I want
to spoil you.”
They approached the front door and Zak’s face twisted up for
a moment. He stopped Joy. “Something’s wrong in here.” He
leaned forward and smelled the air. “Joy, we have to go.”
 “No!” She quickly opened the door, still looking at Zak. “If
something’s wrong that means we have to get my dad and—”
“And what, Joy?”
The sound of his voice made all of Joy’s happiness and
confidence dissolve. There, sitting in her living room with a pistol
aimed at her father, was Aris. He was banged up and bandaged,
but otherwise still the same old Aris she remembered. He sat stock
still and let his eyes do the talking. Joy took stock of the situation;
both men were seated directly across from one another. Her father
was clearly terrified but Aris was calm. He loved making other
people scared; it was what he did best.
He pulled back the hammer of the gun and looked at Joy’s
father. “Tell your daughter to stop being so rude and join us. Her
boyfriend can go.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Zak stepped into the living room
with his hands balled into fists. He was already breathing hard. “I
won’t let you terrorize the mother of my child or anyone close to
her.”
“Terrorize?” Aris sneered at the word. “Who on earth is
terrorizing anyone? You think I want to shoot him? I can’t imagine
a worse outcome. All I want,” he said, affecting an innocent tone,
“is for everyone to come to their senses. And that means you,
wifey.”
“You know I don’t want to be with you anymore.” Joy kept
her hands on her belly as she spoke. Her babies had gone
completely still, sensing how scared she was. “I’m with Zak. I’m
pregnant with his baby. Just sign the papers and move on. There’s
no reason for you to keep after me.”
Aris let out a sad sigh. “Well, I’m sorry to hear you say that,
Joy.” He lifted the gun and pointed it at Steve’s head. “Cuz now
your dad is going to die.”
A loud bang rang out. Joy screamed and Zak dove across the room
straight at Aris. Steve fell out of his chair and onto the floor as a
horrible fight broke out. Joy couldn’t look. Instead, she pushed
herself against the wall and did everything she could to be
invisible. She could hear the TV shatter, the lamp crash against the
wall, and fists smack into skin. The wall began to bend and fold
under her and the floor came up to meet her. As soon as it did,
Joy’s vision went black and she drifted off into the void.

Chapter 9

It was several days before Joy would let Zak hold her again.
The shock of seeing Aris, the shot in her dad’s shoulder, and their
days visiting him in the hospital all kept her from his tent. He
didn’t say anything, just waited patiently for his love to return to
him. She could feel his eyes on her any time he was close, but she
couldn’t return his gaze. It was just too much.
Finally, after a couple of weeks, Steve was back home and
only a little worse for the wear. His shoulder was stiff but, as he
put it: “What am I, some athlete? I can do everything I need to
do.” A physical therapist came by every day to help him move his
stiff joint and Joy sat with them, participating in all the same
exercises.
One night they sat watching a trashy reality show and Steve
suddenly clicked off the TV. “Joy,” he said, “how much longer are
you going to keep this up?”
“Whuh?” She had a mouth full of popcorn. Her pregnancy
was in its final stages and she was constantly starving.
“Don’t give me that.” Steve took the popcorn from her hands
and pointed at the phone. “Go call that bear of yours and spend the
evening together. The two of you will be parents soon and won’t
have the strength. If you two want to go out ever again, now’s the
time.”
Joy started to protest but her father just pointed at the phone.
She heaved herself out of the chair and went over to call Zak. She
knew the gang had a couple of phones they shared and she had
both numbers memorized, but she was reluctant. She just wasn’t
sure how she felt about her future as a mother. Couldn’t she just
stare at the TV and forget about it for a night?
“Hello, Rick’s Roadkill Cafe. You kill ‘em we grill ‘em.”
Joy laughed. “Hi Greg. It’s Joy. Is Zak around?”
Greg called Zak over and told him who it was.
“Joy? Joy, sweetheart, are you there?”
“Yes, I’m here. I’m wondering if I can see you tonight.”
“Tonight. Yes. I’m coming to get you. Don’t move. I’ll bring
the sidecar.”
A little while later, Joy was zipping down the road in the little
car next to Zak’s bike. The trees and power lines whipped by and
her hair streamed behind her. The air smelled incredible; it was
full of pine, late summer, and rain on the horizon. She smiled over
at Zak; she had missed him. She was glad her father had pushed
her to go out. She’d really missed the craziness that came with
being Zak’s partner.
They pulled up to the campground and everyone walked over
to Joy.
“Oh, look how big you’ve gotten! Any day now.”
“I remember my first pregnancy. I couldn’t leave my partner
alone. Remember, baby?”
“Joy, your boobs are enormous. Ow! Hey, sorry.” Zak shoved
the last visitor away and yelled for someone to bring over the
thermos of hot tea.
“She’s our guest of honor. I better see you all act like it.”
Everyone grumbled and wandered away, back to their beer and
their bonfire. Someone handed Joy a thermos but she didn’t see
who it was; she was too busy looking at Zak.
 Had his shoulders always been so muscular? And his jaw,
was it always that square? He was absolutely stunning. When he
turned to her with a smile she melted and leaned in to give him a
kiss. “I missed you, Zak.”
He pulled her in tight, covering her head with kisses. “Joy, I
felt like I was dying without you. I know you were upset about
what happened, but Aris is in jail. No one touched him. And I
want to tell you—”
“Shh. Tell me later. Can we go to your tent?”
Zak looked out at the group; they seemed sufficiently
distracted. “Yeah, let’s go.”
The two headed off, Joy waddling a bit while Zak kept his
arm around her shoulder. He kept checking to see how she felt,
would it be soon? She just laughed at him and told him to stop
worrying.
“Just get me to your tent, babe. I need to be with you.”
They ducked inside Zak’s little abode and zipped up the
entrance behind them. Joy laid down carefully and Zak hovered
above her, kissing her face and neck.
“Baby, will you take off my pants?”
He reached down and pulled off the black leggings she had
on, revealing her high, rounded belly. “Oh, wow.” He touched it
gently and lay his cheek against one side. “I can feel them in
there.”
“So can I.” Joy laughed. She propped herself up on her
elbows. “I hope they’re both as beautiful as you, Zak. You really
are just,” she ran her hand up his arm, taking in his muscles, “so,
so sexy.”
He looked at her a little surprised. “You think so? Check this
out.” He pulled his T-shirt off, revealing his defined muscles. They
were bigger than she remembered and she reached up to touch his
pectorals. They were like carved wood.
 “Oh my God. Sweetie, I’m really, really,” she twisted and
squirmed underneath him, “horny. I need you right now.”
He didn’t respond, instead he pulled up her shirt and helped
her get it off over her head. Then he unhooked her bra from her
large, swollen breasts so that they could rest freely on top of her
chest. Her dark nipples were hard and small and Zak gave them a
little flick.
“Don’t tease me! I need you inside me, baby, please.”
He took off Joy’s panties and then stood to undress himself.
She sat up to take in the view as he pulled off his clothes, smiling
at the sight. “God, you look good naked.”
Lowering down to his hands and knees, he started kissing her
again. “You remember when I called you a goddess?”
“I remember.”
“You’re even more of a goddess now. Carrying my children,
full of love and magic.” He slipped his arm around her back and
let her arch backwards a little, raising her chest for him to taste.
“Let me worship you properly while you’re like this; at your most
feminine. Your most magical.”
Gently, slowly, the two maneuvered into position on all fours.
Joy was up on her hands and knees while Zak kneeled behind her.
He entered her cautiously, a little scared he might hurt her, but she
moaned as he moved inside, loving the way he felt.
“Oh yeah. Oh, keep going.”
“You’re okay?”
“Yes. I’m okay. Don’t worry. It feels so wonderful.”
He reached under her arms to feel her heavy breasts and
played with her nipples as he slid in and out a few more times, still
not rushing. Her pussy had taken on a new, softer texture and felt
amazing against his hard, excited cock. He went a little faster.
“Oh! Oh yes. Yes, Zak. Like that.”
 “You want it that way? Like this?” He slid into her hard,
pausing between each penetration to torture her just for a moment.
Each time he re-entered she let out a high-pitched cry of surprise.
After a few minutes, she reached back for his hand.
“Stay inside me for just a moment. Let me just feel you.”
Zak didn’t move, just maintained his position deep inside Joy.
Her wide, curvy hips went around in a little circle and started
rocking up and down in a little tilt. The movement made her pubic
bone rub up against his shaft and the sensation was one he’d never
known he loved so much.
“Oh, Joy. Oh, babe.”
“Don’t move.” She looked over her shoulder. “Don’t do
anything. Let me.” He nodded and she went back to her own
pursuits against his hips. She slid herself along the length of his
cock, then bucked against him, working harder and harder. Zak
kept his hands behind his head while his eyes rolled with the
insane pleasure she was giving him. He’d never had any sex like
this before.
Joy was working harder and harder against him and he had to
put his hands on her hips to keep from falling over. The two of
them began to climax together, climbing up, up into the stars
above them as they rode their orgasm higher and higher.
“Zak, I’m coming. I’m almost there.”
“Oh, me too. Don’t stop. I’m right here with you.”
She worked her hips harder and harder, squeezing her eyes
shut as she began to crest. Inside her, she felt Zak pumping back
and forth and then exploding just as she did. They rode through
their intense pleasure together, Zak holding her tightly as she
reached back and grabbed his neck.
“Yes! Yes, oh my god. Oh. Oh yes. Yes. Oh, wow.”
“Oh, Joy. My darling.” His breath came fast and hot into her
ear. She turned so she could kiss him up on her knees but he
insisted she lie down. He joined her on the sleeping bag, the two
of them naked together in the tent and completely exhausted from
their lovemaking. He stroked her face and stared at her, fascinated.
“My Joy. Mother of my children.”
“Damn straight.” They laughed and kissed again, then Joy
had to lie back and caress her stomach. “They hear you. They’re
tumbling around like crazy right now.”
“Really?” Zak reached over and put his hand on her stomach and,
just as she’d promised, felt his babies moving under her skin.
“Wow. Those are our kids.”
“Are you ready to be a father?” She looked at him seriously,
her eyes wide. He propped himself up on one elbow and stroked
her hair.
 “As long as you’re with me,” he whispered, “there’s nothing
else I’d rather be.”

Chapter 10

The day Joy’s babies were ready to come into the world, her
eyes snapped open and she sat up straight. “It’s time.”
Zak carried her out of bed and into her father’s truck, which
Greg drove. She had to be in the woods in order for the babies to
be safe and Zak wanted the crew nearby to help. They were about
to pull out into the road when Joy’s father ran out and stopped
them.
“Wait! I’m coming with you.” He ran to the truck bed and
jumped in with Joy. “You weren’t going to do this without me,
were you?”
“Of course not.” Her words came out in little huffs as she
kept breathing in a rhythm like she’d learned from the other girls
in the gang. “Hold my hand, will you?” Steve took his daughter’s
hand as they sped off towards the woods outside of town. It was
early so the light was soft and traffic was minimal. It seemed like
only minutes by the time they reached the spot Zak had picked out
a few months earlier. They parked and several people eased Joy
out of the back.
She had to walk with them to the base of the old oak and the
walk was incredibly uncomfortable. She had to stop for
contractions every few seconds and let out a horrible scream as the
pain tore through her. Zak, Greg and a couple of the biker girls
rubbed her back and encouraged her to go on, go into the woods.
Little by little, the group fell back until Zak was the only one
left walking with her. They entered the clearing together, just like
they had that first night, and he helped her lie down with her head
pointed east.
 “I want you to look up into the sky and focus on the colors
there,” he said, pulling off his shirt. “All of my ancestors, all the
shifters in my family, are there watching over us right now.” He
wiggled out of his pants and then his underwear. He sprawled out
on the grass with one hand on Joy’s belly and covered his face.
She watched the sky as Zak’s form changed and he became an
enormous brown bear lying on the ground.
He’d explained to her a few days before that changelings
need to see both forms when they come into the world; the human
female and the animal male. This way, no matter state they were
born in, they had a parent to go to. He warned her that she may
have two baby bears, which would be very intense and painful, but
also a much faster birth. Now that the moment was at hand, she
felt certain the two creatures inside her had claws and giant teeth.
The pain was so intense that her vision blurred and then left
her entirely. Her bones softened and separated and she felt her
hips spread across the ground. Bear Zak reached over with his
hand and hooked a claw into her dress to rip it off. She’d worn it
specifically to give birth in, but it felt good to have her skin on the
grass.
Just as she started to catch her breath again, the pain inside
her doubled down and took her over. She twisted and screamed,
opening her legs in hopes that whatever was inside her would find
its way out. Bear Zak stood and paced around in front of her. He
came up and nuzzled her but she grabbed his ear and screamed
with another contraction. He stayed away from her hands after
that.
“Zak, the babies are coming!” She sat up halfway and pulled
her knees in towards her chest. She bared down and felt the
horrible sensation of her body ripping open, only to look down
and see no baby below her. Daddy bear kept pacing, more agitated
now that they were so close.
She went in for another round of pushing. She told herself to
be strong. She thought back to several weeks before when she’d
come home to find Aris sitting with a gun pointed at her dad. The
crew hadn’t backed down that day; they’d bombarded the place
from all sides, taking out Aris and protecting her and her dad. She
had to be strong; this was her family now and weakness was not
their style.
“Hrrrrreeemmmmmgaaahhh!” This time she felt a form slid
through her. She looked down. It was a bear cub. Zak ran over and
began to lick its fur. It was so beautiful to see him caring for a
baby, but she couldn’t enjoy it; the second baby was right behind
the first.
Another big push brought out number two. This one came out
screaming in a little human voice. Shaking, Joy reached down to
pick up her child and saw immediately that it was a girl. The sight
of her little daughter made her heart jump up to her throat.
She’d had no idea she could love someone so profoundly.
The level of her devotion to her bear cub and daughter shocked
her. She would kill for them if she had to; nothing bad would ever
happen to these children, not as long as she or their father was
alive.
Zak picked up their bear cub by the skin on its neck and
brought it over to her. The little baby curled up next to her on the
grass. Zak touched his big, wet nose to her forehead and she
reached up to feel his face.
“Our little bear is a boy?” He moved his head no. “A girl?” A
big nod this time. “Oh, Zak! We’ve had two beautiful girls. Oh my
goodness. As soon as you’re back to human we’re going to name
them, okay?” Another touch to the forehead let her know that he
was happy with whatever she wanted.
She kissed her little human daughter and smiled down at her
bear baby. This was her family. Zak went up to a high point on a
boulder and let out a loud bellow to announce that his children had
been born. A little ways off they heard the human cheers of the
crew. Zak looked back at her and then ambled off into the woods.
He would stay out there the rest of the day and return the next
morning so that he could be in his original form again. She took a
deep breath and closed her eyes.

A while later, Petunia came and joined her with a bottle of

baby formula for her bear baby. She showed Joy how to nurse the
little cub.
“Now, she’ll be hungry most of the time. And she may keep
this form for a long time. Some changeling babies don’t learn how
to shift until they’re one year old and that first change can be
traumatizing. You’re little pink baby on the other hand could just
wake up in bear form one morning. Shifters will keep you on your
toes. But,” she added, tickling the little bear as she pulled on the
bottle, “we’ll help with all of that. We’ll show you how to help
them sleep outside and in, what foods are good for them, all that.”
“Thank you so much.” Joy fell back onto the ground,
completely spent. “I don’t know what I would do without all of
you. I could never raise these little hellians all alone.”
“And I wouldn’t want you to.” Petunia watched the human
baby on Joy’s stomach let out a big, squeaky yawn. “She’s so
beautiful. You know what you’re going to name her?”
“I’m waiting until Zak’s back. I’m sure he has some ideas.”
She kissed her little daughter and shifted her over to one side so
she could nurse. The baby went right for her nipple. Her little lips
latched onto Joy and began sucking all the milk it could out of her
breast.
“Oh, wow.” Joy’s eyes popped open at the feel of her milk
flowing out of her so fast. “She’s starving.”
Petunia nodded. “Yeah, they’ll both be big eaters, I’m sorry
to say. You’ll want to get them on formula. Otherwise, you’ll have
to breastfeed constantly.”
Without looking Joy could feel the little bear teeth extending
from her daughter’s human mouth. Maybe she would transition
overnight. The clamp of her bite got to be too much and Petunia
helped her transition the little one to her bottle before she tore
Joy’s nipple off.
Joy held human baby and Petunia took the little bear baby.
The poor thing was so sleepy all it could manage to do was curl up
on her stomach. Her silky fur was deep brown and reflected the
bright sunlight beautifully. Joy hoped Zak would hurry back. She
didn’t want him to miss any of this.
After a day and a night in the woods, Joy was led back out
with Petunia’s help. The crew came up to help carry the babies
and sang an old song as they led her and her family back into the
world.
And with the rising sun
We shall walk this world as one
Like my father and my mother
We will live beside each other
With strength and pride…
Joy showed her children to her father who held his human
granddaughter proudly. “Oh, you’ve got a little pistol on your
hands, here. And as to this other one,” he looked down at the bear
baby who was chewing on his pant leg, “well, I just hope she’s
smart.”
Steve had gotten the whole story after the crew had saved
him. Joy was passed out during the conversation, but Zak told her
he’d taken the news of their true state very well.
“I remember your father,” he’d said, pointing at Zak. “He was
always wild, always making it impossible for me to teach my kids.
One day he ran out of school and a few minutes later this big
grizzly bear was seen walking across the school baseball field.
Everyone else was shocked but I knew. I knew it was Chet, my
class clown, playing the ultimate prank.”
 Zak had pressed him with a million more questions about
what his father had been like in school, but Steve refused to
continue. “It doesn’t matter, boy. You’re the father now. I just
hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
By the next evening, Zak had wandered back, naked and
sweaty. They had his clothes waiting for him at the camp and
everyone jeered at him and teased as he pulled them on in front of
everyone.
“There’s the daddy! And there’s his favorite toy. Put that
thing away!”
Laughing, he got himself dressed and went into his tent
where his family was settling down for the night. He snuggled up
to Joy and gave her a kiss, then took his human baby in his arms.
Their little bear baby walked up to him with her tiny tail wagging
behind her. She pulled herself up on his knee to better see her
sister.
“Well,” Zak said, cradling one baby and petting the other,
“what are we naming these two troublemakers?”
Joy snuggled into her sleeping bag and considered the two
babies in front of her. “I was thinking Clementine for our little
human,” she said, “and maybe Jasmine for her bear sister. What
do you think?”
He looked down at his baby girl. “Clementine. Is that your
name? Is it?” As he spoke, she reached up a tiny, shell-pink hand
and he caught it and gave it a kiss. Her tiny fingers wrapped
around his giant one and squeezed mightily.
“Okay, I think she likes it.”
He turned to the baby bear. “Jasmine. You like that name?
You have to have it for the rest of your life.” She sniffed his face
and jumped up and down on her front paws. He put a hand over
her muzzle and let her gnaw on him for a moment. “Okay. Oh,
ow!” He took his hand away and baby Jasmine was quick to put
an innocent expression on her face. “Careful baby girl.”
 “She’s her father’s daughter.” Joy put a hand on Zak’s leg.
“So, you like their names?”
“I love them. I knew you would give our daughters the
perfect names.” He leaned down to kiss her and she managed to
raise herself up slightly to receive it.
“You look exhausted, babe. Let me get us a babysitter so you
can sleep.”
He stepped out of the tent, Jasmine right behind him, and Joy
tried to protest but even yelling out for him to wait a moment was
far more than she could manage. Every single one of her muscles
was exhausted and refused to move.
That night, she and Zak slept with their limbs entangled in a
sleeping bag. Their babies slept with Petunia and Greg under the
stars. In his sleep, Zak reached out for Joy’s face, turning her
towards him. She looked at him while he slept; her wild, strange
lover and now the father of her children. She couldn’t imagine a
more perfect being existing anywhere in the world. That night, Joy
slept soundly and deeply knowing that she was loved and not
wanting for anything other than the life she had.

Summary: Joy wanted to believe her difficulties were behind

her, but the day she saw her old high school boyfriend Zak pull up
on a motorcycle she knew they had just begun. Back together after
decades apart, the two pick up right where they left off as
teenagers, but something is off about Zak. His motorcycle gang
seems a little different, too, but she can’t be sure what exactly it is
that sets them apart. Her father doesn’t know who she is half the
time but, even when he isn’t sure if he’s talking to his daughter or
his nurse, he always knows Zak is trouble. The rest of the town
seems to agree with him and everyone she meets assures her she’s
made the wrong choice. Joy tries to resist, but she’s drawn to his
beautiful face and wild lifestyle over and over again.
 After a beautiful romance with Zak, Joy’s ex-husband Aris
closes in to let Zak know that he doesn’t like seeing his wife in the
arms of another man. The two have a stand-off that ends with Aris
in the hospital and Zak vanishing. Joy sees a bear running off into
the woods and her ex beaten and bloody. Sure that Zak has fallen
victim to a bear attack as well, she falls into a deep depression and
pines for the man she loves.
Just as Zak returns, Joy’s body begins to change and she’s
worried she may be pregnant with Zak’s baby. It’s time for him to
tell her his secrets so that she can finally know; what is it that
makes Zak so different?

Biker Bear’s Baby

“Dixie! Can we get another round down here, doll?” Harlan
Simmons called out from the table where he sat with his fellow
bikers.
“Sure. On the way,” she called back, turning to grab a tray and
start pouring their drinks. It was a typical Saturday night in As the
Crow Flies, a dive bar she had just started working in for the
summer. The Crow, as the locals called it, was usually full of
bikers and truckers that called her pet names and touched her
inappropriately. It wasn’t exactly her dream job, but it would net
her some extra cash over the summer before she returned to
college in the fall.
“Thanks, cutie,” Harlan told her as she balanced her tray on the
table and passed out the drinks.
Her large breasts brushed the arm of one of the bikers sitting by
Harlan and he smiled at her, but said nothing. She was used to it.
Different men reacted differently to her due to her size. She wasn’t
slender, athletic, like many of the girls that worked here. Unlike
their more stickish figures, she had curves that flowed wickedly in
a true hourglass fashion. She was more Anna Nicole Smith than
Kate Moss, not everyone’s cup of tea. She could never be sure if
the smiles like his were interest or a nonverbal declination. It
didn’t really matter much either way to her.
In her high school years, she had been sensitive about her size, but
college had opened up a new world to her. College guys seemed to
take much more interest in her than high school boys ever had. Of
course, she had quickly learned that many of them were more
interested in a physical relationship than anything more
meaningful. It had led to a general disinterest in dating after a
couple of years. Now, entering her junior year, she was fairly
impervious to the advances of the opposite sex. Her disdain was
only accented by Harlan’s usual slap on her backside as she
walked away.
“Harlan, cool it,” she heard one of the guys tell him. It was the
same one she had inadvertently brushed against as she had served
their drinks.
“What? You can’t just ignore an ass like that, man,” Harlan replied
with a laugh.
“If she had wanted your hands on her ass, she would have asked
you to put them there. Did she see her flirting with you? No. She
is just doing her job and has to put up with jerks like you touching
her. Keep your hands to yourself when you are out with me,” the
other man growled at him.
“Alright, man. Fine,” Harlan said sullenly.
“Glad we got that straight,” the other man replied, taking a drink
of his beer.
Dixie pretended she hadn’t overheard, continuing her walk toward
the bar as if nothing had happened. The next several rounds of
beer served during her shift went by without further manhandling,
at least not from that table. She was vaguely aware of the
reputation of the men that sat there, members of a local
motorcycle gang known as the Thunder Bears. She assumed it was
a nod to the loud sound of their Harleys and the overabundance of
bears in this neck of the woods.
“Dixie?” a man said from behind her, disrupting her thoughts as
she cleaned the bar back in preparation to leave for the night. She
turned around to find herself looking at the man who had called
Harlan out for touching her inappropriately.
“What can I get for you? Another beer?” she asked.
“No. I’m good. I just need to take care of our tab and we’re going
to get going,” he replied.
“Okay. Let me get that for you,” she replied, taking in his deep
brown eyes and dark lashes for what was probably a few seconds
too long.
It had been hard to see him well in the dimly lit corner where he
and his guys had been sitting, but standing here by the bar shed
new light on him. He was tall and muscular, easily six four. She
guessed he was in his late twenties, no more than seven or eight
years older than her. His jet black hair hung in loose curls to his
shoulders. A chiseled jawline set off high cheekbones and full
lips. He was insanely attractive and rugged looking.
“Thanks,” he replied, pulling some cash from his pocket and
waiting for her to bring him a total. She could see his friends
already filing out of the bar behind him.
“Here you go,” she said, laying the check down in front of him
and waiting while he shelled out several hundreds to cover their
bar tab.
“That should do it,” he told her with a smile.
“I’ll get your change,” she replied, noting the large amount of
overage.
“No. The rest is yours,” he replied.
“I appreciate it, but that is too much,” she replied, unsure of
accepting an almost eighty dollar tip from the likes of him.
“Consider it an apology for Harlan’s poor behavior, not just for
tonight, but for whatever other nights he has been a jackass,” he
told her.
“That is not necessary. I’m used to it,” she replied.
“You shouldn’t be. Just because you work in a bar doesn’t make
you the property of a bunch of miscreants. If you have any trouble
from anyone here, you just let me know. The name is Luke
Roberts,” he said.
Dixie knew the name. He wasn’t just a member of the Thunder
Bears, he was the leader, and well known in the community as the
best mechanic for miles. She had heard of him, but they had never
met before now. If his reputation was true, he was a real badass.
He might be pretty, but definitely someone she should steer clear
of if even half of what she heard was true.
“I really appreciate it, but still, it is too much. Let me get you
some change,” she repeated.
“How about you keep it and give me your number instead,” he
replied.
“I rather give you your change,” she replied with a polite smile,
feeling uncomfortable with the way his eyes drew her in and made
her want to do unmentionable things with him.
“Playing hard to get. Okay. Just know that I don’t give up that
easily,” he replied, walking out of the bar.
“Wait. Your change . . . .” she called after him, but he only
laughed and tossed up a hand in a backwards wave as he
disappeared out the door. She heard the roar of motorcycles
cranking up as she made change and tucked it in her tip stash.
Finishing her work cleaning up the bar, she cashed out and left
work, digging in her purse for her keys.
“I knew you would come out eventually,” a voice said as she
stepped out the front door and began walking toward her car. She
jumped, startled, as she found herself looking up at Luke Roberts
towering over her. Looking around, she saw that the parking lot
was empty except for the two of them. Her heart beat wildly in her
chest as she stood facing him in the near darkness outside the bar.
“What do you want?” she asked, fiddling with the keys in her
hand so that several of them protruded from between her fingers in
case she needed to defend herself with what she had at hand.
“You aren’t going to have to stab me with your car keys,” he
laughed.
“That’s what all the stalkers say,” she said, trying to make light of
it, despite her continued nervousness.
“Listen, we’re going for a ride down Bayou Bluffs tomorrow.
How would you like to ride with me?” he asked.
“Me? On a motorcycle? I don’t think so,” she replied.
“Come on. I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he said.
“I appreciate the offer, but I really just don’t know you that well,”
she replied.
“Isn’t that the whole idea behind going out somewhere with
someone? Getting to know them?” he asked.
“I hardly think I’m going to be able to get to know you roaring
down some winding highway on the back of your bike,” she
replied.
“Well, you’ve got me there. It is a bit difficult to carry on a
conversation. I tell you what. How about I meet you at Mabel’s
Diner for a nice breakfast for starters. We can talk a bit, get to
know one another and then, if you feel comfortable with it, you
can ride with me down to the bluffs. The boys are going to be
grilling up some food and tossing back a few beers, maybe kick up
a bonfire later. You’ll have fun,” he said.
“Okay. I will agree to breakfast and we’ll see how that goes first,”
she replied.
“Good enough. You drive a hard bargain, Dixie Andrews,” he
replied.
“I don’t recall giving you my last name,” she quizzically said.
“You didn’t have to,” he replied with a wink before slipping a
black half helmet on his head. “I’ll see you in the morning, say
about seven?”
“I’ll see you at seven,” she replied.
“You bet that sweet ass of yours you will,” he replied.
Dixie watched as he cranked his bike and roared out of the
parking lot. He was a striking figure, even more foreboding in the
near darkness of the parking lot where the little lighting that
existed cast his shadow across her shorter frame. She wasn’t sure
why she had agreed to go to breakfast with him. He and his sort
were the last thing she needed in her life. She was the only girl in
her family to make it to college rather than getting knocked up by
some local nobody and she wasn’t about to give it up for a small
town mentality now.
Heading home, she still found herself thinking about him. His
good looks and chiseled physique were hard to resist. It wasn’t
like she was a virgin, though she would be the first to admit her
experience with men was limited. She was a smart girl who knew
how to take care of herself. Why couldn’t she have a little fun
with a local while she was home for the summer? No sooner had
the thought crossed her mind than so did the answer. He was bad
news and somehow, she knew that it would end with more chaos
than fun.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” he said as she entered the diner the

next morning.
“Good morning,” she replied in a much cooler tone. “I’m sorry,
but I just came by to tell you I couldn’t have breakfast with you. I
would have called, but I didn’t have your number.”
“So, you drove all the way across town from your mama’s house
on Eldorado Parrish Lane to tell me you won’t eat with me?” he
said with a half grin.
“Pretty much. I didn’t want to be rude and just not show up,” she
replied, not really surprised that a man with his contacts knew
where she lived.
“I believe they have a phone here at the diner,” he told her, an
eyebrow raised in her direction.
Dixie blushed a crimson red color. It seemed that the fact that she
could have called the diner and had a message given to him rather
than coming down here didn’t escape him at all. He might just be
some sort of biker gang leader, but he was a smart one. She tried
to think of a reason she chose to come down here instead of
calling and finally stammered out an explanation.
“I had to come into town to pick up something for my mother, so I
thought I would just stop by,” she told him.
“Your mother is in Mississippi with her sister. I believe she is
attending an old friend’s funeral,” he said.
“What? How do you know that?” she replied, looking at him with
large eyes. Now, she was a bit surprised and a little frightened.
“I know everything. Just like I know you are here because you
want to eat breakfast with me. You are just scared that you might
actually like someone like me,” he replied.
“That is ridiculous,” she replied, trying unsuccessfully to will her
feet to turn and walk out of here to prove her point.
“Then why are you still here? Just have a seat and eat breakfast
with me, Dixie. I won’t bite you . . . right now,” he said with a
smile. His teeth were nearly perfect, not at all what you would
expect from some big biker thug. Then again, when you really
looked at him, he didn’t look much the part other than the jacket
and riding boots. Put Luke Roberts in a suit and he could pass for
any professional you could name.
Dixie didn’t bother to argue. Instead, she sat down at his table and
looked at him. The waitress came over and took her order before
returning behind the counter to bark orders at a cook that looked
like he had been out all night and rather be anywhere else but here
cooking on a flat top diner grill. Luke never took his eyes off of
her as she waited for her orange juice to arrive. She shifted in her
seat a little, beginning to feel uncomfortable. The arrival of her
drink was a welcome distraction.
“So, Dixie Andrews, tell me what it is you are studying in
college,” he asked.
“Mechanical Design,” she replied.
“Wow, very impressive. You are just the sort of girl I need to
know,” he replied.
“How’s that?” she asked, momentarily turning to thank the
waitress as she brought their food. The way the young lady looked
at Luke didn’t go unnoticed by her, but he seemed completely
oblivious. No doubt he was used to women looking at him
appreciatively. Dixie found herself wondering how many of them
he had taken home with him.
“Well, I own a mechanical shop here locally and I have a few idea
that I’ve been toying with but some issues with working out the
designs. It might be something you could help me out with, if you
were so inclined,” he said.
“Why would I do that?” she asked.
“Because you find me interesting and want to spend more time
with me in close quarters,” he responded bluntly.
“Very sure of yourself, aren’t you?” she said a bit sarcastically.
“Usually, I am. You are a little hard on a man’s ego, though,” he
replied.
“I don’t mean to be,” she told him. “It isn’t about you. You seem
like a pretty decent guy, really. I’m just not interested in getting
into a relationship when I’m going to be returning to school in a
couple of months.”
“I guess I will just have to settle for a couple of months of mind
blowing sex, then,” he told her, his eyes locked on hers. The
intensity of them was almost too much. Not only did she find
herself unable to look away, she felt herself becoming highly
aroused merely by his presence.
“How about we just stick with breakfast for now?” she replied,
having a hard time breathing evenly while speaking.
“That will be fine, at least until breakfast has ended,” he replied.
Their conversation settled into the innovations he was trying to
work out in his garage and her studies. Somehow, their two
different worlds seemed to find a lot of common ground in that
they knew the same people and places. They laughed about some
of the local drama and recalled their childhoods growing up here
in the bayou. By the time breakfast was over, Dixie found that she
was drawn to him in a way that she couldn’t deny.
“So, how about a ride down to Bayou Bluffs?” he asked as he took
care of the check, still barely registering the rather attractive
waitress that was ogling him.
“You talked me into it,” she replied. “Just let me step out to my
car a moment.”
“Perfect. I’ll meet you out there in just a few minutes,” he told her.
“I need to hit the head and make a couple of quick phone calls
before we take off.”
Dixie nodded and made her way to the car. Dropping her sandals
in the trunk, she slipped on the socks and boots she kept there for
hiking at the state park nearby before dropping her entire purse
into the empty backpack that also resided there. She grabbed an
elastic band from the front of the car and twisted her long hair into
a low ponytail and dabbed on some lip balm to combat the wind
that would hit her on the back of the bike.
“You’re pretty prepared for a girl who had no intention of riding
with me today,” Luke said with a smirk as he approached the back
of her car.
“Don’t flatter yourself Luke Roberts. I always have this stuff for
when I decide to stop by the park and go for a hike,” she told him.
“A likely story,” he teased. “The sooner you admit you want me,
the sooner we can get to that whole unbridled passion I mentioned
earlier.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?” she replied, blowing
him off as she closed the trunk of her car. While she might have
appeared calm and collected, her heart beat wildly and her nerves
tingled along every extremity.
“Get on,” he replied, straddling his bike and waiting for her to get
on behind him. The way he said it was extremely suggestive, but
she pretended she didn’t notice. Instead, putting on the helmet he
held out toward her and waiting while he fastened the straps for
her. Once she was helmeted up, she climbed on the bike behind
him and sat with her hands resting on her legs.
“Alright. I’m ready,” she said.
“I know you don’t think you can ride like that,” he laughed,
reaching back for her hands and wrapped them around his waist.
“Hold on tight. I wouldn’t want you falling off.”
Dixie did as she was told, feeling a little more unsettled between
being wrapped so closely around him and on this death machine of
his. The loud roar of the chrome pipes was a little frightening, to
say the least. How in the world had she let herself get talked into
this insanity? Her heart pounded loudly as Luke pulled away from
the curb and began making his way down the side street that led
away from the restaurant. She held on to him for dear life as they
turned onto the main highway and picked up speed.
Her fear slowly faded into contentment as she watched the passing
trees and lakes scattered on either side of the highway. The wind
blowing across her body felt oddly liberating. She could see why
people enjoyed riding so much, something that she had never
understood before. A moment later, she became aware of Luke’s
hand on hers. He had taken it off the handle long enough to
squeeze her on as if to silently ask if she was okay. She returned
the favor in order to let him know that she was doing fine. The
truth was that she felt much more than okay. She had to admit that
this day was turning out far better than she had anticipated. She
found the feeling of Luke’s boy pressed against hers exhilarating.
Before she knew it they had been riding for hours and she was
starving, her breakfast long worn off. Luke must have been feeling
the same way as he pulled into a combination diner and gas station
a few minutes later. Parking at the pumps, he motioned for her to
step off. He stepped off behind her, putting the kickstand out and
removing his helmet. She watched as his rough hands tussled his
thick hair before smiling down at her.
“Surviving so far?” he asked.
“Yes, so far,” she replied. She wasn’t ready to commit to telling
him she was actually enjoying the ride.
“There is a little place down by the river I want to eat dinner, but I
thought we could grab a little snack here to hold us over. I just
need to fill up the tank while we are stopped. If you want to grab
us a table in the diner, I’ll take care of the bike and be right behind
you,” he said, pulling the nozzle out of the pump.
“You aren’t planning on dumping me in the middle of nowhere,
are you?” she joked.
“Depends on how the snack goes,” he said with a wink. Dixie
laughed and headed into the diner to find them a table. By the time
Luke joined her, she had ordered them a sampler plate and a
couple of waters.
“I didn’t know what you like, so I just ordered one of the mixed
appetizers,” she told him.
“Sounds perfect. Should be enough to take the edge off while we
finish the trip,” he said.
They sat enjoying their food over a conversation about Luke’s
innovations he was working on in his shop. Before Dixie knew it,
she was agreeing to come to the shop on her day off the following
week so that she could look at what he was doing and see what
she could do to help him work out some of the kinks. It was hard
to believe how quickly she was warming up the him, but she
didn’t seem to be able to stop herself. He had a certain animalistic
charm to him that spoke to her basic instincts in all the right ways.
“Alright, we best get back on the road,” he told her once they had
finished.
“Alright,” she replied. The two of them headed back out to where
he had moved the bike after his fill up and climbed back on. This
time, she didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms tightly around him
before he took off down the highway toward their destination.

“Here we are,” Luke told her hours later as he pulled into the
parking lot of what looked a bit like a dive to her. The rustic posts
that surrounded an outer deck looked like they had been harvested
off some old, rotten ship. Everything looked dank and dusty from
out here. He helped her from the bike and hung their helmets on
the side.
“Aren’t you worried that someone will take those?” she asked. It
didn’t seem like a particularly good spot to leave anything.
“Not if they know what is good for them,” he laughed. Dixie
could only imagine what Luke Roberts would do to someone that
had the audacity to steal from him. They walked into the dockside
place, named unimaginatively, “The Wharf”. She was surprised to
find that it was much cleaner and more modern inside, though still
a fairly simple home-style type restaurant. The server greeted
Luke by name, looking appreciatively over the muscles that
rippled beneath his leather riding jacket before casting a look of
disdain in Dixie’s direction.
“Your usual table?” she asked him.
“If it is available,” he replied. Moments later, they were settled
into a couple of beers and a large basket of fried oysters. It wasn’t
exactly haute cuisine, but it was apparent that it was a delicacy at
this locale and Luke was the resident food critic.
“How is everything, Luke?” an elderly man asked as he
approached the table.
“My compliments to the chef,” Luke replied with a nod. The old
man tipped his head toward him and moved on to another table.
Luke turned his attention back toward her. “That’s Arnie
Compton, his family has owned this place for as long as I can
remember.
“It’s very cozy,” she replied, finding that she actually meant it.
This place actually did have a sort of comforting feel to it. You
could come in here and just relax. She could get used to it. They
finished their meal over chatter about how he came to own a
mechanic shop and how she came to pursue mechanical design.
They had covered a lot of territory as far as sharing their stories
during the course of the day and the sparks between them glowed
the deep red of desire that was common between those that found
a passion for one another so quickly.
“Let’s get out of here,” he offered, leaving cash on the table and
slipping free of the booth in which they sat. She nodded and stood
up, once again marveling at his size compared to her own. Though
she was not a thin girl, Luke towered over her and was broad and
muscular. He even made her feel petite. A tingle ran through her
as she started in the direction of the bike, thinking about being
curled up against him again as they rode again.

“What are you doing?” she asked, suddenly aware that he was
walking past the bike.
“I thought we were going for a stroll along the river?” he said with
a slow smile. The restaurant was set up on a cliff overlooking the
water. No way could they get down to it from up here.
“Is there a lift or something?” she asked, confused.
“A lift? To the river? This isn’t snow skiing, babe,” he replied.
Whether she was thrilled about being referred to by such a sweet
term of endearment or just liked the way his mouth moved when
he said the words was unclear, but she was quite certain she would
follow him down the steepest slope in that moment. Of course, she
had no idea that climbing down a rock face was exactly what they
would be doing and in the dark, to boot.
“Are we going to be able to get back up this thing?” she said,
looking back up the steep incline after they had dropped onto the
small bank area below.
“I don’t know. I guess if we can’t, we’ll just have to sleep together
on the river bank,” he replied with his sly smile. He was looking
up at the rock facing as if he, too, were concerned, but she
suspected that he had done this many times over.
“I guess so,” she replied, refusing to let him get anything over on
her. He reached for her hand and led her down the bank, dimly lit
with the lights that spilled over from the nearby restaurant parking
and the houses built along the cliffs overhead.
“Did you ever imagine that you’d be spending your evening with a
backwards biker when you met me last night at work?” he asked.
“Not in a million years,” she replied, not bothering to correct his
self-assessment.
They walked quietly for a while, just holding hands and enjoying
the night air along the water. A large fish jumped nearby, causing
Dixie to startle a bit and stop in her tracks. Luke laughed and
pulled her toward him. “It’s just a fish, babe.”
His own words were cut off by his mouth on hers, dancing a slow
tango to a tune unique to the two of them as they clung to each
other beneath the stars. The rest of the world faded away while she
was in his arms. She was quite content with the thought that it
might never return. As long as she was lost in him like this, there
was nothing else she needed. Everything about him felt so right. If
there was such a thing as love at first sight, then this was it.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against her ear as he pulled
away from the kiss and held her closely to his chest. She cooed
against him, allowing herself to just enjoy the moment while it
lasted. They stood there for what seemed like only moments,
though it was probably much longer. This all felt so right and yet,
she was scared out of her mind. Finally mustering the gumption to
break away, she pulled back and looked up at him.
“I need to go home now,” she said, willing her voice not to falter.
“Are you sure?” he asked, brushing some loose hairs caught by
the wind away from her face.
“Yes, I’m sure,” she replied.
“I guess all good things have to come to an end,” he said quietly,
leading her around a corner where she found a long wooden ramp
that led back up to the restaurant.
“You knew this was here and you made me climb down those
rocks?” she blurted out as they made their way up the sloped
wooden dock.
“I’m sorry. The view from the rocks was better,” he told her.
“How could you tell? We were looking down, not up toward the
sky,” she replied.
“You were looking down. I was looking up at you climbing down
the rocks,” he replied with a cocky grin.
“You are awful!” she replied, laughing as they topped the path and
made their way back to the bike.
“I know. What can I say?” he laughed, helping her into her helmet
and onto the bike. The cool night air felt even more amazing than
the warm summer day had on their way up. Dixie couldn’t
imagine feeling more content than she did in the time it took to
arrive there. Pulling into a strange driveway, however, shattered
every bit of peace she had claimed on the ride home.
“What are we doing here?” she asked, thinking it must be his
house and wondering how he could be so presumptuous as to
assume she’d just come home with him.
“Don’t panic. I just need to grab something and I’ll be right back.
It’ll give you a chance to stretch your legs,” he replied.
“Actually, do you mind if I use your bathroom for a moment?” she
asked as he helped her out of her helmet again. She knew she
should probably just stay outside, but she really did have to go and
the restaurant would be closed by the time they got back there.
“Of course you can. It’s right down there on the right,” he told her,
pointing down a hallway on one side of the house. He turned and
walked into another room on the other side, leaving her to find her
way.
It was apparent to her that whatever this chemistry was between
them was only going to get stronger the moment they stepped
inside. There was a good chance that she might not be able to say
no to this man and sleeping with someone on the first date was
something she had never done. A small voice inside her head
responded to her thoughts, asking if she really minded so much if
she lost control with him. Making her way back to the living
room, she waited for him to return. He did a few minutes later
with a small leather case in one hand.
“Ready to go?” he asked. Dixie looked at him, how gorgeous he
was standing in his dimly lit living room. His dark hair and eyes
were calling to her in a way she could explain.
Then, it was if the flood gates opened and every bit of what she
was feeling, all the longing, the hunger, the passion . . . it all
spilled forth and she refused to try to hold it back. She moved in
closer to him and began nibbling at his neck softly. He feigned
being non-responsive but quickly gave it up as her hands began to
roam across his leather clad arms and her kisses grew more
urgent. Sliding onto his lap, she kissed him hungrily, aching to
have him inside of her. Something that sounded oddly like a growl
escaped his lips.
“What are you doing?” he whispered. “What makes you think I’m
this kind of guy?”
“If you aren’t, I think I am getting to you,” she whispered in his
ear.
“Nope. I’m a rock,” he replied.
“Perhaps you are as hard as a rock,” she replied provocatively,
sliding her hand across the rapidly rising bulge in his jeans.
“You are a very bad girl,” he told her.
“Guilty as charged,” she responded playfully, massaging him
through the course denim that covered his zipper.
“Well, I guess we are just going to have to cart you off for your
crimes of passion then,” he told her, suddenly pulling her upward
with his strong arms and tossing her over his shoulder. He walked
to the bedroom with her, as she giggled loudly.
“Now, let’s just see who is in charge here,” he told her, pinning
her down across the bed and kissing her. His body hovered over
her own, taking his time with her. Their passion got the best of
them as they tugged at each other’s clothes, eager to feel skin
against skin. It had been an eventful day and tomorrow looked
even brighter as they lost themselves in each other’s arms.
Dixie’s body arched gently forward as Luke expertly found his
way to her clit with a talented tongue. He knew exactly what to do
to bring her to a series of orgasms like she had not experienced for
quite some time. She moaned loudly as he licked and tickled her
most private places, leaving her squirming and moaning beneath
him in complete ecstasy. His abilities far exceeded even what she
could have imagined. He was like an animal with a treat as he
lapped furiously at her dripping pussy, eagerly teasing her until
she was squirting wildly into his hungry mouth.
Having satisfied her needs for the moment, he began to slowly
drag his magnificent lips across her bare skin, traveling her body
with feather light butterflies of lust. By the time he had completed
his circuit and made his way back up to her lips, she was ready for
more and he certainly didn’t disappoint. Their moans were almost
simultaneous as he entered her, pushing his erection deep inside of
her, stretching her until she felt full. Full of him. Full of lust. Full
of contentment. It was beautiful being with him and she hoped it
would never end.
They made love slowly as the moon rose outside, shining through
the window of the otherwise dimly lit room. There was no doubt
that she had made the right choice as he traveled endless highways
along the curves of her body, taking his time with every nuance of
her flesh. Her hips rose to meet his again and again, a perfectly
time waltz between two new lovers. This could very well be her
destiny if she allowed it. It was too soon to think in those terms,
she knew, but she had never experienced chemistry like this with
anyone. Her moans filled the room as he brought her to yet
another intense orgasm and then followed her into bliss with his
own.
Afterwards, they lay there in the darkness, just listening to one
another breathe. Dixie was sure that this was just about as close to
heaven as a girl could ever hope to be. She reached for him, laying
her head on his shoulder as she fell asleep in his arms. Whatever
tomorrow might bring, it would be nothing she could not handle
with this man by her side. Once again, the world outside of him
faded away and she was content to just let it all wash away.

She awoke the next morning to find herself alone in the bed. It
was just before twilight and, for a moment, she wasn’t sure where
she was. Her body felt stiff all over, like she had been ravaged by
a wild beast. A smile crossed her lips as she remembered the way
he had awoken her after their first encounter with a repeat
performance that had made the first one look tame. He had fucked
her with such force that it had felt like he might tear her apart and
she had loved every moment of it. His skin felt like he was on fire
as he sank into her again and again, scratching her skin with his
nails and biting her back as he plunged deep inside of her.
“You’re awake,” he said from the doorway.
“I am,” she replied, looking at him sheepishly. She pulled the
sheet up over her body and smiled at him, noting the scratch
across her breast as she did so.
“Don’t cover up. I love looking at you,” he replied.
Dixie smiled, letting the sheet drop. Her nipples stood erect in the
cool air conditioned bedroom as she tried not to be self-conscious
while he studied her intently.
“I’ve got to get to the shop. Do you want to stay here or should I
take you back to your car?” he said suddenly.
“I have to go to work later, so my car would be good,” she replied,
getting out of bed and beginning to get dressed. He stood
watching her with a smile. Finally walking over and kissing her in
a way that just made her want to get back into bed.
“I’ll be in later for a drink. Maybe we can find a quiet place to
make your break a little more exciting,” he told her.
“You’re an animal,” she said.
“Oh, you have no idea,” he told her, slapping her playfully on the
backside as she bent to retrieve her boots from the floor by the
bed. She slipped them on and then followed him out to the bike.
Fifteen minutes later, they were pulling into the restaurant where
she had left her car. He kissed her, squeezing one of her breasts
lightly as he leaned in.
“Get out of here before we get arrested for public indecency and
lewd behavior out here in the parking lot,” she replied.
“It would be completely worth it. I’ll see you tonight,” he told her,
getting back on his bike.
She watched him drive off before slipping behind the wheel of her
car and heading home to shower and change for work. All she
could think about beneath the steam of the shower is how he had
felt. Her fingers drifted lightly over the scratches he had left
behind and she wondered how he had managed them. His nails
had seemed pretty clean cut when they were eating dinner and she
had noted them, but she had numerous scratches nonetheless.
Shrugging it off, she finished dressing and left for work. The bar
wouldn’t open until two, but they had inventory this morning
before the usual clean up and restocking they did before opening.

Weeks went by during which she and Luke spent every possible
moment together. There was no doubt that she was head over
heels for him, though there seemed to be a bit of problem with
some of his club members, namely Harlan Simmons. Dixie wasn’t
sure if she had rubbed him the wrong way due to how Luke had
shut him down about his behavior toward her or if it was a
personal issue between him and Luke, but they always seemed to
be butting heads.
“What is she doing here?” Harlan asked one day when Dixie
appeared at the garage while several of the members were hanging
out there and discussing club business.
“Dixie is always welcome here,” Luke replied coolly.
“I don’t recall issuing her a patch,” Harlan replied. “This is a
members only gathering.”
“I’m sorry, Luke. I didn’t realize I was interrupting anything. I
will come back later when you aren’t busy,” Dixie told him, not
wanting to cause trouble between him.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Harlan is just being an asshole. Just wait for
me in my office. We’re almost done here anyway,” Luke told her,
never taking his eyes off of Harlan.
Dixie nodded and walked to the front of the garage. She could
hear him and Harlan exchanging angry words, but couldn’t make
our exactly what they were saying. It was bad enough that she had
to come here to have the conversation with him that she had
planned. No doubt it wasn’t going to be received well if he was
already in a bad mood. She sat nervously waiting on him.
“What’s wrong?” he said immediately when he came in a short
time later.
“How do you know something is wrong?” she asked, surprised he
could pick up on it so quickly.
“I have a good sense for these things. I can smell fear and you are
covered in it,” he said.
“I’m pregnant,” she blurted out.
His physical reaction was much the same as if she had slapped
him. She sat waiting for him to say something. She had known for
a week, but had been trying to accept it herself before coming to
him. Instead, she had made excuses not to see him while she
sorted it out in her head. This had not been a part of her plan and
she knew it changed everything with her life, with school, and
with him.
“How far along are you?” he asked.
“It’s yours if that is what you are trying to figure out,” she snarled
back, upset that he might even think otherwise.
“No, Dixie. I know it is mine. How far along?” he asked again.
“No more than a few weeks,” she replied. “I took two tests and
both were positive. I have an appointment with the doctor in the
morning to confirm.”
“No. I’ll make you an appointment elsewhere. You can’t see a
regular doctor,” he replied.
“What? Of course I can see a regular doctor. Wait, are you telling
me you want me to take care of it? You don’t want anyone to
know that you made me end the pregnancy?” she suddenly
shrieked.
“I am not telling you that. I am telling you that you need a very
special doctor and that I need for you to go to who I tell you to
see,” he said firmly.
“You aren’t making any sense. Why?” she asked.
“Dixie, listen to me. I can’t explain to you right now, but I will
tonight. Just know that I love you and that I want this baby. I want
our baby. Do you?” he asked.
“Of course I do,” she told him, knowing that she meant it now that
she was saying the words out loud. It didn’t matter how it changed
things for her to be pregnant. She wanted this baby more than
anything.
“Then, we need to sit down and talk about some things. Let me get
a couple of things finished up here at the garage and then I’ll come
get you. We’ll go to the house where we can be alone and talk,” he
said.
“You are scaring me,” Dixie told him.
“I know I am, but it will be okay. I promise,” he told her.
“Okay. Just call me when you are on your way over,” she told
him.
“Dixie?” he called after her as she started to leave.
“Yes?” she said, stopping to look back at him.
“I love you. I love you and I love our baby,” he said
“I love you, too,” she replied before leaving the garage.
Harlan stood just outside the garage opening, looking her up and
down in his usual lewd way. There was a smirk on his face that
made her just want to walk over and slap him, but she knew that
would only cause more trouble between him and Luke. The last
thing she needed to do was stir crap between them. Instead, she
walked quietly to her car, avoiding any further eye contact with
him. She saw him go into the garage after she left and wondered
what he was up to.

“I’m on my way to get you,” Luke told her on the phone less than
an hour later. “I need you to pack some things and plan on staying
at my house for a while.”
“What? Why? I’ll be fine here at home,” she replied.
“No, you won’t. Just please do as I ask and I’ll be there in about
fifteen minutes,” he told her, hanging up before she could protest
further.
“Luke, what is going on?” she asked when he came to the door.
“Let’s get your things in the car. I need you to follow me to my
house, Dixie. Don’t stop for anyone or anything,” he told her.
“What is going on, Luke?” she asked again, more frightened than
ever.
“I need you to trust me,” he said. “Can you just trust me until I get
you home?”
“Okay, Luke,” she replied quietly. They packed her things into her
car and she followed him to his house, parking around back as he
instructed her to do. Things were getting really weird and she
wasn’t sure that she still felt so good about her condition under
these circumstances. What had happened that was making him act
this way.
“Come outside with me,” he told her once they had her things
inside. “I need to show you something.”
Dixie followed him out, noting how bright it was despite the lack
of lighting around his house. Luke lived on a side road with no
other houses. It was completely secluded, so there was no lighting
from other houses either. Instead, the large full moon overhead
cast shadows across the yard. She looked up at it and then back
down at Luke.
“I’m going to show you something. I could tell you, but you
wouldn’t believe me or understand, so I am just going to show
you. Don’t be frightened. I have complete control over it,” he said.
“What are you talking about, Luke?” she said, but before she even
finished saying the words, she saw something happening.
It was if he was getting taller and his muscles seemed to expand,
ripping open his clothes until they were merely threads. His skin
was rapidly covering with dark brown fur and his face was
contorting, forming a snout. Large jagged teeth flashed in the
moonlight as he let out a loud growl and fell down onto all fours.
Dixie stood there in disbelief. Her heart hammered against her
chest and she took a step back. She watched as the huge bear took
a step toward her and then everything went black.
“Dixie? Dixie? Are you okay?” she heard Luke’s voice saying to
her. She came too lying in his bed. It must have been a dreamed.
She struggled to recount the time leading up to this moment.
There didn’t seem to be any missing pieces where she might have
gone from being in the backyard to being in bed, asleep and
having weird dreams about the man she loved shifting into some
sort of bear. Still, that had to be the answer. Things like that didn’t
happen. They didn’t exist.
“I dreamed you were a bear,” she replied with a smile.
“It wasn’t a dream, Dixie. It was real. You passed out and I carried
you in here to lay down,” he said.
“No. That is impossible,” she replied.
“It isn’t impossible. I was born this way, as my father was before
me and my grandfather before that. Our child will be one, as well.
There will be anomalies on your ultrasound. That is why I need
for you to go to a specific doctor,” he replied.
Dixie’s eyes grew wide. Her hands shot down to her stomach,
clutching it as if she expected whatever she was carrying to claw
its way out right this moment. She was suddenly more frightened
than she was a short time ago watching Luke turn into some sort
of were bear. Knowing she had one inside of her was well more
than a bit more than she had bargained for in this whole thing.
“It’s okay. You won’t be hurt by the baby, Dixie. He will develop
like a normal child and he will appear to be a normal child. Not
even he will know any different until he begins to shift in his
teens. I will have prepared him for that well before it happens to
him. He’ll need to know how to cope, how to conceal it and how
to control it. The only thing that will need to be addressed is any
doctor’s visits. He can’t go to normal doctors and he can’t go to
normal hospitals,” he told her.
“What if something more than a scrape happens to him?” she said.
“Most anything that happens to him will heal rapidly on its own.
Anything beyond that will be taken care of by the club physician,”
he said.
“The bike club? All were bears?” she said, suddenly
understanding a lot more about the close bond between most of
them and the animosity from the second in command toward
Luke.
“Yes, all of them. There are many of us here and we’ve coexisted
peacefully for centuries,” he said.
“Centuries?” she repeated. “How old are you?”
“I am not immortal, Dixie. I will live for several centuries, but I
was born here just like you were and am very young compared to
some of the others,” he said. “It is the reason I am having issues
with Harlan. He is much older and feels he should be the leader.”
“Why isn’t he?” she asked.
“Because it was decided long ago who would be leader. Each
generation, a new boy is born to the leader of the pack and that
boy replaces his father when the time comes. I replaced my father
and our son will replace me one day,” he said.
“That is why Harlan is angry? Doesn’t he know that he can’t ever
be leader and it is useless to cause problems because of it,” she
said.
“Listen closely to me, Dixie. I have to keep you here, out of sight.
Harlan is dangerous. I know he has intentions of trying to take me
down so that he can take over as leader. If I am out of the way, it
falls to a vote and that is usually who is considered to be the
strongest of the pack. The one that took down the previous leader
is the most likely successor,” he said.
“You mean he would try to kill you? Oh my God, Luke. What
about me? Why do I have to hide?” she asked, still not completely
grasping the situation.
“Because if Harlan kills me, our child becomes next in line. An
elder would be appointed by the council to hold his place and
teach him what he needs to know until such time as he can step
into my shoes. Do you understand what I am saying?” he said.
“Harlan would have to kill all of us,” she replied.
“I’m sorry, Dixie. I had no intention of this happening anytime
soon. I have some other ways of dealing with Harlan that I was
working on, but things have escalated and I’m afraid that if he
finds out about the baby, it will set him off completely. I can’t risk
him harming you,” he replied.
Dixie sat crying on the bed. This was too much, way too much.
How had she gotten herself into this mess? She had tried so hard
to do better than her sisters and had only landed in more of a bad
situation than any of them could have ever gotten themselves into.
Luke held her close, trying to sooth her, but she couldn’t seem to
get a grip on herself. A knock on the door disrupted them.
“I’ll be right back,” Luke told her, stepping out of the bedroom
and closing the door.
She heard the front door swing open and angry voices coming
from the living room. It was Harlan, but she couldn’t make out
what he was saying. Creeping out of the bed, she put her ear
against the door so that she could hear better.
“How long did you think you could hide that you knocked up your
little college girl?” she heard Harlan saying.
“Who told you a tale like that, Harlan?” Luke asked.
“I could smell the hormonal stink on her when she left the garage
earlier. Seems I’ve acquired a few skills you haven’t. Only more
reason for me to be leader,” Harlan said.
“You aren’t fit to be leader. You have too many anger issues and a
nasty streak. Have you forgotten what you did to those guys down
at the river house last year? You almost got us all hunted down
and killed for that. The council was furious,” Luke told him.
Dixie had some vague memory of an incident at the river while
she was away last fall. It was chalked up to wild animals but no
one was sure what kind or why they had attacked the men while
they slept. Hunters had spent weeks in the woods looking for
anything rabid or large, bringing in hundreds of large game
trophies as a part of their excused killing of normally protected
animals.
“They had it coming, man. They ripped me off in that card game,”
Harlan spat back at him.
“I don’t think that should have been a death sentence.” Then,
“Don’t do that, Harlan. I’m warning you,” Dixie heard Luke say.
She heard the low growl, the same one she had heard earlier when
Luke had changed. It grew louder and was joined by a second.
Panic set in as she realized they were changing. Harlan was
challenging him, here and now. This was really happening. Right
now, in the middle of his living room. The sound of things
breaking and large bodies colliding shook the house. Dixie began
looking around for something, anything to protect herself and their
baby if she had to.
The terrifying noises coming from the living room sent her
scurrying to the closet. She cowered there listening to the fight
that was happening in the next room. She had never been near two
wild animals fighting, much less something like this. Her heart felt
like it was going to leap out of her chest and tears fell down her
face as it seemed to go on endlessly. Finally, there was the horrible
sound of an animal in pain. Everything stopped for a moment
except for that sound.
Dixie reached for the wall beside her to steady herself and prepare
to run if needed. Her hands landed squarely on something hard.
She felt quietly along it to discover it was in fact a double barrel
shotgun, something she was very familiar with thanks to her father
teaching her at least a little about guns when she was younger.
Before she could check to see if it was loaded, she heard the sound
of the bedroom door being ripped open and crashing noises of
what sounded like the bed being broken. Cocking the gun, she
waited, terrified.
The door shook as it was ripped off its hinges. Dixie couldn’t see
anything as the dark shadow of the were bear blocked out the light
behind it. Without thinking, she pulled the trigger on the shotgun,
hoping it hit somewhere that would do enough damage for her to
escape. The sound was deafening in the small closet as the gun
went off and the bear fell backwards toward the broken remains of
the bed. He attempted to get up, but she cocked the shotgun again,
unloading another round squarely in its chest. It fell still and she
watched as it slowly reshaped into the figure of a man . . . Harlan.
She gagged at the sight of him, falling forward from the closet and
holding on to the wall for balance. Fear immobilized her for quite
some time before she could bring herself to make it to the living
room. There, she found Luke, lying on the floor. He was naked,
covered with blood, bruises and scratches. Tears fell down her
face as she knelt over him, crying. Holding him close to her, she
could feel him still breathing.
“Hold on, Luke. Don’t leave me,” she cried, reaching into her
pocket for her cell phone.
Dixie called the bar and asked them to get anyone that was there
from his gang to the phone. She wasn’t sure if they could even
comprehend what she was saying due to her near hysteria, but a
short time later, bikes arrived in droves. An older man she
recognized as a frequent visitor instructed someone to calm her
while he tended to Luke. She found herself escorted to the back
porch and given a glass of water while one of the other club wives
let her lean on her shoulder.

A few days later, Dixie stood looking at the mess that had once
been Luke Robert’s house. There was very little in the living
room, kitchen or bedroom that hadn’t been shattered or crushed
from the fight between the two alpha bears. In the bedroom was a
stain where the body of Harlan Simmons had once lay. There was
now a missing person’s report for him, but the club assured her he
would never be found. She placed her hand on her stomach and
smiled at the child the doctor had confirmed she was carrying and
walked out of the house with the bags she had brought over days
ago.
“You ready?” Luke asked as she stepped out.
“I’m ready,” she replied.
Luke nodded at a few of the club members and tossed Dixie’s
bags in her car before kissing her softly on the cheek. She
followed him down the road, glancing into her rear view mirror
just in time to see the house go up in flames and bikes coming into
view behind her. Twenty minutes later, she pressed the button on a
garage door opener and watched Luke’s bike disappear inside the
opening before pulling in beside him.
“Welcome to your new home,” Luke told her.
“It’s beautiful,” she replied, looking around the refurbished
plantation home set far back off the road where no one would
bother them.
“I’m glad you like it. I had planned on a much less dramatic
transition from the old house to this one, but things didn’t work
out quite like I planned them. There is just one thing lacking,” he
told her.
“What is that?” she said.
“The other half of my plans when I bought this house for us,” he
said.
Dixie watched as he fished something from his pocket and took
her hand, slipping an antique black diamond onto her finger. She
looked at it in surprise and then back at him.
“That ring has been passed down from generation to generation in
my family. Now, it is yours and someday, our son will give it to
the woman he loves. Will you marry me, Dixie?” he asked.
“Yes! Yes, I will!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him
and kissing him passionately. Luke picked her up and carried her
upstairs to their new bedroom. She was amazed at how quickly his
body had healed from the fight with Harlan, a fight which she later
learned he was ill equipped to fight after having changed so
recently before it. At the end of the day, it seemed they had saved
one another and could now spend their lives in peace, as could
their unborn son. That was all that mattered.
*****
THE END
Brother’s Bear
"I work in the morning."
How Anna had both loved and loathed those words at the same
time. When Gabriel Kempton had called her back, she'd been
floored. After the lackluster reception of her final academic
exhibition had stolen her chance at graduate school, she knew the
only way into higher education was through completing an
apprenticeship to garner real world experience. No opportunity
had been beneath her, and Anna had launched her resume off to
dozens of apprenticeship positions. That Gabriel Kempton of all
people had been the only one to call her back had to be proof that
she was meant to succeed. Working beneath his direction would
not only look good on her future applications, but it would draw
the eyes of the art world in her direction. Even if Gabriel was
unsatisfied with her work, the fact that they would be associated
would work in her favor.
But he worked in the mornings.
Anna couldn't remember the last time she'd willingly gotten out of
bed before noon. Given the choice, she preferred to sleep through
the afternoon. Mornings had never been her friend, and anyone
who knew her had always planned around that fact accordingly.
Anna Nightingale, her mother had sung to her in her teenage
years, little lark, despises the light, favors the dark. But now the
nightingale stood before the private art studios of Southview
University, cup of bitterly black coffee in hand, while the sun rose
on the horizon.
"This is your future, Anna," she whispered to herself, the words
catching in the thick yarn of her maroon infinity scarf. She slipped
her car keys into the small purse slung from her shoulder. "Just a
year of early mornings, and then you'll be set for life. Suck it up."
Studio C3 was already lit up on the inside. In the early hour of the
day little traffic passed, and the street lights had begun to fade to
orange. It seemed like everyone else on the planet slept except for
the man she knew lurked beyond the studio walls. And herself, of
course. She hesitated before the door, wondering if she should
knock or not. Better to be overly polite, she thought, than to be
rude. Anna rapped upon the door.
"Come in," a voice called from inside. Although she could tell
there was great volume behind it, the words barely bled through
the door and she'd almost missed them. Had the morning not been
so quiet, Anna was sure she never would have heard the invitation.
Without wasting any more time, Anna entered the studio.
Had she to guess, Anna would have said that Gabriel Kempton
had already been at work for hours. The largest block of marble
she'd ever seen sat in the center of the studio upon a raised
platform, its corners and sides already carved off. The pitched
pieces lay haphazardly on the floor around the platform. Apart
from a few messy tables pressed against the wall and two folding
metal chairs tucked into them, the room was empty.
"I need you to start tidying the pieces that have fallen," Gabriel's
voice instructed. He was behind the block of marble, out of her
field of view. The end of the sentence was punctuated with the
bright clang of a mallet striking down upon metal. A new piece of
marble knocked loose and toppled to the ground. "Stack them all
on one of the tables. We might be able to recycle the scrap for
small projects."
No hellos, no good mornings. Had she not been so exhausted,
Anna might have bristled at his lack of respect. A hasty sip of
coffee silenced any sass. She set the cup down on one of the tables
and made her way towards the marble.
"And when you're done that, then you can start to sweep." Gabriel
stepped out from behind the marble, and Anna stopped in her
tracks. Gabriel Kempton was the talk of the art world and the
pride of Southview's Master of Fine Arts program, but every
article she'd read about him and his accomplishments had only
shown his face, focusing more upon his creations. While his facial
features had been handsome, Anna had always assumed he'd look
like a scrawny artist in person. The body she'd pictured and the
man who stood before her were not one in the same.
Instead of narrow and lanky, Gabriel was cut and svelte. The grey
t-shirt he wore stretched across his chest and filled out in the
shoulders and arms, and although his muscles were not excessive,
there was no question that they were visible. Toned arms, a firm
chest, and a body that tapered into his hips, Gabriel looked more
like a swimmer than a sculptor. Momentarily Anna wondered if
she had nodded off to sleep and was imagining the whole thing.
There was no way someone could look as handsome as he did
while toiling away in a studio for fourteen hours a day.
The prolonged pause attracted Gabriel's attention, and he looked
towards her for the first time. Anna glanced up into his dark eyes
and noticed how they stared. Low self-confidence reared inside of
her, allowing an uneasy feeling to bloom in the pit of her stomach.
Most of the time she ignored the stares, but Gabriel was the only
one in the room and he made no effort to hide that he was looking
at her. Anna knew that she was curvy, too curvy to be considered
conventionally beautiful by men like Gabriel, but she'd always
considered herself pretty. Between a great wardrobe and the care
she invested to keep her light auburn hair shimmering and styled,
Anna had never let her size stop her. Yet here she was, arrested by
Gabriel's gaze.
"Anna Nightingale?" Gabriel asked after a long silence. His eyes
swept her down and then up, absorbing her every detail. The
critical eyes of an artist ripped her apart, and Anna felt both
exposed and breathless. There was something silently dominating
about Gabriel's presence that let her on edge, uncomfortable and
yet intrigued.
"That's me," Anna replied, voice smaller than she would have
liked.
"It's nice to meet you," Gabriel said after a pause. His eyes
lingered on her for a moment longer, and then he turned back to
his work. "I look forward to working with you this year."
"Yeah," Anna whispered, the word little more than a squeak, "me
too."
When his eyes darted away from her and back to the marble, the
spell was broken. Pressure lifted from Anna's lungs, and she
realized that she'd been holding her breath. She inhaled deeply and
shook her head, freeing herself further from his spell, then set to
work collecting the fallen pieces of stone.
By the end of the day, all Anna had done was collect discarded
marble and sweep. Typically she would have complained, but
watching Gabriel work was well worth the menial labor. Every
time he struck at the block his biceps tensed and she could see
how corded and strong they were. The sweat that lined his brow
glistened, and the scent of pine and masculine undertones had
leeched slowly through the room. Anna didn't consider herself boy
crazy, but something about Gabriel grabbed her attention in a way
no other guy had.
From time to time he'd engaged her in conversation. They'd
spoken about her plans for school and the kind of media she liked
to work with. Gabriel had told her a little bit about the marble
sculpture exhibit he was preparing for, and invited her to sculpt
some of her own statues from the leftover marble. By the end of
the day, blissfully over by noon, Anna exited into the brisk fall air
entirely smitten. Gabriel was like the marble he sculpted: smooth,
classic, and flawless. Thoughts of him clouded her mind, and it
wasn't until a hand clamped down upon her wrist that she realized
someone had been trying to get her attention.
Gabriel Kempton stood at her side, his calloused hand holding her
in place.
"Anna," he said, catching her eyes with his own. Up close Anna
could see how dark they truly were, his stunning irises a shade of
brown she'd never seen in eyes before. Their eyes locked, and
once more she found herself breathless. Even after six hours
working together, Gabriel still held her prisoner.
"I'm sorry, my head was uh, somewhere else." She couldn't part
from his eyes, and it looked like Gabriel was having difficulty
doing the same. He, however, spoke as though he was unaffected.
"Elsewhere is right. You forgot your phone," he said, extending
her cellphone towards her with his free hand. The other still
gripped her wrist, unwilling to let go. Anna blinked, eyelids
remaining closed for a prolonged moment. Gabriel was as close to
a celebrity as she'd ever met, and here he was holding onto her and
returning her forgotten belongings.
"Thanks."
The hand at her wrist dropped as she accepted the device. Anna
looked towards the pavement, moderately embarrassed. That time
she hadn't tried to hide her stare; Gabriel had to know she was
interested.
"I saw you didn't have my number in your contact list," Gabriel
continued casually. "So I put it in for you. And according to your
calendar, you’re free tomorrow night after your haircut. Now
you're not."
The meaning of what he said didn't register. Anna lifted her gaze
and stared at him blankly, feeling her hands began to tremble.
"What?"
"I put the details in, so make sure you're not late. Seven at
Cosgrove Cafe. I'll be waiting."
Those dark eyes bored into her a final time before he offered her a
playful smirk and turned away, sequestering himself back into
Studio C3. When the doors had closed Anna blinked hard, took a
stabilizing breath, then looked down at the phone in her hand.
How had he gotten past the lock screen? He must have been
watching her throughout the day as she texted, and then...
Her fingers flew over the screen and the phone unlocked. There,
amongst her upcoming events, was a four hour chunk of time at
Cosgrove Cafe. The address had been entered as event
information, as had another telling detail. Recorded under the
event's notes was another message.
"Date with Gabriel — wear something nice, but not too fancy."
Anna almost dropped the phone. How a man like Gabriel could be
interested in someone like her she wasn't sure, but that didn't
matter. What did matter was that they were going out tomorrow,
and she had no idea what she was going to wear.
A burst of energy coursed through her, and Anna grabbed at the
plush scarf that hung from her neck to choke the cry of glee it
brought. It was as though she were in high school again, and the
cool, popular boy had just winked at her from across the cafeteria.
Well, not quite. Gabriel was much more handsome and talented
than any boy in her high school had ever been, and he didn't call
her chubs at every chance he got.
Every inch of her body energized and alive, Anna ran for her
rusted out Camry and sank into the driver seat. Once behind
closed doors she let her head fall back against the rest and
laughed, wild and free. Feeling wanted was a luxury she wasn't
often afforded, and God, did Gabriel make her feel wanted.
A new internship, a new shot at the future, and now a new shot at
love. Everything was falling into place all at once, and Anna felt
like these were the first happenings in a series of events that
would leave her forever changed.

Chapter Two
Piles of clean clothes littered her bedroom floor, and shoes were
scattered here and there in clusters. The battle had been waged,
and she'd won. From the mess she'd found an outfit she thought
was nice, but not too formal. A simple teal dress was her prize. It
cinched beneath the waist to draw attention to the best of her
curves, its shoulder straps wide enough that they didn't look out of
place on her bigger shoulders. What Anna liked the best about the
dress was the neckline; it plunged into a V just low enough to
draw attention to the plump curve of her breasts without being too
overt. The skirt fell just above the knee, flirty and yet simple.
Anna knew it made her look amazing.
Paired with a set of black flats she was good to go. Now the outfit
hung pristine from the back of her closet door while the rest of her
sizeable wardrobe lay in disarray across the room, and it would
stay there until the weekend. Getting up early had already taken its
toll on her, and Anna had little energy to devote to cleaning.
The second day of her internship would have been the same as the
first had Gabriel not already made his interest clear. Anna was told
to tidy up and sweep, and from time to time Gabriel asked her to
fetch a different kind of chisel, but now Anna also watched for
how he looked at her. From time to time she caught his dark eyes
drinking her in when he thought she wasn't looking, and each time
her cheeks flushed red in delight. Of course, he caught her looking
at him as well. Each time he shot her a devious grin that disarmed
her entirely, and the work day both seemed to crawl and fly by
when knowing that later that evening they'd be seeing each other
as more than professionals.
"Don't forget," Gabriel bade her at the end of the day, "Cosgrove
Cafe, seven. Don't be late. I don't want you to miss it."
"It?" Anna asked. They were packing up for the day, Gabriel
rinsing his hands and arms in the studio's sink.
"You'll see tonight if you're not late," he promised, but said no
more. "It was good working with you again today."
"And you." This time she was prepared. Anna smiled at him even
as her heart fluttered and then made her exit. There were only
about five hours left after her haircut until she'd have to head out,
and she intended to make the most of them.
A long, thorough shower. Anna scrubbed herself pink and shaved
carefully, not willing to miss a single hair. Once the blank canvas
was prepared, she dried and styled her freshly cut hair and
agonized over her makeup. A modestly colored lip and a touch of
drama to the eye was her signature, and by the time Anna was
done she knew she looked amazing. Chubby or not, she was worth
looking at.
Prim and proper, she took the dress down from the back of her
closet door and slipped into it. There was just enough time left to
move one of the piles of clothes back into her closet when the
alarm on her cellphone went off — it was time to hit the road.
"Act normal," she whispered to herself as she descended her
apartment stairs and towards the parking lot. "He's just a normal
person interested in normal people things, and there's no reason to
do weird things. If he asked you out, it means he likes you, so
don't try too hard."
The front doors opened following a heavy push, and Anna
emerged into the chilly fall evening. She'd brought along a light
jacket and was grateful for it. Just the walk between the building
and the car was brisk, and goose flesh rose along her arms.
Cosgrove Cafe was a good half hour drive from where she lived,
clear on the other side of the city, but close enough to Southview's
campus that it made sense that Gabriel would know of it. With
fifteen minutes to spare, Anna parked a few blocks away and
walked her way over. The neighborhood was a blend of residential
and retail, indie shops popping up down the main street while the
off-streets housed middle class families. It was on one of those
off-streets that she found Cosgrove Cafe. Renovated from
residential house to coffee shop, the establishment flirted with the
corner of the main street. Cheery bay windows glowed with warm
light, and through them Anna could see the place was busy. People
clustered near the windows, all standing. For a coffee house, so
many standing patrons seemed strange.
Anna entered through the front doors to find it crowded there, too.
The walls dividing the original rooms of the house had been taken
down, the remaining support beams done up with a wood
trimming that served as table space. Tall stools were drawn up to
them, but tonight no one was sitting, and even the loose tables and
chairs had been pushed to the side. Anna picked her way through
the crowd, searching for Gabriel. It was ten minutes to seven and
he had been insistent she be on time, so where was he?
It wasn't long before Anna found her answer.
At the back of the cafe was a small stage area, barely elevated
from the normal floor. Everyone in the place had gathered to face
it, and a band was setting up for a performance. Three members
fiddled with microphones and stools, and amongst them Anna
recognized Gabriel. An acoustic guitar hung from a strap secured
across his shoulder. His insistence she arrive on time made sense;
he was going to play the show, and he didn't want her to miss it.
Tonight he was dressed in simple dark jeans and a fitted white
dress shirt. A thick, woven hemp bracelet hung from his left wrist,
but instead of lend him femininity, it lent his masculinity a softer
edge. Anna pushed her way through the crowd to stand towards
the front, watching as they set up. In all of her research she'd
never heard mention that Gabriel was musically inclined, and the
surprise was welcome. Gabriel had been handsome with a chisel
in his hand, the muscles in his arms hardening as he worked over
the block of marble, but now she saw a softer side to his creativity
and found herself just as hooked. There was something about a
man with a guitar that was irresistible, and Anna couldn't wait
until he played.
Before long the three of them had taken their places on stage.
Gabriel sat center, guitar placed comfortably on his lap. The two
others settled just a little behind him, one of them standing behind
an upright bass, the other seated with a cello. All three of them
had microphones positioned for use, and Anna wondered what
kind of a show she was in for.
"Hey," Gabriel greeted the crowd, leaning forward just a little bit
to speak into the microphone. The sound of his voice struck her
deep, and Anna's eyes found their way to his. Gabriel hadn't found
her yet through the crowd, but she saw him looking. "A big thanks
to the Cosgrove Cafe for hosting us tonight, and a huge thank you
to all of you who made your way out to see us. We're Dreams of
the Wild. I'm Gabriel. The good looking guy on bass is Michael,
and our talented cellist is Luke. I won't tell you about how
attractive he is, because he's off the market; sorry ladies."
There were some cheers and some laughter, and Anna couldn't
help but smile. Gabriel's dominance translated well into charisma;
he had the whole room hanging on his words.
"We've got an hour and a half to entertain you, and we hope you
enjoy the music. If not, well, we're getting paid for this anyway, so
that's okay."
More laughter. Gabriel grinned as well, and Anna watched as the
tension eased from his shoulders.
"Let's get this show on the road. This first one's called
'Conversations of Solitude'. Enjoy."
The music began. The deep melody of the cello paired with the
strumming of the guitar, and both instruments rode upon the
grounding beat of the bass. Anna had never heard anything quite
like it. It wasn't classical, but it wasn't quite pop, either. There was
a poetic way the music flowed that suggested more technical
prowess than simple pop beats, but a concurrent simplicity made it
easy to listen to. Within the first handful of seconds Anna found
herself enamored. When Gabriel began to sing there was no
escape.
Low, crooning words. His vocals flowed smoothly, like running
water around pebbles. Those in the audience swayed and bobbed
their heads, and many began to engage in quiet conversations as
the soulful tunes united each of Cosgrove's clients. Anna did not
speak with anyone — her attention was undivided, and it was
focused on Gabriel.
An artist, a musician, what other beautiful talents did the man
possess? The thick, rough fingers that chiseled into tough marble
now strummed effortlessly at the guitar, and the voice she made
small talk with navigated its way seamlessly through mellow
notes.
Gabriel spotted her, and then his eyes did not stray. The words he
sang, strung like pearls in early morning light, were for her and
her alone. They hadn't spoken, they hadn't acknowledged one
another, but the way he held her attention told Anna that this had
been his plan all along. Warmth spread through her chest like a
bird stretching its wings to soar, and Anna knew she was hooked.
Gabriel was doing everything in his power to impress her, but
she'd already fallen under his spell.
Song by song they moved along. The crowd came and went, some
settling at tables by the outskirts of the swarm to enjoy cups of
coffee or baked goods. Sometimes Gabriel and his friends joked
with the crowd between songs, and sometimes they launched into
the next piece seamlessly. When it came time to play the last song
it seemed like only minutes had passed. Time had passed
unpredictably around him, as though he played it just like the
strings of a guitar. At this point, it wouldn't surprise Anna if he
were magical. No mortal creature could be so good at so many
things.
"And that was it from Dreams of the Wild. I hope you guys
enjoyed." Gabriel picked up a water bottle from the floor near his
stool and slugged some back. "See you around. Don't forget to tip
your baristas."
There was not enough applause for Anna's taste. People clapped
politely, then the crowd began to break. Some people went to the
counter to order while others flowed out through the front door.
Anna lingered by the stage, watching as the band cleared away
their instruments and microphones. The cleanup was quick, and it
wasn't long before Gabriel hopped down from the small platform
to stand beside her. Their eyes met, and he smiled at her.
"So," he said, "worth showing up for?"
"Yes!" Caught off guard, Anna didn't have to worry about being
awkward. He had disarmed her and opened her up, and now things
felt natural and easy. "I had no idea that you could play music. Or
sing. Your voice is beautiful. How long have you been in the
band?"
Gabriel laughed. He gestured towards an empty table, but even as
he did, his eyes did not stray from her. There was no doubt he had
noticed just how much work she'd put into her appearance tonight,
and Anna was glad that the time she spent was paying off.
"Why don't we sit and talk? I've got you scheduled for at least
another two hours, after all."
Another two hours didn't feel like long enough. Anna grinned at
him, then boldly took his hand and led him to the table he'd
gestured towards. Tonight had already passed her expectations,
and she was sure it was only going to get better.
Chapter Three
Two hours came and went, and still they talked. Anna learned
about Dreams of the Wild and of Gabriel's childhood. They spoke
of sculpture and Gabriel's ambitions to take on an apprenticeship
beneath one of the Italian masters after he'd finished his Masters
in Dimensional Studies. They spoke of her experience with
exhibitions and her own dreams to work in an animation studio.
Often times students of sculpture and three dimensional design
scoffed at illustration majors, but Gabriel was nothing but kind
and helpful. The man was flawless in talent, manners, and charm,
and he wasn't hard to look at, either. Anna had no idea how he
could still be single.
It was nearing eleven when Gabriel finally excused himself.
"We're back in the studio tomorrow morning," he reminded her,
rising from the table. "I'm already up later than normal, but I'd do
it all again as long as I had you for company."
Anna blushed, standing as he did.
"I had a really good time tonight."
"As did I." Gabriel took her gently by the arm and led her from the
cafe and into the night. The moon, full and bright, shone overhead.
The street was surprisingly lonely.
"I hope to see you outside of work again, Anna," Gabriel said,
voice little more than a whisper. The words were meant for her
ears, and her ears alone. Anna turned to face him in full, feeling
the moment between them start to heat with desire. Gabriel had a
way of asserting himself that was quiet, surprising, and totally
inescapable. She was caught up in him.
"I'd like that," she replied. Gabriel smiled and tucked an errant
strand of hair behind her ear. Talented fingers now treated her to
their touch; Gabriel traced along her jaw line until his index finger
rested at the tip of her chin to make sure her gaze remained locked
on him.
"You're a sweet girl," he told her. "I don't want to hurt you, so I'm
going to be upfront. I don't want commitment. I like having fun
with you, Anna, but for now that's all it is. I understand if you
can't keep seeing me for it, but I can't let myself be tied down. Not
yet. Not with Italy in my future."
She hadn't seen the imperfection because the fault lay inside of
him, wrapped up behind blinding talent and a stunning physique.
The hope she'd had and the excitement she felt cracked and fell to
pieces, broken and useless. What had once been weightless glee
now felt like bricks of lead dragging her spirits down. Anna did
not let her disappointment show on her face.
"Yeah," she whispered back, trying to hard not to let her voice
waver. "We can keep seeing each other like that.”
Why had she agreed when her heart mourned already? If she had
emotionally invested in Gabriel now, over time the bonds would
intensify. If she were smart, she'd end things now and maintain
their professional relationship, but the smile that spread his lips
was worth the pain. He was so handsome when he smiled, and she
knew he smiled for her.
"On Thursday there is a poetry reading at Java Lav, another seven
o'clock affair. Come with me?"
It was the first time in years she'd been asked on a second date,
but Gabriel's reluctance to commit made it feel useless. Anna's
lips moved as though on autopilot.
"I'll be there."
Gabriel smiled at her once more. The finger dropped from her
chin, and instead he leaned forward and brought their lips
together. The kiss was short and sweet, and had Anna not felt like
garbage she would have melted beneath it.
"Goodnight, Anna," Gabriel whispered, his lips brushing against
hers. Then he pulled away and started down the street towards
where he'd parked.
Alone and wounded, Anna made her way back to her car and sank
down into the driver's seat. What had started as a fantasy had
soured and lost its sparkle. The reality was that Gabriel was just
like any other man — interested in sex and not anything more.
"Ugh," she breathed in frustration, letting her head flop back
against the headrest. "Figures."
And yet she'd agreed to keep seeing him. The misery she'd suffer
was misery she'd invited. There was no one to blame for any
bruised feelings but herself; Gabriel had been very respectful and
communicative about his motives.
There was no use dwelling on it. Anna jammed the keys into the
ignition and turned them. The engine failed to catch.
"Not now," she muttered, turning the keys again to the same
results. Over and over the keys turned, until at last the engine
caught. Anna breathed out a sigh of relief and started on her way
home.
Her luck only lasted another fifteen minutes. Freshly turned off of
the highway, the Camry's engine misfired and died. Had she not
been on a quiet street, Anna was sure she would have been hit.
There was enough juice in it to coast down the street and turn into
a small parking lot before the car stopped. Anna clenched her fists
around the steering wheel and set her forehead against the top,
breathing hard. It was the first time her ride had ever misfired, and
the fear of losing control still coursed through her veins. The night
really had taken a turn for the worst.
Light rose across the rusted hood of her car and cut through her
windshield to bath her dash in light. Anna lifted her head to find
the garage door in front of her opening. She looked towards the
commercial building next to it and read the name above the doors.
"JJK Auto Repair".
When she looked back towards the garage door, a man stood
there. A pair of loose jeans, ripped around the knees and at the
sides, clung to his hips. A t-shirt streaked with grease stretched
across his toned chest, the arms rolled up to reveal just how
muscular the mechanic was. Big biceps rolled and bulged, and
Anna could see that his thighs and chest were just as impressive.
A white rag hung from his back pocket, but his hands were
covered in grime regardless. The dark hair atop his head was
untameable, and the gruff expression on his face suggested that
the man was equally as wild. One arm was covered in tattoos,
decorated from his palm to his shoulder.
"Hey," he called out to her through the night. It had to be close to
midnight, so what was he still doing in the shop? "You know we're
closed, right?"
Anna's hands remained clenched around the steering wheel, but no
longer from fear. The chances that she'd glide right into a
mechanic's shop were slim, but the chances that the mechanic
would be there well after conventional working hours was so
much less likely. That the man who stood a short distance from
her gave Gabriel a run for his money in the looks department and
left her feeling confident that what had just happened had
happened for a reason. He was a reason to forget her bad night and
discard the idea of Gabriel. Anna took a deep breath, then exited
the car.
"Yeah. I just managed to guide her in before she died on me. I was
just looking for a safe place to stop; I wasn't planning on finding
someone to service my car."
"Yeah, well," he took a few steps forward, entering the night from
the light of the garage. Anna could see his eyes on her, glued to
her breasts and the curve of her hips. There was hunger there,
primitive and feral. "You coasted to the right place. I'm probably
the only mechanic in the city who works through the night so self-
important jack-offs can pick up their rides for work the next
morning. Maybe I can fit you in."
Anna had considered Gabriel dominant, but the control he had
over her did not compare to this man. Just a little bit older, likely
somewhere in his early thirties, the very way he moved
commanded respect. Anna found she could not look away.
"She wouldn't start the first four or five times, and then the engine
misfired and died after it started." The stranger continued to
approach until he stood within arm's reach, eyes lifting from her
breasts to look into her eyes.
"Sounds like you've got some faulty spark plugs," he uttered.
There was nothing faulty with the sparks that flew between them.
Anna felt her lower lip trembling just slightly, the air between
them thick with an unspoken desire. She knew nothing of this
man, not even his name, and yet heat spread through her deep and
low. When he reached out to run a hand down her waist and pull
her close, Anna wasn't alarmed. It was only natural that such a
dominant man would lay his marks on her. "When's the last time
you got her serviced?"
"I don't remember," she mumbled, gazing up into his eyes. They
reminded her of Gabriel's as dark as they were, but the mechanic's
eyes were flaked with warm amber undertones.
"Well, if you've got time, I'll look her over for you."
Why was she so okay with this? Anna lifted a hand and ran it
across the mechanic's cheek, careful of the streaked grease on his
skin. His skin was rough and leathered by time, his stubble
catching against her soft fingers. The touch was all the invitation
the mechanic needed. He caught her lips with his own, the kiss
crushing. Anna moaned in the back of her throat and wrapped her
arms loosely around his neck, letting herself sink into it. There
was an undeniable attraction between them she could not hope to
explain away that would only be sated with physical contact. In
that moment even the big details didn't matter; all she wanted was
to feel him dominate her and show her what a real man was.
His hard lips broke from her long enough to say, "Name's Nate. I
want to hear you cry it out before the night is through," before
they claimed hers again.
The kiss did not degenerate. From time to time it broke so one of
them could gasp for breath, but Nate did not want to give her up.
His mouth tasted like smoke, so contrary to the lingering menthol
that tingled on her tongue. Anna didn't like smokers, but in Nate it
was right. Edgy, masculine, and so bad. Gabriel, the talented,
sculpted artist, was too righteous to do something like smoke.
Nate was the distraction she needed from the hurt Gabriel had
inflicted, even if he hadn't meant it.
He drew her from the parking lot to the garage, the door closing
behind them. Several vehicles were parked inside in varying
stages of repair, but Nate paid them no attention. Instead he pulled
Anna towards one and tossed her upon the hood, pinning her
hands above her head as he lowered himself upon her and ravaged
her lips with his own. Pressed as close as they were, Anna could
feel the hardened bulge beneath his jeans. There was no question
that he found her attractive despite her weight. Anna found herself
wanting him just as much.
Nate let their lips part.
"I'm Anna," she breathed in reply. Nate's chest was heaving,
although he did he best to keep his appearance cool and
unaffected.
"I want you, Anna," he told her. The words were plain and
uncomplicated. They'd known each other for such a short time, but
already Anna felt as though she understood him. Black and white,
right and wrong, a man of wants and needs and nothing more. To
Nate she was an object he desired, and when he wanted
something, he went for it. She could respect that. Such a simple
way to operate, free of the pretenses and politeness most society
cherished. Nate trusted his instincts, and right now his instincts
told him to take her as his own. Anna's instincts told her to let
him.
"I want you, too."
Even in her wilder years during college, Anna had never done
something so reckless. Nate was wild, and he brought the animal
out from inside of her. Before she realized what was happening
one of his hands had left her wrists to cup her breast, squeezing
and exploring. Anna gasped, eyes closing.
"Tonight," Nate told her, voice heavy with his arousal, "I'm going
to show you a real good time, and in the morning, when I'm done
fixing your car, then if you want to you can go. I'm not convinced
you'll ever want to part ways, though. Not when you see what I
can do to you."
A whole night spent chasing orgasms with a stranger. Anna's heart
throbbed just a little harder to send desire rushing through her. If
Gabriel didn't want to be exclusive, she didn't have to be, either.
Nate's hand moved from her breast to her thigh. Rounded
fingernails sank into the nylons she wore and tore them down. His
calloused palms traced across the soft skin beneath them and
moved slowly inward. Anna turned her head to the side and
moaned as his fingers dipped against her sex, teasing. She was
drenched from the prospect of such a careless coupling.
"Naughty little vixen," he purred, the sound deep and rumbling.
Anna's hips rose just slightly to meet his fingers, and Nate obliged
her. His index finger traced along her and teased her clit, sending
pulsing pleasure through her core. More than ever she wanted to
explore the bulge beneath his jeans.
The finger moved in skillful circles, grazing against her with
varying pressures. Thoughts of Gabriel faded from her mind as
Nate worked her body over, drowning her in sensation. Soon Anna
couldn't keep still, and she twisted against the hood of the car with
need. Had Nate not been holding her wrists down with one hand,
she would have tried to pull him atop her.
"I can't take it," Anna breathed. Nate's fingers played with her,
driving her past desire and into need. "I need you. I want it so
badly."
Nate smirked and drew her up by her wrists until she stood on
both feet. The shredded nylon's he'd pulled down to her knees
bound her, and the skirt of her dress fell back into place to
preserve her modesty. Anna felt dizzy and weightless, but more
than anything she felt alive.
"When I'm through with you," Nate boasted, "you're not going to
be able to walk."
He turned her around and laid her back against the hood of the car
again, this time so that she was on her stomach. His hands pulled
back her skirt, and she felt the heavier ruffling of jeans and the
clack of a descending zipper. Moments later Nate's thick shaft
trailed across her slick sex, coating itself in her secretions. All
Anna could do was tense and lift her ass for him, desperate for it.
Nate didn't waste time. He took her rough, the swollen head of his
cock burying itself inside of her and pushing deep. Anna cried out,
both hands flat against the hood of the car. Nate's thick member
was too big for her tight slit, and it felt like he was tearing her in
two.
"Oh my god," Anna cried, too stuffed to try to move back against
him.
"You're tight," Nate grunted, his hips pulling back for the first
time. The traction between their bodies forced a moan from
Anna's lips. Nate felt fantastic; with a cock as big as his, he didn't
have to try very hard to hit her in the right spot.
The rhythm increased in speed until he was driving himself into
her with abandon. Anna breathed hard, letting her cheek press
against the painted hood. Behind her she heard Nate's uneven
inhalations and the occasional grunt. The smell of grease and
sweat and sex filled the garage.
"I'm going to cum inside of you, Anna," Nate warned her. His
thrusts were wild and insistent, each one burying him deep inside
of her to flirt with her cervix. "I want to make your sweet little
body mine."
So many rules were being broken tonight. Anna had never been
boy crazy, and had never had sex for the thrill of it. Now here she
was, in a garage she'd happened to coast into, bent over the hood
of a car by a complete stranger. Granted, he was one of the most
handsome men she'd ever seen, but it was no excuse. She used to
be so much more dependable than this.
And now she was going to let him cum inside of her, unprotected.
Anna hadn't been on birth control since she'd broken up with her
last boyfriend several years back, and she knew her womb was
fertile for him. If she let him cum the consequences could be dire,
but she couldn't refuse Nate and found her wanting it just as much
as he did.
"Cum deep," she pleaded, grinding her ass back against him.
Jittering, addicting pleasure shot up her spine and heated her sex
as she gave into him, begging him to breed her. Orgasm was so
close, and if he just gave her that much more, if he just delivered
on his promise and came inside of her recklessly...
"Here it is," he said through gritted teeth. The thrusts had grown
shallower, but they were still forceful. Each one of them pushed
the head of his cock deep inside her, seeking to invade her as
thoroughly as it could. "Oh fuck, here it is. You'd better take it
all."
Nate's hands gripped at her waist and pinned her down as he thrust
one final time. The thick cock that had threatened to split her apart
bottomed out inside of her, and Anna felt his hot seed fill her. Nate
grunted and rutted, pushing what he'd already given her deeper
while adding more to join it. Each pulse delivered a fresh strand of
seed, and Anna felt every twitch. It brought her over the edge.
With a prolonged moan and a shudder, Anna found her release.
Her sex trembled, walls tightening and fluttering against his cock
as she milked him. The pleasure was outstanding, and Anna lost
herself to it. She'd needed this to get over Gabriel. She'd needed
this to let go of her inhibitions.
Nate lowered himself across her back and breathed in the scent of
her skin deeply as she calmed. Then, after a moment's pause, he
drew out from her and pulled his pants back up.
"Well," he announced, "I think I can take a quick look at what's
wrong with your vehicle. Might cost you a little extra if I need to
do any work on it."
Anna looked over her shoulder at him, unable to hold back a
smirk.
"I think we might be able to arrange payment," she replied.
He lifted a brow, tore the white rag from his back pocket to wipe
his hands, then got to work.
Chapter Four
That night Nate took her three more times, and it wasn't until early
morning when he finished the car repairs. With little time to spare
before work, Anna left the garage and sped home. A quick shower
and a change of clothes was all she had time for, and she arrived at
the studio only five minutes late. As always, it looked as though
Gabriel had been working for hours. The block of marble had
started to take shape, and she could make out the rough outline of
a figure from amongst the stone.
"Anna," he greeted her when she entered, "you must be tired after
last night. I can't say I blame you, but don't make coming in late a
habit. I am still your boss."
Gabriel didn't know the half of it. Half of her felt guilty, but the
other half felt satisfied. Anna grinned and shook off a laugh,
starting to tend to the discarded marble as had become routine.
And yet, as the day wore on, Gabriel started to slip under her skin
again. The smooth timbre of his voice, his impressive physique,
and his talent wooed her. She knew he wasn't looking for anything
serious, but Anna found herself fostering feelings for him all over
again.
By the time Thursday rolled around, it was as though she'd never
liberated herself that night with Nate at all. Anna was caught back
up in Gabriel's web, impressed by everything he did and blushing
at his compliments. Where Nate was animalistic and brash,
Gabriel was subtle and sweet, and he knew exactly what to say to
make her laugh and smile.
When the poetry reading was over, she found herself leaving her
car behind to sit beside Gabriel in the passenger seat of his ride,
and in the advanced hours of the night they rose together up a
flight of apartment stairs and into his small dwelling.
The place was clean and well decorated, the artwork likely of
Gabriel's own make — not that she was able to see much of it.
When the door closed behind them Gabriel turned to face her, and
Anna found herself very close to the tall, breathtaking artist.
"Every time I'm out with you," Gabriel whispered, his words only
for her once more. Anna's lungs tightened, and she struggled to
catch her breath, "you glow. I've never seen a woman so
beautiful."
From any other man's lips, Anna would have doubted it. From
Gabriel's lips the words were embodiments of truth. Her cheeks lit
and her eyes dropped. Guilt over Nate still clouded her conscious,
but Gabriel hadn't asked her to stay faithful. As her gaze dropped,
Gabriel lifted her chin with a curled finger and looked into her
eyes. They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds, the
atmosphere thickening between them, before Gabriel leaned in
and kissed her again. This time Anna was able to appreciate his
touch. His lips were soft and thoughtful, directing their pleasure to
leave her hungry for more.
"Why don't we get more comfortable?" Gabriel asked, taking her
hand in his. They walked down the short entranceway and passed
through a doorway on the left. Within was a bedroom, small but
cozy enough for two. One moment Anna stood before the foot of
the bed, and the next she lay upon it. With gentle dominance
Gabriel had pushed her down, and now he straddled her hips, his
dark eyes gazing down into hers.
"Come with me to my exhibition at the end of the semester," he
said. Their noses were so close they nearly brushed. Anna felt heat
stir inside of her. "I want to display some of your art there. I want
the world to see your brilliance like I do."
It was a lot to take in. Anna's eyes widened just slightly, but
before she could reply Gabriel had claimed her lips again. The
kiss was harder now, his lust transparent in it. Not only did he
think she was attractive, but he also thought she was talented. One
of the most talented artists in the state thought she had a chance
and wanted to display her work alongside his own. Anna closed
her eyes and kissed back with enthusiasm.
Gabriel's hand traced her side, savoring her curves. There was
tender affection in the way he moved that Nate had never shown
her. When the hand arrived near her breast, Gabriel stopped.
"Do you want to share this with me?" he asked. Anna knew that if
she said yes that nothing would change, that Italy was still in his
future. Gabriel had bigger ambitions than a cute, curvy artist who
was a little more than okay. Nothing she did could change the
fame that waited for him, and even had she been able to hold him
back, Anna never would have wanted to. Given the chance,
Gabriel would have the world eating out of his hand. She wouldn't
ever take that away from him. But even though Gabriel couldn't
give her a forever, she knew she'd never forgive herself if she
stopped now.
"I do," she whispered back. He smiled, and then his hands were
upon her. Each touch was electric, and for as much as she had
lusted after Nate, now she pined for Gabriel. Thoughtful and
affectionate, he roused her passion before he continued. The
buildup was slow, but it was worth it. Almost an hour passed
between the time he'd laid her upon the bed and the time all of
their clothes lay on the floor, but by then Anna had never wanted
anyone as much as she wanted Gabriel.
"Take me," she bade him. Nestled amongst his sheets, breathing in
his woodsy scent, in that moment Anna could pretend that she was
his. What a beautiful dream it was. When Gabriel did part her
thighs and his sizable shaft plunged deep into her, the dream felt
more real than ever.
Hours felt like minutes. Just like in the studio and while he
performed on stage, time warped around Gabriel and left Anna
without her bearings. The first time he came inside of her they
were both too caught up in the other's body to care. The second
time Gabriel had enough sense to ask her permission, which Anna
gladly gave him. Gabriel bred her womb full of his seed until the
early hours of the morning when both of them were too exhausted
to stay awake, and then again when they both awoke. By the time
Anna left that afternoon, she'd never felt more whole and
complete.
Only the man who made her feel that way wasn't hers to keep.
The rest of the semester progressed in a similar fashion. Gabriel
wouldn't commit, and at times the thought drew Anna into Nate's
arms for comfort. When she was strong and Gabriel enchanted
her, she would spend the night in his apartment making love. As
Gabriel's exhibition loomed near, Anna distanced herself from
Nate and focused on Gabriel and the art to be arranged. He'd
carved a series of breathtaking sculptures for display, and it was
her job to make sure transport and set up was done correctly. If
only she wasn't feeling so sick.
Two weeks of nausea left Anna crippled, and it was only when the
tracking app she used reminded her the night before the exhibition
that her period should have started that Anna realized it hadn't. A
panicked trip to the pharmacy followed by the most gut wrenching
trip to the bathroom she'd had to date followed, and when the
three minutes it took for the test to display results was over, Anna
couldn't believe what she saw.
Two bright pink lines. Pregnant.
Neither Nate nor Gabriel had used protection, as caught up in the
moment as they always were. Now Anna had no idea who had
fathered the life she carried.
It was hard to sleep that night, and when Anna arrived on scene at
the studio to pack the sculptures for the exhibition, she couldn't
bring herself to look or speak to Gabriel. The chance that she
might have ruined his life by getting pregnant weighed heavily
upon her, and even when he pestered her about her unusual
silence, Anna couldn't bring herself to tell him. When the time
was right he would know, but that time was not now. Not right
before his big show.
Almost a hundred guests had gathered at the venue. Anna, clad in
a sparkling black gown, had seen each sculpture set up and had
occupied a corner of the room with her own art. Influential art
critics and bloggers wandered piece to piece, and Gabriel's
professors were on scene to assess his progress. Every face was
distinguished, either young and haughty, or old and wizened.
Then, amongst a sea of refined artists, a face she'd never thought
she'd see at an upscale event appeared.
Nate.
He looked uncomfortable in his suit and tie; higher class did not
suit him. Black grime still stuck beneath his fingernails, and Anna
remarked a streak of it near his ear. He navigated the salon with
purpose, and struck Gabriel upon the back with playful affection.
Gabriel turned to look at him and grinned, and the two embraced.
What was happening?
Anna watched them from across the room as they chatted, then
Gabriel gestured in her direction, and both men turned to face her.
Nate's eyes flashed with recognition as he took her in, and he
turned sharply towards Gabriel and grabbed him by the lapel.
There was no mistaking the hostility in his gesture, and the breath
caught in Anna's throat. She'd been found out.
The floor was swarming with men in suits and women in beautiful
gowns, but through the masses Anna could see Gabriel shove Nate
away, his eyes narrowing in anger. How did someone as refined as
Gabriel know someone as crass and unsophisticated as Nate? As
Anna pushed her way through the crowd, determined to break
them up, she tried to piece it together.
Nate swung his fist right at Gabriel's face, but Gabriel caught his
hand with his palm and clenched down, drawing Nate through the
crowd and towards the back doors. They were going outside. They
were going to fight in earnest. Anna's heart raced, every part of
her trembling as she tore through the guests she had been tasked
with directing. Gabriel and Nate were fighting over her, and
neither of them knew her secret.
Both men burst through the back doors, Nate shoving Gabriel
from behind so that he stumbled across the pavement. Then the
doors closed, and Anna could no longer track them. The stretch
she ran between where she stood and the back doors took an
eternity, and when she finally followed them into the deserted
back space behind the venue, Nate and Gabriel were gone.
Instead, Anna found herself standing not even ten feet away from
two towering, snarling brown bears.
At nearly seven feet tall, they were formidable creatures. Each had
risen upon his back feet. One of the bears had grappled the other,
his mighty paws sunk into his opponent's back. The victim's head
was locked between the aggressor's arms, but he had not given up.
The throaty sounds he made were aggressive and fearful, and
Anna stopped dead in her tracks. Bears? Where had bears come
from? A terrified squeak escaped her lips, and she clasped her
hand over her mouth to quell it. It was enough to catch the bears'
attention.
Everything grew still, both beasts frozen. The bear who had the
advantage on his opponent fixed his eyes on her, and Anna noticed
the warm amber flecked across them. She'd seen those eyes
before.
"Nate?" she asked as the hand dropped from her mouth. She
swallowed hard. "Oh my god, is that you, Nate? And... And
Gabriel? Please don't fight. Not over me. I'm not worth it."
The bear with the amber flecked eyes loosened his grip, and the
bear beneath him reared away. Both of them dropped to all fours,
and both turned to look at her. There was silence. If these bears
really were the men she had involved herself with, Anna needed to
come clean. Maybe this way they could back out and fade out of
her life without having to commit to a break up — not that she
was official with either of them. Neither man wanted commitment,
only a good time.
"I slept with both of you," she told them. Dark, unblinking eyes
watched her, neither bear making a move. "Neither of you ever
wanted anything serious, and I... I didn't think it was wrong. I
didn't think that you knew each other. If I knew you were friends I
wouldn't have done it. But now we have bigger problems."
A sob had been building up, and as she inhaled deeply to ground
herself it rattled her breath. The darker eyed bear took a small step
towards her, and she could see concern in his eyes.
"It's so stupid," she whispered in sorrow, "talking to bears like
they could actually be people. Maybe you'll just maul me and
that'll be the end of it. Neither of you deserve this. Neither of you
asked for this. I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant, and I don't know which
one of you is the father."
The sobs could be held back no longer. Anna started to cry, each
heavy outburst ugly. The makeup ran from her eyes, and she knew
shameful red blotched her cheeks. The darker eyed bear
disappeared, and Gabriel stood in his place. He was naked and
disheveled, but otherwise intact. Without wasting a second he
crossed the distance between them and pulled Anna into his arms,
setting one hand on the back of her head to comfort her. The bear
with amber eyes lingered where he had been, watching the two of
them.
"You're okay," Gabriel whispered into her hair as she sobbed. At
that moment, learning that Gabriel was also a bear didn't matter.
All Anna cared for was the feel of his skin against hers, and how
soothing it felt to be with him. "We're okay. I'm here for you.
We're going to get through this together."
Together. Together was all she'd ever wanted. Anna sobbed
against his bare chest, arms wrapped around his neck.
"I'm not leaving you to raise a bear shifter baby on your own. No
matter who fathered that baby, Kempton blood runs through his
veins. I'm ready to step up."
Kempton blood. Even as she sobbed, the pieces started to lock into
place. Nate was at the art show because he knew Gabriel, and he
was obliged to come because they were brothers. They had to be.
United by a last name, sharing the same strange shifter genes,
somehow she'd stumbled into both of their lives without realizing
the bond that linked them.
Behind them Nate had shifted back into his human form. The suits
they'd worn had been discarded in haste to the side of the door,
and he moved to the mess to dress slowly.
"I don't do relationships," Nate said, voice like stone, "I don't do
babies. If you leave me out of this, I'll do my part and end contact.
If you need financial support I'll man up, but I'm not ready to
commit. This one's on you, Gabe."
Gabriel shot Nate a look over his shoulder, eyes narrowed. Still,
he ran his fingers through Anna's hair and held her as the sobs
simmered into nothing.
"She's mine now," Gabriel warned his brother, something near a
growl in his voice. "The mother of my child, and the children to
come. If you touch her, I won't hesitate to take you on again. I will
fight to the death to defend my family, Nate. No more games."
The thought occurred to her, no matter how brief, that the first
night she'd coasted into the garage and met Nate that he might
have been able to smell Gabriel on her with his bear senses. Had
his involvement with her all been a game? Anna didn't let herself
consider it too deeply; what Gabriel had said was much more
important.
"Mate?" she asked. "Children to come? What about Italy? You
have so much potential, and I can't ask you to give it up for me."
"We will figure it out together," Gabriel assured her, pressing a
soft kiss to her temple. Nate had dressed, and now that he was
fully clothed, he ducked by them and entered the venue as if
nothing had ever happened. "Maybe we'll go together, as a family.
You, me, and the baby in a vineyard in the country. What do you
think of that?"
Sunshine and simple living. Laughter and love. Anna blinked
away the last tears and managed to smile at him.
"You mean it?”
"With all my heart," Gabriel assured her, and Anna had always
known his words to be true.
Italy wasn't his future anymore — it was their future. And there in
Gabriel's arms, adored and valued, Anna knew that all of the poor
choices she'd made had turned out for the best. The heart of the
talented bear shifter was hers and hers alone. She'd walked into
Gabriel's life expecting an internship, and instead she'd found the
man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
Despite the hardships suffered, she wouldn't trade him for
anything.
*****
THE END

Weekend with the Bear

“You had plenty money in 1922…You let other women make a fool
of you. Why don’t you do right? Like some other men do?” Ursula
Blake sang her heart out night after night at the Big Dipper
nightclub in Silver Lake. She was five foot six with long, red hair
that was curled like a ‘70s TV starlet. Her eyes were a purplish
blue. At twenty-six years old, she was well on her way to gaining
a loyal following at the club. She was hoping to really make a
name for herself and make it big as a jazz and soul singer, but so
far the only thing big about her was her size.
Ursula weighed two hundred and forty pounds. This usually did
not get to her, because she didn’t allow it to, but it was hard to
ignore some of the looks she received from people as she came
onto the stage. People in LA were varying levels of rude, but they
were all judgmental in some way towards her.
It wasn’t all bad, though. She had the support of her boyfriend
Wesley, who came to see her performances and sat at a table in the
front row, smiling up at her every night. He was tall and
handsome, with sandy hair and hazel eyes. As long as she had
him, she would be okay.
After the light applause at the end of her set, she stepped down off
the stage and joined him at the table. He gave her a kiss and
helped her into her seat, but he did not sit beside her. Something
was amiss. She could feel it in the way he was looking at her.
“I have to go,” he told her. “This… This isn’t going to work out.”
Ursula felt like something was breaking inside of her. “What?
What are you talking about?”
He sighed, looking down at her now instead of up when she was
in the spotlight. “I’ve met someone. It’s not you, it’s me… I feel
like we’ve been moving in different directions for a while now.”
Her head was reeling. How could he be doing this to her now?
Right there where she worked and everything? She felt like
everyone was staring at them and listening in.
“I’m sorry, Ursula,” Wesley said.
Shaking his head, he walked away from her and was gone. Ursula
could feel the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears. She felt like
she could faint at any moment. She could not be there anymore.
The table was prepared for a meal for two. When the waiter came
and asked what she wanted, she stared at him numbly. “I’m sorry,”
she said shakily. “I’m not staying, actually.”
Doing her best to stay upright, Ursula removed her silver high-
heeled shoes and walked back to her dressing room. Once inside,
she closed the door and allowed the waterworks to start.
The icing on the rotten cake for her was that Wesley had chosen to
dump her at the Big Dipper and not at their apartment or
something. Sure, it still would have hurt anywhere, but the Big
Dipper club was her home. He was moved out of the apartment
that they’d shared for four years by the time she got home that
night, and she was somewhat relieved that she hadn’t been sent
out on her ass. Now that her hurt and sadness had passed, she was
mad at Wesley. He had given up on her and had found someone
else. After everything they’d been through, all of the love and
support he’d claimed to have for her…That liar. That
untrustworthy, two-timing bastard!
Ursula lay on her bed and cried, hugging a plush cat to her face.
Then she realized that Wesley had given her that cat and threw it
across the room in angry frustration.
She was not going to give up just because of him. She was going
to go right back to the club tomorrow and belt out her soul like she
always did. She didn’t need Wesley King. She didn’t need
anybody.

Walking onto the stage the following evening, her shimmering

purple dress catching the light in all of the right places, Ursula felt
beautiful in her own skin for the first time in a while. A weight
had been lifted. She could do this on her own. She could be her
own support.
“They say I’m crazy, got no sense… but I don’t care…”
As she sang, she paced around the stage like a tiger on the prowl.
She caught the eye of a mysterious young man that she hadn’t
seen at the club before. He winked at her and she blushed a little
but did not otherwise skip a beat.
Her song was met with loud applause at the end. Ursula looked
out at the small crowd of people sitting down at the tables,
surprised and delighted at their response. Then she realized that
the loudest and biggest amount of applause was coming from the
new fan of hers.
At the end of her set, she went back into her dressing room and
touched up her hair and makeup, preparing herself to go out and
try and talk to the young man who had aroused her curiosity.
However, when she went back out, he was no longer at his table.
Disappointed at that missed opportunity, she went to the bar and
ordered herself a gin and tonic. “That young man who was here,”
she asked the bartender. “Who was he?”
She suspected that he was perhaps a talent scout. Then again, she
always suspected new people like that were talent scouts. She
supposed she was just optimistic that way.
The bartender shrugged his shoulders. “Probably just the usual
Silver Lake hipster type,” he said. “We get a lot of those on
Saturday nights. He didn’t even order himself a drink.”
Odd. “Huh,” she said. “Maybe he saw my flyer or something.”
Ursula promoted herself well by tacking and taping flyers about
her performances all over town. Anyone who was interested in
listening to old timey jazz standards while drinking cheap beer
and eating burgers could definitely be happy at the Big Dipper on
Saturdays.
On Saturdays, beer was half off.
When she went back to her dressing room to change out of her
sparkly costume, Ursula saw that an envelope had been placed on
her dressing table. “Weird,” she said under her breath, stepping
out of her dress. “I don’t usually get mail at work.”
She tossed the dress into the laundry bin and walked to her
dresser, wearing only her bra, panties and tights. She picked up the
envelope. It was kind of big, but thin and it was manila which
made her think it was important. Upon opening it, she found a
letter proclaiming her a winner.
“Congratulations!” the letter said in a big, red font. “You have
won the Black Bear Inn Sweepstakes! Enclosed is your ticket for
one week’s all-paid vacation at the Black Bear Inn, located beside
Lake Tahoe. Enjoy boating on the water, hiking the wondrous
mountain trails, or gambling at our world-renowned casinos.”
Ursula checked the date on the plane ticket. The flight would take
her there in two days! Whoever was in charge of this sweepstakes
didn’t waste time. The problem was that Ursula hadn’t entered any
sweepstakes. There must have been some mistake.
But that was her name on the envelope. Ursula Blake. That was
the address of the Big Dipper club. Someone had clearly entered
the sweepstakes on her behalf. She wasn’t sure it was a good idea,
but then again with the way things had been going for her lately…
She could definitely use the vacation.
As soon as she got hope, she went to work packing her suitcase.
She hadn’t been on an airplane in years. The tight space of the
seats was usually a problem for her, especially when flying
without any of her friends or family, but she could make do on the
hour and a half long flight to Lake Tahoe.
Now that she was packing for the trip, she was excited about it.
She’d never been on a vacation like it before. She wasn’t really
into boating, but she loved waterfront views as well as mountain
views. It was one of the things that had drawn her to living on the
west coast in the first place. Oh, sure, there were mountains on the
east coast, too, but there weren’t many in Delaware. The
Shenandoah mountain range was nothing compared to the Sierra
Nevada.
Taking a week off from work was no problem for her. The club
paid her per performance set, so Ursula figured she could make up
for lost time later. This was, after all, a once in a lifetime
opportunity.
While she was waiting for her plane, Ursula read a book and did
her best not to notice the gazes that were cast her way. When the
stares came from children, she could be somewhat understanding,
but when adults gaped she felt justified in her annoyance. Two
hundred and forty pounds was not that bad. It was overweight and
unhealthy, but it wasn’t like she didn’t know she was those things.
“I get this a lot,” she said to an older man who was watching her
on her left. “No, I’m not Emma Stone.”
“More like seventeen stone,” he muttered under his breath.
This was going to be a long flight.
After making her way through the uncomfortably tight aisle of the
plane, she squished herself into the middle seat somehow. Great,
she thought. It just had to be the middle seat, didn’t it?
The flight wouldn’t be long enough for a movie or even a meal,
really, so she sat back and got as comfortable as she could, reading
her book and munching on the free salty snack. As the plane
began it’s slow, featherlike decent before landing, Ursula glanced
over at the window and saw a spectacular view of the mountains.
They looked like a velvety quilt! They didn’t even look real to her.
And the water! So blue!
Grinning a bit, she closed her book and put it back into her carry-
on. She was going to enjoy this random vacation for all that it was
worth. Maybe she would even go out on a boat. Why not? It’s not
like she had any reason not to try new things. She didn’t really
believe in destiny or anything like that, but someone clearly
believed in her.
She slowly made her way back through the plane’s aisle, waiting
for her ears to fully pop back into normal. Once she got to the
baggage claim and retrieved her rolling suitcase, she was +on her
way! The taxi ride to the lakeside cabin was thankfully short, and
the view outside the windows helped to make the trip feel even
shorter.
The concierge at the Black Bear Inn was all smiles as she
welcomed Ursula to Lake Tahoe and gave her the key to her
personal cabin. As promised, it was right on the lake and big
enough to keep a whole family comfortable. It had a large
bedroom, a cute little living room area complete with a pull-out
couch, fireplace, a kitchen and a hot tub. She felt like she was set
for life there.
The only problem was that she was alone there. This lakeside
cabin was romantic, and she was by her lonesome. Well, she had a
book but books didn’t make good lovers. They were always
ending before she was ready.
She changed into her bathing suit and one of the cozy mint green
robes that had been supplied by the inn. Just as she was about to
take a dip in the hot tub, there was a knock at the door. Ursula
wasn’t used to room service coming to take her order in person,
but she was beginning to feel peckish…
When she opened the door to her cabin, she blinked quickly.
Never before had her room service been handled by a man quite
so handsome. He was dressed all in black, except for some brown
hiking boots, and he stood at least six feet tall with black hair and
soulful, chestnut eyes.
“Ah,” the man said in a gruff, quiet voice. “You made it.”
Before Ursula could stop him or even react, he lumbered into the
cabin. He looked around, not as if it was the first time he’d been
there, but as though he was checking to make sure it still looked
the same.
“I’m… sorry?” Ursula asked. “Who are you?”
“I’ve been expecting you,” he said, his hushed words somehow
managing to almost cut her off. He seemed strangely familiar.
She narrowed her eyes at him and then it hit her. “You’re the guy
from the club the other night! How did you know I’d be coming
here?”
The man let out a dark laugh. “I invited you here.”
The sweepstakes! “So I didn’t win anything?” Ursula sunk down
onto the sofa.
Slowly, the man sat beside her, keeping his distance but still close
enough to make her skin go all prickly and her face grow hot. Part
of her wanted to run, to flee the place… But when she looked at
him, she remembered how enthusiastic he had been about her
while she performed. He’d seemed like the only one who was
actually listening to her.
“I didn’t say you didn’t win anything,” he said, smirking a little at
her. He was big and muscular, but he was much less scary when
he smiled like that. “You’ve won a week here with me in my
lodge.”
Ursula pulled her robe closed over her chest. She was wearing a
bathing suit underneath, but the way he was looking at her with
those hungry eyes of his, she might as well have been naked.
“This is your house?”
The young man nodded. “I own the Black Bear Inn. I invited you
here to stay with me, but I didn’t think you’d actually come unless
I made things more… luck based, I guess you could say. Do you
like it here so far? I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived. I had
some important business to take care of this morning.”
She blinked at him, not entirely sure how to respond. “It’s nice
here,” she finally said, choosing her words carefully. “Who are
you?”
“You surely know who I am, Ursula,” he replied.
Her eyes widened. He knew her name!
Then she remembered the flyers she posted all over town. He’d
seen her name on the flyers or at the show. That’s all it was.
“I am a huge fan of yours,” he went on. “I have only seen you
perform twice, but your voice is as beautiful as softly falling snow
to my ears. It’s rare to find such beauty around here where no one
is really their true selves…”
Ursula highly doubted that he wanted her there because he found
her beautiful. Even if he wanted to bone her, she didn’t think it
was because he believed her to be particularly attractive. She was
just there. Had Wesley made her this cynical?
“But, huge fan, what’s your name?” she asked him, becoming
frustrated at his answers that weren’t really answers. “I’m not just
going to call you ‘guy’ for a week. Unless your name is Guy.”
He chuckled deeply, making the back of the sofa rumble against
her. “My name is John Asher.”
She gave him a look, considering the situation. This had the
potential to be very bad for her. But there was also a chance…
“Well, John Asher, I was just going to get into the hot tub. Would
you care to join me?”
“I would be happy to,” he replied. “You go ahead and I’ll be right
back.”
Before she could say anything, he was off the sofa and headed into
the bedroom.
Ursula then realized something: there was only one bedroom and
only one bed. And she did not think either of them would be
sleeping on the couch.
Biting her bottom lip in a brief moment of hesitation, she looked
back at the tall, wooden front door to the cabin. She could easily
slip out while he was in the room doing god knew what. She could
run out and hail a cab and be away from there before he knew it.
But something held her there. Something made her remove her
robe and slowly sink into the hot, bubbling water.
John Asher appeared in the doorway like an apparition. He was
now clad in some black swim shorts. His lean, muscular frame
lent itself well to bathing suits. There were some long, white scars
on his torso that were concerning, but even they attracted her more
than scared her.
Under the water, Ursula pinched herself to make sure she hadn’t
fallen asleep while reading or something. John Asher smirked
again at her and stepped into the water. “You seem to be afraid,”
he said in a growly voice. “You shouldn’t be. You’re safe here
with me.”
All at once, he had his strong arms wrapped around her. Because
he was so tall, he could easily envelope her. She found herself
petting the black hair on his arms before stopping herself and
looking up into his eyes.
“Why?” she whispered. “Why me?”
Leaning down towards her face, he kissed her, letting his tongue
lightly brush against her tongue. He enveloped her with his mouth
just as he enveloped her with his arms. She kissed him back
fervently, no longer wanting to question, just wanting more of
him.
When he broke away from the kiss, she bit her bottom lip, wishing
he wouldn’t break away.
“Why not you?” he whispered back, rubbing the end of his long
nose against the tip of her nose.
Glancing up at the skylight above their hot tub, John then climbed
out and wrapped a towel around himself, offering the other to her.
“Would you like me to make you some tea?” he asked. “It gets
pretty chilly here at night.”
Still dazed from their unexpected kiss, Ursula shook her head and
carefully rose from the tub. He gave her his hand and helped her
out before she quickly wrapped the towel around herself. She was
wearing a purple bikini and, had she been alone, she would have
been perfectly fine with that, but she felt body conscious now that
she had such appealing company. One look at her bulging middle
and it could be all over for them.
Despite Ursula’s unease, John didn’t notice or care. He continued
to smile at her as if she was a goddess that had been sent to him.
He led her into the kitchen and she sat down at the counter while
he put some water into a kettle and put the kettle on the stove. He
was dexterous and moved so fluidly. If he hadn’t been so massive
and so brawny-looking, she might have asked if he was some kind
of dancer.
He noticed that she was shivering and got her robe from the back
of a chair where she had dropped it. He wrapped it loosely around
her shoulders and then went back into the bedroom, returning a
moment later dressed again in his black shirt and black jeans. He
attended to the tea, placing a bag into each of the two mugs he had
set out.
“So, since you seem to know everything there is to know about
me,” Ursula said. “What’s your story? What brought you to that
little club to see little ol’ me?”
The kettle whistled and so did John. He looked at her, shaking his
head a little bit. “There are volumes and volumes to you, Ursula. I
could never begin to know everything there is to know about you.
I just know that you have ensnared me…”
He poured the steaming water into each mug and set the kettle
back down. He placed one of the mugs on the counter in front of
her. The rising scent was blissful, calming. It almost smelled like
liquid flowers.
“There are things about me that I cannot tell you,” he said
suddenly, looking at her as he held his own mug to his lips. “Not
yet, anyway. I am from around here. My father was a lumberjack.
He built the inn and, in fact, this cabin. He was a good man.
Misunderstood, but a good man…”
Ursula raised her eyebrows at him. “What happened to him?”
“He died,” John said. “Like all men, he died… But I have taken
his place here. I went to Los Angeles because I was interested in
seeing this Silver Lake that I’d heard so much about. I love the
waters of California. There’s something about them that’s so
earthy, you know what I mean? We are not so developed here as
the bodies of water you can find elsewhere.”
She took a sip of her tea. It tasted like flowers, too. “What brought
you to my show?”
He smiled at her. “I like singers. They calm me down.”
As soon as he finished his tea, he looked at the clock on the stove.
The afternoon was slowly slipping into sunset as though it was not
ready to go to bed yet.
“I must go,” he said. He came towards Ursula and gave her a kiss.
It was fleeting, unlike the last one, but just as mesmerizing. “I will
be back tonight. Wait for me.”
Shaking her head slowly, she smiled. “I will be here. Where would
I go?”
He put his hiking boots back on and tied them tightly, sitting on
the floor as he did so. “You may go into the lake or explore along
the grounds of the inn.” He stood up and looked her in the eyes.
“But you must not go into the mountains in the evening or in the
early morning. Promise me.”
She smiled a little, confused. “Well, I wasn’t planning to—”
“Promise me!”
“Okay,” she said. “I promise.”
He smirked that smirk again. “Good girl.”
With that, he opened the door to the cabin and was gone, closing
the door behind him.
Ursula stood up quickly and went to the door, locking it and
pulling on it to make sure the lock held fast. If this was John
Asher’s cabin, why didn’t he have keys for it? She noticed, too,
that he wasn’t wearing a jacket or a coat, even though the
temperature was going down considerably now that the sunlight
was fading.
Her host was a strange young man. He was clearly infatuated with
her, and she did not understand why or how. Ursula supposed that
she had a certain prettiness about her, but she didn’t think that it
would spawn this sort of adoration.
The fact that he had essentially tricked her into going to Lake
Tahoe and staying in his house with him was a problem that she
would need to address. She was glad to have the vacation and the
place to stay, but there was so far little that separated his actions
from those of a serial killer. She would have to check in at the inn
and see if she could find out more about him from someone other
than John Asher himself.
This little adventure of hers was definitely more interesting than
anything she had experienced before. Her ex-boyfriend Wesley
could only wish that he’d be this exciting. But still, Ursula felt
unsure about what John wanted from her. She imagined, given that
there was only one bed in this place, that he would be sleeping in
it with her. It spooked her a bit, how okay she was with that…
He was sexy and mysterious, but she still was not sure if she could
trust him or if she should be afraid.

True to her promise, Ursula stayed near the cabin instead of

venturing off into the mountain wilderness. She was not a big
hiker anyway. Climbing uphill drained her energy, and she had not
come on this vacation in order to tire herself out. Instead, she got
dressed in a pretty turquois turtleneck and some jeans and walked
to the Black Bear Inn. It was not a very long walk, but she didn’t
remember it being as winding and difficult to navigate as it was.
She blamed it on the impending darkness. Twilight hung in the air,
making it just difficult enough to be unable to fully see which
direction was the right one.
When she finally made it inside the inn, she was hugging herself
because the temperatures in the Sierra Nevada were definitely
cooler than she expected. John had been correct about that. She
walked up to the girl at the desk, who smiled at her in greeting.
“Welcome to the Black Bear Inn,” the concierge said cheerfully.
“How may I help you?”
“Hi, I’m Ursula Blake. I’m staying in the cabin a little ways from
here. I’m John Asher’s guest.”
The girl’s eyes widened a little, but then they went back to normal
as though she had rehearsed it many times. “Oh, I see. Well, is
there something you need?”
Ursula shook her head. “No, not really. I was just wondering if
you could maybe tell me a little bit about him. He said he’s the
owner of this place.”
The concierge appeared uncomfortable. “Let me get my manager.
She can probably give you more and better information than I
can.” With that, she went into the back room.
Ursula busied herself by picking up one of the inn’s business cards
as well as a brochure. It would be a good idea to plan out some of
the things she was interested in doing while at Lake Tahoe.
Nothing was preventing her from enjoying herself there, apart
from the feeling that something was not completely right about the
place or her host.
A few minutes later, the lady she had seen at the counter before
came out of the back office. She beamed at Ursula. “Hello again,”
she said. “I understand you have some questions about Mr.
Asher?”
Nodding, Ursula slipped the business card and brochure into the
back pocket of her jeans. The inn’s manager gestured for Ursula to
follow her and led her to the lounge area of the inn’s lobby. She
sat on the large, green couch and Ursula sat beside her.
“Mr. Asher is the son of Howard Asher, who founded this inn and
the recreation activities that it offers,” the manager said. “The
senior Mr. Asher died about ten years ago, leaving the inn and
everything in the junior Mr. Asher’s hands. He lives in the cabin
you’re in and makes sure that everything is going accordingly.
He’s a… strange man, but from all the time I’ve spent around him,
I know he is kind and a good person to know.”
Ursula listened attentively, nodding a little when the lady
mentioned that he was strange. That was for sure. “He told me not
to go on the mountain in the morning or the evening… Any idea
why?”
A darkness seemed to pass over the manager’s face. She frowned
slightly. Ursula got the feeling that she wasn’t supposed to notice
that frown. “It is dangerous to go far into the forest when the sun
is not up,” the manager said. “That is when the bear comes out.”
Something about the way she said that made Ursula gulp. “The
bear?” she asked.
The manager nodded. “It’s best to stay indoors. He keeps to
himself, most of the time, but if he sees you…”
“I think I get the message.” Ursula could understand why a bear
catching sight of a human could be bad. It didn’t take a rocket
scientist to figure that out. Why did they allow a bear to hang out
around their tourist inn? “Is it the bear the inn is named after?”
The manager had to think about that for a second. “Yes and no,”
she said. She got up from the couch and smoothed out her black
business slacks. “I should be getting back to work now. Just please
heed Mr. Asher’s advice. He is a good man. He just wants to keep
you safe.”
She went back to the room behind the counter, whispering
something in the concierge’s ear as she went past. The concierge
looked frightened and glanced over at Ursula.
For her part, Ursula was starting to feel as though she was on one
of those weird History Channel shows. Everyone at the Black
Bear Inn was nice, but something about them was really starting to
give her the creeps.

Going back to her room took even longer than the stroll to the inn
had taken, and when she arrived back in her cabin she was careful
to close and lock the door again. Ursula went to the fireplace and,
lighting a match, set the logs ablaze. The expansive living room
warmed up in no time.
She pulled the business card and brochure out of her back pocket.
She set the card down on the table and opened up the brochure,
flipping through the pages to see if there was anything that jumped
out at her as a possible activity for her vacation. Apparently she
could rent a fishing rod from the inn. She’d never been fishing
before in her life.
The wind started to howl outside and she wondered what kept
John. He hadn’t explained what he had to go do, and the manager
hadn’t really explained what sort of things he did there. As far as
Ursula knew, he was just the owner who helped keep things up
and running. Hadn’t he said something about his dad being a
lumberjack? Maybe he was a lumberjack too…
She could get used to the idea of hanging out with a sexy
lumberjack. He just needed to get his ass back there and hang out
with her. She’d be less worried about who he was if he’d stick
around.
Sure enough, as soon as she’d settled into the couch with her
book, there was a knock at the door. Why on earth did John not
carry a key? Ursula got up and went to the door.
She pulled it open while debating in her mind about whether or
not she should put on another layer. John lurched forward into the
cabin and closed the door behind him. He looked disheveled, his
shirt unbuttoned in odd places and his hair completely unkempt.
“It must be windier than I thought,” she said. “Why don’t you
have a key to your cabin?”
He didn’t answer her but went straight to the kitchen. He turned
the faucet and started drinking huge gulps of water from the sink.
Ursula stood there with her arms folded in front of her chest.
So far, this weekend had been completely weird.
Suddenly, as quick as he’d gone to the sink, he was back in front
of her, holding her in his arms. He brought his lips to hers and
kissed her deeply. She dropped her arms to her sides, surprised,
then brought them up to his back, gently rubbing and scratching at
it as they kissed.
“I see you lit a fire,” he said in his gruff, husky voice. She’d
almost forgotten how he sounded and now that she’d heard him
speak again, she melted a little. He was sexy and mysterious and
she was starting to really like it.
“I was getting chilly,” she explained. Her own voice came out
quietly, almost as though she was timid.
“Let me warm you up,” he replied. He kissed her deeply again and
effortlessly lifted her into his arms. Sexy, mysterious and strong.
John carried her to the rug in front of the fireplace and laid her
down on it, leaning himself over her as they kissed and ran their
hands all over each other.
They went at the zippers of each other’s pants at the same time,
which made Ursula giggle a little. He smirked back and pulled off
her jeans, followed soon by her panties. She succeeded in
removing his black jeans to discover that his cock was fully erect
within his black boxers. Paying no mind to it for the moment, he
lowered himself to her soft, wet spot between her legs and began
to lick and kiss it.
“Ohhh,” she moaned. “Oh, my god…” Her back bucked off the
floor as he made her cum. It didn’t take her long to do so, and she
marveled at him as he pulled off his shirt then her turtleneck. He
fondled her breasts for a moment, and then she grabbed the top of
his boxers and yanked them down.
As if she had commanded him to do so, John got on top of her and
thrust his big, lengthy cock into her. “Ahh!” she gasped as she felt
him stretch her open. “Ffffuck yeah.” She licked her lips, looking
into his haunting brown eyes.
John stared intently back at her as he moved within her, speeding
up and slowing down, making her dizzy with anticipation and
feelings she had never felt before. He made love to her like an
animal, leaning down and biting her neck as he sped up his
thrusting. She could feel him grunting against her skin. Gently, she
ran her fingers over the scars on his torso. They were raised
somewhat. She wondered, again, how he had gotten them. Maybe
from rough sex…
Grabbing the clasp of her bra as he moved, he pulled it off of her
and sucked at her left breast. Ursula ran her fingers through his
black, messy hair. He smelled like fish and pine trees and the wild
outdoors. He thrust himself deep inside of her and she screamed.
“John! John, yes!!!”
Ursula wrapped her legs around him and John clamped his eyes
shut, letting out a roar-like sound as he came inside her.
As soon as he had calmed down and got his breath and heartbeat
back to normal, he pulled his penis out of her and walked into the
kitchen.
She rolled over on the floor and watched him go. Her head was
swimming. She couldn’t believe this was happening. As he stood
there, naked and looking through the fridge, she admired the view
of his ass. He even had a great, muscular butt. She wondered what
the hell he did in his spare time. Surely he went to the gym or
something…
Remembering that he’d just came inside of her, she went into the
bathroom and cleaned herself up. “I hope you don’t have anything
I need to worry about now,” she said loud enough for him to hear.
John smirked into the refrigerator, pulling out a beer for himself
and one for her. She came back out and gasped a little, surprised to
find him standing there waiting for her, holding the two bottles of
beer.
“I’m not really a fan of beer,” she said. Thinking it over, she took
a bottle anyway. “Oh, what the hell.”
They went back to the living room and collected their clothes. She
was somewhat sad to see him put clothes back on, but it was chilly
and she didn’t want either of them to end up with a cold. Once
they were dressed again, they sat on the couch, cuddling and
looking at the fire.
“Where do you go during the evening?” she asked. “The manager
at the inn warned me about a bear that wanders around here. Be
careful, okay?”
Something flickered in John’s eyes. Ursula didn’t know what to
make of that. “I always do my best to be careful around here,” he
said in his soft, growly voice. “But I’m not really the one that
people think is going to get hurt.”
“Am I crazy or do all of you people talk in riddles?” she asked,
smiling at him even though she was seriously getting frustrated
and annoyed at the way no one seemed to really answer her
questions.
John just chuckled. “Let’s go to bed now,” he said. “Tomorrow is
when the fun starts.”

The following morning, Ursula woke up with a phenomenal

headache. And, even worse, she felt nauseous. She looked at the
clock and realized it was four thirty in the morning. But that didn’t
stop her stomach from wanting to release its contents. Quickly,
she got out of the bed and ran into the bathroom, throwing up into
the toilet and feeling all kinds of confused and worried. When she
was finished, she flushed and washed her hands, looking at herself
in the mirror. She looked like a wreck. Is this what she always
looked like early in the morning?
She turned away and started to leave, but then she caught her
reflection again as she went to turn the bathroom light off.
No, no, no, this can’t be right! Her reflection made her appear as
though she’d gained at least twenty pounds! That couldn’t happen
overnight. She had been watching herself out there so far. She
hadn’t been snacking or going overboard with desserts. Nothing
like that. She knew she was obese and she was actually trying to
use this vacation in the outdoors to fix that.
She went back into the bathroom and checked to see if there was
any aspirin or anything. Thankfully, there was. She took some of it
and then went back to the bedroom to question John about her
appearance.
Only John wasn’t there. Had he been there when she woke up?
She couldn’t remember… He hadn’t made a sound when she
moved out of the bed, though.
As quickly as she could without feeling sick again, Ursula made
her way to the front door of the cabin. Sure enough, it wasn’t
locked. John had gone out without telling her. He was gone.
“Shit,” she said under her breath. “Will that boy ever take the key
with him?”
Well, it was four forty-five in the morning, but because of her
sudden illness and appearance, she definitely did not feel like
sleeping. Instead, she bundled herself up in sweaters and coats and
waddled out to the inn. She locked the door behind herself.
John could come and find her if he wanted to go back inside.
It was so dark that she had to be careful to stay on the winding
path to the Black Bear Inn. When she finally got to it, she went in
and warmed up by the concierge desk. No one was around. It was
too early in the morning for breakfast. The sane people, who
didn’t have to be awake there, weren’t.
Suddenly, the concierge came out of the back room. It was a
different girl from the one she had seen there before, but this one
seemed to know who Ursula was. The concierge shook her head at
her. “Miss Blake, you really should not be here right now. You
should not be out of bed.”
Then she noticed the extra bump of (Ursula’s presumed) fat
around Miss Blake’s middle. Her eyes widened.
“Oh, you can explain this??” Ursula asked, her voice high-pitched
and irritated. She did not want to be awake at this early hour. She
did not want to be feeling sick and alone. She didn’t want to
suddenly have a bump…
Her eyes became the size of saucers. She hadn’t gained weight
from overeating. She had gained weight from…
No, it was impossible!
As quickly as she had come into the place, Ursula turned around
and waddled back out into the cold dawn. She had to find a
convenience store. A drug store. Anything that would sell
pregnancy tests.
“Miss Blake!” she could hear the concierge screaming at her
through the front door windows of the inn. “Please come back
inside!”
Ursula ignored her advice and attempted to walk along a different
trail. This one must lead to civilization. This whole area certainly
couldn’t just be woods.
All of a sudden, up ahead, she heard a weird, moan-like noise. She
looked up and saw the famous and apparently infamous black
bear. He was a little too close for comfort, and he slowly came
closer and closer. Knowing that making a lot of noise or running
would excite the bear and make him try and chase her, she kept
still and quiet, hoping he would just go away.
But he didn’t. He kept coming towards her. And the most bizarre
thing was that, as he moved, he appeared to become progressively
smaller and smaller. His face took on the characteristics of a
human face, becoming more and more human as he walked. His
claws turned into human fingers. His black fur melted away and
soon he was a naked man walking towards her.
A tall, dark haired man. With light brown eyes.
John Asher.
“Oh, Jesus Christ,” Ursula said just before fainting.

When she awoke, the sun was shining brightly through the
bedroom skylight. She was in bed again. At first, she wondered if
it had all just been a crazy nightmare.
But then, when she sat up, she could feel the extra weight on her
middle.
John was standing before her as well. He was dressed in black
boxers. She could see some cuts and scrapes on his arms and chest
to go along with the scars he already wore.
She let out a scream at the sight of him there, no longer a bear but
somehow much more frightening.
He knelt beside her. “Shh, it’s okay.” He petted her long, auburn
curls. “It’s okay. It’s just me.”
“It is not just you,” she said. “You—you were a bear! You were a
bear out there!”
Sighing, John didn’t even try to lie about it. He just nodded.
“What you saw is true, Ursula. I become a bear at dawn and dusk.
Like my father before me.”
Ursula gasped and shrunk away from him. “And when were you
going to tell me this??”
“As soon as the sun was in the sky.” He looked up at the skylight,
then smiled at her. “Now.”
She scowled at him. “And can you explain this?” She lowered the
sheets so he could see her swollen abdomen. “And don’t try to
play games with me and tell me that ‘there’s just more to love’ or
any of that bullshit. I was not this huge last night. I did not have
this belly.” She brought her hands down to it and felt a sudden
movement under her skin. “ARGH!!”
John’s smile ran away from his face. “Oh…” He sat on the bed
and brought his hand to her belly as well. “Yeah, this was a
possibility. Are you on the pill?”
She nodded, feeling tears fill her eyes.
“That won’t help when you mate with me,” he said by way of
explanation. “The seed is strong. I should have told you that
before, but then you wouldn’t have…”
“Oh, you think?!” Ursula started to cry. “I didn’t want any of this!
What made you think that I would want any of this? I didn’t want
to have a baby!”
John looked like he wanted to correct her and tell her it was
technically a cub, but she glared at him, so he didn’t actually say
anything.
Instead, he hugged her in his arms and petted her hair. “It’s going
to be okay,” he told her. “I should have told you, but I was afraid
that you would run away from me like all of the other women in
my life. When I saw you at the club that night, I thought you
would be different. I knew you were special.”
She wiped at the tears on her face, even though they were still
falling. “Because I’m fat?” she asked. Something about the way
she said it made John aware that this was something she had more
or less felt her entire life, at least ever since she was old enough to
feel as though ‘fat’ was a reason to not be loved by people…
“No, darling,” he said, rocking her a little in his arms. “Not
because you’re fat. Because you are strong and confident. You are
beautiful in all of the ways that matter, and you don’t see it. You
are perfect, to me. I know this sounds sappy, especially after what
you have witnessed and what you must be feeling right now. But it
is the truth. I love you, Ursula Blake.”
How could she believe this man? Was he even a man? She didn’t
know what he was, but she was drawn to him inexplicably and
unavoidably. She didn’t know if he had some kind of black bear
magic voodoo over her or what, but she was not running from
him. In fact, when she saw the black bear coming towards her, the
first person she thought of trying to run and find was him.
But the bear was him.
“Are you yourself, when you…?” She looked into his eyes. They
were so calm and gentle looking. Had the bear had those same
eyes, or had that been some trick of the early morning light?
John shook his head, then nodded slightly. “I am and I’m not,” he
said. “It is best to not be around me when I’ve shifted. I can get
very dangerous very fast. But I am myself in here.” He pointed at
his head. “It’s just mixed up with all of these instincts and
confusions.”
Ursula began to feel sorry for him and he sensed it.
“Please don’t pity me,” he said. “I am what I am.”
She brought her hand up and caressed his scruffy cheek. “You
are,” she said. She brought her face close to his and kissed him
softly on the lips. “I think I love you, too,” she whispered. “But I
am also so frightened.”
He smiled his smirky sort of smile and rubbed his nose against
hers. “You’re human; I wouldn’t expect you to not be frightened.
But I promise it will be okay. I will keep you safe, just please heed
my warning and stay indoors at dawn and dusk.”
Ursula nodded. Then the realization struck her again. “I’m going
to have your baby…”
“Yes,” John said, stroking her belly with his fingertips and looking
deeply into her eyes. “And that is another reason why it is so
important for you to stay indoors.”
Boy, was she going to have a lot of explaining to do when she
went back to The Big Dipper club… “What am I going to tell my
boss?” she wondered aloud. “How am I ever going to explain
this?”
John rose from the bed. “It’s simple,” he said. “Don’t go back.
Stay here with me. You can sing in the inn’s lounge. People will
love it.”
Ursula laughed. “Sing to who? The staff? I have hardly ever seen
anyone else in that place.”
He shrugged. “So advertise. You’re good at that.” He smirked at
her again and padded out to the kitchen. “Do you want anything?”
She carefully got out of the bed and followed him. She wasn’t
going to be bound to her bed. “I feel like I could eat an entire
restaurant right now, but I shouldn’t. I’ve already become a
walrus. Look at me.”
“You are a mama bear,” he replied matter-of-factly. “But you will
lose the excess weight once the baby is born. Which will be very
soon. Do not fret about that.”
He chopped up a banana, an apple and an orange and put them
into a blender along with some ice and a little bit of milk. She
covered her ears while it worked to chop up the fruits even more
and turn them into a smoothie.
After pouring half the blender’s contents into a glass, he passed it
over to her. “Drink this. It will give you lots of vitamins and
energy.”
Ursula drank it. It tasted delicious, but she shivered because it was
cold and it wasn’t exactly warm inside their cabin. John noticed
and went to the fireplace, quickly igniting the logs. He made a
disapproving face and went into the bedroom, coming back out a
few moments later in his dark jeans and a navy blue button up
shirt that he neglected to button.
He went outside, to the side of the cabin where he’d left a pile of
tree branches and stumps. She watched through the window while
he chopped up some of the branches. His muscles rippled as he
swung the axe. She admired his fluid movement and how easy he
made the action appear, even though she knew that chopping
wood was no simple task.
As soon as he was done, he carried in a pile of wood for the fire
and set it on the hearth. “This is for the next round of fire,” he
said, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm.

They cuddled up together on the couch, alternating between

kissing and talking. Every time their baby moved inside of her,
she brought his hand and held it where he could feel it. “Is it going
to be like you?” she asked softly, in case the unborn child could
hear them discussing its possible abnormalities and would take
offense.
John nodded. “Yes. It’s genetic. And the ownership of the inn is
also genetic. It will be passed on to him or her when I am gone.”
Ursula raised her eyebrows at him. She didn’t want to think about
her big, strong John being gone! “But that won’t be for many,
many years,” she said.
He chuckled a little, softly touching her cheek with his fingertips.
“Let’s hope not. Hunting is no longer legal around here, ever
since…”
“Ever since your father died?” she asked, slowly putting two and
two together. “He was killed by a hunter, wasn’t he? Oh, John, I’m
so sorry. That’s awful.”
John closed his eyes. She could tell that thinking about it brought
him a lot of pain.
“But you don’t have to stay here, John. We could leave this
place.”
“Where would we go?” he asked her, opening his eyes and
looking deeply into her blue ones. “There is nowhere that is safe
for me but here. Here, I have people who know about me. There
are people here who do their best to keep me protected. Heaven
knows why, but they do. They care about me. They cared about
my father, too. I trust them.”
Ursula looked down. She wanted to help him, but she did not
know how. He seemed to already have the help he needed, but she
wasn’t convinced that he was happy. “You went to Silver Lake,”
she said.
He played with her hair. “I went there to find you. No other
reason. And now that I have you, I need not go anywhere else
again. This is our home.”
The trouble was that she was starting to miss the spotlight and the
Big Dipper club. As much as Ursula loved and cared about John,
she was not convinced that this place could be her home.
When afternoon started to threaten the arrival of evening, John
took his leave. He gave Ursula a kiss and promised that he would
be back around eight. “Please wait for me,” he said. “And please
stay indoors.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she said with a smirk. “I promise.” She took the key
to the cabin out of her purse and put it in the breast pocket of his
coat, giving his chest a gentle pat.
It was painful to watch him leave again, knowing what he was
going to become and what might happen to him. Besides hunters,
there were likely other bears out there along with wolves and
whatever else inhabited the hills and mountains of the Sierra
Nevada.
She stood watch by the large window that overlooked the lake.
John had gone off in that direction and she wanted to keep an eye
on him from her shelter, if she could. Baby Bear was restless
inside her tummy, as if he or she knew that Papa Bear had gone
away. She chuckled under her breath. “I can’t believe I’m thinking
like this.”
Pulling out her cell phone, she called the Big Dipper club. She
wanted to let them know that her vacation was going to be
extended, but that she would be back. It would be crazy to stay out
there in the woods for the rest of her life. She’d never been a
social butterfly, but she was getting cabin fever already.
On the fifth ring, she was watching the black bear eat some berries
several feet away from the window. He seemed to be hanging
close to protect her, but maybe the bear was merely close because
he smelled food.
On the seventh ring, she saw the flash of something in the bushes.
Ursula’s eyes widened. It was the barrel of a gun.
“Hello?” a voice said on the other end of the line. The phone was
hanging by its cord where she had let it go.
She ran out of the house. “NO!” she shouted, waving her arms.
“Don’t shoot him!!”
John the bear looked up at her and let out a growl. She was flailing
around and the bear in him felt threatened, but the man in him felt
concerned for her.
Suddenly, a shot rang out in the woods. Ursula screamed.
John fell down in a heap of black fur and berry bush branches.
Running, tears pouring down her cheeks, she ran to him, not
caring that he was a bear. Not caring that she was breaking her
promise. He was hurt and he needed her now.
“John?” she asked, taking his head and placing it on her lap,
petting him. “John, can you hear me?” She felt around his fur for
the wound. She found it on his shoulder. There was a lot of blood,
but the bullet must have grazed him. It had to have grazed him.
He was dazed and in pain and the woman was holding him. He let
out a loud howl of both pain and anger. He did his best to stand
back up on his four legs, but then fell down again a few inches
away from her. The woman didn’t care. She picked up his head
again and looked into his eyes.
“Listen to me, John. It’s going to be okay.”
He snorted and groaned, complaining. His shoulder hurt. Couldn’t
she understand? Someone had shot him and she was interfering.
She shouldn’t be there!
Ursula brought her face close to his and softly rubbed the tip of
her nose against his big, wet nose.
“You’re mean to me,” she quietly sang to him, a tear slowly falling
down her cheek. “Why must you be mean to me? Gee, honey, it
seems to me you love to see me cryin’…”
She looked into his soulful, chestnut eyes and she could see the
recognition in them. He knew who she was now. She could see his
humanity there.
As the sun slipped away and the moon began its act, John’s black
fur shed from him and the bear became her man again.
“Ursula, it hurts,” he said, hissing from the pain.
“Shh,” she said. “You’re safe now.”
She did her best to help him to his feet, and dressed him back in
his clothes before he caught his death from the cold. She kept his
shirt unbuttoned, understanding now why he did that. If it wasn’t
buttoned, he could fling it off when he started to change so it
wouldn’t rip apart.
The two of them slowly limped and waddled their way back to
their cabin, arms around each other’s shoulders.
Once inside, Ursula sat John on one of the kitchen chairs and
surveyed the wound on his upper arm. It was bloody and awful,
but it wasn’t as deep as she had feared. “The bullet passed you,
but it wasn’t nice about it,” she said. She ran a wash cloth under
some warm water. “This might sting a little.”
He let out a howl of pain not unlike his bear form.
“I told you not to come outside,” he said, huffing a little as she
cleaned his wound.
“I had to,” she argued. “I wasn’t just going to stay inside and
watch you…” She sniffled. “I couldn’t let you die.”
John’s expression went from annoyance to appreciativeness. His
eyes were sad now. So much like the bear’s eyes. “Thank you,” he
said, clearly feeling guilty about how he’d spoken to her.
“Don’t move,” she instructed. She went into the bathroom and
found a first aid kit under the sink. As gruff as he was, at least he
took precautions and thought about things like first aid kits and
logs for the fire. She suspected he had these things for her, not for
him. Bringing out some gauze and Band-Aids, as well as the
antiseptic, she stood admiring him for a moment.
John Asher the bear man was holding the wet rag to his shoulder
and grimacing like a big baby. She smiled at him. He glanced at
her, then turned to face her. “What? Why are you smiling?”
“Oh, nothing,” she said. “You’re just cuter than you realize. But
this won’t be cute.” She put some antiseptic on his arm and
watched as he threw his head back and yelled.
She wrapped the wound in the gauze and added some Band-Aids
to the minor scratches he’d received from the berry bush.

John was gone again the following morning, as Ursula now

expected. But thankfully, he was back in the afternoon when her
water broke.
“Ahhh, John, help me!!” she greeted him when he came back into
the cabin. Thankfully, he had the key with him now.
Quickly, he brought her down off the couch and onto the fuzzy rug
by the fireplace. She had lit a fire. That was good thinking. He
pulled off his coat and brought her legs up so they were bent, her
feet flat on the rug.
He knelt between her legs. “This is going to be okay, darling,” he
told her. “You are strong and confident…”
“I can do this,” she said, breathing slowly through her lips.
He coached her and she pushed. Then they rested. He mopped her
brow with a wash cloth, smirking a little. “It’s my turn to take care
of you,” he said.
She pushed some more, screaming and hollering bloody murder.
Before long, there was a little baby in John’s arms and Ursula was
crying tears of joy that she didn’t know she would feel about this.
They had a baby. They’d created a life together, somehow. It was
strange and it was certainly not one they’d be able to explain to
many people, but it was their life.
“It’s a girl,” John said, crying a little himself as he held their new
little person.
Ursula carefully took her into her arms. “Matilda,” she said.
“Matilda Joan. Joan for her daddy, and Matilda just because it
feels right.”
John smiled and kissed Ursula deeply. “I love you,” he said. Then
he gingerly touched the small brown head of their daughter. “I
love you.”
For several months, Ursula Blake sang songs in the cabin for a
very limited audience of two. When Matilda was old enough to be
able to laugh at her mom’s over-the-top performances, Ursula took
her around town in a sling across her chest, sticking and stapling
flyers to anything that could hold a flyer.
“Live at the Black Bear Inn: Ursula Blake-Asher! Jazz and Soul
Songs to Cozy Up To!”
No matter what, even with his fairly rigid schedule, John never
missed a performance. He sat in the front row with Matilda and
the two of them would smile up at Ursula every night after dusk,
when the black bear and his cub had shifted back into the man and
his daughter.
THE END.

BEAR POCALYPSE
“We saw you in here,” The voice was cold and mocking. It
matched the evil laughter in the man’s eyes. I had run back into
the building as soon as I saw the looters prowling the streets.
There was no telling how many had followed him into the
hospital. Although, I guess it doesn’t matter what you call any of
these buildings now.
It was quick, I will say that for the virus. A super virus, bred in
hospitals for years. Immune to antivirals, inoculations, and other
medications. It killed billions of people for sure, but the worst
thing that it did was remove our humanity.
“Come on out,” I curled my knees in tighter as he beckoned to me.
I was hiding in the large compartment of a janitor’s cart. I was not
about to move for anything. Although, I was sure that I was
shaking. This man had nothing to fear, he knew his days were
numbered, so what did my days matter to him? “I can smell you.”
It was an odd realisation, and not likely his intention, but the
looter reminded me of how long I had gone without a shower. The
water had stopped flowing weeks ago. There was no one to
monitor any of the public works. Electricity worked on and off in
some areas. Water was done altogether. The sewers were a whole
other problem.
Everyone was too busy living for today to do basic things like jobs
or work. Billions had lost their lives to the virus, but many had
been killed by gangs like the charming gentlemen who were
hunting me at the moment.
For the first few weeks I had been a member of a community. The
nurses of A2. That was our ward. We had all brought our families
to live in the hospital. We were taking care of each other. We had
food, medicine, and beds. A few left when the rolling brown outs
started. The rest left when the water stopped flowing. The backed
up sewers drove most people out of their homes. It was rare to see
people moving through the streets.
They would move through the streets scavenging from time to
time, but for the most part everyone stayed away, because of the
scent. I had stayed because of my father. He was too weak to
move. When he finally passed on yesterday I decided it was time
to move on. I have been trying to do it ever since.
My first trip outside of the building I ran into a bear. The woods
must be getting too crowded now that they are filled with people.
He didn’t seem to pay me any mind. He must be used to humans
by now. I on the other hand ran like the wind. As soon as I saw
him I froze. He looked me up and down and then turned his head.
I took off like a shot. It took me ten hours to work up the courage
to step outside again. That’s when I saw these guys.
“Knock, knock,” The man was only a few feet away from me. He
was knocking on the door to the janitor’s closet. “Let me come
in,” he said mockingly. I was mad as he said those words. I didn’t
know why I hadn’t gotten behind that heavy steel door. There was
even a lock. There was a weird muffled banging that seemed to be
shaking the cart.
“What are you doing?” It was a deeper voice than the first.
“I am getting ready.” The first man said. He was shaking the cart.
I tried to hold myself still as he violently shook the cart.
“By humping a cart?” The deeper voice sounded a bit confused. I
tried to hold it together, but a cry of fear escaped.
The hand flew in through the door before I could react. “Ahh!” I
yelled as I felt the cold floor tile hit hard against my cheek. The
laughing eyes were going all over my body as he licked his lips.
Just the look in his eyes was enough to make me feel sick to my
stomach.
The slight bit of solace that I had in this moment was that the virus
had likely rendered me sterile. There was no way that I would ever
have to have this man’s baby. I edged myself backwards along the
floor. I held my foot back ready to kick him. There were four men
moving toward me. I knew that I couldn’t take all of them, but I
was going to kick him in the balls so hard. That was my goal in
that moment. I didn’t think about anything else, I just wanted to
hurt him.
“Don’t worry,” the man’s smile made my skin crawl. He leaned
forward to grab my legs. “My eye!” He yelled as my 3 inch heel
went into his eye. They were the only shoes I had left. I had had to
leave the hospital from time to time to get food and I had managed
to destroy every pair of shoes that I had owned. The heels were
my last clean pair. They had blood on them now. “You bitch!”
“What did you expect?” The deeper voice was coming from a fat
young man in a black t-shirt that was two sizes too small. He was
almost doubled over with laughter as he watched the man who
now had only one laughing eye. They were travelling together, but
they didn’t care about each other at all. It was sad to see how
much he enjoyed his companion’s pain. The others were still
moving towards me.
I was trying to back away further, but I had backed myself into a
corner quite literally. I had deterred the first contestant, but I knew
that this wasn’t over. A skinny redheaded man wearing a fedora
and a Hawaiian shirt was already undoing his pants and he was
still fifteen feet away from me. My world was going dark. It was
like the stress of the situation was taking away my senses. I had a
ringing in my ears.
It was only the fear in the fedora wearer’s eyes that alerted me to a
change in the situation. His eyes went wide and then a brown furry
paw swiped across his face. Blood spurted on to the floor by my
feet as the man dropped lifelessly to the ground. The others started
to run. It was only the man with the injured eye that stayed to deal
with the bear. He had taken a knife out of his coat pocket, and he
was walking slowly toward the great beast.
I took advantage of the situation and crawled along the floor. I
knew I could get to the stairwell if I could only stand up, but I
could not get my legs to work. I kept looking backwards to make
sure that nothing was following me. The looter made up for his
size and strength disadvantages with a healthy dose of lunacy. He
was swinging the knife wildly.
The bear was up on his back legs and hanging back from the
blade. I was almost to the stairwell when a missed swing of the
knife took the man by surprise and he went down to the ground
hard. He spun onto his back as the bear dropped down on top of
him and sunk his teeth into his throat.
“Grrrrrrowwww!” The great bear moaned. I watched as the fur
began to recede. The bear itself was shrinking too. It was hard to
tell what was going on. I got back to my feet and started running
over to the spot where the combatants lay. The laughing man was
missing his windpipe. It looked as though he was trying to say
something to me, but all that was coming out was a bunch of
gurgles and blood bubbles. I was barely paying attention to him as
the crazed laughter drained out of his eyes.
On the end of his knife was no longer a bear. It was a naked man.
He was alive, but not for long. I looked around. I was still in a
hospital. There had to be something that I could do. I ran through
the lobby and into the emergency department. I found a gurney
and wheeled it out to him. I couldn’t roll it when it was down and
I couldn’t raise it by myself. Truth be told, I have never liked
working with gurneys, it’s a paramedics job as far as I am
concerned. It was one of the main reasons that I had never worked
in the emergency room.
I had spent my entire nursing career working on a post-surgical
floor. I knew how to heal and treat wounds. I just had to get this
guy to stand up. It was going to be tough. The naked man was not
responding at all to my voice. I shook him and that seemed to get
his attention. His eyes went wide and he grabbed for the knife.
“Gahhhhhh!” He shouted as he stood up and ripped the knife out
of his abdomen. He was big, even when not a bear. About 6’5”
and at least 250 lbs of solid muscle. I guided him onto the
stretcher. As soon as the rush of energy had passed he just kind of
followed where my hands were taking him. He laid back on the
stretcher and I wheeled him into the emergency room.
The cupboards had been raided for drugs and supplies. They had
taken almost everything. I got a lot of gauze and started to pack
the wound. I knew that he was going to need stitches so I started
looking for a kit to help me get the wound closed off. It was
frustrating to open so many doors and see the same empty shelves
staring back at me.
In the end I had to use steri-strips to close the wound. I had found
a supply closet with saline in it. I already knew that there were
really no options for blood or plasma. I had gotten to him fast
enough that I was hoping he wouldn’t need anything like that. The
rolling black outs had been a killer for medical supplies in this
hospital. Anything that needed to be kept at a constant temperature
was useless by now.
I knew that I was going to need more than just a couple fancy
bandages to get this wound to heal properly. I waited until he
seemed stable enough and I moved up a floor and started poking
through the drawers, carts, and supply closets. The hardest floor
was the second. My father’s corpse was still rotting in bed 2034-
A. I could smell him as I walked out of the stairwell. I checked the
floor for a suture kit, but I already knew that there was nothing. I
had helped the people who were trying to leave pick the floor
clean.
I had originally told my father and myself that I was just going to
leave with the group. I was going to head out and leave him to die
on his own. I thought that I could do it, but it is just not who I am.
It was the seventh floor that finally yielded some results. I had
some morphine, saline and a suture kit. I was pretty good at
sewing and I had always believed that I could do surgery. I had
seen so many of them done on TV and in person, I was actually
excited to get the opportunity.
I was getting more and more worried as I got closer to the
emergency room. What if this man had already turned back into a
bear and he was gone? What if he was just waiting downstairs to
eat me? I left the stairwell cautiously. It had been a nerve
wracking day. I didn’t hear anything except for the thrashing of
the patient. He had been having small fits whenever he came to.
He was in an incredible amount of pain. I put the morphine in
through his saline and waited for the thrashing to stop altogether
for an extended period of time. I wanted my first surgery to be a
success.
I found a nice quiet place to wash my hands. I was only going to
seal off a wound. It really seemed as though the organs and
intestines had all been missed by the blade. It was only the skin
that had been broken. There had been a very significant loss of
blood, but other than that the young man stood a really good
chance of making it through.
I could feel the needle shaking as I got closer to the cut. I still had
the steri-strips in place to hold the wound, which liked to move in
place. I was going to take them off one by one as I moved down
the gash. His stomach was hard with muscles, but the skin still
moved very freely back and forth. I was trying to keep everything
under control, but I could not get my hand to settle down.
It wasn’t until I passed the needle through the skin and pulled the
thread through for the first time that my nerves started to settle.
With each passing stitch my confidence grew. By the end I was
sad to be finished with the sewing. I was starting to really get the
hang of it and I knew that it might be my last opportunity to stitch
somebody up. I had found another kit as well. It was secretly
hoping that I would have to go in and try to find a bleeder or
something.
I walked outside to bath in the moonlight for a moment. It
probably wasn’t a great idea, but I knew that I needed some fresh
air. It was like my victory cigar. I looked around, none of the
stores nearby looked like they would sell cigars. The convenience
store seemed too small to offer the finer things in life.
The patient seemed stable and I had gotten the bleeding to stop. I
knew that he would be up soon. I had a really good feeling about
surgery. I went back and washed the blood off of my hands. I
wasn’t sure what I was going to say as I walked back into the
room and found the patient was still asleep. I had probably given
him too much morphine.
It was a horrible thought. Morphine was a terrible pain killer for
surgery anyways. It always made people so itchy. He is going to
wake up and scratch the stitches off immediately, I thought to
myself as I watched him sleep.
What do you say to the man who risked his life to save you, but
was clearly a bear at the time? I had so many questions, but I
wasn’t sure what kind of answers I was ready to hear. There were
all sorts of weird mutations that were popping up all over the
place. When the TV was still working there was a news story that
all of the nurses from A2 had come together to watch about a
circus of freaks that were not in any way put on. It was a real life
freak show that the virus had made possible.
The TV stations had stopped broadcasting after the first month.
That was when everything had become pointless. The second
month was when the realizations started to set in. We were no
longer going to be, “Getting back to the way things were.” The
president’s phrase had become a popular source of mockery as the
days and weeks wore on. How could we go back?
There was no way to un-see things and no way to undo them. I
had watched too many people give up their humanity to ever have
faith in the human race again. I saw a nurse that I had known for
years stab a man over an armful of pudding cups. I did nothing to
save the man as my friends threw him out into the streets to die. I
watched as the people I had lived with for a month all left me and
my dying father behind.
So why should genetic mutations frighten me when the regular
people that I knew had already changed so much. The TV circus
had had a wolf family. They were all were werewolves that could
shift without the help of the moon. They had run around under the
big top and they had an amazing act that they had put together.
Even that hadn’t prepared her for what she had seen today. The
strength and power of the bear, and the frailty of the human body.
It was all just a bit too much.
The naked man was all just a bit too much all on his own. He had
a sleeve of tattoos running down his left arm. The symbols looked
mainly Celtic and clearly they were trying to tell a story. It all
started with a tree of life on the top of his shoulder. The rest of the
sleeve was tied together by the roots of the tree as they ran down
his arm. It was an amazing design. There were bears and claws, an
old raven and Celtic knot made of thorny roots.
It was hard to ignore the muscle tone. He only seemed to have
body hair as a bear, it didn’t look like he shaved, but there was no
hair on his body. It was hard not to stare at the rippling muscles
that ran from one end of his body to the next. His muscles looked
as if he was always flexing. Some of that might have been the
morphine too, but he was in amazing shape. I ran my fingers along
his stomach as I went to examine the wound. As soon as I touched
his skin I could feel a rush of energy flow through me. It was
impossible to resist trying it again. I ran my fingers down his thigh
and up along his stomach and chest only to see his eyes were now
open.
“Can I help you?” He said to me and I almost fell over. I had
gotten lost in the moment and the angry snarl on his face brought
me right back to reality.
I grabbed a chart that sat at the edge of the gurney. “Good
neurological response to outside stimuli.” I said loudly as if I was
charting it. I was hoping that he wouldn’t notice that I didn’t have
a pen. There was also no paper on this chart. I just needed to have
an explanation for what I was doing. I was finding it difficult to
just admit that spending the last several weeks here essentially by
myself had turned me into a bit of a perve.
It was a very sad truth that I had been having trouble even before I
met the sexy bear man. I had been in a relationship all through
university. Mark was great, but he was going through med school
and I was in nursing. I got lost in his shadow. As soon as I found
the courage to end it I promised myself I would never let that
happen again. I was going to live for me. It meant that I always
pulled myself back when I felt any feelings starting to stir. It also
meant that I spent a lot of time on my own. As soon as the virus
hit that became completely alone.
“I am leaving,” the bear man said as he stood up. His knees
buckled under him. I rushed in and grabbed him. He had already
pretty much stopped himself with his hands against the bed.
“You lost a lot of blood.” I almost whispered. I was pressed right
up against him and looking him right in the eyes.
“I just need to…” He stopped and looked at me. He wasn’t sure if
had seen him earlier.
“Turn into a bear?” I thought I knew the answer, but I wasn’t one
hundred percent sure. I knew that he was a shifter, but I didn’t
know if that was it, or if something even weirder was going to
come out of his mouth.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” There was a fire in his
eyes that made me jump. I backed away and pushed himself up to
standing.
“I was just guessing,” I was talking way too fast, “You know
because there were those guys, and you came as a bear and fought
them and then the nutty guy stabbed you. Anyways, so the knife
went in and you got smaller and naked, smaller for a bear, is what
I mean, you are still very big…” my eyes went too low on the
word big.
That was when I realized that I hadn’t even found the poor man a
sheet. He should have been freezing, but his skin was warm to the
touch. I was really hoping that he would start talking. After that
long rant that I just did, I was absolutely sure that I shouldn’t try
talking again for a while. He was studying my face. I could
literally feel his eyes. It was like he was looking into my soul. I
looked at the ground.
“Alright, yes, I am going to turn into a bear. I just need you to
stand back.” He moved me back forcefully and started making
horrible faces. His skin was almost swimming as it started to grow
and change. I could feel myself backing up. I wanted to see the
transformation, but it was horrifying to watch. Thick brown hair
was covering his body. It moved up from his legs and as it moved
across his sculpted abs the cut ripped open and blood shot out
across the room.
“Awww!” He yelled as he broke the stretcher with a single low
from his half-bear arm. I rushed to his side as he crumpled onto
the ground. “Back off!” He threw me to the side as he pushed
himself back to his feet. The fur had completely disappeared and
his skin has stopped rippling. He was holding the flaps of skin in
place as he started to pace the room. “What is going on?!”
“You have a very deep cut,” I looked down as his eyes cut. I could
feel the seething hatred coming from his stare. “I have another
suture kit. I can fix it,” I said to the floor.
“Alright, fine, let’s just do this,” He walked over and sat down on
the next bed. I walked around the wreckage of the broken gurney.
I could feel myself shaking again as I got closer to him.
“I just need you to lie down and I will hook up the IV again.” He
didn’t say a thing, but I could tell he wasn’t going to let me fix the
IV. “I just need to give you a painkiller.”
“I don’t need a painkiller,” He growled the words through closed
teeth. I wasn’t going to argue with him, but it wasn’t helping with
my nerves. I opened the kit and got ready to start stitching.
“Take a deep breath,” I said, mainly to myself. He held himself
remarkably still. I heard only a few gasps as the needle passed
through his skin. It seemed like I was having a harder time with it.
I just kept apologizing to him and he got madder with every sorry.
The skin was already starting to heal as I closed it up. I could tell
that his skin was far from that of a regular human being. I wanted
to ask him about it, but he didn’t seem very talkative. The feeling
of the needle pressing through the skin was oddly very exciting. I
was trying to keep myself under control. As a nurse I had always
been fascinated by surgery and the human body. I could feel the
color rushing to my cheeks.
When I finished I looked up at his face for the first time in I don’t
know how long. “Jade Roberts,” I blurted out. It was met with the
same level of enthusiasm I had been receiving all day. “It’s my
name, I thought you could tell me yours too,” he just turned away.
“Ok, then I guess I will just call you bear-man, or man-bear,” I
could tell that I was upsetting him, but at this point I didn’t care.
He was being rude to the woman who just saved his life twice.
“Dallas,” his tone was begrudging at best. “Dallas Blackwood,
bear-man is fine though.” He was asleep in seconds on the tiny
hospital bed. It looked small when I laid in one, but his legs were
literally dangling off the edge. I found another stretcher and lifted
his feet onto it. The beds were at slightly different heights, but I
was sure it had to be better than just letting them dangle. There
was not even a thank you.
My father had been nearly as ornery when he was my patient.
Most of the fight in him had been taken away by the virus. It
wasn’t until he was on death’s doorstep that he even thought to
say thank you for all that I had done for him. It wasn’t until after
he passed that I realized exactly what I had given up. Staying
behind meant that I had nobody with me at all. There was no way
to stay here for more than a couple days longer. I was not exactly a
fighter. I was going to have to fall in with a group of looters, or the
far more likely get killed by a group of looters. If the experience
of the morning had been any indication it was even dangerous for
me to step outside the doors of the hospital now that I was all
alone.
I had one hope of not being all alone and he was clearly not
interested in being my apocalyptic plus one. It was hard to
understand his aggression. He had gotten hurt trying to save me, I
was sure that wasn’t part of his plan, but I had been trying to make
up for it ever since. I left him to sleep for a while as I got the rest
of the supplies gathered together. The hospital had been
rummaged through by several groups of looters and former
employees, but there were still treasures to be found.
I walked all the way up to the eighth floor to start my search. I
was checking every closet, cart, and cupboard as I made my way
down through the hospital. I was filling backpacks that we had
found during our first week living in the hospital. They had been
stuffed away in a storage room on the seventh floor. “St.
Bonneville’s Hospital loves Nurses!” The message was printed in
bold white letters on pink, brown, orange, and white backpacks. It
was a part of an employee appreciation initiative, but the dust on
the boxes made it look like they had been ordered at least ten
years ago.
There had to have been thousands of them. Each group had taken
several backpacks with them when they decided to leave the
hospital. I had the last seven with me as I loaded them down with
supplies. Of course most of the leftover bags were brown. It had
been the least popular choice. I had grabbed an orange one when
we first found them and then there were two white. I was packing
the white ones with bandages and medical kits. The brown ones
were being packed with linens and clothing, which was mostly
scrubs, but I had only been wearing scrubs for months now
anyway.
My orange bag was for food. The bags were a good size and they
could hold quite a bit. There was still a bit of food left in the
cafeteria. I had started squirreling it away when I made the
decision to wait until dad died to leave. I knew that the others
were not going to wait for me. Even my best friend Becky. We
went through nursing school together. We got hired onto the floor
at the same time. We had been through so many things together,
but I knew what I was asking her to do was impossible. There was
safety in numbers, but those numbers had to be higher than two.
The food was mainly pudding. I had a feeling I was turning into
pudding. I had been living on a mainly pudding diet or the past
month. It was mainly tapioca now. I had eaten all of the chocolate.
I had granola bars saved as well, and a ton of the fruit cups that I
hated. I forced myself to eat two a day, because according to the
label there was real fruit inside. I was sure they were lying. Fruit
didn’t taste that bad for any reason.
I had to bring the bags down one at a time they were so heavy. I
wasn’t sure how I was going to take them with me. It was not as if
I had a car. Even a car wouldn’t do you any good as there were no
gas stations. I tried to look out the windows to see what was
available, but I wasn’t even sure what to look for. There weren’t
many ox carts around these days. I put all the bags onto a stretcher
and went to go check on the patient.
When I got back to the treatment room the bed was empty. He had
left. I sank down to my knees without saying a word. I wanted to
scream and shout, but I was too tired. It was like an anger coma. I
was so mad, sad, and just upset and I just shut down.
I don’t know how long I was down for, what I do know is that
there was drool on my chin when I stood up again. I didn’t know
what had woken me, but I stood up and went to the bathroom. The
lights were out again, but the backup generator, which worked
occasionally was casting a very dim light over the building. The
mirror was dirty and the light was awful, but I could tell that I
needed to brush my hair and find some water.
I walked out to the stretcher filled with supplies. It was time to go.
There was no reason to stay any longer. My plan as I walked up to
the stretcher was just to push the whole bed through the streets.
The streets were very clear, and it was the best I could do until I
found a better way to carry all of this stuff. A bed is never a bad
idea, I told myself.
“Thanks for packing it all up for us,” it was a voice I sort of
recognized. It was the fat young man from earlier in the day. I had
no idea how long he had been watching me, but as he spoke I saw
others moving in the shadows. “I think you should come with us.
What do you say boys?” His boys all seemed to love the idea.
“The boys and I haven’t seen a women in…well, too long
anyway.”
“I don’t think so,” I said trying to keep my voice steady. I was
trying to seem confident. “I have the bear to keep me company.” I
lied. I saw a flash of fear dance across the young man’s eyes.
 “We watched him leave,” He smiled trying to hide his fear.
“He’s long gone by now.”
“He’ll be back soon,” I was trying to look tough which must
have seemed completely ridiculous. I am 5’3” and 100lbs on a
good day. I don’t intimidate many people. I was trying to channel
my inner gangster, but I was sure that I looked more like an angry
smurf. “And he won’t take kindly to people stealing our stuff.”
“Is that so,” the deep voice seemed a little unsure of himself,
but not scared enough to leave right away.
“Yeah, it is so,” the voice came from behind me. Dallas was
towering over everyone in the room as he strode past me and got
about an inch from the face of the much smaller man. I could see
the other shadowy figures moving fast as they left the building. I
think it was likely more intimidating that Dallas was still naked.
His dick swayed as he walked, and because of the height
difference it was fairly close to the fat man’s face as he stared him
down.
“You should likely run,” I whispered to the fat man who had
become paralyzed with fear. I tried to hold in the laughter as I
watched him try to find his friends. I knew that we needed to get
far away from this hospital. Those guys were definitely going to
come back. “I thought you were gone.”
I didn’t wait to see if he approved as I buried my face in his
stomach and wrapped my arms around him. I felt his arms coming
across my shoulders. I was so relieved to see him. That was when
I noticed that his scar had healed. “The moon,” he said before I
could ask the question. I ran my fingers over the perfect skin that
had been a stab wound.
“I thought you left me,” I said. It came off way more
desperate than I wanted it to, but I was just so happy to see Dallas.
“What do we do now?”
“I don’t think…”
 “You don’t think what!” I heard myself shouting at him. He
was going to try and leave without me for real and there was just
no way I was letting that happen. “You see what happens every
time you walk away, and now you want to leave me?” I didn’t
even know what I was doing, but I just started pushing the
stretcher toward the door.
“What are you doing?” He growled at me.
“I am going it alone,” I yelled without looking back. “I have
no one to help me and I am leaving to take care of myself.” I was
being overly dramatic, but I didn’t know what else to do. I had no
idea whether it was working or not until he grabbed the door for
me.
“Let me push it,” He snarled as he almost threw me out of the
way. I walked along beside him trying to watch the sides of the
street for signs of life. I could only see shadows. I had no idea if
we were being followed, but I could tell we weren’t the only ones
out here on the streets. We stuck to the middle of the roads. Dallas
said it would give us more time to react if we got attacked. “There
are people in every alley and building just waiting to slit your
throat.”
“Or perform lifesaving surgery,” I reminded him. I was
actually starting to enjoy the scowls that I was getting from
Dallas, but this time I got a tiny little smile instead. I looked him
right in his honey-brown eyes and gave him a wink.
“What was that?” He laughed.
“It was a wink,” I said, astonished that he would even ask. I
considered myself a fairly slick winker. It was a skill that I knew a
lot of people struggled with. They winked with both eyes, or they
pulled a total Popeye face when they tried to wink, but I was
adorable when I winked. Everybody had always told me so.
“I know it was a wink, but on the other side of your face it
looked like you were having a stroke.” Dallas’s long brown hair
fell over his eyes as he leaned down to give me the full effect of
his mocking imitation. “Errrrr,” he mumbled as he winked at me
holding his arms out like a mummy. I slapped his chest as hard as
I could. He pretended to be hurt, but he couldn’t stop laughing.
“You aren’t funny,” I said, but a smile was already creeping
across my lips. We laughed as we walked through the streets. I
was still on the lookout for danger, but I was just enjoying having
someone else around. We found a park near the edge of town and
pushed the stretcher into a small circle of pine trees that would
provide at least some cover for us. It was in a little residential
neighborhood, and it didn’t seem like any of the houses were
being occupied.
The night air started to get a bit chilly. I looked over at Dallas
and I let out a little laugh. He looked at me and I threw my hands
up, “It’s nothing.”
“What are you laughing about?” I tried to walk away, but
Dallas picked me up and set me down on the stretcher. I had put
my arms around his neck when he first grabbed me and decided to
leave them there. His skin was still warm to the touch. “What is
it?”
“I just noticed that the night air was making you shrink,” I
laughed.
“Oh really,” his face was getting closer to mine.
“Yeah, and I was just thinking that it is kind of like a
thermometer.”
“I can fix that,” he said as he kissed me deeply. I was off the
stretcher as he lifted me into his arms. His strong arms wrapped
around me and held me tight against his muscled chest. He was
holding me up with one arm as he took off my scrubs and
continued to kiss his way down my body. I felt like a doll in his
strong hands. That was when I found myself upside down and
staring right at his thermometer. It was no longer getting smaller.
He was driving me crazy with his tongue and teeth as I tried
to deal with the amazing sensations and the blood rushing to my
head. I decided to focus on pleasing him. I used my hand on the
shaft and teased the head with my tongue. It felt amazing, but I
was so glad when he finally put me down on the stretcher. I was
up on my knees, and he was standing beside the stretcher with his
hands on my waist. He was teasing me with the head as he lightly
touched along the edges.
His skin was so much warmer than mine. I could feel the
difference as he pushed forward and started gently moving back
and forth. I rocked my hips to try and feel him deeper inside of
me. I wanted to take everything in. The gentle breeze was
covering my skin in goosebumps. Every inch of my skin was
alive. It was the mix of cool air and hot skin and the rhythmic
motion of our hips. I gripped the tiny rubber mattress and
screamed with my whole body.
A large hand clapped itself over my mouth as Dallas grunted
and let go deep inside of me. I turned around and kissed all over
his sculpted chest and abs. He laid down on the gurney and I
pulled myself together. I wrapped myself around him as we tried
to share the tiny bed. I was idly running my fingers over his
smooth skin.
The stars were amazingly bright. Without the light pollution I
could actually see them. Dallas pointed out the constellations. “I
grew up on a farm,” he explained, “There have always been this
many stars.” I was sure that he was wrong. There was no way a
sky had ever seemed this beautiful.
“I thought I had seen stars,” I said as I followed a shooting
star along the edge of the horizon. It was too magical to be
ordinary. We laid there and talked about life and the world.
“I have always wanted a family, but not a shifter family,”
Dallas said. He was watching the skies, but I thought I saw a tear
welling up in his eyes. “I don’t think it is right to bring a kid into a
world he doesn’t belong in.” I was surprised to hear him talk like
that, but I realised that I didn’t know much about him.
 “How can you say that? You are the most amazing person I
have ever met,” it sounded corny, but I meant it. He had already
saved me twice. He could heal instantly, and he was ridiculously
strong. I was amazingly hot. I was having trouble seeing the down
side.
“But I am not a person,” Dallas sat up and looked me right in
the eyes. “I am a monster.”
“You can’t think that,” I was crying and I didn’t know why
exactly, but it hurt me that he felt like this. “You are not a monster,
those guys in the hospital, those guys are monsters!” I was almost
mad at him for talking about himself that way.
“Sshh, oww!” He shook the hand that I bit. He was trying to
cover my mouth again. “Don’t bite me!”
“Why you’re a monster, aren’t you used to being bitten?” I
said without really thinking about if it made sense. I was just mad
at him for feeling this way. He was just shaking his head, and then
he started to turn away. I playfully bit his nipple as he tried to turn
away. I had never felt like this before. He had awoken an animal
inside of me. I felt brave, and brazen, and I wanted him to feel that
way too. I wanted him to know how he made me feel. Somehow
that made me bite him. Maybe it was the trees, or the night air, or
that he could turn into a bear, I felt wild.
“What was that for?” Dallas looked more surprised than mad.
“I am feeling monstery,” I laughed. A smile finally cracked
through his sullen expression. It was a little smile, but I had
worked so hard for it I counted it as an accomplishment. “For the
record I would love to have kids like you,” I said as I laid back
down to gaze at the sky.
“Well, I guess we will never know,” Dallas said to the sky.
We didn’t talk for a long time. I was just lying there enjoying
his presence. I stretched my arms and legs and let out a yawn. “I
will take the first watch,” Dallas said as he stood up. “I am about
to fall asleep,” he explained as I begged him to stay beside me.
 “I just need my teddy…”
“Cut that out!” His tone was playful, but I could tell that he
meant it. He didn’t like the bear cracks, but that only made me
want to say more of them. I watched the naked man as he moved
off into the moonlight to check the perimeter.
The pine trees made pretty good cover, and I was sure that if
there was anyone around they would have heard us earlier, but
Dallas insisted on checking. I went to the brown backpacks and
got out a bunch of hospital sheets. It was chilly, but not cold,
however the linens were so thin I knew I would need about a
hundred of them to be warm. I thought it would be hard to fall
asleep, but that was before I stopped moving. As soon as I got
comfortable I could feel sleep taking over. It had been months
since I had really felt safe. Right now it didn’t matter who was out
there or what was going on inside of me. I had a protector. I
looked up at the sky one last time and then everything went dark.
The light broke through the trees. It was a bit disorienting at
first. I was not sure where I was for a split second. The chilly
morning air had numbed my senses. I looked around to find
Dallas, but he was nowhere to be seen. I got my clothes back on
under the thick layer of thin sheets that I had piled on top of
myself. I was a little worried as I was only supposed to be taking a
nap and then I was supposed to take a turn on guard duty. Why
didn’t he wake me up?
I walked through the trees to find Dallas going through the
supplies. “We have to make ourselves more mobile,” he said as he
turned to see me coming around behind him. There was a fear in
his eyes that I had never seen before.
“What’s going on?”
“We need to get out of this city,” he was scanning the streets
around us as he talked. “It isn’t safe here.” It was something that I
already knew, but I could see that something had happened to him
last night. “They ate her.”
 “What are you talking about?” I put a hand on his shoulder,
but I was sure that he couldn’t feel it. He was in some kind of
shock.
“I thought it was group sex,” he was taking things out of each
bag and putting them into the orange bag. “Or something weird,
but she was heavily drugged, or delirious and they were eating her
alive. I had no idea what was going on until it was too late.”
He stood up and put the back pack on my back. “I am going
to rejoin my family,” there was a look of sincerity in his eyes.
“Will you come with me?”
“Of course,” I was surprised he felt the need to ask. I thought
I had made it clear that I wanted to be with him.
“Alright, we are travelling fast, we don’t need to worry about
all this stuff. Once we are in the woods I can take care of the rest,”
his skin was already rippling before he changed. The fur was
popping up all over his body in clumps. It was so amazing to see
the transformation. I climbed on his back and we ran.
“Whoa! Easy there,” I yelled as he took off. It was hard to
hold on at first. I joked that he needed reigns. It was hard to tell
how he felt about my joke in bear form. Although he had seemed
impossible to read in human form as well. I could tell he was
shaken up. He did not stop running until we were well clear of the
city.
When we reached an abandoned farm house he came to a
stop. “You know that fur is attached to me right?” He asked his
eyes still wide from the shifting. His face looked ferocious during
the transformation and it made everything he said at those times
seem angry and savage. I tried not to smile.
“I’m sorry, where am I supposed to hold you?” I was
surprised to see a smile come across his face again. I had thought
we were back to angry Dallas.
“I don’t know, I have never been used as a mode of
transportation before.” Dallas opened the door to the old, red brick
farm house. I decided to hang back and wait for him to give me
the okay. I had done very little exploring since the outbreak.
I had gone in for a twelve hour shift and I just left the hospital
last night. My mother had been among the first to die of it. Dad
had come to tell me, but by the time he made it to the hospital he
was too weak to ever leave again. I didn’t look in on them before I
left for work, and I would always feel guilty about that. It was not
that I could have saved my mother, but I could have had more
time with her. It was also hard to deal with the fact that it was
likely me who gave them the virus. My mother always did my
laundry and it was likely my scrubs that infected her. These
thoughts always flooded my brain whenever things got too quiet.
I sat down on the front porch swing. The porch was a
beautiful, fenced in porch with intricate wood detailing along the
railing. I gently kicked out my feet and felt the swing move under
me. The chain was old and the seat well worn. I was worried that I
was going straight to the ground, but the swing held together fine.
It creaked a bit, but it was definitely stronger than it looked.
“It’s piss warm, but we have a whole case of it,” Dallas said
handing me a beer. “From the dust in there I would say nobody
has moved in that house for about a month,” he took a long swig
as he finished talking. The swing moaned as he sat down with a
thud on the bench. It was nice to see him looking so relaxed. He
was wearing a pair of baggy sweat pants and an unbuttoned plaid
shirt.
“Nice,” I said putting a finger through a hole in the leg of the
pants. I had brought scrubs from the hospital, but none of them
were big enough for him to wear. All the pants looked like capris
on his long muscular legs. Even these beat up old sweats were a
little on the short side.
“None of the jeans fit,” Dallas shrugged as he sat down
beside me on the porch swing. “You don’t like them?” We both
laughed and I snuggled into his side.
 “So what’s the plan?” I was hoping he had one.
“We’ll stay here tonight and then we will keep heading west,”
Dallas was staring out over the horizon. It was late afternoon. “I
am thinking if we look in that barn we will probably find some
mode of transportation that will speed this trip up.”
“Like a tractor?” I had never really been on a farm. I was
kind of excited about the idea of taking a tractor anywhere, but it
seemed like it might be a little slow.
“Like an ATV, motorcycle, or a truck, something not
completely ridiculous.” Dallas was laughing at me, I glared at
him. “I just mean something that moves a little faster.” He threw
his arm around me and we walked into the barn.
“You know this isn’t going to be easy, right?” I turned to see
a very serious look on Dallas’s face. He seemed very concerned
about something. “Being a shifter is a hard life. There is no way
for me to lead a normal life.” I put my hand on his arm.
“What is normal?” I hadn’t experienced anything normal in a
very long time. “Is it normal to have gangs of looters roaming the
streets? Is it normal to have your whole family die?”
“Things will go back to normal at some point,” Dallas said
pulling his arm away from me. He walked off toward what looked
like a small workshop inside the barn. “Right now you need
protection, but what happens when the government gets
everything under control and they have found the cure? What
happens then?” Dallas turned back to me, “I have to know before
this goes any further.”
I was really blown away by what I was hearing. He was
starting to go through the drawers filled with screws and bolts, but
I could tell that he just couldn’t look at me. “So that’s it, I have to
know everything right now, or you are just done with me.”
“I will take you anywhere you want to go,” He said as he
closed he drawers and walked past me. He was headed toward a
red ATV. He started testing the tires and checking the gas tank. I
watched him for a minute. I was flustered and hurt by what he was
saying, but I knew in my heart that the only place I wanted to go
was with him.
I walked over to him as he was pretending to fiddle with the
throttle and I took his beer and set it on a tray next to the ATV. He
lifted me onto the seat and I pulled his face in for a kiss. His body
was so warm it was amazing just to be near him. “I want to go
with you, and be with you.” He went in for another kiss and I
could tell what he was thinking, but there was no way it was
happening in this stinky, dusty barn. I dodged under him and ran
through the barn toward the door.
“Ohh! Get back here!” He yelled as I ran to the house I could
hear him gaining on me. I had one foot on the stairs when he
pulled me backwards. We rolled onto the grass. He landed up on
his elbow with me underneath of him. It was nice to see him eye
to eye. He kissed me again and this time I didn’t try to run away. I
pushed back his ratty plaid shirt and ran my fingers gently along
his chest. I pinched his nipple and he bit my lip.
I pushed him over onto his back and climbed on top. He tried
to protest, but I already had his cock in my hand. I grasped it
firmly so he knew that I was in charge. I slipped off my pants and
I got on top. He moaned as I slid down, and my eyes were rolling
back into my head as I looked skyward. We rocked our hips
together as he rolled my nipples in his fingers. I was losing control
as I felt him erupt inside of me. I collapsed on top of him and
listened to his heart beating right against my ear.
I could feel his finger tracing the curve of my hip and running
up my back. I was in heaven. There was a warm summer breeze
and the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the trees. It was
hard to remember that any other part of the world existed. I felt
like I was becoming a part of him. The dim light of the setting sun
was the only indication that any time had passed. Dallas stood up
and carried me over the threshold of the farm house.
 “We can’t stay here,” were the first words out of my mouth
when I saw the house. The dirt and dust, the smell was the worst
part for me. The house hadn’t been cleaned in months and
suddenly I was wishing that I hadn’t touched that bottle of beer.
Anything that came out of this house was definitely going to kill
me.
Dallas led me to the pantry. It was the real food that won me
over. I had been living on pudding for so long that anything
would’ve been preferable, but the loaded pantry was an
unbelievable sight. “How could they have just left all this food
behind?” I asked as I walked through hanging sausages and
baskets of potatoes. The entire basement of the house had been
converted into cold storage.
“The outbreak happened so fast that there are places like this
all over the world,” Dallas explained. “This is what we have been
doing. My family, we are all out gathering and then we are
heading back to the den.”
I think he must have noticed the look I gave him, because he
continued to explain, “It’s the name of our compound. On the
outside it looks like a salvage yard, but it’s great.” I didn’t say a
word, “Anywhere I go right?”
“That’s what I said,” I smiled as I grabbed food of the
shelves. I was just excited to eat a meal that wasn’t mainly
composed of pudding. I had been worried that my stomach was
going to turn into pudding. We headed back up the stairs and
started cleaning, there was no way I was eating in a kitchen that
dirty.
We spent almost a week in the old farm house. I was glad to
be out of scrubs. Although the clothes left behind were a little
dated, they were at least a change of pace. Dallas only found two
pairs of pants that fit him and he was too big to wear any of the
shirts. I told him I liked it better that way. We said every night that
we were going to pack up and leave the next morning.
 As the sun went down on the sixth night, I was doing the
dishes when I felt a large hand glide across my stomach through
the thin fabric of my sundress. I put my hand over top of it and
interlocked my fingers. I turned around to kiss Dallas, but I was
met with a wide eyed stare.
“Something’s wrong,” his expression worried me. I was sure
he could sense something wrong with the virus. I felt my heart
drop. He had told me that his kind were very sensitive to the body
and to the release of hormones. I was sure he was going to tell me
that I was going to die. I was carrying a deadly disease, everybody
was, and my virus had been activated.
“What’s going on?” I asked as he started to walk away. “If I
am dying I have a right to know.”
“You’re pregnant,” He said as he just kept walking. “I am so
sorry…what?” My expression seemed to surprise Dallas.
“How can you know that?” I was sure he was wrong. It felt
like he had to be teasing me. The virus had made people, all
people, sterile.
“Your smell has changed,” he said the words like it was a
normal thing to say. I felt very exposed. His words made me feel
like I should go put on a gallon of perfume. I wanted to plug his
nose permanently. This seemed like an awful invasion of my
privacy. “I can’t help it,” he said as if he was also reading my
mind. “I can just sense a change in your hormones.”
That was when it hit me. He had just said that I was going to
have a baby. I was no longer part of a race that was going extinct.
“We’re having a baby?” Tears were already streaming down my
face. I couldn’t believe it. I had long given up on the idea. “I
didn’t think it could happen,” I jumped up into his arms and threw
my arms around him. I was too happy for words.
Dallas had to sit down. He seemed so surprised that I was
excited. He couldn’t speak either. As I sat on his lap in the kitchen
we tried to breath. It was almost too much to understand. We had
somehow beaten the odds. I was carrying his baby. I touched my
stomach and felt his warm hand cross over mine. It wasn’t going
to be easy, but I knew that we could make this work as long as I
had Dallas by my side.
The next morning we started loading a trailer that Dallas
found behind the barn. We had hooked it up to the ATV. Dallas
was worried that I was going to miss something about my former
life, but there was really nothing left of it. As we loaded the trailer
I was filled with a sense of anticipation and wonder. I couldn’t
wait to see what my new life had in store for me.

Epilogue
“Ma ma!” Devin Blackwood clapped with a huge smile on his
face. I was wiggling a bear in his face as we laid in bed. The sun
was streaming in through the window. I couldn’t stop looking at
his face if I tried.
“Breakfast,” Dallas walked in carrying a basket of fresh eggs and
wearing a smile. I thought he was just out of clothes when I met
him, but lucky for me, he generally doesn’t where clothes. He
gently kissed me on the cheek and I was glad my tough bear was
finally finding his tender side. I had finally found my family in
this new world.

Summary
Jade Roberts
Since the virus broke free and ravaged our world, I have been
living in the hospital I used to work at waiting for my father to
pass on. In the first month there was hope, but now all of that has
gone. Humans have forgotten how to treat each other with
humanity. So should I be surprised that I feel drawn toward this
tall, muscular stranger with a bit of a wild side. He is part animal,
but he is all man.
Dallas Blackwood
I grew up with a terrible secret that I had to hide from the rest of
the world. I am not a person. I am a shifter. I am now in control of
it, but it has been a curse. I don’t want to drag this beautiful
woman into my dark and dangerous world, but I cannot leave her
either. She thinks she understands what she is signing herself up
for. The outbreak has changed a lot of things about this world, but
it can never change what I am.
THE END

Imprinted to the Bear

The front door of the Zydeco Bar and Grille opened squeakily,
and four biker guys came inside. Vicky Roberts looked up from her
place behind the bar. She had short brown hair, large blue eyes, and
freckles that ran across the bridge of her nose. She liked to keep her
hair up in a half ponytail when she was working, so it would stay
out of her face. The neon yellow t-shirt that featured the venue’s
jazz-inspired logo clung to her body, revealing her curves more than
she would have liked, but hey, it was a living.
Like most waitresses, she had taken up this living so she could
pursue bigger and better things.
She finished topping off a costumer’s pint of beer and then
went over to the newcomers’ table. “Welcome to Zydeco. I’m
Vicky. What can I get for you?” She made sure to look at each of the
guys so that they all felt cared for. That was one of the tricks of the
trade.
She managed to notice that one of them was particularly
handsome. She’d have to watch out for that one, she thought.
After taking their orders, she went back to get their requested
drinks. The handsome biker was paying a lot of attention to her as
well, frequently looking over as she worked at other tables.
Once Vicky finally got a break during a lull, the attractive biker
went up to her at the bar. “Hey,” he said, flashing a perfect smile at
her and giving a nod. “How’s it going?”
 She did not know what she’d done to deserve his attention.
“Fine,” she replied, looking at him and trying not to seem too eager
to talk to him, or too standoffish. There was a fine line. “How are
you? Are you in a motorcycle club or something?”
He seemed taken aback by the fact that she had drawn that
conclusion. It was not exactly a difficult conclusion to reach. “We
are, as a matter of fact. NOLA Ours, at your service.”
“And you’re their…publicist?” Vicky asked, raising an
eyebrow.
Chuckling, he shrugged and then nodded a little. “Sure, if you
want. I’m technically the VP, though you’d never know that by the
way these assholes talk to me.”
She smiled at him. She could tell that he was joking. Mostly.
“What’s your name?” she asked him.
“Amos Steele,” he readily replied. “And you’re Vicky.”
Still smiling, she nodded. “Yup. Right you are.”
He sat on a stool at the bar, and she knew that he had no plans
to go back with his friends any time soon. Maybe he was not totally
kidding about them being assholes. Or maybe she was that alluring;
in her ridiculous shirt and with her face glistening from sweat. New
Orleans was no place to have an AC on the fritz. And the Zydeco
AC had been on the fritz for more than a week.
It might have been grounds for Vicky to quit, if she didn’t need
the money so badly.
“What’s your last name?” he asked with curious eyes, resting
his chin against his fists.
Maybe it was the heat in there, or maybe it was the flattery of
the situation, but Vicky’s face turned hot as he looked at her that
way and asked such a thing. She couldn’t tell now if he was just
being friendly, or if he was planning to stalk her later. “Roberts,”
she said, narrowing her eyes at him slightly.
“Roberts,” Amos repeated as though it was a new name he’d
never heard before, and not a name that was fairly common
everywhere. “And where were you born?” he asked. “I can tell
you’re not from around here. Your accent is different.”
Smiling, impressed, Vicky nodded. “You have a good ear.”
 Amos laughed. “The N’awlans accent is just thick,” he said,
making sure to add a bit of the twang to his speech for effect. “So
where are you from? If I had to guess, I’d say… Boston?”
She grinned at him. “Just outside,” she replied. “Very good. It’s
kind of scary how perceptive you are.”
Although Vicky was dazzled by this guy, she was starting to
worry that he might try and become a distraction for her. The last
thing she really needed was a distraction from her schoolwork…
“Are your parents still in Boston?” he asked curiously. “Do you
go back there regularly?”
At that she had to shake her head. “No, actually. My parents
died when I was a baby. I was in foster care, all of my childhood.
But I don’t exactly consider that family.”
Now she definitely wanted to pull away.
“Are you off tomorrow?” Amos Steele asked her then. “Could I
see you again?”
Vicky shook her head. “No, I can’t. I have class.”
“What class?”
This guy did not know when to stop. She found him attractive
and interesting, although his interrogation was scaring her a little
now. “I’m sorry; I’ve got to get back to work. I’ll see you around,
Amos.”
She gave him another small smile as a parting gift, and then
went to go check on one of her tables. They did not really need
anything, but she needed them as an excuse to get away. The
handsome biker intrigued her, and she would not have minded
seeing him again, but his questions had started to feel intense. Vicky
felt like she was going crazy from the heat and the stress of the day.
She could have sworn Amos Steele’s eyes had briefly glowed gold
while he talked to her…

As soon as she was off work that night, Vicky carefully walked
the short walk from the bar to her apartment building. She had
lucked out in getting a place that was so conveniently close to her
work, but that convenience came with a rent that could not continue
to be paid by tips alone.
 It’s temporary, she reminded herself. It’s all just temporary.
Once she was safely inside her place, she took off her shorts
and the neon shirt, and replaced them with a long, loose t-shirt that
served as a pajama top. Vicky let her hair down and gave it a good
brushing before brushing her teeth. It was twenty minutes til
midnight, and she had class the following morning. At least it was
not until eleven a.m., but waking up was hard to do when work
made her a night owl.
Settling into bed, Vicky wondered if she was going to have
those weird dreams about bears. She’d been having recurring bear
dreams for as long as she could remember. Sometimes, they were
just dreams. Other times, they were nightmares. She did not know
why these dreams happened to her. She’d never seen an actual bear
in her life. Then again, she did not have memories of when she was
very small. Perhaps she had been taken to see bears at the zoo once
when she was tiny.
That was the only explanation she could think of.
Sure enough, as she finally drifted off to sleep, she had visions
of walking through a forest of spindly trees, and stepping into a
circle of bears that seemed to bow to her. Their eyes had a golden
glow, and when she looked into them her body was illuminated with
warmth.
When her alarm went off at nine thirty the next morning, Vicky
did not feel like getting up. To be fair, she never did. She once had
an ex-boyfriend who always teased her about how excessive she
was with sleep. That could not happen anymore though. She threw
off her sheets and stumbled, shivering, into the bathroom to wash
her face.
With a shower and some cereal in her, she was ready to go to
her art class at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Art. That class
was the reason for her move there from Boston. She’d received a
scholarship and couldn’t pass up the chance. Art continued to make
her life better, and help erase the emptiness of her past.
She took a taxi to the building, and arrived in class ten minutes
early. Vicky was not really a stickler for being on time or early,
except when it came to this class. She placed her bag on her desk,
carefully pulling out her sketchbook and pencils in order to give her
project one last check before it had to be turned in.
Right as the professor came in and was setting up to begin, a
newcomer arrived in the classroom. He was tall and attractive, with
an angular face, light blond hair, and piercing blue eyes. He wore a
dark blue hoodie and jeans. Noticing that the chair beside Vicky was
empty, he came over and sat down beside her.
“Hey,” he said under his breath. “What’s up?”
Vicky smiled. She was still getting over the hot guy from last
night and now this dreamboat was giving her attention. Were the
planets aligned? Was this a sign that something bad was going to
happen to her soon?
She was not what one would call an optimistic person. Life had
been shitting on her so long that she thought any bit of something
good was going to immediately be followed by something
insurmountably terrible.
Please don’t let this mean I’m going to flunk this class.
One of the main reasons she’d declined biker boy’s offer last
night was because she did not want a distraction from her art work.
But how was she going to avoid that now, with hot hoodie boy
sitting right there beside her all throughout class??
The professor announced that it was time to pass in their first
sketch projects. Vicky carefully tore hers out of her sketchbook and
passed it up. Hoodie boy lowered his head guiltily, running his long
fingers along the edge of their shared grey desk.
“It’s okay,” Vicky found herself saying to him. “You’re new. I
doubt it will matter in the final grade.”
She did not know what had possessed her to speak up like that.
But he raised his head and looked at her, smiling slightly roguishly.
“The thing about it is, I was told about it but I still didn’t do it.”
Vicky shrugged. “Like I said. It won’t matter, so long as you do
the other projects.”
He continued to look at her, appraising her, memorizing every
detail of her face, apparently. “I’m Stuart,” he said, offering his
hand. “Stuart Barkley.”
 She blinked at him and took his hand, shaking it a little before
releasing. “Vicky Roberts,” she replied. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Once their introductions were over, the class settled in to the
day’s lesson on shading. They were given an assignment to draw a
still life and be sure to focus on shadows so that they would utilize
the shading practices she taught them.
“Honestly, she teaches like we’re all novices at this,” Stuart
said under his breath again.
Vicky giggled softly.
As she drew a detailed rendering of her art supplies as they lay
on her desk, careful to shade one side of her pencil case and not the
other, she glanced over and saw that Stuart was drawing her in
profile.
She blushed, flattered and not knowing what to say. Should she
even say anything? It would more than likely ruin the moment.
Instead of letting the subject matter of his drawing overpower
her feelings, Vicky admired his technique. When Stuart first came
into the classroom, without his project and acting like the typical
lazy guy she’d known while she was an undergrad, she assumed that
he would not be so skilled. Then she remembered that this was a
prestigious program and she was not the only one there who’d
earned their place in the classroom.
This drawing of his proved that to her. Stuart was not only
painfully attractive, he was also very talented. Maybe it would not
be so bad if he distracted Vicky after all. He could distract her and
inspire her at the same time.

When class was over for the day and Vicky packed up her
things, Stuart placed his small sketch pad back into the front pocket
of his hoodie. “What do you do for fun around here?” he asked.
“You seem to have your shit together more than I do.”
She smiled at him. She could tell that he was a transplant from
some other state, like she was. Amos had helped her be more
attuned to that, not that it mattered to her where a person was from.
“I wouldn’t call it fun, but I work at a bar nearby called Zydeco,”
she told him. “I work there most nights to pay for this school.”
 Stuart nodded, appearing thoughtful when she mentioned the
bar’s name. “That’s a dangerous place. I’ve heard it’s mostly visited
by bikers and thugs.”
Vicky shrugged a little. “Aren’t most bars like that?”
“Do you like to go hiking?” he asked, changing the subject.
“We should go hiking outside the city one of these days. There’s
more to Louisiana than bars and art and jazz.”
“Oh, really?” she joked. “That’s not what my travel book said.”
That made Stuart smile. He seemed like a cool guy. A little
over-cautious, but cool. She couldn’t blame him for being wary of
the bar. After all, he had a point. The place was crawling with
unsavory types, try as her boss might to keep them out.
“I’m free all day two days from now,” Vicky said. “You can
pick me up here.” She pulled her sketchbook out of her bag and
sacrificed a corner of one page to writing down the address of
Zydeco. She did not want to give out her home address to anyone
just yet. Stranger danger, all that stuff. She tore the corner off and
handed it to Stuart. The rest of that ripped page could be used as a
draft page, she thought.
Stuart took the paper and neatly folded it before placing it into
the front pouch of his hoodie as well. “Thanks,” he said. “What time
will be good for you?”
“Afternoon?” she replied. “We can solidify the plan closer to
the day?”
“So… tomorrow?” he asked, smiling at her.
She smiled back. “Tomorrow.”
CHAPTER TWO
Everybody’s Staring

Vicky had a few hours between her class and her shift. She took
advantage of the free time by sleeping as soon as she got home. She
would need to be well-rested if she had any hope of working from
four to midnight. Sometimes she wondered why she had ever agreed
to eight hours of the late night shift ‘whenever available.’ But then
she remembered her rent plus utilities plus left over tuition that the
scholarship didn’t cover, and she felt like crying.
 This is just temporary, she reminded herself blearily as she lay
on her bed, trying to will her brain into sleep.
Before long, the bears were back, this time they were in her
apartment, and growling something as if she was supposed to
understand.
The alarm at three thirty saved her. She snapped awake and felt
relief flow through her. Then she exchanged her jeans and blouse for
short shorts, and another neon Zydeco shirt. This time, she’d be
wearing bright pink.
She hobbled into work and started serving drinks at the bar, all
the while imagining Stuart Barkley and what he would look like in
hiking gear. Would he look the same plus boots? She smirked a
little.
At one point, she glanced over and realized that a guy was
staring at her from a nearby table. He was wearing a black leather
jacket that perfectly matched his black hair. His eyes appeared to be
green and he looked familiar to Vicky.
Then she realized where she knew him from. He was the guy
from the night before. Amos Steele. A strange sensation of fear
vibrated through her spine.
Suddenly, the glass she was filling from the tap overflowed
onto the floor.
“Shit!” she shouted, letting go of the tap. She hadn’t been
paying attention. “That was stupid,” she said, grabbed a roll of paper
towels and getting to work cleaning up as soon as possible.
Ben, the head bartender and the boss, stared at her as if she’d
gone mental. “Are you all right, Vicky?” he asked her, his
annoyance making it hard for him to also sound concerned.
She nodded, dumping a pile of sopping towels into the trash.
“Yeah. I’m sorry. I guess I’m a little out of it tonight.”
As soon as the spot was clean, she made sure the glassful of
beer was okay before serving it to the waiting customer. “Sorry for
the delay,” she said, strolling back up to the bar from the tables.
When she turned and looked back in the direction where she
thought she’d seen Amos, there was no sight of him. Either he was
gone now or he’d never been there in the first place.
 It doesn’t matter now that I didn’t want him to be a distraction,
she thought. It looks like he’s a distraction anyway.

The following morning, Vicky felt like she may as well not
have even tried to sleep. The bears were relentless, and she tossed
and turned all night. “I’m wondering if I ought to see a counselor
about this,” she said out loud to herself as she stared at her alarm
clock, wishing it did not say nine thirty.
After a few moments spent cursing the time, she got out of bed
and started her morning routine. As she placed her bag onto her
back, she wondered if Stuart would be sitting beside her in class
again. The seats were not assigned, but still she hoped so. She
thought they’d struck up a pretty good rapport. And she could not
wait to see the final product of his drawing.
When she got to class, she realized, chagrined, that she was
wearing the short shorts that she usually reserved for work. Ah well,
she thought. At least it will make changing easier.
Stuart entered the classroom shortly before the professor. Sure
enough, he sat beside Vicky as though that was his assigned seat.
“Good morning,” he said to her.
Unless she was imagining things, he sounded a bit gruffer than
before. Maybe he’d been out partying late last night. He didn’t seem
like a partier, but then she did not really know him. He could have
been completely wild. She blushed a little, just thinking about that.
The class handed in their completed shading exercises. Vicky
glanced over at Stuart’s as he passed it up to the professor. He had
made her appear so flawless. It was artistic license. She knew that
she did not quite look that good. She had the odd blemish here, an
old scar there. But she appreciated that he had chosen her as his
subject.
“Your assignment over the weekend is to go out somewhere
and draw something that you see. Take a moment, find a bench and
draw your surroundings,” their professor said. “I will be choosing
the top three drawings and they will be submitted to this month’s
edition of The Fly.”
 The Fly was the academy’s publication that showcased the best
and brightest students. It was named after a park that was a short
walk away from the school. That gave Vicky an idea. She had a
pretty good feeling that she wouldn’t be alone in thinking it, but it
would still be good.
She would go to The Fly that weekend during her time off from
work!
As she packed up her things at the end of class that day, she
smiled over at Stuart. “See you tomorrow for a hike?” she asked
him. “If you don’t see me at Zydeco, look for me at The Fly.”
“Oh, I’ll find you,” he said.
She believed that he meant that to be said in a joking way, but
there was something about his tone that was somewhat off. He was
different that day. Quiet, moody. Maybe he really had had a bad
night last night…

When Vicky got home, she wrote down her tentative plans for
the weekend on her whiteboard calendar that she kept in her kitchen.
It was the sort of thing that was usually found in a college dorm
room. That was what she’d bought it for, initially.
She did not usually use it anymore. She did not usually have
much in the way of plans.
Visit The Fly
Go Hiking
She threw off her shirt and took a nap in her shorts and bra,
allowing herself a little extra time for sleeping since all she’d need
to do was put on another neon work shirt. Her alarm went off so
cruelly when she felt she’d only just fallen asleep.
Putting on a green Zydeco shirt, she brushed her short hair and
put it up into small pigtails. Her hair’s length did not allow for much
in the way of styling, but there was something about tiny pigtails
that made her happy. Maybe it was the fact that they reminded her
of a cartoon character from the 90s.
Ready to go, she left her apartment, locking her door behind
her. Vicky was excited to go to work today, but she couldn’t say
why. She supposed it was because it would be her last day before a
full weekend off. That was a rarity, and it was a rarity that she aimed
to take advantage of.
Everything at work was the normal sort of thing she found
there. It was muggy and loud and full of big, brawny men who were
drinking together or separately and carrying on loud conversations
with each other. A little young lady like Vicky could easily get lost
in there. Hence the bright t-shirts.
The sexy young biker guy was there again. She saw him sitting
by himself at practically the same table where she’d first seen him.
He was staring right at her and didn’t look away when she looked.
Vicky blushed and looked away. She needed to focus on her
job. Last time they had had a staring contest like that, she’d ended
up spilling Coors Light all over the floor and counter. Ben had his
eye on her and would most likely send her home early if that
happened again. She couldn’t spare the tip money for something so
stupid.
Instead, she filled her mind with thoughts of Stuart Barkley. He
was out of it in class today, but they had plans to go on a… Was it a
date? A hiking date. Vicky smiled again as she imagined him hiking
in his blue hoodie, jeans and big brown boots. She didn’t know why
the image was so funny to her. He just didn’t seem like the sort of
guy who went hiking. He was tall and spindly looking.
Unlike Amos Steele. She cast a glance his way and noted how
big he was. He was built more like a mountaineer. He looked like he
could knock down a tree with his bare hands. She realized that,
although he’d introduced himself as a biker, she’d never actually
seen him on a motorcycle. She wondered how he managed that. His
bike must be a monster.
Thinking about the two young men who frequently occupied
her thoughts helped make the time pass. It wasn’t long before she
was clearing and cleaning up the bar after hours. Vicky yawned and
put her little pocketed apron away in the back.
“See you Monday,” she announced to everyone.
There were grumbles of assent. The workers there got one
weekend off a month and no one else that night was getting their
weekend free. Vicky would have felt bad if she hadn’t been in there
shoes for three weeks prior. Everyone there learned to live with the
schedule, or went somewhere else.
Vicky left Zydeco and started walking the short distance
between work and her apartment building. She felt like someone
was following her, but then she was always a little paranoid when
walking the streets of New Orleans at night. Although she had lived
there for months now, she was still surrounded by strangers. Doing
her best to ignore the odd feeling and just walk faster, she turned a
corner and climbed the concrete steps to her building’s front door,
where she was suddenly face to face with Stuart from art class.
“Hey,” she said with a slightly confused smile. It was
surprising but also kind of nice to randomly find him there. “What
are you doing out so late?”
Just then, Stuart pulled out a knife and pressed against her,
holding the knife to her neck. “Get inside,” he said. “Now.”
Eyes widening, Vicky did as he told her to do. She could feel
the cool metal of the knife through her t-shirt. He was holding it
against her, but not pressing it in to hurt her.
At least not yet.
She wanted to cry out for help, but she knew that if she did that
he definitely would hurt her.
Now she felt horribly guilty and stupid for thinking about him
all night, as though just thinking of him had summoned him there.
What was Stuart going to do to her? He’d seemed annoyed
during class, and she was starting to wonder if she had done
something to upset him.
She slowly led him inside her building and towards the
elevator, careful to walk at a pace that kept the knife from
puncturing her.

CHAPTER THREE
Don’t Feed The Bears

Vicky pressed the elevator’s up button with a shaky hand.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked him now that they were alone
inside.
 “I noticed something about you as soon as I met you,” Stuart
said in a deep, growling voice. “You’re not like other girls. And I
don’t mean that as a compliment.”
She did not know what he meant by that. Fortunately, she did
not have to ask him.
The doors of her building burst open right as the elevator
opened its doors and Amos Steele came running towards them. “Let
her go!” he yelled.
“Get in the elevator,” Stuart shouted to Vicky, who obeyed.
“What the hell is happening?” she asked, shaking and scared.
Stuart rounded on Amos, and started pointing the knife at him
instead. Vicky stood in the elevator and watched as they began to
fight each other. She could have slipped away and gone up to her
apartment, but she was afraid that she would just be followed
upstairs. Stuart did not know her apartment number, but she was not
thinking clearly. Anything seemed to be possible right now.
Particularly when Amos morphed into a large, snarling brown
and black bear right before Vicky’s eyes.
She let out a blood-curdling scream that more than likely would
awaken some of her neighbors, as well as alert the building’s
security.
Then, Stuart let go of the knife. “Oh, it’s on,” he barked. He
shifted into a massive white and light gray wolf. He lunged towards
Amos’s throat, but the bear was bigger and stronger. He smacked
Wolf Stuart away with one mighty, sharp-clawed paw.
The two animals bit and swatted at each other while Vicky
looked on, not entirely sure who to cheer for. She did not know
Amos’s story. She’d only met him once. Stuart, on the other hand,
had seemed so nice and had ended up threatening her… So she felt
like the way the night was going was in Amos’s favor.
Burly Amos was a bear. Somehow this was connected to her
dreams.
Was he the bear who had been coming to her in the night
recently, storming through her apartment as if he lived there?
She thought the dreams had been a bad omen, but maybe…
Maybe they meant he was looking out for her?
 Finally, battered and bloodied, Stuart gave up the fight. He
shifted back into his human form. His blue hoodie was all ripped up,
revealing the bites and scratches all over his arms, chest and neck.
“You win this round, Bear,” he spat. “But I’ll be back.”
With that, he leaned down and took his knife back, putting it
away in his pocket and limping out of Vicky’s building.
Amos looked at her for a moment, still in his bear form. He let
out a low moan and sniffed the air.
Her eyes widened and she started to reach for the buttons on
the elevator. Maybe she wasn’t safe with him after all. Maybe Bear
Amos wanted to eat her.
“Wait,” he said. He shifted back into his normal, human form.
He had a huge wound on his lower neck and clavicle. It was harder
to see when he was a bear and covered with fur, but now it peeked
out of his shirt collar and black jacket, bright red and glistening with
blood.
Vicky’s gaze softened as she looked at him. “You’re hurt,” she
said. “Because of me… Do you want to come up to my place and
clean yourself up?”
Now that Amos was back in his human form, she was not
afraid of him. He was so handsome and heroic. She had briefly
forgotten how hot this guy was. It was easy to forget when he was
all fuzzy and howling as he tore at another beast.
She smiled at him.
He smiled back. “Nah,” he said. “I’ll be fine. But you can’t stay
here. You’re no longer safe here. The werewolf has imprinted this
place, and he’ll just be here to attack you again when you least
expect it.”
Furrowing her brow, Vicky looked at Amos. She could tell all
of a sudden that he knew something about her that she did not, and
it bothered her. “But why?”
Amos shook his head. “Come with me. I’ll explain when we’re
a safe distance away.”

As they stepped outside of the building, Vicky at last caught

sight of Amos’s motorcycle. She had been right after all. It was a
massive black Harley that was the perfect size for her gargantuan
hero. Head still reeling from the ordeal she had just had, the bizarre
species fight she’d just witnessed, she did not notice as Amos lifted
her into his beefy arms and carefully placed her onto the back of the
bike’s seat.
“So the werewolf wanted to kill me and the… bear wants to
kidnap me?” she asked, smirking slightly to show him that she was
joking. Mostly.
Amos smiled right back at her and got onto the bike, in front.
“The correct term is werebear, but I don’t really like it. It makes me
sound too much like a Care Bear, and I ain’t one of those
motherfuckers.”
He revved the engine and they were off.
Speed limits apparently did not apply to Amos Steele.
“Where are we going?” Vicky yelled over the engine. “I only
have the weekend off!”
Amos laughed. “You may not be going back to Zydeco!”
He drove his bike far away from all of the parts of New Orleans
that she was used to and familiar with. He drove her away from her
home.
Suddenly, a massive stretch of bayou lay before them. Vicky
had of course seen the swamplands of Louisiana before, but they
had always been seen from a distance. Now, she was in one. And
she thought her workplace was muggy.
“Welcome to Lafourche,” Amos introduced. “I have a cabin
here. I rent it out mostly for those times I can’t quite bear to be
around people.”
She knew what he meant. She couldn’t believe that he was able
to be so silly about the fact that he could literally morph into a bear.
Apparently at will.
He parked his motorcycle outside of a small, wood cabin that
must be his. In the front, a black flag waved. It was decorated with
an outline of a large gold paw. A bear paw.
“Unbelievable,” she said.
Amos helped her off the motorcycle and led her into his cabin.
It was decorated with framed paintings of fish, and it also contained
a wide variety of fishing supplies for someone who she was pretty
sure didn’t need supplies.
There was a large bed in the center of the living room. There
was no question what Amos came here to do most often. The room
was surrounded by wide windows and all of the blinds were not
only open but up. “It must be hard to sleep here when the blinds are
like that.”
The bayou was dark right now. The only light she could see out
there was fireflies and the occasional plane flying across the sky.
And stars. Through the low-hanging treetops, Vicky could see a sky
completely filled with stars.
“I can see why you come here.”
The cabin had a small kitchen and one bathroom down a short
hall from the living/bedroom. Amos had a television set and she
assumed, based on all the different types of video game systems
hooked up to it, that it was not used for watching cable shows.
This man greatly confused her. But there was something so
sexy about his mysterious, sometimes seemingly oxymoronic
personality.
Vicky took a seat on the large bed. There was nowhere else to
sit. Meanwhile, Amos went around the room, lowering all of the
blinds and closing them. She kicked off her sneakers in order to get
more comfortable as Amos shrugged out of his leather jacket, and
placed it on the floor by the front door.
Once all of the blinds had been adjusted, he came to the bed
and sat beside her. “Would you like a drink?”
She shook her head a little. “Thank you for saving my life back
there.”
“Of course,” he replied.
All at once, their lips were on each other’s. They slipped their
tongues into each other’s mouths, feeling around, getting a sense of
who they were now with… Vicky grabbed hold of the bottom of
Amos’s shirt and lifted it off of him. Then she ran her fingertips
over his hairy chest, kissing him more.
Before long, they had yanked each other’s clothes off and were
lying together on the bed, gazing into each other’s eyes.
 “Do you want this?” he asked her softly.
“Yes,” she said, appreciating his respect for her. After the kinds
of things she had seen him do, she hadn’t expected him to be
concerned about getting her consent.
They kissed again and Amos got on top of her, holding her legs
apart and kissing each of her inner thighs before pressing his cock
into the tight opening between them. He started to slowly thrust
himself inside of her, watching her eyes and making sure not to hurt
her.
“Ohhh,” Vicky moaned. It had been a long time since she’d last
had sex. And of course she had never had sex with a man as big as
Amos before. “Yeah, that’s good.” She sucked her bottom lip,
raising her legs up so he could go even deeper.
“Yeah?” Amos asked. “Is this what you wanted?” He suddenly
slapped her ass and sped up. After a few moments, he pulled out of
her and slapped her ass again. “Turn around,” he commanded.
Vicky got onto her knees and he got behind her, inserting
himself into her and immediately pounding himself against her at a
high speed. She clenched her eyes shut tightly and grabbed ahold of
one of his pillows, grasping it firmly as stars filled her brain.
“Oh oh oh god yes!” she screamed.
“Yes,” Amos said back, smacking her side as he continued to
storm her pussy. He grabbed ahold of her boobs and fondled them,
rubbing his thumbs over her nipples until they were hard.
After a few minutes more of this, he suddenly brought her into
his arms and carried her into the kitchen. He cleared away any
dishes or pots with an arm and set her on top of the short stove. He
thrust his cock into her there and continued to fuck her, making the
contents of the kitchen rattle.
Vicky held onto the cabinets on either side of her head, her
arms raised in a V.
“Are you gonna cum for me?” he asked, more like an impatient
urging rather than a simple question.
She nodded.
“Cum for me!” he demanded.
 Vicky threw her head back and allowed herself to think of
nothing else but Amos, and his giant cock and giant, sexy body. She
came hard against him, tightening against his cock until he came as
well, yelling out barbarically.
Once he composed himself, he slipped out of her and went into
the bathroom to clean himself up. She carefully hopped down from
the small stove and joined him, laughing when she noticed the
imprints of the stovetop on her ass.
“This has been the weirdest day of my life,” she said then,
carefully cleaning herself with some toilet paper. The cabin did not
have a shower or a bath. She wondered how they were going to
manage that come the morning.
Amos smiled at her. “Oh trust me, things are going to be weird
from here on out.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Shifter Genealogy

In the morning, Amos was already awake when Vicky opened

her eyes. He was sitting on the bed, facing away from her, naked.
She blushed, remembering what had happened the night before as
well as the fact that they had slept naked together. She had never
been so close with someone she had basically just met. It wasn’t like
her. But something about Amos drew her in…
He saved her life last night.
“What time is it?” she asked him softly, rubbing her eyes as she
sat up.
“Almost eleven,” he replied. “I didn’t want to wake you,
especially because you work so late all the time and you said you
were on a short vacation.”
Vicky smiled at him. He remembered things she had told him.
It felt good to be listened to. “Thank you,” she said, meaning it in
every way. “Did you have something planned for today?”
He turned to her and gave her a smile. “First of all, I was
thinking breakfast.” Amos stood up from the bed, giving her a
marvelous view of his body in all of its splendor. His cock was
gigantic. So she hadn’t dreamt that…
 “As you might have noticed last night, my kitchen here is shit,”
he went on. “But there’s a waffle place up the road that’s pretty
decent. Do you wanna put on your clothes and go there?”
Vicky suddenly recalled that this cabin also had no shower or
tub to speak of. How on earth was a person supposed to live there?
“Uh, yeah,” she replied. “Is there a place I could shower or
something?”
Amos looked at her for a moment, and she wondered if he did
not understand. Perhaps bear shifters preferred to bathe in the
bayou, but that was not her idea of a good time. It was not exactly
clean water. “We can take care of that after breakfast,” he said. “No
one at Waffle House will care if you’re wearing yesterday’s
clothes.”
He reached down and touched her breasts, gently tweaking her
nipples until she laughed from how tickly it was. “On second
thought, maybe I should make you dirtier before we go out.”
“I don’t think I could say no to that if I tried.”
His left hand quickly slid between her legs and cupped her
pussy while playing with her clit. His right hand fondled and
squeezed at her breasts. God he made her wet. She reached down
and took his girth into his hand, stroking and pulling on his
exquisite piece. “Please.. fuck me… now.”
“Not until you suck me first.”
He flipped around, and his giant cock was in her face. She let it
slide down into her mouth, letting her tongue explore its contours as
his face burrowed into her pussy, giving her short rapid licks. She
began to feel intense pleasure, and felt that they were part of the
same animal. She came instantly, wishing the moment would last
forever when he turned around, and flipped her on to her back. She
knew what was coming next.
“It’s my turn,” Amos whispered into her ear.
His large cock drilled into her, and he fucked hard.
He grunted, and growled, and trashed into her backside, until
he let every last drop of his seed spill inside of her.
They collapsed entangled in a heap, as his eyes gleamed with
gold.
 “Now I’m really fucking hungry,” he said.
She got up and put her outfit from last night back on. The
shorts were surprisingly okay considering she’d worn them all of
yesterday, but her neon green shirt smelled atrocious.
Amos laughed when he noticed her grossed-out expression. He
walked into the bathroom and she did her best not to stare so
brazenly at his penis as he went. A few seconds later, he came back
and tossed a spray can of Old Spice at her.
Vicky caught the deodorant with both hands and laughed.
“Thanks pal.”
He grinned at her as she sprayed herself all over to try and
diffuse the scent from last night’s sweatiness. “God, why do you
even live in this place? It’s so sticky.”
“Hey now,” he said, chuckling. “I don’t go around asking you
why you’re from Boston.”
He had a point there.
Once she was fully dressed and cleaned as much as she could
be, and Amos had thrown on some ratty old jeans and a dark blue
tank top, they headed outside to greet the day and the world again.
He drove with her on the motorcycle to the Waffle House. After
the bike was safely parked and their helmets were stowed away,
they walked hand-in-hand inside the place. While Vicky looked over
the menu, trying to figure out what flavor of waffles she was in the
mood for, Amos took out his cell phone and made a call.
“We’ve got a Code W just like I expected,” he said, not even
trying to hide what he was saying from her.
She looked up from the menu at him, raising her eyebrows.
What was a Code W? Did it involve waffles?
“Who are you talking to?” she asked.
“Shhh,” he said back, giving her a funny little half smile.
Even when he was shushing her like an asshole, he was sexy.
He was quiet for a few moments, listening to what was said on
the other end. “Mmhmm, with me. Yep. At the Waffle House on
MLK.”
Vicky raised her eyebrow at him. Did he always speak in code
like that when on the phone?
 Amos hung up and put his phone on the table so he would have
it at the ready. She hated when people did that, but it wasn’t like this
breakfast was really a date, right? No, it was just a post-coital, post-
cuddle outing between two strangers.
“I think I want the blueberry waffles,” she said nonchalantly, as
though she hadn’t overheard his side of the weirdly cryptic
conversation. “But I feel like I always want the blueberry waffles.
Maybe I should get the peach ones. Those seem southern enough to
suit this place.”
“My friends from NOLA Ours are stopping by here,” Amos
said.
She looked at him, her blue eyes so confused. She noticed as
she stared at him that his eyes weren’t green at all, but rather a
strange hazel color. Mostly green, with a smidge of brown and a
gold ring around his pupil.
Maybe that was why they’d appeared gold to her once!
“What are they coming here for?” she asked. “What’s Code
W?”
Amos looked around to make sure that no one was nearby who
could overhear them. The only other person who seemed to be there
was the waitress. She was going around from table to table, cleaning
things up and arranging the silverware on each table as though there
was a mapped out, silverware placement grid that one must follow
in order to stay a waitress at the prestigious eatery.
Mostly, she seemed bored.
Leaning in towards Vicky so the waitress would not hear them,
even though she probably would not care, he explained himself.
“Code W means werewolves. They’re coming to help me, help you
with your situation.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What situation is that?” She
was offended.
Amos shook his head. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just
meant they’re going to help us with the problem with that guy who
tried to kill you last night.”
“You think he will be back?”
“I know he will be back.”
 Vicky leaned her back against the rigid, plastic booth. The last
thing she needed was another werewolf vs. bear shifter attack on her
conscience. One was enough. “How do you know?”
“Because you are imprinted,” he said matter-of-factly. “And,
more importantly, because you are from the same werebear line as
me. At least, I think so. But don’t worry about that. It’s not like
we’re related closely or anything. We’re like fourth cousins twice
removed or some shit like that.”
Her eyes became a bit vacant. What he was telling her didn’t
make any sense! But it also made so much sense! “So… I’m a
werebear, too?”
He nodded. “Yup. But don’t worry about shifting. You ain’t
going to shift. Ladies just mate and, em… reproduce.”
“So I’m going to have a baby now?!”
Amos looked around, surprised and nervous about her
shouting. The waitress was definitely looking at them now. She
tilted her head at them.
He ducked down so his voice would be quietly contained
within their booth. “Yes,” he hissed. “Most likely. That’s usually
what happens after one of me mates with one of you.”
She lowered her head so she would speak softer too. She was
livid. No one had told her having sex with him one time was going
to make her insta-preggers! That was generally a risk when one had
unprotected sex, but Amos was so agonizingly upfront and casual
about it! “And when were you planning to give me this little bit of
information?” she asked him.
“Today,” he said. “Just now.”
Vicky sighed. “So I have a baby bear inside me now?”
He nodded.
“And so now the werewolves are definitely going to want to
kill you.”
“Oh, it’s werewolves PLURAL now??”
The waitress cleared her throat.
She was standing right there by their booth. She didn’t smile,
but instead had the expression of someone who had been there too
long and had heard too much in her life to ever experience anything
new or interesting. “Do y’all know what you want?”
“I’ll have the peach waffles, and the Miss here will have the
blueberry waffles. Thanks, hon.”
Vicky stared at him with wide eyes as the waitress took their
menus back and went away to fetch their order.
“You didn’t have to order that just cos I wanted to try it,” she
said.
Amos smiled at her. “I didn’t. I ordered if because I wanted it.
But you can have some, if you want to try it.”
Slowly, she smiled back at him. If she had to be impregnated
by a bear shifter, motorcycle club VP, werewolf hunter who lived on
a bayou with no shower… at least she was with this one.

After about twenty more minutes, while they were feasting on

their delicious, fruit-infused waffles, Amos’s motorcycle club
buddies showed up. “Bonjour,” one of them said as they gathered up
chairs and sat down.
“Vicky, please allow me to introduce Ray, Buzz, and Jean-
Claude,” Amos introduced.
Jean-Claude was the one with the evil villain moustache who
had spoken French. He was clearly a Creole.
Interesting group of friends.
Then it dawned on her.
“Did Jean-Claude name your club?” she asked.
“Oui,” he said with a smile. “How did you know?”
She smiled as the new information dawned on her. “NOLA
Ours,” she said. “Ours is French for bears.”
The biker guys all grinned and nodded at her.
“Anyway,” Amos said, redirecting the conversation back where
it belonged. “Here’s the plan. We head back to Miss Roberts’
apartment. The wolves will sense her presence, or they will be
waiting right outside for her to come back. She goes in, we go in.
We attack at the first sign of them.”
“Right,” Ray said.
“Inside the building?” Buzz asked.
 Amos nodded. “Unfortunately, that’s how these guys like to
play – rough. So we will play the game the way they want it. And
beat them at their own game.”
Vicky sighed down at her waffles. “Only this game is not fun at
all.”

CHAPTER FIVE
Familiar Sunrise

After gorging themselves on waffles, the bears all hopped onto

their motorcycles – Vicky rode with Amos, of course – back
towards her apartment in the heart of the city. The others did not go
in with her. Amos did, because he knew that the wolf and his friends
would be expecting him to be there, too. The way to ambush
someone was to make them think they were catching you going
about your business unawares.
Vicky pressed the elevator’s up button and went inside with
Amos. As the door was closing, a pale arm stopped it and Stuart
from art class slipped inside with them. The three of them rode up
together as if nothing was off about anything. When the elevator
stopped on Vicky’s floor, they all stepped out; the wolf kept his
distance, pretending that he was not following them but so clearly
doing just that.
“Honestly, this guy is an amateur,” Amos whispered to her.
She giggled a little, but that did not mean she wasn’t uneasy.
She unlocked her apartment and they went inside.
That is when the wolf chose to strike. He and three other men
that Vicky assumed were wolves came running towards her. They
held the door open and came inside her apartment. She ran and hid
beside Amos who grew and grew in his enormity until he was a
large, black and brown bear again.
This time she noticed that, when he had transformed, the gold
ring in his eyes became the color of his eyes. They had flashed gold
that night!
Once he shifted, the pack of wolves followed suit until, before
long, Vicky’s apartment was full of forest predators. Even more
filled it as three large bears came crashing into the room. The rest of
NOLA Ours had waited outside, giving the wolves that chance to
feel they were safe.
The growling bears bit and snapped at the wolves as they
lunged and bit right back at them. Vicky holed herself away in her
bedroom, opening the door to peek at what was happening before
closing it again before any of the enemies noticed where she had
gone to.
While the werewolves were all strong and swift, the bears were
stronger and Amos fought back ferociously. She is not just some
she-bear, he thought. She is MY she-bear.
“Stay away from Vicky!” he roared, thrashing his long claws
against Stuart. The wolf fell away, bloodied and limping. He did not
stand a chance against Amos. None of the wolves did. No one could
stand a chance against an angry papa bear protecting his lady and
cub.
Jean-Claude stood on the gullet of one of the other wolves,
pressing his paw down but not enough to completely choke the
wolf. “If you ever come around here again, we will kill you.”
The werewolves began to whimper. They did not want to get
involved in a fight versus four angry werebears. They hadn’t known
that Amos would bring his friends. They were not so loyal to Stuart
that they were willing to get killed for his cause. They quickly high-
tailed it out of there, as soon as they could.
Stuart, on the other hand, spat out blood, eyeing Amos a bit. It
appeared as though, if he did not leave soon, he was going to die.
“You think that she bear loves you, don’t you?” he asked. “You
think she cares about you at all? All she wants is her art and her
school work. I have seen her there. I know where her passions lie.”
Vicky saw that as her cue. She came out of the bathroom,
unarmed and unable to protect herself, aside from the fact that she
had a massive werebear right there to keep her safe.
“Oh, come on,” she said to him, scoffing and shaking her head.
She folded her arms in front of her chest. “You talked to me, what,
three times? You don’t know what I’m passionate about. And I
assure you, the answer is standing right there.”
 Amos smiled. Well, if bears can smile, that’s what he did. It
was more menacing-looking than happy, but she knew what he
meant by it.
With that, he whipped his large paw towards the wolf again
until Stuart finally got the message and scampered away.
Vicky smiled up at Amos and he smiled back down at her, his
mouth slowly taking on more of an actual smile as he shifted back
into his tall, beefy human form. As soon as he was back to Normal
Amos, she jumped into his arms and hugged him close.
“He was wrong, you know.”
“Of course he was, darlin’.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
They gazed into each other’s eyes and then kissed.
Vicky’s place was a wreck. The pictures on the walls were all
crooked if they hadn’t been knocked off and there was broken
porcelain, smashed glass, and ripped up artwork everywhere. “Well,
one thing’s for sure,” she said with a sigh. “I can’t stay here. I guess
art class is over, too.”
Amos looked at her, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry we destroyed
your apartment.”
Ray attempted to straighten one of the pictures, but it crashed
down to the floor and shattered instead. He grimaced. “Sorry.”
She just laughed.
The three biker bears worked to salvage as much as they could
while Vicky and Amos packed everything up into boxes. “If you
want, you could keep going to your class, just from a different
home.”
“I’m not going to be able to afford it. Once the landlord finds
out about this…”
He shook his head. “They won’t. We’ll fix it.”
“But what if I want to live with you on the bayou now,
instead?”
The three bears looked at her and then looked at each other.
“We should go,” Buzz said.
“Yeah,” Jean-Claude added. “We shouldn’t disturb you.”
 Amos suddenly looked over at them. “Boys,” he said. “Bring
these boxes to La Grande Grotte.”
When Jean-Claude spoke French, it sounded creole which was
cool. But when Amos spoke French, it sounded as though he was
well-cultured and had trained in it for many years. Vicky had ended
up catching herself an aristocratic bear.
“You got it,” Ray replied. They took the packed boxes and
carried them out of Vicky’s apartment.
She eyed him curiously. “La Grande Grotte?” she asked him.
“Yes,” Amos said. “It means—”
“I know what it means,” she said, laughing. “The Large Cave.
But what is that?”
He waggled his dark eyebrows at her. “That’s for me to know
and you to find out.”
“Right,” Vicky said. Now that the others were gone, it was just
the two of them, alone in her semi-demolished apartment. “I’m
going to take a shower. You coming?”
Amos grinned and started taking off his clothes at once. He
practically chased her into the shower.
As she bent over to turn the water on, he pressed up against her
and she let out a gasp as his grande cock entered her. Vicky held
onto the wall as the warm water splashed against them and he thrust
himself in and out of her. The water made her extra slick against
him.
He grabbed the soap and lathered her up, making love to her
from behind, and kissing her back and shoulders and face. “I love
you,” he said.
When he pulled out, she turned to face him and he held her in
his arms, inserting himself again. She bounced against him there.
“Oh oh oh!!” she yelled. If they kept this up, they were going to do
more damage to the apartment.
The warm water made it harder for him to hold off, and he
came inside her within a few blissful moments. They finished
cleaning each other and then stepped out of the shower, wrapping
her pink and green towels around themselves.
 With all of her stuff packed up in boxes that had been taken off
to who knew where, Vicky did not have a reason to stay in her
building. “I guess I need to end my lease, and my art classes,” she
said sadly.
Amos shook his head. “Yeah, end your lease but don’t give up
on your classes. I’ll pay for them if need be.”
“Can you pay for the rest of rent I’ll have to pay?” she asked,
laughing slightly bitterly. “My class is at least mostly paid for with a
scholarship.”
“I can do that, too,” he said, leaning towards her and kissing
her chin. “C’mon now. Let me take you to your new home.”
They got back on his motorcycle and he drove them back in the
direction of the bayou. They did not go to the same bayou however.
When he’d finally parked the bike in a new bayou, Amos smiled at
her. “Welcome to your new home. This is Bayou Segnette.”
Vicky looked around, smiling. “It’s about as hot as I suppose
one might expect,” she said. He led her by the hand up to a large
cabin. It appeared to be much more spacious than the other one.
“Does this one have a shower?” she asked, squinting up at him as
the sunlight blinked through the trees at them.
Amos chuckled. “Just go inside and see.”
They walked in together, hand-in-hand.
The cabin was definitely bigger. This one had an actual living
room, a larger kitchen, a bedroom and – best of all! – a bathroom
with a shower and tub!
“Now, it’s not exactly meant for a large family, but I figure it’s
a start?” Amos said.
Vicky leapt into his arms, kissing him. “I love it!” she cried. “I
love you!”

EPILOGUE

After everything that had happened to Vicky, she was not going
to continue working at Zydeco. She hadn’t disliked the place, but it
was not the safest place for her to be. Not only that, but the heat
exhaustion and second-hand smoke were liable to kill both her and
the baby if she stayed.
Instead, safe with her biker bear, she focused on her artwork
and taking better care of herself. It turned out that Amos was a
bouncer at one of the local dance clubs; he made enough money to
support them until she became a successful famous artist.
Her pregnancy did not last as long as a normal pregnancy. That
was because, as Amos explained to her, “Werebears do not live by
human rules.”
Four months after they moved in together at La Grande Grotte,
Vicky gave birth at home to a healthy baby boy. They named him
Sylas. “Sylas Steele” just sounded like an awesome name to Vicky,
and Amos was not going to argue with that.
The time spent away from Zydeco did wonders for her work.
Vicky still went to classes every so often, but she was devoted to her
baby and did not want to leave him at home. It didn’t seem to matter
if she was still taking the class or not. She continued to improve and
explore new techniques that she incorporated into her pieces.
One morning, Vicky sat outside on the cabin’s back deck right
over the bayou. The baby was in a rocking cradle right beside her,
staring up at her canvas as she attempted an oil painting. As she
watched the familiar sunrise over the water, she did her best to let
the colors of the water and the trees and the sky inspire her.
“Who is this?” she asked little Sylas, cooing down at the little
boy as he looked up at her, smiling and eager to know what the hell
was going on. She’d felt like that pretty recently. She had a lot in
common with their baby already.
And he had a lot in common with his daddy.
“This is Daddy,” Vicky said excitedly, pointing her thumb
towards her portrait of Bear Amos. He was done up in blues and
yellows, but it was him all right. “This is your daddy.”
“Oh, that needs to go up on the wall,” Amos’s voice said
behind her.
She turned and smiled at him. He came up to her and they
kissed. Vicky brought her hands up to his face and accidentally got
blue paint all over him.
 Well, maybe it was an accident.
Maybe she was simply imprinting on him.

The End.
 About The Author
Sky Winters is drawn to writing paranormal fairy tales with bad-ass
shapeshifters. She likes her heroes and heroines to be the
unexpected ones, and their passion to be steamy! She writes these
sizzl'n and surreal tales for you, late at night, when the wolves are
howling from her Northwestern home.

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