Whoopsie Daisy

by C. Sunrise

  “Wait, don’t go!” I plead, tears threatening to fall until a distinct sound catches my attention.

  Did I just hear a squeak? Oh, hell no! Do not freaking tell me I’m stuck in this hellhole with rats!

  “When I get out of here, someone is going to get their ass kicked,” I threaten, hoping there is someone who can hear me and heed my warning.

  *UNKNOWN POV*

  “Well, have you seen anything yet?” I ask, leaning forward and watching the screen intently.

  “Nothing yet, sir,” he replies.

  “I don’t know whether I should be annoyed or impressed,” I say, more to myself than the man beside me. “Zoom in on her.”

  The camera zooms in on her. She stands by the door looking like she is ready to murder someone, but nothing else looks out of the ordinary. Either the rumours are false, or this woman is stronger than I expected. Either way, I will get the answers I’m looking for—by any means necessary.

  “Come on, my dear,” I urge the figure on the screen. “Any time now would be nice. I’m sure you don’t want to be in there forever.”

  “I hate this damn ratty-ass hell-hole,” she mutters as she paces around the room.

  “Don’t take your eyes off that screen and make sure you let me know immediately if you see anything,” I straighten up and stare at the man beside me. His stoic form flinches briefly under my intense gaze.

  “Yes, sir,” he replies and nods.

  “Looks like I may have to help move things along,” I say to no one in particular as I walk out of the room.

  TWENTY-THREE

  To say I was exhausted is an understatement. I went to bed as soon as Kace dropped me off from my sleep-over and slept right through to the following afternoon. Almost twenty-four hours of sleep. It was amazing!

  Feeling completely rejuvenated, I decide to go for a jog through the trails around my parent’s place before having something to eat. If I’m going to get my life under control, I need to make sure my body and mind are back in the game together.

  Although the sun is warm, the air is nice and crisp—a sign our late summer is ending. The birds are singing in the trees and the few leaves that have fallen on the ground crunch beneath my feet. I usually run with my earbuds blasting whatever music suits my mood that day, but today I opt for the music of nature. I had never realised how soothing the sound of the great outdoors could be.

  I run and run, the cool air nipping against my flushed cheeks as I make my way through the forest trails. I zone out and let my body guide me on my run. The run becomes a blur of trees, branches, and leaves. I head towards the sound of rushing water, knowing I’m near one of the local waterfalls.

  Once I’ve reached the waterfall, I look at my run tracking app on my phone to determine which fall I’m at. My eyes nearly pop out of my head when I read the information on my screen.

  “There’s no way!” I shout, swiping my finger on my screen to display the map view of my run. “How the hell did I get this far? I’m barely out of breath.”

  I open another app to confirm my location and stare in disbelief at the screen that shows me fifteen kilometres from my parent’s house. The house I left less than an hour ago. I am not a runner; I’m a jogger. If you see me running, it’s for my life and you better run too because there must something behind me you don’t want to encounter. My running time today is what you’d expect from the top competitive runners, especially on hilly back-country trails.

  I walk over and plop down onto a large boulder beside the waterfall, baffled by my newfound athletic abilities. I sit in silence, hypnotised by the sound of the water roaring from the mountain down into the pool in front of me. The gentle spray from the falls soothes my heated cheeks. I lean forward, putting my elbows on my thighs, bringing my chin to rest on my clasped hands and close my eyes. I breathe in the smells and soak in the sounds of the surrounding forest.

  This could be my new happy place.

  A crack of a branch behind me startles me out of my trance. I turn and scan the treeline, looking for any signs of movement.

  “Hello?” I call out, half expecting an angry squirrel to throw a pinecone at me from a tree. It wouldn’t be the first time.

  I jump to my feet and assume a fighting stance when I see movement out of the corner of my eye—movement too excessive for something the size of a squirrel.

  “I know you’re there, come out and show your face,” I demand, tapping my hunting knife attached to my hip to reassure myself that it’s still there. ‘Never run through the trails without a knife. You never know what kind of pissed off animal you might run into’ Papa would caution. Even though his back-country safety lessons and lectures were usually met with an eye roll or two, I find myself especially grateful for them at this moment.

  I nearly die of a heart attack when a large bush beside the trail shakes violently and out pops a buck-naked man. I blush as I shamelessly take in every inch of his body, a body I’m all too familiar with.

  “You called, sugar.” He smirks as he sways his naked body towards me and startles me out of my inappropriate staring contest with his body. He stalks towards me like a predator pursuing his prey.

  “What the hell, Blaze!” I shriek as I cover my eyes. “What are you doing here? And why are you naked in the middle of the forest?”

  My brain slowly processes the information and although two months ago this would have stranger danger written all over it, my recently gained knowledge leads me to believe he was running around in beast mode.

  But why here? We’re far away from his house and there are much closer places he could have gone for a run. It’s too much of a coincidence.

  “I’m on duty.” He’s stops a mere few feet in front of me, tilting his head as he eyes me up and down, hunger burning in his eyes. “You don’t seem as happy to see me as I am to see you.”

  My eyes immediately jump to his crotch to see if he’s saying what I think he’s saying. This is Blaze, after all.

  Is this where the phrase ‘curiosity killed the cat’ came from?

  My hormone corrupted mind was right—his excitement is on full display, as is my embarrassment. I quickly turn my head back towards the waterfall.

  “No need to be embarrassed, sugar.” He closes the gap between us, reaching out and turning my chin with his finger. His pupils dilate as we make eye contact. “You’ve seen it all before. In fact, I think you two were about to be better acquainted last time you met.”

  He smirks as he wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his body and my mind goes into overdrive.

  Why am I not fighting this? Why is my brain letting this continue? Where did all these hot, naked men fall from? How did my life turn into a raunchy porn so suddenly? What about the other night with Kace? Oh God, what about Kace?

  The pressure in my eyes tells me they are icy blue again; meaning my beast is fighting me for control. I feel Blaze’s teeth grazing down my neck as I fight for control. I bring my hands up to Blaze’s chest to push him away, but the sensations pulsing from my hands and to my body change my mind. I immediately stop fighting as my body shivers with pleasure.

  Goosebumps. Everywhere. I tip my head back, giving him easier access to my neck, silently encouraging him. He sucks and nips at the thin flesh of my neck and I know there will be a hickey or teeth marks… or both. I bite my lip and let out a moan as my back arches, causing a low growl to erupt from Blaze.

  I’m screwed. Figuratively and maybe literally too.

  In the blink of an eye, Blaze rips my top and sports bra from my body. He stands tall, staring me straight in the eye with his signature smirk on his face. He grabs my hips and walks me backwards as I wrap my arms around his neck. I gasp as he presses us firmly against a tree. We stare at each other for a moment as he brings his finger to my lips and slowly slides it down to my chin. I lick my lips, replacing the moisture stolen by his finger.

  Damn it, Whoopsie. Don’t you ever learn?

  Without hesitation, he growl
s and crashes his lips onto mine. His plump, soft, tasty lips. I moan, and his tongue enters my mouth. My hands up the back of his neck, grasping his hair. He moans in reply and places his hands on my ass, lifting me up as I wrap my legs around him. My pants and thong are the only things standing between me and what I know will be immense pleasure. I hate my clothes right now.

  Reading my mind, he presses his body against me, pinning me tightly against the tree. He sways his hips back and forth, teasing me and building my excitement to the point of being painful. I moan as I dig my nails into his back. His body tenses briefly before he lifts his head to look me in the eye.

  “Sugar likes to play rough,” he says in a breathy, husky voice, his eyes dancing with lust. “Tell me what you want.”

  “I… I want… I want you, Blaze.” I pant, barely able to get his name out, gasping as he thrusts against me.

  He lets out a deep guttural growl against my body, which almost makes me lose all control, and then turns and gently lays me down on the ground.

  “Your wish is my command,” he rumbles as he sits back on his heels and grabs the top of my pants.

  That is when I hear the most terrifying sound I’ve ever heard in my life. We both freeze, and even Blaze looks terrified. He’s barely on his feet when something large crashes into his side, throwing him several feet away.

  I push myself up and scoot backwards to the nearest tree. I press my back against the tree, one hand across my bare chest and the other clinging to my now unsheathed knife.

  The scene in front of me is terrifying. Yet, I can’t help but blame myself.

  “Shift, Blaze!” I scream, well aware that he doesn’t stand a chance if he doesn’t. A loud growl erupts through the forest as a pair of furious eyes focus on me, giving Blaze enough time to shift.

  Once shifted, the two massive beasts circle each other. Part of me is mesmerised by their beauty and power, the other part of me is absolutely terrified about what’s about to transpire.

  They continue their stare down, neither willing to submit to the other. Behaviour that you would expect from two alphas. I’ve never attempted to stop a fight between alphas of any species, and I have known several people mauled by regular sized dogs when they got in the way of a fight. I can only imagine what the consequences would be if I were to step in the middle of this dispute.

  Blaze suddenly lunges forward and is swatted away like a pesky fly. He crashes into a tree with his back, snapping the tree in half. I cringe at the sight, but he doesn’t make a sound. He jumps to his feet like nothing happened, too high on adrenaline to notice pain. I’m so transfixed on the scene in front of me, I don’t notice the tears streaming down my face. Blaze looks over at me and I hear a whimper before I pair of teeth plunge into his neck. He wiggles and shakes his body and head, trying to break free.

  “Enough!” I shout as my body shakes with anger. I hear a loud crunching sound and close my eyes, fearing the worst. Anger and pain radiate through every cell in my body and I drop to the ground, screaming and pounding my fist on the ground. Everything sounds so far away, like I’m underwater.

  When did I crawl to the water?

  I hear what sounds like voices getting closer. It sounds like they’re calling my name.

  Am I drowning in the waterfall? Did I get killed in the fight? Is this what death feels like?

  “Open your eyes!” A panicked voice shouts beside me.

  Another bloody Alpha command. Looks like I’ve died and gone to hell.

  “Whoopsie, please,” another voice begs.

  I open my eyes, but the intensity of the light is too much. I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head.

  Don’t go towards the light. Maybe I won’t die if I keep my eyes closed.

  “Now, Kitten!” The voice commands again.

  Kace?

  I open my eyes, scrunching my face as I squint. It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the light, but I’m definitely not dead. My vision returns and the first thing I see is a very naked Kace beside the very naked Blaze, standing in front of me with their hands raised in front of them. My gaze slowly drops, because I’m clearly a pervert.

  After shamelessly admiring their entire forms for too long, I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.

  I must be in shock or something.

  “Kitten,” Kace says, slowly walking towards me. “Everything is okay. I’m okay. Blaze is okay. You’re okay. We’re all okay.”

  Okay?

  “See my back is fine, sugar,” Blaze says, wiggling side to side as proof. “And my neck will heal in no time.” He turns his head and points at the teeth marks in his neck, which have already stopped bleeding.

  Was I dreaming? Is all of this just a bad dream? Maybe I fell and hit my head on my jog. That would make sense.

  I tilt my head to the side as I try to remember what happened.

  “You didn’t hit your head, Kitten,” Kace replies.

  How the fuck did he know I thought that?

  “I don’t know why, Kitten,” Kace says, taking another step closer. “We can hear everything you’re thinking.”

  Well, if you can hear everything I’m thinking, then you both better step back because I’m really fighting the urge to punch you both in the di-

  “Nope!” Blaze says as he grabs his package with both hands and takes a step back from me. Kace does the same.

  “There’s my firecracker,” Kace says with a chuckle.

  Why can’t I talk? Did something happen to my mouth? Did you assholes roll over me and crush my jaw while you were fighting? My jaw doesn’t seem to hurt.

  I bring my hand up to touch my jaw and see if it’s still intact.

  “Wait, Kitten,” Kace says lunging towards me, to which I respond with a growl.

  That was weird. You guys are really a bad influence on me. Wait… What the hell is this?

  I push myself backwards, trying to escape the strange thing that was approaching my face. It follows me as I walk backwards, twisting and turning, trying to elude this weird thing that is giving chase.

  Sploosh! I back off the bank and land in the water.

  Great, now I’m wet. At least that weird thing isn’t chasing me anymore. Did you see it? Was it a rabbit?

  I look over to Kace and Blaze, who seem quite amused and cannot hold in their snickers.

  Ha, ha, ha. Hilarious. That was sarcasm in case you couldn’t hear it in my thoughts. This water is cold. So, is one of you going to be a gem and come help me up or not? I guess it’s true, chivalry is dead.

  They look at each other as if deciding if they want to help me. I’ve been sitting in the water long enough that the ripples have settled around me and I can see my reflection. And by my reflection, I mean not my reflection. A giant white furry face, with piercing icy blue eyes, a black snout, and aggressive teeth stares back at me.

  What the fuck?!

  I jump out of the water and run towards Kace and Blaze, but instead of protecting me, they step aside and keep their distance.

  What is going on? Why do you look so small right now? And why are you backing away from me?

  “Because we don’t feel like dying today,” Blaze says with a shrug. “You’re kind of intimidating. And unstable. No offence.”

  I look at Kace, who nods in agreement.

  Is this some sort of dream? You said you weren’t telepaths, yet here I am all furry like you guys and talking to you with my mind. This is exactly the kind of shit that makes people unstable.

  “It’s not a dream, Kitten,” Kace says with a smile. “You shifted and your beast is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Terrifying… but beautiful.”

  Terrifying doesn’t sound beautiful to me.

  “He’s right,” Blaze agrees. “I’d definitely kill Kace to be with a gorgeous beast like you. You thought things were tense before.” He winks.

  Kace glares at Blaze and I let out a strange growly grunt sound that’s apparently what my beast sounds like when it laughs. K
ace and Blaze laugh at the strange noise.

  So, what do I do now? Am I stuck like this forever?

  Kace shakes his head.

  “We’re going to come closer, okay?” They cautiously approach, hands raised in front of them. “We’ll put our hands on your fur to relax you. Touch is the best way to calm your beast and shift back.”

  “Just don’t eat us okay, sugar,” Blaze says and quirks his brow. “Just let us touch you.”

  How do you two make everything seem naughty? Or is that just me? Because the thoughts going through my mind right now are making me want to jump back in the cold water.

  “Nope, it’s all you,” Blaze teases. “But I like what you’re thinking.”

  I growl and nip at him, causing him to jump. I curl my lip up and smirk—or at least I think that’s what I’m doing.

  Geez, you guys sure are jumpy for big, bad Hunters. Scared of a sweet little girl. A sweet little girl who would love to know how to turn off this telepathy thing. It would be nice if you didn’t hear everything I was thinking.

  They both smile and shrug as they come and stand on either side of me. They reach out and put their hands on my fur, combing through it with their fingers. Their touch feels heavenly. My chest rumbles as their fingers brush through my long, soft fur. I lay down on the ground between them and close my eyes, thoroughly enjoying the pure bliss shooting from their fingers.

  Feeling pressure on my chest, I open my eyes to find myself laying on in my bed in my human form, pinned down by Kace’s gargantuan arm.

  “Hey, Kitten,” he purrs at me, rubbing his hand across my cheek and tucking my hair behind my ear. “Welcome back.”

  “How did we get here? Or was that all just a dream?”

  “Nope, not a dream, but I’ll be dreaming about it for the rest of my life.” He chuckles as his hand slides up the back of my shirt, his thumb rubbing gentle, soothing circles on my skin. “Shifting is exhausting and because that was your first shift and it happened under an extremely emotional situation, you fell unconscious.”