by Juniper Hart
“No, George,” she said. “Thanks, but I’m good.”
“Courtney, stop being so immature and get in the car!” he shouted. “Just because we broke up doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
Courtney simply kept walking.
When she thought George had finally given up, she heard him say, “Anyway, I heard you were hitting on Blaine at that speed-dating thing back at the church.”
There was sheer amusement in his voice, as if he knew she had done it just to get back at him, and it enraged Courtney to no end.
She spun to glare at him.
“I don’t have the faintest desire to be your friend, George,” she snapped. “And what or who I do is none of your bloody business. Now carry on your way and leave me in peace!”
“God, you are such a pain in the ass!” George yelled. He stopped the car, put it in park, and jumped from the vehicle to chase after her.
Courtney turned to walk away from him, but he reached out and clasped her arm.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, her face colored in shock. “Don’t touch me!”
“This is exactly why I had to get rid of you!” he growled. “You always have to be—”
“I know, I heard, I’m a control freak!” she cut him off, trying to wrestle her arm away. “You should be glad to be rid of me, then!”
To her amazement, his grip on her arm only tightened.
“Stop being unreasonable, Courtney,” George snarled, and Courtney felt fear crawling through her.
He was right in front of her, blocking her view. If she wanted to escape from him, in case he tried… anything, he would have to do it behind her. “You’re—”
He stopped speaking abruptly, his hand loosening from around Courtney’s upper arm. He glanced over his shoulder.
“What the…?”
Confused at the change in his demeanor, Courtney stepped out of his reach and pivoted to look where he was staring.
Her heart caught in her throat as a pair of glowing yellow eyes peered into the night, right toward them.
“What is that?” George whispered, but Courtney had no answer for him. She could only shake her head as the shadowy figure ambled closer, a dark beast with a wet snout approaching them.
It seemed to be baring its teeth at them. Strangely, Courtney was unperturbed by its presence.
“Courtney, come on,” George breathed, trying to reach out for her.
Courtney, however, finally managed to wrestle her arm out of his grip, and she moved further away from George, closer to the creature.
“No,” she replied. “You go,”
“You’re acting crazy!” George roared, lunging for her, but the animal growled, low and feral, and the clean-cut frat boy froze in his tracks.
She said no, the beast muttered. Leave her alone.
The voice was ethereal, even though Courtney (and George, she assumed) heard it as if it was inside their heads and not through their ears.
Even in the dim lighting, she could see her ex’s face grow translucent with fear.
“Courtney,” he choked out, but she shook her head.
She was unafraid of the beast, despite its jutting canines and menacing stature. She sensed that he was not going to harm her. She could not attest to what he would do to George, however.
“Go, George,” she told him without looking at him.
Her hazel eyes were fixated on the creature, her heart pounding with nervous anticipation. She felt as if she knew the beast—the wolf.
George did not need to be told again, spinning to retreat to his car and driving off, tires squealing.
Courtney continued to watch the glowing yellow eyes in the night as the beast’s face transformed, shifting into a familiar sight.
She exhaled slowly.
“You,” she murmured.
“He seems like a real prince,” said the man she had bumped into at the church, his human face taking full form, a shadow of facial hair a stunning contrast against his green eyes.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded, her mouth suddenly dry.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “I followed you,” he replied, and Courtney was filled with a combination of excitement and worry.
“Why?” she asked, although she felt like she already knew the answer.
“A girl walking alone on the streets at night,” he said, covering the short space between them, “is bound to have trouble chasing after her.”
He was so close to her now that Courtney felt almost dizzy with his presence.
“You’re Courtney.”
The statement caused her heart to race, and she swallowed her anxiety, wondering how a stranger could have such a profound effect on her.
It went beyond a revenge shag—she felt inherently connected to this man or beast or whatever he was. It didn’t matter.
Inadvertently, her mind shifted to the last day of exams, when she and her friends had heard Sylvie tell them some bloody tale about strange creatures, and Courtney tried to make sense of what was happening.
“How did you know?” she whispered, and a grin lit up his face as he gestured at her chest.
“Your nametag,” he replied.
Courtney was embarrassed, and she hung her head in shame. “Of course,” she muttered.
“I’m Beau.”
“Nice to meet you, Beau.” She nodded, not wanting to meet his eyes.
“I’ll take you home,” he told her, and her head jerked up.
“Thank you,” she mumbled. When Beau did not move, though, Courtney asked, “Where is your car?”
Beau’s smiled widened, and he shook his head.
“I have something better than a car,” he answered, and Courtney watched in amazement as he shifted back into the wolf-like form. She stared at him in disbelief when he gestured at her to mount his back.
“Really?” she gasped, looking behind her as if she expected someone else to be watching. But they were alone on the dark sideroad.
Beau simply waited, and Courtney tentatively climbed onto his back, digging her fingers into the soft, sleek gray fur.
Without warning, Beau bolted off, and Courtney clung to him as they flew through the night.
With each stride from his long, strong paws, crunching through the summer leaves, Courtney felt herself growing more nervous, yet also more excited. When he made his way onto her street, stealing away in the dimness of the shadows, Courtney felt as if her body was on fire.
“How do you know where I live?” she murmured into his silken ear, but he did not answer nor slow his stride until they landed on the front steps of the apartment building.
It didn’t matter; not really. Courtney was not alarmed that this mysterious stranger knew things he could not possibly know.
No sooner had she dismounted than Beau transitioned back to his handsome human form.
Courtney could have never imagined herself doing what she did next: unable to stop herself, she threw her arms around him, pressing her mouth to his almost desperately, as if she was worried he would disappear if she did not hold on as tightly as she could.
Beau seemed to hold back at first, but Courtney did not release him, her hands reaching up into his dark hair to pull him closer and taste the saltiness of his mouth.
Soon his body relaxed, melding against hers, and she shivered at the feel of his frame.
She didn’t know how they landed inside the apartment, but then they fell to the floor, rolling together along the foyer, items of clothes lost along the way until Courtney was atop Beau, staring down at his face. She donned only a bra and pants, her shorts undone as he lay shirtless below her, his trousers discarded.
Pinning his arms to the floor, she paused to study his hypnotic green eyes before pressing her lips to his again. Her chin dropped, her tongue snaking along the taut lines of his broad chest, flicking against his nipples but maintaining a steady motion toward his navel. As she journeyed lower, her hands slipped from his, teeth pulling at his pants with t
he help of her hands.
Heat swelled inside her crotch, and goosebumps exploded against her arms when she saw his rigid member. Never had Courtney wanted someone inside her as badly as she wanted Beau in that moment, but she was not willing to give it up so easily.
Teasingly, her mouth darted along the edge of his shaft, feeling Beau’s fingers entwine through her blonde hair, but as she went to take his hardness into her mouth, she was abruptly thrown forward and flipped by the waist.
On all fours, she turned to look over her shoulder at Beau in shock, although Beau was too busy pulling off her own pants to notice.
Exposed from the waist down, she tried to turn to stare directly at him, but he was atop her too fast, rubbing himself between the wetness of her center. Strong hands reached around to cup her full breasts over her lace bra, and Beau slid himself inside her without effort, his girth filling her to the point of breathlessness.
Beau’s breath was hot on her shoulder, and Courtney could do nothing except move her hips back as he began to thrust himself inside her almost furiously. She gasped as he bit into her shoulder, his fingers pinching at her erect nipples through the fabric of her bra and causing shocks of pleasure to course through her body.
Unexpectedly, he pulled out of her. Courtney cried out in protest, struggling to turn against him, but one hand reached up to gather her blonde tresses and cock her neck to the side while he repositioned himself behind her.
When Beau plunged into her again, Courtney screamed out, feeling the depth of him inside her most intimate opening. She clenched against him, but he did not slow, grunting softly as his flux grew more intense.
Her screams filled the kitchen, a mix of ecstasy and profanity, both which seemed to drive Beau harder into her core. She could feel his sack slapping against her bottom, and it brought her to a shivering build up of desire.
Oh, my God! I’m going to—!
“Like that,” Courtney mumbled, not entirely realizing she was speaking aloud. “Like that, just like… like—!”
Never had she experienced an orgasm while being taken in such a feral way, but when she finally released, it was like no climax she had ever had.
Beau’s fist became a vice in her hair as his body stiffened behind her. He groaned loudly as Courtney’s hands curled into the floor, her nails breaking beneath the pressure.
Beau pushed into her, his shaft pulsating inside her, filling her with his warmth.
Very slowly, he let her go, and she allowed her head to fall onto the floor, her rear still firmly pressed against him. Small spasms coursed through both their bodies as they expelled the last of their wanting. It was minutes before they could move.
When Beau withdrew from her, Courtney suddenly felt as if a weight had been shaken from her shoulders. She flipped onto her back and stared up at him, a small smile on her face.
“You are incredible,” she told him, and she meant it.
It was more than his vigor and attractiveness; she was drawn to him inexplicably.
“Where did you come from?” she asked, their gazes locking. “And why were you at the church?”
A wry smile formed on Beau’s mouth. “I’ve been around these parts for centuries. And, I was at the church looking for you. I sensed your presence. I planned to approach you after your event,” he said with a small laugh.
Courtney cheeks flushed at the embarrassment that he knew she was there for a speed-dating event.
“You sensed me? How?”
“You’re my mate, Courtney. I needed to find you.”
The idea seemed preposterous. His mate? Courtney’s mind fluttered back to Sylvie’s words, and it seemed to make sense.
“How do you know?” she asked, excited by the thought of spending more time with the mysterious stranger.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he replied, shaking his head.
“Try me,” Courtney insisted, but Beau only grinned.
“You’ll have to buy me a drink first,” he joked.
Courtney looked up at him and nodded. “It’s a deal,” she agreed.
They moved to collect their clothes when the apartment door opened, and Cassie entered. She froze in the kitchen doorway as she realized what she had walked in on.
“Oh,” she muttered, her face turning red with embarrassment. “Oh, I’m so—I’m so sorry!”
She spun to leave, but Courtney called out to her, unfazed by the interruption.
“Cassie?”
“Yes?” her roommate replied, her back still to the half-dressed couple.
“Thank you for taking me there tonight. You’re a good friend.”
Cassie spun around and gaped at her, having apparently forgotten her embarrassment.
“Seriously?” she cried. “You left and screwed up the entire rotation!”
Courtney chuckled and shrugged, glancing at Beau. “Sorry,” she replied nonchalantly. “But maybe sometimes order is meant to be shaken up.”
Cassie’s jaw dropped even further, and Courtney choked back a smile. She realized how strange those words must have sounded coming from her lips. After all, she was a control freak, wasn’t she?
“Are you all right?” Cassie gasped, eyeing Beau. “Are you on something?”
Courtney laughed and shook her head.
She had never felt like her mind was clearer in her life.
“Maybe,” she answered, again casting Beau a look. Perhaps Beau has me under some sort of Lycanthropic spell.
She only hoped it would never expire.
THE END
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5
Shifter Pursuit Series: Key West Shifter
Kristy dove back into the Key West waters, swimming easily to the river floor before springing back upward and crashing through the surface. Droplets glimmered in the afternoon sunshine, and Kristy blinked several times to clear her vision before running her hands through her dark hair and gazing around at the others lounging about in various aspects of relaxation.
To her left, the newlyweds were sprawled on a rock, hands entwined as they stared into each other’s eyes like there was no one else around.
Kristy both loathed and envied the look of happiness on their faces.
No one can be that happy, she decided. Honeymoon or not.
She had to admit that the idea of going kayaking on a honeymoon was romantic, despite her slightly cynical thoughts.
I have to give Sven points for creativity, she thought, studying the Swedish couple’s expressions. There was nothing but adulation and genuine affection exuding from both of them.
Or maybe he’s plotting her death, Kristy considered, her calculating mind taking over as she examined them more closely, wading back toward the camp. It was the second day the Swedes had taken the tour. Maybe there was something sinister behind it.
Not on my watch, buddy, Kristy thought firmly. There will be no murdering as long as I’m your guide.
She had never had so much as a kayak tip over on her watch—she was certainly not about to let a murder occur. She knew she was looking for drama where there was none, but that was the way her mind worked. After all, she was a pre-law student.
It was her second summer leading the kayaking tours, and Kristy loved every minute of it. To her, nothing was more exhilarating that being on a boat, especially after exercising her mind so heavily throughout the school year.
Work hard, play hard, was Kristy’s motto, but she knew it was also the groups themselves who made the tours so enjoyable. She loved people-watching, and although the couple on the rocks was making her slightly nauseous, Kristy was having a wonderful time.
“Has everyone eaten?” she asked, slipping out of the water, her athletic body sprinkling droplets against the sand.
She expertly scanned the area for crocodiles, although she was aware she was being ridiculous. Even though it was the only area in the United States that actually had crocodiles, she had never actually seen one. Th
e route had been tried and tested hundreds of times, and dozens of those times had been with her in charge. The reason the inn insisted on using it as their kayaking route was because it was a safe trek.
Still, Kristy reasoned she could never be too careful.
The group nodded and murmured their assent to her question, but Kristy could feel the eyes of the men on her as she reached for a towel.
Even Sven pulled his eyes away from Inga long enough to admire Kristy’s svelte form. It gave Kristy a small spark of satisfaction; not because she had any interest in Sven or the others, but because it proved she was right.
No one was as happy as the newlyweds were pretending to be.
“We’ll head back toward the inn soon,” Kristy told her group, turning her dark eyes to regard the sunshine. It was late in the afternoon, but they had plenty of light left.
Shouldn’t take more than two hours to get back to home base, she thought, recalling her previous experiences.
The weather was expected to be clear, with possible drizzles late in the evening.
It will be another perfect day, she sighed, smiling at the others. If I keep this up, I could probably ask for a raise.
Kristy flopped onto a smooth stone and gazed out into the sparkling waters of the ocean. Then she glanced toward the sandbar, where some of the people in her group continued to snack. Her coffee-colored eyes noted that the snorkelers had finished, pulling up shells to compare amongst themselves.
Despite the fact that she was having a good time, Kristy was glad there was no night trip that evening. She was looking forward to some down time after ten days of working straight.
Off for two days starting tonight, she thought happily. I’ll call Keegan and see what he’s doing.
There were so many perks to being home, and Keegan was at the top of the list. It had started when Kristy had come home for the summer in her freshman year.
Keegan was her brother’s best friend, and while Kristy had always been attracted to the quiet, slightly older man, he had been off limits, of course. She had resigned herself to admire him from afar, always secretly hoping he would notice her, but knowing that he was not interested.