The Shifter's Gift

by Haley Weir

  “Fuck,” she announces as she runs her hands over his abs. Mason laughs quietly, seemingly satisfied with the reaction.

  She kisses his chest, then kisses the V that directs her to what is hiding under those shorts. She undoes his belt just slowly enough to make him desperate.

  “Please,” is all he manages to say as she pulls down his pants, and then his boxers. She’s over his completely naked body and still in her t-shirt. She slowly takes it off, putting on a show for him as she reveals her perfectly sculpted D-cups. She pulls down her underwear and throws them across the room. She then leans over him so that her breasts dangle in his face, teasing him with her hard nipples. He puts one in his mouth, then the other, and lifts his hands to fully cup them. He rubs her nipples and puts his mouth on them, biting playfully. Charlotte is beginning to lose her mind as the pool of moisture builds between her legs. It would be easy enough to slip him inside of her from this position, but she’s not ready to give him the satisfaction. Afterall, a little more foreplay never hurt.

  She works her way downward and puts his cock in her mouth. Charlotte’s had fleeting sex partners throughout her life, and if there’s one thing she’s certain of, it’s the ability to pleasure her partner using her mouth. She moves up and down while grasping him with one hand, rubbing him vigorously. Her mouth works wonders on him as she rhythmically sucks and massages. She steals a look at his face when coming up for air. His eyes are shut and his mouth is slightly open, just enough to let out the occasional moan. When she goes back down and continues to work her magic, she can hear him let out a whimper like a puppy.

  “I’m so close,” he whispers. “Oh, my god.”

  Charlotte says nothing as she returns and puts her face just above his, aligning their bodies. She lowers herself onto him and he slides inside of her. At the same moment, they both let out tiny satisfied moans, signaling their pleasure to the other. He’s big and powerful, but gentle and sweet. She straddles him, moving up and down to a beat she follows in her head. He reaches his hands out and grabs her breasts.

  “They’re fucking fantastic,” he says, picking up his head to put them back in his mouth. Charlotte shoves his head back down to the bed.

  “Stay down,” she commands in a stern, sexy voice.

  “Whatever you say, Charlotte,” Mason replies. Hearing her name come from his mouth makes her head spin.

  “Say my name again,” she commands.

  “Charlotte,” he says. Then again, increasing in speed, “Charlotte. Fuck me, Charlotte. Fuck yes, Charlotte.”

  “Do you like this?” Charlotte says as she aggressively rides him, up and down, up and down.

  “Fuck yes, Charlotte,” Mason says again. “I’m gonna finish.” Little did he know, that Charlotte herself already began to finish. In unison, they complete their orgasms. Mason lets out a moan that’s just loud enough for Charlotte to put her hand on his mouth. She flops onto the bed next to him, as exhausted as she is thrilled. She doesn’t know what this will mean for them in the morning, but in that moment, she doesn’t care.

  Chapter 12

  The next morning, Charlotte wakes up and finds herself alone in bed. Her clothing is still strewn about the room, but there’s no sign of Mason. For a moment, she wonders if last night was just a really intense sex dream and Mason was never there. Then, she sees a note by the lamp on her nightstand.

  Charlotte- sorry that you woke up without me next to you. If I could be there, I would. I’m preparing for my trip to Ottawa. I’ll make sure I see you before I go. We should do this again sometime. -Mason

  Her heart skips a beat as she reads the note. It’s now a valued treasure of hers, so she folds it up and puts it in the drawer with her personal belongings. Rays of sunshine fill the room with a warm brightness. Charlotte relates to her bedroom as they are both presently glowing. She uses the bathroom, in a daydreamy haze as she brushes her teeth and puts her dark curly hair into a messy but cute bun atop her head. She feels more relaxed than she has in months. She needed a release more than she realized. She’s finally able to truly exhale, not letting anything kill her vibe.

  Next, Charlotte checks on the baby. When she reaches the room, she finds Avery sitting there with her, rocking her in the chair. “Good morning, Charlotte,” greets Avery. “How was your date last night?”

  “Good morning!” She switches to her soothing voice reserved for babies and puppies to greet Penelope. “Hi little Penny girl,” she says, grabbing her tiny foot and giving it a playful shake. “It was….magical,” Charlotte adds. As soon as she says it, she’s embarrassed. She’s supposed to be taking it slow, keeping her emotions in check. Parading her crush around makes her feel foolish and immature. But, as usual, her heart acts faster than her head.

  “Oooooh, magical,” echoes Avery, raising an eyebrow at Charlotte. “So?”

  “So, what?” asks Charlotte, increasingly flustered but unable to wipe the smile off her face.

  “So, what’s up with you guys? Is this the beginning of your love story?” Penelope squirms in her lap.

  “Here, let me grab her,” Charlotte offers, reaching for the baby. “Hi Penelope, good morning my little sunshine. We’re going to have a good day, aren’t we? Yes, we are,” Charlotte softly says to the wiggly baby in her arms. “It’s a gorgeous day so I’ll definitely walk around outside with her. We’ll truly stop to smell the roses.”

  “That sounds great,” notes Avery. “But you’re avoiding the subject.”

  “Am not!” Charlotte’s voice goes up three octaves.

  “Sure,” Avery says with a knowing look.

  “Okay, let’s just lay it all out, then,” Charlotte begins. “I really like him. Or, maybe just the idea of him. I don’t want to rush into things. Sometimes, I get so excited about an idea that I don’t give myself time to weigh the pros and cons. I’ve put a lot of thought into this whole Mason thing, trying to convince myself it’s nothing but a fleeting crush. But if something were to go wrong and I sacrifice this job, I’d never forgive myself. More important than any guy is being here at Bolt Castle, taking care of Penelope. I know I’ve only been here a short time, but that’s something I’m absolutely certain about. This is where I belong.”

  “I really admire you, you know that, Charlotte?” marvels Avery. “It means a lot to me that this job means so much to you. I know you’re weary of things moving too fast, but life moves fast. Sometimes we have to say ‘screw it’ to all reason and logic and follow our hearts. I did, once. It feels like so long ago, but it really wasn’t. I mean, I was Blake’s employee. Look at us now.”

  Penelope squeals happily in Charlotte’s arms.

  “I’m scared, Avery,” Charlotte replies bluntly. “What if he’s playing me? When it all comes on so strong like this, I can’t help but feel like it’s too good to be true. I mean...even the sex was unreal. What do I even really know about Mason? I feel like I’ve known him a long time, but there’s still so much more to find out. He feels so mysterious to me. Like maybe he has some sort of dark secret. I’m not really sure what’s in Ottawa, or why he needs to go there. Maybe it’s another woman, a wife, a family...” Charlotte trails off as she speaks her fears into the world.

  “I can tell you it’s not like that. Yes, there’s family. But not a wife. We’ve never heard of any wife, at least,” says Avery.

  “Avery,” Charlotte begins, shifting to a very serious tone. “What’s going on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Like, the ‘danger’. The trip to Ottawa? There’s something you all aren’t telling me. I’m getting nervous and feel like I deserve an explanation. Don’t you?”

  Avery’s energy shifts tangibly. The time for friendly chit chat seems to have ended. “Charlotte,” Avery answers. “There are things you need to know. I won’t lie to you. You don’t have the full picture yet, but at this point, I think you should talk to Mason.”

  Charlotte’s heart is rapidly beating. What terrible thing could be happening that n
o one can even speak of it? They talk around it when Charlotte is near, congregating for secret chats when they think she’s not listening. Charlotte wishes she knew less and could continue to live in ignorant bliss. But it’s too late for that.

  “Avery, can I give you Penelope? I need to go talk to Mason.”

  “Of course. Do what you have to do, hun,” Avery says, taking Penelope into her ams.

  Despite Avery being so accommodating, Charlotte cannot help but feel guilty. After making her priorities so clear to Avery, she’s going to skip out on Penelope to find Mason? It is yet another battle of the head and the heart. Part of her feels like she could just forget about Mason, about all the danger that no one else, at least not the women, seem too concerned about. She could walk with Penelope between naps, listen to a podcast, read a book, and not think about anything. But her heart tells her that she will never feel at peace, especially after last night, until she gets answers from Mason. She will demand that he tell her what’s in Ottawa, and what it all means. She may even confess to listening in on their meeting last night.

  “Thanks, Avery,” Charlotte says. “Thank you.” She leaves the room and barrels down the stairs, practically running through the corridors of the castle in search of Mason. When she finds him, he’s in the kitchen making scrambled eggs and bacon. She can smell it before she sees it. It seems weird that a man on such a pressing journey would stop to make breakfast, but everyone has to eat. She sees the back of the heads of those at the kitchen counter; she recognizes them at this point. From left to right sits Xander, Ethan, Douglas, Blake, Chris, and then someone she doesn’t immediately recognize. She enters the kitchen quietly, hoping not to make a scene when Mason notices her.

  “Charlotte,” he greets her. “I’m glad you’re here. You have a surprise guest.”

  The man at the end of the counter turns around with a smug smile on his face.

  It’s Richard Berk. “Hi there, Charlotte.”

  Chapter 13

  “Richard,” Charlotte says. Immediately she begins sweating from every pore. “What are you doing here?” she practically shouts.

  “I came for you, of course,” he admits. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”

  Her face turns bright red and everything feels hot. Charlotte looks at Mason to gage his reaction, but he is intently focused on the stove top and sizzling bacon grease. None of the other men turn around, either. It’s like she and Richard are the only two in the room.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” mumbles Charlotte, her voice shaky.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” Richard snaps back. “Come back to River Bend. Let me finally take you out on that date.”

  “Did my parents put you up to this?”

  “No, I’m here entirely on my own. For you, Charlotte,” Richard tells her. Charlotte notices for the first time his hairline is receding. In high school, he was attractive and popular. Now, he could not be more unappealing. Maybe it’s not his receding hairline or menacing smile, but just what happens when an ugly personality starts to overshadow all other features.

  “What are you thinking?” Charlotte practically shrieks. This time, Mason turns around and takes notice of Charlotte’s distress.

  “Hey, buddy,” says Mason, appearing at Charlotte’s side. “You told me you were a friend of Charlotte. This is absurd. I wouldn’t have let you in here if I knew you were going to torment her like this. Maybe your visit here is done.”

  “Oh, this is the new boyfriend? Makes sense. You say that you are not like everyone else in River Bend. You think you’re above all the money and big houses, but here you are. Living in a goddamn castle. I’m glad you finally found a guy who can give you a house big enough,” he sneers.

  He’s becoming increasingly agitated, and it puts the other men on high alert. They all stand up from the counter and stare Richard down. He must feel very small as the handsome, strong men intimidate him. Charlotte’s never felt so protected in her life, especially with Mason right at her side.

  “Richard, I don’t know who you think you are, coming to my place of work and saying all of this to me. You hardly know me. You were a dick in high school, and quite frankly, you never stopped being a dick. Sure, you can wear expensive ties and attend fancy dinners with your ‘business partners’, but you’re nothing. Especially to me. You’ve never been anything but a kid spoiled by mommy and daddy’s money,” Charlotte seethes. She wouldn’t be surprised if smoke actually started coming from her ears.

  “Fine,” Richard concedes. “Fine, Charlotte. When this whole fantasy life runs its course, don’t come looking for me. I won’t be waiting for you.”

  “Take a hint, dude,” Mason asserts. “When you leave here, you’re never going to see her again, even if I have to personally see to it.”

  Richard storms out of the kitchen and makes his way down one of the winding corridors.

  “Come on,” Xander gestures to the rest of the men. “There’s no way he actually knows where he’s going. Let’s make sure he leaves and doesn’t come back.”

  “Wait, can I have his bacon, though?” Chris asks.

  “Come on,” urges Ethan, following Xander out of the kitchen. Chris and Douglas follow suit.

  “I’m going to go see Avery and Penelope before I get to some work in the yard,” Blake announces before leaving the kitchen.

  “Well, I guess I’m staying here to clean up this mess,” replies Mason. Everyone is gone now except for Mason and Charlotte.

  “How could you let that guy in?” Charlotte cries.

  “He said he was your friend. Honestly, it wasn’t me who let him in. It was Chris. Who knows what he told him,” Mason says.

  “This is insane. How did he even know where to find me?”

  “I really don’t know,” Mason admits. He grabs her hand and instantly, Charlotte feels her heart rate returning to normal.

  “We need to talk,” says Charlotte.

  “Okay. What about?”

  “Don’t do this, Mason. You know what about. What is the great danger that everyone mentions constantly? What’s going to happen in this castle?”

  “Nothing is going to happen in this castle, if everything goes as planned,” Mason responds cryptically.

  “Can you be more specific?”

  “I’m going to go to Ottawa to get the rest of my brothers,” Mason explains. “I’ll bring them back here.”

  “Brothers? You and Jenna have more siblings?”

  “They’re kind of an adopted family. They took me in at an early age.” Charlotte has so many questions about Mason’s life and background. She feels like instead of growing closer to him, she’s only getting further from knowing who he is. She wants to ask more questions, but remembering her word vomit about parents and learning that he lost his, she bites her tongue. She can only hope for so much information at a time.

  “Charlotte,” says Mason. “There are things I want to tell you. I just don’t know how. There’s so much about me that could scare you away. But, I want you to know I would never let anything hurt you. Even me,” Mason explains. He’s very serious, almost somber at this point.

  “Why would you hurt me?”

  “Sometimes I lose control,” says Mason. Charlotte feels like she is finally breaking down his walls, piece by piece.

  “What do you mean?” she asks, although she thinks she’s starting to get the idea. Maybe Mason suffers from mental illness. Maybe he’s got demons in his past. Who has he hurt, if anyone? Does he suffer from rage issues? That would certainly be shocking, but it is not totally out of the question. She still can’t account for the danger that seems to have everyone on edge. She remembers names from the conversation she listened in on, and blurts out another question. “Who are the Pulaski brothers?” she asks. Silence befalls the room as she waits with bated breath for an explanation, even a quick summary. She will take cliff notes if that is all she can get.

  “Bad men that got the punishment that was coming for them,
” describes Mason. “But there are more like them out there.”

  Charlotte wonders if Mason, or any of the others, spent some time in prison. Maybe they made some enemies there. She listens patiently, trying not to push it by bombarding him with too many personal questions.

  “And they’re coming here?” Charlotte asks.

  “Maybe. Probably,” says Mason.

  “So, let’s call the police.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “Okay then,” Charlotte lets out an exasperated sigh. “Am I getting any more answers from you today?”

  “Not yet, Charlotte,” Mason replies. He squeezes her hand and leaves her alone in the kitchen with the smell of bacon and her uncertainty.

  Chapter 14

  After a long day of toting around Penelope, feeding her, playing, and putting her down for naps between strolls around the garden, Charlotte finally lies in bed. She can tell it’s going to be another night of staring at the ceiling, and letting her anxieties consuming her entirely. What exactly is Mason’s deal? What about everyone else at the castle? Nobody will give her answers.

  She considers her options. If she leaves this all behind, where will she go? River Bend hardly seems like a real option. Her parents will be furious at her for leaving without explanation. Plus, the last place she wants to be is any town with Richard Berk in it. Who does he think he is, showing up at Bolt Castle? And how in the world did he find her?

  She can’t stay in bed alone with her thoughts. Charlotte grabs Penelope’s baby monitor, slips on some shorts and slippers and quietly exits her room. She checks the time. It’s already 2:47am. She sighs. Tomorrow will be a long day. Penelope isn’t the only one who needs a consistent sleep schedule.

  She creeps her way down the stairs and towards the kitchen, hoping that a midnight snack might put her mind at ease. When she looks out the kitchen window with the beautiful view, she notices a light is on in the garden. Someone must have left it on by mistake. Charlotte decides to go shut it off. The fresh air might feel good, anyway.