Helen knew there was a magic in the bonds of female friendships and camaraderie, so she started a tradition whereby the women in town got together once a week to… talk. It was rumored that at certain times, the women had done more than talk. There’d been hints that incantations and enchantments had been performed, but others scoffed at that and insisted that it’d only ever been like it was currently, women talking and having fun together.
Somewhere along the way, the gatherings had been dubbed St. Anon meetings. Shit Talkers Anonymous. St. Anon had been alarmingly strange to me when I’d first arrived in Helen’s Corner, but it wasn’t long before I was just as comfortable there as I was in my own home.
On Tuesdays, St. Anon got together down at Helen Cartwright’s old homestead. The house was little more than shards of dry-rotted wood on a crumbled stone foundation, but the large, flat rock formation where Helen herself had perched during the very first gathering of women still proudly rested in the middle of the property. The swaying branches of a massive weeping willow hung over and encircled the rocks, providing the perfect cloak under which to convene.
I usually had Meghan Fenney, a local teen, over to watch Jellybean while I attended, but that night, I just slipped out and headed towards Helen’s property.
The night was clear and the almost full moon illuminated the sky. Moonbeams followed as I walked, like an old friend keeping me company. Before moving to Helen’s Corner, I’d been afraid of being outside alone in the dark. No more. Something about the town helped soothe old wounds.
When Muddy stepped out of the woods beside me and stretched, I didn’t even startle. We were all just a part of the night during St. Anon, as though the special magic that enveloped the town called all women of Helen’s Corner to gather.
“Still feeling weird?” Muddy grinned at me and wagged her eyebrows. “See Mr. Hot Stuff again?”
“Aren’t you just full of questions?” I climbed over the fence that surrounded the land and waded through tall grass and weeds before parting the curtain of hanging willow fronds to get to the rocks.
Muddy had remained quiet during the trek, respectful of the space like we all were. Once we were seated on the large rocks, however, she looked back at me and grinned. “Yes, I am full of questions. I hope you’re full of answers.”
I shook my head. “I’m not.”
She groaned and gave up, already knowing me well enough to know that I wouldn’t be pressured into answering anything. When Denny tumbled in with a rush of limbs, hers and the tree’s, Muddy turned her attention away from me.
As the other townswomen slowly filled the spaces around us, I felt the same sense of peace I always felt during the meetings. My bear still grumbled in my head, frustrated at me for ignoring our mate, but I shut her down.
Grace Ellen ducked through the branches and looked around. “Where’s Charlie?”
As if on cue, Charlie parted the willow fronds and entered the enclosure. “I’ve had a day from hell. I’ll gladly open the meeting.”
And, as always, the meeting started with a flourish. The contents of the meetings were secret and never left the sanctity of the rock and the willow. The thing that wasn’t held to secrecy was that afterwards, we all stripped down and shifted. Those of us who were shifters, anyway. That part had been too hard to hide from boyfriends and husbands to remain secret, apparently. The coming home naked.
At first, I’d refused to participate. I not only had curves and stretchmarks, but also, thanks to my ex, scars that I wasn’t comfortable with anyone seeing. But, after a few weeks of sitting with the human women and watching my other friends shift and run off together, I’d put those fears aside.
The women here weren’t judging each other by their bodies. They weren’t looking, either. They were more concerned with shifting the fastest so they could start their fun-run under the moonlight.
That night, my bear took over in every way. I should have known better, but in my own defense, she had never been out of control before. We’d never had a mate before, either. And, she wanted her mate. She was tired of being ignored. As soon as I shifted, her will overpowered mine and I found myself being dragged along for the ride as I darted out of Helen’s old homestead and through town.
With no concern about scaring anyone or being spotted, I charged down the main strip of Helen’s Corner like a bat out of hell, blowing past the intersection that boasted the one and only stop light in town. I knew what my bear had in mind as soon as I caught a whiff of my mate’s delicious scent and found myself sitting under one of the bedroom windows at Muddy’s B&B.
I felt him. His wolf sensed me. I pawed at the ground and took off for the woods behind the house, somehow knowing he would follow. My bear was calling the shots and she was practically shivering in anticipation knowing that she’d summoned her mate.
Meanwhile, I was having a mental breakdown. I didn’t know the man that I was coaxing out to chase me through the woods. I didn’t know anything about him. For all I knew, he could be a dangerous psychopath.
My bear had zero reservations. She knew. She knew and she wasn’t backing down until she saw him.
7
Alec
A jolt of awareness shot through me like a lightning bolt. My mate was near. I never realized it could happen that way. Nothing I’d ever heard about mates, none of the stories, had gone into much detail. I was shocked at the overpowering awakening of some new freakish sixth sense. I stood up and walked over to the window just in time to catch the tail end of a small brown bear disappearing into the woods.
My wolf went wild seeing her run. He wanted to chase her down. The need was so strong that I found myself taking three long strides to the door. I could have tried to stop, tried to overtake my wolf’s will. I didn’t. It wasn’t just my wolf who wanted to go.
“Where are you going?” Chelsie looked up from her phone and frowned. “It’s late, Alec. Are you really about to go back down to work more?”
Chelsie’s anger was justified. I’d worked in the dining room all day, praying for another glimpse of my mate. I knew nothing about her. I’d gotten little actual work done, which was a first for me. Never before had a woman invaded my thoughts and pushed aside my obsessive focus on my business. But, my mate wasn’t just any woman.
I still hadn’t figured out how to handle the delicate situation with Chelsie. It wasn’t like me to be indecisive. I was known for my cut throat business dealings, and for taking swift and decisive action. It’s how I got where I was. But, the predicament I was in was precarious, to say the least.
It was more complicated than just breaking off an engagement.
I was being an asshole, but that didn’t stop me from grabbing the doorknob and turning it. “I need to get out for a bit. I’m feeling restless. I saw a park earlier that I think I’ll head down to.”
She frowned harder. “It’s late.”
Knowing she wouldn’t come because she’d already taken her makeup off and gotten into bed, I extended an offer. “Do you want to go with me?”
“Of course not. And don’t wake me when you come back in.” She scowled and brought her phone back up to her face, then put it back down. “Daddy called me earlier. He wanted to make sure I was having a good time.”
And, there it was. A not-so-veiled, veiled threat. The complication. “Oh, yeah?”
“Don’t screw yourself over, Alec.”
I left with her warning ringing in my ears. It concerned me. Until I got downstairs and opened the side door of the house. As soon as I detected my mate’s scent, I was lost in her. My wolf fought to be released and after ignoring him for so long, I couldn’t deny him any longer.
I jogged to the tree line behind the house and stripped. It’d been so long since I’d been naked outdoors under the moonlight that I stopped for a second before shifting to stretch and enjoy the feel of the night air on my skin. I closed my eyes and released myself to my wolf.
He surged forward, contorting and re-forming my body unti
l I was on four paws racing through the woods. Pure adrenaline rushed through my veins. I put my nose to the ground and followed my mate’s scent trail.
Instead of racing headfirst into her, my wolf wanted to play. I quietly circled around where she was hiding and waited behind a tree for her to come out.
It’d been so long since I shifted that my wolf should’ve been angry at me. Instead, he was solely focused on getting to his mate.
I held perfectly still until I saw a furry brown head poke out from around a bush. Our eyes met and hers widened before she jerked back. On the other side of the bush, it sounded like a tornado ripping through a town as she clumsily hurled through the large clump of underbrush and out the other side.
I howled, my head straight up in air, and then gave chase. My blood rushed through my veins like a freight train, the thrill of the chase urging me forward. I wanted my mate.
Her furry butt disappeared behind a tree and skidded to make a sharp turn heading towards what smelled like water. I closed the gap between us and nipped her ass just hard enough for her to feel it. She growled and stumbled, rolling through a puddle and skidding to a stop on the other side.
Her eyes glowed, golden yellow, as she watched me from her crouched position. I circled around her, wanting to gain her submission, while at the same time wanting her to run from me and play more.
She rolled onto her back and exposed her neck to me. I howled again before approaching, determined to rub against her and mark her with my scent. When I got close enough, though, she swiped me to the side with her paw and then rushed away from me. A fake-out.
I gave a playful yip as I happily followed, rushing forward to nip at her back end again.
She splashed into a pool of water, stomping and growling as she went. Once in the middle, the water came up to her shoulders. She turned to face me and chuffed like she was laughing.
The water didn’t give me pause. I swam in to where she was and stopped only when I was face to face with her. I wasn’t a normal sized wolf, by any means, and the two of us were eye to eye. Standing there, we both remained perfectly still, waiting to see which one was going to give in first.
My body shook from suppressing the energy of the desire coursing through me, but still I waited. I took in her beauty as I did, marveling at the sight of my mate’s bear. She was mine.
Right when I thought I would crack, she did first. She splashed me by stomping a massive paw down into the water in front of me. I rushed into her, twisting and throwing my body into hers with a nip to her shoulder. She charged away from me.
I chased after her, eager to earn her submission. When she slid over a flat rock lightly covered in a sheet of moss and water, I followed, trusting that she wouldn’t get us hurt.
On the other side, I found myself in a cave, large enough for us to spread out, but small enough that I knew I had her. A low growl came from my chest as I approached her.
Instead of running, the majestic beauty lumbered towards me, matching my steps. When we were eye to eye, she took one step closer and rubbed her face against mine. Her smell of fur had an underlying hint of vanilla and buttercream that teased my nose. My tongue lolled out.
I stepped back and shifted. I needed to see her and touch her, skin against skin. My wolf whimpered, but he knew.
Looking down at my mate, still in her bear form, I stroked my hand over her head. “Come on, cupcake. Shift for me.”
8
Carter
My mate’s voice had a light New York accent. It’s sexiness beckoned me. My bear willingly receded, leaving me kneeling in front of him naked with my arms wrapped around my chest.
Back in full control of my actions, I should’ve run. I knew that, but I was held by some unseen magnetic force. I couldn’t get unstuck. And to blame the whole playing stuff on my bear was a copout. I’d been excited and more than eager when he chased me down. His nip to my ass had turned me on like nothing else.
I scanned his body and sighed. He was beautiful. Tall, well-built and heavily muscled, as most shifters were. He was everything that I hadn’t realized my body craved.
I was mesmerized by the sheer size of his physique. He was huge, just like his wolf. All of him was huge. Slightly intimidating, he was so huge.
I dragged my eyes up to his face and a breath of air escaped my lungs. Sharp angles of his face paired with intense gray eyes that made the man slightly resemble the animal. He was hella sexy.
My body responded to him in a way I’d never experienced, or thought possible. I was instantly so hot and bothered that the idea of rubbing against him again, as human, was all I could think about. I couldn’t blame my bear for that one.
“Stand up and let me look at you.” His deep voice sent tingles over my burning skin like a lover’s tongue. His eyes were just as tantalizing as he scanned my body and then focused on my face.
I tried to be annoyed by his command, but instead, all I felt was desire. My pulse skyrocketed and my hands trembled, but I made myself stand up straight and drop my arms to my sides. Thoughts rattled around my brain reminding me of all the things that weren’t perfect about my body. My muscles tensed as I almost waited for his disappointment. Or worse, total rejection.
He licked his lips and balled his hands into fists. “I need to touch you.”
It was all the warning I got before he was directly in front of me with his arms wrapping around my body, pulling me closer, squeezing me against his firm musculature.
I gasped as I felt his erection dig into my stomach. His warm hands ran down my back and his fingers dipped into the dimples at my lower back before gripping my ass and pulling me even tighter against him.
“Perfect. You’re absolutely perfect.”
I tipped my head back and bit my lip. It was insane. It didn’t make any sense that we were touching that way, but it felt so right. I’d never experienced anything that felt more right. Our bodies fit against one another as naturally as if we’d been doing it our whole lives.
Instead of being complete strangers.
Tentatively, as if he’d float away, I lifted my hands to his sides and touched him with my fingertips for the first time. My fingers tingled and then my palms, until everything in me buzzed.
“Mate.” He lowered his face and nuzzled into my neck, the stubble on his chin and jaws irritating and titillating at the same time.
I trailed my hands up his sides and then up his back, feeling his muscles flex under my fingers. “Mate,” I breathed.
His fingers tightened on my ass and he jerked me up until my legs straddled his waist. Our bodies pressed together and I dropped my head back as feelings of pleasure flowed through me. He growled and buried his face against my exposed neck again.
I felt his teeth scrape across my throat and moaned. My brain clicked off and I was just a large nerve ending, being stroked and stimulated to new highs.
I dug my hands in his hair and raked my nails across his scalp as he gently nipped my neck and then ran his tongue across my sensitive skin. His voice was thick with desire. “Name…”
He dipped his hand lower until his fingers slid across my dripping folds. When I gasped and squeezed him with my legs, he did it again and caught my ear in his mouth.
“What’s your name?” My words were broken as his fingers parted my folds and buried themselves deep into me. I cried out and tightened around him. “Oh, god!”
“Alec.” His growl was almost lost as he chased my mouth with his to capture it in a sizzling kiss. Only when I was dazed from the passion in his kisses did he pull away and flash a quick grin at me. “Tell me yours, mate.”
He slid another finger into me and I forgot what we were talking about. I touched him everywhere I could, feeling delirious with the need to connect with him even more. The urge to take every part of him in me was overwhelming and it was all I could do to keep myself together.
“Name, mate.”
I met his eyes and felt my world shift. It wasn’t just the burning growin
g in my core as his fingers pistoned in and out of me, it was something deeper, something as old as time. “Carter.”
His pale gray eyes glowed silver. “I have to be in you, Carter.”
I nodded and untwined my legs from around his waist as his fingers left me and he hastily turned me around. Facing the wall of the cave, I looked back over my shoulder at him and bit my lip. He stood back, running his eyes over me wickedly, his inhale and exhale more growl than breath. Every feeling of insecurity faded with the knowledge that the drop dead gorgeous man behind me was practically drooling over me.
I wiggled my hips, enticing him closer. My pussy ached for him. I was completely lost in the moment.
Alec was suddenly there, pressing his thick shaft into my entrance. He wrapped his arm around my waist and touched his fingers to my clit. With his mouth against my neck, his voice was rough. “Hold on, cupcake.”
The pressure in my body built as he slowly filled me fuller and fuller. Just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, his fingers stroked over my clit and his teeth nipped my neck. I dropped my head back on his shoulder and shrieked as my orgasm tore through my body. The pressure was molten. It washed over me in pulsing waves that squeezed his erection as he slid the last few inches into me.
“Fuck.” He wrapped both arms around me and held me as he slowly pulled out and pushed back in.
My body stayed on a cloud, teasing another orgasm as his thrusts gained speed and force. I braced myself against the wall and rolled my hips to take him in even deeper.
Shifter Starter Set Page 18