by Lexi Aurora
“Will you ask him to come back?”
Christie didn’t answer, only let out a triumphant crow of delight as she hurried down the hallway to retrieve Keira’s lovesick suitor. Keira scrambled around the room, desperate to make herself look halfway decent despite the two weeks of self-neglect. By the time she heard the knock on her door, she was sure it was useless. He would just have to take her how she was or not at all. She was pretty sure that if his letter were even halfway true, he would be glad to have her at all.
“Yes?” she answered in a slightly wavering voice at the sound of the soft knocking on her door.
“It’s… it’s me. Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
It didn't take a genius to see that he hadn’t been sleeping or eating well, and as Tyler let himself into her bedroom and then shut the door again, it took everything she had not to just go to him right then and there. It was a crazy strong urge, but one she managed to resist. His letter had gone a long way toward mending the pain he had caused her, but she still wanted to see what he had to say for himself. She could still see the image of Camilla in his lap, her face attached to his like a succubus, but she wanted to hear what words he had for her. As if he already knew this, he stepped forward, his hands limp by his sides and his pain so real it was almost a physical presence in the room.
“Keira, I’m so, so sorry. You have to know that. I need you to know that.”
“Okay.”
“I didn’t invite her there. I didn’t want her there, but before I could stop her, she was on my lap and clawing at me. It was right before you got there, I swear. Nothing happened. I… I love you. I know that sounds crazy, I know we’ve only known each other for a couple of months, but I love you. I need you to know that.”
And there it was, all she needed to hear. Maybe it would have been better if she’d been able to hold out a little longer but it wasn’t in her nature to make a person suffer, and she didn’t have enough female cunning in her to make him suffer. She rushed toward him, taking his arms and wrapping them around her as she nuzzled her face into his chest. It took a moment or two for him to register that the fight was really and truly over, but then he held her closer, using all of his strength to make her feel safe and at home. His movement acted like some kind of spell on her, setting her on fire and igniting the greed of her physical need for him. Her hands rose to the collar of his shirt and began to undo the buttons, fumbling with them slightly but determined to make him naked as soon as she could possibly manage. His skin was hot beneath her fingertips, his heart thundering in his chest so quickly she thought she could almost see it. All the while, she kissed along the line of his breastbone, then got up on her tiptoes and kissed his mouth deeply, greedily. It was in a tangle of the clothing they both still had on and the clothing they struggled to get off that they made it to her bed, somehow both naked by the time they got there.
All Keira knew was that she couldn’t get his hard, thick cock inside of her fast enough, and she pulled her knees up to her ears as he plunged himself between them. A quick thrust saw him inside of her, and she let out a cry, not caring if Christie could hear them or not. Her hands found his strong shoulders, using them to steady herself as Tyler plunged himself into her over and over and over again. Her legs wrapped around his hips, her own hips rising to meet his each and every thrust. Nobody in the world aside from the two of them existed at that moment, nobody but the two of them and the rising heat building in her loins. Her hands flew up over her head and grasped for the bars of her brass headboard, and he reared up so that she could see every chiseled muscle of his impressive body. He took her ankles in his hands and threw them over his shoulders, pulling her toward him so that her hips left the bed, supported only by his hands. He plunged into her harder now, something that might have been considered rough if it wasn’t for the love between them. It took only a few more thrusts before she was biting into her own hand to keep herself from actually shouting from the force of her orgasm. Everything in the world around her fell away, all of her senses reduced to just the feeling of him sliding in and out of her as she came harder than she ever had in all of her life.
Dimly, as if from underwater, she heard him utter an expletive and then felt his body shudder both above and inside of her. Then they were both coming, hard and fast and in a way that left them exhausted directly after. When he withdrew from her, she felt a little twinge of sadness, but when she looked at his face she felt that sadness leave her. This was not the end of something, but only the beginning. When she looked at his warm eyes, she could actually see the love there, and as she slipped off into sleep, she knew the two of them would be together for a very long time.
Bonus 3: The Mountain Wolf
A paranormal shifter short story
CHAPTER ONE
“Hey there, handsome,” a familiar voice intones as I step into the drugstore. I glance towards the woman in question, unable to deny feeling a bit taken aback by the wounds she’s sporting.
“Good to see you, Miss Ebony,” I murmur, stepping closer to the counter with my supplies. She watches me with a sly smile, and I debate how to approach the subject of her injuries. Every time I see the woman in town, she’s at the drugstore buying some heavy-duty pain relievers, antiseptic, and her fair share of bandages. As many times as I’ve addressed her regarding her injuries, she’s always been quick to blow me off. I don’t expect today to be any different, but I gotta give it a shot. After all, she’s one of the few people I feel close to in this town.
“What happened to you, sweetheart? You look like you found yourself caught in a grizzly’s cave,” I inquire softly, reaching out to touch her shoulder. She offers me a hesitant smile, glancing to where my hand touches her dark skin. Ebony Withers is nothing short of a beauty, with dark hair, dark eyes, and sun-touched skin just begging to be caressed. At least, from an objective standpoint.
“Oh, you know how it is, Jasper. Got in a fight with the big bad wolf, I guess,” she responds and smiles, dismissing my concern. She glances up as the cashier calls out to her, offering me an apologetic smile. “I gotta run, buddy. It’s always nice to see you, though,” she murmurs, watching me for a moment longer before shifting towards the counter to pay for her purchases.
Since finding myself in this small town, Ebony has been nothing short of an enigma. I suppose that’s one of the things people find so attractive about her. Every man in town has thrown in his lot at trying to win her heart, but she claims that her heart already belongs to someone. No one’s ever met this beau she talks about, but we don’t ask questions around here. That’s just the way it is, here in the backwoods.
Waiting for my turn to ring up my items, I resign myself to the swirling mass that my thoughts have come to form.
The best thing about living in the backwoods of North Carolina, objectively, is the privacy. My little cabin is nestled up near a little town known as Bat Cave, completely off the map as far as the rest of the United States is concerned. Hell, people in the next town over scarcely realize we’re even here. It makes for the perfect lifestyle for a guy like myself. Raised in Charlotte, I decided to move somewhere a bit less crowded as soon as I was old enough to get out from under my pa’s iron grip. He always wanted me to get some business degree and work at one of the towering buildings that you could scarcely see the top of from the ground level. He’d always tell me, “Jasper, there’s nothing for you out in that little backwater town.”
Goes to show how much he knew. My cabin was a bit rundown when I bought her, but that just meant I got my baby for a steal. A little bit of paint, a few support beams replaced, and it’s served as my castle ever since. I also found my best friend up in these mountains, a roly poly little guy when I first met him. One of the many orchard owners nearby happened to have a sign up for some purebred hound puppies, and as soon as I laid my eyes on good ol’ Blue, I knew it was meant to be. He’d been the runt of the litter, and the man selling the pups gave me a deal on him. I guess he figu
red the little guy wouldn’t survive.
Some years later, Blue now stands at about my hip, providing all the security I could ever need in these parts. Well, all the security save for my hunting rifle. Even a hound worth his weight in gold couldn’t stand a chance against a grizzly. All the same, even if Blue was some scrawny little pup who couldn’t tree a raccoon, I’d love him. He’s my only companion.
Well, save the occasional venture to town, where I manage to unload some of the pelts I’ve collected. The people in Bat Cave are friendly, the women especially so. I’ve had my share of…offers, I suppose you could say. I like to think of myself as a pretty good-looking guy. I’ve yet to find a woman I really want to settle down with, but I keep telling myself that the day will come. I’m not a romantic at heart, but even the most stoic of men get lonely.
Loneliness is a feeling I rarely find myself faced with, however. With Blue at my side, I’m happy to gather life’s necessities from the surrounding woods and keep to myself. Trips to town are pretty few and far between. Wild blackberries grow rampant in these parts, and the meat off a deer or a nice trout always roasts up just right. I only make the trip when I need some first aid supplies, or some other bits and pieces that just don’t grow in the forest.
Just the same, I’ve been running low on those necessities that warrant a trip to town, and Blue could do with his monthly heartworm prevention. I may be what most consider a mountain man, but I’m no savage. I see that my little buddy is well taken care of. Fleas and ticks run rampant in these woods, not to mention those damn mosquitoes which are notorious for carrying around diseases.
Which is what brought me here today, and leaves me lingering just behind the one woman I would consider giving up the bachelor lifestyle for. I’ve got some shampoo that’ll work just fine for Blue and me, a couple of candy bars, and well…just a bit of this and that to keep me going. Bandages, antiseptic, pain relievers, antacid… I usually don’t spring for the heartburn remedies, but I’ve made a bit more than usual selling off my hides today. All that’s left is to pick up Blue’s joint supplements, and I can make the trip back home.
Any other day, I would be relieved to be nearly home-free. However, I can’t get the woman standing before me out of my mind. She’s idly bantering with the cashier, an elderly woman who by all rights looks like she should have retired years ago. I can’t help feeling like a bit of a creep, just watching the women talk. However, the problem is quickly resolved when Ebony bids the older woman a good weekend and heads to the door.
“Whoop, hold up, girl. I’ll see you home,” I call out, but she seems not to hear me. I rush to the counter, impatiently waiting to be rung up. It’s unthinkable to be rude to the sweet old lady behind the counter, but I’m suddenly overcome with the desire to unwrap the mystery that is Ebony Withers. Tapping my foot, I grit my jaw as every item is meticulously looked over before being entered into the cash register. In such a small-town store, there are no barcode scanners or anything of the like. Just some small orange stickers displaying the price for all to see.
“Something on your mind, honey?” the woman inquires mildly, obviously trying to make conversation. I’m not the best conversationalist on the best of days, but I can’t deny that my patience is being tried just a bit.
“Oh, nothing important,” I mutter, tapping my fingernails on the counter as she examines one of my items for a price tag. It’s a wonder that she can even see the small stickers, peering through the thick lenses in her glasses. Breathing a sigh, I jolt upright upon hearing a bit of a commotion outside. I glance pleadingly to the elderly woman, who quickly places my items in a few brown paper bags. She tells me the total for my purchase, and I fumble in my pockets for the exact change. Deciding I can give up a twenty, I hand it over, knowing full well she won’t have the right change in her drawer. “Just keep the rest, ma’am. I need to get going,” I say with a forced smile.
“Oh, thank you dear. That’s so kind,” she says gently, her eyes twinkling with delight. I nod my head to acknowledge her, gathering my bags and rushing towards the door. Hesitating a moment, I glance out the large window that frames the front of the building. Ebony is lingering near a tall and fair-skinned man, whose eyes are narrowed intensely upon her. His entire body language screams danger, and it’s all I can do to keep from running out guns blazing. As much as I’d like to play the hero, I know the girls in town can take care of themselves just fine in most cases.
All the same, I can’t help but move a bit more quickly than usual as I make my way out of the drug store. Blue regards me with a doggish smile, tail wagging slowly as he falls into step beside me. I reach down to pat him on the head, startled to see him stop just short of approaching Ebony and the man she’s caught up talking to. A low growl rumbles in the back of Blue’s throat, much to my surprise. Blue’s never so much as glanced harshly at a human, much less growled at them.
Appearing to catch the man’s attention with his growling, Blue takes a protective step in front of me. Ebony glances over her shoulder, seemingly startled to see me. I offer her an awkward smile, grabbing Blue by the collar and scolding him gently. I don’t know what’s come over my little buddy, but truth be told, I can’t say I’m awfully fond of the aura that seems to surround this guy.
Nothing to do but introduce myself, I suppose. How badly could it go?
CHAPTER TWO
The man considers me with an obvious air of disdain as I try to get Blue to quiet down. God love him, the protective hound just seems all the more eager to sink his teeth into this guy, the closer I get to him.
“Sorry about ol’ Blue, here. He’s usually the nicest dog you’d ever meet,” I begin, and the man exhales through his nose in a snort. I’m not sure if he’s amused by my awkwardness, or agitated by my dog’s excitement, but it’s not a pleasant sound to be faced with. He crosses his arms over his chest, glancing between Ebony and myself with what can only be described as a grimace of sorts.
“It’s fine, Jasper. Don’t worry about it,” Ebony says kindly, looking a bit unsure of what to make of the situation. How it suddenly became a ‘situation,’ I’m not sure, but I’m not about to duck out immediately after making a bad impression. I rise to my full height, extending my hand to the other man. He considers my proffered hand with a raised brow, reaching out to grip it in his own. Instead of shaking hands, he squeezes mine until it feels like my knuckles are cracking under the pressure. I swallow a groan of pain, meeting the man’s eyes.
“I just wanted to step over and introduce myself. I was curious as to whether you were a friend of Ebony’s, or…,” I trail off, letting the answer hang in the air.
“I should be asking the questions here… Jasper, was it?” the taller man says coldly, his ice blue eyes staring daggers at me. “I’m Malek. I’m not familiar with your face, boy. I reckon if you were a friend of Ebony’s, I’d have seen you around our home before. It’s a bit odd that you’d make yourself a stranger,” he presses, taking a step closer to me. I refuse to back away, standing my ground even as Blue grows even more wary. I can’t blame the hound at this rate; this guy seems like the sort you don’t want to mess around with.
“He’s just a guy I see in town sometimes, Malek. He’s a nice man, don’t start getting yourself worked up,” Ebony says in hushed tones. I see something akin to fear in her eyes, and I feel increasingly out of place in this conversation.
“I was just going to see her home, considering the mysterious wounds she’s been getting. But I don’t suppose you would know anything about that,” I say coolly, regretting the words as soon as they spill out of my big dumb mouth. Malek only seems to grow angrier, his hands balling into fists at his sides. I’m sure he’s going to strike me if I don’t apologize for the implication, but I’m not about to turn my belly up.
Abruptly, Blue barks and draws the three of us out of this reverie which seems to have swept over us. Malek glances down at my dog, drawing his lips back to expose his teeth in an almost animalistic snarl. B
lue bares his chompers as well, looking all too ready to tussle with the tough guy.
“Malek, let’s go. It’s getting late, and I need to get started on dinner,” Ebony asserts, grabbing the man in question by the arm. I can’t quite tell if she’s angry at me for aggravating this little spat, or if she’s just in a hurry to get out of town. Either way, I know better than to delve any deeper into this situation. It’s quite clear that this is the man Ebony entrusts her heart with, and while I can only doubt her sanity, I’m not about to come between them.
“I’m sorry to have disturbed the two of you. It was…nice to meet you, Malek,” I lie, absolutely certain that I’m not fooling anyone. He simply quirks his lips in a smile, wrapping an arm around Ebony’s shoulders and guiding her down the path that leads out of town.
“The pleasure’s all mine, boy. I’m glad we could resolve this misunderstanding,” he calls out as he walks away, and anger flares up inside me. As much as I want to point out how his obnoxiousness hadn’t helped his case, I’m not looking for an ass-whooping today. Blue seems to feel much the same as I do, his posture relaxing once the man is a fair distance away. As much as I should probably scold him for causing a fuss, I can’t help but rub his ears in approval.
“You seem to have had the right idea about that guy, buddy,” I muse aloud, slipping in the direction of the pet store. While the man who runs the place isn’t technically a veterinarian, he has his connections. I count myself lucky that my dog didn’t find himself in worse shape after that spat with the meathead Ebony seems to be dating. The creep of a guy didn’t seem above kicking a dog, or even worse. “You’re a good boy, Blue. Yes you are, who is my good boy?” I coo, not above baby-talking to my dog. He barks happily, his tail wagging as he walks just ahead of me.