by Sky Winters
He could feel it.
Reaching the door, he threw himself into it with a mighty kick, ripping the thing off of its hinges. Once he entered, he was greeted with the sight of Lucas, one arm wrapped around Tessa, the other holding a gun that was pressed against her temple. A pair of girls were also in the room, and as soon as Atticus entered they ran past him screaming, out into the hall.
“Surprised to see you here, shifter,” said Lucas, his grip tight on Tessa.
“What, did you really think your meth-head flunkies would do their job?”
“Maybe, maybe not, but it doesn’t matter- now I’ve got you right where I want you.”
Atticus’s eyes fastened on Tessa and the gun, rage boiling within him at the sight of his love being held in danger.
“You OK, Tessa?”
She nodded, Lucas’s thick arm crossed over her neck, her eyes winced in pain and fear.
“Here’s the deal,” said Lucas, moving towards the large window in the bedroom. “You and your pack leave now. Leave Bear Mountain and never come back. Tessa stays with me, but I guarantee you she won’t be harmed.”
“And leave you to ruin this city even more than you already have? Not a chance,” said Atticus.
Lucas scoffed, his eyes fixed on Atticus as he kept the gun trained on Tessa.
“I had a feeling you might say that.”
He rattled the gun in his hand.
“My guards weren’t smart enough to make sure they were loaded up with silver bullets, but I was. One shot from this right to your gut and I’ll take care of this shifter problem real fast.”
He pointed the gun at Atticus, whose body tensed as the weapon was trained on him. He knew that Lucas was right- a shot from that to the limbs wouldn’t necessarily be fatal, but a solid shot to the torso or head would kill him on the spot.
“Of course,” said Lucas, pressing the end of the gun to Tessa’s head. “These work just as well on non-shifters, too.”
Tessa let out a whimper as Lucas tapped on her temple with the tip of the gun.
“You wouldn’t,” said Atticus, his body ready to pounce.
“I would if it meant you left and didn’t come back,” said Lucas.
“You kill her and you’re next,” said Atticus.
“You know what?” asked Lucas. “I think it would be easier just to kill you.”
Before Atticus could react, Lucas trained the gun on him and fired a shot. Atticus moved at the last minute, jumping towards the side of the room as Tessa let out a scream. The shot slammed into the wall just behind where Atticus stood only seconds ago.
Then, Lucas aimed the gun at Atticus once more, and Atticus knew in that split-second that he wouldn’t be able to avoid this one.
But before Lucas could fire, Tessa extended her arm and drove her elbow right into Lucas’s gut, the air rushing from his lungs as the second shot went wide. His hold on Tessa broke, and she ran towards Atticus, who rose to his feet and drew Tessa close as she approached.
“You bitch!” he yelled, snatching the gun from the ground and heading out of the window.
Atticus followed him, rushing to the window just as Lucas scrambled out of it, following him up onto the roof.
Another shot rang out over the din of the crowds below as Atticus pulled himself up onto the roof.
But as Atticus finished climbing, his eyes fixed on Lucas as he stood on the roof, the farmhouse land stretching beyond, the night black above and Bear Mountain looming in the distance like a silent observer, he knew it was time to finish this.
With a mighty roar, he shifted into his bear form, his clothes ripping as he changed. He watched as Lucas trained the gun on him once more and cracked off a shot, this one connecting with Atticus in his upper left arm. But Atticus closed the distance and with a killing swipe of his paw, he slashed Lucas across the chest, the impact sending him careening off of the roof, his body slamming into the ground below.
Looking down at Lucas’s now still body, Atticus shifted back to his human form, the night wind cool on his skin. Turning, he saw that Tessa was now climbing onto the roof, and seconds later was at his side. A tear fell from her eyes as she looked down at Lucas’s body, she realized that it was finally over.
CHAPTER 24
The light streaming in through the glass wall of the bedroom, Tessa closed her eyes, a smile on her face as Atticus kissed her along her stomach, the sensation of his lips upon her bare skin a sensual pleasure that she never grew tired of. She opened her eyes slightly, watching his sandy, blonde hair dip down further and further, his kisses moving down the small bump of her stomach, over her hip bones, and then along the soft curves of her hips, before ending up on the small tuft of brown hair above her sex. He flicked his eyes up her and she sighed as she felt his hot breath on her most sensitive skin.
Still kissed her, Atticus slid a finger inside of her, the feeling of his penetration making Tessa feel as though her body were lighting up like a Christmas tree. She sighed, her gaze falling to the window as she watched the morning breeze pass through the branches beyond the compound.
Atticus slid another finger inside of her and moved them in and out of her slowly and gently. Tessa spread her legs wider to accommodate him as he worked. After a few minutes of this, Atticus moved his head down even further and Tessa felt giddy with anticipation for what was about to come.
He didn’t make her wait long. Atticus began licking her with small, quick darts of his tongue, teasing her at first. Before too long, he shifted to long, slow drags of his tongue, covering her clitoris completely with his warm, wet mouth as he continued to finger her. Tessa listened to the sound of him licking her, a soft, wet lapping that drove her wild as he stimulated her in this most intimate way.
She stretched her limbs, feeling as though Atticus could bring her to orgasm very easily in this manner. And part of her wanted to let him right then and there. But another part of her, a more insistent part, wanted him inside of her.
Tessa slid her fingers into his hair and pulled his head up, his sensual lips glistening with her.
“Want me to keep going?” he asked, his voice a purr.
“I could have you do that all day,” she said, her breasts rising and falling with each breath.
“Then you should let me,” he said with a smile.
“No,” she said. “I want to ride you.”
“You sure?” he asked.
Tessa rolled her eyes playfully. Ever since the two of them found out she was pregnant, Atticus wasted no time in slipping into the role of overprotective father.
“I think the babies can handle it,” she said with a sly grin.
Atticus let out a quick laugh.
“That’s right, if they’re like their mother, they can handle anything.”
Not wanting to say another word, Tessa pulled Atticus up and gently pushed him onto his back. She spread her legs as she climbed up on top him, a smile on her face as she slowly descended, taking his cock into her inch by inch.
Tessa sighed as he was fully sheathed into her, and as soon as he was, she placed her hands on his rock-hard chest, supporting herself as she moved up and down on top of him.
She rode him gently at first, slowly. They’d made love dozens, if not hundreds of times over the last few months, but she still found herself needing to take him slowly at first- his cock was simply too large to just jump right on top of. But once he was inside of her, the slickness of her pussy allowing him to slide in perfectly, she began to ride him harder and harder still.
After a few minutes, Tessa was bouncing up and down on top of him with wild abandon. She listened to the soft, wet sound of his cock plunging into her over and over, taking sweet pleasure at the feeling of driving him into her time and time again. Atticus’s hands rested on her hips at first, but over time traveled up to her breasts, squeezing and kneading them as he played with her nipples, a feeling of sensual, electrical pleasure running through her body as he stimulated her. She looked down at his face,
his gorgeous, masculine features twisted into an expression of erotic agony as she rode him.
Her orgasm came quickly, almost without warning. Tessa screamed and moaned as she came, her body snapping back, her breasts shaking as convulsions of pleasure rocked her. Then, with a low moan, Atticus came, his cock emptying into her, filling her pussy with his hot seed. Tessa let out several more moans, her body completely in the grip of the orgasm.
But soon, it faded, and she collapsed on top of Atticus, her face pressed against his sweaty, sculpted chest.
Minutes passed, the two of them saying nothing, only taking in slow draws of air as they lay together.
Finally, after ten minutes or so had passed, Atticus spoke.
“I think it’s time to get up,” he said, looking at the clock next to the bed.
“So soon?” asked Tessa, her voice disappointed. “I think I have another round in me.”
“I think I have another three rounds in me,” said Atticus, sliding out from under Tessa and sitting up. “But I happened to see Clyde and Sarah putting up some decorations in the living room and I don’t think we should keep them waiting.”
“Oh, a party?”
“Something like that.”
Atticus started off for the shower, but stopped mid-step, as if remembering something.
“I love you,” he said, kissing Tessa on her forehead.
“I love you, too,” she responded, her mouth wide with a smile.
Tessa and Atticus took a quick shower together, getting dressed after they were done. After she put on her clothes, Tessa took the beautiful ring that Atticus had proposed to her with from the nightstand and slipped it onto her finger, a warm feeling rushing through her, a reminder of the joy she felt when he proposed to her months ago.
After the night when Atticus rescued her from Lucas, she felt that everything happened so fast. Within weeks, the leaderless meth gang fragmented, their members melting away, leaving nothing but a small group of a few dozen stragglers that the local law enforcement were able to put behind bars with all due speed. The meth blight that came so close to swallowing the communities near Bear Mountain whole was now gone, and things started to return to normal. And once the rebuilding went on, it seemed that Branlen might be even stronger that it was before.
Tessa and Atticus were married in a wonderful ceremony attended by nearly all of the town of Branlen (though the bear secret of the pack was kept under wraps.) The event was a joyful one, not only because of the joining of Tessa and Atticus but because the marrying of the elder brother meant that the rest of the pack could now choose mates. Indeed, within weeks, nearly every man in the pack had found a mate.
That and the new women of the pack took residence with their men in the ever-growing Swift Compound, which was now resembling a small village. Soon after the flurry of marriages, the new women began to show signs of carrying the next generation of bear shifters, their bellies round and full with the promise of new life for the pack.
Tessa was the first among them, of course. Soon after she and Atticus were married, Tessa began to sense that there was something different about her. One doctor’s appointment later they learned, to their joy, that not only was Tessa pregnant, but she was pregnant with twins- a boy and a girl. Atticus explained to her that this was the greatest omen that they could hope for: the boy would grow to be the next Alpha after Atticus, and the girl would lead the women of the tribe. He told it was a sign that the pack would grow even stronger than ever before. Tessa took the news in stunned silence, a happiness that she’d never thought possible filling her, tears welling in her eyes.
Dressed and ready, Atticus and Tessa headed down to the living room, which was covered with all manner of baby-related decorations. Every member of the pack was there, the men and the woman.
“Surprise!” the pack shouted out as Tessa and Atticus descended the stairs.
Warmth filled Tessa as she looked over the pack, all of their faces lit with happiness and joy.
“We never got a chance to congratulate you officially on the baby, so we figured that now was as good a time as any,” said Clyde, his pretty, stout wife at his side, her blonde hair parted in the middle, her eyes twinkling with the sort of glimmer that a mother-to-be had.
“Though, perhaps this would be a good time to celebrate all of the babies of the new tribe,” said Ian, his slim, ethereally beautiful wife seated next to him, her hand on her burgeoning baby bump.
“Why not a celebration for everyone?” asked Roland, his own pregnant wife at his side, a handsome-faced, sharply dressed beauty.
Atticus looked over at Tessa and saw that her eyes were welling with tears. With a smile, he realized she wouldn’t be speaking anytime soon for fear of bursting into joyful sobs.
“That sounds wonderful to me,” said Atticus, slipping an arm around Tessa as he raised a glass of sparkling wine taken from a nearby tray.
“To the pack!” he said, raising his glass.
“To the pack!” the rest of the pack responded in unison.
Tessa smiled as the party commenced, her head on Atticus’s shoulder, her hand on her belly. She didn’t know what the future would bring. Atticus assured her there would be challenges to come, that the life of a shifter pack was anything but boring. But she knew with this man, her love, at her side, they’d be able to take on anything, together.
ComeShift Bonus
Ghost Wolf
Chapter One
“What are you doing?” Mandy asked, trying to turn over to face Cameron.
“Just lie there and be a good girl,” he told her, holding her flat on her belly with one powerful hand.
“But what are you doing?” she asked with a laugh, laying her head back down on the pillow.
“I’m creating a work of art.”
“What sort of art?”
“The kind that has made me famous.”
“You’re putting graffiti on my back?”
“Very funny.”
“Well, you do have a mugshot online for spray painting a pedestrian overpass.”
“It was a labor of love.”
“It got you arrested.”
“Well worth it.”
A week into their dating he had been arrested for spray painting a message to her on the side of an overhead walkway. It was juvenile and yet, she’d found it completely endearing. Walking through the park one morning following a night of phenomenal sex, she had stopped and stared at the huge letters above her head with a mixture of amusement and horror. They spelled out “Mandy” in neon green, followed by “Came” in hot pink. They had just discussed that she walked this path every morning on her way to work the day before. There was no doubt it was his work.
They had a good laugh later on when he had told her that he was mid-stroke when he’d spotted cops walking up the path with mag lights. One had yelled at him and he’d run before he could finish spelling out “Cameron” and add the bright yellow “&” sign he had intended to put in the middle. They weren’t quite as amused a few days later when he had been arrested based on nearby camera footage that clearly showed his face. He ended up with a slap on the wrist and some community service time, plus a story that probably wasn’t quite appropriate to tell.
“This might just be a masterpiece,” he commented, moving the marker in a flourishing stroke across her backside. No doubt he was signing his name as he was known to do.
“I hope you aren’t planning on putting it on display somewhere.”
“Absolutely not. At least not where anyone else can see,” he told her, blowing against her skin as if to dry the paint marker.
“Are you finished now?” she asked, attempting, once more, to get up.
“Yes, but it needs to dry. I’m afraid you’ll have to lie there for a moment. Don’t worry. I’ll watch and let you know when it’s cured.”
“And how long will that be?”
“Just long enough to make you come is what I’m thinking,” he told her, his fingers slipping
between her legs and caressing dampening pink folds.
“If you make me squirm, it might mess up your artwork.”
“Then I suppose I will have to keep you pinned down, won’t I?”
“I suppose you must,” she replied, her words punctuated by a moan as he began teasing her clit with a single digit.
“There you go. Don’t hold back. I love listening to you when you’re excited. You sound almost angelic, even though we both know what a little devil you are.”
“You make me that way,” she muttered, biting the pillow as his thumb slipped upward and into her ass, slipping in and out in perfect coordination with the fingers that were buried inside her dripping pussy and simultaneously massaging her clit.
“We’ve only just begun.”
Mandy moaned loudly as his strokes increased in frequency and force. He continued fucking her with his hand as he leaned down over her, slipping one hand beneath her to pinch and twist a single nipple. A loud cry created from a mixture of ecstasy and delicious pain emanated from her center as she arched into the bed, eager for more.
“Not yet, beautiful,” he told her, slowing his movements so that he was gliding in and out of her wetness slowly, deeply.
“Please. Please let me come,” she begged.
“In time. I’m not ready to let you come just yet.”
Under Cameron’s guidance, Mandy had been progressively trained to hold off on her orgasms per his instructions. He was every bit the alpha male his profile on the ComeShift dating app had indicated. It was a fluke that she had even been on there, having always opposed dating sites. She’d only given it a shot based on a friend’s recommendation after having such bad luck trying to date normal men. The site was designed for shifters like Cameron to meet women more accepting of their special abilities. She had never expected to find her soul mate there, but after four weeks, Cameron certainly seemed to be exactly what she had been looking for.
“Yes,” she replied, her voice a needy whisper against the pillow.