In the midst of the drama with Lukas she’d forgotten about that as well.
“Yeah, umm, sure. Might as well.” She said.
“Great. Let’s go into the office and get you setup. It’ll only take a few minutes.” He said.
They made their way across the open expanse of the gym floor and into the administrative office. “Have a seat.” He said as he motioned to one of the office chairs adjacent to his desk.
He moved quickly behind the desk, slid into his chair and rolled it into place. “Now, when you join, you receive six free personal training sessions with Jason or me. Were you aware of that?” he asked.
“No.” she replied.
“Is that something that you’d be interested in doing?” he questioned.
“Yes, I… I think so.” She answered awkwardly.
“Great, well once I’m done with all of your credit card information, I’ll take your measurements so that we can get you setup in the system. You know, to chart all the progress you’re going to be making.” He said.
“Oh, I… You want to do that now?” she asked.
“Sure. Why not? That is… unless you need to get going.” He replied.
“No. That’s fine.” She said as she rubbed her hands nervously on her thighs.
For several minutes, he alternated between writing and entering information into his computer. Finally, he paused and said, “Okay, all set on that. Now how about those measurements?”
“Okay…” she answered hesitantly.
Ellie reluctantly stood and did her best to smooth out the bulges in her shirt. She tugged down on it and hitched up her jeans slightly in an effort to suppress her pooch. It was a fairly common ritual she had upon standing and one that she was probably the world’s foremost expert on.
Ben seemed unfazed by her fidgeting. Instead, he pointed to her immediate left and said, “Okay Ellie. I am going to have you stand in front of the mirror there and I’ll be right over. We’ll get your weight last.”
Get your weight… The words echoed in her brain like they’d been shouted through a vast canyon.
Great.
She turned to face the familiar reflection. Most of the time she’d learned to come to terms with her weight. That was even the case when she felt like she was being judged because of it - which was often. But, her insecurities still gnawed at her and no more so than when Ben suddenly appeared behind her in the mirror’s reflection.
He fiddled with the tape measure a bit and as he did, she looked on with hazy lust. It wasn’t like her to be so drawn to a human - especially one that she hardly knew. Still, everything about him beckoned her wild side. Her wolf yearned to rip away every shred of his clothing which hung snugly, and tantalizingly, in all the right places.
She imagined exposing his cannonball round shoulders first. That would quickly be followed by revealing the deep crevices of muscle between his pecs and then moving all the way down to rippling abs of his V shaped torso.
“Ellie?” he said slicing into her stupor.
She suddenly became aware that her daydreams had not gone unnoticed. Try as she might, she couldn’t control the telltale red flush of wantonness that washed over her complexion. Quickly, she tried to compose herself and said, “Oh, I… Sorry about that, I was just thinking about something.”
“Oookay.” He replied. “Are you ready?”
“Yes. I am.” She said with a nervous smile.
“Very good.” He said and then grabbed the tape measure to start. But no sooner had he done that then he came to a dead stop, looked her up and down and grunted, “Hmmmmm…”
Well, that didn’t sound good.
“What?” she asked with trepidation as she looked at back at her plump reflection.
He cleared his throat a bit and said, “Well, it’s just that normally when we take measurements people they are undressed or at least, in their gym clothes.”
“Oh…” she replied awkwardly.
He lingered there in silence. She wasn’t sure if he was waiting for her to start removing her clothing or for her to tell him that there was no way in hell that was happening.
Ellie actually wanted to do both.
She knew that although he probably hadn’t intended it, every second that ticked by was making her feel increasingly uneasy. She quickly reached her breaking point but just as she opened her mouth to speak he said, “You know, I think in this case we’ll be alright.”
He then leaned back slightly, looked her up and down again, smiled broadly and said, “After all, there’s not much we could do to improve on perfection is there?”
“I… uhh…” she stuttered. Her voice drifted off into silence as quiet descended upon the intimate space between them. Her gaze was riveted on his reflection in the mirror. She was transfixed by the way he looked her up and down. He was sizing her up alright but definitely not measuring her.
“Well…” he said with a readiness in his voice. “Shall we begin?”
She nodded and watched in horror as he knelt down behind her to measure her hips. He peeked his head around from behind and said, “Would you like to know the number or should I just write it down?”
“It’s been a long day already.” She sighed. “You can just write it down if you don’t mind.”
He chuckled and replied, “No problem.”
His arms lassoed around her as he positioned the measuring tape at her hips and she tried to block out the fact that he seemed to be using an awful lot of it. Instead, she did her best to not think about the math that was going to be required with that much tape being used.
After a quick notation, he jotted down the measurement and then moved up to her waist. To get a better angle he stood from his crouched position behind her. His body moved in close to hers as he wrapped his arms around her plush midsection. Much taller than she, he leaned in closer to her and craned his neck over her shoulder in effort to bring the tape precisely between his fingertips. Once he’d gotten the number, he hummed, “Alright.”
The silky, deep tones of his voice vibrated down her spinal cord and raced all the way between her thighs. Goose pimples exploded from every square inch of exposed skin she had.
Something in the way he was conducting these ‘measurements’ had changed. The tape hung loose in front of her as he pulled it up slowly along the length of her torso until it touched the underside of her large, full breasts. Her pulse was racing. She did her best to keep her breathing measured and steady.
He leaned in toward her ear and said, “Nowww, that won’t be a very accurate chest measurement will it?”
Ellie shook her head slowly and whispered, “No, I don’t think so.”
His voice lowered another octave and he replied, “It’s very, very important to me that this particular measurement is correct Ellie. So, I’m going to have you turn and face me. I’ll take this one from the front…”
She swallowed hard. There was no way she could have mistaken what he meant or at least that’s what she hoped.
“Okay.” She said softly.
He released the tape and she pivoted in his direction.
Deftly, he moved his arms and then the tape under hers and before she’d realized it, he pulled her close to him. His body felt like granite beneath the thin texture of his lycra-spandex shirt.
“Much better…” he growled.
“Is it?” she asked.
He licked his lips slightly and said, “Yes.”
This was a dangerous moment for her wolf. He was human and nothing but bad consequences lie ahead for her if she let things slip one inch further. Growing up, she’d heard about wolf and human matings that had gone badly - very badly…
But, she was weak and he was close… and drawing closer.
Her lips quivered with eagerness as the first hints of his hot breath brushed against them. Her wolf was clawing at her, desperate to have the flavor of his flesh within its mouth which had begun to moisten in quiet anticipation.
Their eyes remain lo
cked upon each other as he started to pull the tape taut across her back and draw the remaining slack towards her breasts. Moments later, the tape touched at the center of her chest.
Still looking at her he said, “Just as I suspected.”
“What?” she asked.
He pinched the tape between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand and with his left he reached behind her and pulled against the small of her back. With a quick tug, their lips were suddenly an inch apart.
“The perfect size.” He whispered.
Her mind crackled with lust and her curves shook against his firm grip on her backside. In a split second, he was upon her and for the moment at least, she’d given in to her carnal side.
She was overwhelmed by the deep passion of his kiss. It wasn’t like anything she imagined kissing a human would be like. It was delicate, yes, but with a familiar edge which was strange since humans were known to be delicate in comparison to her kind.
He dropped the tape measure to the floor and pulled her ample flesh hard against his thick core. She whimpered as he pressed her into him and before she realized it, he’d picked her up and motioned for her to straddle him with her thighs.
She was aghast at his strength. No man, not even Lukas, had ever handled her in the way he did. She felt as light as air as her legs wrapped around him like a vice. In that split second, he’d managed to squelch her insecurities under his physical prowess. As the seconds ticked by, she could feel herself slip deeper into him.
She’d always yearned for someone to erase her self-doubts and insecurities but had long since given up hope. Now as her bountiful flesh filled the thick hands of this beast of a man she thought that perhaps her time had finally come. Their heads pivoted back and forth. Heat and spittle and fire passed between their mouths as their tongues snaked rapidly in and out. Ellie’s brain fired neurons at spastic intervals with each passing moment of their embrace.
As the embers of their passion burned, his hands had begun to wander from her fluffy waist down to her round ass where they finally came to rest with a firm squeeze. Ellie groaned in his mouth, her wolf now tearing at her insides.
She squeezed her thighs together as he devoured her and lashed at her mouth with his tongue. She’d never been so instantly captured in this way and she could feel herself getting lost in the chaos of his affections. If she wasn’t careful it would go to a place that she knew it shouldn’t.
With that heavy awareness upon her, she regained her mental faculties long enough to break free from his embrace, if only for a moment and said, “Wait, no. I… I can’t Ben. Please…”
A look of stunned confusion came over his fair features. “Why Ellie? Is something wrong?”
“Yes. I mean, no. I just shouldn’t being doing this. This is not me.” she replied.
He gently lowered her back to the ground and replied, “It’s alright. Really. I shouldn’t have done that Ellie. It’s just that I couldn’t help myself. I won’t lie to you. I want you. I’m not going to pretend that I don’t.”
She was roiling inside. Hearing those unexpected words come from a man like him was enough to send any woman, let alone a pudgy girl like Ellie, into a tailspin.
“Thank you. I’m so flattered but I just… I have to go Ben. I’m sorry.” She said with a slightly dejected tone in her voice.
He straightened his clothing and replied, “That’s fine. Here let me grab my things and I’ll walk you out.”
“Okay. Thank you.” She said.
Ben quickly gathered up his belongings, switched off the lights in his office and the pair headed towards the exit. Ellie immediately expected awkwardness between them but she detected nothing but calm from him as they walked side-by-side.
He opened the front door for her, then came out behind her and turned to lock the door. As she waited, she noticed it was a moonlit night. She thought of the pack and how many of them would be out on the hunt. It was something that she knew now was never going to happen for her and she smiled sadly in acceptance of the fact. As they walked towards the parking lot, Ben turned towards her and said, “Ellie, I hope that what happened between us doesn’t mean you won’t be coming back.”
“Of course not, Ben. I love coming to the gym.” She said. As far as she knew, it was the first time in her life she’d used the words gym and love in the same sentence.
He quickly replied, “Good, I was worried that it upset you so much that you wouldn’t be.”
She stopped, turned to face him and said, “No, not at all. It’s just that it’s a long story. I’ll explain everything to you at some point but trust me when I tell you that it has nothing to do with you.”
“Then who does it have do with Ellie?” a voice said angrily from behind them.
Lukas.
The pair turned back to see him standing there. Every bit the physical equal of Ben, Lukas stood with fists clenched and eyes ablaze with rage.
“Ellie, I told you to stay away from him.” He scolded.
“And, I told you to leave me alone Lukas. What the hell are you doing here anyway?” she demanded.
“I’m here to get what belongs to me.” he replied flatly.
“Belongs to you? No, no. No Lukas. I don’t belong to you. You’ve made that perfectly clear.” She replied.
“Ellie, I’m telling you. You need to be with the pack. You are just confused. We can work this out.” He said.
“No!” she thundered back.
He moved quickly towards them in an apparent attempt to snatch her. But, almost as quickly Ben moved between her and the would-be kidnapper.
“Hey buddy. Didn’t you hear the lady? She doesn’t want anything to do with you.” He said firmly.
Lukas froze and said, “Hey, step aside man. Don’t make me hurt you because I will.”
“No Lukas! You know that isn’t allowed!” she screamed.
“Quiet, Ellie!” he shot back.
He then looked Ben squarely in the eye and warned, “This is your last chance. Either step aside or I will make you step aside.”
Apparently unimpressed, Ben looked at Lukas and said, “Do your worst. Do you think you frighten me, dog?”
“What the fuck did you just call me?” Lukas growled.
There was no greater disrespect that could have been uttered. Whether he’d intended it or not, that comment by Ben had pushed Lukas right to the edge. Ellie knew that unless she acted quickly, Lukas would shift and then there was no telling what would happen.
But as she attempted to get around Ben and satisfy Lukas’ demands, he grabbed her with a force that she’d only experienced at the hands of a wolf. Without turning back towards her, he leaned in towards Lukas and growled, “You heard me. Dog.”
Lukas flew into a rage and within seconds had shifted.
“Lukas! No!” Ellie cried out.
But to her disbelief, Ben remained firm and unaffected by Lukas’ transformation. His wolf form paced and snarled before them and she knew it was just a matter of time before he dispatched with her human shield.
“Come on you son of a bitch.” Ben chided.
Lukas did one more half turn and then leaned back on his haunches. But, no sooner had he readied himself to leap towards Ben than a blinding flash of golden fur crossed their line of sight. It crashed into Lukas with terrible force and slammed him into a nearby car and buckled the door in the process. Lukas howled upon impact.
“Lukas!” she screamed. Ben held steady.
As the dust settled, she shook her head in disbelief at what she saw. A lion equal to the size of Lukas had knocked him completely unconscious in the collision. She was too stunned to be confused or even feel fear. That is, until the beast turned its attention back toward them and began to move in their direction.
“Ben!” she cried out. But just as she screamed in fear the big cat transformed before her eyes into none other than Ben’s brother, Jason.
“What the…” she said in disbelief.
“Brother!” Ben sai
d with a chuckle, “What took you so long?”
“Sorry about that.” Jason replied with a quick wink.
The pair hugged for a moment and then turned their attention back towards Lukas who’d begun to stir back to awareness on the pavement. The blow had caused him to return to his human form but his anger was still right at the surface.
He shook his head and said, “I warned you about them Ellie.”
She was in a state of total bewilderment. “Lukas… I… I had no idea. I didn’t know what they were. I didn’t even know that their kind existed!” she exclaimed.
“That’s why you need the guidance of the pack Ellie. Now obviously, I’m outnumbered here so I can’t force you to come with me. But, if you come now, you won’t be shunned. If you choose to stay, I cannot make any promises. This is your future Ellie so consider your answer carefully.”
Ellie could simply not believe what was happening. Worse yet, Lukas’ demands to make any sort of rational decision was beyond her at the moment. Still, the wounds from him were still fresh enough for her know that she couldn’t go with him. He could be right about the shunning but there was the possibility that he could be wrong as well. It was certainly no secret within the pack as to how he’d treated her. She’d have to rely on the mercy of the pack alpha, Lukas’ uncle, Marlon.
As for the lion brothers… she didn’t even know where to begin.
“Well?” Lukas growled.
She stiffened her spine and in an instant made her mind up. “No, Lukas. I’m not going to be intimidated by you. You are at least partially to blame in all of this. Now, respect me as your pack mate and go.”
“Fine…” he huffed. As he got up and started to leave he turned back toward her and said, “‘I’m sorry that it has come to this Ellie.”
“So am I but it was your choice.” She said.
“You are making a big mistake being with them…” he said as his voice trailed off. He headed back towards his car and within moments, he tore out of the parking lot.
***
The brothers remained calm in the midst of the chaos unfolding around them. As Lukas’ car disappeared from view, she turned to the both of them and said, “Thank you both very much. I appreciate what you did.”
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