Shifters in the Shadows

by Deveaux, Poppy

  “A little tip for you, take small sips, it’s better for your body to soak up the water,” he said. Natalie nodded.

  “Is this your first hike?”

  “Pretty much. I used to go fishing with my dad, and sometimes we’d go for a long walk around the lakes there, but it was never anything like this.” When Cindy noticed the two of them talking she shot Natalie a covert glance and smiled. Natalie rolled her eyes.

  “What made you decide to come and do this now?”

  “It was my friend’s idea actually,” Natalie said, inviting Cindy into the conversation.

  “Her boyfriend just broke up with her for a bullshit reason, and she’s been moping around for the past few weeks so I wanted to get her out of the city and show her that there’s more to life.” Natalie glared at her, and if her body hadn’t been so tired from the amount of walking they had embarked upon she would have hit her friend. Dan raised his eyebrows and let out a bit of a nervous laugh.

  “Well alrighty then, everyone has their own reasons I suppose. If you wanted to escape you came to the right place,” and as he said this they crested the hill and came to a peak. Before them the mountain towered, its peak pointing to the sky that some great testament to the gods. It rose to such a height that it seemed to merge with the sky, and it was breathtaking. The valley was filled with colors, and if she had seen pixies and fairies dancing about Natalie wouldn’t have been surprised, because it would have seemed entirely fitting for them to appear. The group took a break to gaze in awe at the scenery, while they recovered some of their strength. Philip and Dan passed out extra bottles of water to those who needed them, and then soon enough they were off. It didn’t take them too long to reach the cabin; a large building that had separate rooms for each group that had booked. Cindy and Natalie were in a room with bunk beds. The cabin had a large lounge area, a big dining table, and a large kitchen. Many people took the opportunity to sit, and were obviously already feeling the effects of walking so much as they massaged their feet. Natalie saw Philip and Dan talking to each other, and she tried to not show the effects of tiredness, for she wanted to give the impression that she was stronger than she felt.

  Dan came over and told them that given the heat outside they were going to take it easy for the rest of the day, have something to eat, and then go on a little circle in the nearby area in the early evening to show them some of the surrounding area. Natalie and Cindy had a chance to go into their room, and they gossiped about Philip and Dan.

  “They’re both so hot, I think that Dan likes you,” Cindy said.

  “I doubt that, he was talking to everyone, it's his job. Besides, even if he does I’m sure that quickly disappeared when you told him that my boyfriend dumped me and I’ve been moping.”

  “It sounded better in my head. I thought it would make you sound more accessible.”

  “The point is I’m not accessible. I may be single but I’m not ready for anything else. I don’t care how hot they are I’m not about to just sleep with some random person after I’ve broken up with the guy I thought I was going to marry.” Cindy held up her hands in surrender.

  Four

  The evening was cool, a little cooler than the sun would suggest, and the sun was dipping over the horizon, sending a crimson streak spearing through the sky, making it look as though it was bleeding. The guides led the party through a corpse of trees and pointed out some notable landmarks. In the distance they could all hear the cascading waterfall, and Dan promised them they they would see it the following day. As they walked along Natalie was filled with a strange feeling. She felt calmer than she had, but being away from the city and thoughts about Mark almost made it seem like things with him hadn’t been as important as she had thought. When something could be ended that easily was there any point in starting anything? She wasn’t sure how to answer that question, all she knew is that she wanted to find an escape. The prospect that Dan was interested in her stirred something in her heart, and although she had denied anything to Cindy, she had to admit that she was intrigued for she had never been with an alpha male type. Dan seemed so powerful and confident, and it seemed like he knew exactly where he belonged. It was quite the contrast to Mark, and although she hated to compare them she found it difficult not to.

  When they returned to the cabin they all played some games until the night, and then people started to bid each other goodnight. Cindy and Natalie went to bed, and while Cindy was soon snoring Natalie found it more difficult. She turned her head to the side and gazed out of the window at the full moon. The silvery glow bathed the world, and the stars twinkled by its side. When she strained her ears she could hear the soft cascading of the waterfall, and found that her heart longed to be free. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep for hours she crept out of the cabin and walked slowly outside, towards the direction of the waterfall. She vaguely remembered the direction in which they had walked earlier, but she made sure not to get too far away from the cabin in case she got lost, because she had seen far too many horror movies. The threat of bears was also in her mind as well, even though she knew she was mostly likely being foolish.

  Despite it being the middle of the night it was actually quite light, for the moon was bright. Natalie felt soothed by it, and as she made her way to the waterfall she felt good at leaving everything behind, because she wanted to be alone and away from everything else. Things with Mark were still difficult, but she knew that she had to move on, it was just so hard when she was surrounded by everything they had built together but being out in the open like this made her realize that there was a wider world out there.

  As the trees opened up to the waterfall she was taken aback by the beauty of what she was seeing. The waterfall flowed down in a constant foamy stream, and the water shimmered under the silvery light of the full moon. The whole place had a mysterious tranquility about it, an ancient feeling that made her feel like she was stepping into another dimension. She crouched down beside the small pool and dipped her hand into the crystal water. It was cold to the touch, and she gasped as she brought her hand back to a warmer climate. She turned around, and the noise of the water faded in the general ambiance. She heard a rustling in the bushes, and fear seized her. She looked around and her eyes peered into the darkness, and when she saw a vague shadow move she found that her breath caught in her throat. She heard another rustling and turned to face it, and when she turned a bear had launched itself through the air, and landed before her. She was too afraid to scream as she looked into its beady eyes, and before she knew it another had come out of the forest. She backed away and cowered in fear, wondering if her life would be over. They looked bigger than normal bears, and soon revealed themselves to be Dan and Philip as they transformed into the men. Their naked bodies glistened in the dim light of the moon, and Natalie’s heart raced.

  “Don’t be afraid,” Dan said, going up to her.

  “You shouldn't be here,” Philip growled, “You shouldn’t know about this.” Dan went up to her and squeeze her hand. She felt his warmth spread through her.

  “It’s okay, she won’t tell anyone. You can keep our secret can’t you?” he asked, and she found herself nodding. “I took note of what your friend said. I get the feeling that you could use an escape from life right now, out here nothing about your world matters. You’re in our world now, let yourself go.” As he said this he ran his fingers through her hair and she found herself drawn to him. Dan pulled her into him, and her soft curves pressed against his chiseled muscles, She found herself irrevocably drawn to him, and although she wasn’t quite sure of the powerful sensations coursing through her soul she found herself giving herself to him, and as her lips parted she felt a burning kiss, the likes of which she hadn’t experienced for far too long.

  Dan held her tightly against him as their tongues danced and they fell into the kiss. Natalie moaned softly as she felt his arousal press against her, and in the silence of the night their moans were the only noise that accompanied the wate
rfall. She felt a hand come around her head and pushed her to her knees. She sank down and started pleasuring his erection with her mouth, soaking it with her saliva. She closed her eyes and looked up at the beast that was now a man, and was fueled with forbidden lust. Natalie kissed and teased Dan with her tongue and lips, and as she was sucking enthusiastically she felt Philip come close to her. She looked up at him, and gazed upon his powerful figure, and the desire she felt inside was double. His thick erection stood rigidly next to her face, and she started to stroke him with her hand before she moved her lips over to service him as well. Her jaw soon began to ache as she pleasured them both, and they groped and tore off her clothes until she was as naked as they, and she felt herself revert to a primal state where she was nothing but a being of erotic sensuality.

  They kissed and fondled her, and they explored her body as she lay splayed out on the mossy grass, letting her arms stretch out against the soft caress of nature as strong explosions of passion sang through her body. She moaned and murmured as their fingers slid in between her lips and made her body writhe as their lips came over her bullet nipples. Her vision went blurry and she didn’t know where she ended and they began. Her whole body prickled with sexual energy and the air began to crackle as she was pulled and pushed about. Their hands were all over her, feeling every inch of her, until she was pulled up and hoisted over one of them. She was lowered onto him and had to ride him, feeling his thick erection get deep inside her. He controlled the rhythm and she rested her full weight on him, letting the moonlight caress her exposed, milky flesh, while the other stood in front of her, and filled her gasping mouth with his erection. She sucked as she was fucked, and delirious sweat poured down her face. She moaned loudly, although they were muffled by the erection in her mouth. Through bleary eyes she made them out, and locked eyes with both of them as the overwhelming pleasure cracked her mind. She rode Dan as she sucked Philip, and let the pleasure surge through her like an inferno, immolating the doubt and heartbreak she had been nursing. As sweat poured over her curves and Dan fucked her she was torn asunder. Her face was covered in a thick, warm cream and she licked it all up as she was flung into the air by the force of Dan’s jerking hips, until he released himself in a moment of pure bestial rawness.

  They kissed and held her before they transformed back into bears and disappeared into the middle of the woods. Natalie bathed in the waterfall before she returned to room. When she crawled into bed Cindy stirred.

  “You okay?” she asked. Natalie smiled and replied in the affirmative. She was better than she had ever been, and she was already looking forward to the following night.

  The End

  Savage Urges

  Chapter 1

  It had been a year since her husband died yet still Amelia could feel his presence in the mansion. Sometimes when she closed her eyes she could have sworn that he was standing directly behind her. Never had she believed in ghosts or the spirit world but there was definitely something lurking...perhaps it was simply her own longing for the past. Night terrors plagued her, and often she awoke in a cold sweat, the sheets sodden, and the moonlight pouring into the room, bathing her in an ethereal, silver glow. Her new husband, the young and handsome Tom, slept peacefully, and as she looked at him she wondered what he was doing with her.

  He had been helping around the house before Edward had died at sea, and when news of Edward's passing reached Amelia, Tom was there to be the rock that she could lean on. He was attentive and kind and although she knew that he had harbored a secret desire for her (she was in her forties now and during that time she had become quite the expert at knowing when a man desired her) she had never actually expected it to lead to marriage. He was barely out of his teenage years and it had caused quite the scandal when she chose him to be her second husband, but it seemed the perfect match at the time. He doted on her and she felt safe with him. She wasn't fooling herself though. It wasn't love, at least not on her part and, she suspected, not on his either. There had been rumblings from her friends that a young girl in town had captured his attention and was trying to tempt him away from her. Amelia liked to think of herself as above petty jealousy yet still there was a pang of pain in her heart, especially when she passed a mirror and saw herself getting older every day.

  There were lines on her body that had never been there before and there were some days where she seemed so weary, as though the energy was being sapped out of her. Tom seemed happy enough but there were moments when the disparity in ages between them was apparent. Still, they lived in a huge mansion on the outskirts of town and she had developed ways to keep him happy, and he certainly kept her happy, although her libido wasn't what it once was. In truth, she had to admit to herself that if Tom was casting admiring glances to another suitor it was probably Amelia's own fault because she still hadn't gotten over Edward's death. At first the pain was cold and numb and distant, surreal and almost not even there. Then, one day, it hit her and she wept endlessly until there were no more tears left in her body. Everyone said that it would take time but eventually she would move on because that's what Edward would have wanted, and it was what was healthy. 'The best thing you can do is live a full life and be happy, that's the greatest way you can honor his memory,' everyone said. It sounded like good, wise advice and Amelia had intended to follow it, but everywhere she looked there were reminders of the husband, and the love, she had lost.

  People had advised her to sell the house and move on but Amelia would never have considered that. It was too perfect. It reminded her of an old stately English mansion, which is what had first attracted Edward to it since his family originated from England (although he had been born there he had grown up in America and had no trace of the accent from his homeland). It covered a vast amount of land and in their heyday as a married couple Amelia and Edward had entertained many guests. The garden stretched out into a forest, lending itself to fantastical tales of fairies and other enchanted beings that captured the imaginations of young folk, and came in particularly useful at Easter and Halloween, when the would have themed parties. The mansion was filled with various artifacts from Edward's travels around the world. He had been a collector of antiques and had quite the assortment of a collection, most of which Amelia knew but there were some things that escaped her notice. They stayed there as a reminder of Edward's passion. Artwork hung on the walls, in the library hundreds of books rested on the shelves. But since Edward died much of the joy in the house had gone with him. The parties were far more infrequent. Tom wasn't suited to be a host. He always felt inadequate when compared with Amelia's peers, since he had been born into a lower class and had only risen to these heights because of his marriage to Amelia. He was a simple man and that was one thing that first attracted Amelia to him, the fact that he was part of a different world to her and was awed by everything that she had built with Edward.

  Her patience for high society had waned over the years as well. It used to be that she loved throwing herself into the middle of a party, sharing in the gossip and chatter that went along with the fine wine and good food. But when Edward had died something inside her had died as well, a spark of light that once shone brightly. No longer did she find it effortless to smile and weave her way through a multitude of conversations, and it didn't seem worth the energy, especially when she had to endure everyone's pity. Sympathy was one thing, and it had been overwhelming when she was in need of it, but now she was met with pity above all else. Most of them thought that she was with Tom for a mere ego boost, and that he was only with her because of her wealth. The sniping and sharp judgments that she had once reveled in were now being directed at her and Amelia simply didn't have the time or energy for it. So the house that had once hosted vibrant social events was mostly quiet. Shadows danced in the dim corners and sometimes the wind would howl through empty hallways, and at night when she couldn't sleep Amelia would walk like a ghost through the house, remembering the past and all that she had lost. Despair and hopelessness had taken
root in her soul and it was difficult to shift, although these bleak feelings of melancholy were concealed from Tom.

  Chapter 2

  As it did every morning, the moon relinquished its seat on the celestial throne to the sun, which spread its golden glow over the house and sparkled through the window, warming the bed in which Amelia and Tom lay. He never noticed when she got up in the night, and she always returned in the small hours of the morning to finally sleep. Tom stretched his long arms and yawned, then rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before leaning over to kiss Amelia on the cheek. She stirred and for a moment she thought it was Edward waking her, because he would always wake her with a kiss in the morning. This happened too often and she felt a harrowing guilt because Tom didn't deserve to put up with it, but thankfully she caught herself in time before she made a grave error.

  “Did you sleep well?” he asked.

  “About as well as usual.”

  “Have you thought about seeing a doctor? I hear they have a number of things to help with sleep. You should find a way to calm the mind, it can only be a good thing.”