by Kate Sheperd
I sipped my water and continued to listen.
“Aphrodite made Polyphonte desire a bear. She could not resist and lay with this bear, giving him her greatest virtue and bearing him two sons that were both man and bear. Artemis ended their association before the children were born and turned the animals against Polyphonte.”
I frowned and moved closer. He stared into his glass and continued.
“Though Aphrodite was offended by Polyphonte, Zeus was fully enraged and disgusted by the sons produced from this coupling. By his order, Hermes was sent to cut off the hands and feet of the offspring. Apollo, Polyphonte’s grandfather, is said to have turned Polyphonte and her sons into various birds to hide them from Hermes,” he said looking at me again.
I sat up and leaned forward, fully engaged.
“In truth, Polyphonte could not be spared. She was turned into an owl. The boys however were allowed a different fate. A were curse was placed on them and their descendants. No one had seen them in full form as bear or man. They could not be unmade as one or the other. They were given a life as werebears, shifting from one form to the other, but never staying in blended ‘were’ state,” he finished.
“So each winter you are here?” I asked.
He looked me in the eyes, “In winter, we remain in bear form and hibernate. It is safest.”
“Safest?” I asked.
“Yes,” he nodded. “Hermes still searches for the bloodline to collect his debt from each generation. He wants to cut off our hands and paws. If he thinks that other bear is one of us, he intends to use you as bait to draw it out.”
“So, what do we do now?” I asked.
“Well, Hermes will be suspicious of me as well now, so I have brought you to my home where I can protect you. You will have to stay here until I can either rid us of him or he believes that Acidalia and I are threatened and no longer interested in you,” Nik said.
I nodded. I was going to have to trust him. If everything he said was true, I was in over my head.
“For tonight, we get some sleep. In the morning I’m going to look for Acidalia. I think she may be significant,” Nik said.
He showed me to the room I was meant to stay in. It was decorated similarly to the rest of the house with oversized everything, but this room somehow felt more inviting.
There was a large bed in the center of the room dressed in forest green linens. The stone walls and floors seemed to be better finished. There was an armoire and dresser [S40]with a large area rug on the floor. There was a chaise lounge opposite the bed.
“If this is the guest room, your bedroom must be amazing,” I remarked looking at the details carved into the rock of this room.
“This is my room,” Nik said.
He pulled a few things out of the armoire and the dresser.
“I don’t want to put you out,” I said.
“I don’t sleep in here often. I usually sleep in the den where we have spent most of our time this evening,” he said.
He laid a button-down on the bed and had a pair of lounge pants in his hands.
“I figured you could sleep in one of my shirts,” he said. “I will leave you to change. If you need anything don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Oh, thanks,” I said.
Just as he started to leave the room I called to him. He returned and looked at me.
“If this is all about a curse and bears, why would Herman – I mean Hermes – want me? You said he would want to use me as ‘bait,’” I reminded him.
“My kind has a strong sense of smell. The pheromones of a romantic interest can guide us for miles. Your pheromones will be highest when you are in heat or aroused. He will try to lead you somewhere that he can take advantage of that. Thief that he is, with you being a virgin Hermes may do more than use you to bait us. Surely, now he knows I love you and he probably assumes this other bear desires you. He’s probably been watching you interact with the bear since it arrived. Who knows if he knew about me before tonight,” Nik said with a shrug.
I frowned as the thought of unwanted advances washed over me. Then, I smiled in realization of something he had said.
“You love me?” I repeated.
I was shocked at the revelation and how smoothly it followed his train of thought and explanation.
“Of course,” he said.
He seemed surprised that I would ask.
We both stood in silence awkwardly for a moment. Then I crossed the large room to him and took his hand.
“I love you, too,” I said.
“I know,” he smiled.
Chapter 9
That night, I dreamed again. The same woman was there. This time she was bathing a larger bear that resembled Nik’s bear form in the waterfall. I stood on the shore watching until she beckoned me to join her. Once I reached her and the bear under the waterfall, she gestured for me to bathe the bear. As I began, the woman disappeared. The more I bathed the bear, the more the fur washed away leaving the exposed flesh of a man.
I cupped my hands and let them fill with water from the falls as she had done for me in my previous dream, then let it run down the bear’s face. When he raised his head and stood, Nik was the one before me.
I woke, startled and pleased from my dream, but with a bit of a headache. I had drunk heavily before, but the intoxication was gone and only the headache remained. By my watch, it was still night.
I wanted something for my head, but could not remember Nik directing me to a bathroom. I made my way back through halls and stairs looking for the kitchen for water and, hopefully, aspirin or Tylenol. I missed a turn somewhere and found myself in the den where Nik was sleeping.
I had never seen him sleep before. He lay semi-curled on his stomach with the recliner fully outstretched. He wore pajama bottoms only, and I couldn’t help admiring the form and tone of his back and shoulders.
I thought of my dream. I thought of our situation. I thought of Hermes possible plans. I thought again of the man lying before me and wondered if I ever really meant to go to the kitchen at all.
“Nik,” I whispered.
A low groan rumbled from him.
“Nik, please wake up,” I pleaded.
He groaned once more, but this time he stirred a bit. With his eyes closed he lifted his head in the air and murmured my name. He smiled, but he still didn’t seem fully awake.
I stepped closer and he sniffed the air, still smiling, and murmured my name once more.
“It’s me,” I said. “I woke up with a headache and meant to go to your kitchen. Instead, I ended up here.”
I reached to touch his shoulder, but he rolled swiftly and caught my hand. Startled, I lost my balance and leaned forward to catch myself as I fell into him. His recliner collapsed some and we sat face to face. We were both panting a little. I swallowed hard and he ran his fingers through my hair.
Then, he kissed me as though he had been hungry. Our lips and teeth pressed together and his fingers gnashed at my flesh through the shirt he let me sleep in. I reciprocated in kind, clutching him to me and digging my hands into his neck and shoulders, wanting to taste his kiss deeper. In truth, my appetite for him had been growing steadily, and this whole mess had only made me want him more.
He sat more upright and I wrapped myself around him. He pulled me in close and began kissing me in long savoring presses from my lips to my neck and collar where I had left the top button unfastened. With one hand he held my hair, guiding me so he could lay his kisses; with the other he varied gripping my buttocks and the small of my back, still keeping me pressed to him.
I felt my body was acting on its own as my hands travelled down his chest and back and circled his waist. I felt myself wanting him, grinding against him, wanting to fully experience him and the moment we were sharing.
Then, with a groan, he grasped my shoulders and sat me back.
“I smell you,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” I replied unsure what to say or do.
I was still sitt
ing on his lap with my legs wrapped around him. He still held my shoulders.
“No, you smell amazing, but your scent is changed. Do you desire this?” Nik asked.
He looked in my eyes hopefully.
“I desire you,” I said.
He smiled and gave me a quick kiss. Then, he eased both hands under my bottom. I placed both my hands in his hair and clutched tightly as he moved to lay me on the oversized couch I had admired earlier. I heard a low, pleased rumble come from him as he leaned down on top of me and kissed me once more.
I played with my fingers around the top of his pajama bottoms for a moment then grasped them at each side of his hips. He followed my motion as I lowered them, eventually casting them to the floor. His kisses still felt hungry and savoring. He kissed and nibbled my body as he unfastened the buttons of the shirt I slept in.
His groans got deeper and louder along with my own moaning as we felt our flesh rubbing freely against each other. I rubbed myself against his cock to hint that I was ready. Truly, I needed him. I felt something warming in me that only he could quench. My signal was clear. He kissed my lips as his hands guided my hips higher above his. His hardness had been long and firm between us. Now I was wet and trembling with fear and excitement as he positioned me over the head.
He rubbed it back and forth against me a moment and I moaned from the stimulation. At the sound he called my name and pushed his way inside me. We both called out, clutching each other closer at the sensation. Then, with the deepest kiss, he kept his arms wrapped around my waist and I tightened mine around his shoulders. We rocked and ground our bodies together. Our passion became a catharsis of everything we had been feeling.
Our moment of release came upon each of us at the same time, but when we finished he held me close as he tried to catch his breath. As I attempted to separate, he shook his head.
“It’s not morning yet,” he smiled.
Chapter 10
When morning did come, I woke alone back in Nik’s bed. I wiggled slightly and could tell I was still undressed, so the events of the night had not been a dream.
I put my clothes on from the previous day and tried again to make my way through the maze of halls and stairs to the kitchen. I ended up lost again, but found a bathroom. After attempting to make myself less disheveled I continued my search for the kitchen.
After a few turns I thought I detected a hint of coffee and bacon wafting through the air. The smell got stronger as I followed this new direction. When I finally reached the kitchen, Nik was not there. Instead, I found a plate, cup of coffee, and a note with my name in his handwriting.
I ate a piece of bacon as I read. He had left to search for Acidalia without me. He felt this was best since now I could be tracked more easily. He asked that I remain inside with the door locked, but said I should feel free to explore his home.
As I finished eating I gave the entire situation more thought. If anyone was going to find Acidalia, I was the best candidate. She had spent the most time with me and apparently Hermes planned to use me for bait anyway. If I was prepared I could defend myself, hopefully. I began trying to find my way through the cavernous corridors to where we came in last night. Instead, I ended up deeper in the cave.
After some time, I began to hear sounds of water. As I followed the sound I could tell it was a bubbling rushing sound. I reached an underground river and followed the direction of its flow. After several minutes and a few places where the cave descended sharply I saw the light of a natural exit. When I reached the opening, I stood at the top of a waterfall. As I looked down and out I could tell it was the waterfall in both of my dreams.
Standing on a rock formation in the center where the waterfall pooled, the woman from my dreams smiled up at me and beckoned me to her.
Chapter 11
As I raised a hand to wave and call out I slipped on a wet rock and began falling with the waterfall. At the bottom, instead of the splash I expected, I found myself caught by the arms of the dream woman. She was even more beautiful in person. I couldn’t explain the warmth and love that rushed over me as she smiled at me.
She stood me beside her in the water and eyed me closely. I looked at her, the shimmer of the water, and up at the water fall that parted to fall around us.
“Acidalia?” I asked.
I hoped she was my bear and not a strange beautiful wanderer. She half nodded.
“You may be more familiar with me as Aphrodite, Goddess of Love,” she replied. “My bear form was just to get to know the woman we had all been watching date the current successor of the Orrin line.”
I tried not to allow my jaw to drop, but she could clearly see my surprise and was amused. I had questions about the “we” she mentioned, but there were more pressing matters at hand.
“You have been watching Nik and me? Then, surely you know the trouble we are in. Hermes is here somewhere looking for all of us,” I said panicked.
“I can manage Hermes, so long as your ‘Nik’ does not find him first. He will fight, but there will be nothing he can do without the help of the Gods, and Apollo helped his family enough centuries ago,” she said still looking me up and down.
“Well, we should find them. Let’s hurry, there may not be much time,” I pleaded.
“All is well. You are with me now,” she said smiling about herself. “They will come to us.”
She sniffed the air then waved her arms in an almost conjuring, come-hither fashion.
“Yes, between Nik’s love for you and my natural appeal to Hermes, I expect they will both be here any moment,” Aphrodite said with a smile.
She gesticulated again in my direction and my clothes became a reflective, shimmering white gown similar to her own golden garment. Then she took my hands and began to play and splash in the water as if we were girls on school break at a beach or pool.
As if under a spell I felt happy to play with her and enjoy the water. Just as I cupped water in my hands and released it over my head down my body, I looked around and Aphrodite was gone. I felt new eyes on me that made me somewhat uneasy.
Chapter 12
“I see you are ready for me, though there is a change in the air around you,” Hermes said appearing from the treeline surrounding the water. “Someone has had you first. No matter, this will still be fun and I shall still have the recompense I seek.”
Hermes appeared a golden blur as he [S41]ran across the last stretch of grass, he lifted just slightly to run atop the water toward me. I heard a familiar guttural growl and saw a bear, one I hoped was Nik, charging my way from the opposite direction. I stepped back into the waterfall as the two collided and clashed in a flurry of gold, fur, and cascading water.
“Aphrodite! Aphrodite!” I called, hoping the goddess would be true to her word and end this.
Instead, Hermes was using his agility and speed to attack Nik from a different angle with every moment. Nik launched a paw out and managed to slam Hermes into the water, but the nimble God only laughed. He stood, ready for their game to continue.
Nik stepped back to the waterfall to see if I was okay. As the water fell on his bear form, he seemed to morph again. I could see that he felt the shift as his shoulders tensed and he rounded his neck and head back and forth almost like a stretch.
“Nik, you are in a transition state,” I said, surprised. “Aphrodite did this.”
He looked at his hands, arms, and chest and saw that he had become a combination of the bear and manly states he had known. Hermes watched, smiling as though the fight might be more interesting now.
“This is the true state of my ancestors long ago. Something is changing the curse,” Nik said.
“No matter. I don’t care if it is paws or hands and feet. I will have retribution to bring forth to Zeus on Olympus,” Hermes cried out, lunging toward us.
Nik growled more fiercely than I had ever heard. As the two went to collide again they were interrupted by bubbling and singing rising from the water between them. As the bubbles cli
mbed higher a shapely, womanly form began to present itself.
“What are you doing here?” Hermes said somewhat annoyed, yet flirtatiously.
Aphrodite had presented herself in all her glory. She glowed now more than before, more than in any of my dreams.
“I have come to declare that this dispute is settled. My ire has been quenched and it is due to this young lady, Vanessa,” she said with a smile.
She gave me a wink and blew a kiss.
“I am under the order of Zeus,” Hermes declared.
“Go see him yourself; your orders have changed,” she said simply.
Hermes bit his lip as if he weren’t sure what he felt towards Aphrodite at the moment. Then, with great speed, he ran climbing the very air until he was far from site.
Chapter 13
We stood in the water, Nik in his new “were” state, me in my gifted attire, and Aphrodite in all her glory. Nik kneeled before her. I felt I should, too, so I kneeled at his side.
“Thank you, but you can both feel free to stand. I feel like we are old friends,” Aphrodite laughed.
“Why did you spare me?” Nik asked.
“I didn’t,” Aphrodite said. “She did.”
“What? What did I do?” I asked.
Aphrodite took each of us by the hand and led us to the rocks I saw her sitting on when I first arrived. She sat us each down, then lounged on the higher rock above us.
“Dear Vanessa, you have no idea the power of loving body and soul. Neither did Polyphonte all those years ago. She defied me and ran, so I had to punish her,” she said.
Nik and I looked at each other and shifted, a little bit uncomfortable that she knew our activities and at dredging up his family’s history.
“The truest love comes from sharing yourself fully with someone. She refused to love in any form. Her punishment and the punishment bestowed on her family was about wanting to hold on to a selfish life and childish freedoms. My gift to the world is fully connecting and bonding with another. When this is fully realized, humans can live selflessly in the greatest love for another,” she explained.