Monsters and Shifters and Men, Oh My! Paranormal Menage and Multiple Partner Romance Stories

by Giselle Renarde

  “So do you.” She inhaled deeply, taking in his musky aroma. Mmm… salt and leather. Her mouth watered, and she dove back at his mouth, kissing him like crazy. “God, I want you!”

  “Right here?” He set her ass down on the wooden window seat.

  “Right here.” She zealously pulled at the button and zipper of his jeans while he ran his calloused hands down the front of her shirt. “Anywhere. Everywhere.”

  His lips found hers as she pulled his cock out the V of his pants. He was hard already. His thick shaft throbbed in her eager hands. Warm pre-cum dripped from his tip onto her forearm while she stroked his impressive length.

  “Put it in me,” she begged, parting her legs. Her tight skirt rolled up her thighs. “Fuck me hard.”

  “Anything you say.” He closed in on her crotch as she pulled her panties to one side. “I just want my woman to be happy.”

  “Then fuck me.” She arched to let him gain entry. “And never stop.”

  “I never will.”

  Budd growled as he drove his cock between her legs. She was always wet for his big body, but that didn’t mean he slid right in. Oh, no. His dick was huge, the biggest she’d ever fucked, and it always took a little time to ease beyond her opening.

  His cock carefully stretched her open as he thrust, slowly building speed. He was the sort of guy who wouldn’t ever harm her. That’s why she felt good about moving in with him so soon.

  “Yes, Budd.” She threw herself at him while he lifted her off the window seat. Holding her aloft, he fucked her so hard his metal zipper bit her ass cheek. “God, that’s good.”

  “You’re so tight.” He slammed her against the wall, probably harder than he’d intended. The impact rattled her spine. “I love your tight snatch.”

  “I love your fat cock!”

  His heavy stubble scratched her skin as he buried his face in her neck and his cock in her cunt. She clung to him harder, trying desperately not to slide down the wall. The room hadn’t felt so hot before, but now that they were deep into it, Artemis sweated through her top. She clutched Budd’s damp T-shirt. Although she was pinned against the wall, Artemis thrust her hips against his with whatever leverage she could muster.

  “I think I’m gonna come,” he groaned.

  “Not without me!”

  Artemis hooked her chin over Budd’s shoulder, and that’s when she saw Vincent storming in from the hallway and grabbing at the open door.

  Budd’s son looked her straight in the eye and glowered. “If you’re gonna screw each other like a pair of animals, you could at least shut the door!”

  “Damn it. Artie, I gotta handle this. I’ll make it up to you later, okay?” Budd hastily pulled out, even though Artemis was so close she could taste the orgasm on her tongue.

  “Wait, can’t we just…?”

  Too late. By the time her feet hit the ground, he’d already tucked his dick back inside his jeans and gone chasing after his son, apologizing profusely.

  Artemis slid down the wall until her butt met the old wooden floor. Her pussy ached from Budd’s big cock, and ached from missing it. All well and good that he cared about his son, but what about her cunt? Didn’t he care about that, too?

  Rolling her skirt down her thighs, Artemis sighed and looked around the room. Plaster ceilings, crown moulding, wainscoting, and dark wooden floors. Budd must be secretly rolling in dough if he could afford a joint like this. And he was right—the light would be perfect for painting. She could have clients around to her “office” instead of meeting them in the park. That would lend her a brand new respectability, wouldn’t it?

  Closing her eyes, Artemis rested against the wall, listening to Budd and Vincent’s deep voices somewhere in the house. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was obviously about her. Sometimes she felt like she’d never be wanted anywhere she ended up.

  That thought was pushed from her mind by a voice even deeper even than Budd’s. Growling, violently, it said, “You’re mine now.”

  Artemis jumped up from the floor, looking all around the room. She felt like somebody was in there with her, but she couldn’t see anyone. Tentatively, she opened the large wooden wardrobe, half expecting one of Vincent’s squirrelly friends to jump out at her. It was empty, except for a little wooden box with strange words carved all around the sides. Curiosity erased the tension of the moment, but as she lifted the lid, shivers ran down her spine. The dread returned, even though the box was empty.

  Something was in the room with her, watching her. She was sure of it. Something disturbing and malevolent. The hair stood up all along her arms. She felt like she’d been licked up and down her neck by a dirty old man, and she wiped it with the sleeve of her shirt, again and again, convinced she was removing someone’s saliva from her skin.

  The bedroom door squealed open, and she screamed.

  Budd chuckled. “Jumpy, jumpy!”

  “Sorry, I thought I… heard something.” Artemis shook her head, then pressed the ill-fitting lid back on the wooden box. “I don’t know.”

  “Vincent and I had a little talk. He’d like to apologize for the way he spoke to you. He showed no respect.”

  “Well, we’re just as bad,” she said, realistically. “Leaving the door open while we’re in here, going at it? That was pretty stupid.”

  “Yeah, true.” Budd cocked his head and looked deep into her eyes. “You okay?”

  Could he see her lips twitching as she plastered on a phoney smile? “Fine. Yeah. Sure.”

  He didn’t say anything for a moment, just stared at her as she fiddled with the carved box. “You’d tell me, eh? You’d tell me if something was wrong?”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  “The last woman who came to live with me ran off without a word. Vince’s mother, too. Never told me what I’d done wrong. Just didn’t seem fair. I was good to them.” He sighed. “You make sure to tell me if you’re pissed about something I done, okay?”

  “I will.”

  “Is that a promise?”

  She nodded eagerly. Too eagerly? “Cross my heart, hope to die.” The memory of the shiver returned.

  He took her in his arms, and the moment her cheek met his chest, tears poured out of her like Niagara Falls.

  “Hey, hey,” he said, softly. “What’s wrong now?”

  She wasn’t sure. She made something up. “Just, moving out of my own place. I’m used to living alone. It’s hard.”

  “Yeah, but don’t think of it that way.” He rocked her gently. “Think of it like you’ve got a family now. You, me, Vincent? We’re here for each other, us three. Through thick and thin.”

  “You’re right,” she said. “I’m being silly. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

  Famous last words.

  Chapter Two

  “Dad says I should be nice to you.”

  Artemis looked up from her boxes of art supplies to find Vincent standing in the doorway. “Well, that would make life easier.”

  Vincent had long jet-black hair like his dad’s, but that’s where the similarities ended. He was lanky and awkward, and surly as hell. A teenager if ever there was one.

  “Wanna see something?” he asked.

  “Okay.” Artemis rose from her fortress of boxes and followed him into the hallway. “What is it?”

  He opened the door to what she’d thought was a linen closet, and when she saw what was inside, she recoiled in terror.

  Vincent laughed.

  “Why wouldn’t you warn me about something like that?” Artemis clutched her chest. Her heart beat a million miles an hour, hammering her ribs like crazy. “Jeeze, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  When he’d finished laughing at her, he said, “Look, I’m showing this to you as a sign of trust. I don’t have papers for this little guy, so he’s a secret. You can’t tell anyone.”

  “I won’t,” she said, and her hammering heart warmed a touch. “What do you mean little guy? He looks mighty big to me.�
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  “Nah.” Vincent reached into the enclosure and brought out a massive snake. “This boy’s not even five feet.”

  Artemis backed away, catching her hip on the railing. If Vincent came any closer with that thing, she might jump. “I’m not good around slithery slimy things.”

  “King may slither, but he’s not slimy.” Vincent held the snake’s head in one hand while he draped the rest of its body over his shoulders. “Here, have a feel.”

  “No thanks.” Jumping over the hall railing and crashing down on the first floor was looking like a better and better option. “Please don’t bring him near me.”

  For a moment, Vincent didn’t move. He held her gaze with his before finally taking a step back.

  “Oh, thank god.” She clutched her top. “That’s better.”

  “You don’t like him?” Vincent asked, sounding more than a little disappointed.

  “It’s not that. I just don’t like snakes in general.”

  “You might, if you gave them a chance. Don’t you paint people’s pets for a living? What if someone brought in a snake? You’d need to keep it together or you’d look unprofessional.”

  “That’s true,” Artemis said, though she doubted anyone would get a snake’s portrait done. “Well, what kind of snake is it?”

  “A royal python.”

  Artemis went “Eep,” though she didn’t mean to. “A python?”

  “Also called a ball python, because it curls into a ball when it’s scared. But I like royal. It’s got a nice ring to it. And that’s why I called him King.”

  “Cute.” When Artemis looked into the snake’s tiny face, it reminded her of a Chihuahua. Maybe snakes weren’t so bad, after all. “If I pet it, will it bite me?”

  “Nah, this guy’s a wimp. I’m amazed he hasn’t curled already. He must like you.”

  That was a comforting thought. Artemis always believed pets expressed the values of their owners, so if King liked her, maybe Vincent did too.

  She traced her finger down the side of the snake’s long spotted body, and smiled. “Hey, you’re right. It isn’t slimy at all. It’s like… silky, sort of.”

  Vincent nodded. “King’s a nice guy, he’s just here illegally.”

  “What does he eat?”

  “Mice and stuff. I let him run around the basement sometimes. Plenty of mice down there.”

  Artemis wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t need to know that.”

  “You’ll hear them in the walls when you’re trying to sleep,” he said. “Never a peaceful night, in this house. That’s what my mom used to say. That’s what Darla said, too, and she only lived here a couple weeks.”

  When Artemis noted the confusion and pain on Vincent’s face, she said, “Hey, hey, guy. I’m sticking around, if you want me here. I won’t be running off on your dad.”

  He didn’t say anything in response, but he did lift the python over his head. “Did you want to hold him?”

  “Yikes.” Artemis took a few steps closer to her new studio. “I don’t think so, Vince. Touching your snake was hard enough.”

  He laughed in a way that sounded nervous as she returned to her boxes. Setting up her studio should have been relaxing, but ever since she’d heard that strange voice and felt a presence in the room, she’d never been perfectly at ease. Someone seemed to be watching her and that’s why she always left the door open. She pretended it was just Vincent, standing outside the room, contemplating the new woman in his father’s house.

  Chapter Three

  Budd didn’t approve of TV in the bedroom, but when Artemis pleaded, he conceded. Good thing, too, because if she had to be alone without the comforting clatter of canned laughter, she’d probably wet herself.

  The boys were out at some sports thing. It wasn’t Artemis’s scene, but God how she wished she’d gone with them. Anything not to be alone in this creaky old house. She’d brought that little wooden box from the wardrobe and set it on the bedroom mantle like a talisman, but it didn’t bring her much comfort.

  “What are you afraid of?” the deep voice asked.

  She couldn’t tell if the sentiment came from inside or outside her mind, but it was enough to make her turn up the television’s volume a little higher.

  “Oh, don’t be like that,” it said, from inside the TV laughter. “You know you want it.”

  Was the voice coming from the TV? Were the channels crossed or something? It was almost like she was watching a comedy, but hearing echoes of a horror flick. She clutched the remote and stared straight ahead, not wanting to move a muscle. In fact, her whole body locked with fear. In her heart, she knew the voice wasn’t coming from television.

  It was in the room, in the walls with the mice. No, that was wishful thinking. It was even closer. She could feel its breath on her naked shoulder.

  “Bare skin,” it said, and traced its invisible tongue up her neck.

  Artemis recoiled on instinct, locking her head against her shoulder. “Get away from me! Get off! You’re disgusting!”

  “Why’s the TV so loud?” Budd asked from the doorway. “I could hear it from outside.”

  Had he caught sight of her pushing away the invisible tongue? She didn’t hear him come in. Christ, he must think she was crazy.

  “Sorry, I…” Her mind was mush. She couldn’t come up with an excuse.

  “We don’t want the neighbours complaining.” Budd grabbed the remote. When he turned the TV off, Artemis wanted to cry. “This isn’t exactly a motorcycle-friendly area. Neighbours would gladly give us the boot.”

  She’d always thought Budd was an odd fit, but she didn’t want to sound rude. “Why’d you move here, then?”

  He kicked off his shoes and tore out of his top. “It was the only house my wife and I could afford when we first got married.”

  “Really? That’s weird. It’s so huge, and in such a fancy neighbourhood.”

  He shrugged. “Motivated seller? I don’t know. We didn’t ask questions.”

  When he took off his pants, she wanted to want him, but she felt so unsettled after sensing that… what was it? She didn’t even know. That ghost? Force? Spirit? Entity?

  Demon?

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” Budd sat naked on the bed and held her hand. “You look white as a sheet.”

  “It’s nothing. I just got my period.” Little white lie. He’d never check. “I’m feeling a little gross right now. Is that okay?”

  “Of course.” He took her in his huge, hulking arms. “What do you think I am, some sort of cave man who can’t control his urges?”

  She laughed. “Yeah right. You’re the best guy I’ve ever met.”

  No lie there. He really was good to her.

  Vincent had gone out with friends and probably wouldn’t be back until morning. Budd talked a lot about his evening with his son, and about parenting in general. He said some people thought he was too permissive, but the only way to raise a respectful son was to show his son respect. Made sense to Artemis, but what the hell did she know?

  Until Budd turned out the lights, the atmosphere in the bedroom felt safe and protected. Once darkness had fallen, all bets were off. He slept on his side, facing away from her, and she wished he’d roll over, take her in his arms.

  Artemis had never, in her entire life, felt so alone.

  On top of the aching loneliness, she knew it was watching. She didn’t know what it was, but she sensed its presence in the room, like a haze. Not a visible mist or fog, but dense, hot energy. The force made it hard to breathe. And moving? That was out of the question. Its haunting presence held her down.

  In her mind, she asked, “Who are you? What do you want?”

  She heard him laughing. He was inside her head, hearing her thoughts and feeling her fear. Never in her life had she felt so invaded.

  “Get out of me,” she said, panicking, struggling to move. “Get out!”

  The laughter grew more resonant, until it vibrated in her belly. It wasn’t just an impress
ion on her mind anymore. He’d found a way inside her body.

  “Get out!”

  This time, instead of laughing, the creature spoke from deep inside her. “Darling, I’m just getting started.”

  Just getting started? What was that supposed to mean?

  Before the monstrous entity could offer any clue, it rose from her body like morning mist burning off an open field.

  And then the room went quiet.

  Not an eerie quiet. Not a scary quiet. Just a silent night beside her boyfriend quiet. No suggestion of anything malevolent. The air cleared so thoroughly she wondered if she’d imagined it all. Really, she had no reasonable proof the creature existed. Maybe she was scared of life with Budd and Vincent, and fear created monsters in her mind.

  Artemis sat up, feeling more than a little proud of herself. She’d defeated a psychological demon. Good for her!

  Hopping out of bed, she tossed Budd’s T-shirt over her head and went to the bathroom for a midnight pee. Mmm… his top smelled like him, and she savoured the scent as she grabbed a wad of toilet paper. When she wiped… well, that was weird. Why was she so wet down there? And not pee-wet. Arousal wet. It just kept coming.

  Artemis gave up and walked back to the bedroom, feeling slick between the thighs. Very weird. Not that she had trouble getting turned on, just that her arousal was usually inspired by… well, something.

  When she arrived at the bedroom door, Budd sat up against the headboard.

  “Sorry,” Artemis said. “Did I wake you?”

  The atmosphere changed in an instant. An intense dread knotted in the pit of her stomach. The bedroom made her dizzy, like if she stepped inside she’d get swept into a vortex.

  “Budd?” she called to the shadow in bed. “Are you okay, babe?”

  His eyes flashed a venomous red, and Artemis shrieked. Her impulse was to run far, far away, but her feet wouldn’t move. They were like blocks of concrete, trapping her in the doorway. Her heart refused to beat. If she could just keep quiet, maybe she’d become invisible.

  Maybe…

  The dark form leapt from their bed, and she tried to see Budd beyond it, but no… the creature closing in on her was Budd. He heaved his huge arms around her and lifted her off the ground.