by Cara Adams
Josie took the microphone and spoke. “I’d like to ask the women to stay close to the main buildings, though, please. Our security people are very busy right now, and your safety is our priority. As soon as they have the all-clear, the sports staff will be setting up some volleyball nets out the front of this building, and organizing some team games there, for those of you who weren’t able to have their run this morning, and anyone else who’d like to play. Also, for anyone into serious fitness, one of the male instructors will be setting up a beep test course as well.”
“What’s a beep test?” asked Bethany.
“I’ve never heard of it either,” added Angie.
“Pure torture,” said Ruth.
Bethany looked at Jill. She wanted a better explanation than that.
“There’s two lines sixty-five feet apart. You have to run from one line to the other before the beep. The beeps gradually get closer together, meaning you have to run faster to get there. Soon you’re running flat out with no time to catch your breath between starting back again. Then you collapse,” said Jill.
Bethany laughed and looked at Ruth.
“She’s telling the truth.”
“Okay, but it might be fun to try.”
“You can try it. I’ll watch.” Jill took the last pastry off the plate.
The conversation returned to everyday topics, but in the back of Bethany’s mind was still the question of why they’d been attacked, and who had done it. She looked around the ballroom realizing she’d noted that most, if not all, of the men had been let in, but Robert and Edward hadn’t come and sat with her. Usually they made a point of being nearby. They were on the other side of the room, but with a clear view across to her, although very much engaged in a conversation with a group of men. Okay, hopefully they’d be able to tell her what was going on. Because she really wanted to know.
* * * *
When Robert left the ballroom there seemed to him to be more security guards around than before. He wondered if there really were extra, or if it was just that the ones supposedly off duty had been brought back to work an extra shift. A group of wolves was helping the staff set up the volleyball courts and the beep test court. Personally, Robert felt he’d had quite enough exercise already today. He wasn’t a natural fighter and hadn’t willingly entered into a battle since middle school, but that had all changed when he’d understood those men planned to steal his woman.
But now his knuckles were bruised as was his shoulder and his upper thigh, and it felt as if he’d pulled a couple of calf muscles. But it didn’t matter. He’d restrained one of the men and done his bit to ensure the women’s safety. Of course, Bethany shooting the bad guy had been the clincher. He couldn’t help but compare her response to that of the other two women. One had simply nurtured her friend, the other had been ill from nerves. Both had to be congratulated for holding themselves together during the actual attack, but neither of them was as feisty and determined as his amazing Bethany. All three women had proven their mettle in a battle, but his Bethany had been by far the outstanding member of the group.
The men had been allowed out first, which was a reversal of the usual pattern, but he guessed it was so they’d be able to watch over their women. He and Edward waited to one side until Bethany left the room, then they hurried to be with her again. Robert couldn’t resist holding her hand stroking his finger over her palm and her wrist.
“What do you want to do now, Bethany?” asked Edward.
“I’d like to watch the beep test and maybe even have a turn at it. I’d never even heard of it before, but it sounds quite the challenge.”
“It is a challenge. One which no one in their right mind would ever undertake unless compelled to by their commanding officer,” groaned Robert.
“Not your favorite sport, huh?”
“If you want to have a turn, I’ll go with you,” he replied, then wondered where that came from. He was already a bit stiff from the fight. The last thing he needed was a fucking beep test.
A game of volleyball was already underway, with men shouting encouragement to the players, and a crowd watching the match. On the other side of the lawn the beep test court was also ready. A handful of men were there, jumping up and down as they warmed up their bodies ready to participate.
Robert continued to hold Bethany’s hand, loving the feeling of togetherness, knowing she was safe by his side, knowing his brother was there to protect her as well. They stood back from the marked area, and watched as the instructor finished getting everything ready. The half dozen men lined up on one side, the instructor started the beep and the men began running. Robert watched Bethany’s face, rather than the participants. The test was very deceptive. At this stage, it was so easy to run to the other line, take a breath, and turn around before running back. But when the beeps got closer together it all changed dramatically.
Bethany nodded as the pace was increased. Now there was no time for a breath between laps, and simply turning around to start back again wasted valuable time. One man tripped over on the turn, tangling his legs together in his haste, and quit. The beeps increased even more and three more men dropped out, hopelessly behind in timing.
Now Robert was watching the finish. One of the men was absolutely determined to last it out. He was moving very fast, and no longer as sinuously as most of them had run at the start. His body was pouring with sweat from his efforts, but he was still in the game. Unlike the second last man who was standing bent forward, his hands on his thighs, gasping for breath.
The beeps finished and the last man was still on time. The crowd cheered wildly. Robert looked around. He hadn’t even realized the volleyball players had paused their game to watch the end of the beep test. But certainly this man deserved their applause. It was almost impossible to finish the test and he’d done it. As he walked off the court a number of people high fived him, and the instructor handed him a towel to wipe the sweat from his face. Robert noted with surprise that it was the Supreme Alpha’s son, Zedekiah Vukic. Just another reason to stay well away from the man. Not only was he incredibly intelligent, like his father, apparently he was almost inhumanly fit as well.
“I’d like to have a go. Obviously I won’t get all that far, but I like the idea of the challenge,” said Bethany.
“We’ll all do it,” said Edward.
While the instructor reset the test, they walked onto the court and warmed up. Robert was already starting to feel stiff from the fight. He was pretty sure this was going to kill him. “After the beep test we’ll all jump in the hot tub for a soak,” he said.
“Oh, yes. I expect I’ll need it,” agreed Bethany.
Personally he was just hoping she didn’t make him look like an idiot by lasting way longer through the test than he did. Several men joined them, but no women. He hoped that seeing Bethany up on the court would encourage one or two females to have a go.
Once the test began he had no time or energy for anything other than making it from one line to the other as fast as he could. His calf was annoyingly stiff, but he could only hope it’d loosen up with the exercise. Most times Bethany reached the line before he did, but he wasn’t running full out yet. He did notice she made her turns very neatly. She was a damn smart woman. She’d only had a matter of a handful of minutes to work out the need to do that, yet she was turning as if she’d been doing it daily for years. How could anyone not love a woman whose brains matched her beauty in such a wonderful package?
Already he was sweating and pushing himself. Bethany ran on, always making the line before the beep. One man dropped out. At least I won’t be the first to fail. It gave him a bit more energy and he ran faster.
Robert’s heart was thudding and he opened his mouth as he ran, pushing for a little more speed. Twice he made the line right on the beep. He would be out very soon. On the very next lap he, Bethany, and one other man were all out. Bethany didn’t look nearly as exhausted as he felt. For a moment he wondered if she’d deliberately stopped because he wasn’t goin
g so well. Would she have done that for him? He was breathing heavily but not hunched over and not really panting. Had she stopped just for him? Really?
Two laps later two other men failed, then the lap after that Edward was out. He’d lasted the longest, but not until the very end. Still he’d done very well.
The instructor congratulated them all, especially Bethany the only woman to attempt it thus far.
“I’m sure plenty of others will try it later today. It’s an excellent challenge.”
“So a quick shower then the hot tub?” Robert asked.
“Sounds like a plan.”
* * * *
Bethany enjoyed her soak in the tub. She wasn’t exhausted or stiff, but she could see that if she’d gone all-out to make it past the next level in the beep test, she’d now be half-crippled with aching muscles. She’d proven to herself she could do okay at it, which was her aim. Although it’d been sweet of the men to do it with her, when it was quite obvious Robert was still hurting from the fight.
Well, hopefully the hot tub’s bubbles would help him relax. But right now, what she really wanted was to find out everything the men knew about the attack on the DADISP. And whether there’d been more than one attack. Somehow that mattered to her. She had a burning desire to know what was going on.
“Come back to our cabin with us, please,” asked Edward.
Bethany pulled her towel tightly around herself. It wasn’t cold and she was wearing swim shorts and a swim shirt, not a bikini. Actually, her clothing was no different from how she went on her run each morning, except that she had flip-flops on her feet right now. “Okay. But I want to talk first.”
“Talking is good,” said Edward.
She rather thought he’d have agreed to anything that had her in their cabin. But after the attack this morning, she was ready to be protected by the men. Although she knew they’d have never been let out of the ballroom if there’d been the tiniest bit of doubt about their safety.
At the men’s cabin she kept her towel tight around her body and sat in one of the chairs. “All right, what did you learn about the attackers? I want to know everything.”
“There was another attack down by the maintenance shed at much the same time as we runners were attacked. It could only have been planned by someone in the know as apparently the outdoor maintenance crew doesn’t start work until after the last run finishes, and some of the guests have been using it as a rendezvous point. I didn’t even know it existed until today, but we haven’t really walked around the property much,” said Edward.
Bethany hadn’t known about the maintenance shed either, but now she did know about it, she wondered if that’s where Jill had been meeting up with whoever she was meeting that kept her out so late at night. She needed to talk to Jill and ensure she wasn’t stepping out into danger all unknowingly.
“Was anyone hurt?”
“I guess not. There was no talk of anyone hurt or anything like that. Also no mention of anyone having been expelled from the party so I assume they were all outside attackers,” added Edward.
Robert came and sat at her feet as he’d done once before. “Bethany, we love you so much. I’d die if anything happened to you. I love you with every part of my being, and I long to have you in my arms for all eternity. I know Edward feels exactly the same. Will you please reconsider your reply and commit to a relationship with us. Let us be mated and live together.”
Now Edward kneeled as well and took her hand. “We promise to love and cherish you forever. To do our utmost to ensure you have whatever you want and are happy. I know contentment can’t be purchased, but I also know providing enjoyable surroundings helps people relax enough to be happy. We’ll always try to make you happy. Our lives are worthless unless you share them with us.”
“I’m very attracted to you, both of you. You’re wonderful men and deserve to be happy. I just find it hard to believe that I can make you happy. I thought I had a happy childhood and my father threw us all out because we weren’t full-blood panthers. I just worry that people will attack you for not marrying a wolf.”
“For a start, you are the only woman I’ve wanted to mate with,” began Edward.
“Me, too,” added Robert.
“And second, the Supreme Alpha has approved interspecies marriages. Anyone who denies them risks his disapproval and I can assure you annoying the Supreme is not something anyone in their right mind would do.”
“Especially with his son right here to observe what’s happening, I suppose,” she said, remembering the man who’d beaten the beep test.
“Hell, yes. I don’t even like being within one hundred miles of him. He scares me,” said Robert.
“He exudes power. I prefer men who are a little gentler.” Well, the time had come. What was she going to say to them? They’d made it very plain they wanted her, and would love and care for her. It was time she put the past behind her, where it belonged, and stepped out into the future. These men were her future and she needed to tell them she was ready to love them as they loved her.
“I guess I’ve been holding back with fear, because of my past. That’s pretty stupid of me when I deliberately came here to make a future. You’re the only men I want. You both complete me and have shown me what love, and courage, and patience truly are. I’m ready now to step out into the future, and you are both my future. I love you, too, and will commit to you, and do my best to be a fitting mate for two wolves.”
“You will?” Robert wrapped his arms around her legs and laid his head on her knees. Wet kisses were being placed so sweetly and gently on her legs she almost didn’t realize what he was doing. She rested her fingers in his light brown hair and stroked it, gently.
“I haven’t even seen you in your shifted form yet. We must do that soon.”
“But first we have a gift for you. We bought it from the jeweler yesterday. It’s just perfect for you.”
“We were going to give it to you last night,” added Robert, clambering to his feet.
A little velvet bag held jointly by the two men was offered to her. Bethany opened it and let what it contained fall out into the palm of her hand. It was a delicate gold wire chain, with three threads woven and twisted together. A single light blue semi-precious stone in a heart-shaped wire setting dangled from it.
“This is some of Taige’s work, isn’t it? It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“She also has a series of commitment rings, made with the three strands of wire, like this necklace. Tomorrow, can we choose a ring for you?”
“There should be three rings, one for each of us, if we’re to be a family,” said Bethany.
“I like that idea,” said Robert.
Edward nodded. “Now, who’s going to change first? You, Bethany?”
She dropped her towel and stood up. Already her pussy was wet with her cream. The men’s gift of the pendant was so wonderful, but their words were also very precious to her. “We should all change together.”
They all undressed, which only took seconds, then they looked at each other and transformed. Bethany had guessed Robert would have lighter fur than Edward, and he did. His tail was longer, and bushier, but his height to the shoulder was maybe an inch less than Edward. She was smaller than both of them, being a Florida panther with a creamy belly, as evidenced by her pale hair.
Robert whined and rubbed his muzzle over her neck. She liked that and lifted her head giving him more access. Then Edward came behind her and licked her cunt. Her whole body shivered with delight. His raspy tongue was the perfect mix of rough and tender. She spread her hind legs and let him lick some more reveling in the intense feeling of arousal he gave her.
Then he was gone and human once more, delving into the closet and coming out with a handful of toys. He had lube and condoms, handcuffs and rope. She and Robert shifted, then Robert picked her up, setting her on the bed facedown and spreading her legs wide.
Naughtily Bethany thrust her ass up at them, guessing what was coming next
. She wanted to be double fucked by them both again, claimed and possessed by the ones she’d agreed to marry.
The first whack of the paddle on her ass caught her by surprise, while Robert was still cuffing her hands, but the fire it sent burning into her skin lit a pathway directly to her cunt, flooding it with cream. Several more strokes had her ready to beg to be touched. Somewhere. Anywhere.
Then Robert’s slippery finger was preparing her ass, teasing her with a butt plug as he widened and softened her opening. As soon as the butt plug was inside her, Edward began paddling her again. The plug enhanced the sensation amazingly, although he never spanked her over it. When he paddled the inside of her thighs, her nipples tightened, her belly clenched and she thought for a moment she’d climax. Unfortunately he stopped then, just as he’d stopped licking her pussy when she was about to come, and he and Robert untied her, flipping her onto her back and retying her again.
“You did that deliberately, didn’t you? Brought me to the brink, then stopped so I didn’t come,” she said to Edward.
He smiled at her. “I always knew you were very clever. Yes, that’s right. The longer you hold off climaxing, the higher and harder you’ll come in the end.”
This time he brought out a flogger, and teased it over her breasts and belly. He did flick her skin making it sting, a few times, but only on her shoulders, her waist, and her thighs, until his final stroke sent stands over her cunt as well, stinging her in an incredibly arousing way. Once again she knew she could easily have come, and once again she guessed that wasn’t his plan. He was just reminding her that he was in charge and she had to wait.
Now Robert sat on the bed with her and started teasing her body. He sucked her breasts, stroked her skin, licked wet patterns over her belly and played with her belly button. Then he trailed his mouth up and down her arms and legs, arousing her, stirring her nerve endings, making her want so much more, and never giving it to her.
By the time Bethany was a quivering mass of nerve endings, desperate for release, Edward nodded to Robert and they untied her. Edward sat with his back against the headboard, a pillow shoved behind him to support him. “Sit your ass on my cock, facing out so Robert can fuck your cunt,” he ordered.