by Zoe Chant
It was peaceful down here. She could see the sun’s reflection gleaming on the surface of the lake above her.
She waited for as long as she could hold her breath, then, slowly and carefully, she rose. When her head broke the surface, the buzzing of the bees grew in volume once more. Lisa gasped when she saw them hovering above her in an angry cloud. With a deep breath, she dove straight back in.
Desmond gave her a questioning look, and she shook her head. Then she took his hand and tugged on it. Together, they swam below water towards where the lake grew deeper. The water lilies fell away. They could see the ground descend beneath them. Out here, the water was even colder.
When they at last burst upwards again, gasping for breath, the bees were nowhere to be seen.
Giggling, Lisa wrapped her arms around Desmond. “We made it!”
Desmond was laughing helplessly into her hair. She could feel his chest vibrate against her.
“This is quite a holiday!” he said, his breath hot against her ear.
Lisa shivered with delight and pressed herself closer. “Sorry. This wasn’t what I had in mind when I said you need to relax more.”
“I know what we can do to relax,” he murmured playfully.
Lisa laughed in reply, pulling him into another kiss before they swam back towards the shore. They kept a little to their right this time to escape the reeds and water lilies, and came out at a sandy spot where Lisa would sometimes spend an hour or two in the summer, pretending she was on a far-away beach.
This time she didn't have to pretend. This time she had something far more exotic than palm trees and cocktails served in a coconut: she had a mate who breathlessly rolled over her as soon as they made it to the tiny beach, naked and wet and laughing against her skin.
"I cannot believe we had to jump into the lake," he gasped, his eyes gleaming at her.
She stretched against him, her hands sliding over his firm muscles in appreciation. "I cannot believe you just shifted and decided to get that honey! You know we have stores around here? And I have honey in my pantry!"
He was still laughing when his mouth hungrily trailed down her skin. "My bear couldn't resist when he smelled the honey. Sorry. I can't believe this happened!"
She arched when he sucked a nipple into his mouth. After the cold water, his tongue was shockingly hot against the sensitive nub.
"I'm glad it did." She moaned softly and drew her hands through his short hair. "Mm, more!"
He huffed hot air against her. "Greedy," he said teasingly and kissed his way downward.
Lisa squirmed impatiently. His tongue traced a path of heat on her cold skin; the sand she rested on had been warmed by the sunshine. There was no wind, and the sun was still shining brightly. Everything was silent except for the song of birds in the distance.
His hands parted her thighs, holding her spread. She gasped a little at feeling herself so exposed, although it was incredibly arousing at the same time to have him look at her so hungrily. She was wet; she could feel it dripping from her, and she felt hot and aching and empty.
"Desmond, please," she demanded, breathless and impatient.
He laughed again. "Not so fast," he murmured and traced a finger around her wet folds.
Lisa whimpered, her thighs trembling at the shocks of pleasure every touch sent racing through her. Desmond’s finger kept tormenting her with its gentle movement―until finally, he leaned down. His breath was hot against her. Then his tongue found her, licking along her folds, dipping inside, then licking up. She moaned, nearly delirious with need as he circled her clit.
"Come on, Desmond," she begged, not sure if she'd be able to survive his pleasurable torment. Everything in her ached for him.
His tongue licked over her swollen clit and she whimpered at the sensation. It was electric, hot and wet at once, his tongue soft as velvet. It made her tremble as heat pooled in her belly, and she could feel more of her wetness drip from her.
"You're so hot," he said, that sexy little growl more pronounced now. "I think about you all day. I could do this all day too. Taste you. Tease you. Figure out just what makes you moan..."
She felt her inner walls pulse with need for him. Another gasp escaped her when his tongue lapped at her once more, stimulating her clit without mercy until she was throbbing all over. Waves of pleasure ran through her, orgasm crashing over her with his mouth still on her.
"Desmond..." she moaned weakly when she finally regained her senses.
He was looking at her with a little smirk on his face. "I like how you sound when you're all overwhelmed," he murmured. "So sexy."
She sighed and shivered, still not quite sated. When she reached out for him, he came eagerly into her arms. His hand came up to caress her breasts. Against her thigh, she could feel that he was still hard as iron.
"I didn’t bring a condom," he admitted breathlessly, his cock sliding hot and large against her skin.
"It's all right," she whispered and arched against him. Then she took hold of him, positioning him so that she could feel the head of his cock press against her slick folds. "I'm on the pill. Can't wait until we're back. Please, Desmond!"
He exhaled against her mouth, his tongue sliding against hers at the same time as he pushed inside her.
She whimpered. It felt incredible. She was still so sensitive, tremors running through her. Her clit felt hot and swollen, and with the angle he was pushing into her, he rubbed against it with every thrust.
She clutched at his shoulders. She could feel his muscles shift beneath his skin, his tendons rock-hard and tense like coiled wire―and all that strength was focused on her and her pleasure.
My mate, she thought, nearly delirious at the emotions that flooded her at the realization.
Her mate had come home to her. Her mate was where he belonged: in her, filling her.
With every thrust she clutched at him harder, drinking up his moans and gasps. She clenched around him. She couldn't stop moaning his name.
The sand was warm beneath her; she could feel the lake lapping at their feet, and a pleasure so intense that it was almost painful rolled through her when Desmond's cock filled her. At last it all became too much and she cried out with the ecstasy of the climax that rippled through her. Her inner walls clenched tightly around Desmond as he moaned her name, and then he filled her with the heat of his own release, his large shaft throbbing inside her in time to the pulsing of her pussy.
Chapter Six
Desmond
It took a while until they finally managed to untangle themselves and brush off the sand that was sticking to their skin. By then the sun had dried them, and although it was still warm enough, they remembered all of a sudden that they were still naked, and that it was the middle of the day.
"I hope your other guests are busy today," Desmond said as he studied their surroundings. They were far enough away from the farm and the roads, but still―what if someone stumbled across them by mistake?
"They went fishing―not here at the lake," Lisa added quickly. "The other direction. There's a river. Anyway, we had better get dressed."
"I suppose so." Desmond didn’t bother to hide his appreciation of the view.
Lisa looked beautiful in the sunshine. Not only did she have the curves of a goddess, but here, with rays of sunlight gleaming on her hair and her skin, with her cheeks flushed from what they had done and her eyes filled with a happy light, he knew that he had never seen anything more beautiful.
He'd known that she was special from the first moment he saw her. And that knowledge had grown with every moment he spent with her. She'd been so gentle and patient with the children; she'd laughed with them, and her eyes had been filled with a warmth that had touched something deep inside Desmond.
That was what he wanted. A home like this. A family like this. A mate who knew about his bear and still loved him, Desmond, the man.
And now he could have it. After all these years, he had finally found a mate who understood. A strong
mate. A resilient mate.
A mate with the cutest twitching bunny nose he had ever seen, he thought and bit back a smile.
"What are you laughing at?" Lisa demanded, peering suspiciously up at him, hands at her hips.
He bent forward to kiss her nose. "I'll tell you later. Clothes first."
Their clothes were still piled where they had left them. They took care to move as slowly and silently as possible, in case the swarm of bees was still searching for them. They made it out of the orchard without attracting the rage of the insects again, and then quickly dressed, still stealing glances at each other every now and then and breaking into laughter.
This is what I love about her, he thought. She makes me feel so carefree. It's so easy to be happy around her. And do crazy things, like jump into a lake to escape a swarm of angry bees.
His bear rumbled in delight, finally satisfied with him.
"Oh no, the sheep!" Lisa grimaced when she looked at the meadow that was now empty. "I forgot that I'd sent them back... they probably broke into some other pasture instead of waiting for me."
"I'll help," Desmond offered immediately.
Lisa shook her head and leaned forward to kiss him lightly. "No, it's all right. You go on your walk. I can deal with those stubborn little beasts. They’ll listen if I bribe them with food."
"Are you sure?" Desmond asked. He had planned to walk a full circle of the farm, but considering that her abandonment of the sheep was mostly his fault…
"Very sure," she said firmly. "I do this every day, remember? But you could join me for lunch, if you want―say in an hour?"
"Definitely!" Desmond grinned and gripped her tightly to pull her against him one more.
While she giggled in delight at his sudden attack, he kissed her, and then let her go with a deep sigh so she could finish her work, and he could see to his.
The urge to explore the area around Lisa’s home was even stronger now. There was no reason why the wolves should target the farm, but the bear in him was not happy at all to see his mate’s territory challenged. He already felt protective of Lisa and her farm, and even of those stubborn sheep who’d stared at him in deep suspicion. Maybe it wasn’t his home yet―but his heart had found its home with Lisa.
One more job to finish, and then he would be done. Then his bear could settle down, and the only danger they would face would come from evading bee stings. It still seemed like a beautiful dream, and he could barely believe how close he’d come to having all of his dreams come true―but this was real, all of it. Now he just had to defend the home his bear had found.
For a while, Desmond followed the shore of the lake. Everything was still quiet, save for the rustling of reeds in the light breeze and the sound of his own steps. It was warm, and the meadows to his left were a verdant green dotted with the red, yellow and blue spots of wild flowers. He grinned as he imagined how happy a sheep shifter would feel here―but then, it had turned out the perfect holiday destination for a bear as well, and not just because of the honey. He’d found something far sweeter.
Once he passed the final meadow, fields spread before him. Green shoots were striving towards the sky. He wondered what had been planted and realized that he had no idea what oats or wheat looked like at this stage. To him, the field looked like it had been planted with regular rows of tall grass that was now gently swaying in the wind.
He followed a small path that curved back between the meadow and the fields to his right. If he had read the map right, the creek where he’d found the wolf pack should be straight ahead, a few miles north. There really was no reason for the wolves to come back here. To get to the town, they’d have to head east. There wouldn’t even be any good hunting here for them.
Still, Desmond knew that he’d feel much better once Carter was locked up in the lion’s van, on his way to face the Council’s judgment.
The meadow to his left was gently sloping downward. At its bottom he saw a small pond, overgrown with water lilies. He heard the croaking of a frog. Before him, the small path ended; where he had walked, a line of bushes now sprung up that divided the meadows from the fields.
With a sudden rustle, a bird took flight from the bushes, the motion so sudden that it startled him. The birdsong had quieted. The frog had fallen silent as well.
Suddenly, Desmond felt watched. There was an itching feeling between his shoulder blades, and his bear growled in alarm.
When he turned, the wolf was only a few steps away, teeth bared, its intelligent eyes dark with anger. Then it attacked.
Desmond barely managed to throw himself to the side to escape the sharp fangs. He shifted even as he rolled away from the slavering werewolf, his clothes ripping as the transformation rolled through him. It took no more than a heartbeat; then the bear was shaking himself and growling in rage, planting his feet deep in the soft earth as he stared at the wolf in challenge.
The wolf lunged forward all of a sudden, aiming for his leg. When Desmond raised a paw to bat it away, it jumped back just in time. They circled each other, both growling softly.
Desmond realized that he hadn’t told Lisa. She didn’t expect him back for a while, and she had no idea that there was a rogue pack of werewolves in the area.
Should have told her, he berated himself. Should have told her everything, from the beginning.
And what if there were more wolves in the fields? What if they were trying to make it to the farm?
In rage he reached out once more when the wolf lunged; this time, his paws managed to slash across the wolf’s side.
With a yelp of pain, the wolf retreated. Its angry growl rose in volume.
Kill it, the bear thought. Kill it to keep our mate safe.
Make it talk, Desmond thought back, forcing himself to concentrate despite his rage. We need to know how many are around. What their plans are. Whether they know about me…
There was the howling of a wolf in the distance. It came from the fields behind him.
They haven’t made it to the farm yet, he realized with relief. Let’s end this quickly. Now that they know I’m here, I’ve lost the element of surprise…
This time when the wolf attacked, Desmond pretended to be just a tad too slow. It was a dangerous move; he could feel the wolf’s jaw try to close around his throat, its fangs painfully sharp.
But all the same, to reach this vulnerable spot the wolf was forced to bare his own soft belly and throat to Desmond’s paws. Desmond used his advantage to rake his razor-sharp claws up the werewolf’s belly until a stream of blood stained the wolf’s fur red.
The teeth released Desmond’s throat as the wolf whined in pain―and then suddenly, a weight dropped onto Desmond’s back.
Blindly, he reared up, growling with anger as fangs pierced his skin. He could feel the heat of his own blood drip down his fur. He shook himself―but before he had managed to dislodge the wolf on his back, more shadows lunged at him. Two, three―had the entire pack come?
He roared a challenge, but the wolves didn’t answer it. Instead, one of them shifted back while Desmond panted with pain.
Crush them all, his bear roared. Keep our mate safe!
But that’s the problem, Desmond thought dimly. What about Lisa?
The shifter before him, he noted with surprise, wasn’t Carter.
It was one of his lieutenants―Desmond recognized him from one of the many pictures of the gang. Greg, unshaven and broad-shouldered, with long, dark hair that looked like it hadn’t seen a comb for at least a year.
“Shift back,” Greg said with a sadistic little smile. “Shift back and come with us. Our boss wants to have a chat with you.”
Again Desmond roared with outrage, ignoring the wolf on his back whose fangs were still deep in his flesh.
“Shift,” Greg repeated, his nasty smile widening, “or we’ll kill your girlfriend, that hot blonde.”
A shudder ran through Desmond. His bear groaned, nearly out of his mind with fury and sudden fear for his mate.
>
There are only five wolves here. Carter has more men than that. What if it’s true. What if the others have made it to the farm…
His bear’s fear for Lisa was so strong that it hurt to shift back. He had to fight for his human form. The bear wanted to fight. The bear needed to protect.
But how could he protect Lisa like this? He had to be able to think now.
The wounds the wolf’s teeth had left ached fiercely once he had returned to his human form. The wolf who had clung to his back jumped back, growling softly in threat as Desmond looked at them.
Again Greg gave him a sadistic smirk. “That’s better. Like I said, the boss wants to talk. Come along now.”
“And Lisa?” Desmond asked, even though he hated to bring her to their attention.
“Perfectly safe as long as you behave,” Greg said with another cruel laugh.
That didn’t reassure Desmond at all, but at this point all the alternatives seemed even worse.
Chapter Seven
Lisa
Lisa looked out of her window at the meadow facing her kitchen. The sheep were still standing in a circle near the gate, bleating every now and then instead of wandering off to take advantage of the thick carpet of green grass dotted with the yellow of the dandelions that grew in abundance there.
She frowned. This was unusual behavior. Could they still be worried about the bear? They only behaved like this if a predator was near―or if the vet was visiting to disrupt their peaceful life.
How long has Desmond been gone now?
Lisa checked the clock again that ticked slowly at the wall above her worn kitchen table.
Nearly two hours since she had left him. That didn’t seem right. It shouldn’t take this long to finish his walk and return to the farm from the other direction, once he’d completed his circle.
Maybe he got distracted by more honey, she thought and couldn’t help the smile that memory summoned.