by Golden Angel
Bailey curled tighter, looking almost like she was shrinking...
Was she shrinking?
Panic shot through Bethany as she realized that her sister was getting smaller, not bigger. What fresh hell was this?! No longer caring that it might hurt, she reached out for her sister...
But with a loud popping sound Bailey suddenly disappeared, and Bethany was so shocked that she froze, her hands hovering over Bailey's empty... no wait, Bailey's moving clothes. A small lump was moving around in the center of Bailey's shirt. Confusion flooded her as she lifted the hem of the t-shirt and a completely fluffy, white bunny hopped out.
"Oh Bailey," she said with a sigh, resentment and relief warring within her chest at how utterly normal her baby sister was. She reached down to stroke the soft, white fur, and froze as she felt the hard shell underneath the fur. Apparently, Bailey only looked normal.
The fluffy bunny tilted its cute little head and twitched its pink nose at her, hopping over to put its front paws on her knee. Trembling, Bethany slid her fingers into the soft fur, feeling the heavy ridges of Bailey's shell underneath the fur. Well, at least Bailey was the right size for a bunny, even if she did have the same shell under her fur that all her siblings had.
Actually, that wasn't a bad thing. It would mean she was protected. Bailey knew from the tests at the lab that her and her brothers' shells were so strong they were actually bulletproof... if Bailey's was the same, Bethany definitely would be okay with that. A fluffy, little bunny like this would need all the protection she could get.
"How do you feel?" she asked, stroking her sister's back. She really was the cutest bunny Bethany had ever seen. Bailey's nose twitched again, and then she shook herself all over, hopping away - a little awkwardly at first and then with more assuredness. Bethany watched as Bailey got used to her new shape, and then the bunny looked back at her, tilting its cute, little head and her ears.
"Alright," Bethany said with a sigh. A kind of grim resignation swept over her. Bailey wanted to go exploring in her new body, and she would need a protector, even if she did have an exceptionally hard turtle shell underneath all her cottony fur. Besides, who knew when Bethany would get the chance to let the monster out again, without any witnesses around? She doubted Steele would let them keep running around alone. He'd want to go with them, and he wasn’t the type to keep taking no for an answer. In fact, she was kind of surprised he’d let them do so today, and she was pretty sure it was only because this was kind of an emergency situation. Which meant that she needed to let the monster out to run for a bit... it was either choose to do so now, or risk it taking over in its need to have some time in control. Something that she'd learned at the lab.
Standing up, Bethany stripped off her clothes while Bailey watched; the tiny rabbit twitching its nose and ears and attempting a few hops as she adjusted to her new body. Putting her clothes in a neat pile, Bethany took a few steps back from her sister, feeling the first pangs of envy as she looked at Bailey's tiny bunny body.
Closing her eyes, Bethany concentrated on the thing in her head, which skittered with excitement. It pressed forward in her consciousness, pressing against her skin from the inside, and her body expanded outwards. Smells became sharper, sounds became clearer, and her body felt stronger. But something was different... something inside of her... like there was a small additional part of her, a little knot of foreign feelings that she could sense only dimly...
Something bounced off of her front paw, and Bethany opened her eyes and looked down at her sister. Bailey seemed even smaller now, she wasn't even the size of Bethany's paw. Bethany's nose twitched, her whiskers vibrating in the air. She felt a moment of envy over her sister's normal size...
Envy that turned to shock as Bailey turned and bounded away, so fast that Bethany's eyes couldn't even track her. Was that normal for a bunny? Alarmed at her sister's fast pace, Bethany sprang after her, her heavy body crashing through the bushes as she followed her sister's scent.
It quickly became clear that Bailey was much faster than her sister, despite the fact that Bethany was much larger and her stride much longer than Bailey's. Trying to catch up to Bailey was a completely new experience for Bethany... she was faster than her brothers despite the fact that they were the same size as her when they shifted. How could Bailey be so much smaller but so much faster?
Bethany strained her muscles, trying to catch up to her sister... it was a good thing she could smell Bailey, because she sure as heck couldn't see or hear her. Bailey was like a tiny, little, ninja bunny!
When the scent of blood suddenly filled Bethany's nose, she panicked, kicking her powerful hind legs with all her might as she burst into a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a huge deer on its side, its throat bloody, its body still warm. Bethany's beast was salivating over the sweet, coppery scent, but first she had to...
Holy shitsnacks!
Bailey was the Beast of Caerbannog!
Her cute, fluffy baby sister was dripping blood from her tiny mouth, with its tiny sharp teeth, and gnawing on the deer's corpse like it was one of the knights from the Monty Python movie. Not that Bailey was a foul, cruel, or bad-tempered rodent, but she obviously had a killer instinct by the vicious way she'd torn out the deer's throat.
Well... crap.
Bethany had assumed from Bailey's small stature that she was more like a normal bunny. That she wouldn't have the craving for warm blood and fresh meat like Bethany and the guys did. That she wouldn't have the fangs and the sharp teeth.
Obviously, she was really fucking wrong!
Sighing internally, Bethany didn't bother to fight her beast's urge as it giant bunny-hopped its way over to the fallen deer. Bailey made a nasty little growling noise, although considering how small she was it wasn't all that threatening. Even with the blood coating her fur. The noise that Bethany's beast made back was almost amused - after all, she could squish Bailey just by stepping on her. Well, maybe not since Bailey had the armor under her fur, but either way, her beast obviously didn't see Bailey as a threat. Which was good.
The two sisters feasted while Bethany tried to figure out how she was going to tell her brothers that it looked like Dr. Montgomery had done something new with Bailey.
Chapter 5
When Steele picked up Bethany and Bailey, he was more than a little confused. Both of the sisters looked shame-faced and smelled of blood, but his wolf knew immediately that it wasn't their blood... it smelled like deer, which wasn’t in their genetic make-up. Bethany's emotions were even more closed off than they had been before, like a hard little knot in his head.
Bailey looked better though; she was obviously no longer in pain and she looked like she even had some energy. In contrast, his mate looked exhausted, but she still smiled when she saw him, which made him immediately puff up. She might just be too tired to be prickly or defensive, but he'd take what he could get.
"How was your run?" he asked, keeping his tone light and casual as they settled in. Bethany had sat in the passenger seat, apparently without thinking about it, which made him want to howl with happiness. He had to stifle his instinct to reach out and take her hand - or touch her at all. Physical connection would deepen their new bond, but at the same time he didn't know how she'd take it and he didn't want her to tell him no.
"Fine." Both sisters spoke at the same time and then exchanged glances, Bethany looking quickly over her shoulder before snapping her head back to face front.
They were hiding something, but Steele couldn't fathom what. They knew everyone around them was a shifter, and yet they seemed uncomfortable and almost ashamed of what they were... maybe they just weren't very good at shifting yet? Or maybe they were just uncomfortable because it was something unnatural and foreign to them? He made a mental note to make sure they saw more of the others in their shifted forms, to show Bethany and Bailey how shifters were when their animals took over. Make them feel more part of a group and not so alone. Unfortunately, Eli hadn't been able to give
him any more information about the siblings - the Bunson brothers hadn't shifted yet, although part of their training was going to be fighting in their animal forms, so they would have to eventually.
"That's good," he said amiably, not pressing the matter further. Definitely the right choice as both women relaxed when they realized he wasn't going to dig for details. As he drove, Steele told them their brothers were settled into training camp and said hello. Not that he'd been able to speak with them, but the message had been passed on; which was not something that was normally done, but everyone felt like the Bunson family was a special case. Sympathy and a desire to help were running high throughout the entire shifter community as their story spread.
After telling them about their brothers, Steele pointed out some landmarks and houses along the streets - including the best place to get ice cream and the movie theater. Both sisters kept yawning, although they assured Steele he wasn't boring. Obviously, shifting and running through the woods had worn them out, and, considering the late hour, they were probably tired anyway. So it wasn't too surprising when their eyelids finally drooped, closed, and stayed shut, heads lolling to the side.
Now Steele felt comfortable reaching out and putting his hand on Bethany's knee. She murmured in her sleep, a happy sound that made his chest feel warm and tight. Just touching her made him feel more at peace and relaxed; the sense of rightness was overwhelming and his wolf was rolling around happily in his head.
He couldn't stop glancing over at his peacefully sleeping mate; so small and yet so deliciously curvy, her breasts pressing against her shirt as she breathed and snuffled, making a noise suspiciously close to a snore. In sleep, she looked almost delicate, the force of her personality and spirit now heavily muted, and Steele felt more protective than ever.
He still couldn't understand how the fuck someone could justify experimenting on humans, much less children... she was still so young looking. She'd never had the opportunity to date or have a normal life, and now she never would. Even though he felt a little bit of guilt about that, there was no way in hell he would have been able to tolerate another male dating her, even before she'd bitten him.
Which... they were really going to have to talk as soon as possible.
Pulling up to his house, he scowled. Now what? He didn't want to be separated from his mate, but he doubted she'd be thrilled to find him in her bed in the morning. Besides, he wanted her in his bed. Her house was just a temporary situation anyway.
A smile suddenly spread across his face.
Right, she wouldn't want him in her bed... or, very possibly, even in her house while she was asleep. After all, that was kind of an invasion of privacy, wasn't it? It was much better to take both her and her sister into his house. Especially because that way he could keep an eye on both of them. Make sure there were no ill effects from Bailey's first change.
Grinning, he carried Bailey into the house first and carefully tucked her into the guest bed. Since she was still wearing her hospital clothes, they could double as pajamas. Her eyelashes fluttered as he pulled the blanket up to her chin.
"It's okay Bailey, you're at my house. Bethany and I will be right upstairs if you need us, okay?"
"Okay," Bailey agreed sleepily, giving him a small smile, and snuggling right back into the sheets.
Well, that was tacit permission from one of the sisters. He would take it!
Quickly moving outside, even though he'd been away from his mate for less than two minutes, Steele felt his entire body relax when he picked Bethany up in his arms. She snuggled up against him, although she didn't wake. He let out a long breath (that definitely was not a sigh) as he carefully walked her into the house. His feisty mate probably wouldn't be as easily reassured as her sister if she woke up while he was getting her installed in his bed.
Setting her down gently on the mattress, he easily pulled off her sundress and tucked her under the covers. Glancing around the bedroom, he grabbed his dirty laundry off the floor and stuffed it into the hamper he kept next to the bathroom door. Fortunately, he kept his house pretty tidy anyway, but he did have a tendency to just let his clothes drop to the floor when he was in his own room, and they made it look messier than it was. The rest of his room looked okay.
Shedding his clothes, and tossing those into the hamper as well, Steele carefully slid into bed beside his mate, curling his large frame around her smaller one. Bethany's firm buttocks pressed right up against his cock, which nestled comfortably between her cheeks. Well, maybe comfortably wasn't quite the right word, but he sure as heck wasn't going to complain.
He had his mate right where she belonged, and sleeping together like this would only help strengthen their bond.
******
Warmth... wonderful, wonderful warmth... hard warmth... Bethany rubbed her face against the wonderful, hairy, hard warmth and -
Wait, what?
She jerked back, only to be caught fast in muscular arms that didn't let her get more than an inch away. Of course, it didn't help that her own arms were wrapped around Mr. Warm-Hard-and-Sexy's body and that their legs were tangled together. Even if he hadn't been holding her tightly, she wouldn't have been able to get very far.
"Good morning." Hungry, black eyes bore into her, and before she could reply - or demand to know what the heck he was doing in her bed - his lips were on hers.
Bethany clamped hers shut. Danger, Will Robinson, danger! Didn't the man know it was bad etiquette to french first thing in the morning?! Was he some kind of magical being that didn't suffer from morning breath?
The fact that she wasn't kissing him back didn't deter him though, and as his hard cock pressed against the juncture of her legs, his hands sliding up to her breasts, she couldn't help but moan... and he immediately took advantage. His tongue slid into her mouth, and she was surprised to find that the little morning breath he did have didn't turn her off - and he seemed to feel the same.
Her nipples hardened into sensitive little nubs as he rolled her onto her back, her legs immediately spreading. Bethany was shocked at how aroused she was already, considering she'd just woken up. The head of his cock rubbed up and down her wet slit, making her very aware of how drenched and needy she was, especially as it pressed against her swollen clit. Whimpering, she lifted her hips, trying to guide him to the entrance of her body, and he immediately took her invitation.
The first thrust had her crying out into his mouth as his cock stretched her nearly virginal channel. He wasn't as gentle as he had been last night and it hurt, but it felt so good at the same time... his cock was hard as a rock and he was rougher, more urgent. Dimly, Bethany remembered something she'd heard in high school, about men and morning wood. He thrust again, pressing deeper into her body, her sensitive tissues spreading further to accommodate him, and Bethany writhed beneath him.
Her body was hungry for him, loving the way his weight felt on top of her, pressing her down into the mattress, and how he felt inside of her, as though he was filling her completely. The pleasure was even more intense than it had been last night, making her feel a bit wild as she dug her nails into his skin, her feet digging into the back of his thighs, trying to drive his thrusts to go faster and deeper. She craved the connection she felt, wanting him to sink so deeply into her that she couldn't tell where he ended and she began.
Raking her nails down his back, Bethany arched, pressing her body up against his as her pleasure mounted. Every hard jolt against her clit, every slide of his cock into her slick sheath, sent her flying higher and higher. She barely recognized herself in the noises she was making, her incoherent cries of ecstasy as Steele pounded into her.
They weren't kissing anymore - they couldn't. He was moving too fast, too hard, drilling into her body as their moans filled the air around them. Grinding his body against hers, he trapped her clit between them, rubbing against the sensitive nub with his groin and making her scream as she clenched down around him. Her pussy rippled, making him feel even bigger inside of her as h
er muscles tightened, increasing the intensity of her climax as it burst inside of her.
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she cried out as he continued to move above her, his cock sliding back and forth despite her clenching spasms, sending her higher and higher on the planes of ecstasy. She felt like she was actually losing her mind, the sensations were so intense and unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. And they doubled when he finally growled and burst inside of her. She could almost feel his relief, his rapture, as he filled her with his seed, his pumping cock throbbing against the walls of her pussy with the force of his release.
His body slumped, pressing down on hers, making her shudder as little ripples of pleasure went through her... smaller quakes in the aftermath of her earth-shattering orgasm. Despite the fact that she'd just woken up, she felt rather sleepy again. Sleepy and content, and with that sense of rightness that she kept feeling in Steele's presence.
Little kisses trailed over her shoulder and across her forehead, making her smile. Who knew such a big, growly, alpha male could be so tender? Especially just moments after wreaking such rough - if welcome - havoc on her poor pussy?
Mr. Sex-in-the-Morning was a dangerous man.
Bethany tilted her head back, lifting her lips on the air, and immediately received a gentle kiss for her effort.
"Good morning," Steele said again, his voice all growly and satisfied, echoing her feelings of sexual satiation.
"Good morning," she responded, blinking as she turned her head. It was immediately obvious that she wasn't in her room, as she'd assumed. This had to be his bedroom. The bed they were on was huge, definitely a king size if not bigger, and made of the same dark, heavy wood that the dresser and nightstands were. They were definitely a matching set, which was kind of cute - she hadn't thought Mr. Aggressively-Alpha would be the type to have an actual bedroom set. There were no curtains on the window, just standard plastic slat blinds, and the only thing up on the wall was a huge picture of a giant, grey wolf standing on a mountainside in the snow. The dresser was pretty sparse too, although there were a couple of picture frames on it, and - strangely - a Rubik’s Cube (solved). "Um... what am I doing here?"