On the Growl: A Shifter Romance Anthology

by Lynn Red

  She said, "Sorry, I'm a little hyped up."

  "Don't be sorry. Can't say that I blame you." He continued, "I'm going to bring you some water. So you can wash up."

  "Thanks, I appreciate it."

  She lay down on the sleeping bag while he stepped out. As the adrenaline flowed out of her, she felt languid. Knowing the men were guarding her she let herself drift off.

  She woke up with a start, in the dark and screamed at the shadowy figure in the doorway. It took her a moment to realize it was Matt.

  She looked at him sheepishly and said, "Sorry."

  Matt said, "Glad I was over here when you woke up, that was a hell of a swing!"

  "I can't believe I fell asleep."

  "There was a lot of energy pumped out earlier. I'm not surprised. I came back with water, but you were out."

  "I feel better for a good nap though."

  He smiled at her and said, "Good! Although I have some less than great news."

  She sat up and said, "Is Don okay?" He'd looked so pale earlier.

  Matt crouched down and looked at her with a solemn face. "Do not freak out. But Jason is gone."

  It took everything in her power to keep for panicking. She never would have been able to sleep if she had an inkling he might go free.

  "It's okay, he's long gone."

  "I don't understand, what happened? He was tied up! You said you'd take care of him. How do you know he's long gone?"

  She heard the fear in her voice.

  Matt said, "He left a note. Sort of."

  "Sort of?"

  "Yeah, he said we were fired. And good luck getting out of here."

  "But if he can get there..."

  "Yeah, he's not real bright. But we have another way. It doesn't matter. He's got about a solid 3 day run to make it to the plant. And he's a lazy asshole so it will likely take him longer. I promise you, we'll have you out of here long before then."

  "Why should I trust you?"

  "Have I ever done anything you make you doubt me? Hidden anything?"

  She felt a twinge of guilt. She hadn't lied, but she hadn't been very open, either. She shook her head and he smiled at her. "I brought warm water. Why don't you get cleaned up, then join us for dinner?" He stepped out of the shelter, dropping the tarp behind him.

  Jena stripped down and gave herself as much of a wash as she could. It was a bit sketchy, but still felt amazing. Still, she really wanted a good soak. Maybe after dinner she could shift and at least get into the stream. She would feel safe that way. She got dressed and stepped out into the clearing.

  Jack waved her over and handed her a steaming hot bowl. She sniffed it appreciatively. Real bits of meat floated up, and even what looked like carrots. And a dumpling! She looked at them suspiciously and said, "Do I even want to know what this is?"

  Jack grinned at her and zipped his lips. Don howled in laughter at her tentative sip of the soap.

  Jack relented and said, "I set snares. It's just rabbit. And I am a very good scout. I found some wild carrots and some herbs. Used a soup pack. Don even had some flour, so I made dumplings."

  Jena dug in eagerly, listening as the men settled around the fire. She noticed they flanked her and were constantly scanning, although trying to be casual about it.

  Finally she said, "Okay guys, seriously, I need to know: is Jason really gone?"

  Don shook his spoon at the men and said, "I told you she wasn't stupid."

  Matt finally said, "I'm pretty sure he is. I don't trust him, but his scent trail led off. I laid some snares if he does come back around, so I don't think he'll sneak anywhere close. But...we're not going to leave you alone, okay?"

  She couldn't help but sigh. She said, "It's not that I don't think I can defend myself, I just...I really wanted that damn shower!"

  Don piped up and said, "Well, you have a swim suit, don't you? Go with her, take her to the hot spring. You could all use a good soak."

  Jack shook his head at Don and said, "But we can't leave you alone."

  "Jason won't mess with me. I'll bunk down in the tent, get some privacy from you lunks."

  Jack started to protest until Matt said, "Well, you can always stay here, with Don and I'll go with Jena. Alone."

  Jena flushed bright red, especially when Jack growled lightly at Matt. He finally said, "Go change, I'll do a patrol and meet you there."

  She giggled at the charge in the air. She trusted the men, but did she trust herself?

  Matt hustled her along to the hot spring, but even so, Jack came thundering in, in bear form. Jena pointed at him and said, "Shift! No bears in the pool. Wet bears stink." He was laughing as he transformed, already in swim trunks. Matt set torches around the pool, and the flickering light glinted off both the men's muscular chests.

  Jena turned slightly and stripped down to her bikini, then slid into the hot water. She sighed as water embraced her. The two men slipped into the pool with her, and they all sat silently for a few moments, just enjoying the heat.

  Matt looked at her and said, "So, why so afraid to shift?"

  Jena took a moment, finally saying, "It's not that I'm afraid, I just don't like doing it when I'm upset. Or not completely in control. It's dangerous."

  Jack said, "Dangerous for you?"

  Jena wiggled and finally decided to tell them.

  She said, "He grabbed me in an alley. I was walking home from hanging out with friends, after school." Matt squeezed her knee gently and Jena continued, "It was a common cut through. We'd stopped considering it anything but ours. It was clean and bright, but it was still an isolated alley. It was tucked out of the way and most people forgot it even existed."

  "Except teenagers."

  "Except cocky teenagers who had never had anything really bad happen to them. Who never had to develop any defensive instincts. The whole world was in front of me and I was already a tenacious beast. So when I felt an odd jangle as I stepped into the alley, I ignored it." Jena paused taking a deep breath. She never talked about it. But their quiet eyes and stillness roused none of her normal fears. "I was at the midway point, I still don't know where he came from. But he grabbed me and flung me against the wall. My ears rang from hitting the wall. My face was crushed into the brick. He was big, taller than me. He grabbed both my wrists in one hand, pressing it into the wall over my head. I was pinned, trapped. Every move I made, he just pressed into me, harder and harder, my breath was being pressed out of me."

  She dropped her head into her hands, she couldn't look at them for this. She let the warmth she felt emanating off them carry her through the rest. "He took one of my hands and thrust it into the front of his pants and rubbed his erection against it. Then he bit the back of my neck. That snapped me out of my paralysis and let the fear and rage take over. And I shifted."

  Jack rested a soft hand against her lower back. It was warm and gentle. He said, "And he had an armful of angry wolverine."

  She grimaced and said, "Worse, a pantsful."

  Jack said, "Oh, ow."

  "Indeed," said the other man.

  "I was just in a panic to get away. I didn't mean to, but I cut his femoral artery."

  "You know it wasn't your fault. It was his."

  "He attacked you."

  "I know, it's still a heavy burden to watch a life slip away because of what you did. He died crying for his mother. Whatever was wrong with him, in the end, he was a scared little boy who just wanted his mommy."

  Silence settled between the three of them.

  Matt broke the silence and said, "So you don't shift."

  "I shift, just...only when I can be calm, if I can help it. And not around people. Plus, men always want me to be some fluffy bunny and get all weirded out by my form. Especially when they realize I'm the slip of a girl that stopped the Oceanside Strangler."

  Matt and Jack sat up straight and Jack said, "Holy shit, I've heard that story. That was you?"

  Matt glared at him, reaching around Jena to punch him in the arm. "What
my idiot friend here is saying, is that you're a freaking hero. You stopped a very dangerous man."

  Jena shook her head and said, "Do you know how hard it is to get a date in high school as it is when you're a scary shifter? Let alone when you literally killed the last guy who touched you. Teenagers are dicks. It only took one insecure asshole to make my last year of high school misery." She leaned back, letting their shoulders touch hers. Needing the comfort of touch, but too scared to let herself relax into them. They could just as easily hurt her as her assailant had. "Besides, after I met his mom, I didn't want to be a hero anymore."

  "His mom?"

  "Yeah, after they identified him and ran his DNA against CODIS, they realized what he was. What he'd done. She was packing to leave town, people in small towns are cruel. She told me she was sorry - her face...she was utterly destroyed. Devastated."

  "Because her son was a serial rapist and murderer."

  "I know, but it was still a hard and brutal thing. I didn't want to be part of it anymore. Every day people stared at me. Pulled their children away from me. I was marked by him. Leaving for college to a massive city was perfect for me. I could get lost, nobody cared who I was." The men leaned slightly into her, just letting comfort flow between them. "I've never told anyone all of it. Each time I start they react. Badly."

  They each took a hand, Jack raised one to his lips and dropped a kiss on her knuckles. He said, "Thank you for trusting us with this." He dropped more kisses on each knuckle and Jena's breath caught. "Will you keep trusting us?"

  She looked into Jack's eyes, the green caught flecks of the torches and she was drawn in. She wanted them. She was scared, but she trusted them. With her secrets. With her body. Jena nodded at him, she didn't trust her voice.

  Matt took a hold of her chin, turning it towards him, making her stare into his eyes. They were the piercing blue of the sky and she fell into them, nodding at him too. He leaned forward and kissed her softly. Until she softened against him.

  Matt pulled her into his arms and leaned them back. Jack eased behind her, slipping a leg between hers. She moaned against Matt's mouth, the sensations were starting to overwhelm her. Matt loosened her bikini top while Jack slowly nibbled from her ear, down her neck and back. Jack made short work of the pulling the top off while Matt eased her breasts out.

  Matt paused, to slide his hands down her back, to her ass, while Jack took hold of her breasts from behind. Jack slowly flicked her nipples until she was reduced to panting. Matt eased his head down, Jack presented her full breasts to him, and then Matt lowered his mouth to her now hard nipples. Jena squealed and couldn't help but buck against him.

  Jack laughed in her ear and said, "Guess you're a little sensitive." Matt was grinding into her core and her back arched. The warm water flowed between them and the cold night air on her nipples made her feverish with desire. Jack said, "I can't wait to watch your face when you come." Jena blushed to her toes, and gasped as he took her mouth with his.

  The twin sensations were enthralling. They lavished her breasts with attention, Matt circling his tongue around one nipple while Jack flicked the other with his thumb. Matt had her pulled hard against his cock, his thrusting against her matched Jack's tongue in her mouth.

  She couldn't help herself, they overwhelmed her completely and her orgasm took her by surprise. She shuddered in their arms, going limp. She sighed and said, "Oh, my. I..."

  Jack laughed and nibbled on her ear. She shivered as his low voice said, "Mmm. That is the first of many. Can you handle it?"

  She growled at him, her inner beast was just getting started. Matt spun her suddenly and Jack took a hold of her breasts, lowering his mouth to them. The scrape of his scruff against her delicate skin shot lightning bolts of lust through her body. Her back was pressed into Matt's chest, Jack had both hands lifting her full breasts to his mouth. Matt slid his hands down her body, delving under her swimsuit, flicking against her clit.

  Matt gently parted her and slid a single finger into her. Jena gasped as he penetrated her. He whispered in her ear, “I love how wet we’ve made you.”

  Jack moved one of his arms down her back to her leg and lifted it, bending it slightly until her foot rested on his thigh. It opened her more fully to Matt’s exploring fingers, and he stroked up her nether lips, circled the hard nub of her clit and then penetrated her again with his fingers. She couldn’t help but to thrust against his fingers as she felt another orgasm building and she exploded against his hand, screaming out her pleasure.

  She slumped against the men. Jena finally looked up and met Jack’s eyes. He had a very satisfied look on his face. He shifted her again, finally stripping her bikini bottoms off. He said, “I have to taste you.”

  Jack lifted her legs out of the water and rested them on his shoulders, while Matt leaned her back to float in the water and rest against his chest. Matt drizzle the warm water over her nipples, letting the heat of the water contrast with the crisp air. Jack started tracing the same path Matt’s fingers took, with his tongue.

  Jena didn’t think it was possible, but each thrust of his tongue brought her closer and closer to another climax, until her thighs were quavering and she was gasping. Matt nibbled on her ears and said, “Come.” The sensations overwhelmed her and she had no choice but to obey him.

  Jack and Matt gently lowered Jena back into the water. She floated against them and fought to stay awake. Jack lifted her into his arms, cradling her against him. She tried to say something but he shushed her, and said, "Just close your eyes, we're fine. You're amazing." As she drifted away, she thought she heard Matt say, "And you're ours."

  Chapter 5

  Jena woke up in the shelter, wedged between the two men. It mirrored how she woke up on the plane. Her arms wrapped around Matt and her legs twined around Jack. It felt so completely right, in a way she'd never felt with anyone else. She reveled in how freeing it was to be able to be completely herself with the two men.

  Maybe the fated mate thing wasn't bullshit. Maybe this is what it felt like. She nuzzled into Matt and he dropped a sleepy kiss on her forehead, before he muttered, "Back to sleep."

  She drifted off again feeling utterly secure and happy. When she re-awoke, the shelter was flooded with light and she was alone. She heard clanging at the campfire and muted voices. Jena smiled contentedly as she rolled out of bed and wandered out to the men. She blushed when she looked over at Don but he just grinned and handed her a cup of coffee. Matt and Jack both gave her kisses on the forehead, then went back over to Don.

  She heard a snapping sound outside of camp, and Jena watched a massive Kodiak stroll into camp. Since the two men just waved at him and continued what they were doing, she was determined to remain blasé about it as well. However, she very carefully never let her back face him.

  Finally the bear made his way over to her. He sat in front of her and she looked him over. He was massive and she just raised a single eyebrow at him. He might be big, but she wasn't about to let him scare her. After a few long moments, he finally shifted. She swallowed and looked up. He was almost as massive as a man as he was a bear and his tattooed face was as intimidating as it was distinctive.

  He just looked her over, quietly observing her, finally smiling at her. Jack shouted over, "Hey, stop flirting, she's taken."

  The new bear threw his head back and laughed. He ambled over to the fire and sat down between her men. They talked in hushed tones and Jena pretended to be busy. If she got too close, they went silent, so she finally retreated to the shelter. Something was happening and she didn't understand it.

  She sat fuming at the exclusion until Matt finally poked his head in and said, "Hey, grub's on."

  She arched an eyebrow and said, "Oh, am I supposed to grab a plate and retreat? Or can I eat with the big kids?" She didn't mean for her tone to be so sharp, but she hated how excluded she felt. The sharp realization that the 'real world' was starting to intrude hurt. The easy camaraderie with the two men seemed unlikely to sur
vive life poking into the woods. Whatever threads had bound them were starting to unravel.

  Her thoughts spiraled until Matt roughly pulled her into his arms and pressed his mouth against hers. It was a hard, claiming kiss that silenced the spiraling thoughts in her head and she melted into him. After a moment, he pulled her away from him and stared into her eyes.

  He said, "I'm sorry. I can't tell you what is going on. But we're done talking about it. I need you, we need you with us."

  She let him draw her out of the lean-to and to the fire, where Don was sitting with the Kodiak shifter, gesturing wildly with his hands and a grim look on his face. He looked up at her and stopped, letting a smile creep over his face. He waved to her, patted the log next to him and said, "Jena! Come keep me company. Those brutes have plenty of time with you." She blushed but went and sat with him.

  He pushed the big bear shifter out of the way and said, "Don't mind this monster."

  She looked at him, cocked her head and said, "So, what do I call you?"

  The man just looked at her for a long time, chewing on a piece of bread. Finally he said, "I understand you met Jason."

  She let the quiet linger between them for a long while, ignoring the other men who were frozen, waiting to see her response. Finally she cracked a smile and just said, "Yup."

  The silence between them sat, companionably, until he finally laughed loudly, slapping his leg. He said, "She's a keeper, boys." He stood abruptly and towered over her. She was a wolverine, she wasn't about to let some bear intimidate her. She leaned towards him, but stayed sitting. She let her body tell him exactly what she was thinking. He bowed to her and turned away. As he walked away, he shifted and with a powerful sprint, disappeared from the camp.

  She blinked in surprise and finally said dryly, "Easily intimidated, I see."

  Don roared with laughter and said, "Don't mind that crotchety bear. He's got a lot on his plate right now, and he's been too long in the woods."

  Jena said, "You aren't going to tell me who he is, are you? Or how the hell he found us?"