Shifting Hearts

by Ivy Hayes

  “Some of the shifters had children, you know? They were harmless. None of them had any powers, but I bet they were killed with all the others. The Ridders are monsters and it is not fair that they get to go around destroying lives, without consequence.”

  “It’s just the way it is. There is nothing we can do to stop them or change things.” This only makes her cry more, but it is the truth. There are too many Ridders, it would be impossible to combat them.

  “I want revenge. I hate them and want all of them to suffer.”

  “No. Ash. You can’t think like that. Some of them are products of their environment. They were raised to think this way and they aren’t even aware they are doing anything wrong. If you blindly hate them, you lower yourself to their level.”

  “It’s all wrong. I wish they would just leave us be.” She rolls over and lays her front on my chest. I reach up and run my fingers through her red-blonde locks. She is still crying and now, I stay quiet. I will let her grieve in peace and hold her, so she can feel the full embrace of my love.

  We stay like this for a while, long enough for the bath to start to chill. “Ash, let’s get out, the bath is getting cold.”

  “Yes, to bed. I am so tired.”

  “Not yet,” I chuckle, “We need to eat dinner and talk to Grant.”

  “Why? There is no more danger and I am too tired to eat anything.” She hasn’t even bothered to open her eyes. “I can see that. I will talk to Grant, let’s get you tucked into bed. Can you stand up?”

  “Uh-huh.” She rises so slow, it’s comical. When she is up, I dry her off quickly with a towel then carry her to bed. I pile the blankets on top of her, then kiss her forehead, “Sleep tight my love, I will join you shortly.”

  “Hurry back,” and she is asleep. I could stare at her sleeping form for hours but the sooner I leave, the faster I can be back.

  Grant is down in the dining room and he is alone. He is close to finishing eating, so I sit next to him and dig into the spread. Dinner looks divine tonight, mom and Rose outdid themselves. There are venison, potatoes and a whole slew of other cooked vegetables. “Greg, this seems too easy.”

  “We lucked out. Ted obviously didn’t see Ash as a threat, if he is leaving so soon.”

  “I guess. What do you think pulled them to Westhaven?”

  “Hopefully not another group of shifters. I’d hate to hear about another mass killing.”

  “What if it was a false lead and they come back here anyway? It will happen eventually. Den and Stann still live here. Not to mention, father.”

  “We will be discreet. They won’t find out.”

  “I guess we’ll see when the time comes. At least there is nothing immediate to worry about. I am looking forward to sleep tonight.”

  I finished my plate, “Me too. Ash is already asleep, I am eager to join her.”

  “That’s at least something positive that came out of this, you found her.” He gets up to leave, and places his hand on my shoulder, “I hope you are right and all the trouble is behind us. Goodnight, brother.”

  “Goodnight, Grant.”

  I help myself to a bit of dessert, then take my leave. There is a spring in my step, thinking of falling asleep with her in my arms.

  TWENTY-SIX – ASH

  My eyes are itchy. That’s the first thing I am aware of when I wake up. I feel the aftermath of crying myself to sleep. My eyes are itchy and my head is groggy, but I feel better than I did last night. A part of me knew the others were gone the moment I flew away. Shifters rarely get away from Ridders, so I can’t say the news was a complete surprise. I have been dealing with their loss for weeks now, so I am already coming to terms with it.

  If Gregory is right and the trouble is behind us, I will plant their trees today, or maybe tomorrow. Actually, tomorrow, I need to shop for the right ones and gather a few supplies today. I will say goodbye, then I will move on.

  I am so happy with Gregory, he is giving me unimaginable stregnth. I can’t wait to see what this turns into. I can’t wait to learn everything about him.

  Speaking of Gregory, he is still asleep and it is time for me to change that. I slide slowly out of his hold then make my way down to his manhood. It is always hard, it must be uncomfortable for him. I smile, thinking of the surprise he is about to get. I really enjoyed having him pumping in my mouth yesterday and I am eager to give it another try.

  I grab the base and position it so I can slip my mouth over the tip. Not taking him in deeply, I suck lightly just on that part and give my hand a slight squeeze, hoping this will be enough to wake him up. It wasn’t, so I decided to do a little more. Moving my mouth down lower, I take as much of him in my mouth as I can. I choke as his hard cock fills my throat. Needing to breathe, I raise my head slowly, dragging my lips over the length, only stopping when they rest on the very top, then I lower back down. I take it slow, loving the silky feel of his skin on my lips.

  The next time I move my head up, I use my hand to mimic the motion and I finally feel him wake. His legs stiffen, then he lets out a breathy moan. I keep going, not acknowledging his awareness. He grabs my head and gets a fistful of my hair in his grip. I take that as encouragement and start to move my head and hand faster. He starts to pump his hips up, meeting my mouth and forcing his cock in, impossibly deeper. I hear, “Yes, yes, keep doing that,” so I oblige. My hand squeezes harder and I slam my head down, forcing all of him into my mouth. I feel him tighten up under me again, then he shouts, “Fuck. Yes. Ash.” And I feel the hot spurt of his seed fill the back of my throat.

  I keep my mouth wrapped around his cock until he stops spasming, swallowing everything he gave me. He extracts my head then pulls me up for a kiss. “Good morning, my love. That felt amazing.”

  “Thank you, I enjoyed it.” I smile and he grins back. “Feel free to do it whenever you desire.”

  I am pleased, I want to make him feel as good as he makes me feel. “Be careful what you wish for.”

  “Can I return the favor?”

  I am already wet, but that soaks me. I still must say no, I have too much to do today, “Later. I need to get up and run some errands.”

  “Errands can wait,” he growls and tries to lay me down.

  “Not these ones, I need to get some tree seeds before I start work today.” He has effectively positioned himself above me and is reaching one hand towards my vagina.

  “I can do that for you?”

  “You don’t know them, I need to pick the right ones.” I try and argue, but he is working his fingers in me, I am starting to lose my thoughts.

  “What if I promise to make it fast?” How can I resist that, “Fine.”

  Keeping his fingers inside me, he lowers his head to my opening. There is no teasing, not this time. His tongue dances over my clit and his fingers pump inside me. It is hard, and fast. I feel myself rising closer to my orgasm. I am moaning and grinding my core against my face. He reaches his free hand up and starts to tease my nipples. He always pays attention to each part of me. I am so stimulated and it is incredible.

  I moan out, and he quickly extracts himself from that position, flips me on my stomach and slams his hard cock deep into my pussy. I practically scream in ecstasy. I am flush on the bed, so he reaches under me and lifts my hips up, so he can take me deeper. I feel everything. He slams in and in.

  He keeps going at a steady rhythm and I arch back, opening up to embrace each thrust. I rise up on my arms and he grunts his approval while wrapping his hands tighter around my hips. The new angle allows him to bury himself in deeper and he does just that.

  He starts to slow down his assualt, keeping his cock buried deep inside my pussy for longer periods. Wanting more, I start to rotate my hips while he is buried in so deep, causing his tip to massage the most sensitive parts inside of me.

  Gregory seems to like that, he starts to groan loudly then he reaches up and grabs a fistfull of my hair. He pulls tightly and pushes his hips forward, causing his member to reach even
further inside of me.

  I keep rotating my hips and he commands me, “Come, now.” In my new habit, I do as I am told and am rewarded with the full force of my orgasm taking over my body. Once I stop clenching over him, he pulls himself out, flips me back over and enters me again, this time from the front.

  “I love making love to you,” he says into my hair. He is holding me so close and barely moving, like he is waiting for me to recover. I get instantly antsy, needing more than him laying still. I start to move my hips against his. I rotate in a circle and and I can tell he enjoys it as much from this direction. “Yes, Ash, keep doing that.” I do and as I move my hips faster, he lets out a growl.

  It is so deep, I can feel it vibrating me to my core. It’s sexy. He decides that is not enough, so he grabs my hands, moves them over my head and holds them in place, then he starts to pump in me again. As hard and fast as this whole bout has been. “You are going to come one more time.”

  “Please.” He keeps his hold of my hands and uses the other to grab my nipple. Him teasing my nipple and pounding his bulging member inside me is more than enough, I yell out, “I am coming again.” He starts to grunt, and as I start my orgasm, I feel his join mine.

  He is weak the moments after his release, so I held him close and peppered him with kisses. I love each moment with him.

  “I love you, Ash.”

  “I love you too, Gregory.”

  We hold each other for another minute, but I am eager to get started with the day. He does not try to stop me when I get up, he just follows me with his eyes. I leave his view to enter the washroom, I need to relieve myself and clean up after that. When I make it back to the room, I see that he hasn’t moved at all. I smile and say, “Stop trying to lure me back in.”

  “I will do no such thing.” I laugh at that and start getting dressed. I walk over and give him a quick kiss. “I will see you later?”

  “I’ll come by Nash’s Tavern around closing time.”

  “I can’t wait.” I head outside, thinking of the day ahead of me. By now, the group should already be on the road, so I don’t have to risk bumping into them. It’s freeing. I can go to the market and take my time picking out the proper trees for the mock funeral I am going to have.

  It’s early, but the crowds are already bustling and the streets are busy.

  I’ll have to ask Gregory to walk around with me tomorrow. We could have fun, exploring all the visiting stalls and trying some different foods. One thing I already know about him, he loves to eat, so it shouldn’t be too hard to convince him. We will have an average day out and nothing would be better.

  I am so distracted by happy thoughts of my future, I don’t notice the man following me until it is too late. I don’t recognize him when he pulls right behind me and pokes the tip of a knife into my lower back. He is holding it close enough, that any sudden movement on my part, would result in him stabbing it deeply. I keep walking, slowing down. “What do you want?” Hoping he is simply a mugger.

  “Shut up, filthy shifter. Keep waking natural, when we get to the next road, turn right.”

  “What are you talking about, I am not a shifter.” He pokes the knife in harder, in response. It isn’t very deep, but it is enough to break my skin. I try not to jump at the sudden pain. I am not going to be able to talk my way out of this. I am forced to do as he directed, I can’t fight back until the knife moves away from me.

  When I round the corner, my stomach plummets. There is a whole group waiting for me; five others, including Den, Stann and Gregory’s father. The knife is removed from my back, but I don’t have a chance to make a move before everything goes black.

  TWENTY-SEVEN – GREGORY

  This morning made me realize that I never want to spend another morning waking up without Ash in my arms. I long for the day she can move out of her room at Nash’s and move into the manor, full time. We will spend every morning, and every night wrapped in each other’s arms.

  I want to see her next year and in twenty years. I want to watch her fatten with our children growing inside her. I want to see her when she turns grey. I want her forever and I hope she feels the same. We still have a lot to learn about each other, but I know it will only bring us closer.

  We can spend the rest of our days protecting and loving each other. We can spend the rest of our nights, flying to new heights. We won’t have to hide any parts of ourselves from each other and that will only bring us closer.

  I am going to ask her tonight after she finishes up at the tavern. I am confident she will accept my proposal. I know she feels the same way about me. We fit together perfectly and I will do all I can to make her happy.

  This evening is far away though, and I can already tell today is going to drag on, the way it tends to when it leads to something you are looking forward to. At least I will stay busy with final construction plans. I haven’t done anything new to get it ready to start early next week. I need to find workers, set up my management plan and designate supervisors, develop the supply train, find a chef for each site and get the plans finalized with my father. A steep to-do list, but I will enlist my siblings. Grant can be in charge of finding the workers and Gwen can plan out the supply train. She has a knack for organizing and she needs something other than worrying about Parker to fill her thoughts.

  Before I can do any of that, I need breakfast. I can smell the ham wafting from downstairs and I hope they made enough, I am extra hungry from all of my physical activity. I am quickly dressed, then on my way downstairs. I hear everyone except father downstairs, I wonder where he was off too so early this morning. When I enter, mom greets me, “Gregory. I have barely seen you these past few days.”

  “I’ve been busy.”

  “Doing what?”

  This is as good of a time as any to tell them of my plans with Ash. “I was with a woman. A wonderful, amazing woman.” I can’t stop the smile that spread over my face, thinking about all of her.

  “Who is she?”

  “Ash, the new barmaid at Nash’s Tavern. Do you know her?” I ask as I sit down.

  “Of course I do, she has been in town almost a month. She is beautiful, I knew someone would sweep her up soon, I am happily surprised it is you.”

  “She is beautiful but she is so much more than that. I am going to ask her to marry me tonight.” Everyone looks up at me, they all look surprised, except for Grant. Gwen adds in, “So soon, you had to have only known her for a couple days. You just got back.”

  “I know its sudden, but I have never been more certain then I am of her.”

  “It’s about time, I am ready for a grandchild. Bring her by for dinner tomorrow,” she adds, “I will make something special and we can all get to know her better.”

  “Good luck tonight, brother!” Grant adds in.

  I reach over and grab the plate of ham and slide a healthy portion on my plate. There are also morning buns, I grab two, scrambled eggs with some sort of herbs, I grab a large portion of that as well. I eat with gusto, shoveling large bites in my mouth. It’s yummy! I see Grant eating just as fast as I am, so I reach out to grab some more ham before he takes the rest of it. He moves at the same time and I grab the plate the instant before he does. “Hey!”

  “I’ll leave you a piece.” And that is all I leave him, I take most of the rest, but he repays me by taking the rest of the eggs.

  “You guys are disgusting,” Gwen says.

  “We are still growing,” Grant says

  “No, you are not.” Mom says, “You are both well into your twenties, you stopped growing years ago.”

  I laugh out loud, “That can’t be right. I wouldn’t want to take any chances by eating less.” Grant tries to steal some food off my plate and I swat his fork away.

  We spend the rest of breakfast joking with each other. The only thing missing was Ash, but not for long.

  Hours later, I am in the library, writing plans. I have been working for so long, I am starting to see double. It’s late afternoon
, much earlier than I was planning on finishing, but I don’t think I will get much more done today. I haven’t been able to find father all day and talking to him was the only other thing that needed to get done. I might as well head out. Not only because I am eager to see Ash.

  I can use the time there to recruit some more workers. A few of the young men in town are likely to be out. Hopefully, I will talk to them, but there is a chance I will just watch Ash all night, daydreaming about our future.

  I tidy up the desk and put some books away. Cleaning up in preparation for tomorrow’s use. I pass Grant on my way out, “I am headed to Nash’s, want to come with?”

  “Sure, I can tell you how the recruiting went on the way.”

  “Great! I will have more courage with you there.” We start walking and I ask, “So, how did it go?”

  “It was pretty fruitful as most of the seasonal planting is already done. Those that aren’t required to care for animals or maintain the farm and willing to spend a couple of weeks to help make the town safer. It didn’t take much convincing.”

  “Good. Were you able to get Aaron?”

  “Of course! He was one of the first to volunteer.”

  “I want him to be in charge out there.”

  “I am sure he would do it. We might see him tonight, you can run the request by him if we do.”

  “If not, I can track him down tomorrow.” With Aaron helping run things, I won’t have to be out at the construction sites, I can stay in town and have more time with Ash. “How many others did you get?”

  “Twelve locals and even eight visitors. They wanted to make some extra money in addition to their market sales.”

  “You got twenty? That’s spectacular. We will finish early with all those resources.”

  He looked proud, “Yes we will! Father will be pleased and it will be a great message for our neighboring villages.”