by J. E. Cluney
I thought back some kind words about how he looked wonderful too, and he just snickered as he got back to whatever he was doing as I got my cereal out.
“I’ll drive you today, so no rush,” Skip informed me as he got himself some weet-bix.
“Thanks,” I mumbled as I sat down at the table with my cereal.
I spied Ollie trotting in, his tail flicking around as he headed over to his bowl on the floor.
Skip spotted him and quickly grabbed a box of cat biscuits from the cupboard and poured him some.
I would not be kissing Ollie anytime soon when he turned back, at least, not until he’d brushed his teeth. Especially since Skip was moving on to getting him a can of wet food too.
‘That’s not nice, I can’t help it,’ Ollie grumbled as he turned to look at me.
“What are you two talking about?” Skip asked with an exasperated sigh. For some reason, he couldn’t always hear my side of our conversations, which the bracelets were meant to allow a little thanks to the magic being tuned in with Ollie’s shifts and our minds.
’Nothing,’ Ollie grumbled as he began crunching into his biscuits as Skip scooped out some of the canned food into another bowl and set it on the floor.
“Well, Lucas said he’ll try the relaxation spell with you today. Hopefully that gets you back to normal,” Skip said as he returned to his bowl of weet-bix on the counter and joined me at the table.
I liked that he had all the seats to choose from, and yet he took the one right beside me.
I reached out with my mind, finding Marcus getting ready for bed. He was thinking about something, and I decided to pry. What I found made me bite my lip.
‘You spoke to Mr Brady about the thing in the backyard?’ I asked him mentally.
I could feel him tense up at my intrusion and discovery.
‘Yes, Lucas thought it would be best, since it could be a dangerous supernatural,’ Marcus explained.
I could sense there was more he wasn’t telling me, but I couldn’t dig into his mind any further. It was like he was blocking me out somehow.
Great. A dangerous supernatural. Just what I needed to worry about.
‘He’s looking into it, don’t stress, VB. He’s the Area Enforcer, so you can trust him to handle it,’ Marcus assured me.
“Hey, Bee Sting, you okay?”
I blinked as I turned to Skip, who was frowning at me.
“Yeah, why?”
“You just weren’t answering, that’s all,” he said with a shrug.
“Sorry, talking to Marcus,” I apologized.
“Weird,” Skip said with a baffled look as he dug into his weet-bix. He’d scattered some blueberries over it, and I contemplated making a smoothie sometime soon. I loved berry smoothies, and I hadn’t had one for a while.
“What were you saying?” I asked as I continued eating my breakfast.
“Just asking how classes are going, the studying and stuff.”
“Yeah, they’re going good. Hate that I’m sitting out of my fae classes now. Would love to figure out this magic thing and why it’s so different,” I frowned. Just another thing on my long list of random shit. Ugh.
“Probably all connected to the magic that bound you to Marcus and Ollie,” he suggested. I was pretty sure it was all linked too.
Still didn’t mean I understood any of it.
“Marcus could ask Mr Brady to actually see you, one on one, and see what he can figure out?” Skip suggested.
“I’ll wait until I see my aunt and grandmother. They might have answers. Saves me bothering the Area Enforcer.”
“Okay, but if you change your mind, just ask us.”
I just nodded as I continued eating. I had so many questions and absolutely no answers.
I’d just have to wait until Thursday. Too bad patience was not my strong point.
I’d just focus on work today, deal with everything else later.
I remained busy throughout the day, helping Gina bake up some more cupcakes and muffins while helping serve and making a number of coffees.
Skip sat in a booth with his books strewn across the table, and I shouted him a bacon and egg burger for lunch, which he was extremely grateful for. I got him a glass of coke too, which he was happy to gulp down.
I took my short break with him as I ate my ham and cheese sandwich, looking over his textbooks and the notes he was scribbling down.
“I got a text from Lucas, Ollie is himself again. He wants to see Million this afternoon, was wondering if you wanted to go too. I’ll go as well, drive you both over and probably see if Bob needs a hand,” Skip said once he’d swallowed a mouthful of his burger and downed it with some coke.
“Sure, sounds good,” I said as I sipped my orange juice. I could use some more distractions.
“Lucas also warded the house heaps more last night, I forgot to tell you. Even the yard is warded now. And Mr Brady came by today to check the house out, investigating stuff.”
“Does he know what it might’ve been?” I pushed.
“Not yet,” Skip said quickly, and I wondered if he was lying. Why though?
“I was also thinking that since you both have tomorrow morning off from classes, we could finally go four-wheel-driving?” he suggested, his face lighting up at the thought.
“We’d have to be back for our lectures at one though,” I reminded him. But going out four-wheel-driving in his beast did sound fun. I’d never been, and it excited me.
“Of course,” he nodded, beaming as I smiled back at him.
“Sure, let’s do it then,” I said, unable to hide the enthusiasm from my voice as my stomach flipped.
“Great! We’ll all go, Lucas has Wednesdays off, he just does the lectures online, and I can take the day off too.”
“Don’t skip class just to take me out,” I chuckled.
“I’d skip anything for you,” he quipped, and I chewed my lip at the new look in his eye. Playful but wanting.
I just stared at him as he reached out to rest his hand on mine, running his thumb across the back of it.
“You’ve brought a lot of life to the house, brought us together more already,” Skip stated, those beautiful blue eyes soaking me up.
My hand tingled with warmth beneath his, and I was unable to look away from his soft gaze.
“Do you think Marcus would come?” I asked as I reached for my juice once more.
“Maybe, as long as he stays in the cruiser. And I’ll be going down to the forestry, so it’ll be covered for most of the trip anyway, I don’t see why not,” he shrugged, still holding my hand as he gave me his charming, gorgeous smile. Damn, he was one hell of a temptation.
I stiffened as the images from his mind jumped into mine, of how he wanted to lean across the table and claim my lips, to hold my face and kiss me sweetly. Of how he wanted to then take me outside and hold me as he kissed down my neck, his hands sliding under my shirt to explore me. He wanted to feel every inch of me, but it wasn’t just a raw animalistic lust, it felt like more. That there was more than just sexual desire.
I pulled my hand out from under his, noting how his nostrils had flared and his eyes had dilated.
I’d reacted to the images. Crap.
“I’ve gotta head back, keep up the study,” I said as I quickly stood up.
“You make that incredibly difficult,” he groaned, his eyes trailing down me. Now the lust was in those warm blue eyes, but he was just reacting to my own interest.
I needed to go to the bathroom and pull myself together. Especially since I worked with two shifters.
I drank the rest of my juice as I headed back behind the counter, sitting my glass down on a bench as I quickly moved through to the bathroom to pull myself together.
I could feel Skip’s eyes on me the whole time, burning into me with passion and need.
He’d just have to push past it.
I had work to do.
I headed into the toilet and splashed water on my face to pull myself t
ogether. I took a few moments to gather myself and get my working brain on again.
Only two more hours. Then we had a fun afternoon planned. I looked forward to it. I loved the idea of seeing Ollie ride again and spending time with him and Skip. Would Lucas be joining us? I’d forgotten to ask that.
I headed out, not wanting to run behind on being back from lunch as I headed to the till to take over from Gina.
“He’s an interesting fella, isn’t he?” Gina mused as I sidled up beside her.
“Who, Skip?” I asked.
“Yes, he’s most definitely got a thing for you,” Gina grinned as she began making a milkshake for someone.
“Yeah, seems that way,” I murmured as I spied him watching me, unable to focus on his textbooks.
I tried to reach out mentally for Ollie, but it seemed I only had my connection with him when we were in close proximity. Maybe a few hundred meters at least. I’d test that theory out on the way home.
But I could feel Marcus, and if I focused everything, I could tell what he was doing.
I gasped as I was sucked into his mind, and I saw through his eyes as he painted alone in his room. A gorgeous scene with a brown timber wolf howling at the moon.
I instantly knew it was a depiction of me. He’d even gotten my coloring perfect, despite having never seen me in my shifted state.
Well, he’d seen my own memories.
‘How are you in my head right now? I can feel you looking through my eyes,’ he mused, not frightened or concerned, just curious.
‘I dunno, I was just reaching out to find you.’
‘Interesting.’
“Allison?”
I snapped back to my own mind and turned to Gina.
“You okay?” she asked, frowning at me as she searched my face, her hazel eyes filled with worry.
“Yeah, just off in my own head,” I said apologetically. I cleared my throat as some customers approached the counter. I had a feeling she’d been trying to talk to me, and I’d completely glazed over as I jumped into Marcus’s head.
I could feel her eyes on me, concerned as I cheerily took the order of our new customers. I hoped she wasn’t worried that I didn’t like my job. I loved working here with them. They were a friendly team to work with, and I’d even met the other girl that they got in to split shifts with me. A bubbly redhead with a cute splash of freckles across her face. Amelia.
The remainder of the afternoon was busy, and Gina’s worried looks dissipated as she was kept on her toes.
I grabbed myself a vanilla malt milkshake to take home with me as I finished up for the day, and Gina thanked me for working with her.
Henry gave me a bright grin and wave as he worked on a burger order, and I helped Skip pack up his stuff before following him out to the cruiser.
“So, how was studying?” I asked as I climbed into the vehicle, tugging at my shirt from how hot the interior of the car was.
“Good, always helps when you have a nice view,” he grinned as he climbed into his side.
I just rolled my eyes as he started the beast up. I wound the window down and sucked in the cooler outside air.
“Do you want to get changed before we go back out?” Skip asked as I sipped my milkshake.
“Sure, I’ll just change my shirt,” I shrugged. “Is Lucas coming?”
“Nah, he’s got some late classes today,” Skip said as he reversed.
I just nodded as I continued slurping my milkshake, beyond glad for the cool refreshment in the hot sun. Autumn wasn’t too far off, and I was looking forward to some cooler nights.
“You said we’re going to a forestry tomorrow for four-wheel-driving?” I checked as the wind rushed through my window as he pulled out onto the road.
“Yeah, down at Glasshouse.”
“I hope Marcus will come, I’ll check with him,” I murmured as I reached out once more.
I found him in the library at home, playing a game on his laptop.
‘You know I burn in the sun, right?’ he remarked, already knowing why I was there.
‘You can stay in the center seat,’ I offered.
‘I’d normally say no, but you seem excited about this. Besides, tomorrow is meant to be cloudy anyway, so I’ll come,’ he sighed in defeat. He knew I wasn’t going to let up on pestering him until he’d agreed. I already decided on that.
‘Awesome!’
His chuckles filled my head as I drew back into my own mind.
I liked how I was getting the hang of this mind bond thing.
I reached out for Ollie now, focusing on his presence as we drove. It wasn’t until we were nearly in our street that I felt his signature in my mind. I tried to step into his mind the same way I did with Marcus, but it didn’t work. All I got from him was his sheer excitement at seeing Million again and riding.
And that excitement was rubbing off onto me.
“Whoo! Go Ollie!” I cheered as Million and Ollie galloped across the paddock, hurtling over a small jump and continuing over the crest and out of sight.
“He has a real knack for riding,” Skip remarked as he leaned on the fence railing beside me.
“Did you ever watch him compete?” I asked as I rolled my head to stare at him. The afternoon sun was outlining his face in a breathtaking way, and I found myself dragging my eyes along his strong jawline which was sprinkled with a dusting of stubble right now.
He looked utterly gorgeous in this lighting, the sun reflecting off his stunning opal blue eyes. Not to mention he’d lost the shirt again when he was helping Bob load up the ute with hay for the horses earlier.
I could stare at him all day.
“I loved going to the barrel racing competitions, but he did all sorts of things. Show-jumping, cross country, even local races. His old mare, Velocity, was incredible. But he seems to be on the same wavelength as Million too. And he’s happy,” Skip smiled, and my heart squeezed at the devilishly gorgeous sight.
“He is happy, I can feel it. He’s beyond happy,” I sighed as I managed to drag my eyes away from the gift of God beside me. Ollie and Million were hurtling back over the crest, and my mouth tugged into a wide grin as they launched over the small jump, clearing it by miles.
“We should go for a run, shift and stretch our legs,” Skip suggested, and it took me a moment to process what he said.
“Why?” I frowned at him.
“Why not? Most shifters like to shift, they find it freeing and invigorating,” he shrugged.
“I’ve never cared much for it,” I shrugged. Sometimes I wished I’d learned how to shift when I was younger so I could’ve fled my shitty life and lived as a wolf in the wild. Too bad I didn’t even know I was part wolf until a few years ago.
“C’mon. It’ll be fun. Have you ever shifted just for the hell of it?” Skip nudged me, and I pursed my lips as Ollie continued racing around the paddock with Million.
“Not really, I shifted mostly just to practice and learn, after that, I didn’t continue it,” I mumbled. Shifting made me think of Derek and the shit he put me through. But maybe it was time to associate it with something better.
Something just for me.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” I sighed as I reached out to Ollie.
‘Going to go for a run and shift.’
‘You can shift nearby. Million has been desensitized around shifters, and even a wolf wouldn’t scare him I think. Come run with us.’
I smiled at this. He wanted to be a part of it even if he couldn’t shift properly.
I immediately imagined him as a wolf racing alongside me.
One day, maybe. When his curse lifted.
“We can shift down by the stables if you want some privacy,” Skip suggested, although the once over he was giving me made me smirk.
“Yeah, that’d be best,” I snorted, and he pouted but followed it with a throaty, heart-warming laugh that gave me a fuzzy feeling in my chest.
I gave Ollie and Million one last look, loving how happy Ollie looked as
he rode, perfectly in sync with Million as they tore around the paddock.
I wondered if Million really would be okay with me racing alongside him?
I was just tugging down my shorts and panties when Skip called out. I was hidden around the side of the stable, tucked out of view while he undressed in the empty stall at the end.
I grumbled, not having heard what he’d said.
“What?” I called out as I moved my pile of clothing to the side.
“I was asking if you need any guidance on shifting?”
I jumped at the closeness of his voice and spun around, but he was facing away from me, half his body sticking out from the edge of the building.
Completely naked.
“No…” I said, my voice faltering as I eyed that fine arse. Hot damn. He was mouth-watering to look at.
“Are you staring at my arse?” he asked accusingly, a devilish smirk appearing as he turned his head to the side, but didn’t look at me.
“No,” I said quickly, and he just chuckled. He definitely knew I was lying.
“Would I get punched if I snuck a look?” he asked genuinely.
I just scoffed but then pursed my lips. How would he react to my naked body? Hell, would he be overcome and take me right here? Tucked behind the stable and out of sight? Penny had headed down to the back paddock with Bob to feed the horses, so we were alone for a while, and Ollie was riding.
God, what was I even thinking?
“I take it that’s a no, you won’t bash my head in?” he mused as he slowly started to turn.
I rolled my eyes before closing them, my body tingling as the energy inside me washed over it.
I heard Skip’s sharp intake of breath as he glimpsed my naked body before him, but before anything could happen, I fell to all fours as my brown fur sprouted.
My arms cracked and my legs shortened as my whole body underwent the transformation, and when I finally reopened my eyes, I was standing proudly on all fours.
With an erect penis only a few feet before me.
I just blinked before glancing up at Skip, who looked away instantly in embarrassment.
Guess my naked body did have an effect in the brief moment he’d seen it.