by T. S. Ryder
Even though he was injured, Kalin was overwhelmed with desire. He lifted Coral up from his cock. His hands were still firmly gripping the roots of her hair. He kissed her passionately. His teeth were grit. He turned her around and bent her over in front of him. Coral wrapped her arms around a tree. Her caramel colored legs were spread for him. Each foot planted firmly into the ground.
Kalin spread her vulva with two fingers and dipped his middle finger into her sex. She was warm and wet. His entire body relaxed, knowing that she was offering herself to him. Kalin’s shoulders dropped and he lowered himself to his knees. With one hand on each cheek, he spread her ass. Her eyes opened wide as he licked her body. She clung to the tree. Her hips were tilted into the air. At a subconscious level, her body knew exactly what it wanted. Kalin’s tongue entered her vagina. All he wanted was to taste her body.
Reaching a hand underneath her body, Kalin rubbed her pubic hair. Kalin’s finger found her slit and dove in once more. He brought out some of her arousals and rubbed the side of her clit. Coral began to gasp. Her arms clung tighter to the tree. She wanted to spread her legs even wider. She wanted to give him complete access to her body. Coral wanted anything he would offer her.
Kalin hungrily licked Coral’s crotch. A thumb found its way inside of her cunt. He began to apply pressure on the front of her insides. Massaged from the inside and on the outside, Coral’s knees buckled. When Kalin brought his tongue up toward her ass, she could only cry.
“Oh God..” she moaned.
Her voice was encouraging for him. Kalin slapped her firmly on the ass. His cock was hard and she was ready to go. He stood up and gripped Coral’s hips. Without much pressure, Kalin entered Coral’s vagina. One hand held onto her hips. The other reached out toward her shoulder. He pulled at her shoulder while fucking her. He wanted to see her face. She turned for him.
The two made eye contact while he slammed his cock into her body. He varied his thrusts. Sometimes they went deep and slow. Other times, he dug down at an angle. Kalin moved his core into hers. His fingers clutched at her frame. The two of them stared into each other’s souls. Their mouths were completely open. The depth of their breath matched their pace.
Kalin grew wilder. He reached a hand out for her cheeks. A finger probed into Coral’s mouth. Coral’s eyes rolled back with desire. Her lips sucked at Kalin’s finger. She bit into him with desire. Kalin slapped her ass hard and pulled his finger out of her mouth. He gripped her by the hair and pulled her up from her position. Kalin moved in on her. He lifted one leg up and took her from behind. Her breasts were pressed up against the tree. Her mouth was opened wide. They kissed and he shoved his cock deep inside of her. The pressure and intimacy were too much for her. Squirting out all over his cock, she came. Her fingers dug into the tree. Her lips were locked with his. He bit her lip while her muscles tightened around his penis. Each contraction milked his cock. He finally gave and ejaculated inside of her. The two of them convulsed with pleasure. They clawed and pulled at each other like animals. When it was all done, they licked each other clean and kissed once more.
No words were spoken after their union. There were none that could describe what they had gone through. They only knew that they were closer now and that their troubles were not over. The gang would show its face again. Likely they would seek out the Bear Clan. Kalin knew that there would be more blood by the time this was over. For now, he held Coral and breathed. His body needed to heal. The warmth their hearts shared for one another would help. That much was for sure. Coral pulled her clothes over the two of them. Her jacket and skirt forming a blanket. Their mattress was the fallen leaves. Exhausted, the two found rest at last.
Chapter Eight
Waking up next to one another, both Coral and Kalin felt more rested than they had in months spent apart. The strangest thing about spending time with a new person is that even when there are trials, the sweet feeling of respite is always more than each party was expecting from the onset. The simple act of feeling refreshed upon first rising in the morning is one of the unspoken hallmarks of falling in love.
There was a light misting of dew on the leaves in the morning and even though Coral woke up feeling cozy and safe, Kalin knew that his work was not yet through.
“We need to get moving,” he said while he looked up at the sky.
The atmosphere held a purple and pinkish hue, indicating that the time was just before dawn. Coral had just been spending time in a wonderful dream and though she felt well rested, Kalin’s words brought the gravity of their situation down on her psyche. She remembered the night before — both the beauty of their union and the chaotic discord brought about by the fight in the park.
The two rose and walked out from the park. Kalin was naked and Coral’s clothes were damp and cold. The sun was not yet up and the only heat she could rely on was the warmth of her own heartbeat. The emotional context of the environment grew more and more dire as the two walked toward the end of the block. The police had actually been called the night before and the area around the barber shop was taped off like a crime scene. The car that had served as a launching pad for Kalin’s shifted form looked as though it belonged in a junk heap.
Fortunately, most of the people of the block were not yet up, but there was one man who approached the two. He had a long trench coat over his shoulder and he carried a sawed-off shotgun in his hand. Kalin was the first to see the man and he hid Coral behind his body.
The man put up a palm and scowled at the naked man in the street.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you are, or what happened to that car over there,” the man said, guardedly. “This weapon here is more for my safety than to hurt you, I’m sure of it.”
The man took the trench coat from over his left shoulder and threw it at Kalin. Kalin caught the coat with one firm hand but did not relax his stance until the man lowered the weapon to his side.
“Some may not be able to tell a beast from a monster, but I know the difference,” the man continued. “Saw you got one of those wolves good, but if I know my history — which I do — they’ll be back.”
The man sniffed and frowned. His eyes looked over at the barber shop and he was obviously crestfallen.
“Been in the family for years,” he said. “My daughter is the one who operates it these days — or at least she did until you came along and trashed the place.”
Kalin’s stance relaxed some, but he continued to guardedly position himself between the man and Coral.
“Not gonna hurt your girl, or rat you out,” the man said, looking to the side. “I just want you to know that we’re honest folks over here. So if you come across anything useful for rebuilding that shop when you track down those wolves — you know where we live.”
“Understood,” Kalin said, nodding to the man. He put the trench-coat over his shoulders and grinned. “Not sure how much good this will do me.”
“It will do you fine as long as you get going now,” the old man said, raising his shotgun to the air. “Now get gone.”
Kalin looked to the man to see if there was a threat in his eyes but found only concern. Kalin nodded his thanks once more and grabbed Coral by the hand. The two of them walked briskly away from the barber shop, headed toward the only place he knew to go at a time like this — The Clan Room.
Chapter Nine
“Morning Pervert,” the fat man said, rubbing his eyes when he saw Kalin and Coral enter the warehouse.
“Fuck off, Maurice,” Kalin replied.
“I thought for sure you were going to flash me or something, walking around like some detective from a swordplay magazine,” the doorman continued. “But I guess that’s just something you save for the lady.”
Maurice nodded politely to Coral while referring to her.
“I’m a fighter, not a lover,” Kalin said, walking past the doorman into the long hallway that led toward the Clan Room.
Kalin paused for a moment and then turned around to face the doorman. “How
’s security these days?”
“Shercock Bones,” Maurice replied.
Kalin shook his head and turned around once more.
“I don’t know why I even bother,” Kalin muttered to himself.
“That’s what they call you…” Maurice called out down the hallway, “in the magazine.”
Kalin let out a long sigh and led Coral down the hall into the Clan Room. When he got inside, he found Sean working out while Ryder was asleep at the table with a bottle of hard alcohol in his hand and a scantily clad woman in his lap. The woman was rubbing her eyes and watching Sean’s abs flex while he did his morning workout.
“Where are the others?” Kalin asked, removing his trench coat and walking over to the lockers.
The woman turned her head lazily and licked her lips at this new point of interest while Sean continued forward with his workout — clearly not wishing to be interrupted.
“Nice piece of ass you got there, girl,” the woman said, staring shamelessly at Kalin’s body while he put on his clothes.
Coral blushed and Kalin ignored the woman’s comment.
“Does he fuck well?” the woman persisted, “Because this asshole went limp last night after about thirty minutes.”
She lifted the bottle from Ryder’s hand and took a long swig.
“Who the fuck is this broad?” Kalin asked, putting on a shirt and addressing Sean.
“Mufmnn…” Ryder said.
“That’s right,” the woman said, “Molly and don’t you forget it.”
She slapped the back of Ryder’s head for emphasis before leaning in to nibble on his earlobe.
“She’s an elemental Shifter,” Sean replied. “Some predatory stray Ryder picked up last night.”
“Pretty rare,” Kalin replied, directing the comment to Molly this time.
Molly’s eyes were still locked on Kalin, but her teeth were firmly latched around Ryder’s earlobe. Coral thought it would have hurt, but Ryder didn’t seem to mind. It actually brought a grin to the edge of her lips.
Ryder finally got up and bit Molly on the neck in response. Coral thought she saw Molly’s eyes change color, to a rich crimson with a flash of amber, but when she looked again, they were only gray.
Must have been the light, Coral thought to herself.
“She’s hot. Isn’t she bro?” Ryder said to Kalin. “And I mean literally — feels like my cock is burned.”
“Real cute,” Kalin replied, his mind clearly pre-occupied. “They came after me last night.”
“Who’s they?” Sean replied, finally permitting his attention to drift toward the situation at hand.
“Two wolves,” Kalin replied. “I got one of them, but I’m pretty sure the leader is some sort of Shifter himself. Not sure how many others there are, but they are well funded and not afraid to start shit in order to get what they want.”
“Let me guess,” Sean replied, going back to his sit-up routine. “They want her.”
“Doubt it at this point,” Kalin replied. “Likely things just got a bit more personal last night. They probably are more interested in revenge.”
“Fuckers like that…” Ryder muttered. “Ya know, it always starts off with some dumb shit, like turf wars, or whatever…”
“Did they see you shift?” Sean interrupted.
Kalin nodded.
“Then they’ll be coming here,” Sean replied.
“That would be suicide, why would they try something like that?” Ryder replied, all joking manner now absent from his voice.
“Not really,” Molly replied. “Besides Maurice and us, there are probably only ten or so heads in the entire warehouse. The tournament is over and we’re on break before next season.”
The silence in the room was disrupted by an explosion from out on the street. Sean shook his head and pulled the fire alarm on the side of the warehouse. The thin LED track lighting dimmed from the hallways and turned into a light red glow.
“Let’s hope there are at least that many,” he said, darkly. “I get the feeling that you don’t hit a place like this unless you mean business.”
“Oh God,” Coral said in shock, realizing what was taking place around her. “What have I done?”
“Get over yourself, hun,” Molly replied, standing up and helping Ryder to his feet with her spare hand. “Mobster types. This is how they have a good time.”
Molly’s tone was even, though there was a smoldering undercurrent to her words. Coral nodded, realizing that while this may have started with her, events had scaled up well beyond her control.
The group was together in a flash, out the door of the Clan room and down the hallway. Kalin led the charge while Sean and Ryder followed closely behind.
“Unless you’re packing some heat in that blouse of yours, I’d suggest sticking to the back,” Molly offered, pushing Coral gently to the side.
Molly’s kind manner under the stress of the situation struck Coral as benevolent. Coral nodded, feeling hesitant and scared.
“Don’t worry, sweet thing,” Molly offered, reassuring Coral with a wink and a smile. “This will all be over soon.”
Coral stayed behind, heeding Molly’s words. Watching her friends go down the hallway into the smoke that was billowing up in the concrete warehouse, Coral offered a silent prayer to whatever Gods were listening. She sensed that this was going to be a difficult one and she knew that if she joined in the fight, she would be more in the way than not.
Gunshots echoed down the hallway and tears began to stream down her face.
Pray, Coral, she told herself. Just pray.
Chapter Ten
Kalin stayed in his human form at the start of the fight. He kept to the walls while the sprinkler system poured water down from the ceiling. Maurice was in the entrance room, taking cover behind a pile of rubble. Through the smoke, Kalin saw that he was bleeding from a cut on his forehead. He operated a pair of magnums and was unloading clip after clip into the blasted open space outside of the entrance to the warehouse. The room was unrecognizable and Maurice swore loudly while ducking behind a pillar made of fallen roof materials.
Kalin and Sean were busy scoping out the entrance while Ryder and Molly ran and dove behind the pillar where Maurice was taking cover.
“Fine time for an attack,” Ryder muttered while bullets whizzed past their heads.
The cover fire was heavy and there was no telling what other explosives they had in store for the assault. To top it all off, there was no way of knowing how many the enemy had brought to the fight. A smoke screen had been caused by the explosion. The sprinklers were managing to keep down some of the smoke inside of the entrance room. However, the infrastructure of the ceiling was in shambles and the water sprayed out from the copper tubing at ineffective angles.
Sean and Kalin couldn’t hear one another if they tried. The sound of the gunfire was too persistent. Knowing that they couldn’t hold on much longer, Kalin decided to take action. Looking over to the other side of the room, he saw Molly had brought the bottle of whiskey with her. He saw her launch it in the air and knew that now was the moment to act. Both Sean and Ryder took Kalin’s cue, without the need for verbal acknowledgment.
The three members of the Bear Clan dropped to the floor to wait for their cue. Molly formed her fingers into a sigil of enchantment and an arc of flame came out from within her chest. The flame incinerated her body and she transmuted herself into fire itself. The flames chased the half empty bottle of whiskey into the air and ignited the alcohol before it landed outside of the warehouse.
Another explosion sounded off, only this time, the sound of shattered glass and screams echoed alongside the explosion. The three members of the Bear Clan shifted and sprinted out into the fray — taking advantage of the momentary absence of cover fire. Kalin was the first to emerge out of the warehouse but was immediately knocked down onto the pavement. Molly’s fire had found its way into the gas tank of one of the vans that was being used as a cover for the assault.
Molly had reformed her body to the left and was now engaged in a fist fight with one of the gunmen. Ryder ran to join her in combat in enough time to tackle a man who was raising the barrel of his rifle up to her back. The shot went off and barely went wild. All four combatants tumbled together into the melee, only to have Molly dissipate once more into flames. Her original adversary was now covered in burns while the man who sought to destroy her from behind was being mauled to death by Ryder’s brutal claws.
To the right, Sean and Kalin had bigger problems. The boss was there, with two Wolf Shifters at his side.
“You fuckers think you can just come out and attack me in the street?” the boss said.
Firing a shotgun off at the two members of the Bear Clan, the gangster made his position firm. Kalin and Sean darted to either side, only to be met by each wolf. Maurice had his say by getting a pot shot off at the leader. The shot connected with the leader’s left knee, bringing him down to the ground.
“This is the end for you,” the leader laughed maniacally.
Lowering himself to the ground, the leader transformed into a giant serpent. The shift took only a matter of moments. Following the transformation, the serpent went after Maurice. The doorman received the assault with a shift of his own, turning into a Boar that was larger than the doorman’s original, intimidating size.
The giant Boar and the serpent were locked together in a fight to the death while Kalin and Sean tumbled along the asphalt— each locked jaw to jaw with their own shape-shifting opponent.