by Anh Leod
When he moved one hand to her clit and began to press it firmly, then used his other hand to open her labia wide, she knew what was coming. Or thought she did. His tongue speared her channel. Smaller than a cock, it was also more agile, more textured.
She rode his tongue, following the pattern of his hand on her clit. The beat drummed into her brain, spiraling her up, up, up. Just when she thought she could let go, it stopped.
A heartbeat pause. She opened her eyes, unable to protest, then felt her hips pulled forward on the smooth surface of the floor.
Cock, she thought desperately. Give me your cock.
Her wish was answered. He thrust balls-deep with the first stroke. Her back arched as she took him, her orgasm crashing through her body.
As the convulsions softened and her heartbeat slowed, she opened her eyes. Then wanted to scream. Above her wasn’t Cere’s handsome face, but the visage of large coppery brown dog with very dark eyes.
Vi’s eyes opened wide. She jerked up, then slipped and almost lost her balance. Her fingers clutched at the sides of the tub. The bathwater was tepid to the point of being cool now and the steady drum of the rain on the roof, along with the pale blue walls of the bathroom, made her feel like she was outdoors in a pool.
Even in her dreams she and Cere made love outside.
Her breath rasped in her throat as she tried to calm down. That was one hell of a dream. She must have fallen asleep for more than a moment. Turning her head, she saw the glass of wine, her third, was almost empty. That was enough alcohol for one night.
Where on earth had she come up with a fantasy like that? Even in the bathwater she could feel juices leaking from her pussy. Clearly she had come, even though alone and without touching herself. The dream had been a powerful one.
Before Cere, her sex life had been way too tame. She’d never even had a fantasy like that before him.
With a sigh, she slowly levered herself out of the bathtub and dried off. She couldn’t help checking in the mirror to ensure her wine-born dream hadn’t left any physical marks. Her legs were trembling a little, her chest was pink with heat, but there weren’t any marks from ropes or muzzle.
Like there would be. She chuckled to herself, feeling uneasy, then wrapped a robe around herself and called Delia.
“What do you think?” she asked her friend, after confessing the wine consumption and detailing her fantasy. They had always shared everything.
“After Randy, you think all men are dogs?” Dee suggested.
“But I liked it,” Vi reminded her. “I was shocked when I saw the head of a dog, but it wasn’t like I was fucking one. All the parts below the neck were definitely man.”
Dee laughed. “I’ve never known you to have werewolf fantasies before.”
“It must be that crazy Brotherhood of the Dog.”
“What’s that?”
“Cere’s union. Anyway, he’s taking me to his family restaurant tomorrow.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for this? Today was supposed to be your wedding day and now you’re meeting another guy’s family.”
Vi tightened the sash on her robe. “I know it’s nuts. I mean, it’s just a fling, right? Guys are scum.”
“Not all of them. You know that perfectly well. My husband, for instance.”
“Is a paragon of all that is good, except when he leaves his stinky socks in the living room,” Vi teased.
“Exactly. But I’m serious. I mean, have fun with the guy, but don’t get serious. You’re on the rebound and you’re not used to this much sex.”
Vi squeezed her inner muscles. Oddly enough, her pussy wasn’t the least bit sore. “You think I can’t handle it, but I know better than to trust him.”
“If you’re having bondage fantasies, I think you already do.”
After the call, Vi hung up, perplexed. She barely knew Cere, right? Surely Dee was wrong about her attachment to him. She didn’t have the energy for another relationship this soon.
* * * * *
Vi stepped down from the truck, her hand encased in Cere’s. She wore a long navy blue tank dress and strappy heels, completely ignoring the fact that this was more boot and jeans weather. Fashion before comfort when you’re meeting a guy’s family.
Cere himself wore jeans and cowboy boots, but a suede coat in golden brown covered a crisp white button-down shirt, dressing up the outfit.
“You clean up well,” she told him.
“I try to avoid anything orange off-hours,” he joked.
“It might not be your best color,” she admitted, “but you still look hot in it.”
He squeezed her hand. “I hope I don’t embarrass you. I’m so rough-looking and you’re such a beauty.”
She felt her cheeks heat. “I love rugged men. Your looks are seriously hot!”
He kissed her cheek, his sculpted lips banishing the heat from her face with cool sensuality. “I bet you haven’t dated anyone like me before though, right? What do you do for a living?”
“I’m my father’s administrative assistant. He’s a small business accountant.”
“I didn’t think you ever got those pretty fingernails dirty.”
She grinned. “My sister would kill me. Usually I only let her do my nails in the winter. I love my garden so my hands are almost always a mess other times of the year.”
“Do you have a green thumb?”
They had walked from a rear parking lot around a building. Vi hadn’t been on this street before. The old buildings were all single story and the road in between was narrow. They were walking by a video rental place. She assumed the language on the posters was Greek. An awful lot of the posters seemed to feature animal and horror movies. Must be what was popular in Greece.
“I’ve always liked growing things,” Vi said. “I have a huge yard and I go crazy canning in the fall.”
He nodded and she sensed the warm glow of his approval, then just as quickly, resisted it. Don’t get attached, she warned herself. It’s too soon to trust this man. What do you really know about him?
Now they had reached a storefront that looked all but abandoned. Butcher paper covered the windows, but a circular sign with Greek letters and bottle of wine looked freshly painted.
Cere flipped up a metal panel at the side of the door, exposing a keypad. He typed in a code and she heard a metallic click.
“Private dinner tonight,” he said.
“Are we going to a party?”
“Yes.”
She took a step back, feeling vulnerable. “It’s awfully soon for this. I mean, we’ve just had sex a few times. We hardly know each other.”
He turned to her, an imposing near-shadow in the twilight. She stepped back again, suddenly feeling like prey. Her hand went out in the universal “stop” position.
“Don’t pressure me.”
He straightened, frowning. “Do you want me to take you home?”
A streetlight captured his face. She saw his genuine concern. Cere must be one of the good guys. He had a steady job, friends, a family he was close to. Nothing indicated she had anything to fear.
“That’s okay. I just had an attack of nerves. Meeting families is hard.”
He came to her then took her hand and squeezed it. “I know you’re making a huge adjustment. I respect your concern. But we’re good…people.”
“Can’t we just keep it light and easy for now?”
She saw his expression change from hope to worry. “Vi, it’s not that simple. I—”
The door of the restaurant opened. Vi saw Barkley in the light spilling from the restaurant. Rich tomato smells drifted out to the street and she heard laughter behind Cere’s friend.
“Are you going to stand out there all night?” Barkley called. “Come in, Vi Lane, and take your first sip of ouzo.”
Vi looked at Cere. He took her hand.
“It’s a Greek liquor,” he said. “It’s strong stuff.”
She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. I
t was just a party. People liked her. She’d be fine. Attending a party didn’t mean a commitment.
In old-fashioned style, the restaurant had a coat check room. Vi gave an older lady with facial hair issues whose nametag said Sophie her coat and purse. Sophie gave her a wine charm in the shape of plump purple grapes as her token.
When Vi turned back to Cere, she saw him swallowing hard. Nervous again, she diagnosed. A wave of empathy washed over her. Introducing her to his family was as big a step for him as it was for her. She stepped to him and slipped an arm around his waist. Why had he wanted her to meet his family so soon if he was as nervous as she?
The white tablecloth-covered tables formed a rectangle around the room, as if set up for a banquet or a meeting. Cere gestured her to a seat a few steps away and she put her wine charm around the glass there. A clink on her left brought her gaze to another wineglass. A tall woman with eyes like Cere’s placed a red grape wine charm on the glass next to hers.
The woman’s lips curved into a smile. “You must be Cere’s Vi. I’m Bijou.”
At Vi’s frozen smile the woman patted her shoulder. “It’s all very sudden, isn’t it? I’m so happy for you.”
Vi stifled her laugh. What had Cere been telling his relatives? That she was the One or something like that? “I’m afraid it is sudden, but we’re having fun. It’s awfully soon to mix family in, I do admit.”
“Don’t be nervous. We’re very civilized.”
Why had Bijou said that? Concerns about the Brotherhood rose to the forefront again. “What can you tell me about the Brotherhood?”
Bijou looked uneasy. “How about an easier question? I’d rather Cere explained it to you.”
Hmmm. Stymied again. Vi resolved to get to the bottom of the mystery before the night was over. “Okay. What about Cere’s name? What’s its origin?”
“It’s short for Cerberus. You know, the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to Hades?”
“In Greek mythology, you mean?”
“That’s right. Isn’t Cere wonderful? You’re so lucky and I can say that because I’m his sister.”
He was wonderful. Too wonderful to be only a casual fling, Vi was afraid.
“I’m glad to meet you,” Vi said. “I knew he had siblings. Do you live with him?”
Bijou nodded. “I’m the Brotherhood historian. Asta is my oldest brother and Duke is the youngest.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Vi saw Barkley take Cere aside as waiters began to bring in trays of wine bottles.
“It looks like we’re in for quite a celebration,” she observed.
“Of course! When one of us finds a mate it’s a time of great joy. Even outside the pack.”
“Who’s getting married?” Vi asked with a pang. “A friend of yours?”
The skin between Bijou’s thick eyebrows creased. “Don’t you know?”
Cere was next to Bijou before Vi could blink. The man moved fast, she noted. He took his sister’s arm.
“Enjoying your chat with Vi?” he inquired.
Bijou’s eyes were confused as she turned to her brother. “Doesn’t she know?”
Vi felt a little rumble of nerves in the pit of her stomach. What was going on here?
“Cere?” she asked uncertainly.
He put his arm around her and walked her back to the coat check.
“Sophie, would you let us in the back for a moment? We could use some privacy.”
The older woman nodded and pulled up the folding counter to let them through.
In the back weren’t just coats, but full sets of clothing.
“Does someone run an internet clothing store out of this coat check?” Vi joked, trying to regain her composure.
“No, it’s a safety center.”
“Safety for what?”
Cere took her hand. “I haven’t known how to tell you, Vi. From the second I saw you, I knew you were something special. I was so flattered you wanted to have sex with me. It was far and beyond the best I’d ever had, but more than just physical. I really like you. I wanted to rip the guy who hurt you apart and take all your pain away.”
Vi felt her eyes tearing. Cere was sweet as well as gallant. Could it be that right past the man she thought she’d wanted was the one who was right for her? How could she trust her instincts after her disastrous almost-mistake with Randy though? She knew she could trust Cere to take care of her sexual needs, but what about the rest? Could he be open with her? Share with her? And what about the Brotherhood?
“I need to be honest with you about something.”
His words echoed what she needed. She put her arms around him. “I need you to be honest, Cere. About everything.”
He nodded, stroking back her hair. “Barkley has a special gift. We all have gifts, but his allows him to see true mates.”
“You’ve used that word before,” she said, her unease returning.
He rubbed his hands against her shoulders. “I knew we had the best sex of my life and that you were a sweetheart as well as an incredible lover and that I wanted to see you again and again. But Barkley could see you were my true mate.”
“That’s flattering, but it sounds a little like mumbo jumbo,” Vi observed.
“It’s real,” he said, his serious expression making Vi wonder. She’d never had any experience with the supernatural, but that didn’t mean nothing outside her life existed. Could Cere be more than just her lucky number seven?
“How do you know?”
“Those that Barkley claims as true mates are genuinely happy together. And the couple of times I’ve seen mates reject each other at least one of them has died within a year.”
Vi’s heart rate quickened. “How?” Was this a threat?
He shook his head. “Heartbreak? Carelessness? I don’t know. But it is part of our heritage. When the ceremony is performed, mates become a part of each other. We are made greater together than apart. I guess we are less separately.”
“Tell me about the ceremony,” Vi said suspiciously. Maybe this Brotherhood was a cult after all. She was beginning to lose faith.
“Before I do that, I’d better tell you about the Brotherhood,” Cere said.
“I’d like that.” Vi’s crisp tone had Cere looking at her curiously.
Sophie had closed the curtain behind her, so they were separated from the counter and the restaurant. Vi wondered if there was a door to the street in here somewhere, in case she needed to run.
“The Brotherhood is transforming now,” Cere said. “I needed you to see what we are. I wanted you to know before you knew about the mating. I wanted you to accept me for who I was before I ever asked you to be my mate.”
“My fiancé just canceled our wedding!” Vi said. “I’m not ready for a commitment. Particularly one that sounds so supernatural.”
“Then you’d better see this,” Cere said, his voice becoming grim. “I thought you were open-minded, but it’s a lot for a human to take, I know.”
He pulled back the edge of the curtain, allowing Vi to peer around it. The room was dimmer than before. Someone must have turned off the overhead lights. Candles were lit around the room, reminding her of her dream, of how she had trusted Cere, even bound and muzzled. But that was a dream and this was reality.
As her eyes became accustomed to the dim light, she saw people in the room. Or were they people? Heaps of clothes littered the floor when she looked down and the legs she sought seemed bigger than human legs, hairier. As her gaze moved up, she saw furry bodies, clad only in tatters that formed loose loincloths around the figures. None of the creatures was looking in her direction. Where had all the people gone? Barkley? Bijou?
When one figure turned toward them, Vi hastily dropped the curtain back into place.
“What’s going on?” she whispered. Slowly, she turned back to Cere.
His serious dark eyes hadn’t changed. Neither had the rest of him. But she took a fresh look at his hands, those well remembered appendages with long sharp nails
and extremely hairy backs. She suddenly realized they weren’t exactly the human norm.
“What are you?” she asked.
“We are shapeshifters,” he said softly. “You’d call us werewolves, though the truth is we’ve been civilized since the days of the ancient Greeks. We live among humankind. We always have.”
Vi pressed her hand to her stomach. “Don’t werewolves kill during the full moon?” Thankfully it wasn’t the full moon for another week.
He shook his head. “My people have interbred with yours for centuries. We are stronger, faster, live longer, but we aren’t so different. We are as moral, as principled, as humanity.”
“I’m not sure that’s saying much.”
He regarded her quietly.
“I dreamed of you with a canine face,” she told him. “We were making love. I was bound and muzzled, but I trusted you and you repaid me with such pleasure.” Her pussy tingled with the memory.
“A mate dream. In truth I am bound to you as much as you are bound to me. I have told you what I am. I cannot hurt you, Vi. I love you. I’ll protect you to the end.”
She patted his chest and felt his strong heartbeat under his shirt. “You trust me,” she said.
“With my life. You are my mate,” he said simply.
She came up to tiptoe and kissed him. He reached his hands under her butt and pulled her up against him. She could feel his cock harden against her stomach as they deepened their kiss.
With a muttered oath he kicked aside boxes, backed her against a wall. Balancing her against it, he pushed up her skirt.
“I want you so badly,” he growled into her ear.
Vi forgot the people—beings—in the outer room and reached for his zipper, desperate to loosen more of his clothing. She wanted his cock in her pussy now. How could she ever refuse him? She knew he was right. They were mates.
Cere had gone commando, just as she had and his thick cock pulsed in her hand as she gently freed it from his jeans. He grasped her butt again as she fought to angle her channel over him.
His cock seemed larger than before, his arms even stronger. As she felt her pussy widen, clenched her inner walls around him as she descended, she raised her eyes to his and saw the face of the wolf from her dreams.