by Lisa Daniels
Emma shook like a leaf in a strong wind, unable to process what had happened. Unable to comprehend that tiny level of defiance she mustered, compared to the complete lack of it before.
“I didn’t expect that,” Arthur said after an age, turning them to go down a dirt lane. “How fucking insidious they were.”
Emma stared at the person who had instantly defended her without a shred of doubt, and tears flowed freely down her face. Her breath hitched in sobs.
“Whoa, Emma. You want me to slow down? Are you okay?”
“K-keep going,” Emma gasped, daubing at her eyes. “I’m… that’s never happened before.” She took a few deep breaths, since her words sounded mashed with emotion. “No one’s ever stood up for me before.” She wiped her nose. “I… I was always alone.”
“Oh, honey...” His voice turned soft and sad. He glanced at her with those gentle brown eyes of his. “That’s just damn awful.” He looked like he was close to crying himself, and Emma wasn’t used to seeing that kind of emotion in a man. “You’ve been missing out on a lot of wonderful things in life.”
“Probably,” Emma said, staring ahead to where the sparse trees began to thicken the more lanes they twisted down. “God, I was so pathetic. I couldn’t say anything to them. Nothing to make them stop and listen. No magic words that would make them go, ‘Ah, sorry, Emma, we’ve been so mean to you, we promise to make up for it.’ Just… nothing.”
“They don’t give a shit about you, Em,” he said, letting out a heavy sigh. “It doesn’t matter how reasonable you might be. They don’t operate by reason. They only operate by control. You’re out of their grasp now and they can’t stand it. Like Lamarya. She hated me doing anything that she didn’t agree with. Like my uncle. He hates not having things go his way. You were very brave, getting away from them when you did.”
“I have been avoiding talking to them,” she muttered, fidgeting. “I didn’t want anything to do with them.”
“Well, maybe you should attempt to talk to them. Every now and then. Try to explain yourself. I mean, I don’t think you should contact them at all, personally, but at the same time, avoiding them is like kindling the fire, you know?”
Emma sighed, wiping away the last of her tears. “I wish I could just cut them out of my life forever.”
“Then explain it to them.” Arthur took a sharp turn, and Emma swayed to the right, her seatbelt digging into her chest. Emma couldn’t erase the image of those three coming into the bar, of the abject terror she felt, of how all her confidence, her feeling that she was coping on her own, just dissolved in an instant. Reminding her just how weak she was. Like she was made out of a house of cards, and one flick, down she tumbled.
She knew there was no point explaining anything to them. They would never understand the reality of her previous life, working in a grubby store run by her parents, listening to Marcus’s sneering whenever she put one foot through the door. The battering of her past life disappeared in the wilderness of Valor Lake, but it came with its own dangers. With mysterious people, with inner savagery. With death.
Emma preferred this life much more than the former one. Though that would be like saying she preferred danger and death to hearing her father scream about taxes and her mother’s sycophantic backup. Or Marcus’s deadly smile, charming to others, but cold as a blizzard to Emma. Marcus had a way of warping the truth, so that statements he said at one moment he’d just outright tell her she was remembering wrong, that he never said them, or they were phrased differently.
And even though she knew somewhere he was wrong, it still confused her enough to hesitate, or mumble she might not be completely accurate.
“Not too far to go now,” Arthur told her in an encouraging tone of voice.
“To where?”
“The grotto. Remember? We were gonna go there?”
“Oh.” In light of the family invasion, she’d honestly forgotten about that. “Sorry, I was a little busy in my head, there.”
“No problem. Just don’t let them get to you. Not worth it. Scum like that. Sorry,” he added, since he’d insulted her family.
She gave him a sad smile in return, before casting her eyes over his bulging arms, big and gym-worthy, remembering how small Marcus had seemed in front of Arthur. How small all of them had seemed, honestly.
“They’ll get used to this idea in time,” Arthur said, showing his white teeth again in a smile, “once you’ve been gone from them long enough and they know that all their failures are their own. Maybe they’ll start being nicer, and Marcus will have fucked off to someone else.”
“That poor girl,” Emma said with a shiver. The car began to slow, and they stopped outside a dense, wooded area.
“Only way to get through now is on foot. Stick close to me.”
“Will we encounter any wild bears?” Emma asked, gripping onto Arthur’s shirt as they left the vehicle and began to squelch along the ground, still soft from the previous rains.
“It’s possible. But unless the bear is startled or is starving or neurologically damaged, they won’t go for us. So be sure to make some noise.”
“Making noise seems… stupid.”
“It isn’t.” He winked at her and made no effort to conceal his footfalls. “Wild animals will avoid conflict if they can, as an injury can mean their death. And besides… I think you’re forgetting what I can do.”
He reached for her hand, and she let him take it without resistance, enjoying the thrill of warmth that shot through her, and the increased energy. Every breath he made, every footstep, she was aware of, and she basked in his presence. Her mind strayed, wondering how it might be to experience sex with someone like him. If he’d be rough, or kind. Like an animal, or like a human. Though humans were animals too, weren’t they? She felt like she was being swallowed up by nature, by the quiet, private world of Arthur’s family, who lived in obscurity and promises of secrecy.
Emma didn’t consider herself as someone particularly horny, but something about Arthur saturated her senses, drawing her in closer to his musky web. She wanted to stay close to him, to not leave the secrets he offered to show her. Being shown such magic, only to be cold-shouldered out?
No way. She’d dreamed, dreamed of some magical way out of everything. She badly wanted to believe magic existed, to help deal with the depressing, monotonous drag of her life. That she’d stumble on one of those magic pills that reversed time, or won a million dollars, so she could then plot just how to spend every cent. She loved indulging in fantasies, because they were far better than what the current world had to offer.
At least, until now.
She could at least push away her current problems while she experienced this. Deal with the fact her parents and ex were in town at a later date.
The foliage denseness increased until it became near impossible for any kind of vehicle to squeeze through. Despite the light of day, the shadows in places became absolute, until Emma found herself jumping at every unexpected noise, and wincing when she snagged her jeans or boots on roots. Arthur seemed led by a divine sense, and his hand never let go of hers the whole time.
A fluorescent cave revealed itself, with ivy and vines and moss draped around the entrance. The moss gave off the luminescent quality, and the canopy above was so thick that barely a shred of light made it through, ensuring that the ground remained sparse of vegetation in the swathes of darkness and thrived in the beams that shone through. It looked like the kind of entrance that might lead someone away to a different world altogether—and if the bear legends were to be believed, then this thought wasn’t far off the mark.
Yara, Enyeto, and Kuruk stood nearby the entrance, engaged in conversation with one another. Yara broke off to wave at them. “About time. Thought we were gonna die of old age waiting for you two.”
“We’re here at the right time,” Arthur said stiffly, as though offended that Yara would even consider accusing him of being late to visit the bear spirit’s grotto. He made no menti
on of her family’s visit, so she didn’t bother with any mentions, either.
“Hope you’ll like what you see in there,” Enyeto said, once again cracking out that confident smile of his. He seemed more stuffed with ease than Arthur, who walked with a stiff gait, as he pulled Emma with him into the grotto.
“Try not to take forever!” Yara’s voice called to them as they went through a long, threading path with glowing blue moss upon the walls. They gradually descended, their steps echoing in the quiet of the rock, mingled with their steady breaths. It felt like forever until they reached the end, opening out into a small, glowing cavern, speckled with gaps that seemed to let in light from a distance above. The cavern itself had what appeared to be hundreds of red strings tied to thick, white cords that dangled above a wooden seat carved with patterns of bears, resembling a type of throne. Cushions adorned the ground for people to sit upon, and a small stream trickled in the corner, giving it the appearance of a perfect hibernation den.
“They say it’s not been changed much since it was first discovered,” Arthur admitted. “Aside from the strings. We tie a string here when we first transform into our bear forms. All the ribbons you see are the total number of bear shifters that have been born and died here.”
A small shiver went through Emma’s spine at the thought of so many lives that had tracked down here. There must have been dozens upon dozens of ribbons. She tried counting them, but lost track, tried starting again—but Arthur tugged her towards a tiny bear-shaped totem leaning against the wall.
“We sit in front of this, offer a few words of thanks to our ancestors. These are sacred grounds,” he said, voice dipping low. “So if there’s anything you want improved in your life, any thanks you have to give, here is the place to do so.”
He appeared so deadly serious, that Emma didn’t want to upset him. She knew how important it was for people to uphold their beliefs and didn’t fancy seeing his expression fall—not after all the effort he’d made for her so far. Protecting her from her family when she could barely protect herself. Taking her here, being the first human in decades to arrive within the grotto. She should feel blessed by the honor. She knelt awkwardly in front of the totem. Did people clasp their hands together in prayer, or would that be a sacrilege? Wasn’t exactly a Christian den, after all. More like the kind of place where a bear might choose to slumber the winter away.
She bowed her head, feeling foolish. Well, I suppose there’s a lot of things I’d like changed about my life. And this is silly… nothing ever changes just because I’ve prayed for something before…
Closing her eyes, she tried picturing her ideal life, swallowing in the atmosphere of the glowing den. It smelled so fresh in here, actually, and there was a faint draft from whatever wind knotted its way through the shafts. Maybe someone standing at the top could peer down the pinpoint shafts and see the glowing den underneath. Maybe that was how they first discovered it…?
A cold, icy feeling washed over her, as if she’d been dipped into a bucket of ice. Her eyes snapped open, and the afterimage of something pale and gray dissolved into the air. She blinked, and the lingering outline of a bear imprinted itself against her eyelids.
“Arthur!” she gasped, turning to face him, excitement blossoming in her chest. “Arthur, I think I saw the spirit!” The excitement quickly faded. Arthur staggered backwards, his brown eyes taking on a feral glint, and his arms rippled, bursting into fur, a snout piercing from his nose, his mouth. A rippling growl made her shrink back from him, mouth opening and closing wordlessly.
He crouched as if in pain, before rearing to his hind legs, letting out more of those snuffling grunts, and staggered backwards. Emma couldn’t even muster the power to scream. She was more entranced with his actions than she was with the fact that she might soon die under his touch.
More frantic puffs from him, and they faced each other, hesitating for a long moment. He took one step forward on his hind legs, and now his skin shuddered, contracting in upon itself.
“Ssssorry...” His voice came out distorted. He seemed to be having a hard time forming words. The fear and shock subsided.
Arthur stood so close to her now, having transformed back from his bear form, wearing nothing. Right. Shifting did that. It shredded clothes—and his clothes certainly hadn’t survived the transformation. Something still looked off about Arthur’s expression, however. He panted rapidly, and his pupils were blown. Lust radiated off him, and Emma felt pummeled by it, overwhelmed. She noticed his growing erection with a flush of both embarrassment and arousal. The sheer heat that radiated off him made her gasp. He took one extra second, looking into her eyes, before he advanced rapidly on her and crushed his lips to hers.
“Mmph,” she managed, before drowning into the kiss. The passionate mash of lips together, the way he gripped her tight to his bare chest made heat flare up in her own skin. One moment, she’d been excited over seeing the bear spirit. Next moment, she found herself swept up in that lustful passion emanating from him and let out a whimper. His lips moved to her neck, and he sucked hard at the skin there.
The arousal took her by surprise—she didn’t think she could get this revved up so rapidly. There were a lot of things she didn’t anticipate, honestly—not that she was about to complain or anything, in the moment that he dominated her. He eagerly tugged at her clothes, and she wriggled out of the offending garments, barely missing tossing her underwear into the stream. Fire burned through her veins, and the heat was almost unbearable, escalating to proportions best left for hot summer days. Her hands grappled with his arms, his chest, touching the solid muscles and skin, and the coarse hairs that collected between his pecs. The feeling of his erection jutting against her made her flare up in delight and craving, and her body greedily sought his out, wanting nothing more than to experience the connection they now shared.
It wasn’t all graceful—sometimes he bumped his lips too hard against her skin, sometimes he squeezed so hard that it left yellowed marks upon her skin, which would likely turn into bruises later. His mouth moved from her neck to her breasts, where he took each one in turn, sending fresh, tingling jolts to her stomach, and lower. Her legs trembled, and excitement pounded at her ribs. She wanted him inside her, to take her rough and fast, with whatever raw strength that body possessed.
He seemed to oblige with her wishes and lowered her to the ground. Soft cushions pressed into her back, and the earthy aroma of the room mingled with their arousal and body scents. The light gave off an ethereal quality, making the act seem, in a way, sacred. He positioned himself eagerly between her exposed legs, and teased his way in, testing if she was slick or not, if she could accommodate his considerable length. The brief prickle of pain vanished once he started his thrusts within her in earnest, arms braced on either side of her as his chest rocked back and forth, and he dove between her legs with speed and power. She clung onto him, encouraging him with moans and gasps, the sensation coiling up in her stomach in a shivering, invigorating way. She imagined it exploding, spreading somehow through her, until nothing remained in her but a brief flicker of life, as it’d all been spent in the act.
When the orgasm came, it wasn’t quite an explosion. More of a trickling honey sensation, as if someone stood over her stomach with a jar of warm honey and poured it all over. Her body tensed, riding out the orgasm, and he continued to thrust, seeking to meet his own. With a grunt and some jerky thrusts, he released himself into her, and leaned his forehead against hers for a moment. The pressure lifted, and he removed himself, now lying by her side, eyes wide and dazed.
“Well,” Emma murmured, equally dazed and snuggled into Arthur, hand resting on his chest. “Never guessed the bear spirit would encourage you to get kinky.”
He let out a low, soft laugh, which rumbled through her skin and warmed up her soul.
“Believe me, I wasn’t expecting that either...” He gave her an embarrassed but pleased smile, and then let his eyes trail over her body. They stopped at the
presence of a redness upon her arms. “Oh no. I gripped you too hard, didn’t I?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Emma said, but it didn’t stop the guilt surging in his expression. “I’m fine. Seriously.”
“I didn’t mean to do that,” he whispered, tracing a finger over the bruise. “I didn’t realize I was squeezing that hard. Say something next time. Please?”
“I will,” Emma said, thinking that now wasn’t the time to admit she’d enjoyed that roughness. She rather liked his reaction now as well, and the concern he showed. It made her feel… important, somehow. It contrasted severely with how Marcus had treated her.
In fact, being with Arthur blew everything Marcus had done out of the water. He just didn’t compare.
Though she suspected she might have some difficulties with cramps for the next few hours or so, since her legs no longer wanted to work.
All in all, not a particularly bad sacrifice to make. She tried not to let out an insane squeal of excitement, from all the energy bubbling up in her, and instead focused on reassuring Arthur that everything was fine, that she didn’t mind what had happened, that she liked the way their bodies molded together, perfectly clinging to one another.
Chapter Eight – Arthur
It’d been years. Centuries, even, since they’d caught wind of the bear spirit. And the first thing that spirit did was… make him horny? Arthur struggled to process the fact.
Long after he walked back through the cave entrance, under the laughter of his siblings, and taken Emma home, he’d been in a sort of daze, unable to process the magic. Unable to let it sink in that yes, he did do all that with Emma. He might have had some assistance from a spirit, but his mind and body had acted rather eager to do all that with the girl.
Explaining about the spirit’s appearance seemed to convert Jackie into a rabid believer of the girl’s destiny, that she was now “tied” with them, and Arthur better not drop her, or she’d grab her walking stick and beat him with it.