The Shifter Protector's Virgin (Stonybrooke Shifters)

by Ash, Leela

  “You don’t think I’d let you walk back on your own, do you?” Arlo asked with a cheeky grin.

  “Well, I didn’t want to assume…” she winked.

  He wrapped his arm around her and they began their walk back up into the next mountain range. The twinkling lights slowly started to become smaller behind them and they felt like the only two people in the world.

  “There are bears out here in this forest,” Arlo said as he looked up at the night sky. “And wolves…”

  Poppy shuddered at the thought. Even though she had never been afraid of either animal, the idea of them being around her and stalking her through the night was terrifying.

  “There’s no need to be afraid,” he assured her. “But I just want to make sure you get back to your cabin safely.”

  “Thank you,” she smiled.

  They continued walking and when she saw the familiar shape of her cabin up ahead, she pointed it out to him and he nodded his head.

  “I remember these all being built,” he said. “One of the old families in town own them all.”

  “I really love it here,” she said. “It must have been wonderful growing up here.”

  “It certainly had its moments.”

  Arlo looked at her and stopped for a moment. When she turned to face him, he wrapped his big arms around her waist and took hold of the base of her back before he pulled her closer to him. They were under the light of a billion stars shining down on them, and nothing had ever felt more perfect. Even though she had wanted to kiss him since the minute she had laid eyes on him back in the gas station, she was glad that they had waited until they were right there in that very moment.

  She reached up and ran her hands across his broad shoulders and when he pressed himself against her and their lips finally met, it was as if things were always meant to have been that way. His tongue flicked against hers and his lips were soft and warm. His whole body felt on fire, she had never felt a heat like it before and she knew deep inside of her that he was different, that he was part man and maybe part something else… but she couldn’t work out what or why.

  Maybe it’s just our chemistry … she thought as she ran her hands through his hair.

  “I’ve had the most incredible night,” she whispered as their lips parted and she panted with a passion that was overwhelming her. “Thank you for taking me up the mountain…”

  “Thank you for coming with me,” he said. “And for trusting me and your instincts.”

  They kissed again and then Poppy reluctantly stepped back. She easily could have thrown away all of her cares and ripped his clothes off right then and there, but she wanted to wait. She wanted to get to know him more and she wanted it to be special. Their first kiss had been so perfect, even though they had had more than enough opportunities to lock lips before then, and she was glad it had happened that way.

  “Good night, Arlo,” she smiled. And then she turned on her heel and started to walk up the steps to her cabin. She could feel his eyes on her as she made her way to the door and when she turned to wave to him good-bye, he was still standing there, waiting.

  “Good night,” he said and it broke through the night.

  When she closed the door behind her, she leaned against the wall and sighed. It had been one of the best nights of her life. She was completely smitten.

  Poppy sat in the hot, comforting bubbles of the hot tub. Steam rose up into the air around her and the grand vista of the mountains was all laid out before her. She had spent the night having wicked dreams about a big, muscular man who was tearing at her clothes, biting her neck and nibbling her fingertips. He was so big and strong he was like an animal and it turned her on so much she had woken in a sweat, her heart pounding and her pussy moist with desire. Now that she had met Arlo, there was no way she could walk away from him. He was consuming her thoughts every moment, even when she was fast asleep.

  In the cabin, the sounds of her family returning from their hikes and a day on the mountain filtered out to meet her and it wasn’t long before James opened the door onto the veranda and ducked outside.

  “Hey,” he said as he threw down his backpack and made his way over to the side of the tub.

  “Hey,” Poppy smiled from behind her sunglasses. “How was the hike?”

  “Lame,” James said. “It’s stunning scenery out there, but I’m bored.” He leaned back onto one of the sun loungers and yawned.

  “Did Mom and Dad go with you?” she asked.

  James shook his head. “No,” he said. “They argued on half of the walk there and then Mom stormed off into town.”

  Poppy rolled her eyes. It sounded like typical behavior from her mother.

  “Do you think she’s changed?” Poppy asked.

  James thought for a moment and then shrugged. “She definitely isn’t as kind as she used to be,” he said sadly.

  Poppy nodded in agreement. She couldn’t help but feel that her mother was just sick of them both and was more than ready to enjoy her adult life, kid free. But Poppy was an adult, she didn’t need her parents and the sooner she could get out of their house, the better.

  “Maybe I really shouldn’t have come here,” she said as she trailed off. “Maybe I should have just stayed at home.” Even as she said it, she knew that she didn’t really feel that way because of Arlo. Now that she had met him, she knew that she would be forever grateful that she had come to Lost Creek.

  “Nah,” James said. “I’m glad you’re here… Keep the old bag in check.”

  Poppy burst into laughter and so did James. Even though they had had their moments when they had been growing up, she could see now that he was on the brink of adulthood too. She knew that when she did finally leave and get as far away from her parents as she could, that James would be just fine. He could handle himself and he had shown a certain maturity of late that had made Poppy proud to call him her kid brother.

  “Right,” she said as she stood up and reached for her towel. “I better get sorted, I’m heading out tonight.”

  “They’re having dinner here,” he said. “And I met some skaters when I was down in town earlier so I may go back to Main Street and hang out.”

  “Sounds good,” Poppy beamed. “We can walk down together.”

  James nodded and smiled.

  They walked down the mountain road and butterflies began to form in Poppy’s stomach. Even though she felt as if she knew Arlo already, it still made her giddy to think about seeing him again. James walked along with his hands in his pockets and his skateboard under his arm and when he saw the group of guys he had been chatting to earlier, he made off, throwing a casual wave over his shoulder as he went.

  Poppy could see that Arlo was waiting outside the diner for her and she couldn’t help but grin. He looked so handsome leaning there against the wall, a cigarette clenched between his fingers and a wry smile on his face.

  “Hey,” she said as she got closer to him.

  “Hey you,” he replied as he wrapped a big arm around her tiny waist and pulled her in closely. He threw his cigarette down on the ground and stared deep into her eyes. When he kissed her, she felt weak at the knees and she ran her hands through his wiry hair.

  “It’s so good to see you,” he breathed. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

  “Likewise,” she smiled as she bit her bottom lip playfully. And it was true. She hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind. From the second she had woken up, she had been thinking about this moment and what it would be like to kiss him again.

  “Who’s the kid?” he asked as he nodded toward the direction that James had wandered off in.

  “My brother,” she said.

  Arlo’s eyes thinned as he tried to focus on who he was with.

  “He’s with some of younger Lost Alpha’s,” he said almost in a whisper.

  “The what?” Poppy asked as she spun around to see what he was talking about.

  “They’re just kids like him, but their older brothers and
fathers are connected to this side of town. What I was telling you about last night…”

  “Should I be worried?” she asked with panic.

  Arlo paused for a moment. He watched the way the group of teens was just acting like normal. Surely they wouldn’t do anything stupid to a tourist and risk the town’s good reputation.

  “No, of course not,” Arlo said with a smile. “I was just letting you know.”

  “Okay,” Poppy said with confusion.

  He slid his arm around her shoulder and then he began to walk with her away from the bar.

  “So,” he said, “I want to take you somewhere special tonight.”

  “Oh yeah?” she asked playfully. “And where would that be?”

  “My house,” he said mischievously.

  Poppy’s heart jumped in her chest and she brushed her hair behind her ear nervously. She wanted to go to his home more than anything, but she didn’t want to act too keen. She wanted him to fear that she would say no.

  “What do you think?” he asked cautiously.

  She bit the inside of her cheek and looked up at the sky.

  “Hmm, let me think about that…” she teased.

  He nuzzled into her neck playfully and pulled her into the street.

  “That’s it,” he said with a sexy growl, “I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  Poppy laughed and let him drag her away jokingly, it was almost like he was pretending to be a caveman dragging his woman back to his cave.

  As they walked off into the forest and they were properly alone, she couldn’t help but undress him with her eyes. Each bulge of muscle was so tight and pronounced it was driving her to distraction, and he was so perfectly sculpted and tanned.

  “I don’t live far,” he whispered in her ear as they continued walking along the forest path. The scent of pine was heavy in the air and it was so fresh and clear that it heightened her senses and seemed to make everything feel more real.

  As they rounded a corner and the big, split level log cabin came into view, Poppy’s breath was almost taken away again.

  “Wow,” she whispered as she looked up into the trees and saw how modern and immaculate it was. It almost looked like a wooden space ship, half timber and half glass peeking out of the tall evergreen trees.

  “I designed it with my friend,” he said. “He’s an architect who moved back to town after college. He’s built a lot of the properties around here, especially for my crew and me.”

  “Your crew?” Poppy smirked.

  Arlo looked down at her and gave a wry smile. She jabbed him in the ribs to mock him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close and ruffled her hair.

  “You’re a piece of work,” he laughed. “You always have a question and a challenge. You never just let me tell you a story.” He laughed and kissed her on the top of her head.

  “Well, it wouldn’t be any fun if I just listened, nodded and smiled, right?” she quipped.

  “Damn right,” Arlo smiled.

  He led her up to the entryway of the house and it was perfectly secluded and hidden by trees. Poppy ran her fingertips along the woodwork and when she glimpsed through the tall windows and sliding glass doors, she could see a wonderful fire burning inside.

  “It must be really peaceful living out here,” she said as she looked out into the forest. “It’s perfect.”

  “I do love it,” he said. “But I guess it’s like anywhere, once you’re used to it, its shine slowly goes.”

  Poppy nodded. She knew that feeling all too well. Arlo took hold of her hand and led her around onto a long, stretched out wooden deck that ran along the length of the house and was raised up on stilts. It joined the kitchen and had a blazing fire pit that was already lit and a comfy garden couch and seats around it. He motioned for Poppy to sit down and when she did, he disappeared inside and returned with a bottle of champagne and two glass flutes.

  “Are you trying to make a good impression?” she joked. “I think you’ve already got my attention.”

  “I’ve been wanting to drink this for a while,” he laughed. “And what better excuse than to celebrate with a beautiful woman.”

  Poppy felt herself blushing again. Even though she had already let her guard down with him, she still found it hard to accept a compliment when she was so used to being bashed and brought down by her mom.

  “Cheers,” he said as their glasses clinked. “To another wonderful night.”

  “Cheers,” she smiled.

  She nuzzled up under his arm and he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. It was such a strange feeling to be so close and comfortable with someone after spending so much of her life alone. But it felt so right, so natural.

  “Why aren’t you tied down?” she asked. The words seemed to fire out of her mouth before she was even aware that she was saying them.

  “I’ve just never met the right girl,” Arlo said. “I always wanted to feel something so powerful and intense that when I found it I would instantly know. And that’s never happened before… Well, it hadn’t until yesterday.” He looked at her deep in the eyes and ran one of his fingers down her cheek. Poppy was a tangle of nerves and desire, and she wanted to tell him that she felt exactly the same way, but she didn’t know how.

  “It’s going to take someone very special to love and understand me,” he said almost sadly. “And having lived all my life in Lost Creek, I know that person doesn’t exist here.”

  Poppy wanted to ask him why, but she was too nervous. She wanted him to continue, to open up, to tell her it all.

  “I know this is crazy,” he said as his lips grazed against hers. “But the second I saw you, I knew that you were going to be mine. I was drawn to you in a heartbeat and I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind ever since.”

  She pulled him close to her and kissed him again. This man was so big he could crush her with both hands, but his words were so soft and gentle and full of love that she couldn’t control herself. He was like no one she had ever met before, and she knew that she would never find anyone like him again.

  “Arlo,” she whispered as she looked into his eyes. “I’m so glad I came here to Lost Creek, you have no idea.”

  They sat together and looked up to the stars. Her heart was pounding and her mind was racing. Everything about their time together felt so right, but there was still something that she couldn’t put her finger on. What was it that was making him so different?

  “Why aren’t you with someone?” he asked her.

  Poppy thought about it for a moment, and she realized that she didn’t even know herself.

  “After college, I moved home and I’ve been stuck in a rut ever since,” she finally admitted. “I just haven’t had the confidence or the drive to try and meet a man.”

  “No confidence?” he asked. “But you’re stunning.”

  “Thank you,” she said shyly. “I just don’t know. Maybe I’ve needed someone to pursue me like you have. For it to just feel right like this.”

  “Maybe we’ve been waiting for each other,” he said as he wrapped her hair up in his big, rough hand and pulled her face close to his. He was so strong she felt weak in his arms and as he kissed her again and laid her down on the cushions of the couch, she opened her legs wide and invited him to climb on top of her. His touch was incredible, and with each gasp of breath and kiss from his lips, Poppy felt herself opening more and more to him. She wanted him, she needed him, and each time his hand found another part of her, her nipples hardened even more.

  The stars above them twinkled high in the sky and as their bodies came closer together, Poppy was always melting into his arms and ready for anything. She wanted him, and as Arlo pulled his t-shirt over his head and revealed his huge, heaving muscles, Poppy couldn’t help but suck in a lung full of air. He was so much bigger than she ever could have anticipated, it was almost frightening. And as her eyes searched and explored each part of him, she saw his tattoo for the first time.
>
  There, right in front of her, was a big, grizzly bear right over his heart. Its claws and jaws were dripping with blood and its snarl was so ferocious she could almost hear it growl. Arlo followed her eye line down to it and picked up her hand and placed it over the bear.

  His skin was so hot it almost could have burned her and she realized, in that moment, that there was something very different about him indeed, something powerful and animalistic.

  “What are you?” she whispered bravely, but Arlo just smiled at her wryly, lowered her hand and moved forward to kiss her again.

  As his kiss hardened and his breathing became more rapid, Poppy knew that there was no way she could pull herself away. She was dripping wet with desire and her body was aching for him. She could feel the sharp poke of his cock on the inside of her leg and she was desperate to touch him. Arlo pulled roughly at the straps of her dress and ripped them down over her shoulders, exposing her perfectly pert and firm breasts. They were swelling with arousal and she held her breath as he lowered his head down and took one of her nipples roughly in his mouth. As he sucked and bit her gently, she gasped and moaned with pleasure. She hadn’t been with a man in such a long time, and he was so much more of a man than she had ever known, she was almost on the verge of unraveling before he had even gotten anywhere near her engorged sex.

  He came back up to her face and cupped her chin in his hand before he kissed her hard on the mouth. His tongue searched against hers and he moved down to her neck and squeezed her gently on the throat.

  “Arlo,” she panted, almost unable to take it anymore. She dug her nails into the skin of his shoulder and pulled them slowly down his back. “I need you to fuck me,” she whispered.

  He flashed her a wicked smile and pulled her leg up and bent it around him and in one fluid motion, he hooked his fingers into her panties and ripped them off, tearing them in two. Her cunt was so slick and juicy as he slid his finger inside of her she moaned and threw her head back, in ecstasy. He worked her over with his hand and she bit her lips to stop herself from screaming up into the night. But when she couldn’t take it anymore she bit him lightly on the neck and begged him to put himself inside of her.