A Winter Moon

by S. J. Smith

  “I promise,” Maisie whispered. Ramsay squeezed her waist so hard he pushed the air out of her lungs then let her drop the half inch he had lifted her off the ground.

  “I'll tell Father all is well,” he said. “Take care. Visit often, aye?”

  “Aye,” Maisie replied. She stepped back and brushed wetness from her eyes. Ramsay squeezed her shoulders and took a good look at her face, then nodded and turned away. Maisie watched him disappear over the rise of the hill, hugging herself. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Grant slip into the open air, dressed and looking hesitant and concerned.

  “Maisie?” he asked. “Are ye well?”

  Maisie nodded, letting out a heavy sigh, and reached for his hand. “Aye,” she said. “I'm perfect now. But I willnae live in a cave.”

  Grant let out a full laugh and grinned at her, pulling her close. “I'll build ye a house with my own two hands,” he said, before lowering his head to cover her mouth with his in a brief but fiery kiss and lifted her up into his arms, continuing to kiss her even as he navigated the corridors of his cavern home.

  She felt the warmth of the sun on her skin as they crossed beneath the hole in the roof of his room and then the softness of the bed beneath her and the firm heat of Grant above her, kissing her back into the pillows and furs.

  “Grant,” she gasped out, “I want t'… feel ye, but... if we do this and I conceive a child... will it carry the same burden as ye do?”

  Grant propped himself up to look down at her, his eyes dark but gentle. “Only if you have a son,” he said, “and I am more than equipped t' deal with that.”

  Maisie felt something inside her relax. “Good,” she said, and went to pull Grant back into a kiss.

  He resisted, a question in his gaze. “Why did ye come back?” he asked.

  “I'm happy here,” Maisie said, “in the quiet, surrounded by nature. Surrounded by ye. I cannae explain it more. Is that enough for ye?”

  Grant tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded. “Aye, 'tis enough,” he said, and kissed her firmly. He hadn't properly dressed, and so it was all too easy for Maisie to get her hands underneath his clothes and to the hot skin beneath. He was always so warm, like constantly being near a fire.

  He settled between her legs, letting his mouth drop to brush kisses along her jaw and neck and lower to her collarbone, pushing her skirt up and wrapping one of her legs around his waist. His kilt still separated his hips from hers, but she could feel the hardness of his erection pressing against her sex, and the gentle grinding exasperated the familiar, growing ache. Grant reached down to touch her, his hand fitting easily between their bodies and his fingers teasing at her entrance until she canted her hips up and he took it as an indication to gently press one into her. She felt her walls clench around his digit and try to pull it deeper.

  “God above, Maisie,” Grant breathed into her chest. “Ye'll have me undone before I've even had ye.”

  “So take me,” Maisie said through a gasp. She reached down to pull at his kilt until she freed it from where it was pinned between their sexes and rubbed against his hand, not caring how wanton she seemed. It felt too good to deny herself the pleasure of it, and Grant clearly cared for hers as much as, if not more, than his own.

  “Are ye sure ye dinnae want a bit more... this?” he asked, curling his finger.

  Maisie moaned and hooked her other leg around him, pulling his hips closer. Grant groaned and removed his hand, stopping only to brush his thumb over her aching nub as he slowly guided himself inside her. It was a change from his finger, but not so much that it was painful. Her initial tightness passed after a few seconds, and the feeling of him properly inside her became less awkward and more pleasurable.

  “It helps if ye move, Maisie,” Grant said softly into her ear.

  His teeth scraped against the shell before he sucked the lobe between his teeth. Maisie let her fingers tangle in his hair and rolled her hips up. Grant placed both his hands on her waist to guide her until her body found its rhythm. She already felt close to bursting, hot and aching and lingering just on the edge though he had hardly touched her. He thrust into her in all the right ways, not too fast but not too slow, and firmly enough to shake the bed but not so hard that it hurt her. It just pushed her closer to her peak, and from the sounds he was making next to her ear, it sounded like he was close as well.

  He moaned her name, quietly, but it was enough to push her over the edge. She clenched around his length, trying to pull him even deeper, and it seemed to be enough for him as well, for he let out a strangled groan and his hips bucked sharply, pushing the tip of his cock further into her just before a rush of sudden heat signaled that he had finished. His thrusts lessened but didn't still completely until Maisie pushed him away, her body too sensitive to handle anything else. She pulled his lips to hers, the first thought coming to her mind the question of if they had made a child just now.

  Grant stretched out next to her and pulled her snugly against his chest, pressing a kiss to her brow. He had a smile on his lips.

  “I still want my house,” Maisie said into the comfortable silence that followed. Grant's laughter echoing around the room was the sweetest sound she could imagine.

  THE END

  Bonus Story 39 of 40

  Lion’s Pride

  “Bye Miss N! See you next year! I’ll be taller again!” Nora chuckled as she hugged little Bo Reynolds. She’d miss him over the summer vacation. He was the funniest second grader she’d ever had and that was mostly because he didn’t even know he was being funny.

  After she saw all her kids out she went about cleaning up her classroom for the summer, taking down decorations and leaving the room pretty much bare. Even though she definitely needed the break of summer, she always felt sad at the end of the year to see them go.

  “School’s out already?” his voice rumbled through her, comforting, enticing, and exciting her all at once. Nora turned around and smiled at Safir, who was leaning against the wall just inside the classroom’s back door. He was a tall, sturdy man, with not one ounce of fat on him, and was as sharp and protective as a guy could get. But he wasn’t just any ‘guy.’ He was a lion shifter, the local pride’s leader and he was all Nora’s.

  “I think it is actually… but maybe I just lost my kids again,” she joked, causing him to chuckle. He walked over to her. He was wearing his characteristic blue jeans and flannel shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. His curly blonde hair was always shoulder length and framed his GQ-worthy face beautifully. Nora often couldn’t believe she lucked out with such a perfect guy.

  “You’re the worst teacher ever,” he said and instead of embracing him when he reached her, Nora punched him in the arm. Of course it was like hitting a rock and he didn’t even flinch. Laughing, he pulled her in for a kiss and encircled her waist with his arms. “So I was thinking that this summer we can spend more time together. As in…you have no excuses to be with me night and day. No ‘grading spelling tests’ and ‘picking up Suzan Lancaster from home because her mother’s car broke down.’” Safir was being sarcastic only because Nora did have a tendency to run away from him a little and make excuses to put some distance between them. They’d only been together for a few months and she had trouble believing Safir was real, that he really wanted her and her alone.

  “Alright, alright. I give, so what do you have planned for us this summer, pray tell?” she asked. He smirked and pushed a lock of her mahogany-colored hair behind her ear.

  “So much romantic stuff that you’ll have no choice but to marry me come August.” He gave her a charming grin and pressed another kiss to her lips.

  “Romantic ‘stuff?’” she giggled.

  “Yup, absolutely. You like watching hockey right?” she rolled her eyes as he laughed, a fond smile on her face.

  “So are you staying to help me pack up the classroom or what?” she asked him, stepping out of his embrace to fetch a nearby box.

  “No I’m just here to look pretty an
d watch you do all the work. You know…sit back, watch you bend over and…put stuff away,” he said slowly in some trying-to-be-sexy voice. Nora couldn’t help but laugh.

  “You’re such an idiot,” she said, still laughing. He simply flashed her a toothy grin and walked over to the pile of boxes, grabbing one for himself.

  “Of course I’m here to help you baby, then we can go grab some lunch,” he kissed her on the temple before they got to work. They pulled down decorations, emptied out desks, and pushed them out into the hallway. Of course Safir was the main one doing the heavy lifting and Nora was the one to sit back and watch. It was dusk by the time they were done and Nora felt as though she could use a bath and a glass of wine.

  “So where are you taking me to eat?” she asked him, knowing he’d most likely had their entire evening planned out.

  “To my place,” he smirked and slid an arm around her waist as they walked to Nora’s truck out in the school’s lot.

  “You own a kitchen?” she teased, making him laugh out loud.

  “Yes, I do own a kitchen and I cook sometimes,” he admitted. All the time she’d known Safir, she’d always been the one to cook dinner at her place. In fact, the only parts of Safir’s unnecessarily large house she’s seen were his bedroom and the family room.

  “Will you finally give me a tour of your house? Or are you actually hiding dead bodies in every room?” he simply smiled and held his hand out for her keys.

  “Well I was a private guy before, but now I’ve decided to share things with you,” he admitted. His sudden honesty took Nora a bit by surprise.

  “Okay then…” was her only reply.

  “Like I said, married by the end of the summer,” he winked at her and held the passenger door open for her to get in.

  “So what’s the rush to marry me all of a sudden?” she asked him as he started up the truck and pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Well I’m one hundred percent sure that you’re my mate so…why wait to marry you?” he glanced at her briefly, flashing a smile. She reached over to slip her hand in his. Honestly she couldn’t have dreamed up a better future husband.

  *****

  “Safir, are you sure you know how to cook?” Nora was watching him with amusement. She was sitting at the breakfast bar while Safir was about to cook steaks for them both in a cast iron pan.

  “You laugh now, but just watch. When you eat this you’ll be doing more than kissing the chef.” He glanced at her with a wink, and she giggled before taking a sip of wine. Safir glanced over at the kitchen door before Nora even heard a knock. He opened the door and his second, Rafael, walked in.

  “Hey Nora, how you doin’?” he asked, not even greeting his alpha yet. Safir growled and Nora hid her laugh.

  “I’m good Rafael, what’s up?” she asked.

  “Yeah why are you here? We’re on a date,” Safir practically growled, Rafael simply grinned at his closest friend.

  “There’s a bonfire party out on the beach. I wanted to see if you guys would stop by,” he glanced over at the stove, smelling food, but Safir got in his way before he could steal a bite of anything.

  “Fine, we’ll come later. Now leave,” Safir said, pushing Rafael back out.

  “You look great by the way Nora, I’ll see you at the party,” he grinned and she winked at him, which Safir saw. With a growl he shoved a laughing Rafael out and shut the door soundly behind him.

  “Don’t flirt with my lions,” he said in that dominant tone he sometimes used with her.

  “Rafael’s harmless,” she said with a small smile. He quirked an eyebrow at her and walked over to pull her chair out from the bar a little, closer to him. She bit her lip to hide her smile.

  “Don’t flirt with the lions…” he reiterated, his mouth only a breath away from hers. She nodded without comment. Safir kissed her, softly brushing his lips over hers before he set her chair back to normal and went to focus on the steaks.

  “What if…what if the only way you could have me was if you had to share with someone else?” she asked him, half testing, half teasing. Nora knew she ran the risk of really upsetting him though with her question.

  “And you’d be happy with being shared?” he asked her with a quirk of his brow.

  “Yeah, like say for instance the only way I could be happy was if I had you and someone else in my life…” she posed the question with a hypothetical tone.

  “Come again? You’re joking right?” he said, pointing a fork at her. She shrugged, instantly regretting posing that question in the first place. Safir stared at her for a moment with an intent stare before he sighed, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t share you with anyone Nora, you’re mine and I’m yours.”

  “It was just a…hypothetical question,” she said, trying to appease him.

  Safir took a deep breath and she saw him relax, though only a little. “Yeah well…you know if you want a threesome all you have to do is ask,” he said, giving her a wink. Nora’s jaw dropped and she threw a cube of cheese at him, which he dodged even with his back turned.

  “Can’t you be normal for just five seconds so I can hit you?” she asked which made him laugh of course.

  “No darling, I can’t,” he answered blithely. “These steaks will be ready soon,” he added.

  Nora hopped down from the breakfast bar to go wash her hands, fix her hair a little and make sure she still looked presentable. Safir never seemed to care if she had bedhead or if she was having a bad hair day. Nora never really put much stock into her looks, normally. She knew she was attractive; her classically feminine features were what one would often see in any fashion magazine. Her big eyes were a bit cat-like, especially with their almost yellow tint. She had curves in all the right places and wasn’t too short or too tall. But since she chose to work with small kids she tended to wear practical clothes and have practical hair. That was until she met Safir. These days, Nora put more care into looking nice, as he often popped up unexpectedly throughout her day.

  It was strange when they first met, Nora had forgotten that stuff like having the radio on and making phone calls bothered lion shifters since her grandfather passed. Each shifter had their own sort of weakness. Strangely enough the lions had such sensitive hearing that they were able to pick up on the actual sound of radio waves. It wasn’t harmful, per se, but enough of an annoyance that the lions never even carried cell phones around. Safir had made sure she knew very early on to have her phone turned off around him because, ‘those things are always making that metallic static noise even when you’re not talking to anyone.’ Hell even Safir had deconstructed the radio in his truck to simply include a CD player and that’s it.

  “Are you pooping in there?” Nora almost laughed as he called through the door and she rolled her eyes.

  “I was washing my hands, sheesh,” she said as she stepped out to find him leaning against the wall.

  “Washing your hands and being a girl?” he quirked an eyebrow at her and she smirked. Safir could be seen as an ass to others or annoying. But Nora always found his sharp wit to be endearing, that and she had an extremely tolerant sense of humor.

  “Would you rather I was washing my hands and being a boy?” she stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled.

  “You know I love you right?” he said as they walked back to the kitchen. The food smelled amazing as they got nearer to the breakfast bar.

  “Yes I know, you’d be a fool if you didn’t,” she said cheekily and he growled under his breath before catching her around the waist and pinning her to the wall. His mouth was on hers before she could laugh or give another sarcastic remark. As soon as she started to squirm against him he let her go abruptly and walked casually over to his plate of food.

  “Tease,” she muttered under her breath, Safir laughed out loud and simply winked at her. When she took a bite into her steak Nora closed her eyes. It was tasty, tender and perfect. “Safir…why don’t you own a restaurant?” she asked him, making him laugh again.


  “It’s good right? See, your man can cook,” he grinned and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “So that’s incredibly handsome, well off, leader of the pride, can cook, dependable, good sense of humor, and great in bed…ready to get married?” Nora cracked up.

  “Safir you’re too much,” she chuckled.

  “Nope, I’m everything you’d want,” he said confidently. But it was true, Nora was sure of it, though there was no harm in wanting to see his full plans for the ‘summer of romance.’

  *****

  After dinner Safir and Nora ended up spending a little more time at his house. After all, dinner was really good and Nora did want to thank the chef. They drove to the beach, near Kelvin Grove, but a private area only the lion shifters knew about and few others. Safir parked at Kelvin Grove Beach and they walked the rest of the way to the bonfire. The hidden stretch of beach was surrounded by trees and bushes. When Nora emerged from the tree cover, her hand in Safir’s, she saw the party was in full swing. There were about twenty or so people around the fire, drinking, sitting in the sand, or standing. There was music, but no one was really dancing, more like hanging out.

  “You made it! Our fearless leader,” Rafael spotted them instantly and he hugged both Safir and Nora. “Grab beers, enjoy yourselves. Hey Nan’s here, she came all the way from near Brunswick Beach to hang out. If you see her and mingle, talk me up a little, or a lot. It’s completely up to you.”

  After that Rafael got distracted by one of his pride mates wanting to spar. Nora had to laugh as he completely seized the opportunity to take off his shirt and wrestle in the sand, probably right in front of Nan.

  “So who’s Nan again?” she asked Safir as they walked over to one of the huge beer coolers.

  “She was this woman he had a thing with for a few months. That was until she left him, because Rafael has issues. In case you didn’t notice,” he said with a snort.