“Until everything calms down,” Aiden said. “No doubt, we’ll be bothering you again sometime soon.”
“That’s fine by me,” Mel grinned. “I’d bring your sweet boy pancakes every day of the week.”
Aiden didn’t have a chance to reply to her, though. A horrible, cold wave of tingles shot up his spine, causing all of the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. He didn’t have to turn around in his seat to know something bad was going to walk through the front door.
The only thing he could do was grab onto Mel and drag her into the booth. She squealed a little, trying to get her hand out of his grasp, but Aiden clamped his hand around her wrist.
“Shush,” he said sternly, before looking to Zack. “Get under the table.”
The boy didn’t ask questions. The sound of his father’s curt voice was enough for him to know this was serious. He ducked under the table and curled up between Aiden’s legs.
“What’s going on?” Mel asked. “Get your hands off me!”
Before Mel could try and squirm away, it happened. Three burly men pushed the door open, sending the blinds skittering against the glass noisily.
Aiden kept his eyes on the men, watching them as they prowled through the diner like the animals they were. No one else had noticed anything yet, but he could feel it. They were shifters, and they were here to give everyone a hard time.
He inhaled deeply, trying to do it discreetly so Mel wouldn’t know what he was doing. From what he could smell, they were bears. He’d never met any of them before, nor did he know their particular scent, so they weren’t from any of the other groups he’d come across in his years.
They were out-of-towners, just like him. Only they were here to raise hell while Aiden was trying to get away from it. He watched them as they strolled through the bar, grabbing plates and cups with their dirt, muddy hands, leaving prints behind on everything they touched.
The men stole food, eating it with their bare hands as they rolled through the small diner. So far, they hadn’t noticed Aiden. They were much too busy looking at the food, drinking the coffee, and peering into the kitchen to see what staff were inside.
Beside him, Aiden could feel Mel’s body stiffen. It had taken her a couple of seconds longer than him, but she’d figured it out. These guys were here to cause trouble, and Aiden had probably just saved her bacon.
“What do they want?” Mel whispered.
Aiden only shook his head, refusing to talk. If he spoke, they might get seen sooner than he’d like. With three of them, Aiden knew that the fight would be unfair. But, if he had the element of surprise on his side, he might be able to get them to run. That was a big might.
As he turned his head slowly to the left, he looked into Mel’s eyes and hoped he could convey what he was thinking: watch my boy. Mel nodded slowly as if she understood what he’d asked, and Aiden knew that was the best he could hope for.
Mel slipped under the table noiselessly, letting her uniform slide on the faux leather seats, until she was tucked under the table with Zack. Aiden imagined that she had slipped her arms around the boy, cradling his head against her chest, and the image gave him comfort.
Aiden let his legs slide out from the table, and he stood behind the men, preparing himself for the onslaught. As he rolled his shoulders in their sockets, he could feel the bear inside of him stirring. The animal took any chance it got to come out and play, and that’s exactly what it was going to do.
It didn’t take long for him to change, for the hair to sprout out of his skin as his body shifted and morphed. His arms extended, reaching down to the ground as his back straightened out. Then it was time for his face to change, his nose turning into a long, brown snout.
Within a couple of seconds, his clothes were in tatters on the floor around him, and his wide mouth opened to roar as loudly as it could. The three men were startled by the noise, turning on their heels and looking over their shoulders at the source.
Aiden stood on his back legs, making himself so tall his head knocked against the diner ceiling. The men were caught completely off-guard. Their faces paled as their mouths hung open. Clearly, they weren’t expecting a fight here. All they wanted was some free food and easy loot.
All Aiden had to do was let out another couple of loud roars, and the men skittered out of the diner. As he watched them leave, tilting his head to the side, he imagined them with tails tucked between their legs.
Gently, he lowered himself down onto all four paws and looked over his shoulder to where Mel was cuddling his boy beneath the table. He couldn’t see them, but he knew they were there.
He leaned his head down to peer at them, making sure they were okay. Mel opened her mouth and shrieked, clutching the boy closer to her body, but Zack called out for his father and tried to squirm out of her arms.
When Zack finally managed to break free and cuddle against Aiden’s front leg, Mel watched with wary eyes, pressing her back against the wall behind her.
“Daddy,” Zack squealed, nuzzling his face into his fur. “Daddy bear.”
It took Mel a couple of minutes to shimmy out from beneath the table. When she did, her eyes never left Aiden’s face. She scowled at him almost, staring at his features with scrutiny.
“So,” Mel sighed. “You’re one of them.”
The acid dripped off her voice. Aiden felt his heart hurt when the words came out of her mouth. She’d already made up her assumptions about him—there was nothing he could do to change that now.
Aiden couldn’t hold onto his bear form any longer. The shame and sadness were taking over, sending the bear back inside. Within a second, he was standing in the middle of the diner, naked as the day he was born.
“Do you have anything I could wear?” Aiden asked her. “I just want to cover up before going out there.”
She didn’t say a word, but she nodded her head toward the back door. Aiden and Zack followed her to the storage room, where they had piles and piles of spare uniforms. Aiden grabbed a pair of black pants and stepped into them as quickly as possible.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just tried to protect everyone.”
“If you’re like them,” Mel started, “then why aren’t you out there with them?”
Aiden couldn’t help frowning. “Not all of us are like that,” he said. “Very few. Most of us just want to live a normal life like everybody else.”
She didn’t say anything else. It was clear to Aiden that she just wanted him gone. He wasn’t going to stand around and make her uncomfortable. He took hold of Zack’s hand and walked back into the dining area, ready to pay his bill and leave.
Before he had a chance to get back to the table, something heavy smashed through the front window and skittered across the shiny, tiled floor. The few patrons that were left inside started to scream as flames lapped up from the floor.
Aiden stared in horror for a moment as he realized that the shifters had come back with molotovs. Aiden hoisted his son into his arms and grabbed hold of Mel’s wrist. Without saying another word, he dragged them out of the diner and into the cool air outside.
“Watch him,” Aiden said to Mel as he set his son onto the ground.
He turned on his heels and dived back inside, making his way past the small pool of flames to herd the other patrons outside. Smoke was already taking over the diner, making it hard for him to see and breathe, but he waded through to the back and helped the chef exit.
By the time he came back outside, covered in soot and smelling of smoke, he could see Mel holding Zack in the parking lot while tears streamed down her cheeks.
Aiden immediately took his son back and touched her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” Mel sniffed, before bringing her shaking hands up to cover her mouth. “I’m fine.”
She refused to move her eyes from the burning diner. The flames were taking over quickly, eating up everything in their path.
“It’s fine,” Aiden said. “How about you come bac
k to my motel room where it’s safe and just calm down for a minute?”
Mel gazed around her, but it was as if she didn’t really see anything. She was clearly in shock, struggling to process everything. Aiden put his hand on her back and gently guided her to safety, away from the burning building.
Chapter 4
It took Mel almost two hours to calm down enough to talk. She stayed sat next to Zack, brushing her fingers through what little hair he had, as she watched cartoons with him.
Aiden stayed on the other bed nearest the window, watching for any signs of more shifters, but none seemed to be nearby. The motel was out of the way, down a small unlit road, so it seemed like they were safe from most of the fighting.
It had come here fairly quickly. Groups of men and boys were taking to the streets, smashing windows, and burning down buildings. It was turning much more violent than Aiden ever imagined it would.
His desire to run was overwhelming now, he didn’t want to stay in this tiny town for longer than he had to, but he wasn’t sure that there was anywhere else to go.
The media weren’t reporting on it, silencing the news stations to stop the spread, but it didn’t seem to be working. Everywhere was turning to shit, and Aiden had nowhere safe to take his son.
“Thank you,” Mel said softly.
Aiden looked over his shoulder to her, frowning. “For what?”
“Keeping me safe,” she said.
“You kept Zack safe,” he replied. “I should be thanking you.”
“Will it always be like this now?” Mel asked. “Is this what life is now?”
Aiden smiled warmly. “No,” he said. “They’ll stop eventually. The police will round them up, arrest them, charge them.”
“And what?” Mel asked. “They’ll go to prison?”
Aiden shrugged. “No idea,” he admitted. “They won’t be allowed to continue, though. At least I hope so.”
Mel turned her eyes back to the TV. “I don’t know how to feel about all this.”
“Me either,” Aiden said. “All I want is to keep as far away as possible and protect Zack from the worst of it.”
Mel leaned forward in the bed and looked into Zack’s eyes. He barely looked up to her, too busy focusing on the screen.
“He seems to be doing okay,” she said. “That’s something.”
Aiden turned around so his body was facing her, his legs hanging off the edge of the bed. “Look,” he started. “I know this isn’t ideal. Just stay here for the night until things cool off, then we’ll part ways.”
Mel’s eyes darted to his. “Part ways?”
Aiden nodded. “So, you don’t have to be stuck in a motel room with me any longer than you have to.”
Mel scoffed, almost angry. “And what about when they come back for me?” she asked. “What about when they attack and you’re not there?”
She shook her head and folded her arms across her chest, suddenly stubborn.
“No,” she said. “I’m staying with you.”
Aiden wasn’t going to hide his surprise, but he did hide his delight. Somehow, she hadn’t been frightened away from him. It was a small miracle amongst the mess.
“Okay,” Aiden said slowly. “That’s fine, but we’re probably going to skip town tomorrow morning.”
Mel looked at him. “Where?”
Aiden shrugged. “Anywhere peaceful.”
“I’m in,” she said instantly.
Aiden frowned and shook his head slightly, unable to understand her complete willingness.
“I’m not staying here,” she explained. “Not while all this is going on. You’re right. It’s the best move.”
There was nothing else for Aiden to say. It seemed that she’d already made up her mind—she was coming with them whether they liked it or not.
When Zack started to get sleepy, Aiden tended to the boy and tucked him into bed. He left the TV on but muted the sound, so his son could be comforted by the gentle light coming off the screen.
They kept the room dark so they could see outside easier. Aiden wanted to talk to Mel, he wanted to get to know her and put their time together to good use, but it was clear she wasn’t interested. She just stared out of the window, constantly looking for a sign of anyone coming down the street.
“Go to sleep if you want,” Aiden said eventually. “I’ll keep watch.”
“Won’t be able to sleep,” Mel said quietly. “How can anyone sleep with that going on?”
“Not easily,” Aiden replied.
“Thank you,” Mel whispered. “Thank you for everything.”
As she sat next to Aiden, her body started to shake. Aiden knew that soon she would start crying—from stress, or grief, or fear. He didn’t know which and it didn’t really matter. All he knew was that she was scared, and he needed to comfort her.
“Thank you,” Aiden replied. “You kept my boy safe and you didn’t have to.”
“And you kept all of us safe,” Mel said, her voice almost whining.
Aiden knew that she was about to burst into tears. He wrapped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her body toward his, cuddling her close. It worked for a while, but soon the tears came.
There was nothing else for him to do but hold her while she cried. He could understand it. The shock, the fright, the worry, the stress of joining a random man in a motel room with his young son.
Mel wasn’t in an easy position, and Aiden didn’t want to make it any worse for her, so he just sat there with his arms wrapped around her body, letting her tears run dry.
It didn’t take as long as he’d expected. Aiden had thought that they would be stuck together for at least an hour as she cried and got everything out of her system, but within ten minutes she was back to sniffling.
To his surprise, she didn’t move away from him. She stayed there, tucked beneath his arm with her head leaning on his chest as they both looked out of the window.
When Aiden felt her shimmy up his body and lean her chin on his shoulder, his stomach knotted itself. He knew what was going to happen.
He turned his head to the side to face Mel and instantly felt her lips on his. They were soft and warm and slightly salty from her tears.
Aiden didn’t care. The only thing he could think about was the fact that she was kissing him. He stayed there, almost frozen, as he felt her hands wind up to the sides of his face. Her fingers touched his cheeks, caressing them gently, as she opened her mouth wider.
Before Aiden knew it, Mel had climbed onto his lap and was straddling him with her legs on either side of his hips. Soft moans came out of her mouth as she continued to kiss him, letting her hands roam up and down his body.
He felt her tongue slip into his mouth, dancing with his, as her hands drifted down to his clothes. Her fingers deftly undressed him, removing his shirt before unbuttoning his jeans.
Somehow Aiden managed to break off the kiss and looked into her eyes for a moment.
“Is this what you want?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t,” she replied.
There was no time for more questions. Mel pushed him down on the bed and climbed on top of him. Her hands were rushed and heavy as she stripped him down to nothing.
As much as Aiden wanted to argue, to tell her that this was a bad idea, he couldn’t. Ever since he first laid eyes on her, he’d wanted her. There was something about her that drew him in. It was primal, deeply rooted inside of his body. There was no fighting that, no matter how much he wanted to.
Mel pressed her body to his, grinding their hips together, and Aiden felt his body start to respond. His mind turned off as all his blood rushed down to his crotch. He kissed her harder, tangling his hands into her hair as she began to undress herself.
She writhed against him, her body warm and sweaty as she shrugged off her clothes. Aiden grabbed fistfuls of her breasts, her hips, her ass, everything he could. No matter how much he grabbed her, it just wasn’t enough.
Their breaths we
re loud and hot on each other’s faces as they kissed, their hands roaming all over each other. Aiden could feel his cock pulsing between his legs, growing harder with every second that passed.
It didn’t take Mel long to feel it, either. She slivered down his body and took his cock into her mouth, sucking and licking at his skin. She enveloped his member in her mouth, taking it down her throat as she sucked.
Aiden couldn’t stop himself from grabbing the back of her head as her whole body tensed at the feeling. The warmth of her mouth surrounded him, sending his body into a frenzy.
He could feel all of his muscles clenching, getting ready to release so soon, and he knew that if he didn’t control himself he was going to blow his load right into her—
A long, hollow gasp came out of his mouth as his seed spurted down her throat. Guttural moans replaced the sound as Aiden’s whole body shook from the intensity of his orgasm.
Every fiber of his body felt like it was vibrating. Every inch of him was alight with fire and passion. All of his muscles started to relax, aside from his heart. That continued to pound into his chest, even when Mel slipped her body next to his in the bed.
Aiden knew what he had to do. He flipped her onto her back and slipped down the bed, just like she had done. Then he parted her legs, revealing her pussy.
The only thing he could do was eat her until she came just as hard as he had. He started off gently, licking at her clitoris before placing his lips around it and sucking gently.
He kept his eyes up, looking at her as he began to allow his tongue to explore her body. Within a couple of seconds, she closed her eyes and opened her mouth, allowing soft moans to come out.
Aiden kept his lips around her until she came. Her whole body shivered in delight as her muscles spasmed. When he sat up on the edge of the bed, he saw that Mel’s whole body was glistening in the dim light coming in from outside the motel room.
Mel reached out her hands and grabbed onto Aiden, pulling him up beside her. They both turned onto their sides, completely naked, and looked to one another for a while.
“Where will we go tomorrow?” Mel whispered.
The Baby Shift- West Virginia Page 3