by A. J. Wynter
“Say that again?”
He chuckled, and in one brisk move, took her other ear in his mouth, this time sucking it and holding it between his teeth.
Kat sucked in her breath and felt her skin prickle with excitement.
"That's not what I meant, Sergei."
Sighing, he pulled away, holding her gaze. “I’m the descendant in a long line of Siberian shifters. I’m purebred, which means I haven’t been bitten or changed by a shaman. My father and mother were both shifters, as were their parents, and so on. It’s obvious you are attracted to shifters, even unawares. And you don't get better stock than me,” he answered boldly.
In the bright sunlight, she could notice the flecks of gold dancing around his eyes, and she found it impossible to tear her eyes away from his.
“You’re purebred?’ she asked. “How fascinating,” she teased.
“Only the best for you, princess,” he joked, and pressed his body tight against hers. She wrapped her legs around him as she held onto the edge, leaving him no question of her interest. She could feel the warmth of his cock pressing against her delicate mound, and the sensation of being warm all over quickly consumed her.
Kat surprised herself by pressing her body tightly in return, moving ever so subtly against his strained cock. In any other circumstance, she would have swatted him away by now, but she found herself aroused on by his boldness.
Sergei tightened his grip around her waist and traced a finger down Kat's cheek, pausing to slide it gently between her lips. No one had done this to Kat before, but she instinctively closed her lips around his finger and sucked it. He withdrew his finger from her mouth and continued to trace it down her chin and began to trace the outline of each nipple over the thin white fabric. Kat gasped, and he responded by quickly shoving her bathing suit to the side, exposing a perfect breast. She pressed herself into him further, purring at the warmth she felt from traversing from his body into her breast. He continued to journey down her body, pausing at her upper thighs as if to tease her, until finally, his hand slid between her legs. His soft exploring quickly turned to vigorous rhythmic rubbing, and Kat found herself turned on like never before, kissing him roughly, and biting and sucking his full lips. He shoved the fabric of her suit to one side and slid his finger into her wetness. She moaned, biting his lip in response to the arousal, and drawing blood. His cock had forced its way out of the top of his bathing suit and he pressed it against her opening. She had never felt anything like it, and willed her body to push back against his throbbing member, ready to fully submit her body to Sergei.
"Wait, I can’t…” she panicked, unwrapping her legs to pull away from Sergei’s grip. She scrambled to put her bathing suit back in order and glanced around to see if any of the guards had been watching. The courtyard guard had respectfully turned his back.
"Oh God, that guard has known me since I was three years old. I'm so embarrassed", she said, as she hoisted herself out of the pool and wrapped a towel around her still aroused body.
Sergei emerged somewhat confused from the deep end of the pool and walked towards her, his hard-on still peeking through his shorts.
She pushed him in the chest. “You’re terrible,” she complained, although what she really wanted to say was, come back here and finish what you started.
"And, you didn't answer my question”.
"You heard me the first time—you just want me to say it again. I'm a shapeshifter—a pure blooded one—and I'm not going to let that stray piece of shit that's been lurking around anywhere near that sweet pussy of yours".
Shocked by his brashness, she began to fully absorb what he was saying, and her body started to shiver uncontrollably.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“I’m…fine…” she said, teeth chattering, and turned to storm away from him. But in one quick moment, the world began to spin.
“Kat! Kat! Someone! Guards!”
7.
Kat woke up to the sound of chewing. She glanced to the side of her bed and saw Sergei sitting there. The sun had just gone down and his hair was glowing in the hues of the setting sun. He was eating crackers and staring at her, concerned.
“What are you doing?” she mumbled.
“Waiting for you to wake up so you can eat something,” he said gently, offering her a cracker.
“What happened…” she started to ask, but was cut off by a loud knock at the door.
She tried to sit up in bed but Sergei pushed her back down.
“You need rest,” he whispered.
She looked up at him, pupils dilated and her heart pumping out of her chest. She was not used to this side of him, and she felt her heart begin to melt. He stared deeply into her eyes, as if he was about to kiss her. But instead of moving in towards her, he pulled away and stood up. When he opened the door, the standing guard informed her that she had a visitor. She could see Daman looming over the shoulder of the guard.
“Well, look at what the cat dragged in,” Sergei said quietly.
“Daman, what are you doing here?” Kat asked. She tossed her legs off the bed and walked over shakily.
“It’s fine, Alexei” Kat said to the guard.
“I’m sorry to have disturbed you, you’re clearly busy,” Daman said.
Sergei smirked and draped his hand around Kat’s shoulder. “I fainted at the pool,” she said. “Or at least I think I fainted. That was the last thing I remember.”
“Are you okay?” Daman asked worriedly, reaching out for her hand.
“I’m okay,” she said, pulling her hand back. Only hours ago he had rejected her.
Sergei cleared his throat. “How do you two know each other?”
“We met at a party,” Daman said gently. He stopped reaching for Kat, but didn’t take his eyes off her.
Kat realized she was in the presence of two very different yet equally sexy men. One was seductive and devious; he was, for all intents and purposes, an evil temptation. The other was kind and strong, but respectful, as if holding back from his true desires.
“Why did you come back?”
“I saw your parents driving through town. I was out for a run and thought that maybe you had the house to yourself. I wanted to come by and apologize for my behavior earlier.”
"Sergei, could you give us a minute?"
"Sure thing, sweetheart," he said, winking. As he passed by her to leave the room, he dragged his hand slowly across her ass, looking sternly at Daman as if to lay claim to his woman.
Once the door clicked shut, Kat turned to Daman, a pained look on her face.
“Why did you leave so suddenly? I thought you were gone for good. I thought that you never wanted to see me again.”
"It's not that at all..." he stammered, but Kat interrupted.
“It’s okay. It's fine, really. I understand that you have places to be and people to see. I appreciate you coming back to apologize.”
"Could we go for a walk alone, just you and I? I'm sure you have a million questions for me and I want you to be able to ask them. I’ll do my best to answer honestly," he said.
"I suppose I could do that," she replied reluctantly, reminding herself that he could run hot and cold.
As they opened the door, Sergei practically fell into the room. He had been leaning against the large oak door.
"Actually, maybe we should all go for a walk together. It seems as though there are things that you each need to say about each other.”
The two men stared hard at her in disbelief, before looking sideways at each other before giving reluctant nods of agreement.
Kat smiled and led them out of the house.
They walked across the courtyard, through the cedar hedges, and past the cabbage patch, before following the dark path that led to the edge of the grounds and the forest. The palace was tucked between thick patches of evergreen stands, built hundreds of years ago when land was still plentiful and trees were everywhere. Kat felt bad about the number of trees that had been clear
ed for their estate, and she knew the minute she gained access to the keep she would start replanting.
When she fantasized about things like this, she imagined the house being surrounded by enormous trees, an endless canopy of green, growing in tangles around her. The pathways would be lined with trees, standing tall and welcoming.
She imagined Sergei pinning her sharply against one of the trees and biting her clavicle. Daman would be there too, on his knees with his face pressed into her wet womanhood. The daydream was so intense and laced with pleasure that she found herself getting warm and blushing at the spot of wetness growing inside her panties.
Kat couldn’t understand what was happening to her. When she’d been in the tea room earlier with Sergei, all she could think about was Daman hiding in the closet. But later, when she was in the pool with Sergei, Daman was pushed far from her thoughts. How could she feel such desire for two different men?
When they reached the edge of the path where stone turned to pine needles, they stopped. Daman turned to face Sergei. The moment had come to finally address what was going on between them.
“Have you ever been to this part of the forest before?” he asked.
Sergei looked from Daman to Kat before swallowing once, hard.
“Every once in awhile,” Sergei responded with hostility. It was clear he had an issue with Daman.
“Shall we?” Daman asked Sergei. Before he could answer, Daman turned his back, dropped his clothes to the ground and transformed right in front of them. Kat’s eyes grew large as she carefully looked him over. His coat was thick and soft and his eyes looked even brighter than before. He was beautiful, and majestic. Kat reached and stroked his head, which he pushed eagerly into her palm. Sergei followed suit, though his was a coat rich with black and blue fur. Of course Sergei was the darker one, Kat thought. He was coy and cunning, and nothing like Daman, who seemed both honest and open.
Kat followed them into the woods, her hands on their backs, each one taking turns to nudge her in the right direction. The pair led her to a clearing with a little river, which fed out into an enormous waterfall. Sergei and Daman dove in, prowling the pool for fish. Kat hesitated for a few seconds. She’d already gone swimming earlier and had fainted. It had been an embarrassing experience, especially because Sergei had been there. But now Daman was here, and for some reason that made her feel safe.
Without giving it another minute’s thought, she bravely removed her light green sundress revealing her matching green bra and panties, and jumped into the clear water. It was warmer than she’d expected, and smelled strangely of pine needles and moss.
Sergei and Daman were competing for her affection. They dove through her legs, tickling her, or bit playfully at her ankles. When they finally turned back into humans, they teased her about seeing a princess in so little clothing.
“I could never tell my parents about this,” she giggled. “But it sure is nice to do what I want.”
“I’m sure Natalia would drop dead if she knew about your extracurricular activities,” Sergei said, winking slyly.
Kat splashed water at him. “You’re right, though she would probably stop me from ever seeing you again.”
Daman watched the exchange between the two with a slightly confused look on his face.
“What are you two talking about?” Daman asked.
Sergei dove under the water for a few seconds as if to stall, before finally resurfacing and spraying the two of them with water.
“If Katerina doesn’t find another suitor, the Emerald legacy will crumble,” he said, ignoring the question that Daman was really asking.
“I see,” said Daman. “But what if Sergei is found unfit?”
“Me? You’re accusing me of being an unfit suitor? Aren’t you the one living in squalor off in some dump?” growled Sergei.
Daman’s lip twitched slightly, “I live in an apartment, Sergei. I’m sorry I’m not purebred high society like you are.”
“Mmm, so you do know who I am,” Sergei gloated, a look of boastfulness flashing across his eyes. They continued to stare at each other, saying nothing. Kat watched as their eyes flashed dangerously. Try as she might, she just couldn’t walk away, even though deep down she knew that she should. Sergei and Daman were just too attractive, and it was such a turn on that they were fighting over her.
“What happens now?” asked Daman, the first to finally break the silence. “We should probably head back before dark truly sets in.”
“Head back where?” The deep voice came from within the forest, and caused all three of them to jump. They turned around, straining their necks, but couldn't see a thing. The trees were thickly woven, and it was difficult to tell if there was somebody out there.
“Who’s out there?” Sergei asked, his voice giving away his concern. It was the first time Kat had ever noticed a crack in his armor.
“I have a suspicion,” Daman responded. “Just stay cool.”
A shadow appeared from behind one of the trees. Whoever he was, he was tall, and wise sounding. Could it be that he was another shifter?
“Dominic, what are you doing here?” Daman asked.
“I heard there was an outsider in my part of the forest. What made you think you could bring a stranger for a swim?
You’re not the one in charge around here, Dominic.”
Another shifter?! Apparently, she had lead a more sheltered life than she realized.
His voice was deep and gave off an air of authority, though Kat couldn’t be sure who he was, or what he wanted with them.
“Why is Miss Emerald here?” he asked, finally acknowledging Kat.
“What of her?” Daman asked. He walked in front of Kat protectively.
Sergei emitted a low growl at Dominic before turning his head to the others and silently motioning to leave.
Together, they walked out of the forest in silence, at a somewhat quickened pace. Kat wasn’t sure what had just happened. She couldn’t believe there were other tiger shifters apparently all around her. This new one, Dominic, sounded like an older man, and something about him had seemed very familiar.
“Thank you,” she said to them when they finally reached the edge of the forest. “That was very heroic of you two for standing your ground.”
Confident they had left any threat from Dominic back in the forest, they returned to human form. Kat turned to Daman and kissed him gently on the cheek.
“Hey darlin’, don’t leave me hanging,” Sergei joked. Kat turned to kiss him on the cheek as well, but he turned at the last second and their lips met.
“Oh no,” she said, flustered.
“Was it as good for you, as it was for me?” he responded.
“I’ll see you guys later,” Daman said, rushing away.
“Wait, Daman! When will I see you again?”
But it was too late; he’d already shifted and disappeared back into the woods, jealousy propelling his muscles forward. Sergei shrugged and turned towards the courtyard.
As she walked back to the palace with Sergei, she fell to her knees and clutched her head, as a memory washed over her like an angry wave. It must have been something that she had repressed, for it was a new memory, one of which she had no recollection.
In it Kat was a young girl, with her long hair in two braids. She was wearing a blue dressing gown and brushing her teeth, getting ready for bed. There was a loud commotion in the hallway, and Kat carefully peeked out from the bathroom door. A man had stormed into the palace; a man she had never seen before. He held something silver in his large determined hands. It was an enormous knife, and it reflected the light shining down from the huge crystal chandelier. He had grabbed a hold of her mother and held the huge silver knife to her throat. As Kat watched from the doorway, he threatened to kill her mother. Natalia had seemed paralyzed with fear and wasn't moving or making any noises whatsoever. Kat remembered holding her breath and closing her eyes, expecting the worst. But then a shadow appeared, tackling the intruder, and plung
ing the knife into his neck.
She was so young when it had happened that the tales of the intruder had created and spun memory for her. But after witnessing what she had today, she realized that the shadow had been a Siberian tiger. She was sure of it. The reality of the actual attack now flooded back to her. It had been a tiger that had jumped on the intruder, ripping his throat out with his fangs. No wonder her little mind had repressed that memory. She wondered if Dominic, the shifter with the familiar voice had triggered this memory.
Who was that tiger shifter that saved her mother so many years ago ?
Kat could sense Sergei standing over her, concerned. She opened her eyes and stood up slowly, holding out her hand to stop him from speaking.
“I’m fine. It was just a tumble.” She knew he didn’t believe her, but it was of no concern. Her mind was preoccupied with racing thoughts, struggling to make some order of them.
Someone had mentioned an earlier arrangement—had it been Daman? There was definitely a secret her parents were keeping from her, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it. Perhaps if she dug deep enough, she would find out the true reason her mother was pushing her so hard for marriage to Sergei.
Kat wondered if their status was being challenged. Until Kat fully understood why, she vowed to fight for her family and her legacy. Money be damned; the situation was too important to ignore.
As she and Sergei continued their walk through the safety of the grounds, Kat felt more and more convinced that Daman knew more than he was letting on, and was waiting for the right moment to bring it up. She wanted to ask Sergei to help her draw it out of him. However, once they reached the entranceway, Sergei turned sharply and said goodbye to Kat, before bolting off to his room. She had no chance to ask him if he would participate in her scheme. It would be tough to escape the palace tonight, what with her parents at home and the full guard roster in place. But she would not be deterred.
When darkness fell over the palace, and all the floors had been patrolled, Kat crawled out of bed, not daring to turn on the lights and risk being seen. When she peered out into the hallway, she found it empty.