Werebears and Water

by Caitlin Ricci

  Her fingers landed on Vince's arm as the fur receded, leaving a muscular forearm in its wake. "A bear?" she whispered.

  Rayce smiled at her, his hand coming up to cover hers on Vince's arm. "Yep. We both are." She swallowed thickly, unsure of what to say next as she stared between them. "So what are you?"

  Maia reached up and twirled a strand of her wet hair. She bit her lip, shifted her weight, and still wasn't sure if she should answer them. But they'd told her, and as they both looked at her expectantly, she let that fragile bond of trust soothe her. "Well, since we're all freaks and all..." She giggled nervously.

  "And we've already seen your fins," Vince reminded her.

  They came closer, not crowding in around her, though. Not quite like that. More like they were protecting her, creating a barrier around her. She looked up at each of them. Vince smiled, and Rayce took his hand. She took a breath and let the hope of not being judged by these two men warm her. "I'm a sea nymph," she whispered, her skin prickling with her anxiety as she waited for their reactions. She'd never told anyone. Not at all.

  Vince was the first to speak. "Cool," he said, leaning his big shoulder against the wall next to her.

  "Do they hurt when they come out? Like it hurts us to fully shift?" Rayce asked.

  "You're not weirded out? Seriously?"

  "Why would we be? Rayce turns into a three-hundred-pound ball of fur." Vince chuckled and reached up to ruffle her hair.

  Rayce rolled his eyes. "I don't think I'm up to quite that much. But yeah, Maia, we're good with this." He moved to her other side, his arm touching hers, and leaned against the wall.

  Her smile grew and she reached for Vince's hand as she rested her head against Rayce's shoulder.

  Chapter Five

  Rayce looked over Maia's head to catch Vince's gaze. For probably the millionth time since he'd met the other man, he wished they were telepathic. It would make talking about private things so much easier. Such as, what did they want with Maia? And how was he supposed to tell her he wasn't physically a guy? Vince frowned at him and chuffed, a familiar sound between them and all the other werebears in their clan. It was comforting, but offered him no answers.

  "Maybe we should let you get dressed," Rayce offered, his hand going to the doorknob.

  Maia nodded and offered him a bright smile. Though he was hesitant to return it, he forced the gesture out. She didn't need to know what was going through his head right then—how he was worried about having to explain things to her, or how he was terrified that the only non-bear person they'd ever met would reject him, not because he turned into another creature, but because he didn't have a dick.

  "Yeah, I probably should. My first panel is this afternoon," she said, moving past him with a sigh. "I don't do well in front of crowds."

  Vince chuckled and followed her out. "Then why sign up to speak?"

  She went to her suitcase, and Rayce took a spot on the bed he and Vince had claimed across from her as she dug through her clothes. "Because I didn't want some idiot out there talking about how all water forms are evil creatures just interested in luring men onto rocks to crash their boats." She rolled her eyes and tossed a tee and some shorts on the bed.

  "That's what sirens do, right?" Rayce asked, watching her quick movements and self-consciously comparing them to his own. Did he talk with his hands like she did? Or was he more like Vince? He frowned. Did he have things about him that gave away his body? He'd tried to copy Vince's movements for years, and before that had watched the guys in his class almost obsessively to make sure he got it right.

  Maia was all feminine, petite and frail with long hair and pretty nails. He curled his hands, hiding nails he knew were far too neat for most men, though admittedly they were a bit dirty at the moment. But he liked taking care of them. That wasn't wrong.

  Maia nodded at him. "Yep, sirens are nasty creatures. But nymphs aren't. We're the fun side of the water. And I just hope people get that. I mean, I know we're at WereCon, and it's not like I'm giving a speech in class about the different biological organisms living in tap water. Which is gross, by the way. But some part of me still wants to get it right."

  Vince joined Rayce on the bed, his long legs stretching out over Rayce's. "Makes sense. I guess I hadn't thought about going to the forest shifters panel. Wonder if there's still time to get on it. Might be fun to field questions about bears."

  "You mean there's more than just drinking honey, running away from bees, and stealing picnic baskets?" Maia teased.

  Rayce snorted and was about to tell her just how much more there was to being one of them when Maia dropped her towel, and they were both treated to a view of her perfect, absolutely naked body. His mouth fell open and Vince whistled low beside him.

  She giggled and pulled on her tee, her small breasts quickly disappearing from view. Rayce licked his lips, his eyes following the trail of the shirt over her freckled skin. Beside him, Vince continued to stare, even as Rayce forced himself to look away while Maia stepped into a pair of shorts.

  "So it's true what they say about nymphs, then," Vince said, his voice low, sending shivers through Rayce.

  Maia came around the side of the bed and stood in front of them, her knees touching Vince's. "What's that?"

  Rayce turned to look up at her, surprised at the lack of modesty he saw in her face.

  "That given half a chance, they'll get naked for you," Vince said, grinning wildly.

  Maia laughed. "Right. Sure it is, keep telling yourself that." Still, she didn't move away from Vince's knees, and as he reached toward her, putting his hands on her hips, she didn't appear to mind the connection.

  "What happened to being shy?" Rayce whispered, reaching for her as well. He should tell her the truth. He had to.

  She shrugged and laced her fingers with his. "That kind of went away with the whole idea of you selling me to the circus. We nymphs, we don't really do clothes a lot. Most of the time my sisters and I are in the water, swimming along—"

  "Naked sisters?" Vince spoke up, sounding like a lecher.

  Rayce rolled his eyes and squeezed her hand in his. "I'd apologize for him, but it won't really help." He winked at her, and she giggled loudly before moving between them, squeezing her slim hips between their thighs.

  "My panel isn't for another hour..." she said suggestively, looking between them.

  Rayce swallowed thickly and took Vince's hand before he could finish reaching for whatever part of Maia he was about to grab on to. "Maia, I should really tell you something."

  Vince went still and stared at him. "You sure? You don't have to."

  He nodded. "I think this would be really weird otherwise. I mean, the whole naked thing while I'm not..." He shrugged and let his voice trail off as he rose unsteadily to his feet.

  Maia looked up at him, a frown settling uncomfortably onto her lips. "What's going on?"

  Rayce bit his lip, adjusted his beanie, and then settled his hands on the hem of his tee. "I was born a girl and I still am," he blurted, his face going red.

  "Not really," Vince cut in, getting to his feet as well and moving behind him. He settled his hands on Rayce's hips and pulled him close, his back fitting neatly against Vince's chest. "Physically, sure, but inside, where it actually counts, you're a very sexy, lazy college boy who doesn't like to do the dishes even after I make you a fantastic dinner."

  A wide grin quickly broke through Rayce's nervousness and he nodded, loving that Vince had jumped in when he had.

  "So, all right, I'm confused," Maia said, putting her arms behind herself on their bed and leaning back against her hands. "You were born a girl?" Rayce nodded. "So you've got girl parts?" Again, he nodded. Her lips pursed and she tilted her head to one side. "But your chest is flat."

  "I wear a binder."

  "So what I saw earlier was that?"

  Nodding, Rayce lifted up his tee just enough to show her the bottom edges of the binder he had on. "It's more comfortable than a pillowcase and duct tap
e," he quietly admitted.

  She made a face. "Ew. Yeah, I can imagine. That sounds like it would really hurt."

  Rayce laughed and dropped his shirt. "That's it? You're not grossed out?"

  Maia shook her head. "Not at all. You're sexy. Both of you. If you think I'm sexy too, I don't see why we couldn't have a bit of a con hook-up. It's not like people don't do it all the time at these things. And, given that we all go to the same college, it's not like we can't meet up after this little thing is over."

  He knew he was probably drooling as Vince took his hand and led him back down to the bed. Though he couldn't help his surprise, he did try not to jump all over Maia when they settled back in next to her. He kissed her slowly, her soft lips moving easily under his as Vince reached for the button on her shorts.

  "I've got a strap-on in my bag," Rayce quietly said, a heavy blush forming over his cheeks and trailing down his neck. "Or I can use my fingers..." His words drifted, and he frowned. He'd never had sex with a girl. Sure, he liked girls and had thought about them a few times, but having sex with a girl had never come up. He'd been with Vince, and a few of their friends before, but it had never been more than blowjobs with anyone but Vince.

  Maia's smile brightened. "I've never had sex with someone wearing a strap-on before." She pulled her shirt over her head and shucked off her shorts before squeezing back in between them. When neither Rayce nor Vince moved, she sighed dramatically. "C'mon, guys. If we're going to do this, we actually have to get to it. I don't have all day here, and time is ticking away. As is my horniness."

  Acting quickly, Vince pulled off his shirt as Rayce went to his backpack. They didn't use the strap-on often, just when Vince wanted to bottom for him, so he was glad he'd actually remembered to bring it. He pulled down his jeans and stepped into the straps, then adjusted it over his boxers. Vince caught his gaze and gave him a half shrug before kissing Maia. Yeah, it felt weird wearing it over his boxers, and he never did that with Vince. But he wasn't sure he was ready to be completely naked with Maia yet. With Vince, it had taken him months to get to that place. He liked to think of himself as a bit more open now, but he was still anxious as he climbed onto the bed with them.

  Maia pulled away from Vince, getting on her knees in front of Rayce. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close. He could feel the hard points of her nipples through his thin T-shirt as he tentatively rested his hands on her hips. Vince came up behind her as Rayce dipped his head and kissed her lips. She tasted like warm salt water, and he smiled against her mouth.

  Breaking their kiss, he moved his mouth to her neck, gently sucking on her tender skin as Vince took her mouth. Rayce wanted to touch her everywhere, to find the places that made her sigh and also those where she was ticklish. But, he reminded himself, they didn't have a lot of time here. He pulled one hard nipple between his lips before Vince reached around him, cupping the other.

  Maia sank farther down on her knees and spread her thighs. Her arms tightened around Rayce's shoulders as he sucked on her nipple and trailed his hand down her stomach until his fingertips met the soft curls between her legs. He hesitated, unsure of himself. He'd never touched a girl down there. He didn't even like touching himself there more than absolutely necessary. But he was curious about her and what she'd be like with them. What kinds of sounds would she make in her pleasure? Were they the same as the ones he made?

  Slowly, he dipped a finger between her legs, shocked and pleased as he found her already wet for them. She lifted her hips and rubbed against his finger, softly moaning as Vince continued kissing her. Rayce looked up at them, unused to seeing Vince kiss anyone else. His scruffy boyfriend was always sexy, but there was something about seeing him with his tongue in someone else's mouth that made him even more so. Rayce smiled up at them and slid his finger along her slit, gently stroking her clit along with the rest of her.

  Feeling a bit bolder, he moved his finger back, finding her opening and easing the tip into her body. She sighed and sank lower on his finger, pushing the digit deeper. He rubbed her with his thumb and slowly moved his finger in and out of her, unsure if he was doing it right but hoping that her soft moans meant he was.

  Vince broke their kiss and Rayce looked up at him, wondering what was coming next as Maia closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and began to tremble. "You like what Rayce is doing?" Vince asked her.

  She licked her lips and nodded. "Oh yeah." Her head rolled to the side, and she rested it on Vince's shoulder. "It feels really good."

  Rayce smiled up at him. "Thank you," he mouthed, not wanting Maia to know he'd needed a bit of reassurance when it came to pleasing women.

  Vince winked at him. "We should hurry, though. Don't want you to be late for your panel. But I am looking forward to seeing it."

  Her eyes slowly opened. "You are?"

  Nodding, Vince leaned back to undo his pants and strip them off. He was naked a moment later, his heavy cock bobbing against his stomach. Maia's eyes widened and she turned onto her stomach to better stroke him with her hand before bringing her mouth to the head of his cock.

  Rayce's breath caught. Just like he'd never seen anyone kissing Vince, he'd never seen another mouth on his boyfriend's cock. Years ago, when they'd talked about being polyamorous, he'd been afraid of maybe being a bit jealous if this situation ever actually happened. But now that he could see it, watching someone else pleasure Vince was one of the most beautiful things he could imagine.

  "Yeah, we're going. Fascinating topic and all, but seeing you up there and getting to smell sex on you and knowing that we did that to you will be pretty great too," Vince answered.

  She lifted her mouth from his cock long enough to smile up at him. "You can smell that?"

  Rayce nodded and came up next to her. "Yeah, we can. We bears have really good senses."

  Maia nodded and moved on her elbows toward him. Rayce's mouth fell open when she began sucking the strap-on. "You..." He gulped. "You don't have to do that. I mean, it's not like I can feel it or anything. But it is damn sexy." His mouth was dry and he swallowed quickly, unused to seeing anyone on their knees in front of him.

  "Let her suck you," Vince said, wrapping an arm around his back and squeezing his butt. "You can touch her too."

  "Mm-hmm," Maia agreed, pushing her mouth farther down the piece. Tentatively, Rayce reached down and threaded his fingers through her hair. Vince pushed him from behind, thrusting him into Maia's mouth.

  "See?" Vince said, kissing his cheek. "Just like that. It's yours, a part of you. Not just a toy we got at a store a few years back. This is yours until we save up enough to get you a better-looking prosthetic."

  Blushing, Rayce nodded and turned to kiss Vince as his fingers trailed through Maia's long red hair. After another moment she pulled back and brought her mouth back to Vince's cock. Vince squeezed his hand and broke their kiss.

  "I think you should be behind her," he said gently.

  Rayce bit his bottom lip, unsure of himself. But Vince kissed his cheek and gave his hand a squeeze and Rayce nodded, hoping not to mess it up completely. He knelt behind her on the bed, her calves on either side of his knees. Vince brought his fingers to her hair, gathered it into a long ponytail, and held her head like that. Smiling, Rayce realized it was the same thing that Vince did with him.

  "Is that why you always tell me to keep my hair long?" he joked.

  Vince laughed. "Yeah. How's she look from back there?"

  Unsure of what he meant, Rayce placed a hand on Maia's hip and looked down at her rounded butt. She was pretty from every angle, with freckles that trailed over her pale skin and a narrow waist that flared out into slim hips. "Um, really pretty?"

  Smiling, Vince blew him a kiss. "I bet she is. You've got a perfect ass, Maia."

  She made a noise in her throat and reached back to touch Rayce's hand on her hip. She gave his fingers a quick squeeze before bringing her hand back to massage Vince's balls. Feeling a bit bolder, Rayce curled his finge
rs over her hip and moved closer to her core. He took the piece in his free hand and rubbed the tip of it along her slit, hoping to tease her, and smiled when she moaned.

  "I think she liked that," he said softly, raising his gaze to meet Vince's. Vince nodded and thrust into her mouth. Rayce smiled at him and slid the strap-on into her body, earning him another loud moan from Maia. He brought his other hand to her hip and thrust into her, going as deep as he could while she bounced against his lower stomach.

  Her soft moans sent shivers through him. No wonder Vince liked having sex with girls, if they were all like Maia. Every noise from her was light and soft, not at all like the groans Vince made as he thrust between her lips.

  Rayce leaned over her slender back and kissed her shoulder, then her spine, before he moved one hand from her hip and brought it between her legs. She spread her thighs for him, welcoming his hand and he stroked her wet folds and continued thrusting into her pussy. He experimented with touching her clit with his thumb, wondering how she liked to be touched until he pulled on her clit and felt her shake under him. He tried that again and she jerked against his hand, pressing deeply back against the strap-on.

  "Whatever you're doing, that's a good thing," Vince said, his voice sounding rough. "And hurry with it, too. I'm so close."

  Rayce nodded. "Are you gonna come in her mouth?"

  Vince nodded. "If she lets me."

  Maia pulled back enough to be able to join their conversation. "Yeah, I want you to. And Rayce, do that again, please. That felt amazing." She blew him a kiss over her shoulder before returning to Vince's cock, loudly sucking him.

  Rayce pulled her clit between his thumb and forefinger, smiling as Maia jumped against his hand. On the fifth time, she cried out and went still under him as warmth coated his fingers. He rubbed her and small trembles went through her and into him. Lifting his head, he smiled up at Vince, proud of himself for being able to please her.