by Elle Boon
“I’d be offended if I were a lesser female.” She too looked down at the colorful water. “It’s strange to look at water that isn’t blue or green, or even muddy brown, but a pretty pink and purple,” she remarked.
“I wonder if it’s saltwater or fresh?” Atlas reached out to Lula, not wanting to risk Joni being injured if they jumped in for a swim in either form.
“The water is fine for you to frolic in no matter what form you take. Word of warning though, don’t eat anything that talks to you.” Lula’s swift response gave him pause.
“Does she mean there’s like mermaids or talking fish?” Joni questioned.
Atlas looked down into the water. “Hell, with her and this realm, it’s hard to say. You ready to jump and see?”
Joni nodded her wolven head. “Let’s go in like this. If there’s a mermaid, I’d rather be a dire wolf than a human.”
With a swipe of her tongue, Joni gave a growl, then leapt into the water first, the long drop clearly not causing his mate any fear. No way was he going to be a scaredy bear, he leapt as well, barely keeping the wussy scream from escaping. When his bear hit the warm water, he quickly began swimming toward the surface, searching for Joni. The radiant sparkle in her green eyes brought the same to his as he spotted her treading water in her human form. “Damn, you’re gorgeous,” he rumbled, shifting with a thought into human as well.
“Remember don’t sexy wexy, bossy bear. As much as I loved having you inside me, there is no way I want a league of bossy baby wolfiebears.” She splashed water toward him.
He swam toward her. “There are other things we can do that doesn’t have me penetrating your lady box.” His lips turned up in a grin at her very unladylike snort.
“Excuse me, but where the hell did you come up with that...that term for my magical vagina?” She floated on her back, staring up at the sky. “Did you notice there are two suns?”
Atlas copied her pose, floating on his back, too. “I did. Strange, but I bet when they visit Earth, or other realms they find the differences weird as well. Do you burn easily?” Her skin was almost porcelain in color, yet he didn’t see any sign of a freckle.
Joni’s arms moved back and forth, keeping her afloat. “I don’t think so. I’ve never done so in the past. Do you feel any heat beating down on you? Wouldn’t there be that if I was going to burn?” She lifted one arm up, twisting it back and forth.
“Pardon me, but what in the actual fuck are you two naked human-ish people doing?”
Atlas surged forward, putting Joni behind him, facing the female dragon. “My name is Atlas, and this is my mate Joni. Our friend Lula brought us here.”
A huff of smoke met his announcement.
“If you give us a moment, we will call our friend and be out of your...space.” Hell, he didn’t know what to call where they were, only knew he was in a vulnerable position as the dragon stood on the opposite side of the waterfall from where they’d entered and was twice as big as Lula.
“I will call my daughter. You two humans come on out of there. I think you’ve scared the locals enough already,” she huffed again.
His need to shift into his bear was strong, but one look at the female let him know she could literally squish them both like bugs without even lifting a foot. Nope, all she’d have to do was twitch her tail, or shoot a flame from her mouth, and he was sure they’d both be burned to a crisp.
“Very wise, my bear friend. If I’m not mistaken, there’s my recalcitrant daughter now,” Belle said, looking up at the sky.
Atlas and Joni swam toward the side, he helped her climb up just as Lula landed, magic swirled around them, clothing both of them in jeans and T-shirts. He nodded toward the smaller dragon.
“Mother, what are you doing here?” Lula asked, her voice higher than Atlas had ever heard.
“Really, Lula, that’s what you ask me?” Belle flicked her finger toward the two humans. “What’re they doing here? Is Jenna aware you brought a beast of another Goddess to her realm?”
Lula ducked her head, her tail swishing back and forth. “Well, you see, he’s mated to one of hers, therefore he’s now one of Jenna’s, and they needed a place to go because they’re not normal shifters. Hence, here.” She waved her wing, nearly whacking Atlas and Joni over in the process. “Woops, my bad,” she said as she tucked her wings back in close to her shimmering pink body.
Belle paced away from them. “Let me think for a moment.”
“Sssh, this could take a minute, my mother isn’t much of a thinker, she’s more of a doer, and by that I mean she usually just kills.” Lula spoke out of the side of her mouth loud enough Atlas was sure everyone in the realm had heard her.
“Lula, I will put you over my knee, child,” her mother warned.
Atlas would’ve laughed at the sight of the huge pink dragon pretending to zip her lip as the even bigger dragon threatened to spank her daughter, but even he as a dire, was tiny in comparison to them. Nope, he just wanted to make it back to Earth with his mate, and all his limbs in working order.
“Alright, we need to get them back to Earth. Nothing has disturbed the Goddesses as of yet, right? Like, they’ve not created offspring here, tying this realm to them. They’ve not killed any of our kind, so they don’t owe our Goddess.” Belle nodded. “Take them to Earth, it’s a neutral zone. I can sense they’re truemates, which means the Goddesses have agreed for their mating to be possible. Lula, you—” Belle’s words were cut off as quiet fell over the meadow.
“Ah, I see our children have found their way to your realm,” an ethereal voice spoke.
Lula and Belle fell to their knees, looking behind Atlas and Joni.
“Kneel, you two,” Lula ordered.
Atlas turned to see who’d spoken with such a beautiful voice, making his bear hum inside his body.
Joni felt her wolf whimper. “Yes, although I didn’t realize they’d cause such a stir. I guess my dragon guardian is a little overprotective. Thank you, Belle, you’ve done very well. Lula, I appreciate you taking such good care of these two. Can we see you two in your shift?”
This time, her wolf did a good imitation of a purr at the female’s request. Joni felt the beast inside her pressing forward. Her hand reached for Atlas’s. “Shift with me?” she asked.
“Always,” he agreed.
“I think you should step a few paces away if you’ll get as big as I think you will,” the first female said.
Her wolf didn’t whimper this time. Joni nodded, allowing Atlas to release her hand and move away far enough to allow room for both their dire animals to grow. Her body began to shift, faster than ever, only she felt no pain, no popping of bones, or stretching of skin as she became the huge white wolf.
She looked down at the odd colored grass through her wolven eyes, marveling at the white paws that would be larger than a human head. “I could literally palm a basketball with these things,” she said, marveling again at the ease it was to speak in her wolven form.
“This realm as well as mine, gives you the ability as that is your natural form here. You both are just as beautiful as I’d imagined.”
Joni looked at the Goddess she’d worshipped but never thought she’d meet, gasping at the almost too beautiful female before her. “What do I call you?”
“Goddess is fine. Your journey is not complete yet, little one. Belle, do not be angry at Lula, for she wouldn’t have been able to bring Atlas here if it wasn’t my wish, or hers.” The Goddess nodded toward the other female.
“Thank you, Goddess,” Atlas whispered.
Joni noticed he hadn’t taken his eyes off of the Goddess his bear worshipped. She waited for jealousy to hit, but only felt love and acceptance.
“As it should, female,” the Goddess spoke.
Joni swung her head in the direction of the voice. “Are you reading my thoughts?”
Both Goddesses smiled. “There are no secrets from us. We are the original creators of all of you. No, we don’t see and or hear every
thing, but if you are in our presence, there is nothing you say, or do, we do not know. Past, present, or future. Now, time is ticking and you two are needed back on Earth. Lula, you must take them back to when you took them. We can’t interfere in what is coming, but we can ensure their bond is strong.”
A small burst of power filled Joni, healing her, linking her and Atlas. She hadn’t realized she’d been thinking their lives wouldn’t last past their time on Fey, but now as she met his blue eyes, she’d imagined him leaving her. “I never would’ve left you, Achwahnaja,” Atlas rumbled, his bear making the claim as well.
“What about your clan, will they accept me if I’m not like you?” she asked, her deepest fear laid out before them all.
Atlas touched his nose to hers. “You’re the only one most like me. I’m a dire; you’re a dire. If they don’t accept you, then we’ll create our own clan, taking in all those who are different, kind of like Hollis and Annie. There are bound to be others who don’t fit into the mold of clans. We will find them and offer them a place to belong.”
“And that, is why you will be the true alpha the White Bear Clan needs,” both Goddesses said simultaneously.
“I’ll take them back now. Should I take them back to Texas, Mystic, or to White Bear?” Lula asked.
“Trouble is headed to Wolfs Run. We can’t intercede there, so that’s where they’re needed.”
Joni watched as her Goddesses eyes went milky white. “Yes, I agree. We will see you soon. Jenna is on her way.”
“Ah, we must go, she’s got her little ones and mates with her. No need to scare them. Silly men, they fear feminine power.”
Again, the air shimmered, but Joni was sure she saw both Goddesses wink before they left the meadow.
“Did that really just happen?” she asked, swinging her head back toward the two towering dragons.
Lula leaned against her mother, both dragons looking drained.
“Yes, yes it did. Looks like your mating was destined and my child isn’t in trouble, yet. Oh, goodie, look who’s joined the party.” Belle tilted her head to the side.
Joni thought the way both dragons moved was very smooth, almost reptilian like, but she’d keep that to herself.
“Too late, remember I can read your mind.” Belle tapped her head, making Joni groan.
“Well, lookie here, it’s a party and nobody invited me, the queen of this here darn realm,” Jenna snarled. She stomped through the grass, her hand petting Joni as she passed. “Hello, gorgeous, I’ll be right back.
“Jennaveve, be careful.” A man snarled.
Joni blinked her eyes at the appearance of two men popping into the area, one with a baby strapped to his front with what appeared to be a baby carrier of some sort, only this one was purple and glittered when the sun hit it. The other had a matching one, only his baby was facing him instead of outward, clearly sleeping.
“If anyone comments about our choice in baby carrier, I’ll suck you dry,” he warned.
“Damien, be nice. They’re purple and sparkly, therefore they’re the best. Besides, who would ever say a negative word about them?” Jenna asked, her hands on her hips as she stopped in front of Belle.
Belle shifted to human, standing a little taller than Jenna. “I agree, they’re quite lovely. However, pink would’ve been my choice.”
Lula raised her hand, then put it down when Jenna pointed her finger at her. “Do not agree with your mother. Now, what the flying monkey butts is going on here?”
The other male holding a sleeping baby laughed. “Sorry, I just love the way you’ve cleaned up your language since the prettiest little girls in the world was born. Isn’t that right, love bug,” he cooed toward the little girl in the carrier his brother wore, whose legs were kicking at his words.
Jenna sighed, turning back toward Belle and Lula. “Wanna fill me in on the goings on?”
Joni shifted back to human, happy when the jeans and T-shirt appeared on her without fail. “It’s my fault actually, my queen.”
When the tiny fey’s head turned almost completely around, without her body following, making Joni have visions of the exorcist, she almost regretted her announcement.
“For fookssake, Jennaveve, stop that. We told you that is freaking us out. How do you think that’s affecting those who don’t love you like Lucas and I do?”
Atlas snorted, then tried to cover it up with a cough.
“Lucas and you are both morons. I don’t have eyes in the back of my head, so sometimes in extreme situations, I need to see what’s behind me, hence this.” She twirled her finger around her head.
“Nope, it’s still freaky as fook.” Damien shook his head.
“Listen, saying fook is just weird, instead of fuck. I think we just teach the prettiest little girls in the world to do as we say, not as we do is a better action. I mean, we have sex, like all the time. Are we going to stop that because they’ll think they can? Or, stop drinking alcohol because Willow and Piper think they can too?” Jenna tapped her toe on the grass, her head still turned at the unnatural angle.
The one she’d called Lucas shook his head. “You started it.”
Jenna turned around completely, her head finally on the right way. “How? How did I start it?”
Damien began rocking his hips back and forth, singing a song Joni had no clue what it was, but was sure he’d messed up somehow.
“You say darn instead of damn all the time.” Lucas ran his palm over the head of the baby girl snuggled against his chest.
“You also say freak instead of fuck, all the freaking time,” Damien agreed, stopping mid song.”
The baby in his arms clapped and blew a raspberry.
“See, she likes it when we agree.” Damien clapped in front of his daughter.
“Fine, I might have done that on occasion, but I never used the words, and I quote,” she paused, raising her hands in the air to make quotation motions. “Fook, or fookssake. Those are just stupid words. Now, let’s just forget them and move on, mkay?” She waved at the baby, blowing a kiss before turning back toward Joni. “Instead of you explaining, how ‘bout I take a looksie? It won’t hurt and is much more expedient.”
Joni looked to Atlas, checking for his opinion. He moved closer to her, giving her his strength, but two male growls stopped him from getting too close.
“Easy, mates, he’s just wanting to reassure his female he’s got her back. Now, let’s see what transpired, shall we?” Jenna murmured.
Calmness fell over her as she felt the presence of the Fey Queen enter her being. Her wolf sat back, watching, allowing the strange female to walk through her memories, uncaring she saw more than just the past few weeks. Finally, when Jenna left, Joni stumbled and would’ve fallen if Atlas hadn’t been there to catch her.
“Oh my, I am...words escape me at the abuse. So much pain. If I could kill that bastard, I would. I can erase your memories, make them go away if you’d like?” Jenna wiped a tear from below her eyelid.
The offer was so very tempting. “Thank you, but no, I’ll keep them. I don’t know what tomorrow might bring, but I know what yesterday was. I’m not going to allow those hurts to keep me down any longer. I’ve learned staying angry does nothing but keep you down. Being mad does nothing but keep you from being happy. I’m going to learn to forgive, maybe one day I can forgive my parents. Today isn’t that day, but if there’s one thing that I do know, it’s that I love Atlas with my whole heart. It’s something the people who were supposed to love me didn’t do. Looking at all of you, I can see that same love radiating from one another. I want to know that love, to enjoy it. I want to be loved and cared for in the same way and give it back, because they are the ones that truly matter.”
Chapter Thirteen
Joni bit her lip after saying what she felt. Goddess, she couldn’t face Atlas. She’d just professed her love in front of a crowd of people.
Hard arms lifted her, turning her to face him. “I swear, you break my heart and put it back to
gether again. I love you, too, Joni. I know I said those were fairytale words, but if how I feel is what love is, then it’s true.”
She wrapped her arms around his head, feeling his strength hold her in more ways than just the arms locking her to him. “Goddess, I love you more than I’ve ever thought possible.” Her next words were swallowed by his mouth.
“Alright I hate to break this up, but you need to head on home to Earth, folks,” Jenna said.
It took effort to pull away from Atlas’s kiss. When she did, both of their lips were puffy and wet, making her wish they were alone.
“Word of warning, if you were alone here, you’d end up with multiple pups, or cubs,” Damien’s deep voice warned.
Joni wiggled in Atlas’s arms. “That would be a no from me,” she laughed.
“Oh, I’ll have to figure out a cute nickname for your offspring.” Jenna tapped her nose, but a small wail from the baby in the carrier had her spinning toward the child. “Oh, what’s the matter? Are you hungry?”
“Yep, it’s feeding time, and sadly, you’re the only one with the goodies.” The man carrying the baby waggled his eyebrows. “Isn’t she, my little lovenug?” His voice dropped to a comical one. The wailing child woke the other, making both babies cry.
Jenna turned to face Joni and Atlas. “I swear, that male comes up with a different nickname every darn...I mean damn hour.” She smiled fondly. “Alright, let’s get you two big bad dires back to Earth, so I can pop my boobs out and feed those two little miss thangs over there.”
“Damn, when you say shit like that, it gets me hard,” the other male said, adjusting himself.
Again, Jenna faced Joni, placing both hands around her mouth. “Like that’s new,” she mock whispered.
“I heard that,” he said.
“Duh, I said it loud enough even the minotaur’s heard it three counties over,” she answered.
Both men looked around them, each moving so their backs faced one another. Both produced a shield that encapsulated the child strapped to his chest, leaving their arms free, which now wielded a sword that looked as if it could slice a solid rock in half. “Are these beasts’ friend or foe?” Damien asked.
