by Jade Alters
Judging by the bulge in his briefs as he tugged his jeans down, this would be a very naughty dream indeed.
I pulled my shirt over my head, hair already a little messy in my ponytail. I wished I had worn more exciting underwear today, but Preston didn’t seem to mind. His eyes darkened as he sank down to the bed, filling my chest with power and pride as he drank in the sight of my near-bare chest.
“You’re beautiful.”
“You’ve barely seen me,” I insisted, feeling a blush spread down my chest and to my thighs. He slid a hand over my leg and my stomach; I swallowed hard, trying to be patient but eager for the pressure of his hand between my legs.
“I’ve seen enough to know,” he said.
“You’ve seen enough?”
He realized his mistake. “Uh… no. Definitely not.”
I grinned, appreciating the way his brain seemed to stall. Was I really that attractive? I’d never felt particularly ugly, but right now I felt like a goddess. Like I somehow matched the way he made me feel.
But that couldn’t possibly be true. Could it?
“Can I…?” His fingertips strayed to the front of my pants.
“Yes.”
Every gesture was careful. When he leaned close to kiss me again, catching my lips like I’d starved him of my touch for hours, I knew exactly how he felt. My body was practically aching with the desperation. Whether his hands were slow out of shyness or respect, I couldn’t wait much longer.
“Preston, I… please.”
He pulled back, eyes roving over me — catching on the strip of see-through lace at the waistband of my panties. It drove me wild to see him look at me like that. I teased my hand through the stripe of premature silver in his hair, and groaned as he leaned in to plant a soft kiss over the fabric between my legs.
“Preston,” I begged.
“Sorry,” he said, nuzzling his face into my thigh. “You’re just… wow. You’re a lot to look at.” With an apologetic grin, he shuffled back up the bed to wrap his arm around me and kiss me again, letting me wrap one leg around him. I could feel his hard cock straining for me.
“This isn’t too fast for you?”
“God, no,” I said — and it was true. I’d never moved so quickly before in my life, but I’d also never been so sure. I didn’t feel vulnerable in the arms of this strong soldier, even knowing how easily he could snap me in half. I didn’t feel shy or degraded at the thought of his eyes on my naked body. Even as he unclasped my bra and swallowed as it fell away, entranced by the sight of me, I could only read desire in his eyes. There was nothing holding me back, and only snowballing desire pushing me forward.
He gave me his hand first, his fingers arched and breathtakingly gentle as he lifted the fabric at my crotch aside. Every time his flickering touch increased, I thought I might lose myself then and there, before he even filled me — but then his touch would lighten again, and pull back, and lower me to a desperate, melting simmer. By the time he finally reached up to slip my panties down, lifting my leg up high on his hip, I was barely coherent.
“You tell me how you want it,” he murmured, his forehead pressed to mine. “Don’t let me hurt you.”
I’d rather that than wait a second longer, I thought. Instead, I said, “Yes. Just… yes.”
I’d never been so ready without lubricant. When he slipped inside me, hot and tight and willingly eager, I gasped and arched into him, feeling exactly how deep his cock curled inside me. He gave me a couple of slow, gentle moments to adjust, rolling his hips to let me feel the shape of him — then, careful and strong still, he shifted me onto my back and kissed the breathlessness out of me.
“You’re beautiful,” he said again. Then he thrust into me, still slow enough to feel every electric sensation. He slipped a hand between us to tease at my stomach, my nipple, my clit — I lost track of his fingertips in the shared body heat and the way his cock felt, driving all sensible thought out of my mind.
It was incredible to be had like this — gentle like a long-term lover, but with all the spontaneity and excitement of a first time. He had me shuddering to a prickly-hot climax within minutes. Then another — and once he finally came in me, deep and groaning and handsome as in old Hollywood despite the tattoos and the piercings, he didn’t get up yet. He pulled out and lay close to me, sharing my breath as that slick, talented hand worked me to one last mounting, desperate orgasm, my hand gripping death-tight at his hard-working arm.
I felt his fond, soft kisses. I knew that I was curling up against him, dizzy with heat and exhaustion. Then I lost track and fell asleep in the comfort of his arms and the scent of his hair.
It wasn’t just the way he loved me that felt familiar. Everything that filled my senses was like a husband I’d forgotten about — some lover from a parallel world that I’d never met before. I knew the feel of his skin on mine, and his heartbeat; the sound of his sighs, and the taste of his lips as he kissed me back awake.
“You okay?” he asked. “Seemed like I tired you out there.”
“You did,” I admitted, suddenly a little shy now that I was out of the eye of the storm. “That was… wow. Wow, Preston.”
He smiled. I saw shyness in him too, and it steeled me. When he leaned to kiss me again, catching my lips in another sweet kiss, I felt a little more assured.
This was right. It just was, somehow.
We dressed slowly, showered separately, and somehow got back to our day. If he was a little more touchy with me, then that was only a pleasant thing — and I had to bat his hands away every time I started cleaning something away, as though he felt awkward about letting me do my job now that we were newly intimate. For as normal as it felt between us, though, we didn’t have any discussions about it.
Were we something now? It felt like it, but we’d made no promises. He hadn’t even mentioned the other guys, but the thought of them now made me guilty. That was foolish, wasn’t it? As though any of them would want me anyway. The fact that Preston did was incredible enough. I couldn’t cause any fights.
Still, it felt like a bad idea to tell them — even Stone, who I had been friendliest with. If Preston told them about it, then I wouldn’t mind, but I already resolved to keep my part in this to myself.
Where it led from here, I couldn’t possibly say. I just knew that the way he looked at me was exciting, and that my heart skipped a beat at the thought of finding another opportunity for him to touch me again.
Blake
I see she’s in your thoughts a lot.
Ah, shut up. Sir.
I tossed my head as we ran, letting out a growling ripple of laughter from my lion’s throat. Stone only called me Sir on a couple of rare occasions — and embarrassment was one of them. Clearly, accidentally transmitting Jessica’s face to me as we communicated had him feeling a little awkward, but he didn’t have to.
Not least because if I didn’t have good self-control, I’d be doing the exact same thing to him.
We might have to cut this short if we catch sight of anything, but… would it surprise you to hear that she’s caught my eye too?
She has?
I heard the thunder of Stone’s paws pick up behind me, and slowed so that he could pull alongside. I had never been good at reading people, either in this form or in our human ones, but Stone had a knack for it. Whatever he saw in my dark lion’s eyes, it must have convinced him that I wasn’t joking.
Ever since we’d come here with Jessica, I’d suspected that something unusual was going on. I could feel my own pulse rising around her, and that hormonal shift. She was beautiful, of course, and the light behind her eyes gave her an air of easy confidence and happiness. When I looked at her, I saw a healthy, responsible and charming woman that spoke to every part of me — my lion included.
If the others were thinking the same thing… well. She might just be a myth come to life. Normally I’d dismiss the very idea of the one true mate, as I had done for years, but it wasn’t so easy to do that with Jess.
The very sight of her made me believe in the possibility. If anybody could be that special person — for anyone, but our pride in particular — it’d be her.
Really, though? Stone pressed again. I don’t want to cause a problem with us.
It’s not a problem, I said. I hadn’t realized how true this was until this very moment. The weight of the fact came to rest on my back slowly, and I slowed to walk beside Stone, paws deliberate and heavy on the ground. This was a good thing, and the way I could feel my lion’s heart throbbing in my chest only emphasized that — but it was pretty seismic.
Stone turned his head to face me, his dark eyes meeting mine. Are you sure, Blake? You know I’d never—
I think she may be our One Mate.
We both stopped. Stone’s eyes rooted on mine, a flash of human depth in his expression. If he were with anybody else, he might have expected this to be a joke, but I wasn’t really the joking kind. Not about things like this. I saw the realization wash over him, as it had just washed over me a couple of seconds ago.
He shifted, and I saw the same look of bemusement and confusion on his human form’s face. I shifted to join him, sitting down on the warm dusty ground.
“If that’s true, then…” Stone trailed off, shaking his head down at the ground. “I can’t believe it. I was never even convinced they existed. I’m not sure I’m convinced even now.”
“I’m not jealous of your attraction to her,” I reasoned. “Or the thought of her being attracted to you. Considering how long we’ve known her and how little time we’ve spent together, I’d say it’s unusual to be so attracted to her.”
“I guess so.” Stone ruffled a hand through his hair, eyes unfocused. “Have you spoken to the others about it?”
“Not yet,” I admitted. “It only crossed my mind in passing before, but I’ve seen them looking at her too and suspected it. Feeling her cross your mind so much with nothing else to distract me just… provided me with the evidence I needed.”
“Wow.”
We sat in silence for a few moments, feeling the wind lift around us. If our lion noses hadn’t been clear of the scent of humans around us, then it probably wouldn’t be safe to do this — but with the area around us so desolate and empty, and with shrubs and trees surrounding us for cover, it was a harmless spot to recover from this emotional earthquake.
“She’s going to need to know,” said Stone, after a few moments. “Everything.”
I nodded, staring off into the distance. “We’ll talk about it. All four of us.”
“It’s going to scare the shit out of her.” His brow was furrowed with concern.
“No,” I said, rolling my shoulders back and preparing to shift again. “No, it shouldn’t. Not if she’s the One.”
Stone
It was hard work keeping my eyes off her. Now that I knew what Jess was to me, and to all of us, it was even harder than before to contain myself. Only a few feet from me she was humming away, absent-minded, and cleaning the kitchen counter tops. If I stood up and walked over to her and asked, she’d probably give me a hug; she was a tactile person, and I could already imagine pressing up against her, my nose filling with the scent of her berry-fresh shampoo and the smooth silk of her skin.
I swallowed, staring down at the table as she moved to another counter, afraid that she’d speak to me. Right now, I wasn’t confident I could speak without making a damn fool out of myself. How could I, knowing that I was looking at the woman I was destined to be with? Knowing that one day she’d bear our children, and create the kind of family most lions could only picture in their dreams?
“I don’t know how you all do it.”
I looked up, attention snatched by the sound of her voice. As I tried to focus on not speaking to her, it was almost like I’d forgotten she could speak to me.
I blinked, a smile tugging onto my lips instinctively. She just had that effect on me.
“Do what?” I asked.
“All these shifts,” she said, nodding towards the bedroom. “You seem to sleep and wake up at different times every day.”
“It’s either that or two of us don’t see the sun for a couple of months,” I pointed out. “And while I’m sure Preston would love that, I-”
A crash outside cut me off. Blake was already climbing to his feet and heading to the window, gesturing to me with one hand. He didn’t need to ask me twice — and despite the vagueness of the gesture, I knew exactly what he meant.
“Jess, get down behind the counter.”
“What…?”
I stepped to her side, looking over Blake’s shoulder through the window. I couldn’t see anything outside. Judging by the way Blake grimaced and moved to the door, neither could he. I touched Jess’s shoulder gently, guiding her down. Any other time, this would have been contact I’d have fixated on, but right now we didn’t have time.
“Keep down, okay? We don’t know what that was.”
I followed Blake outside, eyes narrowed as I stared out to the line of trees nearby. Blake had already shifted and seemed to have scented something. His eyes were trained directly ahead, and I could hear the beginnings of a growl rippling through his throat.
Get Jess below ground. Wake the others. We have some unfriendly visitors.
On it, I confirmed in my head. If there were enemies around, I didn’t intend to give anything away out loud.
As soon as I was back inside, I closed the door behind me and waved Jess over. “Keep low,” I said, lifting the rug to reveal the entrance to the basement below — our safe room. “I don’t know who’s out there, or how many. Grab my sweater from the couch; it’ll be cold down there. I’m going to get the others.”
Walking away from her was hard. I could see the tremors in her hands and the fear and uncertainty in her eyes — but I knew the best thing I could do to keep her safe was to follow Blake’s instructions so we could neutralize the threat. Staying with her wouldn’t do that.
Still, it didn’t make it any easier to leave her behind. I gritted my teeth, and pushed into Hale and Preston’s room.
“Hat up, guys. We’ve got company.”
Jessica
Of course, I knew the North boys were working on something dangerous, in a vague sense. I understood that it was risky — but to actually have the fight come to our little cabin like this was imminent and frightening. I could no longer kid myself that I was completely safe here, even if it was obvious that the boys had every intention of protecting me.
I didn’t really like the idea of being protected, normally. I wasn’t the type to wait for a knight in shining armor if I could take care of business myself. Woe betide the old-fashioned creep at the grocery store who assumed I couldn’t carry my own bags out to the car — but this? This was way beyond my scope. It was beyond the scope of any civilian. Judging by the way the boys were reacting, they hadn’t exactly been expecting it either.
Down in the basement by myself, I pulled Stone’s sweater tighter around my shoulders. He was right. It was chilly down here, but I had a feeling that most of my shivering had to do with something else entirely. Were they safe out there?
Less pressing, was I safe down here?
Hearing nothing from the cabin above, I could do nothing but wait. My mind ran over with thoughts of the worst-case scenarios, imagining the smirking faces of the enemy peering down at me from above. Or maybe they wouldn’t know I was here and would burn down the cabin around me — either consigning me to suffocation, or to dying of thirst in the wilderness as I tried to seek out help.
I couldn’t guess how much time had passed when the hatch at the top of the basement steps finally opened. Knees tucked up to my chest, I craned my neck to look up, suddenly assaulted by the thought that the attackers had won.
Instead, Blake’s handsome face looked down at me, somehow calm despite the sweat on his brow and the mud on his clothes.
“All safe,” he said, barely out of breath. “You can come on up now.”
“Are you
all okay?” I asked as I climbed to my feet, my legs strangely unsteady as I made my way up. I felt so childish and weak. So delicate. “I couldn’t hear anything down here.”
“Everyone’s fine,” he promised. “I’m sorry we had to leave you by yourself down there. Just a precaution, you understand, but… we couldn’t have risked you getting hurt up here.”
“Did they reach the cabin?”
“No,” he said, holding out a hand as I came within reach. “Not even close.”
Still unsteady, I relented and took it. Even just the contact with his skin comforted me; I could feel his calming influence flowing through me like firelight warmth after walking in the snow. Now my heart was pounding for an entirely different reason than fear.
That said, fear still remained. “But they know where we are…?”
“Yes. But they won’t come back. I don’t want you going outside any time soon, but… they will not come back.”
Instinctively, I wanted to ask how he knew that. They were the enemy, after all. Surely, they’d stop at nothing to wipe out the threat that the North boys posed — and me, by association, if they ever found out I existed? Maybe they’d been spying on us for a while, and already knew. Even as logic assailed me with all those worries, my mouth failed to follow suit. There was so much confidence and certainty in Blake’s eyes that some deeper part of me just chose to believe him.
I realized that we were still holding hands, even as I stood at the top of the stairs. Around me, the others were coming down from the force of the attack. Stone was cleaning up a nasty-looking scrape on one of Hale’s arms, not without their usual playful banter.
Blake squeezed my hand, drawing my eyes back to him. I felt my cheeks flush.
