Brad devoured his share in a single bite, and they were running again, picking up scents here and there. A black squirrel darted out of the undergrowth, and Aspen began to give chase, until she was held back by a desultory growl from Brad. A moment later, the squirrel leapt up a nearby tree, and sat in a high branch looking down at her mockingly. She had a lot to learn. At last, the scent of another rabbit reached her nostrils. She couldn’t see it, but the smell was strong. As she looked around for Brad, he gave her a yip of encouragement. She picked up her pace and loped along, her nose carefully tracking its direction. It wasn’t long before a white tail appeared in her field of vision, like a flag, and she began to sprint, closing on it with every surge of her powerful hindquarters. It was directly in front of her; the smell of its fear was thick in her nostrils. She opened her jaws to snatch it – and missed. She had no idea how to get hold of it. As she faltered, it dashed away from her, and she gave a howl of frustration. Brad ran over to her and nipped her again: better luck next time. Chase joined them moments later, with the rabbit hanging from his jaws. They shared it again, before trotting back to the tree where Brad and Chase had left their clothes.
Aspen watched in fascination as they shifted back to their human forms, trying not to stare too obviously at their nakedness, at the big cocks swinging between their muscular thighs.
“I’ll whistle to you when the coast is clear,” Chase said as he and Brad vaulted over the hotel wall again. When the whistle came, Aspen didn’t hesitate this time, clearing the wall effortlessly. The two men led her back to Brad’s cabin.
“You can shift back now,” Chase told her, as soon as they were safely inside. Aspen looked up at him and whimpered.
“Oh, sorry,” he said with a laugh. “All you have to do when you want to shift back, is to will it to happen. Just visualize yourself in your human form.” Aspen whimpered again. Brad began to walk towards the door.
“Dude, let’s give the lady a little privacy,” he said.
“Oops! I forgot humans are shy about their bodies,” Chase said and grinned. “No problem. We’ll just be outside.” They left the cabin, closing the door behind them.
Aspen smiled to herself. She could feel the tension and struggle for dominance between the two men, but she loved the way they put it aside for her benefit.
She whined, not sure she wanted to shift back to her human form. That had been the most amazing experience of her life, and she never wanted to run around like a weak and useless human again. The guys had both been so nice to her while they were sitting on the deck together, treating her like they wanted to get to know her; like they maybe liked her. But, as wolves, it was on a whole other level. Sure, she’d been clumsy and inexperienced, but she’d felt like one of them. She’d been able to run nearly as fast, her eyesight just as good, her hearing just as sensitive. And she’d happily stay in her sleek, athletic wolf form while she admired their unbelievably hot bodies.
As she thought about their amazing pecs and abs, and their strong thighs, her body began to twitch all over, and her back gave little jerks, as if it was cramped in the wrong position. She knew it was time. She closed her eyes and conjured up an image of herself in her mind. A lightning bolt of heat ran all the way along her spine, before racing the length of her limbs. Her joints contracted all over her body, her skin tingled, and her fingers and toes throbbed as her claws retracted. She felt like her whole body was closing in on itself, like a tortoise retreating into its shell. It didn’t hurt like her human-to-wolf shift; it was just weird.
There was a loud whoosh, and Aspen was on all fours on the ground. Had she blacked out for a moment? She’d definitely missed something. She stared at her hands and arms. They were fully human now. Cautiously, she rocked back on her heels and got to her feet. There was no discomfort or pain. In fact, she felt great, full of energy, like she could do anything. She began to look around the room for her clothes. Her bra was on the bed, her shirt was on the floor, along with her skirt, and her pantyhose and panties were on a chair on the other side of the room. And they were all in shreds. Every single one of them. She held up her panties and giggled. There was only one strand of elastic holding them together. Wow, that must’ve been some violent transformation! But now she had nothing to wear, and she was stark naked, in the middle of a hotel room, with two strange men – scratch that – two werewolves waiting for her outside. She cast her eyes around the room. The only thing she could feasibly use to cover herself was a bed sheet. It would have to do. She pulled the crisp white sheet off the bed and wrapped it around her body, then she opened the door. Chase and Brad had been sitting on the edge of the veranda, talking close together. At the sound of the door opening, they got to their feet and walked towards her. Chase eased the door open wider, to see her better.
"Look at you!" he said with a grin. "You look like a goddess of the forest, dressed in a toga.” Aspen smiled shyly, her cheeks pinking.
"I didn't have much choice," she replied. "My clothes kind of got ruined when I shifted.
"Awesome!” Brad said, looking deeply impressed. “I guess they fit you pretty snug to begin with though.”
“Yeah,” Aspen said and looked down. Stop! She told herself. He’s not making some dig about your clothes being too tight for you. The expression in his eyes is quite the opposite. And it was. Although she’d never seen a man looking at her like that before, the desire burning in those sparkling eyes was unmistakable. She risked a glance at Chase. His eyes were flickering over the exposed areas of her body, lingering on her cleavage, and they were also approving.
"But we can't let you walk around in a sheet,” Brad said. “I’ll see if I’ve got anything you can put on.” He went into the cabin and she followed him.
“Sheesh!” he said, taking note of her shredded clothing. “You sure weren’t exaggerating!” Pulling a shirt out of his holdall, he handed it to her.
“I think I wore it for maybe an hour or two, but otherwise, it’s pretty clean,” he said. “Sorry I don’t have anything freshly laundered.”
“That’s no problem at all,” Aspen said, snatching it from him before he changed his mind. She’d already picked up that it carried his scent, and she couldn’t wait to have it close to her. He turned his back to her while she put it on over the sheet and buttoned it up. It was a lumberjack-style shirt, in a burnt orange shade, baby-soft from years of wear, and huge on her frame. It came down almost to her knees, and the cuffs hung way past her fingertips. A big girl though she was, he was still so much larger than her, and she loved that. She lifted the collar and took a deep sniff. Her nostrils filled with the exciting, spicy, outdoorsy scent of him. She nearly swooned. God, he’s so sexy! At the same time, her nipples hardened, pressing at the material of the shirt.
“How is it?” Brad asked over his shoulder.
“See for yourself!” she said, with a giggle.
“Sorry, it’s swamping you,” he said, as he turned around again.
“No, it’s perfect,” Aspen replied.
“Hold your arms out,” he said, and he rolled up the cuffs on each arm. She peered up at him through her bangs, adoring the tender way he was caring for her.
When he’d done, they went back onto the veranda. Chase was walking up from the hotel reception. The moment that Chase locked eyes with her, she realized how naked she was under the shirt. He had a way of making her feel stripped and vulnerable, in a way that was a little scary, but exciting too. But, while he looked at her with warmth, she caught him shooting Brad a furious glance. He was probably jealous that she was wearing his shirt, she reasoned. Wow. She didn’t know how it had happened, but she seemed to have two of the most stunning men she’d ever seen fighting over her.
“Where’ve you been, man?” Brad asked him.
“There’s a grocery store around the corner. I grabbed us a couple of beers,” Chase replied, indicating the shopping bags he was carrying. “You don’t have to leave now, do you?” he asked Aspen.
“I was
n’t planning on going anywhere,” she said, and was rewarded with a look of delight.
“Shall we sit on the veranda again?” Brad said. “Or are you cold?”
“No, I’m good,” she replied, and sat down carefully to preserve her modesty in the shirt.
“Werewolves don’t get cold easily,” Chase said.
“I’ll go find a bottle opener,” Brad said.
“Wait, give it here!” Aspen held her hand out for his beer. She popped the top using her teeth, and did the same for Brad’s and her own.
“You’re a pretty cool chick, Aspen,” Chase said, sitting down next to her. She shrugged.
“Thanks!” she said, and clinked ‘cheers’ to hide her glowing cheeks.
It was late afternoon, and the air held more warmth than usual. It was blissful sitting back on the veranda, staring out at the night, sandwiched between the two of them. Aspen wished she could sit on that veranda, swinging her legs forever.
They didn't speak for a little while, quietly enjoying the beers in each other's company.
"I hope that wasn't too weird for you, Aspen," Brad said, his voice breaking through the silence. "I mean – the whole turning into a wolf thing.”
"No – it was actually pretty cool," Aspen replied. “I love that I could run so fast. And I've never thought about catching animals before, but chasing after that rabbit was kind of fun. Even though I missed it!”
"That's really good to hear," Chase said. “And, I promise, that will be your worst shift by far. After that it gets way easier, so you hardly even notice it’s happening.”
“Dude, I wouldn’t go that far,” Brad said. Chase shrugged. “You’ve got to give the girl a realistic expectation.” Brad raised an eyebrow at Aspen.
“I can’t lie, it always burns a little bit, but it’s so worth the seconds of discomfort.”
“I won’t get stuck in my human body again?” she asked, with a shudder, the pain of before still so sharp in her memory.
“Nope. Once you’re out, you’re out!” Brad said. Aspen took a swig of her beer. She was getting a little drunk already and she felt fizzy with new possibilities, and bolder than usual.
“What happens now?” she asked. “How do we figure out which of you is the one for me?” She gasped as Brad’s large, warm hand landed on her bare knee.
“Aspen – ” he began. But he didn’t get to finish his sentence, because suddenly there was a man hurtling towards them, carrying what looked a lot like a shotgun.
"Dad!" Aspen screamed in horror. "What the hell are you doing?" Her father was wearing a crazy hunter’s outfit in camouflage colors, which she’d never seen him in before. He’d hoisted the gun onto his shoulder, and was pointing it directly at Chase.
"Aspen, stand up and move away from these animals," he shouted.
“I'll do no such thing!” she bellowed back.
“Baby, they’re very dangerous. You need to get away from them!” Aspen shuffled down from the veranda and stood in front of him, hands on hips.
“Dad, you’re going to regret doing this!”
“Where are your clothes? Have they done something to you?” he demanded.
“No. I’ve had my first shift, and they got ripped apart.” Her father’s face twisted in misery, and his arm dropped to his side.
“You fully became a wolf?”
“Yes. And it was great,” she said, eyes shining. “But how did you find me here?”
“It took me all of five minutes to work out where these hoodlums were. People in the town weren't shy to tell me that there were two strange men staying here, you can believe me!”
“I don’t know why you’re so angry. It’s your fault that I was left alone that day, and one of these guys found me and started playing with me.”
“Aspen. You don’t understand. They’re dangerous creatures. They obviously weren’t playing. They attacked you, biting you hard enough to draw blood!” Brad had been hanging in the shadows, but now he stepped forward.
“We were playing, sir,” he said. “I can remember it a little. We were just pups, and we weren’t used to being with humans, so we didn’t understand how soft their skin was. We would never have hurt her.” Aspen’s father was silent for a long moment, and she understood his anger was partly motivated by guilt.
“Aspen, come with me now. We’ll look after you. We’ll learn more about your needs, and how to care for you when you shift. First and foremost, you’re a human, and these – these beasts – won’t know how to look after you. I mean, you’re an adult, with a career. What are you going to do – spend your life living in a wolf’s lair?”
“That’s not true!” Chase said. “You need to stay here with us. You’re our mate now!”
“What did you say?” her father bellowed, jerking his gun towards Chase.
“Hey, let’s all calm down,” Brad said quickly. “Aspen, go with your father now. He needs some time to understand, to adjust to how things have changed. And, when you’re ready, we’ll be waiting for you, right here.”
“The hell you will!” her father yelled. “I’m having you freaks chased right out of town the second I get her away from here. And I don’t need you giving my own daughter permission to go with me!”
Aspen looked over her shoulder at Brad and Chase, and gave each a sad smile.
“How will I find you?” she whispered.
“Look for us in the most real place you can think of,” Brad whispered back.
“Ok.” She nodded at each of them, before turning to her father. He suddenly looked tired and worn, not the man who had so easily carried her on his shoulders as a child. “Come on, dad,” she said.
“Wait!” Brad ran inside and brought her boots, which were miraculously undamaged, and her shredded clothes.
“Thanks!” she gave him a grin that made his heart throb. She put her boots on.
“Is it ok if I keep this for now?” she asked, gesturing to the shirt.
“Of course,” he said. She took her father’s arm, and walked away with him, along the path that led to the front of the hotel.
Chapter Eight
“Like I’m going anywhere!” Chase said, kicking at the wooden floor of the veranda.
“Dude, this guy is ultimately going to be the father of your mate, or my mate,” Brad said. “The grandfather of our kids. We can’t alienate him and make him hate us. We should do as he says and leave town for a while. He feels like he’s under siege at the moment. We need to give him time to relax and come around to the idea.” Chase scowled at him.
“Why are you always so goddamn reasonable?” he said. Brad sat on the steps leading off the veranda, and looked up at the sky.
“Diplomatic parents, I guess,” he said. Chase’s wolf gave a snarl of disgust, and he paced back and forth the length of the veranda, shooting angry glances at Brad from time to time.
“Look at you, mooning over Aspen. Going all slushy!” Chase spat.
“Like you’re not! You act all hard, making out you’re just following your destiny and the will of your pack, but I’ve seen your eyes. You obviously have feelings for her.” Chase’s forehead creased even more.
“I’d like to rip your throat out right now. But I won’t try.”
“Phew, that’s a relief,” Brad said, his voice laced with sarcasm. “The best werewolf will win. Or the luckiest one.” Chase stopped pacing and squatted down next to Brad.
“Luck has nothing to do with it. It’s destiny, my friend,” he said, before standing up and beginning his pacing again.
“Great to see you back to your usual self, bro,” Brad said. “Why don’t you go and let off some steam, because if you keep pacing like that, it won’t be my throat that’s getting ripped out!” Chase snarled, and stomped off back to his cabin.
*
The next morning, they left at first light. Chase had softened enough to let Brad ride in his car, and they began the long drive to the northern town where the National Federation office was located. Their pla
n was to stay in the Federation’s apartments, and learn about the packs of the north, while they waited to hear from Aspen.
*
Aspen’s house suddenly seemed very small. Was it only a day ago that she’d left it, still a human? She felt like her bedroom was barely large enough to contain her animal strength, a strength that bristled from her body at the slightest movement. All her senses were alive, noticing things she’d never seen before, picking up the smallest sounds, the faintest smells. Mmm, the smell thing was a problem. Every time the refrigerator door opened, she got a blast of the most delicious odors, and her stomach growled. Her appetite seemed to have doubled overnight. Was being a wolf going to make her bigger than she was already? She wished she’d asked this, and so many other questions, before she’d let her father drag her away from Chase and Brad.
Once Bitten Twice Smitten: BBW Werewolf Shifter Menage Romance Page 7
