by Sable Sylvan
“Well, the Moon Father hasn’t realized that the Star Mother is his fated yet, has he?” asked Grandma. “But when he does...it’s said that the moon will stop chasing its shadow, and it will be with the woman it’s meant to be with, the Star Mother, and the Star Cub will receive the rest of its stars and look just like Star Mother and Moon Father.”
“That’s a really beautiful story,” said Talia. “Sad, but beautiful.”
“People argue about the meaning of the story all the time,” said Cedar. “Some say that it’s about not chasing the wrong people, the people that aren’t your mates, and avoiding getting tunnel vision. Others say that it’s about how things aren’t just ‘black and white’, taking things literally.”
“And what do you think the story means?” asked Talia.
“Honestly...I think that it means you can search the world for the right person,” said Cedar. “And you can find out in the end they were there the whole time, in the last place you’d think to look.” Cedar took Talia’s hand into his and squeezed it.
“Cedar, will you and Talia be joining us on the hike tonight?” asked one of Cedar’s female cousins, a tall woman named Beatrice who was sitting on the other side of Grandma Dixon.
“Not tonight,” said Cedar, squeezing Talia’s hand. “I’m going to take Talia up to the cabin instead and show her something special.”
“The paths?” asked Beatrice.
“Yup,” said Cedar.
The paths? Talia had no idea what Beatrice was talking about.
Grandma Dixon was helped up and lead behind one of the dressing room like partitions in the back, along the porch. She was held by two of her grandchildren, tall women that were stronger than most human men, even if they didn’t look it, with their lithe bodies.
“Where are they taking her?” asked Talia.
“Sit, and watch,” said Cedar. “You won’t be disappointed.”
Talia took a seat by Cedar...and in a few minutes, she heard a great roar, and then two more to join it, before a big bear, with fur speckled with grey, barged out the door.
In the moonlight, the bear looked silvery gray, although the bear was brown with gray and white furs interspersed through the coat. The underbelly of the bear was the lightest, and the bear had a small, stubby tail. The bear was still bigger than any bear that Talia had seen before, or rather, big there any non-shifter bear. The bear was small by shifter standards, but still strong and powerful.
The bear got on two legs and looked at Talia, and then, it looked up at the moon and let out a roar toward Moon Father. Two more roars followed from the dressing room, and the roars were met with answers from all over the mountain, as every bear in their shift answered the call of the grey bear.
Two bears, with dark brown coats, followed the bear, up into the forest, and up the mountain. The bears made a soft sound as they padded across the lawn and then, as they sprinted through the wound, they left a crunching and rustling sound in their wake until Talia couldn’t hear them anymore.
Then, out of seemingly nowhere, from the dressing rooms and the sides of the house, a veritable herd of bears ran across the lawn, the whole Dixon clan except for one notable exception: the man Talia was sitting next to, holding hands with. Talia squeezed Dixon’s hand and he squeezed her hand back as Talia, at a loss for words, watched bear after bear run towards the woods. Some bears were small, other large, some slower than others and but still strong. None of the bears touched Talia and Cedar’s blanket, although one large bear brushed against Talia on accident, the shifter looking back sheepishly after before running into the woods. The feeling of fur against her arm sent a shudder down Talia’s spine: she’d never felt a shifter’s fur before, and it was softer than she’d imagined...which had her imaging what Cedar’s fur would feel like between her fingers.
“No way, that was so frikkin’ cool” said Talia, turning to Cedar. “Was that first bear your grandma?”
“Yeah, there’s a special changing room for shifting at the house, because otherwise, we’d have to get naked when we shift, or ruin our clothes. There’s one for guys, one for ladies,” said Cedar, pointing to the booth close to them. “Grandma’s blind as a bat...in her human form. But as a bear? She’s got all her senses, and they’re still enhanced. She’d leading the clan up to the top of the mountain to play bear games. They wouldn’t be much fun for a human.”
“Oh yeah? Games like what?” asked Talia with a smile. The bear shifters
“Tag, hide and go seek, races, all kinds of stuff,” said Cedar.
“That sounds fun,” said Talia, standing up and pulling Cedar’s arm towards the edge of the porch. “Let’s go.”
“Not so fast,” said Cedar, pulling Talia back. “It’s not that the games aren’t fun...but you saw how big my grandma got. She’s the smallest of the bears in the family. You’d get hurt if you played...it’s easy for shifters to forget their own strength. Maybe some other night you can watch.”
“Then did you have something else planned for tonight?” asked Talia.
“I do, actually,” said Cedar. “I want to show you something I think you’ve never seen before.”
“Hey, I’ve lived in Port Jameson my whole life,” said Talia, crossing her arms, her forearms folded over her curvy waist, accentuating just how tight that taut curve was. “Unless you know where Bigfoot lives, you’re not going to be able to shock me.”
“I’ll take you up on that challenge,” said Cedar, taking Talia by the hand and leading her across the lawn to the open woods. “I’m glad you wore your walking shoes. It might be a bit of a hike.”
“I thought we weren’t going to the games,” said Talia.
“We aren’t,” said Cedar. “I want to show you something special.”
Talia smiled. “Alright, lead the way!” she said, and she took Cedar’s hand as he led her to the woods...but not towards a worn path. No, Cedar led her into the thick of the woods, into the darkness. Talia could barely see and she tripped, catching herself with a branch.
Cedar’s bear roared as Cedar lunged to catch Talia with animal fast reflexes. “I forgot humans can’t see their way through the dark,” said Cedar, Talia’s waist in his arms. “Are you hurt?”
“No, but maybe we should use one of the paths,” said Talia.
“We’re going to,” said Cedar. “Get on my back, I’ll carry you.”
“Are you sure you can carry me?” asked Talia. “I’m...a bit heavy.”
“Of course you’re a bit heavy, those curves aren’t made of air,” said Cedar. “But I can carry you, Talia. Get on my back.” Cedar got down on his knees into a squatting position. Talia wrapped her arms around Cedar’s neck and her legs around his chest, holding on tight as Cedar slowly and steadily got up without wobbling.
“Comfortable?” asked Cedar, walking faster through the woods now that he didn’t have to slow his place to keep up with Talia.
“Yeah, I’m comfy,” said Talia. The woods got darker, and all around them were the sounds of the forest: crickets chirping, rustling in the leaves, and the sounds of small twigs snapping underfoot.
“What was your favorite story tonight?” asked Cedar.
“I liked the story of the Star Mama...but I think my favorite story was the story of how your grandparents met,” said Talia.
“I’ve only ever heard that story a few times myself,” admitted Cedar. “But...doesn’t it sort of have you wondering?”
“Wondering what?” asked Talia.
“Wondering what my mate mark is,” said Cedar. “You’re the first girl that I’ve been with that hasn’t asked me what it is within minutes.”
“I don’t know what it’s like up in Seattle, but down in Port Jameson, we’ve stuck to the old ways,” said Talia. “It’s rude to ask a shifter what their mate mark is.”
“Well...are you curious?” asked Cedar.
“Of course I am, any girl would be, I guess I’m just different,” said Talia.
“I like different
,” said Cedar.
The woods smelled pinier as the canopy above got thicker deeper into the woods, the moonlight barely making its way through the treetops down to the underbrush...but then, Talia saw a moonbeam. And then another. And another.
The moonbeams were pale and blue, making anything in their path look silver...including Cedar’s strong arms, their every curve and crevice illuminated by the moonlight. Cedar didn’t put Talia down: he kept walking through the woods with her in silence as he reached his goal.
At first, there were only a few of them, on the side of the path, but then, their numbers multiplied, until it was as if Talia was in the center of a roaring fire, filled with copper-infused logs letting off green sparks.
There were fireflies, thousands of them, maybe millions, surrounding Cedar and Talia, off the side of the path by a few meters, their lights glowing bright in the woods. The moonlight path was clear and the insects weren’t in their way at all, but they glowed softly, back and forth, sometimes lighting up all at once, together, as if they were putting on a synchronized dance.
“Why do the fireflies all flash at once like that?” asked Talia.
“It’s mating season,” said Cedar. “They’re showing off to the other fireflies, and I guess that’s how they find their mates.” The thought of mating made Cedar even more aroused than he already was with Talia. He made his way down the path, which turned to cobblestone, and as he walked down the path, Talia gasped when she saw a moonlit clearing, or rather, what was in the center of it.
A small cabin, made of logs, was in the center of the clearing. It was quaint and small, with two windows and a door. The lights were off, and there wasn’t any formal garden, just clumps of wildflowers that lead the way to the cabin, which was surrounded with the glimmering fireflies.
“What is this place?” asked Talia as Cedar got closer to the door.
Cedar pulled Talia around so she was cradled in his arms as he opened the door to the cabin. “Home,” he said, as he kissed Talia deeply, pressing his lips to hers for the first time. He had wanted her so badly, for hours that seemed longer than the years he’d spent searching for a mate. Her lips were soft and sweet, the taste of the honey and berries still in her mouth, but the taste was soon replaced with the taste of Talia’s own essence, her own pure sweetness which was more delicious than any confection he’d had.
Talia wrapped her arms around Cedar’s neck as she kissed him more deeply than he’d kissed her, pulling him in close as Cedar walked the pair to the bed, sitting down on the edge, and pulling Talia up so she was sitting in his broad laps, her butt’s cure teasing and tantalizing his cock, which was stiff and ready for orders.
“I want you, Talia,” said Cedar, running his hand through Talia’s hair, turning her hand into ribbons in his hand as his fingers divided each set of silky locks. “I want you more than you can ever know.”
“I think I know, Cedar,” said Talia, pulling Cedar closer. Even in the warm summer air, she craved his heat. “I’ve never done this with anyone before...but I know I want to do it with you.”
“Never had sex?” asked Cedar, astonished. Talia was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen: with curves that would drive any man wild, shifter or human, there was no frikkin’ way she was really a virgin. There had to have been at least a few men that had been able to seduce her.
“Well, yeah...it’s complicated,” said Talia. “And embarrassing.”
“Talia, you have nothing to be embarrassed about,” said Cedar. “I’m just surprised that a woman like you would still be a virgin.”
“Yeah, well, I am,” said Talia, blushing bright pink. She never thought she’d end up needing to tell a sex partner she was a virgin, but she’d let it slip around Cedar. He just made her feel so...comfortable. The comfortableness made her say things she knew she shouldn’t say, but he’d accepted everything she’d said with patience and understanding, and that made her more comfortable, and the cycle repeated, over and over again.
“Why?” asked Cedar softly. “I’m sure many men showed interest in you over the years.”
“They did,” admitted Talia, thinking about the men that had pursued her starting after high school. They often made reference to her big, bountiful curves, and how fertile she must be, but any mention of pregnancy sent a shiver down her spine. “Especially in a town like this, full of shifters...but I never found a man I felt a real connection to, like you. I knew from the moment we talked that you were genuine, and real, and weren’t just after what I had between my legs, but something...more. And I know it sounds crazy, but I want that, Cedar. I want that something more.”
“I don’t know what more I can give you, Talia, other than all the love in my heart,” said Cedar.
“Did you just say...love?” asked Talia.
“Don’t you believe in love at first sight?” asked Cedar, gently pushing Talia’s long hair away from her face, revealing her beautiful, sparkling eyes, which were aimed right at Cedar.
“Not really,” said Talia. “Love at first sight is for princesses in fairy tales.”
“Talia...until I met you, I didn’t believe in love at first sight either,” said Cedar, whispering right into Talia’s ear and pressing her hand to his chest, helping her unbutton the first of the buttons on his shirt. “But now, you’ve got me believing in fairy tales, princess.”
Chapter Five
Talia unbuttoned the rest of Cedar’s buttons and was more nervous than she’d been all day. Things had gotten more and more serious through the night: ten hours ago, she never would have guessed that she’d be in a billionaire’s secret wooded cabin, not to mention undressing him slowly.
Cedar wasn’t wearing an undershirt under the flannel skirt, and he held still as Talia undid the buttons, even though his heart was racing as he hoped that Talia wouldn’t be scared away by what she was about to see.
Talia waited until she’d unbuttoned the whole shirt before she pulled the fabric back, away from Cedar’s chest, revealing his strong, taut pecs...but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw.
On Cedar’s chest, on the left pec, right over his heart, was his mate mark. Cedar’s naturally tan skin was marked with a large white teardrop symbol. The skin on the teardrop was pale white, but because the skin was so pale, almost transparent, it looked bluish, due to the refraction of light through the skin. In the center of the teardrop was a golden symbol. It was a circle, surrounded by small triangles, and the entire thing was raised from the skin like a scar or callus, similar to the marks on Cedar’s hands.
Cedar lifted Talia’s hands up to the mark: There was a slight dip in the white skin, as if it was a delicate hollow in Cedar’s chest, and Talia could feel Cedar’s heart beating hard and fast, even for a shifter. The skin was velvety smooth and bouncy. Cedar unfurled Talia’s fingers and ran them along the sun mark until she was touching the mark on her own, feeling the roughness of the golden sun on his chest.
“So...what do you think?” asked Cedar.
“It’s...it’s a rain drop,” said Talia. “And a sun. It’s like a sun shower, or like...like morning rain. Like dew.”
“You know what this means,” said Cedar. “Talia...”
“It can’t be, there’s no way,” said Talia. “It’s got to mean something else.”
“The minute I got in my car, I looked up the etymology of your name,” said Cedar. “It means dew or rain.”
“I know,” said Talia. “It was...my grandmother’s name. She was a farmer’s daughter: there was a rare drought in England the year she was born, but when she was born, it started to rain. The ground became wet and fertile again, and when she came to America, she moved to the PNW, because it was the wettest place in the country. The name was passed on to my mom, and then, to me.”
“It’s a blessing, Talia, a sign,” said Cedar. “You’re the one I’m meant to be with, Talia. It’s you. You’re my fated mate, I’m sure of it.”
“Cedar...before we go any further, there�
�s something you need to know,” said Talia. “Cedar...you...want children, right?”
“Yeah, of course,” said Cedar. “And I know you’d be an amazing mom, Talia.”
“That’s the problem,” said Talia. “I...I can’t be a mom.”
“Then we can adopt,” said Cedar. “Or do foster care. There’s a ton of options.”
“No, I don’t think you get it,” said Talia. “If I get pregnant...I’m going to die.”
The statement hit Cedar like a ton of bricks. “Talia...is it a health problem?” asked Cedar softly. “I can get the best doctors in the country for you if you really want to have kids.”
“You’re going to think I’m crazy...so let me explain,” said Talia. “My mother died in child birth. She died giving birth to me, Cedar. I killed her. And my mother...well, when she was born, her mother died giving birth as well. Talia is a family name: my mother had it and so did my grandmother. And now that I have it...I’m scared, Cedar. I’m so, so scared.”
“I’m not even scared of dying, Cedar: I’m scared of what it would do to my kid,” said Talia. “If I died giving birth...I would never want my child to feel guilty. But I know that feeling, Cedar. I feel the guilt every day: it’s the guilt of killing my own parents, the guilt of pulling my family apart.”
“Your...own parents,” said Cedar softly. “Talia...what happened to your dad?”
“My birth was unexpected,” said Talia. “I came a week earlier than scheduled. My parents were ready, though: my dad had the car all fixed up nice for my mom. So they got in the car...but on the way to the hospital, a drunk driver hit the car. Hard. My father died in the crash and my mother...she died in childbirth from a loss of blood. If she hadn’t had me, maybe...maybe my mother would have lived. The last thing she ever said was ‘Your name is Talia’. With her dying breath, she gave me her name.”
“That’s a lot to handle,” said Cedar, pulling Talia close. “Talia, I’m so, so sorry.”
“My family would have been better off if I had never been born,” said Talia.
“That’s not true,” said Cedar. “So many people love you Talia.”
