by Tara Rose
She nodded. “Sure, but not very often.”
He smiled and leaned back in his chair. “I used to sneak outside when I was a teen just to shift when it was snowing. I liked the feel of it on my paw pads, so cold and tingly, and I loved to watch the crystals land on my fur and then melt.”
“Dude, I think you both should shift later just so I can see that. It sounds amazing.” Landon sounded so sad that Saffron rose and crawled into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her. “Not that I’m complaining, but what did I say to deserve this?”
She gazed into his beautiful blue eyes. “I’m sorry you’ll never experience that. It isn’t fair.”
“Sometimes things aren’t. But I accepted what I am a long time ago, Saffron.” He hugged her tightly. “Thank you, though. It means a lot to me that you understand.”
A soft knock on the door sounded. Nevada rose to answer it while Saffron and Landon stayed where they were, until Micah and Stephan walked in. The looks on their faces had Saffron crawling off Landon’s lap. Hot fear raced through her veins, despite the cold scene outside that she’d just watched. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“We just heard from the jaguars who reached your village yesterday afternoon,” said Micah. “They’ve been hiding in the trees, watching your uncle’s house. Saffron, I’m sorry to tell you this. Your uncle Dennis is dead.”
Saffron hoped that the men didn’t expect her to react with sorrow. She wasn’t upset that he was dead. She’d hated the man. She couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t been afraid of him. “How did he die?”
“We don’t know. The jaguars watched two men carry him out on a pallet last evening. His hands were crossed over his chest, and this morning a funeral march then took place through the village square. There weren’t many in attendance. The jaguars weren’t close enough to hear any of the conversation. They had planned to set up surveillance equipment today because if they get too close in animal form so that they can hear better, they’re likely to be detected.”
She glanced at Nevada and Landon. “Do you think his death is connected to my running away?”
“I wish I knew,” said Nevada.
“Do they know when he died?” asked Landon.
Micah shook his head. “No. We’ll know more once they have a chance to listen to some of the villagers talk. We also have contingents in Passion Peak, Meeker, Craig, and Steamboat Springs to see if we can hear any of the human residents talking about odd things happening in the mountains.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”
Stephen glanced out the window. “It’s supposed to snow for a couple of days. We could end up with a foot or so.”
“Good. I love snow.”
After Micah and Stephen left, Landon asked if she was all right. “I hope I don’t sound cruel, but I’m not sorry my uncle is dead. I was afraid of him. He had a lot of enemies, and I’m sure it finally caught up with him.”
“You know, it’s quite possible that no one is looking for you,” said Nevada. “If he died the day you left, he might not have had a chance to send out an alarm.”
A sliver of fear shot through her body. “Or, they might think I had something to do with his death, and that’s why I ran away.”
Landon and Nevada exchanged a glance. It was clear from their expressions that neither had considered that possibility until Saffron had voiced it out loud. “It doesn’t matter,” said Landon. “You’re here with us now, and you’re safe.”
She knew that, but she also couldn’t help but wonder who had killed him and why. Would that same person take advantage of the fact that Saffron had chosen to run away at the same time, and use that fact to try and implicate her? She was in more danger if that were true than she would have been had Uncle Dennis simply come looking for her.
Chapter Twenty-Three
By the time it grew dark outside, at least a foot of snow had fallen. Everything outside was quiet and white. Saffron forgot her fears over Uncle Dennis’s untimely death as she and Nevada decided to give Landon his wish and go outside to shift for him. They undressed inside, but as they stepped out onto the back lawn, Saffron almost changed her mind.
She hugged herself as a bitter wind from the northwest cut across her bare flesh and the snow stung the soles of her feet. “Shit! It’s fucking freezing out here.”
“Then shift fast,” said Nevada, smiling.
She had never seen his cougar form, and her own discomfort was momentarily forgotten as she watched him transform into a huge black cat. He looked exactly like he had in her dream, and she was so mesmerized by him that she nearly forgot to shift, until her teeth were suddenly chattering.
She concentrated all her efforts, and soon the cold melted away as she took her leopard form. Fur replaced skin, and her thick coat afforded her warmth. Her paw pads detected the cold, but it didn’t burn like it had on her bare human feet.
Landon stood at her side, stroking her head. “You’re so beautiful.”
She couldn’t answer him, of course, so she rubbed the side of her head against his arm instead and gazed into his eyes. In this form, she could see his true cougar nature more clearly, and it made her sad to think he could never use the powers that were in his DNA.
“Dude, you look awesome like that. You two are the same color. Only your eyes are different, and the jawlines aren’t quite the same.”
Nevada nodded, and then he strode toward the back doors, which Landon opened for him. Saffron crossed the threshold as well, and then both shifted back to human form and put their clothes on again.
“I wanted to stay out longer,” said Nevada, “but it’s really cold.”
“Thanks,” said Landon. “I appreciate that.”
“I’m in the mood for a warm fire and something hot to drink,” said Saffron.
“I’ll go start a fire in the other room,” said Landon. “We can watch the snow from in there like we did earlier.”
Nevada opened the pantry doors. “And Saffron and I will see what we can dig up in here.” They found a bottle of brandy, a jar of honey, and tea bags. At the same time, they looked at each other and said, “Hot toddies.” Both laughed at the realization of what they’d just done.
Saffron took out the tea kettle and filled it with water from the tap, then placed it on the stove to boil. “You have to stop reading my thoughts like that. It freaks me out.”
Nevada opened the bottle of brandy and the jar of honey. “Me? You’re the one who’s reading mine. My mother and I can do that, you know.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “I’ve seen you and Landon do it, too.”
He nodded. “We’ve always had a psychic connection, which is odd because we aren’t family.”
She leaned against the stove as they waited for the water to boil. “Are you certain of that?”
He tilted his head. “Fairly certain. We know which village his parents are from, and as far as I know, the Ruiz family was never kin to his.”
“Why do you think he can’t shift? Is it that common?”
“No. That’s why he’s so rare, as are we.”
“It doesn’t seem that way to me. I mean that we’re rare.”
“That’s because your parents and Topaz were black cats as well.”
The kettle whistled, startling Saffron a bit. She felt unsettled tonight, although she didn’t know why. The mystery of her uncle death’s had been niggling at the back of her mind all day. Had he finally crossed paths with the wrong people one too many times, or did his death have another meaning entirely?
She helped Nevada mix the tea, brandy, grated lemon they found in the fridge, and honey into mugs. Saffron added a dash of nutmeg to each mug, and then they took the drinks into the cozy den and handed one to Landon. The three curled up on the floor in front of the fire, facing the expanse of windows. The snowfall was brilliant, and Saffron wished the clouds would clear so she could see the moonlight glinting on it.
Thinking of the moon that would be full in ten
days reminded her of Uncle Dennis again, but she pushed thoughts of him away as the drink began to calm her and soothe away the earlier cares of the day. This had been the perfect idea.
When Landon rose and left the room, she assumed he had to use the bathroom. He returned with his arms full of the toys that Micah and Stephen had given them last night, and when Nevada realized what he’d gone to retrieve, a grin that made Saffron’s panties wet split his face.
“Dude, I hope you brought condoms, too.” He cut his gaze toward Saffron. “We still have to use them, right?”
“Emme said for a week.”
“Not a problem. Did you bring them?”
Landon dumped the toys, cuffs and chains on the floor, and then he emptied his pockets. At least a dozen condom packages fell onto the pile of toys and bondage equipment. “Damn fucking right I did, dude.”
Saffron laughed at the tone of his voice and the expression on his face. Her pussy was soaking wet now, and she had the urge to simply kneel and tell them to do whatever they wanted to her. Just looking at the flogger and the leather cuffs was enough to make her dizzy with need.
Nevada placed his empty glass on the hearth. “Where should we start, I wonder?”
Landon picked up the flogger and swung it. “I love the sound this makes. It sounds like the wind turbines. Just enough to know something is moving, but not loud enough to be annoying or distracting.”
“Only you could compare a sex toy with a machine,” said Nevada, choosing two cuffs. He crooked his finger at Saffron. “Come over here and put your hands behind your back.”
She scooted toward him and got on her knees, just as she’d wanted to do a few seconds ago. Both men groaned. “Do you have any idea how fucking sexy that is?” asked Landon, brushing the tails of the flogger over her breasts. “Take off your top, Saffron. I want to see your tits.”
She bit back a giggle at the coarse language Landon was suddenly using. She loved this side of him, and was glad he felt that comfortable around her now. She removed her top and tossed it across the room. She hadn’t bothered putting on a bra earlier because it had been such a lazy day. As Nevada fastened the cuffs around her wrists, Landon brushed the tails of the flogger over her bare breasts, and Saffron sucked in a sharp breath. What would that feel like if he struck them with it?
“I’m going to help you stand up,” said Nevada. He did, and then he helped her out of her sweat pants and panties. When she was naked, he led her to the edge of the sofa and bent her over it. Every nerve ending was on fire, and she moaned in anticipation as Landon walked over to where she stood and ran the flogger lightly over her ass cheeks, then swung it gently underneath her so that it grazed her nipples.
Nevada was carrying something that looked like a vibrator. Her friend Tia had one, and Saffron remembered being fascinated by the idea of a tiny machine having enough power to make someone come. Nevada turned it on, and the hum filled the air, forcing a moan from her.
“I’d like to cuff her a bit differently.”
“Okay,” said Landon, placing the flogger on the sofa in front of her face. She stared at the thin strips of hide, aching to be struck with them. Landon pushed up against her from behind, and even through his jeans she could feel his bulge, hard and ready for her. It had only been a day and a half since they’d had sex, but it felt longer to Saffron. She couldn’t get enough of these two.
Nevada uncuffed her and glanced around. He pulled a large, thick afghan off the back of the sofa and spread it out on the floor in front of the fire, but not too close. “Lie on your back, Saffron, and grasp your ankles.” Then he addressed Landon. “I believe there’s another set of cuffs you brought down. We’ll need them, and you may as well bring the oil and the condoms over here.”
“It’s party time,” said Landon, strolling over to where he’d left the rest of the toys.
Saffron giggled as she lay on her back with her hands behind her head. When Nevada saw her, he gave her a look of incredulity. “Didn’t I tell you to grasp your ankles?”
“Oops. I guess you did.” She reached for them, intending to carry out his orders, but he brought her legs together and grasped both ankles in one strong hand, while he delivered five stinging blows to each ass cheek with an open palm.
Saffron cried out more from surprise than pain. Her pussy was soaked, and surely he could see that. The fact that he’d know how much this excited her increased her arousal all over again.
He let go of her legs and gave her a stern look, but his eyes gave him away. He was enjoying this and wasn’t even close to being angry with her for real. “Now, do what I told you to do.”
She spread her legs and grasped her ankles, and Nevada told her to spread them wider. They placed a cuff around each of her wrists and ankles, and then secured the cuffs together on each side, so she was spread-eagled on the afghan.
“That might get uncomfortable after a few moments,” said Landon, grabbing a sofa cushion. He placed it in the small of her back and then he placed another one under her head. Both men stepped back as if admiring their handiwork, and Saffron was ready to scream with excitement.
“Are you comfortable?” asked Nevada, his grin firmly in place.
She gave him a wicked smile. “I will be as soon as your mouth or your hands on are on me.”
“She’s getting bolder every hour,” he said, glancing at Landon. “I think she needs to be taught a lesson tonight.”
“I agree.” His voice was gruff and thick as he walked out of her line of vision. When he returned, he held the flogger. Saffron moaned in anticipation and tried to squirm, but she didn’t have much wiggle room. This was the most bound she’d ever been in front of them, and she loved it. She loved the feeling of total surrender, and that they were both in control. There was no fear. They wouldn’t hurt her, and she had a safeword to use if she needed it.
As Landon began to lazily brush the tails of the flogger across her pussy and breasts, Nevada moved out of her sight. When he returned, he knelt next to her on the floor and turned on the vibrator. “Now we’ll see how smart your mouth becomes.”
He rubbed it first over the sides of her breasts while Landon’s strikes with the flogger grew more forceful across her pussy. Saffron whimpered and moaned, turning her face to the side and closing her eyes as her climax began to build. When Nevada moved the vibrator to her nipples, alternating it against them, she almost asked him to stop. The sensation was so intense that it felt like tiny electric sparks were zinging from them straight to her clit.
Landon was throwing the flogger in a way now that landed the tails not only on her pussy, but her asshole as well. They stung like crazy, but they also sent such waves of pleasure through her that she floated above the scene once more as she’d done the day before, lost in the haze of pain and pleasure combined. Nothing her imagination had ever conjured up was close to this delicious, wanton joy.
“She is so fucking wet,” said Landon.
Saffron glanced at his crotch and was certain his dick was going to burst right out of his pants. If it did, she’d beg him to let her taste it again, and then she’d beg him to fuck her until she couldn’t breathe anymore.
“She’s so fucking beautiful,” said Nevada. “Saffron, we’re going to do something very special when we’re done playing with these toys.” She glanced into his face and her breath caught in her throat at the look of lust and pure delight in his eyes. They were enjoying this as much as she was. It wasn’t just them doing things to her. They wanted to please her, because it aroused them just as much. That thought struck home in a way it hadn’t done so before, and Saffron had to blink back tears of happiness.
Nevada glanced at the flogger. “My turn. Let’s switch toys.”
Landon made a satisfied noise in the back of his throat as he took the vibrator from Nevada and handed him the flogger. “I know where this is going first.” Saffron cried out as Landon passed the vibrator across her clit, then over her pussy lips, and then finally along her ass crack.
He kept that up, never quite letting her orgasm crest, and when he followed that with long, slow strokes of his tongue, Saffron simply closed her eyes and let go.
Nevada slapped the flogger across her nipples, and Saffron barely felt the sharp sting. She was lost in sensations that consumed her, imprinting their eyes, their faces, their scents, and their touch on her heart and soul.
She’d stay in this cozy home for the rest of her life and submit to these two. The rest of the world—human or shifter—could scatter to the four winds and she wouldn’t care. She’d hardly know it. In a few short days, these two had become her entire world. They were everything she’d ever dreamed about and waited for, and she’d never be able to let them go. Never.
Saffron was barely aware that the sound of the vibrator had stopped and Nevada was no longer flogging her nipples. She watched the men undress, marveling once again at their muscled bodies. Nevada had said they had something special planned. What was it? She couldn’t wait to find out. Whatever it was, she knew she’d love it.
They undid her cuffs, and each man took turns holding her and stroking her sore nipples and wet, throbbing pussy. She was so ready for them, but no matter how much she arched her back or pressed against them as they held her, they only caressed her. Their dicks were red and thick, each dripping with pre-cum. Surely they wanted to fuck her again as much as she wanted each of them to take her.
“Do you need to pee?” asked Landon. “I’d suggest doing so now if you have to.”
She didn’t want to ask why and break the spell, so instead she simply rose and took care of that quickly, grabbing water out of the fridge on her way back into the den. They smiled and thanked her for the water “I know I needed it, so I figured you two did as well.”
“We’re not going to tie you up for this, Saffron. Use your safeword if you need to, okay?”
“What are you two going to do to me?”
“Finish your water and then lie on your left side.”
She did, and was rewarded with gentle caresses all over her body, and one warm, oil-soaked finger in her asshole again. She heard a condom wrapper, and then Landon was fucking her in slowly in the asshole from behind. “I never thought that would be something I’d enjoy.”
