by Renee Jordan
“So you're her new boyfriend,” Burt spat. “I knew you were a whore, Kotie. I always knew it. You were such a slut the night we met.”
My cheeks burned, and Forrest snarled in rage. I sucked in a breath and shouted, “Get the fuck out, Burt!”
“You'll be coming back with me, Kotie,” Burt promised, walking past Forrest to the bar's exit. “I promise it.”
Forrest watched him leave, his hand clenched into a fist. “Did he do anything?”
“He grabbed Kotie,” Penny said. “And he pushed me.”
A car roared to life outside, gravel grating as the tires peeled out. Burt fled.
“Are you okay, Kotie?” Forrest asked, walking over to me.
“I'm fine,” I nodded. “He just tried to intimidate me. Asshole thinks I'm still afraid of him.”
Forrest's fingers touched my cheek, a smile crossing his lips. “He has no idea how much you've changed.”
I smiled.
“You better watch out, Sheriff,” Fiona laughed. “That Burt's gonna steal your girl away. You should have seen the way she panted after him. Your little whore likes the bad boys.”
My cheeks burned again.
Forrest rounded on the Donovan gang, snarling, “Get the fuck out before I find some excuse to arrest the entire lot of you!”
Fiona arched an eyebrow.
“Now!” Forrest boomed.
The Donovan boys yelped and scrambled to their feet. They barely took the time to scoop up their money before they bolted out, whimpering in fear as Forrest strode to their table. Fiona eyed the Sheriff, still reclining in the chair, a big smirk on her face.
“One day, Sheriff,” she promised as she stood up, “me and my boys will find out if your bite is as bad as your bark.”
Forrest just glared at her. The tension wracking his body was painfully obvious. Fiona defied him, moving with a deliberate contempt. He was on the verge of losing control and ripping her apart. I walked over, hugging him from behind as the coyote bitch slunk out of the bar.
“Relax,” I whispered. “It's over. She's gone. Burt's gone.”
Forrest turned around, staring into my eyes. The gold faded from his irises, the familiar hazel returning. I leaned up and kissed him on the lips.
“Boy, Kotie, you know how to pick 'em,” Penny said before letting out a nervous titter as she sat down on a chair. “My, oh, my, but I never thought I would have to use my magic in a fight.”
“Are you okay?” I asked her. “He pushed you hard.”
Penny waved her hand. “I'm fine. I'm a stout, curvy beauty after all.”
I grinned back. “Yes, you are.”
Forrest pulled out his police radio. “What kinda car does he drive, Kotie?”
“A black mustang. A 2009, I think. He loves that car.”
Forrest called in an APB for Burt, sticking his pack of deputies on my ex. “I can throw him in jail for a few days for assaulting you and Penny,” Forrest growled. “I can probably convince the judge to deny bail since it's a domestic assault issue. We'll get a restraining order on him at that point. If he can't take the hint, well, my boys and I will convince him to leave town.”
“Thanks, Forrest,” I smiled.
“If he's smart, he's driving out of town.”
“He's not,” I darkly muttered.
“Don't worry about him. I'll protect you.” Forrest's arm wrapped around me, pulling me tight against him. “You have nothing to worry about.”
I leaned my head on his shoulder. “I know.” A smile crossed my lips. “We're still goin' shopping, right?”
“You still want to go?”
“I'm not going to let that asshole dictate how I live my life ever again,” I declared. “So let's go. Our bedroom needs new sheets.”
“Our bedroom?” Forrest raised an eyebrow.
I nodded. I needed to make a new life for myself here with Forrest. “Yep. And we're gonna need some other things. I need to spruce up your place. New curtains, and definitely a new tablecloth. And washcloths. I can't believe you don't have washcloths.”
Forrest's face fell and I giggled.
“You wanted me,” I said, giving him another kiss. “So that means I get to redecorate the entire house.”
“I like my house,” he muttered.
“I know you do. And you'll like our house even better.”
Chapter Five: Changing Room Fun
Forrest's police radio crackled as we drove to Granite Hills. It was a long drive, almost an hour-and-a-half. That was the closest department store, though, one of those big, box stores that pop up almost everywhere, just not in sleepy mountain towns like Moonrise.
Which was fine. Moonrise's charm would be ruined by a Walmart or a Target.
But it was sure inconvenient having to drive a couple hours to do some serious shopping.
“So...” I said, trying to think of something to talk about, my heart still thudding in my chest from the shock of seeing Burt. “Did you hear my cries this time? Or did you just happen to walk into the bar at the right moment.”
“I heard you,” Forrest nodded. “But I was already on my way. I just rushed a little faster to reach the bar.”
“So...is it something I'm doing, or is it part of your shifter...um...thingy?”
“Thingy?”
“I don't know what to call it,” I giggled and shrugged.
“My shifter senses.” He glanced at me. “And yes, it has to do with me and the imprint.”
“Imprint?” I squinted. “Hank and Vanessa both mentioned that. What does it mean? The way they talked about it, sounded like it was just love. Not something that would give us a...psychic connection.”
“It's a bit more than just love.” Forrest shifted in his seat. “Sometimes, when a pair of shifters lay eyes on each other, a connection springs up between their souls, entwining them together. In a heartbeat, you recognize your mate. You know deep inside you that you've met the person you've been waiting for all your life.”
“Like soul mates.”
Forrest nodded. “That's a good term for it. Well, this link, it's powerful, there's a psychic connection. When you're scared and need me, well, I feel it in my heart, a tugging force guiding me to you.”
“You said it only happens between shifters, but I’m not one.” I blinked. “Right?” I hadn't known I was a witch. Was it possible I had missed out on other aspects of my life?
“No, you're not a shifter,” Forrest smiled. “But while the imprint mostly happens between shifters, it can happen with a regular person.” Forrest reached out, patting my thigh. “The moment I laid eyes on you the morning you arrived in Moonrise, I felt the imprint. I knew you were mine. I knew you'd love me just as much as I loved you.”
I shifted. “It's almost like a love potion or something. We don't have any say in it.”
“When do you ever have any say in who you love?”
I pursed my lips, my mind working overtime. “I guess so.”
“The imprint is just a very powerful form of love at first sight. Maybe with regular humans it takes longer to develop, but with us, it's like a lightning bolt. We were meant for each other, Kotie. It's kismet.”
“Kismet...” Christian had used that word when he stalked me a few days ago.
“Does it matter how we fell in love? It just matters that we love each other.” He paused, “You do love me, right?”
“Of course I do, Forrest,” I smiled, my heart beating faster. “I mean, when I first laid eyes on you, it was powerful. You were handsome and sweet. And our first night together, I just couldn't resist you.” I smiled. “I still can't resist you. You're so sexy.”
I squeezed my thighs together, a warm flush tingling through me.
We chatted as we drove down the winding road out of the foothills into Granite Hills. The town was built where the plains jutted up against the mountains, sprawling for miles with a network of roads and houses. It wasn't a dense town, but it easily could hold the populations of Moonrise an
d the other three towns we had passed through on the way there.
And there were even cars backing up at traffic lights. It didn't feel at all like the frontier anymore. The town bustled like my home back in Texas. Forrest knew his way around Granite Hills, and we pulled into the large box store's parking lot a few minutes later.
“Thank god,” I groaned as I stepped out. I was so happy we were finally here. I needed to stretch my legs after the drive, and my bladder was full. I arched my back and extended my arms over my head as I let out a groan.
Forrest's hungry eyes feasted on my cleavage thrust forward by my stretching.
I gave him a teasing smile. “We're here to shop,” I reminded him.
His grin was wolfish and hungry. God, he was sexy.
A hot flush shot through me, but I ignored it. I was ready to do some serious shopping. There was so much our house needed. All those little things that a bachelor seemed to forget about that a girl couldn’t live without. I strode forward, my cowboy boots thudding on the asphalt, and grabbed a blue shopping cart, going over my mental list.
Forrest didn't complain as I dragged him all over the store, adding more and more items to the shopping cart. This particular box store had locations nationwide, and its layout was almost identical to the one I had shopped at back home in Texas.
“Ooh, this is cute,” I gushed, holding up a cute, frilly washcloth. “We need this.”
“Sure, Kotie,” he patiently answered. He said the same thing to all my purchases.
I was methodical, attacking the store like a general leading her one man army, maneuvering through all the aisles until I had completely dominated the field. We ended up by the clothing department, passing a few naughty nighties on display.
Forrest's head swiveled like a hunting hound on point.
“You like this?” I asked him, touching a lavender baby doll slip with a matching thong.
He grinned at me, licking his lips.
I glanced at the size and pulled it off the rack. “Well, let me go try this on. You do deserve a treat for putting up with all this shopping.”
Forrest nodded his head, his eyes hungry.
That warmth returned between my thighs. I loved how he looked at me. I walked back to the changing room, and Forrest followed with the overflowing shopping cart. The bored woman manning the changing room desk handed me a key with the number three on it.
I flashed Forrest a smile then padded into the changing room, unlocking door three. I slipped into the narrow stall and sat down on a wooden bench. I pulled off my boots before I wiggled out of my jeans. I left on my panties, but I pulled off my blouse and bra. My nipples were hard in the cool air of the changing room.
I grabbed the baby doll, pulling it over my head. The fabric was light and silky. I pulled it down over my body, adjusting my boobs into the cups. The slip was translucent except around my breasts. The hem fell down to my waist, but rose in a V in the front, gathering just above my bellybutton.
I looked hot, and my pussy grew wetter as I modeled, wiggling my butt at the mirror. Forrest would devour me when—
The handle to my changing room rattled.
“Occupied,” I said.
It opened and I gasped in shock.
Forrest grinned, rushing in and closing it behind him.
“Forrest? What? How?”
“I could smell your excitement,” he growled, his eyes glowing gold.
“But it was locked.”
“They're easy to open if you know the trick.” He pressed me against the wall, looming over me.
My heart raced and my breasts rose and fell in a rapid rhythm. “There are people just outside,” I panted.
“I don't care.”
His strong hand slid down the silky fabric, caressing my stomach before he pushed into my panties and brushed my sopping pussy lips. I shuddered, gasping in delight as he strummed my clit. My eyes squeezed shut as I squirmed on his fingers.
A low moan escaped my mouth as he stirred up my warmth. I bit my lip, trying to stifle my passion. The bored employee was just feet away. We would get caught. My cheeks reddened as another flush of excitement burned through me.
“Forrest,” I panted. “Please, stop.”
Forrest leaned down, his lips nuzzling at my ear. “You don't want me to stop.” He thrust two fingers into my depths. “You want me to take you right now.”
My pussy clenched about his fingers. I wanted him to take me. My lust built inside me. Forrest was here, his manly musk tickling my nose. I moaned again, a low, liquid purr. I had to stop making so much noise.
“Kiss me,” I panted as his fingers worked in and out of my depths. “Kiss me before I scream.”
Forrest’s lips sealed against mine, his tongue thrusting into my mouth. I shuddered into his kiss. His thumb rubbed my clitoris as his fingers ignited all the nerves in my sheath. My hands squeezed his biceps as he fingered me, the pleasure cresting inside me.
Then it burst.
I trembled as waves of pleasure washed through my body. My fingers tightened on his arms as I shuddered, my passion muffled as I moaned into his mouth. The wall of the changing room creaked as I writhed against it.
Forrest broke the kiss, staring into my eyes. “I need you, Kotie.”
“Yes,” I hissed, my hands moving down to his pants. I fumbled, unsnapping him and reaching in to find his throbbing cock. I stroked him as his hands seized my rear, lifting me up against the wall. I guided him to my aching hole, pushing my panties to the side.
He thrust into me.
“Oh, Forrest!” I moaned as my legs wrapped around his waist.
The changing room's flimsy wall shook with every thrust. I found his lips again, kissing him hard to keep from screaming my delight. His hands squeezed my ass as he drove into me over and over. I shuddered, my eyes rolling, glancing up at the flickering florescent lights.
People talked about us. A changing room door opened and closed. I shuddered at the danger. Any moment we could be caught. Another climax shot through me. I writhed and moaned, impaled on Forrest.
His thrusts grew harder, more frantic. I clung to him as my passion burned through me. His kiss grew fierce as he groaned and growled. Forrest buried into me, his hands clenching on my butt-cheeks. And then his heat flooded me.
“Oh, Forrest,” I panted as our passion died. “Mmm, that was so naughty.”
“You inspired me,” he laughed, pulling away from me.
I nodded, touching my damp cheeks. “So, um, how do I look?” I asked, holding up the hem of the baby doll.
“Ravishing,” Forrest grinned. “You're definitely buying that.”
I made Forrest go look at another department while I found a few more naughty surprises to wear in the bedroom. I paid for the naughty nightwear out of the tips I made waitressing—those miners sure were friendly with their cash—and met Forrest with my surprises all wrapped up. He glanced at the packages, a broad grin crossing his face; I winked at him.
“So, do we have everything for our house?” he asked.
“I think so,” I nodded. “Except the mattress.”
“Taken care of. I ordered it. Should be delivered tomorrow.”
“So this is our last night at the bed and breakfast?” I arched an eyebrow.
“What did you have in mind?”
“Well, when you see one of the outfits I bought, you'll howl at the moon.” I winked at him and sauntered ahead of the cart, wiggling my butt.
“Let's check out.”
The sun set as we drove back to Moonrise. I leaned against the window, watching the terrain flash by, slowly drifting off to sleep. The car rocked, sliding my cheek against the cool glass. The noise faded, and I drifted into my dreams.
Burt waited for me.
“You'll always be mine, Dakota,” he promised as he faced Christian, stepping over Forrest's burned body.
“But he'll share you with me first,” cackled Fiona. The coyote shifter lounged on a log watching Burt and Chris
tian fight. Fiona was naked and aroused by the violence, her fingers playing with herself.
I huddled by the spring. My new-found strength seemed to be gone. I could only cower in fear as Burt defeated Christian by setting him on fire. The dancing flames lit Burt as he strolled to me, his clothes melting away, revealing his muscular body.
“Are you ready to be mine?” he asked, his fist flexing.
I forced out a whimpering refusal. “No...”
“Why do you always make me hurt you, Dakota?”
I feared the pain. I wanted to submit just to prevent the beating. It was easier that way. Burt only hurt me when I was defiant. That's all defiance had ever brought me.
Burt knelt down, his hands pushing on my shoulders, pressing me to the ground as he prepared to mount me. I shuddered, spreading my legs apart to submit to him and—
I jerked awake with a loud gasp. Forrest gave me a concerned look. Relief flooded me as the car bounced over a pothole.
“Just a dream,” I muttered, shaking my head to wipe it out of my mind. “I'll never be that weak woman again.”
Forrest's strong hand reached out and took mine, giving me a supportive squeeze.
Chapter Six: Spirits
When I woke up the next morning, I was happy I hadn’t had any nightmares. Forrest still slept beside me, his strong arm holding me. Protecting me. I smiled before glancing at the clock. The alarm would go off in a few more minutes. I sat up, stretching naked. On the floor, the kinky, red corset lay discarded.
I smiled, loving the delicious ache between my thighs. Forrest was passionate last night. Red really set him off. When he saw me walk in dressed in the corset and matching panties, he burned with lust. He grabbed me, threw me down on the bed, and had his way with me.
“Damn, Kotie,” he had groaned, his lips suckling at my cleavage. “You are so gorgeous.”
I had giggled and moaned, letting my hunky werewolf ravish me. He took me over and over, loving every bit of my flesh. I had shuddered in delight, gasped and moaned and quivered beneath him as I clung to him pounding atop me.
And then I had rode him hard.
Poor Augustus. I bet we kept him up with our passion.
