by Lucy Kelly
Laura was happy when he said he’d be gone from the room for a bit. She was having problems taking care of things when he could hear everything from the other side of the door. She quickly took care of her business and then went over to the tub and started the taps. Rolling over to the cupboard in the wall she pulled out some soothing bath salts and added them to the water. She spotted some candles and quickly grabbed them up. If she hurried, she could have them lit and be waiting for him in the tub. The softer light would make her feel better too.
“Maggie, turn all the lights in the bathroom and bedroom down to twenty percent illumination please,” she said and was pleased when the lights immediately dimmed.
“Thank you, Maggie,” she said.
“Laura, your husband is in a different bathroom. My research into the mating habits of humans all indicate the female and male are together during coitus. Why aren’t you together?” asked Maggie house.
“Your research is not complete, Maggie,” Laura said as she eased her way into the tub using the well-placed handicapped grip bars. “Often in the case of an inexperienced bride, the husband will give her some time alone to get over her nerves.”
“Do you need instruction on what to expect?” Maggie asked. Laura had the builders install total monitoring throughout her bedroom and bath for health reasons. Now Maggie projected a video feed of a porno flick onto the wall into the tub enclosure. This was not what Laura had intended when she’d had it installed. It was so she could watch movies, read, or scan collected data while she was undergoing water therapy.
“No, Maggie, actually new brides would prefer to get their instruction from their more experienced husbands. Please turn it off,” she said, embarrassed and if she could admit it, titillated by the images she’d seen.
Alex, who was standing in the doorway, unseen, almost spoke, and then thought better of it. He waited silently for a moment and then knocked on the doorjamb. He was wearing a towel around his waist.
Laura looked over and nearly slipped under the water when she saw him. He was standing in the doorway wearing practically nothing. As she watched, the front of the towel started to move and her eyes got big. But not as big as he was when the towel dropped to the floor. Holy shit!
Alex decided he was better off under the water with his mate. So ignoring the way she was staring, he crossed the room and stepped into the large spa tub with her. He reached out to steady her and saw that in the water she actually had more control. The water helped hold her weight so she now had more mobility.
She had put all that beautiful white-blonde hair up on top of her head, she probably didn’t want to get it wet. So he was going to have to wait to get his hands on it. Instead, he reached for her waist and pulled her onto his lap. “Your skin is like cream and I want to lap it up,” he said, reaching for a cloth. He used the liquid soap dispenser one handed to fill the cloth. He started bathing her, to get her used to his touch and he was anything but dispassionate in his attentions.
Each wipe or swirl of the cloth was followed by his other hand as he poured a cupped hand’s worth of water over the soapy residue. He started on her back by picking up and then had her straddle him so he could wash her front. Picking up her left hand he started with her fingers. After washing her hand, he picked it up and kissed her third finger. “It’s not as traditional with shifters, but I find I want you to wear my ring. Will you?” he asked.
Laura took a deep breath, her heart was racing. I’m sitting naked on a man’s lap and he was also naked! I can feel him pressing against me, down there!
She was amazed all over again at her healing after so long being paralyzed. And this hunky man had a hard-on, for her, she could feel every inch of him pressed between them. A fleeting worry that he couldn’t possibly fit went through her mind and then she gave herself up to the sensations that were pouring through her body. She melted when he asked her to wear his ring. “I would be proud to wear your ring,” Laura answered him shyly. Her quick response was rewarded with a kiss.
A moment later he pulled back. “Now don’t distract me, I’m not done with your bath,” he said before moving his way up to her shoulder. As he crossed her collarbone the ends of the cloth teased her already tight nipples. He continued down her left arm. “Your nipples are ripe buds, begging for my mouth. Would you like to feel my mouth there?” he asked as he finished cleaning her left arm.
Laura could only nod her head; words were beyond her at that moment. His casual strength as he lifted her made her feel cherished. He easily held her with one strong arm at her back, leaving his second hand free to pluck and massage the second nipple as he licked and suckled the first one. He decided they were clean enough and stood up. He was still kissing her as he stepped out of the tub.
When he started out of the room she pushed at his shoulders with her hands. “Wait, we’re all wet,” she said.
Damp sheets weren’t important to him but they obviously bothered her. So looking around he spied her stool in the shower. Putting her down, he quickly dried himself, and then brought a large bath sheet over and wrapped it around her. Picking her up, wrapped in the towel, he carried her into the bedroom.
Laura saw that he’d already pushed the sheet and blankets down to the end of the bed. When he laid her down, she was completely exposed to his view. The lights were still dim but she could see him clearly and knew he could see every inch of her body as well. Wanting to prolong their foreplay, she spoke, “My skin gets really dry after a bath. There’s a bottle of lotion in the cabinet, I always rub it into my skin after a bath. At least wherever I can reach.”
“From now on, rubbing lotion into every square inch of your skin will be my job, and my pleasure,” he growled. He voice had gone guttural, waiting was torture. But what delightful torture! He strode back into the bathroom to get the lotion. He didn’t bother to wear a towel this time; he wanted her to see the proof of how much he wanted her.
Coming back into the bedroom, he sat at the side of the bed near her knee. He poured some lotion into his hand and warmed it. It gave off a pleasant lemony herbal smell as he massaged it into her skin. Starting at her feet he slowly worked his way up and decided he was really happy her physical therapist was a woman. He couldn’t have taken another man touching her.
As he grew close to the apex of her legs he heard her breath hitch. Fine blonde hair barely covered her mound and he could see her glistening folds as he picked up her leg to rub lotion into the back of her thigh. His fingers lightly brushed over her as he moved to the other leg. When she ever so slightly rocked her hips he smiled.
He helped her to roll over so he could reach her butt and back. When he ran his hands over her ass and up her hips, she let out a long moan. “Are you alright?” he asked.
“There’s a line across my back. The point where before I lost all feeling. It’s very sensitive,” she explained in a breathy voice. A new erogenous zone? This he was interested in. Bending over he ran his tongue over the two dimples just above the crack in her ass on either side of her spine and she moaned again. He continued to massage the lotion into her skin, returning again and again to that line of sensitivity. It was almost as if he was stroking her clit.
He rolled her over and gave just as much attention to the front of her body as he had the back. His own control was starting to slip and he leashed it in tightly, he was determined to make this first time good for her.
Laura felt like her entire body had been sensitized. Every stroke of his hand, just about anywhere he touched her, set off sparks of heat rushing through her. She was growing hot and tight. She could feel moisture pooling and heaviness down below, where she knew he would make them one. At the back of her mind a little voice chastised her for not touching him in return. She was so overwhelmed with the feelings rushing through her, she could only lie there and experience them.
“It’s been too long, I need to kiss you again,” he said as he came up to lay next to her. He leaned over her and took her mouth, thrusting his t
ongue deep to taste her. As they kissed, he moved his hand between her legs and found that little button of pleasure.
The lotion still coating his fingers helped as he eased one finger into her tight channel. At the same time he continued manipulating her clit with his thumb and kissing her deeply. He felt it when she started rocking around his finger and he added a second one, moving them in and out to lubricate her. Trailing kisses down her torso, he made his way until he was crouched between her legs.
Putting his arms under her thighs he easily lifted her and slid his hand up to that line of sensitive flesh over her hips. He ran his fingers over that sensitive area the same time he bit lightly on her clit and she went off. Her head was moving side to side on the pillow, he could see the sensation was almost too much.
Quickly he moved up her body and, fitting himself to her, started to push in. Her inner tissues were slightly swollen but they stretched slowly to accommodate his girth. He kept stroking her clit, rebuilding her passion as he reached her barrier. Once again he worked to bring her to a peak. And as she started convulsing around him, he thrust home. She screamed out at the pleasure and the pain.
Leaning over her he used all his control to keep himself still and not move. Running kisses over her face as he brushed tears from where they leaked out of the corner of her eyes. “Am I hurting you? Do you want me to stop?” he asked frantically. He didn’t know if he could actually pull out and stop, he was hanging on by a thread.
Laura gulped down her tears and raised her hands to his face. ‘You’re inside me. I can feel you deep inside me. I thought I’d never have this. You make me feel things I’ve never felt before. Please don’t stop. I don’t think I want this night to end.”
She pulled his head down and kissed him for all she was worth. She only wished her legs were strong enough to wrap them around his hips. That was a dream for another day. For now, she wrapped her arms around him and urged him on. “Move, I need you to move,” she said.
He took her at her word. Slowly at first, he rocked his hips. When she didn’t seem to feel any pain he started moving in shallow thrusts. When she slapped his shoulder and told him to stop messing around, he let go his leash and lost control. Over and over he slammed into her, grinding his hips to get as deeply inside her as he could. “Mine!” he shouted.
“Yours!” she answered even as she reached overhead with her arms to brace herself. He was trusting strongly enough she might end up with a headache. Her arms were strong from years of lifting her entire body weight. She was able to meet his thrusts and as wrung out as she’d been after the last orgasm she could feel another building inside her. It came rushing on, exploding through her entire body from her core to her extremities. She couldn’t stop the scream it forced from her lips.
The sensation of her pulsing and squeezing around him set off his own release. He fused their hips together as he roared. It felt like he was emptying his soul into her body. He could feel them bonding and becoming one.
As he collapsed, he was careful to keep his weight on his forearms. Even now he was careful of her. She would always come first to him.
Laura felt her heart trying to beat its way out of her chest. She too had felt the bond form between them it was as if there was a cord stretching from her core to his, her soul to his. The words of the bonding ceremony came back to her. She did feel as if they were now one joined soul.
She couldn’t help the wince as he pulled out of her body. Even that feeling she relished. She wasn’t a girl anymore, she was a woman, a mated woman. She had a goofy smile on her face as Alex brought a cloth to clean her up and then removing the bath sheet she was still lying on, he pulled up the sheet and blankets. Getting back in the bed next to her he spooned her from behind, his larger body completely enveloping her smaller one.
He lay on the side of the bed nearest to the hall door. Even here, in their bed, he lay between her and the outside world. He would protect her with his life, his precious mate he vowed to himself as they slipped into sleep.
Late in the night, or early the next morning, Laura woke. She was unused to sleeping with another person, let alone a furnace like Alex. But that wasn’t what had woken her up. Maggie had lowered the temperature in the room so they would remain comfortable. Alex hadn’t moved, he was still wrapped around her. One arm lay heavy over her waist, his hand holding onto one of her breasts as if he were afraid it was going to get away.
His cock lay nestled under her ass, and even at rest it felt huge. She went over everything that had happened since she woke. Was it only that morning she’d overslept? Look how much my life has changed! I have so much more now.
Even all that wasn’t what had woken her up. Something was different. Then she felt it, deep inside, almost like the click of a light switch. Her body had changed. In that moment, she knew she was pregnant.
She wouldn’t say anything but she knew. Tomorrow she’d find out from Mara how long she’d have to wait to find out for sure. Holding the secret safe in her heart, she let herself fall back asleep.
Chapter Twenty-One
The next morning Alex woke her with kisses. He couldn’t keep his hands off her and it made her glow with happiness because she felt the same way about him. They had a fast bout of sex before getting out of bed. Today she was a full changeling and looking forward to starting her lessons with Frieda.
“I know when I’m not wanted,” he said, giving her a kiss as they finished breakfast.
Laura just laughed, she wasn’t falling for his tricks. “Go on, I know you have lots to do too. Weren’t you just grumbling about how much you had to do today?” she teased.
“I can’t help it if I’m going to be missing you most of the day. We’re newlyweds, I’m entitled,” he said.
“I’ll miss you too,” she said shyly.
Before he could rearrange his schedule or find any other excuse to linger, Frieda interrupted. She wanted to start training Laura. “Go on with you now, we have work to do,” she said with a shooing motion. After he left the room she turned to Laura. “Young love, such a lovely sight. Now come with me, we have much to do.” Turning, she led the way out of the room, down the hall, and out onto the patio off the pantry.
“How do your legs feel today?” she asked as they stepped outside into the morning sunlight.
Laura hadn’t really paid attention to her legs she was so used to them just being there. They were a part of her body but she’d learned not to really pay attention to them. Now she took a moment to focus on that part of her body. She could feel the seat of the chair and the warmth of the sun on her thighs and shins. She could feel the soles of her feet in her shoes. Looking up at Frieda, she smiled. “They feel great, I still need to build up my muscles though. In a couple of hours I’ll have to leave for my daily therapy appointment.”
“Today I want you to try shifting. Can you get out of the chair and lay down on the ground? It will make things easier,” she explained.
Getting in and out of her chair was one of the first things Laura had learned when she became paralyzed. She had to be able to get into her chair by herself even as a child. Now she quite easily got out of the chair and laid down on the ground as Frieda had suggested. She could feel the stones underneath her back and under her legs, they were warm from the sun.
“What’s your favorite animal?” Frieda asked her.
Laura looked up at the sky, once again amazed she could even be out during the daylight hours. As she looked at the clouds she thought about animals and what might be her favorite one. That one looked like a fluffy bunny, she did like rabbits.
“A bunny, how nice,” said Frieda.
Laura lifted an arm to roll over and saw a paw. “I’m a bunny!” she said but the only thing that came out was squeaks.
“You did very well, now just think of being yourself again,” said Frieda.
Laura did as Frieda said, she thought of how she felt when she first got out of her chair, feeling the warm paving stones against her back.
A few moments later she lifted her arm and it was an arm again. She was still wearing her clothing.
“How did I do that?” she asked, looking over at Frieda.
“If I had asked you to change into an animal your mind would have stopped you. By asking you to think of your favorite animal your powers manifested it naturally,” explained Frieda.
“Am I going to change into an animal every time I think of one?” Laura asked.
“At first, yes you will. You have to understand, you can be anything you think of. You can be an animal, you can even be a tree. You can be any living thing real or imagined. Imagined or mythological creatures have extra magic, griffons, dragons, unicorns, etcetera,” she said.
“Is that why you shifted into a unicorn when you looked for the place of power?” Laura asked.
“Yes and now that you know how to shift, we’ll start working on control. You don’t want to go to the movies, see an animal on the screen, and shift!” she said.
“Did that ever happen to you?”
“They didn’t have movies back then thank the goddess,” Frieda said under her breath. “Now think of another animal and practice your shifting. Then try holding onto your human shape while we talk about animals.”
Laura realized fairly quickly that being on her back was not a good position when shifting, really awkward when you’re an elephant! So she rolled onto all fours. While she couldn’t yet stand, she found she could brace herself on her knees and stay up. She couldn’t wait to build up her muscles and start to walk. The strange thing was, when she shifted her legs were strong! Completely ignoring Frieda, she shifted into a cat, because it was an animal she was familiar with, she ran around the patio. She totally understood cats now! She was stalking a leaf when Frieda put a hand on her back.
“I understand it can be easy to become absorbed in the traits of the animal. Never forget who you are. Now back to work. I’m going to call out different animals and I want you to shift into each one as I go along. You need to be able to shift into animals you’re less familiar with. Even ones you’ve never seen,” explained Frieda.
