by Ruby Scott
Hailey remembered something. “When were you with a man before?” She poked his side. “You never mentioned that before.”
Pete flushed lightly. “I’m used to women I come into contact with being weirded out by my same sex history. So I don’t mention it until it happens. I’m sorry.” His eyes dropped from hers, and he looked ashamed, the first negative emotion she’d seen him display since meeting Jacob. Her heart felt crushed, and she wanted to fix her mistake.
“No, it’s fine,” Hailey cupped his face and pressed her lips to his, concentrating so she could pulse energy into his body. It was stronger than usual, and he gasped, pressing into her mouth hungrily and nipping her lower lip. When she pulled back, his eyes were heavy with desire. “I don’t mind,” she said breathlessly, trying to steer them back on track. “I just want you to feel open enough with me to tell me everything. “
Emotion clouded Pete’s eyes, and he kissed her again before standing up to get off the bed. He tossed her the dress she’d been wearing earlier and picked his clothes up from the foot of the bed. “I think we should put out a call as soon as Jacob comes back.”
Hailey nodded absentmindedly. Her intuition was even sharper than usual, and something was at the edges of her attention. She closed her eyes, focusing on pulling the energy toward her, not moving toward. She opened up the boundaries of her senses and let the vision pressing at her mind sharpen and become fully visible. She saw heavy hands, a square face, leather skin that was deeply lined around bright green eyes. Those eyes. Her vision pulled back, and she was looking at Derek’s bullfrog face. He was sitting in a car, and his energy was moving toward them. He seemed angry---no, beyond angry; the air in the car was so hot that the lackeys in the backseat were dripping with sweat. She’d never seen Derek this angry before. His hands gripped the steering wheel of his SUV until his knuckles whitened. The speedometer’s needle inched up to 90, and the light turned yellow; then Hailey heard a semi-truck’s horn blare dangerously close, and the vision shattered. She opened her eyes and gasped; she hadn’t been breathing the entire time.
Pete was kneeling at her side, pressing his hands into the skin of her thighs. “What’s wrong?” he asked anxiously. “What did you feel?” His face was bone white, his eyes quivering with anxiety.
“Saw,” Hailey gasped, rubbing her ribs. Her lungs had nearly exploded when she started breathing again. “I saw it.”
“A vision?” Pete’s voice was hushed. “You’re not a seer.”
Hailey shook her head. “But I’ve always had some of the abilities,” she said slowly. “Bonding with Jacob must have done this.” Her brown eyes were huge and luminous, but they were empty of fear. “I can see things now. I can get into their heads.”
“What do you mean?” Pete asked uncertainly. His fear was dropping away, and he was peering into her eyes intently. “Do you mean you can read their thoughts?”
“Derek is coming,” Hailey said, feeling fear creep into her blood like ice water. “He’s coming, and he’s angrier than I’ve ever seen him.”
Pete’s eyes went round with terror. “What the hell are we going to do?”
Hailey shrugged, feeling far away from everything going on. She started to speak just as she heard tires biting into the gravel in the driveway. Pete stood, alarmed, but Hailey knew it was just Jacob. She could see him, and if she closed her eyes, she could see his hands unbuckling his seatbelt. Then she realized something; like a moment ago with Derek, the angle was wrong. She could see the house through the windshield, but not his body straight on. She was watching the door come closer to her when a relatively large hand plucked a key from the pocket of a hoodie and it turned in the lock. The unfamiliarity of the limb shocked her and split her focus; she heard the door opening right in front of her, and she heard it open at the front of the house from the bedroom: the two sounds were one. She focused, and the deviation merged together again. She was walking down a hall toward her bedroom, and pushing the partially closed door open. She was looking at her short, curvy body, pale skin, and head of wild brown curls from six feet above the ground. She watched her face grow even paler in shock, and saw the confusion form on Pete’s face. Then she opened her eyes, and she snapped back into her own body. Hailey doubled over and retched, but nothing came up. Pete wrapped his arms around her and her muscles relaxed, letting cool air rush into her body at last. Jacob rushed forward, his handsome face contorted with worry.
“Hailey,” he said, and he touched her hand, sending a current of stillness into her body. “You were in my head. How did you do that?”
“I think the power boost pushed her abilities into seer territory.” Pete was smoothing her hair back from her forehead, now slick with sweat. “But we have bigger problems. Our old pack leader is coming for us.”
“Now?” Jacob asked in surprise. Hailey was gazing at him dazedly, the irresistible wave of serenity starting to enfold her again. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know,” Pete said, his voice finally sounding worried. “The guy’s a brute, honestly.”
“Make him go away,” Hailey said suddenly. She squeezed Pete’s hand, and the bubble of rage she’d swallowed earlier swelled to life. “I’m going to make him.”
Pete was shaking his hand. “Hailey, I don’t think we want to involve Jacob in a fight before we even get the pack started. Let’s just call the po---“
The noise and light dropped away as Hailey reached for Jacob’s shoulder and shut her eyes at the same time, sending her energy outward in the direction she last remembered seeing Derek. Jacob sensed her need, and she felt a pulse of power roll through her body, strengthening the link between them and sharpening her vision. She pictured Derek’s eyes, the bright green pupils burning with anger and loathing. In the next breath, she was speeding down a street she recognized---he was minutes away. She could see the rows of houses clearly, and the air was still thick with rage. She looked at Derek’s thick fingers, furry and wrinkled. She felt his heavy body on the seat, too round and old to be hers. Could she let him know she was there?
Derek, she thought. Then she felt a blow of energy strike her, like a metaphysical punch to the gut.
Get out of my head, bitch, she felt Derek think. Who do you think you are? The car swerved suddenly, and his lackeys shouted in panic: she could smell the sharp note of fear in the air, especially from Derek. She could tell by the way he asked that he actually didn’t know who she was; she could taste his confusion like she could taste the air in her room.
This is Hailey, she said gleefully. She felt the wheels turning in his mind, and he bucked against her hold arrogantly.
Yeah right, he thought. Hailey’s a kid. She can’t do shit like this.
She can if she found a power booster to form a triumvirate with, Hailey said, and let him feel the truth of her words. She opened her mind to him---she didn’t even know she could---to show her the huge musclebound man peering at her anxiously at the side of her bed. You can feel how powerful I am now. Think about what you’re doing.
No way, Derek snarled. I’m going to make you pay for your arrogance, you cunt. Nobody leaves my pack so disrespectfully and then tries to form their own. I’m the boss, honey. I gave you too many chances. He pressed the gas pedal closer to the floor, his heart racing. He let her see the inside of his mind, screaming the images so she could see them more clearly. His hands on her body, sensual at first, then ripping through the flesh of her stomach suddenly and sinking its hands into the organs inside. In his vision, Pete and Derek were already dead, bloodied and dismembered on the floor.
Hailey was getting lightheaded. Rather than show him the fear and shock he wanted, she nodded. I thought you might feel that way, she thought. Her tone was almost morose, and she felt Derek pause, trying to parse her words and the way she said them. I’m sorry. I gave you too many chances, too.
Wait, what? Terror swelled in Derek’s chest as his foot pressed the pedal all the way to the floor without his permission. Hailey
concentrated on moving his hands on the wheel. She sent the car careening around a corner, down a narrow street that she knew didn’t lead to an exit.
Wait, Derek thought desperately. His lackeys were screaming in the back seat, asking him what the hell he was doing. Hailey saw the three-story warehouse loom larger as the car sped forward down the dead end street. Yellow tape crossed the rusty gate surrounded the building, and Hailey knew the car would tear through the barrier like tissue paper. The building was a few hundred feet away, and she felt urine soak the front of Derek’s pants. Wait, I’ll leave you alone. I’ll leave you alone, I’ll give you----
Hailey opened her eyes, gasping as the energy in her body rebounded and snapped back in place. She was shaking, and both Jacob and Pete were stroking her forehead and murmuring as they poured energy into her body.
“What did you do?” Pete asked, his eyes pale yellow. She could tell he was exerting a tremendous amount of force trying to give her energy without shifting. She smiled weakly at him, but she was too drained to speak. Jacob touched her cheek, and she felt a tingling sensation spread across her skin, almost like being dipped in a minty bath. Her hummingbird heartbeat slowed, and she met Jacob’s stormy gray eyes just as in influx of cool energy sapped the soreness away from her muscles. He slipped one arm behind her back and helped her sit up.
“What did you do?” Pete repeated gently as his eyes faded back to deep blue. Jacob’s were still white, since he was still feeding her energy. Her trembling slowed and finally stopped, and she took a deep breath.
“I made him stop,” Hailey said, the heat in her eyes must have told Pete that she meant him. They darkened with understanding, and he reached around her to hug her to him. She felt Jacob’s arm move around them, and smiled as she let them sandwich her between them.
“I’m glad you did,” Pete said softly. Jacob squeezed them both.
“Me too,” he said. “So…what now?” He pulled back from them and sat on the bed. Hailey scooted close to him, pulling Pete across her lap so they could all touch. The shimmering energy flared to life again, and Hailey felt her own fiery energy burst into being in answer. She felt her beast uncurling, and looked from Pete to Jacob, heat spreading through her body. Hailey grinned slowly, an idea forming in her head.
“I think we should practice mingling our energies some more,” she said innocently. “I feel like we should get the temperature down before we put out a call.”
“Temperature?” Pete asked.
“Yeah. Sometimes I burn hot, sometimes I feel completely cold. I think we should find our balance.”
Jacob and Pete looked at each other and started to snicker.
“What?” Hailey asked, annoyed.
“So, you want we three bears to practice, until we find out what’s just right?” Jacob’s smile could have melted butter. Hailey giggled.
“Yeah, I guess I am saying that.” She leaned back on the bed and opened the straps of her robe. “We have an advantage, though.”
“What’s that?” Jacob asked, his dark gray eyes moving over her naked body hungrily.
Hailey spread her legs and looked from Pete to Jacob, her smile growing in proportion to the lust in their eyes. “All of three of us are bears,” she said softly. “No holding back.”
THE END
© Copyright 2015 by Ruby Scott - All rights reserved.
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Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
Bride for Two Bears
by Ruby Scott
“Careful, Alex, don’t flatten the pillows!”
Alex bristled at Nathan’s tone. He froze, peering up at the taller man from his place on the bed. “How am I supposed to do anything with you standing over me all the time?”
Anger flashed through Nathan’s golden brown eyes, and his broad shoulders tensed as they squared. “I stand over you because if I don’t, you won’t do it right.” He strode to the other side of the bed and shoved Alex’s shoulder, more roughly than his usual playful swat. Alex stood and backed away, watching Nathan’s dark brown head of hair move around angrily as he finished fluffing the mattress with his wide, calloused palms. The ice around Alex’s heart thawed as he watched his partner tidy up the bed more quickly than he could have.
Nathan stood and turned, ready to move out of the room, but Alex quickly stepped around and in front of him. He felt a wave of red-hot energy lash the air in front of him, but he knew the bear’s rage wasn’t truly meant for him. Alex tilted his angular face upward, trying his best to smile in the face of Nathan’s intimidating glower.
“Thank you,” he said softly. “I really can’t do anything without you, but that’s why Rachel is coming.” Nathan seemed to tense further at the sound of their mail order bride’s name, and Alex wondered if he’d made a mistake. Then Nathan’s shoulders relaxed, and he smiled weakly, his energy cooling around him.
“I’m sorry.” He took Alex’s smaller hands in his and gazed down at the man, warmth creeping into his eyes as the anxiety drained away. “You’re so great to arrange this, really. I couldn’t have done that without you.” Nathan leaned forward and pressed his full lips against Alex’s. When he pulled back, his smile stretched to his eyes, and Alex felt his the energy from his own bear form stir awake.
“Careful,” he murmured. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”
Nathan chuckled, low and rumbling like thunder on a plain. “Let’s finish setting up, and we’ll see what I can start.” He winked and turned away to pull the clean comforter from the closet.
Alex had been watching that man walk away from him for eight years---before they’d moved in together, in 1882. Both men had been new to town, looking for a bear pack to fall in with. Soon they were not only involved in the same pack, they’d fallen in love with the same women, and neither had been willing to yield. Annabelle, luckily, had been a woman eager to find common ground between her lovers---she’d proposed a ménage. After two blissful years, Annabelle was stricken ill with a blood disease, and the men had been forced to console each other while they watched the love of their life fade away over three months that were somehow torturously long and deceitfully short.
Somehow, they’d rekindled their individual flames in the void Annabelle left behind, and found that being together was far more pleasant than being apart. Out of convenience grew fondness, and in that place love took root; it grew for six years, until they were as steadily passionate as any married couple. They claimed to be brothers if anyone asked, and, happily, no one asked how Alex got his red hair and Kelly green eyes when Nathan was a brunette. Despite their bond, they both missed the soft places and company of the fairer sex, and it was Alex who had found a solution.
Recalling the words of a pack member, Alex scoured listings for eligible women who might be open to living in a situation such as theirs. At the same time, he sent out letters to be posted in other cities and states. The trick, Benny told Alex, was to use and look for certain keywords or phrases---shifters all around the world did it this way. Certain canine shifters might say they were “formerly a lone wolf in need of an Alpha Female”, taking care to use capital letters; cat-based shifters might ask for “help with a rodent problem” or “someone who doesn’t mind lots of fur balls”; and for Nathan and Alex, big ursine men they were: “must love Bears.”
“It isn’t too subtle?” Alex worried as he penned the letter. “You don’t think it’ll be missed?”
“Trust me!” Benny nudged Alex conspiratorially. “Have I ever let you down?”
Alex had shaken his head uneasily as he sealed up the letter. It turns that although Benny had let him down on more than one occasion, he shouldn’t have worried about this. After two
weeks, they received three letters a week in their mailbox, then four, then five the next week; when Alex finally let Nathan in on his decision, his partner was too overwhelmed by choice to be angry.
“This one says she’s never been with bears, but she’s been with two very large, very hairy humans, and her sister recommends it…this one comes from a family whose women all birthed at least…ten healthy children each! Wowee!” Nathan eventually had to find his reading glasses, sometimes holding the paper up to his nose to see. “She either loves bears or bricks…I can’t tell.”
Alex weeded through most of the improbable matches quickly, reading until they were left with Rachel. She was 25, married once, but her husband had died in a steam engine accident three years before. She was used to an alternative lifestyle, she said---one like the one they were asking her to enter. Her husband kept their bedroom open during their four years of marriage, and they saw a different man or woman together every few months. Variety is the spice of life, she wrote in an elegant hand, and of love, too. With a good base, there’s nothing stopping you from sampling many flavors.
Rachel was done sampling, however, and would be content to live at home with her two men. She wasn’t a shifter, but many of her lovers were; she said she had a particular liking for bears. Alex was nervous and excited, but the tint of his attitude was purely optimistic. Nathan was antsy and dramatic, like he always was. In the weeks leading up to Rachel’s arrival, he kept going over what could go wrong. What if she wasn’t compatible with them? What if she came there to do them harm? What if she couldn’t cook or clean?
“A woman, not cooking or cleaning in 1890?” Alex asked, laughing. “Nathan, that’s not likely. Look, you can't do anything by worrying. Just relax and get ready.”
