Shifters, Beasts, and Monsters

by Aya Fukunishi, Linda Barlow, Elixa Everett, Virginia Wade, Savannah Reardon, Skye Eagleday, Giselle Renarde, Jessi Bond, Natalie Deschain, Audrey Grace, Francis Ashe, J. E.

  “Zrak,” she sent, determined to speak to him even if he was too stubborn to listen, “Calm down. Yes, I’m here and yes, you’re about to achieve your goal. You’re a mighty sea monster. Really kick-ass.” She tried to sound as emotionally sincere as possible, sending all the praising, admiring, wow-you-are-excellent vibes she could manage.

  “But you still have stuff to do here. Like freeing me from this rock before the water comes up over my head, which it’s already doing every time your wake hits me. Stop that! Dammit, Zrak, I’m going to drown!”

  Just as she was beginning to lose hope that he would ever quiet down, the waves stopped churning. She was chest deep in water now, and she was beginning to feel chilled. “Ross, for god’s sake!” She writhed against the rock, trying to pull herself free of the chains. She knew it wasn’t possible; they were too strong, but her body wasn’t listening to reason. “If you’re anywhere in there with a working brain, please help me!”

  She felt something then. In her mind. Not a thought, exactly, but a warm and reassuring emotion. Or maybe she was imagining it. Maybe she was already drowning. Everything was so confusing with the magic vibrating around her, messing with her head.

  She heard a roar, and the water rose up before her like a tidal wave. This is it. I’m going to die. But it was him, the Zrakon, lifting his snout out of the black sea. She saw his shiny scales and his piercing silver eyes. He opened his enormous mouth and roared again, all but puncturing her eardrums.

  “Zrak! Stop that. I get it. You’re awesome. Now get me out of these fucking chains!”

  One of his mammoth paws swatted at her. She cringed involuntarily, expecting to feel a slash, but his claw only struck the chain, ripping one away from her body. Her arm with the manacle came up and she feared for her wrist, but the metal parted as he yanked it away. The pain was minimal. He seized the other chain and disposed of it in the same manner.

  Thank god. She struggled to move to higher ground when one of the thick tentacles wrapped around her chest and waist. It was warm, as she remembered from the last time. But he was rougher than he’d been when Ross was in control. He jerked her against his chest, where the cage of tentacles had sheltered her when they swam together through the dark. Was he going to take her somewhere again? This was his lair, surely. Weren’t they going to stay here?

  He forced her against him, face first. She couldn’t breathe. Her mouth and nose were plastered against hard, briny muscle. She tried to find the bud that would channel his air from his lungs, but he was holding her so roughly that movement was impossible.

  “Ross!” she screamed in her head, still seeking the mental link that had become so elusive. Why couldn’t she reach him?

  There was a sharp pain in her scalp as Zrakon fingers yanked at her hair. But he was shifting her position. He jerked her neck back then slammed her into him again, and this time she felt the stubby protrusion that she recognized from the first time as the air bud. He pressed her face onto it, and she was able to get her mouth around it. Once again, it felt like a short, thick cock. Air rushed into her lungs and she breathed deeply.

  He was being so rough!

  Do that thing with your tongue again, she heard in her head. He likes that.

  “Ross?” She nearly wept from pure thankfulness at hearing his familiar voice in her head.

  He’s letting me through, finally. Maybe he needs my sexual expertise.

  To her surprise, he sounded amused. Lighthearted even. Relief rushed through her. Ross was here. He was still part of the Zrakon, even if his beast was dominant. Surely he wouldn’t let anything horrible happen to her.

  With his consciousness came his emotions—sweeping through her like the wind. Most of all, the Hunger. It was more than a man’s lust—it was a primal storm of need and desire. Like the light from the lantern, it seemed to radiate around the cavern, from crystal to crystal, infinitely magnified.

  She focused on her task—oral stimulation of a body part she couldn’t even name. She ran her tongue around the edges of the appendage, then moved inward, trying to breathe at the same time that she darted her tongue into the soft, inside rim of the breathing slit. The Zrakon thrashed against her, and she heard the gleeful splash of his tail.

  He readjusted her against him, and, between her legs, she felt the huge pressure of his mammoth thorny penis. Well, they weren’t thorns, exactly. More like fleshy protrusions. One of them flexed and tickled her a little down there. Hmm, that could be interesting. It might be very interesting if it were considerably smaller than its current dimensions.

  She hoped Ross would remember his plan to downsize the Zrakon. So far, the creature was just as huge as ever.

  “What else does he like?” She reached one hand down to explore the scary penis. Maybe she could make friends with it?

  Ah. Yesss, he said as she ran her fingers over the rounded tip. He likes that. He likes that a lot. The tip of a tentacle swished between her legs, and she jumped. He twisted in the water, his huge mouth opening wide, showing his fearsome teeth. She backpedaled furiously, but his tentacle held her. His big body flexed, and she realized he was stretching. Maybe even preening for her.

  Can you convince him to let you keep talking to me? It’ll be nicer for him if he lets you tell me what he wants.

  That worked, Ross’s amused voice responded a few seconds later. He’s going to let me guide you.

  “Jeez, this feels like a kinky threesome. With tentacles.”

  Because the water made her buoyant, she was able to twist a bit and float. She pulled on the massive prick, figuring she couldn’t actually hurt the thing, until a good portion of it was above the surface of the water. Then, taking a deep breath, she went down on him.

  All she could take into her mouth was the tip, but a sudden watery gasp from his dragon mouth hinted strongly at his delight. The fleshy barbs started a couple inches down from the tip and descended the entire length of the phallus—a length she didn’t even try to measure because it would totally freak her out. The width was formidable enough, without factoring in the fucking length.

  She ran her hand down the shaft and was glad that the protrusions didn’t hurt her palm. Even so, they were so heavily concentrated that they made the organ even thicker than it already was. As she stroked them, the Zrakon made a deep crooning sound. Was he purring? She experimented by licking one of them and probing it with her tongue.

  God, that’s incredible. Has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?

  “Me? You’re the amazing one. I’m just an ordinary human.”

  She felt a surge, and the Zrakon gathered her in his arm-like appendages and lifted her out of the water. Striding forward on his hind legs, he carried her to the fine sand at one end of the cavern. He set her down carefully. The extra volume of water in the cavern was receding. The Zrakon might be horny as hell still, but at least he seemed calmer.

  “You’re lovely,” he said aloud, his deep hissing voice echoing throughout the cavern.

  She shook out her long, wet hair. “Thank you.”

  Ah, Catriona. This has been the longest week of my life. You are willing?

  She was hearing Ross’s inner voice and looking into the eyes of a lustful sea dragon who planned to take her for its mate. How this could happen, she still didn’t understand.

  “Yes.”

  Forgive me. I don’t think I can be patient any longer.

  What was she supposed to do? Remembering her dreams, she sat in the sand. If she lay down and spread herself out, would he crawl between her legs like a man, the way he had done in the dreams? And if he did, how could she possibly accommodate him? “Tell me what to do.”

  I’d shift into human form and hug you if I could, but I can’t touch you that way. I can’t seem to change, either. Not tonight. The Zrakon form is totally dominant.”

  At least they could communicate. How much more frightening it would be, she thought, if there were silence between them.

  He stepped closer to her.
As the water slid off his tough hide, his scales flashed bits of color, reflecting the crystals of the cave. He looked beautiful in a way. Proud and shining, this old dragon of yore. What had the Zrakon done, she wondered, that had lost him his place in the skies and reduced his magnificent wings to tatters?

  She stretched out her hand. “Come. Tell me how to please a sea dragon.”

  Let me touch you. Don’t be afraid.

  “I’m not. Not anymore.”

  He stood straighter, but he seemed less huge. Was Ross shape shifting him downwards at last? He still towered over her, but not by so great a margin. His body changed in a subtle manner, becoming more human, less dragony. His face relaxed and even his eyes changed. The silver was still the dominant hue, but she could see some of Ross’s blue in those eyes now, too.

  He knelt down beside her. One of the tentacles from his pectoral region curled gently around her. The tip of another swished between her legs and found her core. It explored, sliding between the petals of her labia. Some of the Hunger moved into her.

  The ancient customs demand that I stay in the Zrakon form for the mating. Shape shifting downwards in size will take magical energy, but I will sustain it as long as I can. Ultimately, though, I fear I am going to have to hurt you.”

  Kate reached out towards his head, and he brought her closer. She stroked the leathery skin around his large eyes. “A little sexy pain is okay,” she said, trying to be lighthearted about it.

  “Catriona. The voice in her head was tender now. Tonight is for you and me. I just wish I didn’t have to spend it as a reptile.”

  She smiled. “You’re a mammal, remember?”

  “Right. Well that’s different, then.” He was laughing. “Still, I won’t be offended if you close your eyes.”

  “I don’t need to close my eyes.” She put her arms around his scaly neck. “In fact, I’m beginning to find this new body of yours rather interesting, Zrak. Are you going to show me what else you can do with your tentacles?”

  This body has all sorts of unique surprises in store for you, beloved. I don’t believe you’ve yet been introduced to my long, agile tongue.”

  “So show me.”

  She felt the Hunger thunder through the cavern—through the very world, it seemed—as he began to arouse her with those amazing tentacles and that flexible tongue, using his dear, familiar voice in her mind every bit as much as he used his strange, unfamiliar body.

  In the end, as promised, he made himself only a little taller and broader than she, but his barbed phallus still seemed to her like a torture instrument from one of the Inquisition’s darkest dungeons. His body was much closer now to a man’s size, but his dick was still enormous.

  Despite the desire he had nurtured in her, as she lay back and opened herself to him, she feared she would soon be screaming in pain. She had heard there were ways to savor erotic pain, as long as it was mixed with the right amount of pleasure. She could endure, she told herself, even if there were no rewards to be harvested.

  He crouched over her. Kate, forgive me, I must—I have to—

  “It’s all right. I’m ready, take me.”

  She felt pressure and a burst of pain, nothing close to her limits at first, then rising sharply. The knobby protuberances rammed against her soft tissues, trying to force their way inside her. It was agonizing. She tried her best to relax, but this was almost impossible against such an assault. But just as it was beginning to seem intolerable, there were sparks all around him and a powerful glow of magic that flashed throughout the cavern from crystal to crystal, bathing them both in shining rainbows of light.

  She felt him slide inside her with no pain, his movements transformed into strokes of smooth, frictionless delight. His scales dissolved into flesh, and his silvery sea dragon eyes turned cornflower blue. Instead of tentacles, Ross’s hair tickled her body, and she could feel his warm human skin, sinew, and bone.

  “Oh, Ross.”

  Her willingness to accept the Zrakon and take his alien flesh inside her must have broken the spell. His human form was no longer banned from touching her. He was Ross again.

  “Kate, thank god,” he spoke to her in his real, human voice. “Are you all right? It doesn’t hurt?

  “No, no, not at all.”

  His mouth lowered to hers at last, and he kissed her as their bodies joyfully fulfilled the unspoken promise that had been made between them when two strangers had looked into each other’s eyes and felt the Mallochbirn magic jolt them.

  His cock still stretched her, but it was a delicious pressure now, and she arched her back to meet him thrust for thrust. He went deep, touching something inside her that sent her pleasure spiraling ever higher. She held on tightly to the driving muscles on his back, loving the way they flexed every time he moved.

  He slid one hand under her and tilted her pelvis so his cock put pressure on her clit with each thrust. The combination of his fierce penetration and this extra stimulation soon wound her up to the breaking point. She cried out in bliss as she crested the wave. Such exquisite pleasure. With her tissues clenching around him, he slammed into her a few more times before he stiffened and emptied himself deep inside her.

  Around them, the colors danced as the crystals shone.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kate woke one morning three months later with the sun in her eyes and her lover’s voice in her mind:

  It’s time to play, beloved.

  Feeling an odd sensation, she opened her eyes. A large butterfly beat his wings rapidly against her toes, then flew up and landed on her stomach. She saw brightly-colored, diaphanous wings of near-transparency and great beauty. “You’re gorgeous,” she said. “Good morning, my laird.”

  He flew out of her line of sight. Something growled. A large, sleek mountain lion was standing beside the bed. He licked one of her breasts with a rough tongue and she gasped, and then giggled. “I hope you’ve already had your breakfast.”

  You know what I’m hungry for.

  He shrank and twisted before her eyes and became a snake. He flowed over her body, arrowed down across the expanse of her belly, coiled around her thighs. His head found her and a tiny, delicate tongue flicked across her sex. She moaned.

  “You’re a very wicked man, er, magical creature.”

  Ha. I will show you wicked. He became a mosquito and settled on her thigh; considered, humming his high-pitched whine, then flew up and landed threateningly on her nipple.

  “What if I swat you? Will all forms of you die?”

  He turned into an owl and perched on her hand, looking very thoughtful and wise. That, my love, is an interesting question. I don’t know. I have a feeling that if you—or anyone else—tried to injure me, I could simply shape-shift the injury until it healed. But if I were instantly snuffed out, I guess I wouldn’t have the time to do so. So don’t swat me, please.

  She reached down with her free hand to stroke his feathers. “In that case, you’d better not do anything that makes it tempting to swat you.”

  He became a very long snake who rapidly coiled himself around her torso several times, imprisoning her arms inside his tight coils. Can’t swat me now. His head aimed downward and flicked her between her legs again.

  Kate closed her eyes. She had always liked snakes. But she was glad when he turned into Ross again, a very eager, human Ross whose ability to keep teasing her was lost in his own need.

  Afterwards, she asked, “Can you be any creature you choose, now?”

  “Some are harder than others—I don’t know why. And some take more of my energy than others do. Winged creatures in particular are exhausting.”

  “What’s the easiest?”

  The bed groaned beneath them, and scaly knobby hide was all she could see or feel. He had transformed into the Zrakon. His tail dragged on the floor, taking up much of the room in the bedchamber. His deep voice hissed out. “This form takes no special energy and is easy to maintain.”

  “Easier than your human form?”


  “No. Human is still the most natural.”

  “My love, you’re going to destroy the bed.”

  He shifted back to human Ross. “I wouldn’t want to do that. Especially since that bed is cradling not only my beloved wife, but also my child.”

  “Your child is nothing more than a speck at the moment, love.”

  He kissed her bare belly. “Such a lively little speck. I swear I can feel him moving around in there.”

  She laughed. “It’s probably gas. But in a few weeks, we should both be able to feel him. Or her.”

  He slid up to kiss her mouth, while she tangled her fingers in his hair. “Are you happy, Catriona?”

  “Deliriously happy.”

  “I love you.”

  She laughed. “You’d better. I tamed your monster, didn’t I?”

  “Aye, you surely did.”

  “I love you, too, Ross. Zrak. Tentacles and all.”

  “I think you love my tentacles more than the rest of me.”

  “I do not.”

  “Oh aye? I say you do. Shall we test my theory? We could go down to the cavern and splash around.”

  She laughed. “Any time, Zrak. Any time.”

  Linda’s Bio

  Linda Barlow is the bestselling author of 20 novels, with more on the way. She lives in New England with her mysterious spouse (who sleeps during the day, which has often made her wonder if he’s a vampire) and their equally enigmatic and nocturnal cat.

  Her novel Leaves of Fortune won the Rita Award, and Fires of Destiny was a finalist for the same award. She loves reading, writing, computer games, and dark chocolate.

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