"We trade," Arnold shrugs. We're friendly with most of the neighbouring islands, and a few times a year one of the big trading ships stops by. Not that we have much to offer in return, but we get by alright."
"There are trading ships?" I ask in confusion. I've been living on an island for a long time, surely one of them would have passed us in that time. But the only strangers we've ever seen in the waters around the island were small fishing boats from neighbouring communities. Definitely nothing big.
"Aye, they sail the ocean and connect the continents - or what's left of them," Arnold explains. "Some of them are huge floating towns where you can get everything you want, if you can pay for it. There are young people living on there who've never stayed on land in all their life. Guess they see it as the future, should the sea levels start rising again. But it wouldn't be for me. I like solid ground beneath my paws."
Still musing why those ships never came to Salvation Island, I drink the last of my hot chocolate. I'm finally feeling warmer again, and lying on Finn's chest helps with that. I swear, these bears are hot in all meanings of the word.
"You should go to bed," Finn whispers and gently strokes my hair. I sigh in contentment. His gesture is so gentle, so protective. I take a sneak peek at Torben to see if he's jealous, but he's smiling at us, obviously not bothered in the slightest that I'm so close to Finn.
"I'll show you the guest room," Arnold offers. "Bertie should have it ready by now."
Finn hugs me tight and gets up, carrying me in his arms. I should protest to show that I'm not a weak little female, but I'm tired and like his touch. Next time, I'll complain. Now, I'm just going to enjoy the closeness as he follows Arnold into a large room with a king size bed in the middle. An extra mattress has been put on the floor and there's a heap of blankets lying on top of it. We definitely won't be cold with all those.
"Some of you can sleep in the living room, if you want. Might be comfier that way," Bertrand says as he gives the pillows on the bed a final fluff. "We don't have much in terms of toiletries, but there should be some shampoo in the bathroom, Isla."
"Thanks, that's very thoughtful of you." I find it hard not to yawn when speaking. It really is time for bed.
"We'll leave you two alone," Arnold tells us with a slight chuckle and shoots his partner a knowing glance.
Finn sets me down on the bed and this time I can't suppress a yawn. "Let's get you out of those clothes so you can sleep," he whispers softly and nudges me to lift my arms. Too tired to even notice what he's doing, he pulls my jumper off me, and then the t-shirt I'm wearing underneath until I'm wearing only my bra. He sucks in a breath when he sees me like that. "You're beautiful. Can I... no, you're Torben's." He sighs and Bonnie and Clyde nudge me into action when they see his disappointment.
"I'm nobody's," I say quietly, not quite sure how I find the courage to do so. "Torben doesn't own me, and I make my own decisions." I cup his cheek - again, why am I suddenly so confident?! - and pull him closer until I can feel his breath on my skin. I wait for a moment to see if he protests, but when he doesn't, I press my lips to his, gently kissing him. It takes him only a second to respond, but then he's fully there, moving his soft lips against mine, nudging me to open my mouth while pulling me closer at the same time. His hands are warm on my bare skin, exploring my back, playing with the catch of my bra. His tongue meets mine and he playfully pushes against me. His chest presses against my boobs and I moan when I feel my erect nipples against the thin fabric of the bra. I want him to take it off now, immediately. It's in the way between me and my bear.
I reluctantly end the kiss, but breathing seems rather important in that moment. I sigh in contentment as Finn uses the short break to finally unclasp my bra. He slides it down, leaving it dangling just below my breasts as he takes in the view. I know they're quite a good size.
He hesitantly touches my right nipple with his index finger, as if he's afraid he's doing the wrong thing. On the contrary, my little bear. Please, do continue. When I moan at this touch, he smiles and cups my breast, and-
Someone clears his throat behind Finn and I shriek, covering my chest with my hands.
"I see you're stopping Isla from getting some sleep" Torben chuckles and steps into view. He doesn't seem annoyed at that at all, in fact, he's greedily staring at my naked body. Well, half-naked. Unfortunately, I'm still clothed from the waist down. He comes closer until he's standing next to Finn who's looking slightly embarrassed. "Are you having fun without me?"
"Finn was helping me get ready for bed," I say innocently, pointing at my clothes lying on the floor.
"I'm sure he was." There's a predatory glint in Torben's eyes that makes me shiver in excitement.
Then my body betrays me and I yawn. Torben's smile disappears.
"It's time to sleep, Isla," he says in his alpha voice that doesn't allow any talking back. Although I'd probably protest if he wasn't right. I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open and sleep is beginning to tighten its grip on me.
Torben holds up a long black nightie. "Arnold gave me that. He didn't say who it belonged to but it's clearly made for a woman. Better put that on before you have two bears on you."
I blush and take the garment, marvelling at its silky feel. I don't think I've ever worn something so soft. Of course, my uncle gave me good quality clothes, I was part of his reputation, after all. But usually they were woollen or old, nothing as beautiful as this.
Ignoring Finn's disappointed look, I slip into the nightgown and take off my trousers. Trust me, I'm just as disappointed that we didn't get any further than that kiss. He's a good kisser. Less demanding than Torben but no less intense. Oh my, now I'm comparing kisses. I'm such a slut.
But strangely enough, I don't feel guilty. Torben doesn't strike me as a boyfriend type. Protective, possessive, yes, but not... exclusive, if that makes sense? I should really do some research about bear relationships, in the hope that what's true for the animals will also apply to my bear shifters.
I curl up on the bed and smile as the guys each put a blanket on top of me.
"We'll join you soon," Torben whispers and I'm about to tell him that I'll keep him to that promise, but I fall asleep before I get the chance.
Seven
I expected there to be at least one bear in my bed when I woke up. Instead, the mattress on the floor empty; I'm alone in the guest room. I yawn and stretch, wondering how long I've slept. I feel more or less awake, so it must have been quite a while. I had a lot of sleep to catch up on.
Reluctantly, I leave the bed, putting on my bra but staying in the silky nightgown. I don't fancy putting on the clothes I've been wearing for days again. And I could really do with a shower - yes, a sniff of my armpits confirms that. Oh well, my growling stomach has priority. Time for food.
I make my way into the kitchen. Again, it's empty, like all the other rooms I've passed. Where is everyone?
"Hello?" I call, feeling slightly silly.
"We're in the living room," Arnold shouts from two doors down the corridor. I find him sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring at a chess board. Bertrand is grinning widely - looks like he just did an especially clever move and is now waiting for his partner to deal with it.
"Do you play chess?" the panda shifter asks me and I shrug.
"I know how to, but I've not had much chance to practice."
"Once I win this round, we can have a match," he promises and Arnold groans.
"Don't play against him, dear. You'll lose. I've been losing against him for years."
I smile at his dramatic demeanour. "I like a challenge."
"I suppose you do, travelling with four bears," Bertrand chuckles. "How did that come about?"
"I'd love to tell you but I'm starving. Do you have any food I could have?" I'm a little embarrassed by how brazen I am, but my hungry brain is a demanding brain.
Arnold grimaces. "I'd love to get you something but I need to figure out a way to beat Bertie. Darling, would you mind
making our guest a sandwich?"
Bertrand gets up and motions me to follow him into the kitchen, but from the corner of my eye I see Arnold exchange a tower with a rook on the chess board. I wonder if his partner will notice he cheated. But somehow, I doubt this will change Arnold's fate.
"Where are the guys?" I ask Bertrand while he takes a massive sandwich from the fridge. Looks like they already made some food earlier for the others.
"They needed to shift. Torben insisted on staying but I managed to convince him that you're safe with us." He hands me my plate and puts the kettle on. "They seem very protective of you."
I shrug. "I almost wish they weren't." No, I don't. I love how they all care for me. But I won't admit that.
"It's very sweet. I remember when Arn and I were like that... young love... it's beautiful." He sighs and I'm glad he turns around to make the tea so he can't see me blushing. Young love? Seriously?
"How did they find you?"
"I ran away from home and managed to get to their island. They took me in and gave me a place to stay while my ankle healed." I don't tell him that it was their fault I injured it in the first place. "Then our house was damaged in a storm so they decided to leave the island earlier than planned. I'm very glad we managed to find this place... I didn't even dare to hope that there may be friendly people living on Inchbrach."
Bertrand nods. "Not many of the islands out here are inhabited. People left when the land became too boggy to be used for farming. We're lucky that we're not human. We can hunt without the need for weapons and ammunition. It makes living off the land a lot easier."
I imagine him as a panda, running over the hills of this island and have to hide a smile. "I didn't know pandas hunted."
He smiles sadly. "In times of need, we all do things we usually wouldn't. But don't let that worry you. For now, here's some human food and the most amazing Earl Grey tea. I can't stand that jasmine stuff. Thirty years of living with Arn and I still haven't got used to it."
"Have you always lived on this island?"
"I think we've been here for two decades now. it was actually a peninsula when we first moved here, although that changed of course. We're lucky that the village was at a good altitude so it wasn't destroyed in the Drowning like so many others. Still, most people left until it was only Arnold and me. We've never been very social people, but it does get a bit lonely here sometimes."
He shrugs and pours us three large mugs of tea. "But it's made me very good at chess. Arn, not so much. Want to head back to the living room? It's warmer by the fire."
He gives my nightgown a pointed look, but it's not like I have any other clothes to put on besides the ones that urgently need washing. I follow him, noticing that my limp is almost gone. Finally. Although I'll miss being carried by the guys.
We sit down on one of the sofas and Arnold joins us, sighing in disappointment that he's not getting any jasmine tea. Seriously, what is it with these men and tea? For a panda and a spectacle bear, they are certainly very British.
We sip our tea in silence, the sound of the crackling fire the only thing distracting me from my thoughts. I can't imagine living in one place for twenty years like these two have. I've always wanted to travel, to explore the world and discover new places. Meet other people who might be more open and friendly than the folks on Salvation Island. And escape my uncle's reign, of course. I'm pretty sure that even if he hadn't forced a marriage on me, I would have run away at some point. But I didn't want to leave the people of the island without a healer. I wonder if my uncle is looking for a replacement for me. I'm not sure how he'd go about that, though, although I wouldn't put kidnapping past him.
I'm so glad to be away from him. I can make my own decision now. Like travelling with four bear shifters.
"Do you know when they'll be back?"
Arnold checks the clock on the mantel piece. "Shouldn't be long. They've been out for quite some time now. I think their bears were hungry and demanding to be let out. Running over the ice is not the same as running on land for fun."
"Do I get to see you two shift?" I blurt out and immediately curse myself. That wasn't very polite. But luckily, they seem to be amused rather than offended.
"We no longer need to shift as often as your companions, but yes, I'm planning to go for a run tonight," Bertrand says with a smile. "I might be able to get us some meat for dinner."
I'm still having trouble imagining a hunting panda, but hopefully I'll get to see him in action later today.
"We've already spoken to Torben about what happens next. You're welcome to stay with us, but the house is rather small and you might want some privacy. Two of the houses in the village are in good condition, so you might want to move into one of them for as long as you stay on Inchbrach. When they left, many people didn't take all their belonging with them, so you might find some useful stuff there as well."
"Aye, there used to be two sisters living in the pink cottage, the furthest one from here," Arnold adds. "They left some clothes, but as we didn't have use for them, they should still be in their wardrobes."
"Thanks, I'll take a look," I say, already excited about it. Sounds like a proper treasure hunt. But I better get dressed first, it looks cold outside and more snow has fallen overnight. Walking around in a nightie is definitely a bad idea, no matter how pretty it is.
"I think you should wear this."
Húnn is holding a little black dress that makes me shiver even from looking at it.
"Have you looked outside recently? It's winter, I'm not walking around in that... rag." I put my hand on my hips to reinforce the message. Sometimes I have to be firm with the bears. What am I saying, sometimes? Always. Especially when they're rummaging through a woman's wardrobe, trying to persuade me to put on the flimsiest clothes they can find. And the worst is that they've started to gang up on me. All four bears insisted on coming with me. They seem to see it as a shopping trip. I see it as torture.
"How about this?" Húnn hands me a red dress which has holes in some very inappropriate places. Strangely enough, it looks like it's supposed to be like that. And that neckline... let's just call it a boobline.
"No chance."
Instead of giving up like he has before, he holds it in front of me as if he's trying to imagine me in it.
"One day, I'll make you wear this." He winks at me and a shiver runs over my back, caused by my ovaries blushing and giggling. He's already looking at me with barely disguised desire right now, so I can't even imagine when he'll do if I wear that dress... I should definitely do it.
I turn around to the other three guys who are sitting on the dust-covered bed opposite the wardrobe. I thought they'd be bored by now. Instead, they look like they're enjoying this.
"Húnn, give her that dark green thing," Ràn suggests, pointing at a long emerald dress which could easily be from Victorian times. Not to say that it isn't pretty though... in fact, I rather like it. It covers all the important places but still has a feminine shape.
"Oh go on then," I sigh dramatically. I won't let them know that I actually like it. "I'll try it on. In the other room.”
"No, do it here," Torben demands, his voice husky. Damn, he makes my insides melt with the look he's giving me. Like he's about to jump up and eat me whole. I wonder if he's been planning this all along. Get me naked in front of the others while pretending to look for clothes. And naked in front of him. My polar bear. The first man I've ever kissed. Damn, why do I find that so exciting?
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," I mumble, torn between my sense of decency and the arousal that is running through me.
"Why not?" The heat in Torben's eyes is almost unbearable to look at.
The other three are not looking much different. The predators in them are close to the surface and they want out. They want me. Or maybe that dress.
I can't help myself, I take off my jumper, once again just in my bra. Finn should be used to the sight by now, but he sucks in a shallow breath, his eyes fix
ed on my chest. I'd call him impolite, but it's flattering.
Next are my jeans. They're tattered at the ends and stiff from dirt, so I'm glad to get out of them. Doing the washing is next on my to do list. After I deal with my horny bears.
Now just in my underwear, I hold out my hands to Húnn, demanding the dress he's still holding. Reluctantly, he hands it over. With a smile, I pull it over my head, enjoying the soft feel of it on my skin. It's clean, even though it smells a little like moth balls. Nothing some soap won't fix though.
I turn my back to Húnn. "Zip me up, please."
The zip on the dress reaches far down, almost to my bum. I'm sure he can see my panties, but he pulls it up as asked, not even touching my skin by accident. I wish he had.
I turn to the guys and do a mock curtsy. "Like it?"
Torben gets up and spins me around by the shoulders, inspecting me from all sides.
"Exquisite," he whispers and pulls me close. His hands are on my waist, steadying me as he looks deep into my eyes. My ovaries are close to fainting. So am I. In his arms I feel special. He comes closer, ever closer, until his lips touch mine. It's not a kiss, just a gentle meeting of skin and breaths.
But then, he turns it into a kiss, a wild and demanding one. He's claiming me in front of the others, making it clear that I am his. The alpha's.
His tongue brushes against my teeth and I'm tempted to gently bite down, but I don't want to bring out the bear in him. I let myself flow into his kiss, responding when he nudges me, giving him access when he needs it. We are melting together, the border between us disappearing. Something strange is happening. I feel like... more. Like my awareness has expanded and is no longer confined to its previous limits. I feel so much more. My senses are sending me signals I've never received before. I can suddenly hear the breaths of the guys on the sofa as if they were standing next to me. The cold room is no longer as icy, as if the heating had been switched on. And my thoughts are more... wild. Feral.
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