She still felt so flustered around him, especially when he looked at her with those perfect green eyes. She really liked Nate, and she really liked Colin too- and it was driving her crazy. Suddenly she remembered Natasha standing in her doorway, turning to say, “You know, Steph- maybe you don’t have to choose one.” She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully and went for a little walk, knowing customers wouldn’t come in for another hour or so. Can I really have both of them? She thought to herself. But I can’t sneak around- I’ll have to be honest with them, and if they’re up for it, then so am I. She pulled out her phone and made a quick phone call, making the necessary arrangements.
*****
“I promise this is the last time,” Stephanie said, as she took the dress from Natasha. Her best friend rolled her eyes and said, “It’s fine- just make sure tonight is brilliant.” Stephanie hugged Natasha and thanked her, seeing her off before she turned to the dress. It was a maroon evening gown with a sweetheart neckline and lace detailing down the back. It made her feel like a seductress, which was exactly what she needed to be tonight. She had already called Colin and told him that she would meet him at the gala, and she started to get dressed. The minute she put the dress on, she felt sexier and much more confident. She went on to curl her hair the way Natasha had taught her and then did her makeup. She applied perfume to her neck and between her breasts, and then took one last look in the mirror before she went down to her car.
She drove to the club, running through the plan over and over again in her head, and by the time she had parked her car she felt like starting it up again and driving right back home. I can do this, she told herself, breathing deeply a few times and then taking a large swig from the flask she kept in her dashboard. She shuddered as the alcohol stung her throat and then she took a look at herself in the rearview mirror, reapplying her lipstick before she got out of the car. She walked into the main hall; the man at the entrance stopped her and asked for an invitation. “Oh- I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I needed one- I’m with-” she paused, not sure whether to say Nathan Forster or Colin Caraway, and just as she was about to say something, a voice behind her said, “She’s with me.” It was Nate, and he was smiling as he carried a corsage of white daisies and baby’s breath. The man let them in and Nate smiled, tying the corsage around her wrist. “You look stunning,” he said, and she smiled at him, letting him lead her onto the dance floor.
She spotted Colin’s sandy hair as he entered the main hall and Stephanie ducked, “Sorry, I have to go- um-” but Nate nodded and said, “Of course, you go work, and I’ll come find you in a bit.” She got away from Nate, ducking behind a pillar when she heard Colin whisper, “Are you hiding from me?” She jumped, startled and turned to find Colin smiling at her. “Wow,” he said, “You’re beautiful.” She smiled and said, “Sorry, I wasn’t hiding from you, it was my supervisor, Elizabeth. Apparently I’m supposed to be working tonight.” Colin nodded and said, “Right, well- I’ll go meet some business contacts while you work and then I’ll come back for you.” She blew him a kiss and hurried out of the main hall, heading for the reception, where she smiled at the woman and behind the counter and asked, “Hi, I called yesterday about a room?”
She ducked back into the hallway just as Colin was approaching the bar. “Hey,” he said, “I was looking for you.” Stephanie leaned in and kissed him hard, they stayed like that for a long time until Stephanie pulled away and said, “I have to go.” Colin looked dazed as he said, “Stephanie?” But she shook her head and said, “I can’t explain. Here,” she pushed something into his hand. He looked down and saw a room key card. “What’s this?” Stephanie looked around quickly before she said, “I got us a room upstairs; meet me there in ten minutes.” She didn’t wait for him to respond, and disappeared into the crowd. She then sought out Nate, and found him heading for the bar as well. She called his name out over the music and he turned, smiling widely when he saw her.
She did the same thing and kissed him, hard until he pulled away and said, “Well, well- couldn’t stay away, huh?” Stephanie shook her head and said “I have to go.” Nate’s face fell and he said, “Come on, I was just joking,” but Stephanie shook her head again and said, “No- I just- here,” she handed him another key card and said, “Meet me in five minutes.” He looked at her wide-eyed but Stephanie quickly slipped away again, heading upstairs towards the rooms. She quickly used her own key card to get in and then sat down on the bed, waiting for the plan to play out by itself.
Sure enough, the door was unlocked and in walked Nate. He saw Stephanie sitting on the bed and started to move towards her, loosening his bowtie already but Stephanie held up her hand and said, “Wait.” He looked confused, but his expression turned to shock when a second later, the door was unlocked again and Colin walked in. “What the fuck?” Nate said at the same time that Colin said, “Nathan?” They both turned to Stephanie, who got up calmly from the bed and said, “I’ve invited you both here tonight, because I really like you both and I don’t want to choose.” Colin’s jaw dropped and he said, “What does that even mean?” Stephanie walked over to him and kissed Colin, and then she turned to Nate and kissed him too. “I want both of you- if you’ll have me.”
She laid a hand each on both their chests and let her hands trail down until she felt them both get aroused under her touch. She then undid the zip of her dress and let it fall to the ground. Immediately, Nate stepped forward and kissed her neck and after a moment of hesitation, Colin stepped forwards and placed his hands around her waist. She kissed Colin while her fingers worked on undoing Nate’s buttons. Suddenly, Nate picked her up and threw her on the bed, and she lay on her back and as she watched the two men undress themselves and lean down to her. She stretched her arms out over head and smiled. You know, Steph- maybe you don’t have to choose one.
THE END
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5 of 25 Bonus Stories
Evergreen Hills
My name is Lena and I live in a world where the truth is stranger than fiction. My town is part of the biggest feud that mankind has ever known. How do I know this when everyone else in town seems perfectly happy and none the wiser? I’m in love with two people who are heavily involved in the drama.
It started out about a year ago. I was a freshman at the University of Washington when I met Darren and Matthew. We were all Forestry Science majors, but I was ambitious. I was planning on majoring in political science as well. I wanted to protect the forests that surrounded my home and I knew that the only sensible way to do that was to make my way through the government. It wasn’t until about halfway through my first semester that I learned that there was more to Darren and Matthew than wanting to protect endangered species.
The local town officials began to get upset when wolves and bears in the surrounding forests were killing each other. They were waiting for people to get hurt and sure enough, they did. What the police didn’t know was that these so-called “hikers” were actually members of the feud themselves. Is it making sense yet? Ladies and Gentlemen, we are dealing with shifters here. I know, I know, I wouldn’t have believed it I wasn’t involved myself, but rest assured there are people who live in Evergreen Hills, Washington who can turn into wolves and bears. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
Darren and Matthew explained that this bitter war was practically ancient. The clan of bears had land in the east and the clan of wolves had land to the west and never were the two supposed to meet. The wolves felt that they were more superior while the bears felt that they were the better race. Each coven had a colony of sorts on their land and there were rare instances of issues; usually in the sense of a young wolf or bear crossing into enemy territory while hunting. Things were tense, but the problems began to escalate when normal human settlers came to Washington. Evergreen Hills was built in the middle of the territory line and suddenly the wolves and the bears had a problem. They had people coming and going on their land at all times, but they
were also building homes on it and as time progressed, developing it. Then there was the whole issue of the younger generations of shifters becoming modernized and wanting to do things like go the store or attend the college that was constructed in the early twentieth century. When the enemy argued and tried to forbid the bears or wolves from going into Evergreen Hills at all, the bloody war became what it is today. If any enemy creature was spotted close to the center of town or the college, they would be attacked and most likely killed on the spot.
Darren and Matthew are from the Bear clan and at first, they seemed like ordinary guys. They were studious enough but seemed to like to do other things such as work on their off-road trucks or go hunting. When I finally discovered that they were bear shifters the idea of hunting took on a whole new meaning.
How did I find out that they were more than just humans? Well, that’s my fault. I had decided to walk around the woods by the University of Washington in the middle of the night. I’m a bit of an insomniac and one of the wolves thought I was an enemy on their land and tried to kill me. Just when I thought I was a goner, a bear jumped out and killed the wolf. This bear had this chocolate brown fur and these brown eyes that studied me as if they knew me and, as I ran back to my dorm, I knew that I knew those eyes from somewhere. It wasn’t until I saw Darren the next day and he looked at me uncomfortably with those same brown eyes that I knew I was dealing with something bigger than me. I confronted him and thankfully he filled me in. Told me that Matthew was his extended family of sorts and that they would protect me if I would help them get the town to stop wanting to chop the woods down.
So that’s my life right now. I’m a sophomore trying to save the world with my bear-shifter friends. Well, I guess I should be clearer on that. They’re more than my friends, though I’m not exclusive with either of them. Apparently, they are similar to their animal counterparts in the sense that they are promiscuous and expect whoever they are with to be with other people. That idea worked for me as I felt like I never really got a chance to experiment with sex until college. Darren has a heart of gold, while Matthew is much more sarcastic. I really love being around both of them. They don’t seem to mind our strange little arrangement so who am I to stop it?
This story begins when the feud took a turn; when the situation in Evergreen Hills began to get dire with the town officials. Not only were the bears looking to me to help plead their case, but the wolves came to me for assistance as well. In some ways it was looking like there might be a stop to the fighting for a while so that they could be a united front against the destruction of their home. But you know what they say, everything comes at a price, right? I had a feeling that there would be a cost to pay for me playing for both sides, I never imagined how heavy that cost would truly be.
*****
It was a typical dreary Washington day and we were starting our environmental science class before we would head out to the woods later in the day. I sat in my usual spot in the back of the class going over my notes from the previous lecture. Tuesdays were my busiest days because not only did I have all my forestry classes, but I also had a political science class in a huge lecture hall in the evening. I sipped on my large coffee that would hopefully help me make it nine o’clock when Darren and Matthew took their spots on either side of me.
“Hello, friends,” I said cheerfully, not looking up from my notes.
“Ah, it’s Tuesday,” Matthew said noticing the coffee. “The day in which Lena becomes a superhero masochist.”
“Superhero is fine, thank you,” I retorted. I honestly didn’t hate my life, it would all be worth it when I could make a difference in my little town and hopefully the world.
“I take it you won’t be coming over tonight then,” Darren added and I finally looked up because I could hear the twinge of disappointment in his voice.
“Probably not,” I replied and I smiled at him warmly. “But tomorrow I am all yours.” I winked at them both because if the night went like it usually did, I would get to be with both of them.
The class was pretty boring; we were learning about different animal partnerships. I was definitely more of the hands-on learning type and much preferred when we were outside studying these topics in nature, but I understood that it needed to be done both ways. I eagerly took notes and highlighted things in my textbook that I was sure I would need to study later. Our professor was all about exams that had essay question after essay question. Eventually, we wrapped up the lesson and he told us that he’d meet us at the edge of the wood at one o’clock.
“Where are you off to now?” Darren asked as we collected our books and began to head out of the room.
“I’ve got an hour until biology.” I explained. “But I need to return some library books so that they don’t whack me with any late fees. It shouldn’t take too long; I can meet you in the student center so you can copy off my homework.”
Darren looked at me sheepishly, but of the two, Matthew was definitely the better student. I didn’t mind helping him out, though, he was so sweet and protective of me, that I felt lucky that I’d gotten to know him on almost a daily basis.
We went our separate ways and I walked quickly as the mist that so often made its presence known in Washington was beginning to make me feel damp. I pushed the library books through the slot outside the building when some made a noise to get my attention. Underneath the overhang of a building were what appeared to be a set of twins. One was a girl and the other way a boy. They had hazel eyes that made my pulse quicken as I noticed them watching me. They flagged me over and instinctively my feet began to walk in their direction. As I made my way over, I took in their lean bodies and their high cheekbones and I had this feeling that there was more to these two than just being college students.
“You’re that girl in the Forestry Science department right?” The boy asked.
“Plus you are double majoring in poli sci, too?” The girl added.
I nodded, feeling surprised that someone recognized me when I spent most of my time with the same two people in a fairly small department. “I’m Lena. I’m not sure if we’ve met?”
“I’m Aliya,” the girl replied, flashing a grin at me. “This my brother Adam.”
Adam looked around to make sure that we weren’t being overheard. “You’re the one that fools around with the bears right?”
My cheeks burned. “Excuse me?”
“I don’t literally mean that you fool around with bears. I mean the guys that are from the clan. The two that go here.”
Suddenly everything made sense, the way the pair almost seemed feral with their sharp looks and eyes. They were wolves and somehow they knew that I fraternized with their enemy. “How do you know that?” I managed to stammer.
“We have eyes on everything they do.” Adam replied and he laughed at the double entendre. “Look, it’s a free country and you aren’t violating any treaties, that’s why we’re seeking you out.”
“What, you want to get in on the action too?” I blurted out and immediately regretted it. Sometimes when I’m nervous I deal with things by making inappropriate jokes. This was clearly not the time for it.
Adam looked me over like he was contemplating the idea, taking in my blonde wavy hair and petite frame, but thankfully his sister provided the real answer. “We’re aware that the bears want to use you as a spokesperson for the forest. We know the feud has caused town officials to want to destroy our home. We want you to consider our territory as well.”
I had to believe that agreeing to help them would probably make the boys and their bear clan very angry at me, but I thought of my home and how beautiful the woods around Evergreen Hills were and I knew that I had to save it at all costs. “Sure,” I answered. “No one wants to see them ruin anyone’s home.”
“Good,” Aliya said with a nod. “We will report back to our clan; you should let your lovers know the plan. We’ll come find you and let you know what the next step is.” The brother and sister walked away whispering
and looking over their shoulder at me.
For a few minutes, I walked back towards the student center in the mist, feeling strange as I tried to process what had just happened. Had I just become a game piece in the wolf and bear feud, and what did that mean if I was successful in saving their woods?
*****
“Dude, you’re asking for trouble.”
The next evening, I was sitting with Darren and Matthew in Matthew’s cottage on his clan’s land. Darren had his own small home nearby. Just like their animal counterparts, most members of the clan lived alone unless they were mothers with small children. I had finally gotten around to telling them about my encounter with the twins from the wolf clan.
“I understand your concerns, but this is for the greater good of Evergreen Hills where I, as well as many regular human beings, live. I don’t want to see my home desecrated because of some ignorant politicians.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Darren continued. “You have a knack for persuasion, you will convince the full-bloods to make the right choice. It’s that wolf that makes me concerned.” Full-bloods were the term that the bear clan used to describe normal, non-shifters like me.
Ways in the Guardian: A Menage Romance Book Collection Page 22
