ROMANCE: Time of the Werebears (Scottish Historical Time Travel Shifter Romance) (Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance)

by Sky Winters

  Thomas looked around puzzled. There was only his sister in the room. Shining his candle towards Gertrude’s face he was shocked to see the look of hate in her eyes and in her tightly clasped hands a glass vial.

  “What’s happening Gertrude?” he swung around to face her.

  Gertrude was visibly shaking, her eyes large and white in the candles glow.

  “You can’t love HER Thomas, I was meant to be your wife, to look after you. I have looked after you for all of these years. You belong to me.”

  Thomas looked bemused and shook his head slowly.

  “But you’re my sister?”

  Her eyes lit up with a maniacal glee. “But that’s not so Thomas. I am only your step sister. Your mother had a friend who died in childbirth and promised on my mother’s death bed that she would look after me as her own. They told no-one and soon everyone accepted me as Lady Selkirk. Your mother only told me as she lay dying on her own death bed”

  Thomas looked visibly shaken and sat down on the bed.

  “So you see, we too can be married as I am not your sister by blood –my darling Thomas”

  Gertrude rushed to him with open arms but as she reached him he stood up and pushed her away, repulsed by her sudden show of affection.

  “Stop this Gertrude; I am going to marry Beatrice”.

  Laughing she approached him again “But I love you Thomas, you are mine. We can be together at last.”

  Thomas pushed her away once more and this time she fell to the floor.

  For a moment all was quiet until she stood up again and smiled at the couple.

  “But what about your little secret Thomas? What about your other life?”

  This time she had his attention.

  “She doesn’t know does she? DO you think she will still love you when she finds out? I will look after you Thomas; I love you”.

  “But I don’t love you Gertrude, not like that and I never will. You are my sister and that is enough,” his voice was low and desperate.

  For a second or two Gertrude looked straight at her brother as his words began to sink in; almost triumphant. Then her face began to slowly crumble into one of utmost sorrow. Raising the glass vial to her lips she poured the foul liquid into her mouth before Thomas could stop her. For a moment she stood erect and defiant before the poison started to take hold and she started to gasp for breath, her hands on her chest as if in pain. It didn’t take long for the potion to do its worse and within a minute she was lying stone dead on the floor.

  Thomas went to her in sorrow, carefully lifted her with his arms, and carried her away down the hall.

  When Thomas returned he sat back down on Beatrice’s bed with his head in his hands.

  “Thomas, I am so sorry,” Beatrice touched his arm gently.

  Grabbing her by the waist he pulled her close. “That nearly was you Beatrice my love; I nearly lost you,” and he wept into her shoulder.

  Picking her up in his arms he carried Beatrice to his bed chamber and laid her on the bed. Stepping to the window he opened the curtains, letting the brightness of the full moon wash over the room.

  “I need to tell ye something, show ye something. Gertrude was right, I do have a secret and it is only fair that ye know before we are married”

  Moving to the bed he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. “If ye do love me, promise me that ye will not be afraid, whatever happens.”

  She looked into his deep brown eyes and promised.

  “Beatrice, do you love me no matter what, no matter whom or what I am. Do you trust me?”

  It was a silly question.

  “Yes my darling, I love you and trust you no matter what”.

  Without taking his eyes from hers he drew her firmly towards him, pulling her into his strong arms. The heat was already rising from him and it spread across her, moistening her skin beneath her thin cotton night shirt.

  “Never be afraid of me Beatrice, whatever happens. I will never hurt you, ever.”

  Bending his head slightly towards hers Thomas started to kiss her face, softly at first, soft gently kisses lightly skipping over her face that made her body weak, and she leaned further into his arms for support. His strong arms pulled her even closer and she could taste his masculinity in the air, a tang of salt and something else, something wild and fresh. His kisses became harder as he found her mouth and her soft lips yielded to his passion, his tongue exploring, pressing down into her.

  His large hands delicately found the soft material of her nightshirt and pulling it up, his fingers found the soft flesh beneath. She sighed as his hands moved upwards, slowly stroking her skin until he reached the soft flesh of her pert breasts, the nipples hard and firm beneath his fingers. She had never been touched like this before and as he gently squeezed her yielding breasts a tremor of pleasure coursed through her body.

  “Are you alright?” his voice was throaty, full of desire against her ear.

  Beatrice nodded as his mouth found her neck and started kissing her as his hands pulled up the nightgown and lifted it over her head.

  Thomas stood back a little way to admire her nakedness, and Beatrice wrapped her arms around herself, feeling suddenly bashful under the gaze of this handsome man.

  “You’re beautiful,” he smiled gently at her before pulling her to him again.

  This time his mouth found her breasts, his hot lips sucking on her small nipples until she could hardly bear the pleasure, and when he started to push her down onto the soft bed she did not resist. She wanted him as much as he needed her. She could feel his long fingers slide up towards her inner thigh and instinctively she let her legs relax, allowing him easy entry. He brushed over her soft mound and she let out a small moan of anticipation as his fingers slid gently into her soft, moist recesses. Beatrice moaned with pleasure as his agile fingers slipped inside her, she had never been touched so intimately before.

  Now kneeling at her side, Beatrice looked up into his face, now a mask of desire. Parting her legs slightly he lowered his mouth onto her, his tongue quickly licking into her wet folds and moving slowly over her wetness. She arched her back as waves of pleasure flooded her body as he flicked his tongue lightly over her. When it seemed almost too much to bear Thomas stopped, kneeling once again before her. This time he started to remove his clothing, his hands shaking with pent up desire. First he removed his shirt and standing up began to unfasten his breeches, his ardor already discernible in the bulge of the material.

  Beatrice had never seen a man naked before and Thomas looked perfect in the moonlight and now undressed he joined her on the bed, covering her with half of his body whilst supporting his weight with the other half. He stretched out her arms above her head and she could feel his hard cock against her leg, hot and throbbing. It felt thick and long and her body ached to have him inside her. Shifting his position she felt his weight upon her, his large manhood poised and gently pushing at her.

  She was a virgin, had hardly kissed a man let alone been penetrated by one, and the thought slightly frightened her. She braced herself as his large cock pushed at her opening. She felt a dull ache as his girth stretched and tore into her. Arching her back she moved onto him and with one firm push he was inside her.

  There was a slight stab of pain as his flesh tore at her virginity, but this was quickly replaced by a feeling of pure passion as she felt him throbbing inside her. He moved gently at first, but soon his thrusts became more urgent and she was lost in the rhythm of their lovemaking, her eyes closed. A wave of ecstasy pulsed through her as Thomas’s shouts and moans reached a crescendo and he came with a loud shudder.

  Deep in her bliss Beatrice did not at first notice the changes in Thomas. His sexual moans had turned to a deep growling sound, his arms gripping her against the bed. Half opening her eyes she looked into his face, his eyes were different, now amber and burning with a deep, animal fire. Backing away from her, Thomas stood, naked and magnificent in the moonlight. His body was changing, a dark hair n
ow covering his skin and his face changing, morphing, the nose more dominant, the arms filling out, the fingers no more but replaced by paws and claws. The full moon rose high above their heads and Beatrice could see quite clearly that Lord Thomas Selkirk had turned into a bear.

  Her body shook with fear, suddenly the air had become cold, but she remembered what he said

  “Never be afraid of me that is all I ask, whatever happens. I will never hurt you, ever.”

  Beatrice looked at the bear hardly believing her eyes, yet this was Thomas, the man that was Thomas was somewhere deep inside. She looked at the eyes, now changed, but she trusted the creature, trusted him.

  The bear waved its great paws at the orb of the moon through the window, growling at the clear sky. Its grunts became louder, sharper as if the animal were in some sort of pain and calling out into the night for help. Then all was still again.

  Beatrice watched in amazement as the beast began to wither before her eyes until Thomas was finally restored to her once more, falling onto the floor once the transformation was complete.

  Running towards him she hugged the limp form of Thomas to her chest, he looked dazed, as if coming out of a deep sleep.

  “You saw?”

  Beatrice nodded, “But I still don’t understand”.

  Thomas sat up, recovering, finding his voice once more.

  “It is said that my family were once cursed by the forest witches for taking their lands and the legend has it that every first born son will be cursed with the blood of the bear. Whatever the truth about my ancestors there is some dark magic at play that turns me into a bear on the onset of the full moon, especially when I am in a state of heightened emotion”

  Beatrice breathed deeply, trying to take in the details of the strange story, she only half believed him even though she had seen the transformation happen right in front of her very eyes.

  “Is there no cure?”

  Thomas smiled at her, shrugging his shoulders. “I have learned to control my inner bear to ensure that the beast doesn’t take over completely, that some of the man, some of the essence of who I truly am remains inside to control the animal within. Gertrude knew about this and tried to help me with her potions. Unfortunately it seems she wanted to control me too”.

  He stroked her face softly with his fingers, the tips barely brushing her soft skin.

  “Can you still love me after all you have seen tonight?”

  She could scarcely believe the events of the evening. It all seemed unreal now in the peace and quiet. She was sorry for Gertrude, but if Thomas hadn’t stepped in, then it would be her body now lying beneath that sheet.

  She didn’t need to answer; her eyes were shining brightly as she wrapped her arms around him.

  The couple stood close together and looked out at the moon. It had been a long night and their future stretched out before them; unfettered by the past.

  Tomorrow would be a new dawn on an old world. THE END

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  DRAGON LORD

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  “I don’t see why I have to be married off to such a loathsome man!”

  Alva McCraig circled around her brother, matching his strikes as well as any male swordsman in the land. Their father, Lord McCraig, found her penchant for sword fighting with her brothers unacceptable for a young woman of her stature. He only allowed it as long as she maintained her duties in a society that treated her like a delicate flower, which she abhorred. The only female in a house of six brothers and a mother long passed into her grave, she was more tomboy than lady.

  Alva never fit in at the society functions, but her father trotted her to all of them, hoping to marry her off to an eligible member of their rank and file. Recently, he had found success with Lord MacEwan, a man she found as unattractive in looks as well as in personality. Though she had only met the man briefly during a grand ball, he was rumored to be arrogant, ruthless and aggressive. She couldn’t imagine being married to such a man.

  “You know that this will seal the peace treaty between our clans.”

  “So, I am to be trotted off to get married to someone I despise in order for everyone else to be safe and secure.”

  “That is pretty much the case, yes.”

  Infuriated by the notion, she quickly countered his thrust and dropped her boot behind his leg, knocking him off kilter and bringing him to the ground. His sword flew from his hand and she stood over him with the tip of hers touching his breast. Smiling down at him, she held him there a moment longer than necessary before pulling the sword away.

  “I’d rather fight.”

  “Yes, we all know you would. I’d wager that you’d come out victorious too.”

  She watched as his body changed, shifting before her eyes. A large black wolf with bright yellow eyes slid easily from beneath her sword and stood looking at her from just beyond the edge. It was something she could never get used to, seeing her brothers shift into wolves as it suited them. She was deeply envious of the ability. Just as quickly as he changed into a beast, he reformed into his human state. He stood smiling at her, still wearing the tattered clothes that had ripped apart in the transformation.

  “I hate it when you do that.”

  “You just hate that you can’t do that.”

  “It is entirely unfair not being able to shift. Our family is one of the original clans in Scotland. We’ve been here for thousands of years and are full of wolf shifters, everyone but me, it seems.”

  “Not just you, but all the females in the family. You act as if being a woman is a curse. You have no idea how good you have it. We have to work. We have to fight. You get married off to some fancy Lord and instantly create peace while moving into his wealthy estate and being waited on hand and foot.”

  “You think being a woman is that easy, huh? You’d feel differently if you were subjected to the pawing of a man you don’t care for and forced to bear his children.”

  “I wonder what they’ll be?”

  “What do you mean? They’ll be children.”

  “No. I mean will they shift into wolves? I hear that the MacEwans are dragon shifters. You might have a son that shifts into a fire breathing wolf or a howling dragon!”

  “Are you seriously making light of my predicament? I should have sunk the sword into your chest before you shifted!”

  “You’d never do that to me. You love me.”

  “Yes. You are my sixth favorite brother.”

  “You’ve a sharp tongue, Sis. I hope you intend to temper that with Lord MacEwan. Peace treaty won’t be a lasting long if he doesn’t treat you well.”

  “Of course. I will be a perfect lady so that all the land may have peace while I have peril.”

  “You shouldn’t look at it like that. You might enjoy all the finery you’ll be granted. There’s hope that you’ll be a lady, after all!”

  Alva swatted at him playfully as he dodged her hand and laughed. He grabbed his sword and motioned for her to come back with him. She followed behind, still scowling. He was lucky that he wasn’t female. He would never have to suffer being married off as if he were livestock being traded for barley. It was demeaning. If her mother were alive, somehow, Alva thought she would not have allowed such a thing to happen to her.

  “There is nothing unladylike about me. You just don’t want to admit that you had to shift into your wolf form because you were defeated by a girl!”

  Alva laughed playfully as she pulled her long honey wheat hair out of the neat bun it had been pinned into and shook it free about her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes twinkled in the sunlight as her laughter sang along the pines that surrounded them in the nearby forest. She might well be a tomboy and given to sport with her brothers, but she was one of the most beautiful girls in the land. There was many a saddened suitor who had sought her heart and failed.

  Walking into the house, she considered the misfortune of having been so picky about who she would like to marry only to have the choic
e taken away from her. There had been some boys she had dated that would have been preferable to Lord MacEwan, but she had not known a day like this would come. She told herself that there was no rush to marry though some would deem her an old maid. Her mother had loved her father very much and that is what she wanted for herself, a house filled with love and devotion.

  “It’s not fair!”

  The words she uttered to herself still echoed along the walls of her childhood home. She looked around, knowing it would be far behind her soon. She would live elsewhere with a man she did not care for. He would take her as his wife and she would bear his children. The thought made her shudder. Children were wonderful and beautiful, but not something she had ever envisioned for herself. She had believed she would find someone as passionate as herself given to adventure and fun. There would be none of that where she was going. Of that, she was certain.

  It seemed like the day to leave for Lord MacEwan’s estate had arrived before she knew it. The servants had all of her things neatly packed and loaded into the carriage that would take her to her new home. Giving it one last shot, she begged her father for a change of heart.

  “Please, I’m begging you. Don’t’ send me off to that horrid excuse of a man.”

  “You hardly know him, Alva. You might be well surprised how well suited for one another you are.”

  “Exactly! I hardly know him and I’m being shipped to him like a neatly wrapped gift. How could you do this to me?”

  “Don’t be so dramatic, Alva. You’ll quickly be an old maid if I leave it up to you to choose a husband. You’d rather spar with your brothers than court a suitable mate. This pairing will create a much needed peace between our clans and I think you’ll find it isn’t as unpleasant as you think.”