by Jenna Payne
“Safir…are you serious?” she asked him, shock thick in her voice. He simply gave her a small smile that melted her heart and nodded. His gaze never wavered or showed signs of reticence.
“All this time I spent running around and ordering the pride around in anger and frankly…jealousy. I couldn’t stand the thought of some other shifter having you. But all of that was blinding me to what was actually happening. When I let all those feelings go I was led right to you,” he simply shrugged and Nora felt her chest swell with emotion.
“Alright then, um…I don’t know about you guys but…I’m still up for that drink,” she said and slowly moved towards the kitchen. Safir chuckled while Weston simply watched her, his eyes a bit predatory. She suddenly felt as if she had to catch her breath. Her sandwich contents were still pushed back on the kitchen island, where Weston had her up on not very long ago. She put all that stuff away and grabbed the bottle of tequila she spotted in the back of the fridge, followed by three glasses.
“Shots?” she said when she turned around and found them both in the kitchen with her.
“Sure, we could all use it,” Weston said. Nora poured everyone a double shot and then two more of those in succession. It didn’t take very long for her to get tipsy, but it took nearly half the full bottle of tequila to affect both Weston and Safir.
“Take another shot Nora,” Safir poked her in the side and she giggled as she flinched away from him.
“I can’t, if I do I won’t be attractive drunk, I’ll get really sloppy,” she said, making Weston laugh.
“You’re right actually, I remember that Memorial Day party we went to, it wasn’t the best,” Safir said and she giggled again.
“I have to say I’m not that used to giggly Nora, more like intense, sexy without trying Nora,” Weston said and Safir snorted.
“The sexy part is all the time, yeah, but she’s normally fun-loving,” Safir told him.
“You know guys I’m right here,” she said lazily.
“We know…” Weston said, he moved behind her, pulling her against his chest just as Safir simultaneously pressed against her from the front. Nora’s breath caught in her throat when she felt Weston’s lips on her nape. She tilted her head so he could have more access and met Safir’s kiss in the process. He licked almost hungrily into her mouth and pressed his hips flush against hers. She felt his erection and squirmed against him. Weston pressed tighter against her as well and she gasped when she felt his hardness against her back.
Safir pulled away from her slightly and Weston scooped her up into his arms. Before she knew it they all were in her bedroom and Weston was lowering her onto the bed. He climbed up next to her and bent down to kiss her while Safir pulled off her pants and trailed kisses along her calves. Nora felt all hot and wrapped up in lust, she wanted both of them with an odd fierceness that took her by surprise.
Weston pulled off her shirt and unhooked her bra with ease while Safir slid her panties off. She felt as if she would combust with their lips on her. Weston slid down to her breasts while he kneaded them in his hands, and Safir’s lips inched closer to her inner thighs. By the time Weston pulled one of her nipples into his mouth, Safir’s lips reached her sensitive folds, his tongue delved in to slide against her clitoris.
“Oh my god…” Nora gasped, out of breath from panting so much. She couldn’t lie still, pleasure was coursing through her with every beat of her heart and it was racing. It wasn’t long before she was shooting off into a mind-shattering orgasm. She swore she saw colors explode around her as her body was rocked with wave after wave of intense pleasure. She hadn’t even come down from her orgasm yet before Safir was nudging her legs farther apart and sliding into her. She cried out as he filled her up, her back arching to meet his thrusts. She was only a little distracted by Weston then, he had taken off his clothes and was beautifully naked next to her on the bed. He kissed her once before offering her his impressive erection. She took it into her hand and soon had him in her mouth. When another orgasm hit her Weston and Safir switched positions. They went at it until Nora was little more than a puddle on the mattress, passed out and completely sated.
*****
Nora woke to the sounds of Safir and Weston talking. They were speaking in low voices and on either side of her. She stretched, feeling like her body had the best internal massage ever, and opened her eyes. Tan and golden eyes met hers and both had tender expressions, though Safir smiled and Weston simply caressed her jaw.
“Good morning sleepyhead,” Safir said, his smile growing.
“Morning…” she said, feeling all of a sudden shy. Though she really shouldn’t after the night they had before.
“How do you feel?” Weston asked her, humor in his voice.
“Really good,” she said with a chuckle.
“No hangover?” he asked, seeming impressed.
“No…I think the orgasms kept me from having one maybe…if that’s possible,” she joked.
“So Weston and I were just talking…” Safir said and she glanced at him curiously.
“We came up with a way to successfully merge the prides. It’s kind of a necessity now…I’m like Safir, not letting you go,” Weston told her. Nora’s chest filled with warmth and hope as she smiled at him. She really did have feelings for Weston and wouldn’t want him out of her life either.
“So what are you going to do to merge the prides,” she asked.
“First we’re going to talk to the neighboring wolves to get them to agree to extend the duration of our sanctuary here. Then slowly, but steadily integrate my guys into Lion’s Bay. They’d move into town just like any human, then only when everyone is settled will we merge the shifters into one pride…Safir staying its leader and me taking position as his second,” Weston explained.
“That sounds perfect,” Nora said happily. “Have you told the other lions yet?” she asked them and they shook their heads.
“First we’ll get our sanctuary here extended then get everyone together to tell them what’s going on…” Safir said.
“…but?” Nora heard the slight waver without him voicing it.
“But I just want to make sure you’re okay with our both wanting you as mate…we wouldn’t be able to have a human marriage. And…we’d essentially be sharing you,” he pointed out. Nora smirked and shrugged a little.
“That’s alright with me, as long as you’re both in my life as in more than friends. As long as we have some kind of commitment bonding us together,” she said.
“Of course, we can make vows in front of the pride once it’s merged,” Weston suggested.
“It’d be the perfect way to start our union officially,” Safir said thoughtfully.
“I like it,” Nora said with a smile.
“Great, now let’s shower and get something to eat,” Safir suggested. Nora held her arms out then.
“I think you’ll have to carry me, I doubt my legs are still working,” she said and Weston laughed almost dangerously.
“Oh Nora, Nora, Nora…are you going to be in for a treat,” he chuckled, making her crack up. He kissed her on the cheek and Safir gave her a light peck on the lips.
“Come on, we need our Nora up and running,” he said and Weston pulled her up.
“So technically…are you guys my concubines?” she asked curiously, only mostly joking.
“Depends on your definition, sure we’ll draw baths for you and feed you, no problem. But in bed you’re being dominated, no doubt about it,” Safir said, grinning at her.
Nora thought getting ready the morning after marathon sex with just Safir was a process, but getting ready the morning after with both Weston and Safir…that was an entirely different deal. But strange as it was Nora couldn’t be happier, literally. Weston and Safir oddly balanced each other out and fit two sides of her like puzzle pieces.
“So…your summer is turning out to be pretty eventful huh?” Safir asked her while they ae a quick breakfast.
“Yeah actually…I
don’t think I can share with my class what I did this summer though. I might have to make something up…say I went to Seattle or something,” she said.
“This is going to be a little weird at first, but I think it’ll work,” he said and Nora glanced over at Weston who was grabbing orange juice from the fridge.
“Well you were a little weird when we first met, but it worked out,” she said and heard Weston chuckle. Safir smiled ruefully at her, but pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Same with Weston…” she added and he simply laughed.
“Our shifters will be fine, as long as they’re with their own…and you know we’d be the largest lion pride in the north,” West pointed out.
“We’re stronger unified,” Safir said, stating the obvious though it was so true. Nora smiled to herself, she was excited about the rest of the summer, only a little scared, but so looking forward to what was ahead.
THE END
Bonus Story 30 of 40
Stuck Biker
I need a drink. Or five. That’s all I can think as I shuffle into the small, run down bar and throw myself onto a stool.
The place smells like beer and piss. The floor is sticky and the plaster on the wall seems to be coming apart.
All the bars are like that in this town. Unsightly havens for local drunks. The only reason I chose this one, The Watering Hole, is because it’s what they call a neutral.
That means neither of the town’s MCs has laid claim to it. Which is what makes it perfect for me. As the girlfriend of a member of The Raiders club, I can’t be seen at any Gator hangouts. And my boyfriend, Jake, and his Raider buddies are having one of their rowdy meetings tonight. I don’t want anything to do with that at the moment either. So, The Watering Hole is my only option.
“What’ll it be sweetheart?” a slightly elderly bartender with balding hair and a ready grin asks from across the bar.
“Whiskey. Straight,” I answer. He nods in reply and goes to make the drink.
That’s another thing I like about this place. The bartenders here are usually not too chatty. They still call me sweetheart, of course. In Texas, a petite, pale, blonde haired blue eyed girl like me will always be sweetheart. No matter how many tattoos or body piercings I get.
But, the bartenders here usually leave it at that. They can tell when you want to drink in silence. And tonight I definitely want to drink and fume in peace.
I’ve had another fight with Jake. Or rather, Jake had a fight with me. He started it.
I’d just come inside from getting the mail. The mailman happened to be there. That’s to be expected as we’re his last stop for the day. He asked me a question about something. I can’t even remember what it was now. It might have even been about the weather. I stopped to answer him.
I guess Jake saw us talking. He’d already had a couple of beers and he went after me.
“You sure had a lot to say to that guy, Ali,” he told me. I would have laughed if the look on his face weren’t so serious.
“Come on Jake, I was out there for maybe two minutes,” I said.
“A lot can happen in two minutes,” Jake said. “Especially with you.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“It means I know what a little whore you can be,” he told me. I felt my face growing red with anger at the accusation.
“When have I ever-” I started to ask. He put his hand up as though he was going to slap me. My mouth closed instantly.
“Just don’t let me see it happen again,” Jake said. “You know what I’ll do if it does.”
The anger turned to a hint of fear. Jake had said things like that before. He’d told me that he’d kill me if I ever cheated on him. He had said that even before the beatings started six months ago.
To tell the truth, when I was seventeen, I thought it was romantic. Now, it just makes me feel angry and scared and trapped.
I sip my whiskey knowing that I shouldn’t really be drinking it straight. Alcohol tends to go to my head. But, at this point, I couldn’t care less. I know Jake’s out getting shitfaced with his buddies. Just like I know when I get home, he’ll either be on the couch passed out and drunk, or waiting to start a fight with me. This one’ll end in a few punches thrown at my head. That’s what happens almost every Thursday night, it’s sort of become a tradition.
Oh, he apologizes for it afterward. He tells me he’s sorry and he loves me and he takes care of any cuts or bruises I have. I pretend to forgive him. I pretend he’s sincere. That’s also become a tradition.
I think, bitterly, that I should be grateful for the day after. Cleaning the bruises he’s given me is about the only affection he shows to me anymore.
Once upon a time, Jake and I were rough and wild in the way we made love. Any bruises I got were thoroughly enjoyable ones, and the slapping was mutual.
It’s been six months since he touched me like that. Now, when he calls me a whore, it’s not dirty talk. He actually means it. Or, he wants me to think that he does. The truth is, lately, he hasn’t shown any interest in me at all.
As I down the last sip of my whiskey, I notice a young man across the bar who does appear very interested in me. He’s staring at me with a kind of hungry expression and when I catch his eye, he smiles.
I don’t smile back but look away determinedly. It’s not that the guy wasn’t good looking. From the cursory glance I gave him, I can see that he is. And, it’s not that I don’t want to be noticed. After getting no affection from Jake for six months, I can’t deny that I’m dying to be given even the tiniest bit of romantic attention from a man.
But, I remember very clearly what Jake told me. What he reiterated just today. ‘If you cheat on me, I’ll kill you.’ It doesn’t matter that this rule doesn’t seem to apply to him.
I know his buddies bring whores to their meetings. And, I know Jake fucks them. I pretend not to know, but I do.
All the same, I know Jake makes good on his threats. He’s a million things but he’s definitely not a liar. So, I try my best to ignore the good looking guy across the bar as I order another whiskey.
The young man becomes impossible to ignore when he stands up and walks towards me. My eyes are immediately drawn to him.
He is tall. I would guess a couple inches over six feet. The tight, black shirt he wears reveals an extremely muscular frame. His chin length black hair is allowed to hang down elegantly around his face. His arms sport several tattoos that crawl all the way up and disappear under the sleeves of his shirt. I can’t help but stare at them, wandering their path, longing to tear that shirt off him just to see how far up these tattoos really go.
When he sits down next to me, I look into those dark eyes and, for a second, I forget who I am. I forget that I’m in a crappy little bar in a crappy little town. I just stare at him. He smiles and I feel a thrill rush through my chest. It’s something I haven’t felt in a very long time.
“Can I buy you another one of those?” he asks. His voice is deeper than I imagined it would be. It’s almost hypnotic.
I blink twice to try and clear my head. I can’t give into this guy. Not with Jake at home. Not when it might cost me my life.
“Thanks, but I’ve already bought another one,” I tell him, nodding towards the barman who’s making his way over with my whiskey.
“But, you haven’t paid for it yet, have you?” he asks.
“I’m running a tab,” I tell him flatly.
“That kind of night, huh?” he asks.
“You could say that.”
The bartender sets my drink down in front of me.
“Hey Milo,” the stranger next to me says. The bartender looks up. “I’ll take another gin and tonic. And you can put her drink on my tab too.”
Before I can object, Milo nods and rushes off to the other end of the bar.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I tell him. I’m trying to feel annoyed and I know I should, really. But then I look at his eyes and that smile again and I find that I can’t.
/> “I know I didn’t have to,” he says, “I wanted to. You shouldn’t drink alone, after all.”
“What if I want to drink alone?” I ask. I’ve got to stand my ground. But, my resolve is waning with every word he speaks.
“You don’t,” he says confidently.
“And how do you know that?” I ask.
“Because I’ve been watching you,” he says. “You keep looking in your glass like you want to talk to it. Like you’re hoping it’ll talk back to you.”
“So I look like I’m crazy?” I ask. It wouldn’t be a stretch given how I feel.
“No,” he says with a slight chuckle that causes my heart to thump faster in my chest. “You look like you could use a sympathetic ear. And it just so happens that I make a very good sympathetic ear. So, what do you say?”
I want to say yes. It would be nice to have someone to talk to about Jake, about his stupid club, about my go nowhere job, about everything. Then Jake’s threat pops up in the back of my mind. At the very least, he’ll hit me if he finds out I’ve been talking to another man. Then again, if he’s in one of his moods, he’ll hit me regardless.
Not to mention, I know he’s out at his own bar drinking it up with his whores. If he can do it, why shouldn’t I do it too?
With that in mind, I look this young man up and down with a small smile on my face.
“Why the hell not?” I say finally. He smiles as he sits down next to me. “But just so we’re clear,” I say firmly before he gets too comfortable, “I’m not going to have sex with you. It’s just a drink.”
Even though I’m willing to defy Jake somewhat, I’m still not that crazy. Talking is one thing, after all. Sex is a whole other level.
“Fair enough,” he says with that same chuckle that sends shivers down my spine.
“I’m Ben,” he says
“Ali,” I say.
“So, I take it ’no sex’ means there’s someone else?” he asks.
“Not necessarily,” I tell him with an eye roll. No matter how good looking he is, he’s still clearly a man.
