Bitten by the Alpha Wolf

by R. E. Swanson

  Bruce bought the coffees to the table.

  “Well,” he said, “this is nice.”

  Jenny smiled. “It's lovely,” she said. “It's turned out to be quite a holiday. Definitely the break we were looking for. It's taken our mind off things.”

  “Ana looks better.”

  “She does,” Jenny agreed. “It's almost a shame we have to leave tomorrow.”

  “Yes,” said Bruce. “That is a shame.”

  Jenny sipped her coffee and when she put it down Bruce laid his hand over hers.

  “I've been thinking about that,” he said. “I've been thinking you might like to extend your stay a little.”

  “Oh, no,” said Jenny. “We couldn't.”

  “Well,” said Bruce, “you probably could. Those rooms are vacant. It’s getting to the end of the season. I'm not expecting anyone to need them now.”

  “That's really nice of you, Bruce,” said Jenny. “But, you know, we've budgeted for this holiday and now it's coming to an end and it's time to go.”

  “You don't have to pay anything more. This is not me, the guest house owner, speaking now. I'm asking you to stay because I want you to.”

  “That's just going to be hassle for you,” said Jenny. “Why would you want that?”

  “Why?” Bruce laughed. “Why do you think? Because I like you. You are very attractive and great company.” And then he leaned over the table. “Plus, we just had the most amazing sex ever and I think we owe it to each other to repeat the experience as often as we can before our bodies give out on us.”

  Jenny felt herself blush. “Bruce, it's been a great holiday. But a holiday thing is a holiday thing and I'm old enough to know that people can get hurt trying to make it into something it's not.”

  Bruce looked downcast. “It might be a holiday fling for you, but that's not how I think of it.”

  Jenny felt the familiar guilt build inside her. She’d slept with Bruce, and she’d slept with Razvan. “Bruce…I have to tell you…”

  He held up a hand. “I think I can guess.”

  “I don’t think you can,” said Jenny.

  “You and Razvan had sex,” he said matter-of-factly. “Is that what you wanted to tell me?”

  She sat back, shocked. “How did you…”

  “He didn’t tell me, if that’s what you’re asking. I just had a sense about it, that’s all.” He sipped his coffee. “Razvan and I both enjoy your company. It would be great to have you here. I know you love the place.”

  “I love the place. But come on, Bruce. We've only just met. I'm in a situation right now. Let's not get carried away,” Jenny said, but even as she said it, she couldn't help feeling excited. Maybe, just maybe, it could all be possible. But could he really be as cavalier about her one-night-stand with Razvan as he seemed?

  Bruce smiled his disarming smile. “What you say is all very sensible. But it's a possibility, that's all I'm saying. You might want to consider it, before passing it up.”

  Jenny nodded. Over the harbor wall, the fish had been unloaded and the boat was empty. The poor seagulls flapped around, but found nothing to scavenge. The fishermen had packed up and gone home and would not be back until the next day.

  “Maybe,” she said. “Maybe we could stay a few more days and see how it goes. But it all depends on Ana. It depends on how she feels. She probably wants to get back to her friends. If she doesn't want to stay, that's it. There's no point trying to persuade her.”

  “You can ask her now,” said Bruce, nodding towards the bridge. “Isn't that her on her way?”

  “How was your morning?” Jenny asked when Ana reached them.

  “Good,” she said, clambering onto a stool. “It was very interesting. There's a lot to see here for such a small town.”

  Jenny noticed that she had even caught the sun but decided against saying anything. “I was thinking,” she said, “about staying a little longer. Just a few more days.”

  “Sure,” said Ana. “Could I have a coffee?”

  *

  When they walked back up to the guest house, Jenny was full of turmoil. She hadn’t expected Ana to want to stay. Ana had been her excuse, so that Jenny could escape any potential conflict emerging from this really great, but really weird love triangle that she’d unwittingly created. She knew it was selfish, but she wanted them both.

  She shook her head, avoiding Bruce’s questioning gaze. She was a modern woman, yes, but she was just coming out of a divorce. To take on two lovers at once—it seemed a bit excessive.

  When she and Ana had said farewell to Bruce at the bottom of the stairs, Ana followed Jenny into her room. “So what’s going on?” said Ana.

  “What do you mean?” asked Jenny, surprised.

  “I mean, you’re obviously very happy with Bruce, but you’re acting like you feel guilty about something.”

  “I’m just—I thought you weren’t paying attention!” said Jenny. Her face felt hot, a dead giveaway.

  “Just because I’m looking at my phone doesn’t mean I can’t see whatever else is going on around me. So are you worried about Bruce because you hooked up with Razvan, or what?”

  “You’re not supposed to know that!”

  “I know a lot of things I’m not supposed to know,” Ana said. “Like Dad’s a complete prick but you’re hiding it from me because you don’t want me to feel as abandoned as you felt. I don’t, by the way.”

  “What—Ana! I’m so sorry!”

  “Don’t be,” she said. “Nobody’s judging you except for you, Mum. If both Razvan and Bruce want to be with you, I say you should go for it.”

  “But—but I—this is just unheard of,” Jenny spluttered. “I can’t have two men in my life. I could barely handle one.”

  “One of my favorite steampunk authors wrote this: ‘We have to seek strange and fascinating new measures in order to achieve strange and fascinating results.’ I saw what Dad did to you, Mum. There was nothing strange and fascinating about him. Our life with him was cold and sad. Wouldn’t you rather have a strange and fascinating life?”

  Jenny reached for Ana and pulled her into a hug. “Ana, dear, you are the smartest person I know.”

  She kissed her daughter’s head and released her.

  “I know,” said Ana. “Now go find your strange and fascinating men.”

  *

  Jenny paced outside the downstairs hall where Bruce’s and Razvan’s rooms were located. When she’d left Ana behind in her own room, she’d felt full of resolve and confidence. It had felt like the most natural thing in the world. Build a life for herself, with strange and fascinating men.

  But she didn’t even know how they felt about her! Bruce, she knew, wanted her to stay here in Whitby, but she didn’t know if Bruce would be enough. He was the anchor, and Razvan was the wildness. She needed them both.

  She passed by Razvan’s door one more time, and before she could change her mind, she reached out and knocked.

  The knock was quiet enough that she could still run off and pretend it had never happened. Surely he hadn’t heard such a quiet knock.

  His door opened. “Jenny,” he said, smiling widely, “I wondered if you would come back to my arms.”

  “I…I’ve been wanting to,” she said, already feeling pinned in place by his mesmerizing gaze.

  “You look troubled,” he said, touching a finger to her chin. “What’s bothering you, hm? Tell me and I’ll grant your wish.”

  She shook her head. “You can’t. I mean, you can. But I don’t think you’ll want to.”

  A few paces away, Bruce’s door opened. “Jenny, I thought I heard your voice,” said Bruce. “Is everything okay?”

  “I need you both,” said Jenny. “I mean, I need to talk to you both.”

  Bruce shook his head and smiled past her to Razvan. “No, I think the first thing she said was the right one.”

  “I agree,” said Razvan.

  “What?” asked Jenny. “Do you…do you mean…?”

&
nbsp; “We’ve already discussed it,” said Razvan. “We’ll only be happy with you. Of course, we thought Bruce should do the asking, given my…nature.”

  “Ask me what?”

  “We want you to stay here, with both of us,” said Bruce. “The experiences we’ve had with you are nothing short of magical.”

  “Strange and fascinating,” Jenny said, musing upon Ana’s quotation.

  “Exactly,” said Razvan. “But are you willing? To take a risk?”

  In response, Jenny held out her arms, and took each of them by the hand. She pulled both men to her, kissing first Razvan, and then Bruce. “Yes,” she said. “Yes.”

  *

  Later that evening, Jenny, Ana, and Bruce walked down to the beach. Razvan, of course, had stayed behind, citing his sensitivity to light. But he’d given Jenny a long, lingering kiss that ignited all kinds of want within her. As they’d walked away, Ana had stuck her tongue out…but she also gave Jenny a thumbs up sign.

  Bruce and Jenny left Ana sitting on a large rock, reading another book Razvan had given her, and continued along the shoreline.

  “You know that Razvan told me he was a vampire,” said Jenny.

  Bruce laughed. “He's very honest about things. You just have to take him as he comes. How did you feel about the whole vampire thing? You're not prejudiced, are you?”

  “No, I'm tolerant of alternative lifestyles. Obviously, since, you know. Our arrangement.” She blushed, wondering if they would ever sleep together, all three of them. She hoped sometime that they might. “Anyway, he doesn't seem a very bad vampire. No murdering virgins, or anything.”

  “No, he's very much mainstream. More the artistic, literary end of the vampire spectrum. Although you won't see Razvan down here on the beach sunbathing anytime soon. No garlic in the kitchen, that's the major downside.”

  “And no steaks, either,” said Jenny.

  “Ha ha, very good,” said Bruce, laughing.

  “I feel safe with him, but is it okay to leave him with Ana?”

  “Of course,” said Bruce. “He's not a maniac. Whatever ancient urges run through his veins, he’s well-capable of controlling them. Except, of course, if it’s a full moon and something has particularly aroused him. But we always lock him in the cellar on those nights.”

  Bruce turned to her and grinned.

  “Anyway, Ana's safe. He won't get past the tattoo.”

  “I'd forgotten about that,” said Jenny, laughing.

  They'd reached the rocks that marked the end of the beach and turned to retrace their steps.

  “I'm very happy you've decided to stay with us,” Bruce said.

  “Me too,” she said. “I'm a lot happier than I was when I arrived here.”

  “You look it,” said Bruce, taking her hand. They stood on the beach with the waves gently lapping around them and kissed. Jenny smiled, looking forward to the rest of her strange and fascinating life with these men.

  Dominated by the Ghost

  Ghost Romance

  The soothing motion of the train was making Ruth sleepy. She closed her eyes and let the soft rocking rhythm soothe her. It’d been a long week—actually, it’d been a long few weeks.

  Her long, messy divorce was finally finalized and she was on her way to Seattle to visit family. The cost of flying was too high so she’d book a two night trip on the Amtrak to take her from Chicago to Seattle. It wasn’t the fastest, but it did give her time to unwind.

  It’d been ages since she’d been home and she was looking forward to seeing her friends and family in Seattle.

  Ruth looked around at her accommodations and smiled. She’d managed to book a fair sized cabin and was suitably impressed with it. There was even a shower so she could freshen up in the morning. But she didn’t want to stay cooped up in her cabin the entire trip. Not to mention, hunger was beginning to gnaw away at her stomach. It wouldn’t hurt to pay a trip to the train’s dining car.

  She gazed at herself in the mirror as she brushed her long blonde hair and scooped it up into a high ponytail. Her tired emerald eyes stared back at her and she sighed. I’m exhausted and my mom is going to pick up on it too. If she could get a good nights rest she’d probably feel a whole lot better.

  “Right, girl, let’s make you look more presentable for dinner,” she muttered to her reflection.

  Ruth grabbed her suitcase and opened it up rummaging around for something decent to wear. The summer was just beginning and the temperature was sitting comfortably between the cool of winter and the heat of the main summer months.

  She found a long, flowing, floral summer dress with spaghetti straps, which flattered her shapely figure. After a quick wash, she stepped into it and enjoyed the feel of the soft material against her skin. Ruth was twenty-eight-years-old with stunning pale green eyes and a wicked sense of humor. Sarcasm was her favorite, but it had ultimately been the destruction of her marriage. Her husband’s humor had left him as soon as they married. The more witty comments she made the more it wound him up. It had all ended badly.

  Ruth slipped her feet into a pair of flat, strappy, black sandals. She’d packed a pair of high heels but walking on a train was bad enough in flats let alone heels.

  As she left the cabin, a whisper of icy air brushed over her face. There were no open windows around. She shrugged and continued on her way to the dining car. The train was quite busy, but not packed, which suited Ruth just fine.

  Adapting to being alone after a four year marriage took time and she struggled with the evenings. The winter months had been especially rough. It got dark too early. Her mom had suggested she adopt a pet from an animal shelter, but Ruth had enough problems looking after herself, let alone a pet. It wouldn’t be fair to leave an animal on its own all day anyway.

  Ruth worked in a florist shop in Chicago, which she’d always enjoyed up until the situation worsened between her and her husband.

  Her boss had insisted that she take some time off. The stress of the divorce, and settling into a new home had nearly driven her crazy. She’d started to take her anger out on customers by making rude comments.

  Ruth had been bitter and often found herself muttering about how love wouldn’t last and romantic gestures were a waste of money. Her words had cost the business money. Something Ruth regretted immensely.

  Her vacation in Seattle had been forced upon her really, but she was still looking forward to going. The change in scenery would be welcomed.

  She spent a pleasant hour in the dining car, idly chatting to an elderly lady traveling to Seattle to see her daughter. The lady told Ruth that her daughter had never married and had spent most of her life alone. This made Ruth feel better in some ways. At least she’d tried the whole marriage thing.

  After a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, Ruth was feeling slightly tipsy and began regretting the alcohol as soon as she tried walking back to her cabin. The swaying motion of the train, coupled with the wine, wasn’t working well for her. She managed to stumble back and open her cabin door.

  She frowned, cocking her head to the side as she took in her room. “I’m sure I didn’t leave you there,” she muttered as she moved her make-up bag back onto the counter by the sink.

  “I definitely know I didn’t leave you there,” she said as she moved her red silk pajamas from the chair and placed them back on the bed. She’d folded the bed down before going to the dining car and left her pajamas on top of it for when she returned.

  Ruth locked the door and sat down on the bed as she started to undress. She was exhausted and had a bit too much to drink. Obviously, her mind was playing tricks on her. She needed to get some rest.

  Ruth kicked off her sandals and unzipped her dress pulling her arms free and letting the garment fall to the floor. She picked it up and placed it on a coat hanger, hanging it in the small closet area in her cabin. She was too tired for a shower so settled for a quick wash instead.

  She unfastened her blue, lace bra while standing in front of the mirror. Th
e underwire helped support and show off her curvy breasts, but by the end of the day it could be so uncomfortable. It was always a relief to allow her ample breasts the chance to escape the lace confines and bounce together freely. She admired her reflection in the mirror, and noticed the way her beautifully formed breasts looked. Her cleavage had always been one of her best assets.

  Her nipples were akin to rose-colored shimmering buds. They stood erect, craving for a delicate touch. The sexual side of Ruth’s marriage had died a long time ago. It’d been a long time since she’d felt a man’s gentle touch on her silky, smooth skin.

  She placed her fingers on both sides of her blue silk panties and pulled them down, stepping out from them daintily. For a shapely girl, Ruth had extremely delicate and gentle movements. She finished admiring herself and set to work, sponging herself down.

  The sponge splashed through the warm water in the sink as she washed her curvy body. Once finished, she wrapped a soft fluffy towel around her voluptuous curves, unplugged the sink, and rinsed the soapsuds from the sponge.

  An icy cold rush brushed over her bare shoulders and she whirled around. “What the…” she trialed off. Again, there were no windows open. Her smoother than silk skin erupted in goose bumps as the temperature dropped inside her cabin and she whispered into the emptiness, “Okay this is weird, and going to sound ridiculous, but is there anybody there? Isn’t that what they ask on those haunted programs.”

  She giggled nervously and noticed the puff of white from her breath floating in the air as she spoke, “Does this cabin come with its own spirit? I’d have rather had whisky than a ghost!”

  She chuckled at her weak attempt at humor then stared at the mirror as it started to mist up. She couldn’t believe her eyes when a word started to form on the mirror. The word simply said, Hello.

  “Okay, so this is a joke obviously. Are there hidden cameras in the cabin? Or is this some kind of elaborate trick to make girls run out of the cabin half naked?”