by E A Price
Sydney sighed. “I’m only planning on getting married once. I don’t usually care about getting attention or getting people to look at me...” She shuddered. She had a bad experience when she was cast in her only acting role in a school play. She had one line and froze for two minutes before running off stage and tripping over the lead actor and breaking his arm. After that, she was the lighting girl all the way. “But, I would like for our wedding to be special and memorable, and I trust your mom to do that.”
And then some. Christine was not overly subtle.
Kurt cupped her cheek and laughed. “Sweetheart, you made me the happiest man on earth when you agreed to marry me, and when my mom hears that, she will be the happiest woman on earth.”
Sydney smiled as she looked at her mate. “No, I’m the happiest woman on earth. Happy Valentine’s Day. I love you.”
“Right back at you, babe.”
*
Crystal’s small feet pattered through the entrance hall. Arik stood by the door, watching the swing of her round ass. She was small but exceedingly curvy, and as evidenced earlier, she curled around his body perfectly. What an adorable little penguin she was. This had been a long time coming, and now that it was here, he was going to enjoy every second. Rawr.
As Crystal peered around, he pulled off his sweater and dropped it to the ground. He was tempted to shred the clothes as he shifted, but they were borrowed from Gunner. Besides, letting the anticipation mount was making his bear even edgier and he was going to enjoy this even more. He kicked off his shoes as Crystal peered into the kitchen.
“So this is…”
“My house,” he purred.
“Yours?”
“Yes, I just closed on it this morning.”
Since his divorce was over, he thought it best to get out of his sister’s house as soon as possible, plus, he was intending on taking a mate very soon… say within the next hour…
“Really?” she breathed wondrously. “The house is huge.”
“Indeed.”
“Isn’t it a bit large for just…” she smiled, “two people?”
She inhaled as he pulled off his shirt. His bear howled, wanting to be free. “Depends on what they want to do in it.”
Crystal bit her lip and gave him a naughty look. “Well, I suppose if one of them wanted to chase the other round it…”
Arik grinned and shucked out of his trousers.
“Catch me if you can,” she cried and took off at breakneck speed. Up the stairs he noticed – perhaps she was looking for the bedroom. Rawr.
He chuckled and allowed her a small headstart – just a small one, didn’t want to risk her actually getting away because he definitely intended to catch her.
It was turning into one hell of a Valentine’s Day.
Mine.
The end
Two: Double Date
Cecile shivered in pleasure, and that could only mean one thing… Her swan fluttered as she heard the heavy tread of her mate climbing the stairs. Yes, Boris was home. Her nerves were a little on edge at the moment, but even that couldn’t stop her libido from waking up expectantly.
She slipped in some earrings as she heard him exchange a couple of grunts with her mother. Then she started brushing her hair as he stopped in to exchange some baby talk with little William, and by the time he made his way into their bedroom, she was ready for him.
She turned around, smiling at the sight of the her huge bear mate, looking luscious in his tight security guard uniform and clutching some wilting flowers.
“Darling,” she cooed. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Boris paused in the doorway, his dark eyes raking over every inch of her. She flushed in delight and twirled for his benefit.
“I bought a new dress. Do you like it?”
Boris, never the most verbose bear, grunted. “Was it expensive?”
“Not particularly.”
“Good.”
He tossed the flowers away and lunged at her, wrapping her slender frame in his strong arms, crushing her against his magnificent chest and devouring her mouth. Her swan sighed happily. She had been asleep when Boris left for work that morning, and clearly, he had missed their normal morning sex as much as she had. But their baby - little William – had been fussy last night, so he had allowed her to sleep in.
Cecile was a swan shifter, and Boris a bear shifter. They had mated not long ago and now had their adorable baby, William. Cecile was a Director at the Supernatural Enforcers Agency, while Boris worked there as a security guard. While people may have considered them an odd match – Cecile enjoyed needlepoint while Boris liked watching MMA fights – they couldn’t be happier together.
His lips moved to her neck, and his fingers started trying to creep under the fabric of the dress. He was readying to tear it off her – he’d done it so many times before. Ordinarily, she’d let him. What was a dress compared to the heavenly feeling of making love with her mate? But, they did have plans.
“You can’t tear the dress,” she panted.
While nipping her shoulder with his teeth, he let out a couple of groans that would be unintelligible to anyone who didn’t understand horny bear. Thankfully, Cecile was fluent.
“Because we have plans.”
Another groan.
“We’re going out to dinner with Juliet and Ryder.”
Boris paused and placed her back on her feet, allowing his grip on her to relax. Cecile smoothed out her dress.
His eyes narrowed. “Dinner?” It almost sounded like a dirty word.
“Yes, dinner. Don’t you remember?”
“No.”
“We made plans a week ago.”
Though, when she told him, he had been fondling her breasts. He probably wasn’t paying very much attention to what she was saying.
Boris took a step back, and if she didn’t know any better, she’d say he was pouting. He opened his mouth, and Cecile held up a hand.
“Before you ask, no, I will not call and tell them I’m sick… or that you’re sick. Juliet is a dear friend, and I know she is looking forward to tonight.”
He huffed, and Cecile laughed lightly at the disappointed look on his face. “Darling, it’s just dinner, it won’t take all night.”
Boris grumbled, but she knew he wouldn’t mind, not really. He did all sorts of things for her that he didn’t want to do but did them anyway to make her happy. Like the pregnancy yoga class, she took. Or that zoo fundraiser. Or her monthly book club. Though, maybe she’d suggest he stay home from that – it was supposed to be a couples book club, but he frightened the other males to death. He was the only male who read the book and growled at the others who hadn’t. They made sure to read the book for the next meeting.
“I, uh, got you these,” he rumbled, picking up the messy collection of flowers. They looked like they’d seen better days, but she could care less.
“I love them.”
And she did. He could give her weeds, and she would love them – because they were from him. His dark eyes roamed over her body, and she trembled.
“Oh, forget the dress!”
Cecile dropped the flowers and pulled Boris down for a kiss. His arms immediately wrapped around her and he pressed her against the wall. His questing lips moved over her chin until he found her neck. She gasped as his lips found her bonding mark, he laved his tongue over her scar, nipping her skin and sending shivers through her.
Her hands fumbled with his belt, eager to free him, eager to take him inside, eager to be taken. His manhood sprang free, hot and hard and oh so ready. There were times when they would make love slowly and tenderly, but this was not one of those times. No, she needed him immediately.
Roughly, he pushed the skirt of her dress up her legs, ripping her panties away – she lost so much underwear like this – and hitched her legs around his waist. Then he was pushing inside her.
Cecile gasped at the sudden fullness. Taking him inside never failed to thrill her, to fill her with aw
e that this incredibly sexy man was her mate, that he adored her, that he loved her, and oh, she loved him so fiercely in return.
He flexed inside her, thrusting and filling her over and over, extracting joyous little moans that spurred him on. She could feel his emotions swirling through their bond and knowing the depth of his feelings for her sent her soaring higher and higher.
She held onto his shoulders, arching against him as Boris nipped and teased her sensitive bonding mark. He plunged in and out of her, pushing her body to the heavenly brink until finally, she cried out her pleasure and together, they found their release.
Her inner swan fluttered breathlessly as the most wonderful feeling of bliss surged through her body, and she happily collapsed in his arms.
*
“Thanks for inviting us out,” trilled Juliet. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you,” mumbled Cecile blushing slightly, darting an almost nervous look at Boris.
She always looked lovely, though usually not quite so rumpled or flushed. Given the contented smile on her mate’s face, Juliet could guess the reason why she looked the way she did.
Cecile leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Juliet was a super strong vampire but absolutely tiny in stature. She ran a hand over her growing baby bump and looked around the restaurant excitedly. Since regaining her appetite, she was keen to go everywhere and eat everything.
Through a weird twist of fate, vampires regained some of their human faculties if they mated with shifters. Like being able to have kids and actually getting nourishment from real food rather than just blood. She still drank blood, but only that belonging to her giant saber-tooth tiger shifter mate, Ryder. Her possessive darling insisted it only came form him, and she really didn’t want to drink anyone else’s anyway.
“Yeah thanks,” grumbled Ryder, “it’s not like we could have been home enjoying Valentine’s alone.”
Juliet elbowed him, and he doubled over. Pregnant and tiny she may be, but she still had her vampire strength.
“You still want me to point it out when you’re being rude, don’t you darling?”
He wheezed. Cecile covered her mouth to hide her laughter, while Boris openly chuckled heartily.
“We’d have understood if you didn’t want to come,” said Cecile kindly.
Juliet shook her head. “Ignore him, I generally do.” He let out a grunt of pain. “And are you kidding me? This place has such an incredible reputation, and it’s impossible to get a reservation – even with my connections.”
“What connections?” asked Ryder suspiciously, regaining his breath.
Juliet ignored him. “And since I rediscovered my appetite, I’ve been dying to come here.”
Boris grunted in disapproval. He looked as happy to be there as her own mate. Though, she was impressed that Cecile had managed to lure him into wearing a tie – Ryder flat out refused.
“Can’t be better than Shaw’s,” rumbled the huge bear.
Ryder perked up. “Over on Whale Avenue?”
“Yeah, they do the best sandwiches.”
“Tell me about it. You ever try the beef manwich? They deep fry onions in beer batter and put them on top.” Ryder virtually drooled.
“Unbelievable,” agreed Boris, warming to the subject. “You ever try their Thanksgiving special? They put a slice of bread in the middle soaked in gravy.”
Juliet raised an eyebrow at Cecile who smiled shyly. The usually monosyllabic bear was apparently very talkative when it came to sandwiches.
“It’s amazing. You ever try their…”
“Okay,” interrupted Juliet, who could only put up with so much sandwich talk before she needed to eat something, “let’s save some of Shaw’s menu for later – we don’t want the conversation to peak too soon. It appears our table is ready.”
She linked her arm with Cecile’s. “How did you get the reservation?”
“My uncle knows the owner,” Cecile told her.
Their gruff mate held out their chairs for them – both of them glared at the waiter who tried to do it until he ran away with a worried expression on his face – and soon enough they were perusing the menu.
“How is little William?” asked Juliet. Being a vampire, few people entrusted her with their children, so she was thrilled whenever she got a chance to play with Cecile’s baby.
Cecile beamed at her mate while he growled smugly. “He’s not exactly little, but he’s perfect.”
“Who is with him tonight?”
“My mother, she’s been somewhat…” Cecile’s lovely feature’s scrunched as she sought the right word. “Attentive,” she finished.
“Can’t get her out of the house,” said Boris bluntly.
Cecile gave him a wary look. “She said she was coming to stay for a couple of days when William was born, and she’s still there.”
“Oh.” That was quite a few months ago now.
Cecile picked up her napkin and started folding it over and over – a nervous habit. “I wouldn’t mind except she brought her butler with her.”
Ryder let out a bark of laughter. “Your mom has a butler, and he’s living in your house?”
“Sleeping on our couch,” growled Boris, who obviously was even less thrilled than Cecile.
“We’re trying to find a way to ask her to go home,” said Cecile.
Boris opened his mouth, and Cecile amended that to, “We’re trying to find a delicate way to ask her to go home.”
Yes, Juliet imagined Boris had plenty of ways to tell his mother-in-law to go away. But he didn’t use them because Cecile loved her mother, and he loved Cecile. Juliet was both saddened and relieved that neither she nor Ryder were in contact with their families. Admittedly, hers had been dead for centuries, but Ryder hadn’t grown up in a happy home and had no idea where his family was.
Boris snorted, and Cecile fidgeted before changing the subject.
“What about you two? Are you ready for your little one’s arrival?”
It was Ryder’s turn to snort, and Juliet shot him a look.
“Not exactly…” she replied hesitantly.
“Not at all, ” he griped. “We don’t have a crib or toys or… something else babies need.”
Juliet gave him the stink eye. “We’re just not rushing.”
Cecile nodded. “No, you don’t want to rush these decisions. We spent a week researching the best crib.”
Ryder furrowed his brow. “Researching?”
“My cub has the best,” declared Boris proudly.
“Yes, we wanted to find the safest we could,” she explained. “We looked at hundreds of potential cribs. It’s important to find the right things, but you really don’t want to leave things to the last moment.”
Ryder gave Juliet a triumphant look. “See?”
Juliet narrowed her eyes. “Can we drop it, please?”
They were about to get into another argument about it again, but thankfully, they were interrupted before it got that far.
“Ah, the food is coming,” said Cecile in a relieved voice.
Boris curled his upper lip. “Is that what that is?”
*
Boris poked at his portion of food with about as much enthusiasm as Ryder did. It was supposed to be steak, but Ryder had never seen any steak that looked like this before. It was in a weird cube shape. He wondered about the cow it came from.
Cecile ate hers – but she was a lady and would be too polite not to, while Juliet would eat anything put in front of her.
Their dinner was kind of quiet. Boris, never very chatty, was just making noises of disgust as he ate. Cecile kept glancing nervously at her mate. While Juliet was pissed at Ryder and gave him a death glare whenever she wasn’t eating. Thankfully, she ordered quite a lot, so she was generally always eating.
His tiger huffed at him, but what was he supposed to do? He had been badgering her about getting baby stuff and sorting out a nursery for months now, but she didn’t want to listen. He kind of thought bringing
it up in front of witnesses may help. Nope, not even a little.
His little mate was worried about having a baby, and while he tried to reassure her, she wouldn’t, and maybe, couldn’t listen.
Ryder sighed and caught the attention of a waiter. “Hey, you got any mustard or ketchup? Something to cover up the flavor.”
“Ah, I’ll check with the chef,” he said doubtfully.
Juliet shook her head at him.
“Can’t make it taste any worse.”
“We should have just gone to Shaw’s,” rumbled Boris.
Ryder was about to agree when his tiger growled and he looked at the entrance of the restaurant. Three masked men had just stormed in and were pointing guns at everyone. There were a few screams, and he moved himself closer to Juliet. He watched as Boris did the same to Cecile, virtually dragging the lithe swan shifter onto his lap.
Yes, the food was awful here, but how dare they ruin his crappy time! Who do they think they are? His tiger snarled.
The kitchen staff all piled into the restaurant with another masked armed gunman close on their tail.
“Everybody listen up,” shouted one of the men.
Lion shifters thought his tiger dismissively. Bunch of dicks.
“Now, we’re going to move around the room, and you are all going to put your jewelry, wallets, purses, and phones into our bags.” One of the other men helpfully held up a large black bag.
Freaking show and tell.
“You will all be given zip ties, and you will tie your hands and feet. If anyone tries anything, you will be shot. Got it?”
There were a few frightened murmurs and then they started going. Three of the men moved around the restaurant, taking everyone’s valuables, while one waited by the door.
Juliet gave Ryder an irritated look. She had only been halfway through her third portion of steak – she wasn’t pleased in the least. She raked her nails across the table.
He flicked his eyes to Boris, who looked downright murderous. Given Boris’ reputation in his former life, even Ryder was a little wary of him.
Ryder rolled his shoulders. Yep, it had been a while since he cracked a head or two. He was pretty disappointed by how easy it turned out to be to stop them.
