Above her, Logan’s brows knitted together in consternation. “Go? Why would we want to go?”
Christ, he wasn’t making this easy.
Sitting up, Seline clutched the sheet to her bare breasts, trying to ignore the way Logan’s piercing gaze immediately honed in on her hardened nipples through the thin cotton. “Look, I know you guys were trying to be suave and kinky last night, and, obviously, it worked.” She gestured down to herself with a small, amused smile. “But I understand that we were all a bit tipsy, and things happen. We’re adults, here. I’m not going to run off the mortal coil if you two beat a quick exit.”
“I assure you, Seline,” She inhaled sharply as Aiden suddenly stepped from the bathroom. If she’d thought him attractive before, his golden hair in the early morning sunlight took her breath away, “The only thing we were inebriated by was you.”
The statement sent a delicious little thrill down her spine at the same instant that surprise jolted through her.
So..wait…
Did that mean…all those things they had spouted last night…they’d really meant them?
“I know this might seem strange to you,” Aiden crossed the room, running a hand through his damp waves to sit on the edge of the bed, a mere two feet from her. His unique gray gaze met hers and her heart fluttered slightly in her chest. “But you did promise us forty eight hours. The question is: Did you mean it?”
Seline looked from one man to the other, trying to swallow the arousal that threatened to course through her veins. They had said there was something special about her – that they were drawn to her. While, the previous night, she’d been just tipsy enough to take it as horse shit and allow them to tempt her into the most erotic encounter of her life, now, sober, in the light of day, things were a bit different.
Forty eight hours.
She had promised them two days to convince her of…what? That they were meant to be together? That it was possible for two men to want the same woman? That one could meet a complete stranger and know they were “the one”?
Seline was a writer. For most of her life, she’d dealt in fantasies and happily-ever-afters – enough to know that they very seldom occurred in real life. Whatever these guys were trying to accomplish, she supposed it couldn’t hurt to let them do as they pleased. They’d soon discover that she was no untried school girl. While she might have fallen into their bed the previous night, she was more than capable of handling herself sober.
She would let them show her whatever they wished, endure it with politeness (she owed them at least that, after the mind-blowing night they’d delivered), and then they’d go their separate ways, no one worse for the wear. If anything, she’d have a juicy story to tell Sophie when everything was said and done. Her friend would want an explanation for why she’d dropped out of contact the previous night anyway.
“I meant it.” She answered them solemnly, her gaze moving from steel gray to arresting blue. A little twinge of nervousness stirred briefly in her belly before settling down. Seline wasn’t terribly worried. After all, this was McKinley – her town. She was almost sure these two were transients. She knew the city far better than they did – there was little they could show her that would surprise her.
Both men shared twin smiles of delight. Rising from the bed, Aiden beamed down at her. “Wonderful. We’ll leave you here to get dressed.” Logan rose from her side as well, his expression somewhat more reluctant.
Celine couldn’t help the coy hunger that crept into her voice. “What? Surely after last night, you boys haven’t gotten shy.” Sex was easier. Sex she could handle without worrying about what kind of odd commitments came with it. Abruptly, Seline dropped the sheet, exposing the round warmth of her breasts. Her nipples immediately pebbled upon contact with the cold air and for a moment, both Aiden and Logan could only stare.
The blonde man, however, was the first to recover. Clearing his throat, he tore his eyes from Seline’s bare chest. “It has nothing to do with shyness, Seline.” His voice was soft and almost predatory, sending a thrill of heat through her system. “If you ask us back to bed now, know that you won’t leave it for days, and that’s a solemn promise.”
Seline’s womb clenched in powerful need at his words.
Christ, when had a man ever offered her something so devastatingly delicious? It was on the tip of her tongue to continue her seduction and play devil’s advocate before Logan’s deep growl caught her attention.
“Don’t, Seline. Just don’t.”
With that, both men turned to quietly take their leave of the hotel room. Alone with her thoughts, Seline stared after them for a good minute before rising from the bed with a slight wince. As she bent over to retrieve the lace scrap of her underwear, she couldn’t help but smile. Even if today turned out to be completely odd, last night was totally worth it.
Chapter Two: Surprises
She took a short shower, washing away the heavenly scent of the men who had plied her all night before wrestling her messy hair into some semblance of order. She was lucky she was the kind of woman to always carry a fresh pair of underwear in her purse, and so by the time she left the hotel room, she felt less like she was perpetrating a walk of shame and more like she had come well prepared.
However, when she left the small inn (the teenage girl behind the desk eying her with wide eyes the entire time) she was surprised to see that there was no taxi at the curb. She’d expected, of course, for her two “suitors” to take her wherever they planned in much the same way they’d spirited her to their hotel room – by taxi service. However, the moment she stepped out onto the curb and took in the sight of Logan straddling an immense, gleaming Harley Davidson, she could only stare.
The gigantic man looked totally at home on the beautifully crafted machine and, just behind him, a gleaming silver Mercedes was parked at the carb. The moment he saw her, Aiden straightened at the wheel, cutting the engine to get out. “You look lovely.” The way the blonde’s eyes roamed over her suggested that he was perhaps more than a little sorry he hadn’t taken her up on her previous offer. “We’ll be taking you to our…organization. It’s about an hour or so outside of McKinley. Are you alright with that?”
For the first time since she’d encountered the two men, Seline paused for a moment, considering. It was clear that her assumptions about these two were a bit off. Not only did they have their own transportation – which suggested they were somewhat local – but said transportation gleamed with care and affluence. They had money. Monied, devastatingly handsome men with whom she’d spent a single night wanted to spirit her off into the middle of nowhere.
It sounded more than a little bit suspicious. She looked over each of the vehicles and then back to the man standing before her. There was, of course, the option to just walk away right now – in this instant. Whoever these guys were, it was evident enough that they were pretty sexually…liberal. They could have more deviancy planned for her.
On the other hand, they’d made no move to do anything against her wishes. Aiden had asked her with the utmost politeness whether or not she was comfortable, time and time again.
She sensed no danger her.
But just to be safe…”I’m going to shoot a text to my girlfriend.” Seline’s eyes locked on his as she uttered the words. “Tell her that I’ve got plans and I’ll be back this evening.”
Aiden’s eyes gleamed with admiration as he nodded. “Of course. I understand.”
In two seconds, Seline had gotten a text off to Sophie, telling her that she was alright, but if she hadn’t checked in by the end of the day to give her a call. Then, she slid her phone back into her purse. “Soo…I take it you can’t tell me exactly where we’re going?”
“Unfortunately, no.” This time it was Logan who chimed in from the seat of his bike. “What we can do, however, is ensure your safety. You’ll be fine with us, Seline. Today and any time hereafter.”
The gruff man managed to make the words sound somehow sweet and e
ndearing rather than possessive and a small smile touched her lips. “And I suppose you plan to tempt me onto that death trap?” She couldn’t, after all, let him know just how impressive she found the machine. That would give him the upper hand. Logan didn’t rise to her taunt, merely shooting her a devastating smile.
“Only if you want. You can always go with Aiden in the Benz.”
Seline gave the tall, dark-haired man a once over. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been on a motorcycle – probably sometime when she’d been young, foolish and fearless. Glancing back at Aiden, she met his knowing smirk. “Go ahead, then.” Reaching out, he took her jacket from her. “I’ll follow behind.”
Seline tried to hide her childlike excitement as she handed her things to him before joining Logan on his bike. She was surprised by how well she remembered how to mount, and flushed at the intensity of Logan’s gaze as he fastened the helmet under her chin. Another minute for him to start the engine, and they were off on one of the most exhilarating rides in Seline’s recent memory.
They zipped out of McKinley and down one of the many two lane highways leading out into the countryside. Seline left the town so seldom that she’d forgotten how gorgeous the surrounding land could be- immense evergreens, miles of open green pasture and clear azure skies. There were, she supposed, some perks to living in such a remote town: the scenery was second to none.
For more than an hour, they rode smoothly along the highway. Beneath her, the motorcycle thrummed loudly as Seline clutched tightly to Logan. The man was a masterful navigator, making sure never to take a turn too sharply or to frighten her with rapid acceleration. After a while, familiar mountains melted into wilderness and Seline found herself wondering exactly how far from McKinley they were planning to go.
Then, all at once, they pulled off the highway and onto a dirt road leading off into the woods. The terrain was rougher and, carefully, Logan maneuvered the Harley over bumps and around potholes. Slowly, the highway behind them disappeared and Seline found herself growing nervous once more. Christ, when these boys said the wilderness, they really meant the wilderness.
When they pulled to a stop about two miles into the trees, Seline couldn’t deny feeling jittery. Cutting the engine right in the middle of the dirt road, Logan dismounted as Aiden pulled to a stop behind them in the Mercedes. Turning, the dark-haired man lifted his helmet to fix Seline with his blue-eyed stare. “We have to go on foot from here.” Logan announced.
“On foot?” Seline repeated, her voice touched with alarm. “How far is it?”
“About ten miles.” Whirling, she faced a newly emerged Aiden with her incredulous expression. “Ten miles?”
“We’ll get you there, Seline. And in relative comfort too. All you have to do is trust us.” The blonde’s gray eyes held a mixture of apprehension and warmth that had Seline looking from one man to the other in confusion.
“Trust you? What on earth are you talking about? We can’t walk ten miles in a few hours!”
“Not like this we can’t.” Logan’s baritone rumbled through her as he crossed to stand before her, his expression unreadable.
Not like…this?
In a split second, the man in front of her began to change. Logan grew upward at an astounding rate, even as his snout lengthened from his mouth and his arms and legs began to thicken. The clothes that he wore began to rip as his limbs became too burly to be contained, thick, copious brown fur sprouting over the length of his body.
Before her eyes, an immense man became an equally immense grizzly bear, over nine feet tall with flashing claws and teeth the length of pocket knives.
Seline stared, mouth agape, as her mind tried to process the site before her. After trying and failing several times, she inhaled sharply before her legs gave out beneath her and she dropped to her knees in shock.
Holy hell.
Holy hell.
Chapter Three: Our World
She was taking it…better than he had expected.
His heart in his throat, Aiden watched Seline’s eyes grow to the size of saucers as she witnessed Logan’s transformation. He was, without a doubt, the den’s biggest bull, so if Seline was going to be terrified of one of them, it would be him. However, the woman wasn’t fleeing. While her legs collapsed beneath her and she stared up at Logan in a mixture of awe and disbelief, there was no fear in her gaze.
“Oh my God.” The words were uttered low – almost inaudible. “I’m dreaming.”
“You’re not.” Carefully, Aiden made his way to her side to kneel beside her, touching her shoulder gently as he, too, gazed up at Logan’s immense form. The younger bull had always been impressive, and now, even Seline couldn’t tear her eyes from him. “This is very real, Seline. Logan and I…we’re shifters. Bears are our…alternate forms.”
Seline’s gaze whipped around suddenly to fix him with an equally surprised expression. “You too?”
“Me and…everyone in our den.”
“Your den?” Aiden was fairly certain if the young woman’s brows went any higher they’d disappear into her hairline.
He nodded once more, reaching out to cup her face – it was as much contact as he dared at this juncture, lest he risk scaring her away. “Seline, you have to understand by now that we meant everything that we told you last night. Our kind…they mate for life. And there is no refusing the call – at least, not for us.”
For a moment, Seline just stared at him, her green eyes clouded in confusion. She looked back to Logan’s towering form above them before reaching out. Her hand found Aiden’s shoulder and, carefully, she hoisted herself back to her feet with his assistance. She took one step forward towards the gigantic bear – and then another. Leaning over, Logan sniffed her cursorily. In their animal forms, they could not talk. However, the grizzly’s large eyes were still the same icy blue that Logan’s were in his human form.
Seline reached up to touch his muzzle gently and Logan made a soft sound of approval low in his throat. The young woman jumped slightly, drawing back for a moment before she reached out once more to stroke through the length of Logan’s dark fur. Then, all at once, she turned back to Aiden. When she spoke, her voice was surprisingly steady.
“Show me. I want to see.”
For a moment, Aiden was taken aback by her candor. A light shone in her green eyes that both intrigued and excited him.
She wasn’t frightened – and she wasn’t running away.
She was curious.
He changed.
It was always curious, to feel your bones lengthening and the structure of your body altering. The fur itched as is sprouted from his skin and his teeth lengthened into fangs, and then, all at once, he stood above her – not quite as tall as Logan, his fur a brilliant golden color, his eyes dark and gleaming.
Seline stared - and stared.
Slowly, Aiden lowered his large mass onto all fours so he could meet her gaze at eye level. With his flat head, he gestured to the expanse of his back. There was still so much they had to show her.
It took Seline a moment to discover what he wanted, but when she did, for a moment, apprehension entered her gaze once more. Then, seeming to steel herself, she took a deep breath, wrapping slender fingers in his fur to haul herself onto his back in a smooth motion.
Her weight was warm, and she balanced fairly well. Logan eyed them with an amused expression before beginning off into the forest at a fast paced lope. Within moments, Aiden fell into step beside him, carrying their precious cargo on his back.
The most difficult part was done.
Now, they just had to show Seline their world.
**
She was lost.
All her life, Seline had been under the impression that, as a writer, she was one of the few lucky ones that came the closest to bridging the gap between fantasy and reality. Never had she even begun to contemplate whether or not real fantastical creatures lived among them.
Now, she’d been thrust headlong into a world compl
etely and totally unfamiliar, on a thin thread of trust that both Aiden and Logan had extended to her.
She trusted them to carry her through miles of woodlands on the broad backs of huge animals settled on all fours. She trusted them not to abandon her in the middle of the wilderness – and to lead her to something that would challenge her perceptions of reality just as powerfully as the instant in which she’d seen Logan standing before her in the form of an immense grizzly bear.
She trusted them – men she’d just met.
And they delivered beyond her wildest dreams.
After about thirty minutes atop the Aiden’s long, sloping back, they arrived on a clearing that emerged suddenly from the woodlands. In that clearing was a series of low dwellings cut into the earth, around which men, women and children milled peacefully.
Upon the arrival of Aiden and Logan, every one present stopped what they were doing and rushed over to greet them, putting Seline immediately on the spot. In an attempt to make herself small, she slid from Aiden’s back and shrank behind him as he was swamped with no less than ten men and women, all murmuring their welcome. To her surprise, Logan hung back a bit as well, even as those present offered their greetings.
Everyone that Seline laid her eyes on was in human form, and they seemed to think nothing of greeting a bear in English as if it were the most common thing in the world. It didn’t take long, however, for their eyes to fall upon her questioningly.
Seline watched, trying not to gape as both men transformed before her eyes, just as before. This time, their huge bear forms shrunk, fur melting back into smooth skin and snouts shrinking back into humanoid faces. Within minutes, they were completely human – and utterly bare before her. Seline averted her gaze, flushing as the events of the previous night rushed back at her in vivid color.
BBW ROMANCE: Forbidden Desires [BBW Menage Collection] (New Adult Shifter Romance Short Stories, Stepbrother Menage Threesome) Page 6
