by Nikki Wild
“But it’s an affordable shit-hole,” Tina added with a cheeky grin. “I love you, hon, but we’re not posh enough to go to one of those fancy five-star places in Colorado. You’ll have to settle.”
Tina popped the trunk and started heaving their bags out onto the snow-covered ground.
“And besides, I saw their website. Judging by the pictures they posted, their ski instructors are yummy.”
“Ah, so it’s an affordable shit-hole with cute guys. Clearly, you’ve found heaven on earth,” Sarah sighed, picking up her duffle back and slinging it over her shoulder. “At least it’ll be quiet with no one else here.”
She looked around at the utter lack of any other cars, frowning as she realized that situations like this rarely happened outside of horror movies.
“Good evening,” came a low, gravelly voice from somewhere behind her, making her nearly slip on the frozen ground as she let out a yelp.
“Jesus!” she hissed, clutching onto the side of Tina’s car as she turned herself to stare up at the towering figure that had so easily snuck up on her.
As her eyes fell on the enormous specimen of a man, Sarah felt her jaw drop. He was most definitely somewhere over six-foot-five with dark, raven locks that he’d tied back in a messy bun at the back of his head. His jaw was covered in a neatly-trimmed beard that gave him the look of a lumberjack—if lumberjacks also modelled for GQ.
But the most shocking thing about him wasn’t his features; it was the fact that he was walking around in the cold without a shirt on, his skin glistening with sweat despite the chill.
“I scared you,” he said, more of a statement than a question. His voice sounded like the shaking of the very mantle of the earth. Or that might have just been the sound of Sarah’s own knees quaking.
Good God, she thought, he’s gorgeous!
“N-no! Not at all,” Tina said, doing her best to look as appetizing as possible in her layers upon layers of clothing. Sarah held in a laugh at her friend’s poorly hidden desperation.
“You are the ladies who booked the rooms for the week?” the hulking man asked. “You’re the first guests of the season, actually. We weren’t actually expecting you until tomorrow.”
“We decided to get an early start,” Tina said. “Why waste this gorgeous scenery?”
Sarah couldn’t help but roll her eyes, hiding her face inside of her palm. She knew too well that it wasn’t the mountains that Tina was referring to.
“It is beautiful,” the raven-haired man said, casting his eyes around for a moment before letting them come to rest on Sarah. “Very beautiful.”
Her heart fluttered inside of her ribs and she sheepishly down toward the crisp, white powder lying on the ground. Even though she’d only just broken up with her boyfriend, it felt like forever since a man paid her such a compliment. This mysterious lumberjack was not only hot, but suave as well. She found herself warming up to the idea of huddling by a fire if it meant looking at a man like that all weekend.
“I’m Evan,” he said in his rumbling baritone. “I’m the caretaker here. The rest of the staff is inside the lodge by the fire. If you’d care to join them, I’ll be with you in a moment.”
“You won’t show us inside?” Tina asked, biting her lip and batting her eyes.
“I’ve got some firewood to bring inside, but I’ll be there in just a moment. I promise,” he added, his eyes lingering on Sarah for just a moment before he turned. The muscles of his back rippled beneath his skin as it glistened in the waning sunlight of the evening. Despite the temperature, Sarah could swear that it’d suddenly gotten very hot outside.
The two of them watched Evan walk off toward a barn-like structure at the edge of the resort’s main area, their eyes fixed on the way his ass moved beneath the fabric of his jeans.
“See? What’d I tell you? Yummy,” Tina giggled, picking up her bag once more. “Now, let’s get inside. There might be more hunks waiting for us!”
The two of them mounted the steps leading up to the lodge, hefting their bags upon their shoulders, their breath coming out in soft puffs of steam. Beyond the richly-stained wooden doors Sarah could see the glint of firelight through the windows, beckoning her in to the warm comfort of a cozy place to relax.
What she found was more than she’d ever imagined.
A cold wind blew in as the two girls stepped inside, making the four men inside turn their gorgeous faces toward them. Sarah’s heart stopped as the four of them stood in unison, graceful and fluid and with the same confidence that she’d seen in Evan. They seemed similar in more ways than that, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on how.
“Hello,” one of them said, a blond young man with short-cropped hair and a clean-shaven face. “You must be our new guests.”
“Pinch me,” Tina whispered as she let her bag drop to the hardwood floor.
“Yes,” Sarah answered after nudging her friend. “I’m Sarah, and this is Tina.”
“A pleasure,” the blond said with a charming smile. “I’m Sebastian. These three are my friends, Luther, Derrick and Tyler. My brother, Evan, is around here somewhere.”
“Oh, we’ve already met him,” Tina said with a grin. “He’s your brother? You two hardly look anything alike.”
“From another mother, as they say. Half-brother would be more accurate. But family is family,” Sebastian said as he walked toward the two women, his hand outstretched.
The other men followed, their gazes locked on her as they strode silently like predators on the hunt. She felt like she should run for her life, but the hungry looks in their eyes held her captivated, awakening something inside of her that she hadn’t felt since Tom had left her—desire.
Sebastian took Tina’s hand and kissed it, every bit the gentleman, while the other men, all rough and bearded, focused their attention on Sarah.
Derrick, a tall man with chestnut hair, took her hand, though instead of kissing it he inhaled deeply, letting out a low grown before the other men closed in around her. Her heart quickened. She could hardly breathe as a mixture of panic and excitement filled her, the thought of her ex-boyfriend chased away by the attention of all these rugged men.
She could hear them all taking deep breaths in through their noses, taking in the air around her—smelling her. Any other time she’d think it was creepy to have three grown men sniffing her, but something about the powerful way they moved, the growls that accompanied every exhale, made her shiver with something more akin to delight. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed such rapt attention from men.
“Are we all behaving?” Evan asked from the door. His entire frame blocked the light from outside as he strode into the lodge. To Tina’s—and Sarah’s—disapproval, he’d managed to find a shirt.
“Nothing to worry about, Evan. We’re just introducing ourselves,” Luther chuckled, his voice somewhat deeper than Evan’s was. The man pushed his long, red hair back over his ear. “It’s only polite, isn’t it?”
“Shall I show you to your rooms?” Evan asked, ignoring Luther’s smarmy tone. He shot the three surrounding Sarah a withering look, and she couldn’t help but feel she had gotten them into trouble.
Evan led Tina and Sarah down a long hallway lined with photos, many of them depicting men and women of a similar look to the five members of the staff here. All of them were well-muscled and powerful-looking. The men were bearded or had thick, wavy hair and broad shoulders.
“Does your family own this place?” Sarah asked, glancing from one picture to another as they went.
“Something like that. All of our families do—me and the other boys, I mean. Sebastian runs it, and the others help to maintain everything. Luther is our ski instructor.”
“Are they always so friendly?” Tina asked, smiling as she remembered looking into Sebastian’s dreamy blue eyes.
“It’s been a long summer,” Evan said, “and the boys haven’t left the resort in months. We keep to ourselves up here.”
“Doesn
’t that make getting supplies difficult?” Sarah asked, looking up into Evan’s eyes as they stopped in front of a partially opened door.
“We have agreements with some locals down the mountain. They bring us a truck full of supplies every two weeks.” Sarah felt like the walls were rumbling whenever Evan spoke. “This will be Ms. Tina’s room.”
Evan pushed the door open with his massive hand. The room beyond was utterly gorgeous, a massive bedroom suite with its own stone fireplace and king-sized bed. Sarah’s jaw dropped and she regarded Tina with jealousy, hoping her own room was as opulent.
“I thought you said we weren’t going anywhere ritzy?” she said, finally managing to close her gaping mouth.
“Shows how much I know, I guess!” Tina replied, her astonished stare turning into elation as she threw her bag onto the bed.
“This way, Sarah,” Evan snarled behind her. The sound made her hair stand on end. Something about these men set her inner fire alight. As she followed him, a blush crept into her cheeks—she was getting so wet.
“Here is where you’ll stay,” her guide said as he opened the door for her.
A room just as nice as Tina’s—if not nicer—awaited her. Mahogany floors and stonework walls gave the bedroom a rustic, yet stylish feel. On top of it all, something about it felt enticing, as though the room smelled perfect. As she set her bag down, Sarah realized that the longer that took in that wondrous scent, the more excited she seemed to become.
It smelled of the mountains outside, a low, earthy aroma that crawled up her spine and beckoned a deeper, primal need within her to awaken. She felt sexy, needful, and more importantly—she felt so horny.
“That smell,” she whispered, closing her eyes as she took it in.
“Ah, this is usually my room while in the off-season. I’m afraid I didn’t clean it well enough. Some of my…. scent still lingers.
“I like it,” Sarah said breathily. She felt a heat rising up the back of her neck.
“Do you?” Evan asked, a smirk quirking the corners of his mouth. “Intriguing.”
“What’s that supposed to—” Sarah began, but as she turned around to look at Evan, she found only an empty doorway where he once stood.
She sighed, staring longingly after him before closing the door and making herself at home. It had been a long car ride, and she felt like she deserved a nap.
But the longer she lay in the warm, fur-lined comforter of her temporary bed, she couldn’t help but remember the way Evan’s muscles had moved as he walked, or the way Luther had breathed her in, so uncouth yet undeniably arousing. She could feel the slickness between her legs increasing the more she thought of all the gorgeous men living in this secluded piece of heaven. Somehow, Tina had managed to find them a vacation that any woman would die for.
Who the hell needed Tom?
Biting her lip, Sarah slid her hand between her legs, her eyes closing as her fingers brushed over her neglected clit. She hadn’t bothered to pleasure herself in these recent weeks, too distraught by her ex’s flippant betrayals. But Tina was right. It was time to move on.
As her fingers worked her hardening clit, a soft moan rose up in her chest as though her body had nearly forgotten how good it felt to enjoy a little self-love. Her legs spread wider, welcoming her probing digits into the wet folds of her pussy.
She cooed, sinking into the bed as she allowed her mind to wander. She conjured a steamy image of Luther standing over her, his hands on her hips as he pumped his nice, thick shaft deep inside of her. Sarah whimpered, stifling a moan that might arouse the suspicions of anyone passing through the halls.
She writhed against her hand, pressing her hips up as if to beg for more. Her breath caught in her chest as another moan rose and escaped her lips, one that was much louder than she’d intended. Her fingers whirled and teased, her legs trembling as she felt a mounting pressure building between her hips. Had it been so long that her orgasm was already so close?
Sarah closed her eyes and held her breath, willing herself to push past the barrier that kept her frustration from blooming into unbridled ecstasy. Her hand rose and slid beneath her blouse, slipping her soft breasts from the cups of her bra to get at her rock hard nipples.
“Fuck!” she hissed, her toes curling as she felt herself beginning to fall over the cliffs of her climax and into the stormy seas of pleasure below.
Until she heard something moving outside her window.
Sarah froze, her muscles suddenly tensing as she extracted her hand from between her thighs. What had that sound been? Was it just the wind?
She had just begun to relax when it came again, a faint and muffled growling nearly lost to the rush of the wintry air. At first she feared some kind of wild animal was prowling around, but then she realized instead that there was a voice coming from outside her window.
Evan’s voice..
A door in her room led out onto a full-sized patio overlooking a spectacular view of the mountains and slopes. Normally a view like that would have made Sarah buckle at the knees, but the thought that someone might been sneaking around her room at night ruined any idea of taking in the sights. She slowly pushed open the patio door and peeked her head out ever so slightly, angling her view until she caught sight of the dark shapes moving only a few feet away.
“You said they wouldn’t be here until tomorrow,” she heard Evan rumble. He sounded almost angry. Was he that upset that they’d arrived so early?
“How were we supposed to know they’d decide to make the trip a day in advance?” a less familiar voice asked defensively. She could only assume that was Tyler, the member of the staff she hadn’t yet hard speak. “This is the last night of the full moon, and we have hours before we change. Besides, the two of them are probably already sleeping. It was a ten-hour drive here from the city.”
“And besides,” Derrick chimed in, as if trying to add a positive spin on things, “Sebastian’s already keeping the other one occupied. Lucky son of a bitch!”
“Regardless,” Evan said, “we need to make sure that they don’t get suspicious. A lot can happen in one night, and we can’t have them seeing any of us change. Our survival up here depends on it. I don’t want this to end up like the last time.”
“Change into what?” Sarah asked herself in a hushed tone. It wasn’t until all four of the men froze in place that she realized she’d made a huge mistake in opening her mouth.
“What was that?” Luther murmured.
All of them turned in unison toward Sarah’s door, their corded muscles tense. She knew in her gut that she was in trouble, even before her mind had caught up to the fact.
Not good, she thought, trying to move back into her room as quickly and quietly as possible. But as she backed away from the door, the floorboards beneath her feet let out an ear-piercing creak that she was sure all four of the men outside had heard.
Shit.
“Come out of there. Now,” she heard Evan say from just beyond the door, his towering figure reduced to a black silhouette against the glass panel.
“I-It’s my room,” Sarah stammered, hoping for any excuse to keep something between her and the four terrifyingly large men outside.
“Then we’ll come in,” he snarled.
God, she thought as Evan’s massive frame filled the doorway, he’s so big. She felt tiny in comparison as he entered the room, followed closely by the four other enormous men.
“What did you hear?” Luther asked, his brow furrowed.
“You all said something about the moon, and about changing,” she said, shrinking away from them as they closed the door. Somehow, she would have felt a little better if they’d left it open. “I don’t understand. What does the moon have to do with anything?”
But as she spoke, her questions all seemed to answer themselves. Evan suddenly began to grow, his shoulders hunching forward as thick, black hair grew from his skin, flowing over him like water. His face contorted as his mouth and nose elongated into an ursine snout.
Sarah started to scream, but found a heavy hand suddenly clamped over her mouth. Her eyes darted to find Derrick there, silencing her and forcing her to watch as the man before her changed into a monstrous creature.
“You wanted some answers? Well, here you go,” Tyler said, laughing as he watched the hulking form of Evan’s bear-shape looming over Sarah. “We’re not exactly human, sweet thing.”
Her eyes widened as she took in the thing towering over her. Every cell in her body wanted her to scream and run for help. Oh, Jesus, she thought. What’ve they done with Tina?
“We aren’t going to hurt you,” Derrick whispered. Despite her terror, the sensation of his breath against her skin made her body start to ache for the orgasm it had so recently been denied.
