Wolf's Den - A BBW Shifter Romance Novel (7 page)

We cleaned up in the lake, dressed and hiked back to the cabin finding it just as we left it. We made ourselves some food, raviolis from a can and some olives that appeared to still be sealed up tight and unspoiled. Afterwards, I was tired. All the excitement, if you could call almost being raped by a half man, half wolf and seeing Jimmy murdered excitement, and the morning with Yeager had gotten to me so I lay down and took a nap. Yeager promised he wouldn’t go far but he said he needed to think. As long as he was around, I felt safe. I was out before he left.

~~O~~

“Hey, sleepyhead. Wake up,” Yeager said to me as he gently shook me awake. I sat up, rubbed my eyes and realized it was dark inside the cabin.

“How long was I asleep?” I asked, stretching to get the kinks out.

“Awhile. It’s not dark yet but the sun is down,” he replied.

“I guess everything took more of a toll than I thought,” I said. Yeager smiled.

“You’ve been through a lot and have a lot of stuff to work through. I don’t blame you. It’s good you slept. You’ll be ready for tonight,” he told me.

“Oh yeah. I’m kind of excited to see you like that,” I admitted.

“I can’t talk. I’m in there and I can perceive what you say but I won’t be able to respond. In my experience, you’ll figure out what I’m thinking by my body language and expressions,” he told me.

“I’m not the first?” I asked disappointed that another woman might have experienced his alter ego.

“The first woman? Yes, you are. I’ve run with other shifters but that’s part of our way. We don’t show our human lovers until we meet our mate. No other true human knows what I am except you,” he told me. My disappointment melted away.

“And the last?” I asked hopefully.

“And the last. Things happen, we lose our mates sometimes. That’s just life. But we never take another. We might take lovers but never another mate. We are human, so to speak. We have needs,” Yeager explained. I liked the sound of that. Mates for life and never another. I suppose it was a bit childish but it sounded like the stuff of fairytales. Beauty and the beast maybe?

“So when do we go?” I wondered, eager to see Yeager as a wolf.

“As soon as it’s dark. The moon is full tonight so it’ll be up just after dark. You’ll be able to see. That’s why I didn’t light a fire. Your eyes are already adjusted to the darkness and the moonlight will make it look like daylight...well, not quite but you’ll be able to see well enough,” Yeager explained. I felt a sense of excitement and wonder. If what Yeager told me was true, and I had no reason to doubt him, I was one of the few women who would ever see a shifter in his animal form. That made me feel rather special.

“What’s it like when you do it, you know, shift or whatever?” I asked.

“It’s painful but it’s worth it. You get used to it. It looks a bit scary but it’s natural and normal for me. No sparkly lights and magic if that’s what you mean. When I shift, I literally change shape. It ain’t pretty,” Yeager explained.

“I can handle it,” I said. I’d seen an American Werewolf in London though I hoped it wasn’t exactly like that for Yeager’s sake.

“I know you can. I’ll try to run slow so you can keep up,” he told me.

“Are you suggesting I’m out of shape?” I asked playfully.

“Never, you’re the perfect shape,” Yeager said and winked at me. I smiled despite myself. “We’ll be running and you’ll be in bare feet,” he explained further.

“Bare feet?” I wondered. Why wouldn’t I wear shoes?

“I’ll be naked, more or less. You will be too. I promise, there are few things in this world that can top a moonlight run au natural. For you that’s naked. For me, well, that’s on four paws,” he told me. Suddenly, the whole experience hit me. This was for real. Yeager was a shifter and soon he’d be a wolf. I believed it but it wasn’t real until that moment. Even our tryst by the lake hadn’t made his ability to become a wolf real. I exhaled and felt a bit faint suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” Yeager asked.

“Nothing. I just...this all kind of hit me suddenly. All of it. I didn’t doubt you but it seemed a bit surreal until just now,” I told him and I began to sob. Yeager came to my side and slipped his arm around me. “I’m sorry. I’m just being silly,” I told him.

“No you’re not. This is a lot to take in under the best of circumstances. With all you’ve been through, I’m amazed at the way you’ve handled it. Look, Cassie, we’re mates and that means a lot. We’re more than lovers. I’m your friend and partner. I’ve never met a shifter and his mate that weren’t the best of friends and the closest of partners. I’ll always be there for you no matter what. To you, we’ve just met but to me you’ve been there my whole life just waiting to be discovered and claimed. You’re a strong woman and I’m proud of you,” Yeager said. I looked into his eyes wiping the tears from mine.

“Thank you. I’m trying,” I said and Yeager squeezed me to him.

“It’s dark enough. Let’s go,” Yeager told me and unzipped my hoodie and helped me wiggle free of it. He looked at my breasts, amazement in his eyes and then cupped one of them in his strong hand and squeezed it softly. “God damn!” he remarked before moving to my jeans and I giggled at his obvious desire. One minute I was laughing, the next crying. I was a bit of a mess but Yeager took it all in stride. He undressed me slowly, making the mundane act a sensual and loving one. Then when I was nude, he left me sitting on the cot as he began to undress himself.

I stopped him, standing and pulling his hands away from his body. I ran my hands over his broad chest and then down his washboard stomach. I untucked his t-shirt and pushed it up his body but there was only so much I could do. Our height difference became apparent. I wasn’t exactly tall, even for a woman. He towered over me and I felt tiny next to him, a feeling I rarely enjoyed.

Yeager took his shirt off for me as I ran my nails down his torso to his jeans. I unbuckled his belt and then unbuttoned his jeans. I pushed them over his hips and down his thighs. He wore lavender briefs that barely contained his growing erection. “These are kind of girly for a shifter, aren’t they?” I asked teasingly.

“I’m comfortable with my sexuality,” Yeager replied and I giggled. I caressed the thick ridge in his briefs with one hand for a moment, and I let the other play among the chiseled muscles of his torso. Yeager sighed as I coaxed goose bumps from his taught and tanned flesh. “You’d better stop that or we’re not leaving this cabin,” Yeager said meaningfully.

“You’re just lucky I want to see you on all fours...though if you’re game for some more fun before we go on our run, so am I,” I said. Yeager shot me a wicked grin.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re as full of surprises as I am?” Yeager wondered.

“I can’t explain it but with you, I want to be...naughty,” I said to tease Yeager but it was true. I was drawn to this man in ways I couldn’t understand. I felt as if he somehow filled a place in my life I didn’t even realize existed. I was alone in the world save for Edie and a few casual friends. My father was never there and my mom was gone now. Maybe this was all part of some plan and Yeager came to me to fill the void. Or maybe it just appeared that way. In any case, I felt a sense of calm and peace with the sexy biker, a closeness our brief relationship didn’t warrant.

“Well your kinky desires will have to wait. I need to run. I need to feel the grass and earth beneath my paws, the wind through my fur. Stand back,” Yeager told me. I did and he finished undressing, freeing himself from his briefs only after removing his boots and jeans. He wasn’t fully erect but Yeager was swollen and naked. Like that, he looked magnificent. I only wanted to see him as a wolf marginally more than I wanted to tackle him and have my way with him. He definitely was having an effect on me and I liked it.

“Show me,” I urged him. Yeager shot me a smoky look and then closed his eyes. His breathing quickened and then he groaned and hunched over. His body began to change shape and his skin sprouted dark gray hair. It was nothing like that werewolf movie. No screaming or bones cracking but it didn’t look pleasant. Yeager’s body contorted taking on a more canine shape, his fur thickened and his face elongated as his fangs appeared again. But the one thing that didn’t change, not really, were his eyes. The wolf’s amber eyes contained Yeager, his intelligence, his passion and his personality.

The beautiful beast dropped to all fours and completed its transformation. Soon, a wolf of impressive size stood at my feet, tongue lolling out and bushy tail wagging. The wolf’s flanks were dark gray but Yeager’s face, head and back were a lighter shade of gray, almost a silvery color. I knelt and looked into Yeager’s eyes. He was definitely there inside. I scratched behind his ears and Yeager bent his head and closed his eyes. I giggled when as promised, his leg began scratching at the air.

“You like that?” I asked, amused at the wolf’s reaction. The wolf that was Yeager wagged its tail and then looked at the door. I nodded, stood and opened the door to the cabin and out he went. Beyond the threshold, he turned and looked at me expectantly. I followed, stepping out into the darkness. The moon wasn’t up yet but the sky to the west was still a deep shade of violet and provided enough light so I could see.

“I’m ready,” I said. This was nothing short of amazing. It was completely real now for me and I found I was thrilled by the possibilities. I was mated to a shifter, part man, part wolf. I didn’t have to accept it. I wanted it and seeing Yeager as a wolf made me want it even more. I’d found myself part of something special, something rather unique. Suddenly, I wondered if I could tell Edie. This was so cool how could I possibly keep it to myself?

Yeager trotted off and I followed. He went purposely and it didn’t take long to see he was picking a path that wouldn’t be too hard for me to follow. At times, the wolf scouted ahead, sniffing the ground and exploring the forest but never so far I lost sight of him. We wandered uphill through the trees for a while. I had to admit, walking nude out in the open, even if I was sure no one was around and it was night, was exciting. After about ten minutes, however, it got so much better.

We happened upon a broad meadow and on the far side above the tree line, the full moon showed itself. It wasn’t quite like daylight, but it was bright nonetheless. I could see well enough as Yeager promised. The wolf that was Yeager stopped and turned to look back at me. He couldn’t speak but he didn’t have to. The wolf clearly had a look in its eyes that said, “I told you so.”

“Yes, you did. This is wonderful, Yeager,” I said. The wolf tilted his head toward the meadow and then looked at me expectantly. “You want to run? I’ll try to keep up,” I told him. Yeager’s tongue lolled out and his tail wagged. “Or maybe you can try to keep up with me,” I shouted, breaking into a run before I even finished my challenge.

I dashed past the wolf, running through the grass and laughing. I was utterly elated to be here, nude in the moonlight with my mate. Suddenly, Yeager ran past but didn’t continue ahead. Instead, the wolf turned and ran a wide circle around me. I could hear his ragged breathing as he took long strides through the meadow. He was beautiful, his fur thick and glossy, his eyes bright and intelligent, and he was all mine.

I tried to keep up, not really built for speed but enjoying the freedom. What a rush! I couldn’t help letting my mind wander, however. I wondered about the future. If we were mates, then we would build a life together. I wanted that more than I could comprehend but how and where? What would that life be like? Would it be a mundane life punctuated with moments like this or would this be the norm? I made no judgments as we ran. I just pondered the possibilities.

But as I thought of the future, I couldn’t help but consider the present. This was simply a respite from reality and that reality was filled with danger. Dolan and his gang, according to Yeager, were likely still after me. I was safe for now but we couldn’t hide forever. I wondered why the dark bearded biker was so interested in me. Was it simply revenge or was there more? I didn’t know but in any case, we had to confront Dolan and settle this once and for all.

Yeager dashed past looking back over his shoulder at me. That brought me back to the here and now, my thoughts fleeting and never tarnishing the magic of my run with Yeager. I chose to forget about my troubles and just exist in the moment. I chased after Yeager but he easily remained just out of my reach as he ran circles through the meadow. I laughed and giggled, truly enjoying a childlike moment of complete abandon. Nothing could intrude on this that I didn’t permit. I stopped running and bent with my hands on my knees trying to catch my breath. I wasn’t sure how far we’d run or for how long. As I rested, I saw a stick at my feet and had a thought.