Bear Mountain Bride: Shifter Romance by Sky Winters (57)

“We aren’t joking and we can show you, but only if you tell us you are ready for us to do so. Given your condition, we won’t risk a shock to your system.”

“Yeah, right. Okay. Show me.”

“Are you sure?” John asked.

“Positive,” she replied sarcastically.

Joshua stood up and walked to the end of the bed and then took a few steps away from the bed. Goldie watched as his shape began to shift into something contorted, his nose pushing forward into a snout and hair sprouting out everywhere on his body. He dropped down on to his hands as his body quickly morphed into a four-legged animal. She found herself looking into the large green eyes of a sandy colored bear. It was much larger than any normal bear would be and she caught her breath as she realized that what she was seeing was real.

“Are you okay?” John asked.

She turned toward him, her eyes wide with amazement and nodded quietly. When she turned back toward the bear, he had begun to shift back into the man she knew as Joshua, his sandy blonde hair and green eyes shimmering just as they had in bear form.

“Neat trick, eh? Told you I was an animal,” he joked, causing her to blush and then feel awkward with John sitting there beside her.

“And you can do that too?” she asked him.

“Yes. My bear form is just better looking and stronger,” he replied, drawing a groan of disagreement from Joshua.

Goldie tried to wrap her head around what she was being told, but even having seen it, she was still having trouble believing it. Even worse, it occurred to her that this baby was going to be some sort of freak. Would it be a shifter? Was she going to be putting a diaper on a baby or putting down newspaper for a bear cub? She began to feel a bit sick again.

“I know it is a lot to absorb and we wouldn’t even tell you if we had time to break it to you gently, but you need to know something about this baby and it can’t wait.”

“Oh, Jesus. I won’t have like a whole litter of cubs will I?” Goldie gasped, the realization that it might be a possibility coming over her without warning.

Joshua laughed and then sat back down on the bed beside her, holding her other hand. It was unusual for him to come across as thoughtful as so it caught her off guard for a moment. She found herself wondering how much more awkward this could get. Two men she had slept with on either side of her, fawning over her at the same time and telling her fairy tales that it seemed might just be true was more than a little surreal.

“You won’t have a litter. You will have one child and it will be a boy. He will be a shifter like us, not human like you. We are more than willing to accept responsibility for the baby without haggling over which of us actually fathered him. In fact, Goldie, we don’t want you to run off and be some sort of single parent. You didn’t get pregnant alone and you shouldn’t try to raise him alone, especially given his special considerations that will unfold as he grows.

“I appreciate that, but neither of you know me very well. I came here to get away for a while and things just happened between us, each of us. I never intended for it to be permanent and I certainly didn’t intend for either of you to be chained to me because of an unwanted child.”

“That’s what you don’t understand, Goldie. It’s not unwanted. Neither are you. Bear shifters are much like normal wolves. We bond quickly and each of us fell for you immediately.”

“I just really can’t choose. I find you both interesting in different ways,” she admitted.

“Then don’t choose. We aren’t asking you to choose, at least not between the two of us. We would like for you to stay here rather than returning to the city. We will both sell our lake houses and buy something we can all share as one big family.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t see how that works. We all live together as some open relationship type situation and sleep in separate bedrooms? That’s going to really cut into your dating lives I think.”

“No, Goldie. We live together as a monogamous trio. It would be like having two husbands, both of us completely committed to you.”

“I just don’t really follow how that works. I just roam from one bedroom to the other depending on who I’m in the mood to be with? Do you realize how crazy all of this sounds?”

“It’s not crazy at all, Goldie,” Joshua said, finally speaking up though he had allowed John to do much of the talking so far.

“Then you have an odd sense of normal,” she replied.

“Well, that is true. Both of us do, but we’ve been out of sync with the rest of the world for a very long time. Our ancestors have always existed in the shadows, knowing that others wouldn’t accept us if they knew what we were. It’s important that our son be kept safe from those who might not understand him. It’s even more important that he not be made to feel like he is fucked up in any way. Living here with us will expose him to other children like himself and to two fathers who will make sure he learns to control how and when he shifts.”

“So, basically, this has nothing to do with me at all. The two of you just want to raise your baby bear and you’re willing to take me on in order to make that happen?”

“That isn’t what I said at all. Who did this to you, Goldie? Who made you feel like you aren’t worthwhile? Give me their names and I’ll go pay them a visit. It angers me that you are so down on yourself when you are such an incredible and beautiful woman,” Joshua said, his anger apparent.

Goldie looked at him, surprised. Not only was she caught off guard by his sentiments, but his anger was reflected in John’s face, as well. While she deemed herself just having fun with a couple of guys that wanted to get laid, it would seem she had misjudged their intentions completely. There seemed to be genuine emotion there, though it was hard to accept as being true. Rather than respond, tears fell down her face.

“Let it out if you need to, Goldie, but you don’t need to cry. You don’t ever have to cry again. We promise you that what we feel for you is the real thing and that it will never change. Not many women can say that she bonded with a bear shifter and I don’t know of any other that can claim she bonded with two in the way you have captured the two with you here in this room tonight,” Joshua finished.

Goldie blinked up at him as he pulled her into her arms and held her tightly to his chest. She was aware of John moving closer to rest his head against the back of hers, sandwiching her between the two of them and things suddenly didn’t seem awkward at all. In fact, they seemed quite perfect. Though she didn’t have everything quite sorted out in her head, she at least understood that this might just be exactly what she had needed all along.

Still, something nagged at her. In her experience, threesomes always ended with someone feeling left out and especially when one of them was the actual father of the child and the other wasn’t. This seemed doomed to just be another failed relationship episode in her life. She expressed her concerns to them, apologizing for her inability to just let things fall as they may.

“Don’t worry, Goldie. It will be just fine,” John told her in his soft way. Despite his apparent conviction, she wasn’t sure that she could quite believe that.

In the end, she decided she had nothing to lose. There was no guarantee that her next relationship would be any better, especially with a child now in the mix and what kind of mother would she be if she was subjecting her child to failed experiences with different men? If she was going to do this right, then they were perhaps right, this was the path she should take.

She nodded quietly as they kissed her tears away. Soon, she found herself being undressed by the both of them. Turning toward John, she curled up to his chest as he kissed her hungrily, drinking her in as if she were the last woman on earth. Behind her, Joshua reached between her legs, exploring her swollen pussy lips, already seeming to show signs of pregnancy. She wanted them, both of them. It had always been somewhat of a fantasy of hers to be with two men at once, but she had always thought it would be some sort of one-night stand.

In her wildest dreams, she had never considered that it could be a constant thing, having two men in her bed every night, taking care of her in very different ways. John’s lips drifted down to her tits, sucking at her aching nipples. Thought she was less than a week pregnant, they had already begun to show signs of swelling and had begun to produce drops of milk. She wasn’t sure if it was a result of the pregnancy alone or if Joshua had caused it with his excessive suckling, but as John’s mouth tugged at them, she could feel milk let down and flow into his mouth.

“Your milk is already coming in. It’s delicious,” he told her, breaking away from her nipple for a moment to smile up at her.

“I want to taste it,” Joshua said, pulling her toward him so that she now lay flat between the two of them. She found herself with either man sucking at a single nipple, drinking in her milk as if they were quenching an incredible thirst. Much to her surprise, she found that it was a huge turn on.

Having drank his fill, John moved up to her lips, letting her taste her milk on his lips as he kissed her with more passion than ever. Joshua drifted downward, pulling her legs apart and lapping at her dripping pussy. His tongue felt like velvet against her tender folds. A part of her was having trouble even grasping what was happening, but her body understood it perfectly and reacted to the attention with much anticipation.

John pulled her back to one side so that she faced him with Joshua moving in behind her, sandwiching her between the two of them once again. He continued to kiss her as Joshua spread her ass cheeks and began fingering her asshole, getting her ready for the swollen cock she could feel pressing into her backside. She let out her breath sharply as he wet the tip of his cock with her pussy juices and began slipping it inside her tiny hole.

“Oh yes, that is so tight. I love feeling your asshole close around my hard cock,” he told her. John moved into position in front of her, slipping his own hard cock into her pussy. It was pure ecstasy as they filled her from both sides and began to slowly slip in and out of her in unison.

“Oh, sweet Jesus!” she moaned loudly as they fucked her simultaneously. John’s motions were slow and deep, matching Joshua’s as she whimpered between the two of them. John resumed kissing her passionately as Joshua’s teeth sank into her back, making their way across her shoulders as he fucked her deeply in the ass. His hand found its way to her throat, pressing against it lightly as her sore nipples brushed against the chest hair of John.

Goldie found herself already nearing her first orgasm, her body shaking all over as she exploded over and over, fueled by the way their hard cocks felt inside of her. She felt like a rag doll between them as they began see sawing in and out of both holes, bouncing her up and down like a between them. It was the most incredible experience of her life and she knew without a doubt that this was something she could definitely get used to and spend the rest of her life doing with them.

“Yes, fuck me,” she begged as their passion drove them to fuck her harder, deeper, faster.

Joshua came first, filling her ass with his heavy load of cum before pulling free of her and moving to a chair by the bed to watch as John finished her off. He didn’t seem to mind at all as his friends filled her with yet another sticky load of come and then lay his head on her chest for a moment to catch his breath.

Afterwards, Joshua climbed back into the bed, falling asleep on his own side while she slept curled up in John’s arms. At some point during the night, he awoke and pulled her on top of him, watching her as she rode him like she was in heat. Her cries of delight awoke John, who leaned up on one elbow as he watched her take what she wanted from Joshua and then shake all over with a series of orgasms. He stroked his cock as he got more and more turned on and then pulled her downward to come in her mouth after Joshua was finished with her.

Exhausted, but content, Goldie fell back asleep with her head on John’s chest. Joshua rested against her back for a while, but eventually crept back to his pillow to sleep. She knew this was the difference in the two men and that was fine with her. She definitely had the best of both worlds.

Chapter Twelve

When the morning came, the weather had cleared. The sun was out and the water had begun to recede. She, John and Joshua made their way downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast, where they encountered the curious faces of Ian and Randy.

“Did everyone sleep well?” Randy asked suggestively.

“Best night of sleep we’ve had in a very long time,” John told them with a wink, causing Goldie to blush a bit, even though she felt happier than she had in a very long time.

“Well, that’s, um, fantastic,” Randy replied, looking unsure of what to say next.

“We’re headed to pick up a few things at the store. Is it open today, John?” Ian asked in an attempt to change the subject.

“Yes. My sister was going to open this morning. It should be up and running. If not, give me a call so I can coax her out of bed, but she’s usually pretty responsible.”

“Where did she stay last night?” Goldie asked, suddenly realizing she hadn’t even thought about where his sister might have been during the flood.

“She was with friends. She prefers to hang with them rather than be stuck with her straight-laced old brother,” he laughed.

Goldie laughed too. Randy and Ian said their goodbyes, telling Goldie to call them when she was heading out and taking their leave to see if they could get back to their house and assess the damage after their trip to the store.

Over breakfast, Joshua and John discussed things further with Goldie. Her eyes grew wide as they informed her of some things she wasn’t aware of. Things that made a lot of difference in how she handled things with her pregnancy.

“We will take you to one of our doctors. He understands about the unique nature of this child,” John told her.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Well, the most important thing you need to know is that bear shifters don’t develop at the same rate as human babies,” he told her.

“What’s the difference?”

“They have a much faster metabolism,” he said.

“How fast?”

“Well, watch this.”

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled a small knife from his pocket. Before she could comprehend what was happening, he reached across the table and sliced the back of Joshua’s hand.

“What the fuck, man?” Joshua snapped at him. He had been lost in checking his work email and hadn’t been paying attention until he was cut. His hand began to bleed on the table. Goldie looked horrified, but John just laughed and picked up a napkin, dabbing at the blood that flowed. Right before her eyes, the wound began to seal itself. Within mere seconds, it was completely healed with no evidence of even a scar.

“Oh, my God,” she muttered.

“You’re a dick,” Joshua told him, returning to his email.

“Now, don’t be upset. We’re going to be co-mates with this beautiful creature at the table. We will have to love to learn on another too,” John teased him.

“Fuck you,” Joshua retorted with a laugh.

“Anyway, the baby will grow fast. You aren’t looking at a nine-month gestation,” John continued.

“How long?” she asked, dreading the answer.

“Four weeks,” he told her.

“Four weeks? No way. I can’t have a baby in four weeks!” she said.

“You can. You will. It’s just the way it is,” he said.

Joshua lay his phone to one side and nodded at her as if to confirm it. He smiled at her in an almost apologetic fashion as if to say they were sorry they were completely fucking up her life. Goldie wondered if they truly were though. In one way, maybe they were, but in another, they were freeing her. This might just be the best thing that had ever happened to her.

“Okay. We have a lot to sort out in short time,” she said, trying to remain calm.

“Yes, we do,” Joshua nodded, leaning forward to look at her. His eyes grew very serious as he looked into hers and asked his next question. “But before we begin making formal plans, there is one question you need to answer to yourself, Goldie. Forget what John and I want. Is this what you want?”

Goldie looked at him for a moment before glancing over at John, who was looking at her with equal intensity, awaiting her answer. She thought back to last night, how wonderful it had felt to have them both. Her mind wandered to consider how nice it would be to live with two men who could provide her with such different emotional and physical experiences. She couldn’t imagine any single man ever coming along that could make her feel quite as complete as the two of them combined.

“Yes,” she replied simply.

“Are you sure?” Joshua asked, still studying her face.

“I’m very sure,” she replied, not feeling an ounce of reserve. She really did believe that this could work and she could be happy.

“Well, then I guess we should make plans to move forward then,” John said.

After a hardy breakfast, the trio convened to the back room of John’s store to hash out their plans. The hardest decision was for Goldie to quit her job on the TV series and relocate to Bear Lake, but the upside to that was it would force her to finally take a chance on becoming more of an entrepreneur and consulting on costume design in her own capacity. John and Joshua were perfectly willing to support her until after the baby was born and she could focus on setting up her own business. In fact, they weren’t really concerned with whether she worked at all.

A visit to the doctor the following week made things just a bit more interesting. John and Joshua had told her she would not have a litter, but they hadn’t counted on what the doctor had to say about her pregnancy.

“Well, Goldie. I’ve completed my exam and gotten the results back from the tests we did,” he told her on the phone. “Are you sitting down?”

“Yes. Why? What’s wrong?” she asked, feeling an impending sense of doom.

“It looks like you won’t be having just one baby,” he told her.

“What do you mean?” she replied, envisioning quadruplets or some such nonsense.

“Twins. You are carrying twins.” he told her.

“Really? Twins?” she repeated.

“Yes. Two boys,” he told her.

“Thank you doctor. I appreciate your calling,” she said, feeling a bit speechless. Even twins were more than she had banked on.

“No problem. I’ll see you next week for your checkup,” he told her.

Hanging up the phone, Goldie felt like she was in some sort of a daze. She made her way to the bedroom and lay down on the bed, trying to gather her thoughts. Before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep and was being awakened by John as he came in from work. Because Joshua worked longer hours, she had been staying at his place while they sold their places and looked for one more suited to their rapidly growing family.

“How do you feel?” he asked, rubbing his large hands across her massively pregnant belly.

“The doctor says we are having twin boys,” she told him.

“Really? That’s fantastic news!” he replied.

“Is it? Maybe for you. You don’t look like you swallowed a beach ball,” she replied.

“Don’t be silly. You look beautiful. Joshua and I couldn’t be happier. We both love you so much,” he told her.

“I love you too, but twins? How are we ever going to manage that?” she said.

“Just like anyone else that has twins. Plus, you have two fathers to help you with them,” he reminded her.

“I suppose,” she said.

“Have you told Joshua?” he asked.

“No, not yet. I was going to call both of you, but I feel asleep.”

“You should call him. He’s going to be through the roof excited.”

“Are we talking about the same man? Joshua is the poster child for calm, cool and collected.”

“Trust me, when you get to know him better, you will see so much more of him. He might be reserved, but he feels just as deeply as the rest of us. Joshua was raised in an orphanage. He doesn’t express himself like we do, but he is full of a passion that is just as breathtaking as yours and mine,” John told her.

“You know him well,” Goldie replied, wondering how her two loves had become so close and feeling just a tad envious that, in some ways, they were closer to one another than they were to her.

“Yes. I do. One day, you will know him just as well. I’ve just had more time to see behind the walls he puts up. Don’t underestimate him, Goldie,” John told her, kissing her on the cheek and handing her the cell phone. “Call him and tell him the exciting news.”

Goldie hit speed dial and waited for Joshua to answer. He sounded a bit preoccupied with work at first, as if he had picked up his phone without looking at the caller ID, but then looked at it and realized it was her.

“Well, hello gorgeous. What’s up?” he said after an initial answer that had consisted simply of “Joshua here.”

“I was calling to tell you that we are having twins,” she told him.

“You’re shitting me!”

“I shit you not,” she replied with a laugh.

“That’s fantastic! I’m even more excited now. I would offer to bring home some champagne to celebrate the good news, but I know you can’t drink. I’ll buy a bottle for after the birth instead. Tell John that he and I are having celebratory beers at least,” he told her.

Two weeks later, Goldie gave birth to twins boys. They were fraternal. One had a full head of black wavy hair and the other was sandy haired. Both had the most incredible blue eyes just like their fathers. Goldie couldn’t help but wonder if it was possible for them to have two different fathers, but as it turned out, she didn’t have to ask.

“Fascinating,” the doctor said as he tended to their new sons.”

“What is fascinating?” she asked, Joshua and John both completely involved in fawning over the boys once they had determined that she was fine.

“It would seem that multiple births born to humans are just the same as those born to bears out in the wild, but I’d need to run tests to be certain,” he told her.

“I don’t understand,” she told him.

“Bears mate with different suitors when they are in heat. As a result, it is not unusual for them to bear cubs that are the offspring of multiple fathers. While I can’t be certain just from looking at them, their coloring and facial characteristics reflect that your sons are quite possibly of two different fathers. In other words, one looks exactly like Joshua and the other looks exactly like John. Do you care if I do DNA testing to be certain?” he asked

“I appreciate your curiosity, doctor and if you would like to put your theory to rest, then I will allow the testing, but I ask that you keep the results to yourself. As far as I am concerned, these children belong to both fathers and always will. I don’t want to differentiate between them in any way,” she said.

“That seems fair to me,” he said with a wink, turning to retrieve the babies from their doting fathers and finish checking up on them before leaving them to start their lives with their parents.

Joshua and John stood on either side of her bed, beaming down at her with pride.

“Aren’t they beautiful boys?” she asked.

“Almost as beautiful as their mother,” Joshua replied, a rare sentimentality from him. She smiled at him and then over at John before closing her eyes and resting for a while. This was the beginning of what would be a very long and interesting life with two of the most perfect men she could have ever hoped to find. Somewhere, her search for what felt good had ended in something that felt just right.

THE END

Back to the Bear

Chapter 1

 

Walking on her tiptoes, carrying her shoes and stepping over the squeaky spot on the floor, Joy moved slowly and cautiously towards the front door. One wrong move would wake up Aris, and she couldn’t risk waking him up again. Several giant beer bottles were strewn around the room and all of them seemed to be pointed at her, ready to tell Aris who had dared wake him up from his always light, fitful sleep.

In order to get to the door, she would have to walk right by him. Aris had insisted on moving the couch right next to the front door of their cabin style house. “In case you get any ideas,” he’d explained, and now going out often meant stepping over at least one corner of the couch. Luckily, some of his awful friends had come by last night so he’d had to move it about halfway out of the path to the outside world. If she was very careful, she might just be able to open the knob, slip out, and make a run for it.

She stepped over an overturned chair, and as her foot came down the floorboards squeaked just a bit. She froze. Aris shifted on the couch and turned towards her, but after a few moments he went back to snoring. She waited anyway, hesitant to keep going, but once she was sure he was asleep she continued walking as silently as possible.

The door was now within reach; all she had to do was squeeze between the end of the couch and the massive bag of empty cans sitting precariously on a pair of sneakers long abandoned by the door. Joy reached out to twist the doorknob and gave the door a little push, but it wouldn’t budge. She pushed again; nothing. Something was blocking her way out.

Carefully moving alongside, the couch, Joy was careful not to let the hem of her dress touch any part of Aris. Even though he snored on, she had a chilling sensation that he wasn’t really sleeping but rather allowing her to believe he was unconscious so that he could lure her closer. It wouldn’t have been the first time.

The large bay window was behind the couch, but Joy couldn’t see the porch with the couch in the way. She would have to lean over it to see what was going on. Very carefully, she put a hand on the back of the sofa and leaned like a plank directly over her snoozing husband, her skirt tucked between her knees. Through the window, she could see the enormous body of Joe Hatchet, Aris’ largest and drunkest friend. He had passed out right by the door and would be dead asleep for most of the day.

The sight of Joe’s mountain-shaped frame made Joy let out a little sigh and the sound of it immediately woke up Aris.

When he opened his eyes, he saw his barefoot wife Joy standing and smiling like a happy recruit to his army of anger. He rubbed his face, thinking he was dreaming, but no; she was there with a big smile on her face.

“Hi honey! I just came down to check and see if you wanted any coffee.”

Aris smiled back. “Hey, this is how I like to wake up.” He reached for her hand and held it gently, swinging it a little. “A happy wife, ready to make me coffee. You know how I like it. I think Joe’s around here somewhere.” He looked around, a little confused.

“I haven’t seen him hon.” She moved into the destroyed kitchen, started the coffee, and then desperately started washing the dishes. Dammit, dammit, dammit. Today had been her day to get out. She had been sure it would happen today. There was still a chance; if Aris and Joe went out fishing she could get out then. Assuming he would leave her behind, which he only did occasionally. She knew if she was extra chipper, his good little wife, he’d let his guard down. Maybe.

Aris stumbled around the living room, kicking things out of the way. “Joe! Joe, my man. Where’d you go?”

From outside came a “What?” and Aris headed to the door.

Through the door, Joy could hear the two of them laughing about how adorable they were; getting drunk, passing out—weren’t they crazy? They were always quick to congratulate one another any time they overdid it, sure that they had been hilarious and fun the whole time they were destroying the furniture, breaking the TV or the refrigerator, or whatever they got their hands on. Joy always wondered at how a person could be happy about waking up in a pile of refuse over and over again. She honestly didn’t get it.

The coffee finished brewing and she poured out two extra big mugs, adding a tablespoon and a half of sugar to Aris’ mug and keeping Joe’s black. For the finishing touch she gave Aris’ a tiny splash of heavy cream just at the top, no stirring. Then she rushed around the living room—sure the two party boys would be back in any moment—picking up furniture, bottles, and garbage. She shoved it all into garbage bags and suddenly realized, she would have to walk these out to the curb. She could dump them and make a run for it.

The two men stumbled in, arms around one another, talking about some girl that Joe had been flirting with the night before.

“She wants me, I know it and you know it.” The two of them sat at the counter on the restaurant-style stools and drank their coffee. “It won’t be long until she’ll be making me coffee the way your little Joy does. Lucky bastard.” Joy continued cleaning. There was no reason to wait for a thank you or an invitation to join them; it wasn’t coming.

Joe watched Joy whip around the house, picking up, getting the spilled beer off the floor, anything to put things back in order so that Aris wouldn’t have anything to fault her for. “How did you get this little angel to marry you, Aris? How come a jerk like you has such a great little woman and I’m still single?”

Aris watched his wife over his cup’s edge. “She knows I love her no matter what. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

Joy stopped for a second to flash him her best smile. “That’s right.”

Joe just grunted and raised his eyebrows. “She sure works hard.”

“She likes it.” Aris put his cup down and watched his wife for a moment. “Hon, come over here for a minute.”

Oh no. She tilted her broom against the wall and walked over, the two pairs of eyes boring into her. “Your coffee okay?”

Without a word, Aris smacked her across the face. “I just thought you needed a little color. Seeing as you didn’t bother to put any makeup on.” He turned away from her and went back to his coffee. No one spoke. The only sound was that of Joe loudly slurping his coffee.

Joy stood, not quite sure what to do next, her face on fire from Ari’s slap. Finally, she shuffled back to her broom and quietly swept, the broom making a soft hush, hush on the wooden floor.

The two men focused on their mugs and their contents, neither looking at the other. Aris finally turned to Joe. “You going fishing today?”

“Can’t. My truck needs some work. Remember, I came here with Tully.”

“Oh yeah.” Aris picked up his cup and looked into it. The bottom of it was visible. “Joy, get over here and get me a second cup. Do not make me get it myself. I’m in no mood for your tricks.”

Walking fast, Joy swung around the two and into the kitchen, grabbing the pot and carefully pouring Aris his refill. She put it back and grabbed the cream, giving him a little dash in the top. Joe still had plenty so she moved around the counter again, but Aris grabbed her arm.

“None for Joe? What is this, national women’s lib day? Don’t be so rude.” He dropped her arm and she returned to her post by the coffee maker, settling in for a long wait. Joe glanced at her and she tried to send him a mental message. Help me. Be on my side, just once. Tell him to take it easy on me. Unfortunately for her, Joe’s alcohol and drug-soaked brain was unable to pick up pleas for help.

“It’s okay. I should mosey on home. Take a shower, give my own little cutie a call.” Turning to Joy, he added, “Sorry, doll. Be off the market soon. Hate to crush your dreams but a man’s gotta follow his heart.” At the word heart he thrust his pelvis at her and then laughed hysterically. He waited for Aris to laugh with him, but his friend was silent.

The long, awkward pause didn’t affect Joe in the least. He just chuckled to himself, put on his hat and went out the door. Aris turned to Joy, his eyes deader and blacker than she’d ever seen.

“What was that about?”

“What hon?”

“You’ve been waiting for Joe? Carrying a torch for him? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. I have no idea why he said that.”

Aris picked up his mug and threw it at her hard and fast. She ducked and it shattered against the wall.

“Don’t lie to me! What is going on between the two of you? Why are my friend and my wife keeping secrets?”

Joy stayed crouched near the floor, her hands up in surrender and her eyes squeezed shut. “It was just one of his dumb jokes, I don’t know why he said it!”

“Come here.” Joy stood slowly, already sobbing. He always said if he ever caught her cheating, he’d kill her. She believed it and she felt confident today was the day. “Faster. Do it. You know better than to lie to me and then hide in the kitchen. Get your butt over here, Joy.”

Joy glanced up and saw her purse hanging on the coat rack. It was only a few feet from the door. Aris was still sitting down and she had a clear path to freedom. She moved slowly, trying to keep her face blank, but angled her feet to the living room.

She only had a millisecond to do it, so she just didn’t think. At the last possible moment, she faked Aris out and sprinted for the door. Her bare feet flew across the now-clear floor, her left hand grabbed her purse and she flew out the door.

Behind her was a screaming, irate husband breaking everything in his path. He was massively hungover but angry enough that he was like a hurricane coming after her. “I’ll kill you! You stupid bitch, you think I won’t? Get back here!” She didn’t look, just focused on jumping over the steps and then racing around to the car port behind the cabin, one hand digging in her purse for the extra set of keys Aris didn’t know about.

She threw herself into the car and started it up as fast as she could. The engine sputtered from the cold and now Aris was on the porch, throwing furniture and howling with fury. Splintered pieces of her grandfather’s rocking chair flew into the air off to one side of the porch as she tried and tried to get the engine to turn over. “Come on, come on.”

Then she saw him. He was right behind her, trapping the car between the big tree they parked under and his body. She would have to run him over.

“Joy, you steal this car and I won’t call the police. I’ll hunt you down myself. Don’t be stupid. Just turn it off and come out.”

Just then, the car started. Joy floored the gas pedal and reversed right into the spot where Aris was standing. He leapt out of the way, falling onto his back as he did, and she sped away in reverse. As she left, she had a clear view of him jumping to his feet and walking after the car, his stare drilling into her. He was still yelling, but she couldn’t hear him. She made it to their little dirt road, whipped the car around and sped away as fast as she could.

Commanding herself not to look back, she gripped the steering wheel hard and went far too fast for the first fifteen minutes. Only after she had about sixty miles between herself and her murderous husband did she relax and drive normally. After a few miles with the radio on, the window open and Aris far behind her, she allowed her shoulders to relax and took in the landscape of the surrounding forest. It was beautiful.

 

“I told you I’m not interested.”

Joy’s father stood in front of her at his door. The sight of his daughter in a wrinkled dress, messy hair and bare feet did nothing to jog his memory. She was desperate for him to recognize her, but she knew if she argued with him that he would just get angry.

“Yes, you did tell me that. Which is why today, I’m here to offer you something new; I’d like to be your roommate!” She smiled a chipper smile despite being bone tired. The thought of Aris finding her in a hotel room had kept her driving most of the night. She had pulled over for the night, but her car wasn’t that comfortable and she’d only slept a few hours.

“Well, a roommate might be nice.”

Joy stepped a little closer to him. “I’m clean, I’m a hard worker, and we already like all the same TV shows.”

At that, Drew Granger’s eyebrows gave a little wiggle of delight. “You like Judge Hunter? She’s a pistol.”

“Love her!” The two went in and Joy made a beeline for the bathroom. She cleaned up as much as she could while her dad settled down in front of the television. She left him to it and went to check out her old room. There she found some boxes full of old her clothes and got a new outfit, grateful for once that her dad hated to throw anything out. It was a little chilly so she pulled on an old black sweater she had always liked and then walked back out into the living room.

“Joy, honey.” She turned to see her father fully lucid, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “When did you get in? Gosh it’s nice to see you.”

“I flew in yesterday, Dad. Remember, I told you I’m leaving Aris.”

“I told you not to marry that son of a bitch. I always knew he was trouble.”

She smiled and rubbed his hand. “You did, Dad. Thanks for trying. I’ve always had a hard time seeing other people’s bad sides. I just…” She shook her head. “I just want everyone to be good, you know?”

He patted her hand and smiled at her. “That’s because you’re the most innocent little soul on earth. I always said so.”

Her dad’s words brought little pinpricks of tears to her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. “Thank you, Daddy.”

“Will you stay long?”

“I thought I would stay here a while and help you out with everything. Would you like that?”

He guffawed. “I don’t need any help. I’m fine.”

Her father turned to the TV as the theme music for Judge Hunter started. He snatched his hand away from Joy and scowled at her. “I don’t hold hands with anyone anymore. Except my daughter Joy. So please don’t do that anymore.”

Joy nodded and swallowed hard. “Sorry about that, Steve. I’ll be more careful.”

 

 

Chapter 2

 

“Joy? Joy!” The gum-smacking, bottle-blond cashier at the Swing Through Gas Station ran out from behind the counter and threw her arms around Joy. The smell of green apple shampoo and vanilla perfume jogged Joy’s memory—it was Coco.

“Coco, hi.” The two regarded each other for a second, Coco with a knowing smile and Joy with an awkward grimace. “So, you’re working here now?”

“Yeah.” Coco gave a little shrug with an eyebrow raise, her signature expression. “It’s okay I guess. I mean, you know, it’s easy. What about you? You here on a visit or are you finally coming back?”

“I moved back home.” Joy put her milk and bologna on the counter, praying the question and answer session was over.

“Oh.” Coco nodded knowingly. “Your dad.”

“Unfortunately. I just don’t feel like he can live alone anymore.”

“I get it.” Coco rang up Joy’s purchases and took her money. “Remember when your dad was our English Lit. teacher and everyone hated him? We were awful! Do you remember the stuff we used to do in his class? It must have taken all his strength not to kill us.”

Joy gritted her teeth but kept a smile on her face. “I remember.” She grabbed her stuff and walked out, not bothering with a goodbye. Behind her, Coco was trying to say something but she couldn’t quite hear it. The door dinged as someone else walked in and Coco quickly switched gears.

“Terry! Hi. How are the kids?”

Outside, Joy looked around at her little hometown of Stottard, Wisconsin. She could almost take in the whole place with a couple of glances. There was the auto shop full of trucks and tractors, the cafe with the same food they’d served for as long as she could remember, the two traffic lights. All the homes were scattered in different directions, the empty space a leftover from the days when Stottard had been a haven for farmers. There were still a few farms, but now they grew an ugly, hard corn that was ground up into a weird mush used by fast food places and food processing plants. To get actual vegetables a person had to drive about thirty minutes out of town to a big chain store just off the freeway.

A big sigh came out of Joy. She could hear her younger self on the phone with her friends. They’d all been so glamorous and beautiful back then. They could spend all day putting on makeup, dreaming of big city life, assigning each other future careers like impressionist painter and the next country music star. None of them had wanted to stay here, they’d all wanted to run away as quickly as possible, but only Joy had made it out and she’d only gone as far as the surrounding mountains.

What had happened to that confidence she’d had not so long ago? She looked back inside to see Coco in her gas station shirt and her over-treated hair. Coco had been a queen bee back in high school. Everyone wanted to be her, to be near her, to get an invite to her parties. Joy and her friends had never been in the popular group, but they’d created their own little universe full of books about other worlds. They’d spend all day dreaming about kings and queens, building castles in the air so that they could climb inside. She remembered feeling so special, so ill-suited for a town like this.

And yet, here she was, right here with all the people she’d sneered at for so long. Well, that’s what a body got for making plans. She turned and walked down the path to her father’s house, wondering if he would remember her this time.

Her dad was having a good day; for the most part he knew who Joy was and why she was there. She was arranging her old room and going through her stuff while he wandered in and out of her doorway, leaning in to ask the same three questions again.

“You’ve really left him?”

“Yes, Dad. Aris and I are through. I can’t take it anymore.”

“You have a lawyer yet?”

“No, not yet. I’ll find one in a couple of days. I just need to rest. And spend time with you.

“How long are you staying?”

“I really don’t know, Dad. I hope a long time.”

When she said that, he would smile and wander away, singing a little tune to himself. Joy found herself singing along as she made her bed.

Take my girl

And you’ll take my world

Wreck my heart and

You’ll tear my soul

You don’t know how hard

I’ve fallen...

She remembered listening to that song with her high school crush, Zak. What had ever happened to that guy? One day he just wasn’t at school. Joy could still recall how shocked all their teachers had been that he seemed to have just dropped out.

“Has anyone seen Zak? Anyone know if something happened?” They had all been genuinely concerned that such a sweet, smart student could just vanish without anyone knowing why or how. Joy had always lived with the guilt of inspiring him to disappear. She was sure she was the reason.

The two of them had gotten together and had a madly romantic couple of weeks kissing in the back of the movie theater, driving around the open country roads outside of town and telling each other their secrets. Then, suddenly, Aris had come into Joy’s life and something in her snapped. While Zak was gentle and genuine, Aris just had that bad boy edge that made Joy’s heart pound. In a few days she’d made her choice.

“Zak, you’re great. Really. But, I just want Aris. I can’t help it.”

“What?” The poor kid. He was so shocked he hadn’t said anything after that, just ran off into the night and left her on her porch. She’d felt awful, but she was sure she’d made the right decision. She couldn’t be with one guy if she was in love with someone else, right? It had seemed so clear to her at the time.

The next day, he was gone. Just like that.

Her room finished, she decided to make lunch for herself and her dad. He only ate bologna sandwiches these days. She didn’t mind, but she also really wanted to get some vegetables in his diet. She wondered how nurses went about sneaking carrots or greens into their patients’ food. It couldn’t be easy.

“Hey dad, you hungry?”

Her father walked into the kitchen with a scowl. “Why are you asking me? Aren’t you in charge around here, Brenda? If you’re hungry, make some food. Just leave some out for me and I’ll get to it.”

“Sure thing, Steve.”

“And let me know if my daughter calls. I’ve been waiting to talk to her.”

He stomped out and sat down in a huff. Joy wasn’t sure who Brenda was, but she was suspicious it was the name of a nurse dad had hired a while back. He would only be so short with a stranger.

She made herself a sandwich and then one for her father, then joined him in the living room for an episode of Judge Hunter. The show was a reality program about a small claims court where the judge would get fed up with the people who would come to see her. She often told people they were ridiculous or irresponsible, much to her father’s delight.

Just as she got settled, a noise started up outside. At first, it sounded like a weird buzzing, maybe a swarm of bees. After a moment, Joy realized it was the sound of motorcycles all revving and speeding down the street. She tried to ignore it but the noise filled the living room. Her father cranked up the volume on the TV but it was no use, the roar of the bikes speeding past was too much for even the loudest setting.

“Damn kids! I hate those biker sons of bitches. I’ve called the police a hundred times. Never does any good.”

“Bikers?” Joy stood and went to the window, too curious to let the moment pass. She pushed aside the curtain just as a gang of bikes turned the corner on their street. The big, gleaming motorcycles careened around the corner like a parade. The air throbbed with the power of their engines and the drivers made sure to rev their engines as much as possible, announcing to the whole town that they were present and powerful.

She stared at the man who led the group. His deep black hair and bright eyes were incredibly familiar, but she couldn’t place him. Had they gone to school together?

Her father joined her at the window, scowling again. “I just hate to see that nice boy throw his life away like that. His parents didn’t raise him that way.”

“Who?”

“What do you mean who? The leader! Your ex-boyfriend, Zak. That’s his gang and that’s him right there in the lead. I tell you, he is not the kid I remember. No, sir. For a long time, I hoped you’d marry him. Now I hope you never go near Zak Mansing again.”

Joy’s heart stopped. Zak? No, it couldn’t be. Zak had loved reading, had spent long afternoons in the woods watching the birds and keeping an eye out for deer. Zak had been a volunteer at the church, a good student, a nice son to his parents. Now he was in a gang? She could hardly wrap her head around it.

The gang came back around and Joy stared out the window to get another look at the man who, long ago, had been her first boyfriend. For just a moment, he turned and saw her in the window. Did he give her a little smile, or was that her imagination? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that her heart was going a million miles an hour. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had made her so excited.

Over the next few days, the mood of the town shifted. Apparently, the gang wasn’t there all the time, just once every few weeks. Everyone was a little more jumpy, a little less smiley when they were close by. Joy saw the difference instantly. Even Coco from the gas station seemed like a different person when she went in to buy some juice and eggs one morning.

“Hi Coco. How are you?”

“Good, thanks. That will be five dollars and eighty cents.”

Shocked at Coco’s poker face, she put the money down. Then, she heard them. The motorcycle engines revving like crazy as they drove straight for the station. She turned and hoped she’d have time to leave before they came in, but no such luck. By the time Coco had passed over her change, they were there. They parked so that they blocked the door and no one could leave. The group walked in with a tough swagger, throwing the door open and stationing one member in the doorway so no one could get in.

A bearded man in a black leather jacket approached the counter. “Hi Coco. How’re you?”

“You guys have to pay for your stuff. You don’t get to come in here and loot my store. It’s not okay.”

Joy backed up and tried to make herself as small as possible as the two had their stand-off, Coco demanding money while the bearded man insisted she worried too much. All around Joy, members of the gang were helping themselves to packaged cakes, bottles of soda, hot dogs from the spinning cooker and burritos from the fridge. All the food went right into their pockets or straight into their mouths. No one reached for their wallets.

Seeing a free corner, Joy made her way towards it, avoiding eye contact as much as possible. Without meaning to, she bumped into a shoulder and mumbled a “sorry.”

“That’s okay. Hey, wait a minute.” A hand grabbed hers and stopped her. “Joy? Is that you?”

Zak’s eyes looked just like she remembered, blue as a summer sky and just as clear. To her surprise, the sweetness she remembered was still evident in those eyes. She smiled back.

“It’s me. I just came back to town.”

“Wow. You know you look exactly the same.”

“No! You’re flattering me.”

“I’m not.” He smiled and squeezed her hand a little more. She didn’t pull away. The two stared at each other for a long moment, then started laughing. Joy wasn’t sure what about; although Zak and his friends robbing a store while they played catch up was kind of funny.

“Hey,” he said, still holding her hand. “What are you doing tonight? You want to get together and catch up?”

She looked around at his crew. All of them looked pretty rough. Even the pretty ladies in the group had a hardness in their eyes that made Joy very nervous. The ripped up jeans, the leather jackets, the shirts proclaiming their love of different brands of alcohol, all of it seemed to add up to a bad idea.

“I don’t know, Zak. My dad needs a lot of help. I better stay in tonight.”

“Alright, you’re playing hard to get. I understand.” He picked her hand up and looked at it, then looked her in the eye. “But you know you’ll go out with me one day. I don’t know when, I just know it’s going to happen. And so do you.”

He gave her hand a kiss, then gently lowered it back down to let it go. “Alright, troops! Let’s roll out.” He signaled for their exit by making a big circle around the top of his head with his hand and without protest the group filed out, got on their bikes, and roared off. Joy and Coco watched them leave, Coco with her arms crossed and red-faced. Joy’s eyes stayed on Zak. She couldn’t seem to look away. He looked back at her and they held eye contact for a long time, both of them smiling. She watched until he pulled away, and he and his crew disappeared into the distance.

Of course, she wasn’t going to go on a date with him; that would be massively stupid. Just the thought made her shake her head at the absurdity of the idea. But she couldn’t forget those beautiful eyes. They followed her everywhere she went for the rest of the day.

 

Chapter 3

 

Joy’s father had good days and bad. Sometimes, he wanted to dance in the living room, stay up late and eat chocolate ice cream or sing songs with his daughter. He seemed delighted to have her back in his life. Today, however, was not one of those days.

“Brenda, call my daughter, will you? I haven’t heard from her in ages. I’m worried.”

Orders to call herself were always given without eye contact. She hated it when she had to be Brenda. Brenda was unwanted, unrecognized. If Dad experienced any joy, he was loathe to share it with her when she became this other person to him. It made her heart sink down into her stomach.

Tonight, she thought she would try something. She walked over to the phone on the wall and picked up the receiver, covertly unplugging the connection so she could press the numbers without calling anyone.

“You remember her number?”

“Sure thing, Steve. I’ve got it memorized.” She waited a few seconds, then put on her little performance.

“Hello, is Joy there? Oh great, could I speak to her, please? Yes, I can wait.” In the next room, the volume on the TV got lower and she could hear her dad leaning so far back in his lounger that it gave a big creak. “Joy? Hi! It’s Brenda, your Dad’s helper. Oh, we’re fine. We just wanted to call and see if you could manage a visit sometime soon. Really? You don’t say! Well, that would be just wonderful. He will be thrilled. I’ll tell him right now. Bye, Joy.”

She hung up and saw that her father’s head was peeking around the doorway, anxious for news. “Well?” His eyebrows were almost all the way up his forehead. “What did she say?”

“She was missing you so much and so happy to hear that you were thinking of her that she’s coming to see you. She’ll be in first thing tomorrow.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful.” He put his hand on his chest, warming the space around his heart. When he looked up, he had the beginnings of tears in his eyes. “She was the best thing that ever happened to me, you know? We didn’t plan her, we just went for it. Being parents. She was my one impulsive decision and I don’t regret it. Not for a minute.” He looked up at her and instantly got annoyed. “What are you crying for? She’s not your daughter!” He huffed and stormed out of the room like a little boy, leaving Joy to hold her own heart.

 

The next morning, she woke up excited to see if her father would be back in Dad mode or if he would be her cranky patient again. She jumped up to make his coffee and get his bagels in the toaster. Dad really needed to cut back on bread. Well, that was for another day; today she prayed he would be happy.

He shuffled out of his room and gave her a big smile. “Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep alright?”

She ran over and gave him a big hug. “I did, Daddy. Thanks.”

He hugged her back. “Aren’t you sweet? You know, I had a memory come back to me last night.”

“What was that?”

“Do you remember that time we missed each other so much that you just dropped everything and came out here for a visit? All it took was one quick phone call from that cow, Brenda and you ran out here like a shot.” He patted her cheek. “That’s what I always loved about you, dear. You’ve always known just when you’re needed.”

The rest of the day was a nice one. The weather was mild and great for puttering around in the garden, so she and her father tooled around outside. When he asked her if she would go and pick up some chocolate ice cream at the store outside of town, she went happily, checking to make sure nothing had been left on or locked before she went.

“Anything else you need, Dad?”

He handed her some cash. “Get something for yourself. You’re a sweetheart, you deserve it.”

She ran out to the car and flew down the street, hoping if she hurried that Dad’s memory would hold out for the rest of the night.

As soon as she pulled into the parking lot, she saw them. The line of motorcycles right at the entrance. She swallowed and parked as far back as she could, uncertain what to do next. Then she saw the gang’s guard posted outside the door. They looked at each other for a moment, then he turned to the inside of the store to talk to someone. When he turned back to her, he gave her a big, come-on-over wave. She pointed to herself; me? He nodded. Gulping, she walked towards the big, carefully guarded doors and the big, bearded man standing with his hands in his pockets.

She could see herself reflected in his shades, the two women in his dark eyes looking pale and shaky as he stared at her, expressionless.

“Zak says come in and take what you want. You have the protection of The Beasts.” He stepped aside and let her through.

Inside, the small group of customers who had been cornered by the gang were standing in the back of the store near the pharmacy, doing everything they could to blend in with the wall. One of the women in the group of nervous shoppers looked at Joy and then quickly looked away. Joy recognized her, but wasn’t sure what her name was. She was about to join her and her silent cohort when she got a tap on the shoulder.

“Hey! Nice to see you again.” Zak opened his arms and gave her a big hug. She couldn’t help inhaling his warm, country-boy scent while they hugged. He smelled like dusty roads and pine trees, like old, beat-up trucks and barbecues. When he pulled away, he gave her his signature, bad boy smile. “So, you need something?”

“I’m just here to get some ice cream for my dad.” She pointed a finger into his chest. “And I intend to pay for it. I appreciate the invitation into the store with your… friends, but I’m here to buy, not take.”

He immediately put an innocent look on his face and his hand on his chest as if he were deeply offended. “Hey, we keep this town safe! Do you know how many rival gangs would be here if we weren’t? We’re unarmed and friendly, but the neighboring crews know better than to cross us. And hey.” He gestured to the store. “Everybody needs to eat.”

He took her by the arm and walked her by the vegetables and snacks, then around the corner to dairy section. “How have you been? You and Aris get married?”

“We’re divorced, actually.” She quickly crossed and uncrossed her fingers as she said it. After all, it wasn’t entirely untrue.

“Sorry to hear that.” He sighed and stared off into thedistance. “Aris was such a great guy. I mean, great enough for you to leave me for him.”

“Zak, I want you to know that I’ve never forgiven myself for—” The sight of his smile and the twinkle in his eye stopped her. She smacked his arm. “You really had me going! You big jerk.” She laughed as he feigned a seriously injured arm. “Alright, knock it off.”

He stopped her and turned her so she faced him directly. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up about something that happened in high school. You were just following your heart. Most people don’t have the courage, but you went for it. So what if he wasn’t the right guy? You still have time to meet someone.”

He turned and continued towards the freezer section before she could respond, still leading her by the arm as if they were walking down the red carpet. All around them were members of Zak’s gang, all of whom were careful to give them a wide berth as they walked past the glass doors filled with a rainbow of ice cream flavors. Joy noticed how reluctant everyone was to approach or even cross paths with Zak as they perused the flavors. What had he told them about her?

“So,” Zak asked, leaning against one of the freezers, “we’re looking for ice cream for your dad.”

“Yes.”

“And you insist on paying for it?”

“I do.”

He gave a little shrug. “I can’t remember the last time I passed up free food. But, if you insist on paying, you should at least get something good. What does he like?”

She smiled as he seriously considered all the different flavors. He was so incredibly good-looking, and his face looked so young. It was hard for her to believe they were the same age.

“He loves chocolate. Any kind of chocolate.”

Zak opened a glass door and took out a tub of Death by Chocolate. “Well, this is chocolate with about five other kinds of chocolate and chocolate crunchies swirled in. Will that do?”

“Perfect.” She held it and smiled at him for a moment and he smiled back. “Zak, I know you’ve got this whole motorcycle gang thing happening and I have no idea what your personal life is, but I just want you to know…” She cleared her throat, suddenly nervous. He took one of her hands and she let him hold it for a moment. “I want you to know that I always wonder what my life would have been like if I’d stayed with you. You know what I mean?”

He looked down at the ground, swinging her hand back and forth like a teenager. “Well, I don’t know that you would have been happy with me. My life took an interesting turn just after we broke up.”

Leading her by the hand, he pulled her away from the freezer and down towards the only operating cashier. Joy couldn’t help but note how gently he touched her. She didn’t feel nervous around him at all but rather trusted him immediately. Her nerves felt as if they had been smoothed down by a strong hand, allowing her to let Zak take control of the conversation without feeling as if he was bossing her around or threatening her. It was like learning to breathe again.

“So what was it that drove you away?”

“Joy…” Zak pulled her in for a hug as she pulled out her wallet to pay for the ice cream. “If I told you, I doubt you’d believe me.”

“What do you mean?”

He started to say something, but then stopped himself and just shook his head. Unsure what was happening, Joy handed her money over to the fuming cashier and didn’t say anything, just looked at Zak. There was something in his eyes, but she wasn’t sure how to define it. Who was this crazy guy she was looking at? The leader of a motorcycle gang, or something else?

The cashier, a scrawny teenager, bagged the ice cream and thrust it at Joy, glaring at Zak. “See? Your friend can pay for food and whatever. You and your lackies can do the same.”

He didn’t react, just stayed relaxed with his hands in his jean pockets. He blew a kiss to Joy and then chucked the cashier under the chin. “Bye ladies.” He went back into the depths of the store, leaving the both of them to watch him go back into the mayhem his crew was creating. Joy turned to leave, the doors only opening for her because the guard at the door reactivated the censor as she approached. Behind her, the door locked, holding in the gang and keeping the rest of the world out.

Joy drove back and focused on the scenery on the open road; the farms, the fruit stands, the small houses. She found herself unable to stop smiling as she remembered her romantic walk through the grocery store. The whole thing had felt like an elaborate set-up, as if she’d been on the set of a romantic movie and played the leading woman being seduced by the handsome young man.

Maybe one day they would go on a real date. Of course, she was technically still married and Aris could show up at any minute, and her father would string her up by her toes if she went out with a man who ran a motorcycle gang. Still… a date with Zak might just be worth risking her ex-husband’s wrath and the possibility of being disowned by her only remaining family member. It would be just perfect.

The next morning, Joy went out on a mission; she had the name and address of a small law office and she was shopping for a divorce. She drove to the small office, which turned out to be near the same grocery store where she’d last seen Zak. Her heart sped up for a moment; would she see him again? Today it was quiet; normal shoppers who felt no need to set up guards at the door streamed in and out of the automatic doors. The Law Offices of Bramble & Bramble sat quietly in the tall grass and when Joy walked in she was greeted by a receptionist who put her finger to her lips, asking her to respect the silence. She nodded her head in deference and then took a seat.

After being escorted in, she was greeted by a chubby lawyer with wild, curly hair and five o’clock shadow on his face. He wiped the sweat from his brow and regarded her for a moment. “So,” he started, tilting his head. “I’m guessing we’re drawing up some divorce papers today.”

“Yes, unfortunately.”

“Hmm…” He took out a couple of forms and started shooting questions at her.

“Did he cheat on you?”

“Yes, many times.”

“Ever hit you?”

“Constantly.”

“You ever call the police on him?”

“I tried a couple of times, but they’re all his drinking buddies. He’d just invite them out for a drink and they’d look the other way.”

This continued for a long while, Bramble asking questions and Joy answering yes to almost all of them. By the time they were done, they had an impressive list of reasons for Joy to leave Aris. Seeing all the boxes ticked yes made her marvel at the marriage she’d just left.

Bramble stared at it as well, not speaking. Finally, he cleared his throat and leaned forward. “Honey,” he said, his face falling. “How did you last one day in this marriage?”

Joy laughed at loud at the question; how indeed? Looking at this long list of reasons to leave and perfectly good causes for divorce really made her wonder what had kept her in Aris’ clutches.

She shrugged. “I guess I just loved him. That’s all.”

“Do you still?”

Joy shook her head no, slowly. “No. Not at all. Now that I’m away from him, I never want to see him again.”

Chapter 4

 

“Joy? Joy! Phone for you!” Joy’s dad let the receiver hang from the landline phone in the kitchen and shuffled away. Judge Hunter was on so his attention was devoted to the TV. Joy walked to the phone, heart pounding. Was this an old friend? Aris raging at the divorce papers that had arrived at his house? Or someone else? She lifted the phone to her ear, biting her lip in anticipation.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Joy. It’s Zak. Can you talk for a moment?”

“Zak!” There it was again, that thrum in her chest. How was he able to do her in with just a hello? “Hi. Yes, I can talk. How are you?”

“Good, good. Listen, we’re all getting together at a bonfire tonight. I thought I could take you out on my bike, introduce you to some friends and show you the stars. What do you think?”

She giggled like a teenager, then blushed at how silly she sounded. “You think I haven’t seen stars?”

“Well…” Now it was his turn to giggle. “I think you’ve seen some of those second-rate stars, but I know where the best, most beautiful stars are in the sky. You won’t believe it.”

Joy curled the phone wire around her fingers, already mentally out with Zak. “I guess I could go out for a while. As long as you don’t get me home too late. You know my dad can’t be on his own all night. He might, I don’t know, go for a random drive or something.”

“Oh, of course. I would never get in the way of that. Don’t worry.” He took a breath and calmed himself down. “I mean, I’ll have you home by eleven. Can I pick you up around seven thirty?”

Joy looked at her dad, thoroughly absorbed in his show and yelling at the screen. She’d have time to make him some sandwiches before she left and there was ice cream in the freezer. He would be okay. “Sure. Seven thirty. And you better deliver on those stars.”

He laughed, smiling so big she could almost see it through the phone. “You got it. I’ll pick you up at your place.”

Before Joy could ask him not to drive his bike to the house, he hung up. There was no way her dad would be okay with a loud motorcycle pulling up to the house and her jumping on the back. How was she going to play this? She bit her lip and moved to the living room to join her dad in the extra recliner.

He looked over at her with a scowl. “What’s eating you, Brenda?”

Her breath caught for a moment—he thought she was Brenda. Maybe she could swing the motorcycle chauffeur after all. “Oh, it’s my brother. He’s supposed to pick me up today, but he traded in his car for a motorcycle. I’m just a little nervous about riding on it.”

Steve dismissed the comment with a gesture. “Don’t be such a baby. Just take my leather jacket and wear a helmet.” He turned to look at her with a wicked smile. “That way, if you crash, at least your top half won’t get scattered all over the road.” He laughed loudly at his own joke, then turned back to the show.

Joy stood and walked to the closet. She remembered that old jacket; it was her dad’s favorite from the sixties. In the hall closet, she flipped through the winter coats and fall parkas, hopeful this beautiful old jacket really was in there. Just as she was about to give up, she found it. It was shoved into a corner on the top shelf. She took it down and shook it out. It was a little dusty and had some odd folds in it, but overall it was in great shape. She slipped it on and found that it fit pretty well; the style at the time was a slimmer fit, so the jacket didn’t have any bulk to it but rather hung well from her small shoulders. She went to the bathroom mirror and admired her reflection for a moment, turning from side to side. She grabbed a tube of red lipstick and dabbed on a bit of color, then fluffed her curly hair a bit to make it look like she’d just been out on the road.

“Hi Zak,” she said to the mirror. “Oh, this? It’s just an old jacket I found in the closet. No one was using it so…” She posed with an arched back, her legs apart. I look good, she thought. Like, biker chick good.

“Brenda! You find my jacket?”

“Yeah, I did. You sure you don’t mind if I wear it? It’s a classic.”

Harrumphing his way up from his chair, her father walked into the bathroom to see for himself. He looked at her for a long while, mouth open. “Brenda,” he whispered, his voice hoarse, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so lovely.”

Joy fought the urge to throw her arms around her dad, hugging herself instead. “Thanks, Steve. I mean it.”

As promised, at seven thirty on the dot, a huge, gleaming motorcycle pulled into the driveway. Joy practically squealed at the sight; she hadn’t been on a date in years and now, here she was, living the dream. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

There was Zak with his gleaming back hair, his shades propped up on the shock of hair so that she could see his blue eyes. She waved to him from the kitchen window and he waved back, all smiles.

“Bye, Steve! I’ll be back tomorrow!”

“Bye, Brenda. Be careful.”
Free from all responsibilities for the moment, she ran out to meet Zak and the two threw their arms around each other and held on tight. Joy marveled at how good and how natural it felt to hold him in her arms, as if they’d been specifically designed for the job.

“Hi,” she mumbled, still holding on.

“Hi. Good to see you.” Hi lips brushed her ear as he talked and she could smell that familiar, wild country boy scent again. Her knees turned to liquid for just a moment, then she collected herself. It was just a date, after all.

“Okay,” she said, swinging her leg up and over the seat, the wrapping her arms and legs around Zak. “Let’s get to this bonfire.”

He revved up the engine and tilted his head back, yelling something to her, but she couldn’t make out a word. She opened her mouth to ask what he’d said, but they tore off down the road and her “What?” turned into a “Woohoo!”

The fire was out in the foothills just between Stottard and the next town. They had a beautiful view of the woods below and all around them from the high vantage point on top of the boulder where they’d built the fire. The flames made the rock below them glow like a lantern and the smoke rose and twisted into the air as if it were a natural part of the scenery, as if this rock had just been waiting for a fire to come along. Below the boulder was a ring of motorcycles and some gang stragglers yelling up to the main group on the top as they grilled kabobs for the group. The smell of charred meat wafted all around the party and smelled even more tempting as it mingled with the scent of the woods. Joy sat and took it all in as she leaned against Zak who propped her up like a chair. The two of them listened to the raucous conversation around them, laughing at the crazy stories of the gang and their adventures and their bawdy jokes.

Joy turned to ask a man named Greg for another beer, and as she turned her head, she saw something. She wasn’t sure what she saw, but suddenly Greg seemed huge and hulking. His face didn’t look human, it seemed wild and vicious. Joy almost screamed, but then everything turned back to normal just as quickly. Greg looked like himself, but there was an odd glow to his eyes.

“Greg?” She reached out for him and he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“What’s up, buttercup?”

“I, uh, I was just wondering if I could get another beer.”

Greg gave her an exaggerated bow. “It would be my honor.” He yelled down to the food crew below and a beer flew up towards him; he caught it mid-air. “Here you are.”

“Thank you, sir.” She nodded in appreciation, but as she cracked it open, she felt odd. What exactly was this motorcycle gang? Was there a reason they stayed so separate for everyone else? She couldn’t be sure.

She turned her attention back to the gathering and members Petunia and Lisa who were re-enacting a bad date one of them had been on recently.

“Hey baby. How about we find out if your clothes look this good on my floor?”

Gasping in shock, Lisa slapped Petunia away with a big show of melodrama. “Oh, you cad! You horrible man! Get away from me this instant.” She flounced away while her pursuer stood, mouth open in dumbfounded shock, much to the amusement of the group. While everyone was laughing, Zak leaned down to whisper something in her ear.

“Hey, I promised you some juicy stars. Want to go see them?”

Smiling, she nodded and let him take her by the hand over to the side of the boulder with a metal ladder going down the side. They went down carefully while the group let out a loud chorus of oohs and aahs as they went, teasing them for slipping away.

“Watch yourself, honey. He’s a heartbreaker!”

“And a pelvis breaker, if you know what I mean.”

They walked away giggling, leaving the group behind to speculate as to their actions.

Zak led Joy through a bramble of low-hanging branches, over a small brook, and then around a quick switch back in the path. They emerged into a small meadow tucked away in the trees. The ground was covered in soft, feathery grass and, as promised, the stars and the moon were clearly visible from here, even a little brighter.

“Wow!” She stepped out into the center of the opening, taking in the sky and the air around here. The space felt so magical. She felt as if a fairy would fly up to her face or an ancient god was about to pass through.

Her date hung back, watching her. She turned around and looked at him, her face animated with the moment. “Zak, this is so beautiful.”

He stepped in and took her hand. “Then it’s a good place for you.” He stared at her face for a long time, his soft eyes taking in every detail of her face. “You always were so lovely. Back in high school you were the prettiest thing I’d ever seen and you still are today. It’s amazing.”

She blushed and squeezed his hand. “Stop it.”

“I won’t.” He pulled her into to his side and pointed to the sky. “You see those three, extra bright stars over there that make kind of a stretched out triangle?”

“Yeah. That’s the tail of Ursa Major, the bear.”

He looked at her in surprise. “You know it?”

“Again, you act like I’ve never seen stars before.”

He raised his hands in a mock surrender. “Hey, I stand corrected. Anyway, I wanted to show you this place because it’s one of the best places to see this constellation. It’s always been my favorite.”

“It’s beautiful. I can see why this place and this constellation is your favorite.” She turned to him, remembering the moment back at the party when Greg had suddenly changed. “Hey, I need to ask you about something.”

He put his arms up on her shoulders, listening. “What’s up?”

“I don’t really know. I think you’re going to think I’m nuts.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve always believed you were crazy.”

She gave him a little punch in the chest, laughing. “Well, then I guess I’ll just tell you. I was talking to Greg and for a moment, he looked like a massive animal. Like, he seemed to change for a moment.”

Zak didn’t laugh, but rather got a serious expression on his face and focused on the grass below him. “Joy,” he said, not looking at her, “there’s a lot about me that I want to explain to you, but I don’t know if I can. Life really did change for me when I left town, in a lot of unexpected ways.” He looked at her and sighed. “I guess, I don’t really have the words to describe what’s up with me.”

Joy took in the moment, sure that Zak would tell her if he could. She looked into his pained face; what was he carrying inside him? “Maybe,” she said, stepping closer to him, “you can’t tell me because, we don’t entirely trust each other yet. It has been a long time.”

He moved his hands into her hair, sliding his fingers into her blond curls. “Maybe. Maybe, we could change that.” Pulling her head towards him, he brought her in for a deep, passionate kiss. She wrapped her arms around him, so excited that a loud moan escaped her.

Zak sank down to his knees, pulling her down with him. He covered her neck in kisses, making her tilt her head back and open the neck of her shirt so he could go lower. His hands slid up underneath her bra and cupped her breasts. She shrugged off her jacket and pulled her shirt up over her head, her bra following quickly behind.

His own jacket and shirt followed and he held her to his naked torso, his searing skin almost burning hers. The two of them kissed like they’d never felt the lips of another person before, both of them mad with the feel of the other’s mouth on them. Zak grabbed her hair and pulled, arching her back so that her breasts pointed out and she was looking up into the sky. Above her, Ursa Major glowed so brightly that she could see the bear in the sky, growling down at the earth, pawing the ground with a passion of its own.

When he released her hair, Joy was taken by how bright Zak’s eyes were. They appeared to be glowing just as brightly as the stars. She was about to ask him what was happening when he kissed her again, harder this time.

“Joy,” he whispered. “I want you right here, right now.”

“Here? In the meadow?”

“I can’t think of a better place.” His fingers traveled up her rib cage and then moved over to her breast. She thought of stopping him, of making him wait, but it felt too good to be touched like that. His other hand was in her hair, grabbing her long, blond locks at the roots and pulling back just a little. “Joy… Joy… I need you…”

Without a word, she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. “Take me then.”

He quickly lowered her down onto the grass, pulling her onto his lap. “God, you look amazing,” They wrapped their arms around one another, pressed their chests together and just let the heat between them intensify. Gently setting Joy on the ground, Zak stood, pulling off the rest of his clothes. Joy sat up at the sight of him completely nude; his body was taught with square, defined muscles that made his shoulders extra wide and his arms round and hard. Zak’s waist was small and his butt was surprisingly round, almost as round as hers. Even his ankles and his toes looked extremely strong, as if he could scale huge boulders or tall oaks with just his firm digits.

“And you,” Joy reached out to his chest and touched it gently, “you look incredible. You’re so, I mean, you’re in such great shape.” She looked up and down his body without any sense of shame.

“Think so?” He stood in the moonlight and she propped herself up on one side to see him pose. He stood with authority in the space in front of her, flexing his arms and legs, every part of his body in full view. Even his cock was strong and tall. Joy couldn’t help noticing that it was so erect that it pointed straight up at the trees.

“Yeah. I do.” She stood and slipped off her shoes. Unbuckling her jeans, she let them fall to the ground so she could step out of them. Her panties were lacy white and glowed a little bit in the moonlight. She hooked her thumbs in the waistband and pulled them down, then stood naked in front of her former boyfriend so that he could take her in. It amazed her, how good it felt to be seen as a sexual creature, to be looked at with so much lust.

Looking at her, a low, animal growl came out of him. She stood there across from him without moving, spread her hands, and closed her eyes. She heard those powerful feet walk across the grass to her, then felt his big arms sweep her up and then float her down to the ground. Without opening her eyes, she opened her legs and felt him push himself into her.

She arched her back, snapped her eyes open and let out a big gasp as thrust into her. She took him in with the earth under her and the sky below her, moving her body with his as they rocked against both, him holding up the sky on his shoulders and her feeling the gently spinning earth below her. Zak lowered his head to hers and kissed her gently. They kept moving together, their love making shifting between gentle, loving union to wild, animalistic rutting. It took Joy a long time to feel herself start to climax, but when she felt it building she bit Zak’s ear.

“Let me get on all fours. I want you to take me from behind.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. He sat up on his knees and Joy turned so she was facing the earth. She looked at him over her shoulder with a hungry expression. “Come here,” she said. “I need you.”

He moved behind her and kissed the back of her neck, felt her rounded ass with his hands and gave her a little spanking. She froze. “Don’t do that. I don’t like that.”

“I won’t.” He kissed the small of her back and his mouth travelled down to her buttocks as if offering them an apology. She giggled and he straightened up to make love to her again, sliding his big, hard cock into the wet space between her legs.

“Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes.” He moved in and out of her and she moaned louder, her orgasm building up from deep inside her. She hadn’t experienced a true climax for a long time; not since her first year of marriage. She could feel how much Zak wanted her, how badly he wanted her to feel sexy and worshipped and that turned her on even more. The cock sliding in and out of her was rubbing against a particularly sensitive spot inside her, a little patch of skin that begged to be touched and now it was practically singing.

She felt her arms shake underneath her. Behind closed eyes, she could see little pings of light jumping and growing into small bursts, and then giant explosions. “I’m coming! I’m coming!”

He pumped his cock into her harder and deeper. “I want to feel you come, Joy. Come for me.”

Her voice built up into a high, wild scream that went up to the trees. She could feel Zak driving into her, his hips smacking her ass in a fast rhythm. Her voice came out in little cries as her climax took her over and then crashed through her body, lighting up all of her nerves from her toes to the top of her head.

“Yes! Yes! Oh, yes, yes, yes.” She laughed as the sensation of the orgasm took her out of her body. She’d forgotten how wonderful it was to just surrender to sex, to feel the amazing sensation of her whole body letting go of the entire world, even the one inside her in constant turmoil.

Zak grabbed her tightly, pressing her back into his chest. She felt his cock pump up and down inside her as he came and he let out a loud, savage growl. Then, he went slack against her and kissed the back of her neck and shoulders. They were both sweaty and spent and blissfully happy.

Joy turned her head back to look at Zak. “Lay down with me.” She turned around, laying down in the grass, and Zak fell on the ground beside her. They held hands and stared up at the stars. Each of them could hear the other one breathe, could see each other’s chests rising and falling. Joy closed her eyes and let go of everything she thought she’d known about herself. She wasn’t a wife or a battered woman or a little girl lost. She was a sexual being who took her pleasure in the woods and called up to the stars when she climaxed. She was an incredible creature and right at that moment she knew she’d never go back to being the woman she’d been before.

 

Chapter 5

 

Zak bit into Joy’s shoulder, making her gasp out loud. “Oh, yeah, bite me. Bite me!” He pulled back and grabbed her face with his hand, looking at her intensely for a moment. He went back in for a deep, passionate kiss, pulling her hair with his strong hand.

She moaned deeply and ran her fingers through his hair, loving the feel of his strength, his muscles shifting under his skin. He let her go and slipped out of his leather jacket and then whipped off his shirt, revealing his beautiful pectorals and biceps. Was it her imagination or did his eyes just light up for a moment? No, they couldn’t have. Joy laid back in the surrounding, feathery soft grass and reached up to stroke his chest. He smiled back at her, then slowly unbuttoned her blouse.

The two of them had been making love almost constantly since their first night out together. Joy couldn’t explain it; she was like a woman possessed when it came to Zak’s physical affections. He waited until she called him from the house, then roared up to get her on his bike and the two of them would take off to another little hideaway in the woods. He seemed to know where every clearing, every little creek and treasure trove of wild berries could be found. He appeared to be just as desperate to be with her as she was to be with him; the two of them ran to each other, tore one another clothes off and fell into one another’s arms without a moment’s hesitation.

Zak took a breath and laid down on top of Joy for a moment, their stomachs sticking to one another in the summer heat. They snuggled like that in the afternoon sun as it scattered through the leaves and across their faces. Zak kissed her cheek and then her eyelids.

“Joy,” he whispered, “I don’t know what’s happening to me. It’s like you’ve melted my brain. You’re all I think of all day long.”

“I know.” She pushed him off her and turned onto her side, tracing her fingers along his shoulders and neck, smiling warmly at him. “I’ve never been so…” She paused, watching his face. He raised his eyebrows and she quickly stole a little kiss before going on. “So, taken with someone. It’s like, when you’re away from me, I actually ache. I can’t stand it. I just need you to—” She kissed his neck all over. “—to keep—” She moved down to his chest, sliding her tongue all over it. “—making love to me. As much as you can. You’re my drug, Zak. I’m addicted to you.”

She kissed her way down the center of his torso, exploring his sculpted muscles with her fingers as she continued lower and lower. Zak rolled onto his back and put his hands behind his head, letting her unzip his pants and pull his cock out so that it stood tall and proud in the sunlight.

Zak had a lot of reasons to feel confident and sure of himself, but one of those reasons was definitely his large, perfectly shaped penis. Joy was a little embarrassed at how much time she spent thinking about it. She’d never seen anything like it. A porn star could only wish for the genital perfection that Zak had in his pants.

She stroked the shaft up and down for a moment, the tilted her head forward and took him into her mouth. Her head pumped in a steady rhythm, making Zak’s eyes roll back in pure ecstasy. He arched his back and grabbed one of her hands, squeezing it tight.

“Oh. Oh my god. Oh, Joy!” She went a little faster, the cock in her mouth as hard as the boulders around them. She knew he would maintain that erection for a long time, longer than she could hold out, but she liked doing this for him nonetheless. It had never appealed to her before, but with Zak she wanted to have every kind of sex she could imagine; she had no boundaries or inhibitions. She sucked harder and loved the sound of Zak groaning more, feeling his fingers in her hair as they struggled to get control.

“Joy, Joy, stop. I want you on top of me.”

She kissed her favorite penis in the world before sitting up to slide off her shirt and unhook her tiny, pink bra. Standing, she slid out of her shorts and threw them onto his face. Naked, she stood in the sunlight and the woods for a moment, enjoying the feel of the warm sunshine on her breasts and stomach, her shoulders and legs.

Zak stared at his naked paramour smiling down at him. She looked like a wood nymph standing on the grass, surrounded by dogwood trees and their soft, pink flowers. He laid back and smiled. She snapped and pointed down at him.

“Pants off. Now.”

“Yes, my love.” He slid his pants down and kicked them off. She stood with a foot on either side of his pelvis. She put her hands on her hips and looked down at him.

“Now,” she said. “Tell me I’m beautiful.”

“You’re so beautiful.”

She lowered down directly towards his cock, stopping just above it. “Tell me you want me.”

“I want you,” he complied, his heart pounding with the promise of sex being so unbearably close. “I want you more than you know.”

She gently guided his cock into her, still in a perfect squat above him. Gradually, he disappeared into her and their bodies met. She took a moment to grind her hips into his. “I want you, too. I want you to fuck me hard.”

“You want it hard?”

“Yeah.” She started moving up and down on Zak, loving the feel of his cock going in and out of her, the earth below them and the blue sky above them.

Below her, Zak surrendered to her, letting her bounce up and down on top of him and take over the situation. She grunted on top of him, her breasts jostling as she moved, her thighs slapping into him. After a moment, she swung a leg up and over him and turned around so that she was backwards on top of him.

The sight of her perfect ass put Zak over the edge. He stopped her with a hand on the small of her back and lifted her off of him, quickly getting into position behind her. With the both of them on their hands and knees, he took over, holding her by her hips and driving into her as hard as he could.

“You’re mine. You’re mine. I love you and I want you and I need you. Say you love me!”

“I love you! I love you, Zak!”

The both of them felt a huge climax building up inside them and then crested over it together. Joy leaned her head back into Zak and he tilted his head to the sky. She screamed with the orgasm that took over her body and he roared into the sky. Joy was too wrapped up in the moment to realize that he sounded exactly like a bear.

Done with their lovemaking, the two dressed and jumped on Zak’s bike. They never had more than few hours together as Zak constantly had to organize his crew; they needed goals to meet every day, plans for future travel and of course, food.

Joy was floored by how much the group ate. They seemed insatiable, constantly on the lookout for their next meal, their next big barbecue or party. Joy swore she could hear their stomachs grumbling on an almost constant basis. Once she was standing next to Clay, a younger member of the motorcycle crew, and she actually saw his stomach tremble with hunger.

“What is it with you guys and food?” she had asked once.

Zak just shrugged. “We’re out in the fresh air all day. You know how mother nature can build up an appetite. Don’t worry.” He had changed the subject right away, but Joy never forgot how reluctant he was to discuss the matter. She tried to push it out of her mind.

Other things tickled her mind every now and then. Why were they so nervous about winter? Didn’t they have a place to stay? As far as she knew, the group had a kind of break over the holidays. She’d assumed this was so they could be with their families, but no. None of them had any plans to be with parents, children, or anyone. The group went quiet and wandered off individually to wait until spring returned.

Zak’s motorcycle thrummed underneath her, making her excited all over again. Her long hair flew out behind her under her helmet and whipped around in the air. She gave Zak a tight squeeze as he rounded a corner and then yelled a loud “Woohoo!” when he sped up on the straightaway. She loved riding his motorcycle and thought about having her own on a daily basis. How much would her dad freak out if she brought home some old, second-hand bike and let the gang fix it up for her? They’d eat all the bologna in sight.

The two of them went back to Joy’s house, where her father was watching TV. He looked up briefly when she walked in, but then went back to his cop series.

“Hi. How are you?” She could never be sure if she was Joy or Brenda these days, so she always made sure to test the waters before giving him a kiss hello.

“Fine, Brenda.” He emptied his water glass and then held the empty cup out to her, a silent directive to go and clean it. “Don’t know why you need constant updates when I’m clearly fine.”

“Just wanted to make sure. Can’t hurt to check.” She took the glass and stood looking at him for a long time, missing the father who was right in front of her. “Any word from Joy?”

“Is that any of your business? She’s my daughter, not yours.” He shifted in his chair and let out a big sigh. She sighed too. Lately, she was Brenda more often than not. As much as she loved Zak, she missed being someone’s daughter.

Joy walked into the kitchen and started washing up. Dad had apparently made himself several sandwiches during the day. She checked the fridge to see if they had any more lunch meat. All out. That meant she needed to make a quick trip into town and it would be dark soon.

Her father was starting to forget if he’d eaten or not, a common side effect of Alzheimer’s. She worried he was going to have horrible stomach aches, but he never seemed uncomfortable. She decided to get some antacid too, just in case.

“Steve,” she said, putting on her jacket, “I see you’re low on food. If you don’t mind, I’ll take your car to the store and stock up.”

“Why do you need my car? Just go to the Quick ‘n Save. You can walk there.”

“Yes, I could but it’s nearly dark and there’s wolves out. If I drive, I can make it to the grocery store before it closes.” She picked up his keys. “You don’t mind, do you?”

He looked at her blankly. “Nearly dark, you say?”

She checked her watch. “Yes, it’s almost eight in the evening. Did you think it was earlier?”

His jaw fell open. “I… I swear it was noon just a minute ago. What happened to the day?” He looked at her with tears welling in his eyes. “I’ve always kept track of time. Why couldn’t I do it today?”

She ran over and kneeled next to him, brushing his hair back and smiling up at the father who didn’t know her. “You just had a bad day. I’m sorry, I should have stayed at the house longer. Helped you a little more.” Grabbing a nearby notebook, she jotted down a note, then wrote the current time at the bottom. “Here,” she said, handing it to him. “I’m going to leave you with this. I want you to consult this if you forget where I’ve gone or when I’ll be back, okay? It should take me about an hour to get there, shop, and then get back. I’ll go as quick as I can. Sound good?”

He nodded silently, looking down at the note. Two big tears stained the page. “I’ll wait for you.”

“Okay Steve. When I get back we’ll have some ice cream and then go to bed.” She gave him a quick hug and then ran out. He didn’t say anything as she shut the door behind her.

Joy sped down the road, slowing down as she passed the cop hideout the gang had showed her, then floored the gas pedal again to get to the store as quickly as possible. When she got there, it was only moderately busy and she parked and ran in without any holdups.

Keeping her shopping basic, she got up to the front and started unpacking. The cashier sent a glare in her direction and Joy just smiled back. What was her problem? She moved up with the others, but when she got to the front, the girl just crossed her arms and stared at her.

“So, your friends aren’t here with you today.”

Joy stepped back in surprise, friends? What did she mean? “Sorry, I think you have me confused with someone else.”

“No I don’t.” She leaned down on her elbows, not even looking at Joy’s loaf of bread or slowly melting ice cream. “I know exactly who I’m talking to. You’re dating that asshat Zak, the guy who thinks it’s fun to come in here, tear up my store, and leave without paying a dime.”

“I’m here to pay for all of this. I’ve never stolen from you.”

“No. You just watch while your man does it.”

The two women stared at each other, not moving. Joy struggled to find the words to turn the situation around. Yes, Zak was a hell-raiser and yes, they were together, but she was a paying customer. What was she supposed to do?

“Look,” she said, leaning in and lowering her voice, “I am dating Zak. Maybe I could talk to him about taking it easy on this place. You know, pay for the stuff and not block the door. He’ll listen to me.”

Her checkout foe looked doubtful, but she picked up the bread and scanned it anyway. “Yeah? You’d do that?”

“Sure.” Joy prayed she wouldn’t hear the doubt in her voice. She actually had no idea if Zak would hear her out on taking it easy at the stores.

The woman finished and then just shook her head at Joy. “What I don’t understand,” she said, “is what on earth a nice girl like you is doing with that awful man. Don’t you want someone a little more… you know, a little less…”

“Dangerous?” Joy bagged her own groceries while her counterpart scrutinized her, trying to figure her out. “You know,” she said, throwing the bread on top of her purchases, “I don’t think I do. As crazy as he is…” She picked up the bag and turned to go. “I think Zak is the only one for me.”

Chapter 6

The next three days were a bit slow and lonely for Joy. She still hadn’t received the divorce papers from Aris, though her attorney was calling him every day and demanding he sign. He’d also pleaded with Joy to press charges, but she explained that no cop in his town would pick him up. They were all too buddy buddy; he had the advantage.

On top of that, her father had fallen into a horrible depression. She had called several specialists, but none were less than an hour drive out of town and she couldn’t persuade him to get in the car.

He met her suggestions for a psychoanalysis with boiling rage. “I’m not going to some head-shrinker!”

“Dad, it’s to help you feel better. I’ve never seen you so down.”

At that he would stomp off into his room. “You try gettin’ old and let me know how you like it.” Then he’d slam the door and not speak to her for hours.

The only upside of the argument was that it somehow helped him remember that she was his daughter. She wasn’t sure how to take that, but she decided it was all she could ask for right now.

To make it all worse, she hadn’t seen or heard from Zak in a while. She wasn’t worried; he’d let her know the group was going on a run outside of town. “We want to go up to the lake,” he’d told her, stroking her hair. “We just want to get away from modern society for a while.” He kissed her forehead and then whispered in her ear, “You can come too. If you want.”

“I have to stay with my dad.” She smiled and gave him a kiss back. “Behave yourself. Don’t go falling in love with anyone up at the lake.”

“No promises.” She gave him a smack for that and then a big, deep kiss goodbye.

“I’ll miss you.”

“Not as much as I’ll miss you.” He climbed on his bike after that and signaled for everyone to get on and roll out. She stood and watched them go, waving goodbye to the whole group, most of whom were too excited to do more than a quick, behind the back wave to her as they roared off.

So, here she was: no boyfriend, a depressed father, and a town that would barely speak to her because everyone knew she was involved with Zak. Not her best weekend. To top it all off, she had nausea and felt a bit dizzy. What was wrong with her?

“You alright Brenda?” She looked up to see her father was out of his room and curious as to what was going on with her. She nodded.

“I’m fine, Steve. Thanks for checking on me.”

“You’re looking a little piqued. Go lie down if you need to.”

“I will. Don’t worry.” She eased herself into a kitchen chair and put her head in her hands. Did she have a bug? She checked the time and was mortified to see that it was only six. She was anxious to go to bed.

She forced herself up to fix a few sandwiches for her dad. His Alzheimer’s disease was now completely messing up his eating habits and made him forget he was full. She was making ten sandwiches a day because any withholding of food sent him into a rage that couldn’t be quelled. She’d quit fighting with him immediately. How could she deny her own parent food?

Once the sandwiches were prepared and wrapped up in the fridge, she checked on her dad. He was snoozing peacefully in his armchair, the remote wrapped up in his fingers. She gave him a little kiss on his forehead and then felt a horrible swoon as she stood again. Whoa. She did need to lie down.

Finally, she decided to throw the day out and headed into her room. As soon as her head hit the pillow she started to fall asleep. Her whole body seemed to be begging for rest and a soft, smooth mattress and the weight of her old, nubby blankets.

As soon as she was asleep, she dreamed. In her dream, she walked between ominous, black trees that towered above her. Pine cones fell from their branches, but not in a threatening way. They were like big, gentle raindrops plummeting to the ground. Under her feet was a soft layer of long, luxurious pine needles that almost felt like a springy mattress. The smell of wet bark and moss was everywhere and she felt a little drunk as she breathed it in.

Ahead of here were some dark, vague figures. Who were they? She squinted through the trees, but she couldn’t seem to get any closer to them. She ran a little bit, pushing the trees aside and knocking pine cones to the ground. She opened her mouth to call out a big, “Hey!” but found she had no voice at all. She ran faster, opened her mouth wider and wider, but nothing seemed to work. Her own body fought her and grew heavier with every step, her throat seemed to close as she tried again and again to scream out to the familiar figures ahead of her.

Finally, she made a big, heavy lunge forward and the motion sent her straight down into the earth. She fell past tree trunks, through webs of worms and beetles and down into darkness. When she hit the ground her eyes opened and she found herself gasping and sweating in her bed.

She sat up. Behind her, on the mattress was a pool of sweat and her pajamas were soaked through. She peeled the blankets back and got up. Her digital clock on the nightstand informed her that it was five in the morning, far too early to go out and make breakfast. Her dad would be furious if she woke him up now.

She pulled her sweaty clothes off and stood naked in the center of her room. The gray light of dawn hit her body and illuminated her for a moment with an eerie softness. She looked down and was startled at the sight of her breasts. They had grown overnight. She smoothed her hands down her now very tender chest and continued down to her stomach and hips; both were substantially bigger. Joy had always had a slim frame and an active metabolism so she usually maintained a rather skinny silhouette. This new, extra curvy figure she had felt completely alien. Whose body was this?

Joy pulled her sheets off the mattress and balled them. Even the mattress pad under her fitted sheet was ruined. She sighed and wondered how early she’d be able to do any laundry. Her stomach growled and she nearly slapped it. No eggs and bacon for you, pudgy, she thought. You’re going on a diet starting today.

After the mattress was stripped and her skin and hair grew chilly from her sweaty nightmare, she pulled on fresh pajamas, now much tighter over her big hips and ample chest, and laid on the bare mattress to close her eyes for another hour or so. If she dreamed again, she didn’t remember the details. All she knew was that when she woke up there was bacon frying and coffee brewing in the kitchen. Her dad was cooking? The smell made her mouth water so much she had to wipe the drool away.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her new body didn’t look bad, it just looked different. Maybe Zak would be into it. Besides, she told herself as she ran into the kitchen, she could always start her diet tomorrow.

She’d been right about Zak’s enthusiasm for her new shape. He and his crew returned the next day and she greeted him in a tight pair of jeans, a white T-shirt, and her leather jacket. Now it was his mouth that was watering. He walked up to her with wide eyes, taking in every new, curvy inch of her.

“What happened to you?”

She feigned innocence. “What do you mean?”

“I mean.... your… and then your… You’ve got a whole new body.” He took her hand and stepped closer to her and she breathed in that familiar scent of his that she loved so much. He smelled extra wild today, now that he’d spent some time out at the lake.

She pulled him in a little closer so she could whisper in his ear. “I gained a little weight. Do you mind?”

He stepped back and looked her up and down one more time, then shook his head appreciatively. “You’ve never looked hotter. In fact…” He glanced over at his crew, all of whom were winding down and settling into the grass around their bikes. “Can we go somewhere? I need you right now.”

She pulled his hand and led him, giggling the whole way, off to a little spot she’d found while he’d been away. He ran after her, already pulling off his jacket. They quickly shed their clothes and threw them into the grass as soon as they reached the little patch of soft grass next to a grand old tree standing tall in the forest. The two of them stood together in the shade, Zak regarding Joy once again, but this time taking in every beautiful curve as she stood there, nude and lovely in the forest air. His heart raced as he took in the rise of her hips, her rounder and softer ass, and her heavy breasts.

He moved to her, his cock already standing straight up in the air as hard as ever, and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her neck, gathered her long hair in his hand and twisted it into his fingers. She tilted her head back as he worked his way down to her big, round breast and took her nipple into his mouth. She gasped as he sucked on the little pink circle; it seemed to be attached somehow to her clitoris. She was instantly excited, pumping her hips back and forth as he took her hard nipple between his teeth for a quick love bite.

“You want it?” He moved to the next breast, giving it the same treatment and sending volts of electricity through her whole body.

“Oh my god. Yes, yes I need you. I need you right now.” He lifted up and she threw herself into his arms, wrapping her legs around his chest. He reached down to grab her big, curvy ass with one hand and the feel of it seemed to spark a fire in him. He felt more wild than he had ever been with her before. He gave it a loud smack and the sound rang out in the woods along with Joy’s loud, enthusiastic moan. She’d grown to enjoy his spanking over time.

“You just need it, don’t you?” He turned so that tree trunk was behind her and he could prop her up against its rough skin. “Tell me. Tell me to fuck you.”

Joy put one foot down and kept the other wrapped around him. She bucked against his hips and the biting tree bark. Her eyes were wide and desperate. He had never seen her pupils so big and the sight of them made his blood pump even harder.

“I want you to fuck me. I want you fuck me harder than you’ve ever fucked me. Do it right now. Take me right here. I can’t wait. I need it. I need you inside me. Do it. Fuck me, Zak. Fuck me!”

Zak shoved his hard, straight cock up and into her slick, wet pussy and the both of them cried out in relief. Then he worked his body up and down, driving himself deep into her as she balanced against the tree and on the gnarled ground at its roots. She grabbed onto his shoulders and let herself ride him like the animal he was, loving the friction and the heat and the sweat they created together.

Their bodies moved in a steady rhythm, building up to a faster speed. Zak’s eyes blazed a deep yellow and low, rumbling growl came up from his toes and out his open mouth. For a moment, Joy thought she saw a great, gaping jaw full of curved and dangerous teeth in front of her, but it was gone as soon as she saw it. She kissed him and bit his lip and their speed increased, the two of them melded together with the heat they created. Joy felt little sparks flying off her skin and briefly worried about the forest around them; surely no tree could stand against the force of their fire.

They hit their climax and the sky was suddenly filled with birds, flower buds opened and queen bees devoured their faithful bee servants deep inside their sticky palaces. Ripples of their lovemaking shook the earth so strongly that the rocks rattled and the rivers swelled. They rode the dark, undulating orgasm between them with their eyes closed. Joy had a brief vision of Ursa Major blazing in the sky and laughed at the memory. That had been back when they were so hesitant and gentle with one another. Look at us now, she thought. We’re so happy to tear each other to shreds.

A moment later, they laid in the grass and stared up at the sky. Both were still naked and still reeling from their lovemaking. She had ever been so hungry, so desperate for someone’s touch and the effect had left her both a little shaky. Zak propped himself up on one elbow and looked at Joy, sweaty and spent on the soft earth, and smiled.

“You look like a goddess. You know that?”

She snorted a little laugh. “Come on. I’m no goddess.” She picked a nearby flower and drew across his face with it, but he moved it away.

“I’m serious.” He touched his nose to hers and she could feel his eyelashes on her cheeks. “You represent life, love, sex. Everything. That’s what a goddess is; she’s an inspiration and a symbol. I’m using the right word.”

She turned to him and gave him a big, long kiss. His lips tasted like cold well water, something deep in the earth that was waiting to be released. The taste of it stirred her again and she pulled him on top of her. The two lay in the grass and just held one another, kissing in the warm sun. The scents of soft grass and black earth reached her nose and she could feel the variations in the earth beneath her. The rises and dips and the blades of long, soft grass made the perfect bed for them and she never wanted to get up from that little spot.

Zak sat up and cocked his head. “You hear that?”

She propped herself up on her elbows and listened as well. It sounded like an argument. “I think two of your guys are just having a disagreement.”

“One of those voices isn’t ours.” He jumped up and listened again. He walked over to find his clothes and quickly pulled them on without looking at Joy. She popped up to join him and found her pants on top of a thorny bush. She had to pull it off carefully so it wouldn’t rip and he got a bit of a head start. Dressed already, he walked off to see what could be happening and left Joy behind him.

“Hey,” she called out, “don’t leave! I’m right behind you.”

“I have to, babe. Stay here, I’ll come back for you.”
He left Joy naked to stand and wait at the trees. Gingerly, she peeled her jeans off of the thorns and then found her shirt just below it. She held them while she scoured the ground for her bra and panties and then something made her stop.

The voice that reached her was familiar. The calm tone that implied threats rather than issuing them; it made her hug her sides with her trembling arms. It couldn’t be. There was no way.

Please, she prayed, please don’t let it be who I think it is. Please don’t let it be Aris.

 

Chapter 7

 

After Zak left Joy in the clearing, he walked out of the woods to the road and immediately saw the strange, tall figure he had heard while he’d been with her. He stopped and watched the scene for a moment. His group was holding their own, as he expected them to do. Two of his men were standing with girls flanking them on either side while the rest of the group lounged on the ground, feigning disinterest while keeping a sharp eye on the situation.

The stranger, Zak realized, was Aris, his old enemy and Joy’s ex-husband. He wasn’t losing the love of his life to this loser again and he walked casually across the street to make sure Aris knew it.

Aris and Zak’s fellow biker Gary were having a stand-off. Aris had his hands balled up but down by his sides and was trying to stare Gary down. The biker, meanwhile, was standing in an almost floppy style. His knees were a little bent to keep his legs loose and his gaze was just barely on his challenger; he was making sure he had room to attack if necessary and that he had two points of backup close by. He and his gang got into the occasional fight, sure; but they were smart about it. They never fought in an enclosed space, always made sure to have at least two other people behind their target, and got it over with as quickly as possible. They weren’t scared of the police, they just saw no reason for them to be involved. To have the cops show up to break up a fight was considered highly embarrassing for this group.

“I know she’s here.” Aris ran his fingers roughly through his hair as he took in the lounging bikers in front of him. “You can all drop the act. Trust me, she’s trouble. Just give her up now and I won’t cause any problems.”

“I think you should,” Zak said, stepping forward. “Cause a problem, I mean.”

Aris did a surprised double-take at Zak, where had this guy come from? “What? What the hell are you saying?”

Zak stepped closer to his adversary. Aris was a half-head taller than Zak, but the short leader stood confidently and flipped his hair out of his face with a cocky head snap. “I’m saying we like problems. You think I got this crew to join my gang because they like things safe? No, you’ve got it all wrong.” All around him, gang members were standing slowly and positioning themselves at different points of attack about a foot away from Aris. “You see Petunia over there?”

Aris looked at the skinny blonde with faded purple in her hair. She was staring at him as if she wanted to know his face intimately, to know exactly how each of his cells lined up.

“I’ve seen that pretty little thing snap the necks of three different men. All of them former wife beaters and, to a man, much bigger than you. Now, I would love to see the famous Aris go hand to hand with Petunia here. So please,” he concluded, “make some problems.”

The circle of bikers advanced a few steps towards their target and Aris whipped around in every direction as the circle closed in on him slightly. “Or how about this,” Zak continued, his eyes bright as if he were offering a choice of ice cream flavor to a customer as opposed to ways his enemy could die. “Take on Greg. Greg here spent most of his life in and out of institutions. See, he killed his dad after he witnessed his father spitting in his mother’s face. He knew a beating was on the way and he decided there was no reason to wait until it happened. He just cut the possibility for more violence out as soon as he could.”

Aris turned slightly towards the tall, spiky-haired man on his left. Greg was flexing his fingers and grinning. He looked ready to take Aris out at the knees.

“Choose someone,” Zak said. “Heck, you can even choose to fight me. But if you don’t choose anyone, well then.” He shrugged as if highly disturbed. “You’ll just have to fight the whole group.”

Again, the circle closed in on Aris. He wordlessly opened and closed his mouth and looked from member to member. The stared right back, each prepared to be the one to do battle with this new enemy.

“Alright, I choose you.” Aris’ breathing was incredibly fast and he desperately tried to keep his composure, but his voice wavered and he had sweat all over his forehead. “Come on, tough guy. Let’s dance.”

The whole group laughed as soon as he said it. Each of them turned to one another in a mocking stance. “Let’s dance. Come on, dance with me!” Their laughter was so intense and disturbed Aris so much that he didn’t see the giant claw as it came in for a swipe at his face.

Aris fell to the ground and a huge, brown bear stood over him. It opened its giant maw and let out a huge roar. Aris opened his eyes to see a row of yellow, wet fangs rising from black gums and promptly wet his pants.

“Help! Help!” He scrambled back as the bear batted at him, destroying his pants and scraping a huge scoop of flesh from his leg. Blood began to stain the grass below him. “Someone help me, please!”

There was no one else there; all the other gang members had disappeared and left him to his fate. He turned onto his stomach and began to crawl away. The bear put his front legs on Aris’ back and pushed him down into the ground, then stood on him, pushing again so that his head bucked up a little.

In that moment, Aris thought he saw Joy standing just a short distance in front of him. He started to call her name when suddenly a horrible pain shot through his head and everything went black.

When he came to, he was on the sidewalk in front of a hospital. A nurse ran up to him and began asking questions, but Aris couldn’t focus. He had dried blood holding one of his eyes partially closed and his head was pounding. He was weak from blood loss and had to be carried into the emergency room.

“Sir, did someone attack you? Do you know what your name is? What’s the date today? Is there anything you can tell us?”

Question after question was thrown at him as he was rushed into an operating room. All he could say was one word over and over. “Bear. Bear. Bear.”

 

That night, at the weekly bonfire for the gang, Joy stood by herself. Zak was nowhere to be seen and the whole group was doing everything they could to keep her spirits up.

Petunia came over and patted her on a shoulder. “Look,” she said, “I know you’re worried, but you have to remember that Zak knows these woods better than anyone. He can read the wind, the stars, the tracks of any animal. He’s just hiding out so that bad old bear doesn’t come for him. He’ll be back.” Joy smiled at her and nodded, but didn’t say anything. Petunia handed her a bottle of whiskey and Joy took a swig.

Petunia scrutinized her for a moment, a hand on her hip as she looked Joy up and down. “I can understand why you’re so sad,” she said. “I would be too if I had to give up some quality dick.” Joy laughed and a little bit of whiskey came out her nose.

“Whoa. Careful. I know that stings.” The two friends laughed and stared into the flames. Joy imagined all the different places Zak could be: stuck up a tree with a bear beneath him, safe in a cave where he had fresh water for a few days, or off in some abandoned cabin fast asleep. Petunia, meanwhile, was wondering if Joy had guessed the truth about Zak or any of them. She assumed the answer was no.

After hours of sitting and staring at the fire, of politely accepting drinks and listening as the group told stories and sang songs, Joy was drunk and depressed. She lounged with her head on a rolled up jacket, her arms and legs splayed open. Greg walked over to see how she was doing.

“Take you home, Joy? I’m sure you need some sleep.”

She shook her head groggily. “Just leave me here. My boyfriend’s been eaten by a bear, my own father keeps forgetting who I am, and my ex is probably dead by now. Do yourself a big favor and leave me here. Keep your distance before you catch my curse. It’s fatal.”

“Come on.” Greg quickly reached down and flung her up onto his shoulder so that she hung down towards his butt. “I can’t let Zak’s girl freeze all night. He’ll kill me. Besides,” he said moving down the ladder back down to the bikes, “you’re my friend. Even if you are cursed.” He descended the side of the boulder and set Joy down. She was a bit wobbly, but she didn’t fall.

“Stay here. I’ll bring my bike around.”

Joy stood and felt the earth rock under her feet like a ship. She tilted her head back and yelled up to the stars, “Ursa, you have to find him! Come on, you big bear in the sky. Bring him back to me! Bring him back to me!”

As she yelled to the stars, she staggered around in a circle and watched them spin in the sky. Ursa Major shined the brightest and she could almost see the outline of a bear made of light walking through the sky.

Her spin was stopped abruptly when a hand grabbed her elbow. She was so dizzy and drunk that she couldn’t quite make out who it was; the form swam in front of her as it moved closer. The earth tipped again and she pitched forward, right into the mystery figure’s arms. After that, everything went black.

When she opened her eyes, Joy was back in her room at her father’s house. She was snuggled under the usual blankets and staring at the same ceiling she always had. She blinked her eyes open but promptly closed them again once the light hit her retinas; she was very hungover.

Joy listened for her father or anyone in the house, but everything was quiet. She could live with that. She pulled the covers over her head and settled in for a late sleep, thrilled to be able to relax for a morning.

She was just slipping back into sleep when a soft knock came at the door.

Joy meant to call out a greeting, but all she could manage was an annoyed groan. The door opened and her dad stood there, looking down at her.

“Hi Joy.” He leaned in the doorway. “Feeling a little rough?”

She nodded from under her blanket shelter.

“Well, from what Zak tells me, you had a tough night. You take it easy for today. I’m going to make you my guaranteed hangover cure, okay?”

From under the covers, Joy managed to produce a shaky thumbs up. He left and she quickly pulled the covers down and consulted her ceiling. Wait. Did he say Zak?

Slowly, gently placing one foot in front of the other, Joy made her way out of her room and into the kitchen where her father was cracking a raw egg on the edge of the blender. Just the sound of the egg shell breaking was unbearable and she stopped to lean against the wall for a moment. She tried again, straightened up, and took a few more wobbly steps until she could see the kitchen table. As soon as she did, she had to grab the door frame for a moment to keep from passing out.

There, sitting in the breakfast nook, was Zak. He was neat and clean, not a scratch on him, and had a new catalogue that had come in the mail on the table. He flipped through the pages slowly as if he were genuinely considering a new comforter or dust ruffle. A small noise came out of Joy’s throat and he looked up.

“Joy!” Zak ran over to help her to a chair, guiding her slowly. She eased into a seat and panted for breath. She couldn’t remember what all she had drank last night, but she silently vowed to never take so many liberties with alcohol again. Ever.

She propped her head up on her hand and smiled at Zak as he sat across from her. “You’re back.”

“Yeah. I couldn’t leave you alone.” They held hands across the table as the blender whirred for a few minutes. She had no idea what awful concoction her father was making for her, but Joy told herself to drink it down, no matter the taste. She had to get this hangover out of her system.

The blender stopped and Zak sent a soundless little kiss across the table to Joy. She made a kissy face back to him and the two of them laughed. She wanted to lean across the table and kiss him for real, but she wasn’t sure how it would affect her father. Would he even remember who the two of them were?

“Alright, my darling daughter who likes to drink,” Steve said in a sing-song voice, “this is just for you. Drink it all in one go; don’t sip.” He set down a tall, grey mixture flecked with red dots. Her stomach turned just at the sight of it. What on earth was this? Her dad stood waiting. “It’s this or be sick the rest of the day. Your choice.”

She took a deep breath, let it all out, then raised the glass to her lips. The thick, heavy grey liquid slid down her throat slowly. The feel of it brought to mind the way garbage slid down a chute or snot came out of a nose. She wretched a little as she drank it, but she didn’t stop until she got to the bottom.

“Oh my god, Dad!” Joy shoved the glass away from her and gasped for breath. “What the hell was that?”

“Hey, language. I’m not a fan of this new hard-living, biker chick persona you’re cultivating. I miss my sweet girl.” He picked up the glass and washed it. “Besides, it’s just eggs, tomato juice, tabasco, protein powder, and green tea. You’re fine.”

The list of ingredients and the feel of her father’s disgusting cocktail in her stomach was more than she could bear. Joy jumped up and ran to the bathroom, barely upright and bouncing off of the walls the whole way, then flung herself in front of the toilet to puke.

Back in the kitchen, Steve dried the clean glass and put it in the cupboard. He raised an eyebrow at Zak. “It’s my grandma’s recipe. Works every time.”

The rest of the day was a bizarre one for Joy as her father joined her and her boyfriend for a day at home. While they usually spent their time running off to, well, anywhere, that day they all stayed close to each other. Joy marveled at her father’s sharp mentality; he didn’t call her Brenda once. When Zak stepped away to use the bathroom, she moved closer to her dad.

“Dad, how are you feeling today?”

“Hm? Me? Oh fine, dear. Just fine. You know that nice boy Zak gave me some vitamins that really got me going today. I can’t remember the last time I felt this good.”

“Vitamins? What kind of vitamins?” She looked around the living room but didn’t see any new medications. Her dad was busy flipping through TV channels looking for his courtroom drama and couldn’t be bothered.

“I forget the name. I’ll have to ask; they’re great stuff. Oh, here’s Judge Hunter.” He settled into his chair, not intending to move for the next hour at least. Joy stood up and moved into the kitchen where she opened all the cupboards and checked every inch of counter space for any sign of any kind of vitamin. There was nothing. What had Zak done to help her dad?
“Hey beautiful.” Hands smoothed down the front of her dress and Zak’s head peeked over her shoulder. “What are you looking for?”

“The vitamins you gave my dad. Where are they?”

“They’re around here somewhere.” He kissed her neck and for a moment she gave into the familiar feel of his full lips and hungry touch, but snapped out of it just as quickly.

“Hey, I’m serious.” She turned around stepped back from him, out of kissing range.

“You think I’m not?” He moved in for another round and she stopped him with a finger to his chest.

“Stop it. I need to know what kind they are. I’ve never seen him with it. He’s usually confused most of the day. If you’ve found some miracle herbal supplement, I want to know what it is.”

“It’s my dad’s old recipe. He swore by it. Now come on, just give me one kiss before we go sit with your dad again…”

“One more thing.” Zak sighed and fell against her like a rag doll. “Come on,” she said, picking him up by his armpits. “I need to know.”

“Yes, of course. Whatever you want. Shoot.”

She smoothed his hair back out of his face. It was nice seeing him so combed and put together. She was used to the untamed, rumpled version of Zak she saw outdoors. She flashed back to the day he disappeared and all she saw was a bear standing on her ex-husband and tears came to her eyes.

“I just need to know,” she said, the tears falling onto her dress, “where did you go? When the bear came, where did you run to?”

“Hey.” Zak pulled her into a hug and smoothed her hair. “Why the tears, huh? I’m okay. I made it back. Don’t cry.”

She took a big, shuddering breath and closed her eyes. She breathed in the smell of Zak’s skin and told herself he was right, the important thing was that he was alive and here with her. “I know. I was just so scared I’d never see you again.”

“Never? Come on. That’s such a long time.” He kissed her head and squeezed her tight. “If you must know, I holed up in a little abandoned house for a day and a night, then I had to go and fish for something to eat or else I would have starved. As soon as I was strong enough, I headed back to town.”

She pulled back and looked at him in his gelled hair and church-appropriate clothes. Joy put her hand on Zak’s cheek and leaned in for a kiss, a real kiss, on his soft, welcoming lips. He tasted like wine late at night, like water from the creek, like a warm lover who had already waited for her a long time.

“I love you, Zak,” she whispered.

He pulled her in a little tighter. “I love you more.”

 

 

Chapter 8

 

The next few days were quiet, but a week after Zak had returned Joy was feeling particularly odd. “Oh no,” she thought, “I’m sick again.” She could feel that her stomach was extremely bloated and her breasts were so tender it hurt just to shift a bit under her blanket. What was going on?

She threw back the covers and flung her arm over her eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so tired, and after going to bed early, too. She thought of what she wanted for breakfast, but as soon as she thought of actual, solid food she felt a rush of acid coming up from her stomach. Jumping up from the bed, she ran to the bathroom and stuck her head in the toilet just in time. She retched and heaved for a few minutes, not throwing up a lot but enough that it dripped out her nose and made her stomach jump up and down a bit.

“No more drinking for me. My system just can’t handle it.” Joy flushed her sick away and leaned her head on the toilet, grateful for it’s cool, smooth surface against her cheek. She took a deep breath. She’d have to go and make her dad some breakfast; he needed a cup of coffee less than five minutes after waking up. Shakily, she stood and turned to face her reflection in the mirror.

There, in the reflection, was a big pregnant belly hanging off Joy’s reflected frame. Her heart stopped. She couldn’t be pregnant, could she? She’d had her period at least two months ago. When she’d skipped one, she had just shrugged it off as stress. It was right around Zak’s disappearance, after all. This belly was big enough for a fully-formed baby, not a newly-made fetus.

Joy’s hand smoothed down the front of her body, feeling the tight stretch of skin over her abdomen and the lump underneath. What was going on?

Quickly, she dressed in a big, baggy sweater and loose jeans. Even the big, unbelted waistband was tight around her new frame and the middle of her top stretched over her belly. Would Dad notice?

She went out into the kitchen quickly and got the coffee machine started. She threw some bread in the toaster and set out the eggs. Still rushing, she penned a quick note.

Woke up ill. Ran off to see the doc. Be home soon. Joy. She put it on a plate where her dad would be sure to find it, grabbed her purse, and ran out the door.

Even though it had been about a week since she’d seen the gang, she had a feeling she knew where they were. Anytime they wanted to be outside of town, they liked to hang out at a little campground not far from where they had their late-night bonfires. Joy headed that direction; she wanted an explanation from Zak and she wanted it right that moment.

She pulled up to the campsite and saw that yes, she’d guessed correctly; the whole gang was there and sleeping soundly. Their feet were sticking out of randomly arranged tents and there were remnants of their latest party all over the place. Joy walked out into the grass, kicking aside empty beer cans and flattened chip bags until she reached the biggest tent. Zak’s bike was parked outside.

He was there, snoring blissfully away as if nothing in the world could affect him. She reached down and shook him rudely awake.

“Morning, Zak.”

“Huh? Wha—hey, Joy.” He smiled sleepily at the surprise, not fully awake. His hands reached up for her to pull her down into the sleeping bag with him but she yanked herself back. “Come on, sweetie, come lie down…” She could see him drifting off into a dream again and clapped her hands close to his face.

“Zak! You have to wake up right now.”

He snorted and shook his head in a big no from side to side. Joy shook him again. “Zak, come on! This is important!”

Finally, he blinked his eyes open and, through his blurred vision, looked at Joy as she slowly took shape in front of him. She looked weird; something about her was bigger. She had on big clothes and her face was panicked and pale. He rubbed the last of the grogginess from his eyes and looked at her again. This time, he put his hands on her belly.

“You’re pregnant.”

“Yeah, no kidding. You want to explain how I entered my third trimester in just a few months?” She started breathing quickly and pacing back and forth in the tent. “I mean, how is this even possible? I know it’s yours; it has to be, but, but, we’ve been dating for like, two months. Two months! And look at me!”

She lifted her shirt to show him her big belly and he took it in, smiling just a little. “What are you so happy about,” she demanded and his smile instantly disappeared.

“Joy,” he said, reaching out for her hands, “come here.” She sat down facing him and let him take both of her hands. He massaged her fingers and she breathed a little easier. He hung his head for a moment, then looked at her with a serious expression.

“There’s something I should have told you a long time ago,” he began. “Do you remember my father; how odd he was? He actually got kicked out of the three restaurants in town because he ate so much. And he had to be outdoors all the time, do you remember?”

Joy thought back. Zak’s father had been just like him: restless, an outdoorsman, a heavy drinker, and huge eater despite his medium build. There had always been something different about him, something in his eyes that set him apart from everyone else. She couldn’t quite recall the last time she’d seen him, either. Like Zak, he had just up and left one day.

“He was an outsider, your dad. Kind of like you.”

“An outsider,” Zak said, letting out a big breath, “yeah. That’s one way of describing him. You see Joy, the men in my family, they’re different. My dad, me, my uncles and grandfather; we’re not entirely human.”

“What?” Joy felt a strange, cold sensation creeping along her skin. “What are you, then?”

“Maybe,” Zak said, setting her hands down in her lap and standing up, “maybe it would be better if I just showed you.”

Zak stood above her and closed his eyes. Slowly, he began to work his jaw back and forth. His face seemed to extend while his nose shrank and his ears lifted to the top of his head. His shoulders became big and rounded and his hands changed to heavy circles with long claws. Joy didn’t move, she couldn’t have if she’d wanted to. She watched Zak sprout thick brown hair all over his body. His legs became heavy and his hips spread to a wide, round shape, making him stand on all fours.

Still sitting on the sleeping bag, Joy found herself face to face with the same, large brown bear that she had seen attack Aris. The bear breathed it’s heavy hot breath onto her with loud, labored breathing. The two of them watched each other, not moving.

Trembling, Joy reached up and touched the bear’s face as gently as she could. His eyes became soft and the bear’s massive head leaned into her touch, enjoying the feel of her hand. She barely breathed as she focused on her reflection in his big, glassy eyes. “Zak? Are you in there?”

The bear stared at her, then gave her a small, almost imperceptible nod. The air in her lungs came rushing out and tears came to her eyes. “Am I pregnant with someone like you? Is that why it happened so fast?” Again, he gave a small nod. With tears sliding down her face, she tilted her head forward to touch her forehead to his. They stayed like that for a moment, bear and human together, then Joy looked up.

“Can you turn back? I need to be able to talk to you.” The bear lay down and covered his head in his massive paws. She moved back, uncertain how another transformation was going to go. Starting with his feet, his hair began to retract and his shape slowly returned to that of a human male, but it took a long time. When his transformation had finally completed, the sun was high and other members of the gang were up and wandering around, grumbling about the lack of food.

When the last trace of bear was gone, Zak looked up at her. He was naked and lying on his stomach and his face was white with exhaustion. She lay next to him and kissed his cheek. “Shh. Don’t move. Get your strength back. I’ll tell the gang you need the morning off, okay?”

He shook his head no. “They. Need. Me.”

Joy got Zak dressed and then helped him up. He was horribly weak and could barely stand, but he insisted on leaving the tent. So Joy, pregnant and in shock, walked with her arm around Zak, her faint boyfriend who was not entirely human. They stepped out into the sunlight and found the gang waiting in a loose collection outside the tent. They didn’t look surprised or confused at the sight of their leader looking so rough. They just gave a little nod to Joy and glanced down at her big belly.

Carefully, Zak sat on a big rock and took in the group. Petunia brought him a bottle of orange juice and he gulped it down.

“Thanks.” He wiped his mouth and looked around. “As you can all see, Joy is pregnant. This means she’s going to need our protection until her babies are born. I want a security detail around her twenty-four seven. These babies are definitely part of the brown bear line. That means they’ll be very powerful,” he looked to Joy, “and very important. We can’t let anything happen to them.”

The group nodded, still unsurprised. Joy looked over at Petunia who gave her a big grin.

“Congratulations, mama bear. You’re definitely having at least two.”

Joy touched her stomach and felt a shift under her skin. She thought of two little forms inside her tumbling over one another, somersaulting around like bear cubs. Her shock set in as she realized that was essentially what she would be having: two baby bears.

“I want five of you out getting some food. I transitioned this morning but I didn’t get a chance to recover so I need some extra. Get back as soon as you can. Joy, you’ll have to stay here until we can organize protection for you.”

Five bikers roared off and the rest came up to hug Joy and tell her congratulations. She accepted it all graciously, but out of the corner of her eye she kept tabs on Zak. He looked extremely weak, like he might fall off of his perch at any moment. After a little bit of small talk, she joined him again and put her arm around him.

“Sorry,” he whispered. “I usually transition slowly. That’s why I went off into the woods, so I could stay in bear form for a couple of days and then take a few hours to go back to human. I’ll be okay.”

Joy gave him a kiss on the cheek and wrapped her arms around him. “You’ve worked really hard to hide this from me, haven’t you?”

He leaned his head into her. “I had to. I wanted you to be safe. This isn’t an easy life, Joy.”

She lifted up out of their hug and looked at him. “Why are you in so much danger?”

Zak looked up to see Petunia standing with fast food bags and a cup of coffee. She handed it all to the lovebirds. Zak took it gratefully and started ripping into the paper. “Petunia,” he said to her, “tell Joy what happened to you when that hunter saw you transition.”

Petunia sucked the air in through her teeth. “Oh, that’s a rough story. Let me get a cigarette.” She slipped a smoke out of her carton and then cupped her hands over it to get the flame. After she’d taken a long drag, she dove in.

“I was in the woods. We’d all transitioned together a few days before and everyone was going back to human one by one, but I was taking my time. I always love my time in the woods; I fish, I sleep, I walk forever. It’s the best. But, I knew I was lagging behind and I needed to move on. So, I found a little clearing and lay down. To shift back to human, we have to go inside ourselves and really focus. I’m on the ground, I’ve got my head covered, I’m about halfway through the change and then I felt something on my neck.

“It was the butt of a shotgun. A hunter had been just out of sight and I wasn’t as careful as I should have been. Now, I was caught. This guy didn’t want to shoot me, he wanted to keep me in one place. I heard him call out to someone that he’d found something crazy. He probably thought he could sell me to some lab or a TV studio, who knows. All I knew was, I had to get out of there. I stopped changing; uncovered my eyes, focused on keeping my bear form and, well…”

Joy leaned forward. “What did you do?”

She shrugged and let out a big cloud of smoke. “I had to kill them.” She turned and walked away to sit by herself for a moment. Behind her, Joy was frozen in panic.

“Zak!” She grabbed his shoulder. “What is this? Why did she have to kill them?”

He balled up the paper of the food he’d finished and took Joy’s hand. “Listen, we don’t want to kill anyone. She only took those guys out because they’d seen that she was something different. She’s not wholly human and she’s not entirely animal. People can’t deal with that.”

She moved closer to him and spoke in a whisper. “Have you ever killed someone?”

He shook his head. “No. Never. I specialize in scaring people away. I find it’s much more effective.”

“Like you did with Aris?”

“Exactly like that. He’s alive, but I’d be very surprised if he ever bothered us again.”

They spent the morning together, lazing around in the sun while Zak got his strength back. Joy relished the opportunity to relax in the grass. Pregnancy was surprisingly exhausting and she dozed for a couple of hours at least.

By the time she woke up it was late morning and Zak was back to his old self, joking around and play fighting with his crew. She propped herself up on her elbows and motioned to Greg to help her up. “Quick,” she said, “I have to pee like you wouldn’t believe.”

A little later, Zak and three other crew members were ready to escort Joy home. They explained to her that they would be camping out near her house and available to take her wherever she wanted to go, day or night. She wondered how her dad was going to like having a faction of bikers across the street from them. Maybe his memory problems would kick in and keep him from paying too much attention to them. A girl could dream, anyway.

They went down the street as a group, Joy sitting in the sidecar of Petunia’s bike. Her big belly made it impossible for her to hang on to Zak and she was a little sad to see the empty space behind him as he drove in the front. A kick to her insides reminded her why safety was tantamount. She put a hand where she felt the baby’s foot and rubbed it. It was probably her imagination, but she could have sworn she felt its toes wiggle under her hand.

At her dad’s house, everything looked quiet. She needed help getting up from the sidecar and once again she was desperate for a bathroom, but she was smiling. Zak took her by the arm and led her to the house, making her laugh.

“I’m not going to break! I can walk.”

“I know,” he said, leaning in to nibble her neck, “but I want to spoil you.”

They approached the front door and Zak’s face twisted up for a moment. He stopped Joy. “Something’s wrong in here.” He leaned forward and smelled the air. “Joy, we have to go.”

“No!” She quickly opened the door, still looking at Zak. “If something’s wrong that means we have to get my dad and—”

“And what, Joy?”

The sound of his voice made all of Joy’s happiness and confidence dissolve. There, sitting in her living room with a pistol aimed at her father, was Aris. He was banged up and bandaged, but otherwise still the same old Aris she remembered. He sat stock still and let his eyes do the talking. Joy took stock of the situation; both men were seated directly across from one another. Her father was clearly terrified but Aris was calm. He loved making other people scared; it was what he did best.

He pulled back the hammer of the gun and looked at Joy’s father. “Tell your daughter to stop being so rude and join us. Her boyfriend can go.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Zak stepped into the living room with his hands balled into fists. He was already breathing hard. “I won’t let you terrorize the mother of my child or anyone close to her.”

“Terrorize?” Aris sneered at the word. “Who on earth is terrorizing anyone? You think I want to shoot him? I can’t imagine a worse outcome. All I want,” he said, affecting an innocent tone, “is for everyone to come to their senses. And that means you, wifey.”

“You know I don’t want to be with you anymore.” Joy kept her hands on her belly as she spoke. Her babies had gone completely still, sensing how scared she was. “I’m with Zak. I’m pregnant with his baby. Just sign the papers and move on. There’s no reason for you to keep after me.”

Aris let out a sad sigh. “Well, I’m sorry to hear you say that, Joy.” He lifted the gun and pointed it at Steve’s head. “Cuz now your dad is going to die.”

A loud bang rang out. Joy screamed and Zak dove across the room straight at Aris. Steve fell out of his chair and onto the floor as a horrible fight broke out. Joy couldn’t look. Instead, she pushed herself against the wall and did everything she could to be invisible. She could hear the TV shatter, the lamp crash against the wall, and fists smack into skin. The wall began to bend and fold under her and the floor came up to meet her. As soon as it did, Joy’s vision went black and she drifted off into the void.

 

Chapter 9

 

It was several days before Joy would let Zak hold her again. The shock of seeing Aris, the shot in her dad’s shoulder, and their days visiting him in the hospital all kept her from his tent. He didn’t say anything, just waited patiently for his love to return to him. She could feel his eyes on her any time he was close, but she couldn’t return his gaze. It was just too much.

Finally, after a couple of weeks, Steve was back home and only a little worse for the wear. His shoulder was stiff but, as he put it: “What am I, some athlete? I can do everything I need to do.” A physical therapist came by every day to help him move his stiff joint and Joy sat with them, participating in all the same exercises.

One night they sat watching a trashy reality show and Steve suddenly clicked off the TV. “Joy,” he said, “how much longer are you going to keep this up?”

“Whuh?” She had a mouth full of popcorn. Her pregnancy was in its final stages and she was constantly starving.

“Don’t give me that.” Steve took the popcorn from her hands and pointed at the phone. “Go call that bear of yours and spend the evening together. The two of you will be parents soon and won’t have the strength. If you two want to go out ever again, now’s the time.”

Joy started to protest but her father just pointed at the phone. She heaved herself out of the chair and went over to call Zak. She knew the gang had a couple of phones they shared and she had both numbers memorized, but she was reluctant. She just wasn’t sure how she felt about her future as a mother. Couldn’t she just stare at the TV and forget about it for a night?

“Hello, Rick’s Roadkill Cafe. You kill ‘em we grill ‘em.”

Joy laughed. “Hi Greg. It’s Joy. Is Zak around?”

Greg called Zak over and told him who it was.

“Joy? Joy, sweetheart, are you there?”

“Yes, I’m here. I’m wondering if I can see you tonight.”

“Tonight. Yes. I’m coming to get you. Don’t move. I’ll bring the sidecar.”

A little while later, Joy was zipping down the road in the little car next to Zak’s bike. The trees and power lines whipped by and her hair streamed behind her. The air smelled incredible; it was full of pine, late summer, and rain on the horizon. She smiled over at Zak; she had missed him. She was glad her father had pushed her to go out. She’d really missed the craziness that came with being Zak’s partner.

They pulled up to the campground and everyone walked over to Joy.

“Oh, look how big you’ve gotten! Any day now.”

“I remember my first pregnancy. I couldn’t leave my partner alone. Remember, baby?”

“Joy, your boobs are enormous. Ow! Hey, sorry.” Zak shoved the last visitor away and yelled for someone to bring over the thermos of hot tea.

“She’s our guest of honor. I better see you all act like it.” Everyone grumbled and wandered away, back to their beer and their bonfire. Someone handed Joy a thermos but she didn’t see who it was; she was too busy looking at Zak.

Had his shoulders always been so muscular? And his jaw, was it always that square? He was absolutely stunning. When he turned to her with a smile she melted and leaned in to give him a kiss. “I missed you, Zak.”

He pulled her in tight, covering her head with kisses. “Joy, I felt like I was dying without you. I know you were upset about what happened, but Aris is in jail. No one touched him. And I want to tell you—”

“Shh. Tell me later. Can we go to your tent?”

Zak looked out at the group; they seemed sufficiently distracted. “Yeah, let’s go.”

The two headed off, Joy waddling a bit while Zak kept his arm around her shoulder. He kept checking to see how she felt, would it be soon? She just laughed at him and told him to stop worrying.

“Just get me to your tent, babe. I need to be with you.”

They ducked inside Zak’s little abode and zipped up the entrance behind them. Joy laid down carefully and Zak hovered above her, kissing her face and neck.

“Baby, will you take off my pants?”

He reached down and pulled off the black leggings she had on, revealing her high, rounded belly. “Oh, wow.” He touched it gently and lay his cheek against one side. “I can feel them in there.”

“So can I.” Joy laughed. She propped herself up on her elbows. “I hope they’re both as beautiful as you, Zak. You really are just,” she ran her hand up his arm, taking in his muscles, “so, so sexy.”

He looked at her a little surprised. “You think so? Check this out.” He pulled his T-shirt off, revealing his defined muscles. They were bigger than she remembered and she reached up to touch his pectorals. They were like carved wood.

“Oh my God. Sweetie, I’m really, really,” she twisted and squirmed underneath him, “horny. I need you right now.”

He didn’t respond, instead he pulled up her shirt and helped her get it off over her head. Then he unhooked her bra from her large, swollen breasts so that they could rest freely on top of her chest. Her dark nipples were hard and small and Zak gave them a little flick.

“Don’t tease me! I need you inside me, baby, please.”

He took off Joy’s panties and then stood to undress himself. She sat up to take in the view as he pulled off his clothes, smiling at the sight. “God, you look good naked.”

Lowering down to his hands and knees, he started kissing her again. “You remember when I called you a goddess?”

“I remember.”

“You’re even more of a goddess now. Carrying my children, full of love and magic.” He slipped his arm around her back and let her arch backwards a little, raising her chest for him to taste. “Let me worship you properly while you’re like this; at your most feminine. Your most magical.”

Gently, slowly, the two maneuvered into position on all fours. Joy was up on her hands and knees while Zak kneeled behind her. He entered her cautiously, a little scared he might hurt her, but she moaned as he moved inside, loving the way he felt.

“Oh yeah. Oh, keep going.”

“You’re okay?”

“Yes. I’m okay. Don’t worry. It feels so wonderful.”

He reached under her arms to feel her heavy breasts and played with her nipples as he slid in and out a few more times, still not rushing. Her pussy had taken on a new, softer texture and felt amazing against his hard, excited cock. He went a little faster.

“Oh! Oh yes. Yes, Zak. Like that.”

“You want it that way? Like this?” He slid into her hard, pausing between each penetration to torture her just for a moment. Each time he re-entered she let out a high-pitched cry of surprise. After a few minutes, she reached back for his hand.

“Stay inside me for just a moment. Let me just feel you.”

Zak didn’t move, just maintained his position deep inside Joy. Her wide, curvy hips went around in a little circle and started rocking up and down in a little tilt. The movement made her pubic bone rub up against his shaft and the sensation was one he’d never known he loved so much.

“Oh, Joy. Oh, babe.”

“Don’t move.” She looked over her shoulder. “Don’t do anything. Let me.” He nodded and she went back to her own pursuits against his hips. She slid herself along the length of his cock, then bucked against him, working harder and harder. Zak kept his hands behind his head while his eyes rolled with the insane pleasure she was giving him. He’d never had any sex like this before.

Joy was working harder and harder against him and he had to put his hands on her hips to keep from falling over. The two of them began to climax together, climbing up, up into the stars above them as they rode their orgasm higher and higher.

“Zak, I’m coming. I’m almost there.”

“Oh, me too. Don’t stop. I’m right here with you.”

She worked her hips harder and harder, squeezing her eyes shut as she began to crest. Inside her, she felt Zak pumping back and forth and then exploding just as she did. They rode through their intense pleasure together, Zak holding her tightly as she reached back and grabbed his neck.

“Yes! Yes, oh my god. Oh. Oh yes. Yes. Oh, wow.”

“Oh, Joy. My darling.” His breath came fast and hot into her ear. She turned so she could kiss him up on her knees but he insisted she lie down. He joined her on the sleeping bag, the two of them naked together in the tent and completely exhausted from their lovemaking. He stroked her face and stared at her, fascinated.

“My Joy. Mother of my children.”

“Damn straight.” They laughed and kissed again, then Joy had to lie back and caress her stomach. “They hear you. They’re tumbling around like crazy right now.”
“Really?” Zak reached over and put his hand on her stomach and, just as she’d promised, felt his babies moving under her skin. “Wow. Those are our kids.”

“Are you ready to be a father?” She looked at him seriously, her eyes wide. He propped himself up on one elbow and stroked her hair.